I rode to work today. It was my 93rd commute by bike of the year.

Remind me to never take a whirlwind lightly again. I was blown down by a really strong one on the ride home. I was southbound on Lubbock Avenue, about a half mile from work, when I saw a whirlwind cross about a block in front of me. Like most, this one was moving west to east. It had cleared the road and I thought it was gone, but for some reason, it turned and crossed the road again, hitting me squarely before I knew what was happening.

I didn’t have a lot of speed, and the strong swirling winds instantly stopped me completely, then blew me over on my left side. In a moment that made me glad I was on a close to the ground bike, I put my left hand down and stopped my fall, feet still clipped to the pedals. There I was for an instant, using just my left arm to keep me off the concrete. I managed to unclip, got my left foot on the road, and used my left leg to upright myself, without anything other than my hand and foot ever touching the concrete. It was a strange feeling maneuver that I’d never attempted before. My handlebar had been tweaked crooked, but there was no other damage to either bike or rider. I quickly straightened my handlebar and continued on my way.

Did I mention that 103 degrees makes for a very hot ride home?