We had reached that slow point on Saturday morning where Kev and Angus were starting to yawn, having been up for hours, and where Gregor was just finished breakfast, and where nothing much seemed likely to happen for the next hour or so.
So I jumped into some clothes and took my bike out for another spin. Herewith, more Lessons From A Born-Again Cyclist
1, Back in olden times, while I did have to find pockets for keys and possibly a wallet, I never did have to figure out where I was going to carry my cell phone. Nowadays, I wouldn’t think of going out on a self-powered mode of transportation without my electronic lifeline! (Note to self: must by saddlebag/handlebar-bag).
2, I cycled down the YMCA via a network of backroads that I have used when I have occasionally walked there. It takes me about 1/2 hr to walk it and I was curious to see how long it took by bike. Of course, I didn’t time it but I can say that it was significantly faster. “Wheeee!” I thought as I whizzed around the back of the YMCA a mere five minutes or so after leaving the house.
3, On the way home I discovered why I always say I’m going *down* to the Y…
4, I can survive moderate hills.
5, Modern cars are really quiet. I had to turn my head sideways — out of the rush of air — to hear if there were cars around.
6, The world shrinks a little when you have a bike — in a good way. Places you think of as being “a long walk away”, or a “must-drive” distance, are suddenly accessible within a few minutes.
7, People in cars are in a bubble. They have so much going on within their metal bubble that the outside world is far, far away from them. They are in a hurry. They are thinking about their destination and what they will do when they will get there[1]. Even when they have their windows down, on quiet roads, they are oblivious to a cyclist going by, grinning and waving.
8, Dog walkers are not in a bubble. They smile and say hello.
9, On a bike, the destination may matter, but the journey also becomes part of the fun. [2]
NOTES
[1] I am a driver. I know.
[2] Granted, I haven’t been up any steep hills lately, or ridden in sleet, or been menaced by heavy traffic, but still. My point is about awareness and, er, all that crazy Eastern stuff…
A word to the wise – make eye-contact with drivers, even if it means turning around and looking behind you, if you have to do a manoeuvre that will in any way affect their little world!