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April 23, 2007
Spin City
I'm really not bitching here, just making an observation.
I put 25 miles on The Mighty Schwinn tonight. It was incredibly windy, and I only mention that because a guy I work with keeps commenting on what a die hard I must be to cycle when it's windy. This same guy spends 40-minutes at a time on a trainer which is an activity that I think would kill me after 10 minutes. And that, I think, makes him more of a die hard. (I'd rather ride 4-hours in a hurricaine than spend 10 minutes on a trainer.)
Hey, before I get to the non-bitch, I want to point out two things that happened on my trip home from Grove City the other day.
1. A couple of girls in a convertible honked at me and that is always entertaining. As they looked back and waved I could tell that I could easily be their father; they looked to be about twenty. As much as I enjoy typing that girls in a convertible honked at me, I'd honestly rather not have anybody honk at me. It's sort of startling.
2. As I pedaled up Trueman Blvd. I saw a kid on a bike coming toward me on the sidewalk. He looked to be about 10 or 12. As we neared each other he looked my way, made a fist and said, "Yea … bike riders!" like we were in the same club or something. It cracked me up.
Now we're back to tonight.
I was 15-miles into my ride and pedaling up Davidson Road with the wind at my back. As I approached a light it turned yellow and I slowed as I wasn't about to be through it before it turned red. I'd been doing about 24 mph.
As I braked two guys on bikes shot by me and ran the red light.
I am not the bicycle police, and it really isn't my business, but I am a fan of obeying traffic laws. I think it makes people in autos less angry when they come upon a cyclist. The guys who ran the light were going to be going up a hill and they were going to be front of the traffic that had been in the left turn lane at the cross street of the light they'd just gone through.
Was that clear enough? The guys ran the light. They were headed up a hill with a narrow overpass at the top. The drivers that were going to be behind them, and slowed by them, would have seen them run the light and would be filled with thoughts like:If those assholes hadn't run that light I wouldn't be stuck behind them now! If bicyclists are going to be on the road they should obey the traffic laws like the rest of us have to. They think they own the road!
Like I said, I wasn't really all that concerned as it was none of my business. I must confess, though, I was a bit disappointed by their actions.
As the second rider passed beneath the red light I heard a noise. It sounded like a thin cable that had been under tension snapped and I thought the guy had run over something. And maybe he had. I know that his tire went immediately flat — not like a slow leak, but like an immediate, severe, loss of air.
The duo stopped to fix the tire.
You've seen the oddball things I cycle in so I'd never pick on another person's choice in cycling attire. Let's suppose, though, that some guys were going to come by for a group ride and one of them showed up wearing the same jersey and shorts I had on. I'd change.
Just because it would be too weird.
The two scofflaws were dressed the same. They had the same jerseys and shorts on. When I came up behind them I thought they were a married couple — which would have made the whole thing kind of cute. When I passed them I noticed it was a couple of guys in their 20s. And it isn't like their jerseys said Phonak or Discovery Chanel or United States Postal Service on them. They were Tecate Jerseys the guys had bought from a cycling shop.
I guess there's a chance they could have been a gay couple, which would make the matching outfits a cute thing. I'll have to check with my gay friends to see if cycling is big in the gay community. I only hope I'm not asked if one of the guys was pedaling funny; I wasn't paying that kind of attention to the situation.
I really don't think gay people run red lights.
Posted by delmer at April 23, 2007 11:21 PM
Comments
I liked point (2) "Yea … bike riders!" How fantastic is that? Inspirational.
Posted by: Michael at April 24, 2007 10:41 AM
Maybe they're just best friends...he non-gay type.
I love that ninja suit you wear. How cool!
Posted by: The Phoenix at April 24, 2007 1:11 PM
WOW 40 minutes that guy must be a machine! Who is he? I ride 25 and on rare, very rare, occasions upto 30 minutes on the rollers. After every minute I think "you know I can get off this right now and go do sit ups or eat breakfast". Riding in the wind on the other hand you are screwed once your half way in, unless you ride around the block over and over again. You gotta ride back, Delmer you KICK ASS my friend! I won't ride in the wind because it might also rain and my candyass will melt.
Posted by: Mikeo at April 24, 2007 9:58 PM
