Ladies and Gents, and Sharing the Moment

August 23, 2019

Ladies and Gents, and Sharing the Moment

Not long ago someone said to me that it was strange seeing me on a road bike; our mutual experience was, almost exclusively, via the mountain bike. At the time I thought the comment was strange, but then I realized those years of being a dedicated roadie had grown distant. And faded. About a month ago now, Thursday evening re-awoke all that thrill of the road stuff I thought had been put away, like a box of old photographs, only brought out for the memories. Week by week, though, the touch, the confidence from all those years of sown experience have been growing back.

Last night seemed an especially beneficent one, impressions especially vivid: those quick extra one-and-a-half round trip miles back home because I forgot my lights again; sneaker guy is back (I'll get his name eventually) - alright! he is hooked and it won't be long before he discovers the advantages of cycling shoes; the strong scent of cheesy-garlic bread; not missing the opportunity to grab the wheel of the passing tandem; the unmistakable skitch, skitch, skitch sound of a fixed-gear rider making a quick decrease in speed; patience - Covina / Badillo do not matter, Glendora and Cienega, those streets are where the action counts; the weekly warren peace fly-by approaching the 57; flashing red lights at the end, it is dark now; smiles all around, the laughter, sharing in the moment.