bikes and things

I took a turn into the park last night with the idea of doing a few laps to add a bit extra to the journey home. Nothing too fast, just a bit of a breather at around 30 km/h to warm up and clear the head. It was beautifully dark, a chill in the air and incredibly peaceful. At last it seemed perfect for a winter jersey although the damp shoes from the morning were less successful at keeping me warm.

After a while I found someone sat on my wheel which is often the case. No big deal but I always do them the courtesy of a few hand signals for holes in the road etc. Some people use you for a bit of a lift up the hill then pass you on the flat or turn off on their way home. It does bother me when people sit there for a whole lap though and don’t do any work.

After half a lap the first person peeled off and then I found myself doing a similar speed to a guy on a fixed out for a few on his way home. Without speaking he tucked in and then after a quarter of a lap he took a turn which I then reciprocated. This carried on for another lap until we got stopped by a red light. At that point I said hello and asked if he fancied doing a few more. There’s something so nice about moving efficiently as a pair at a similar speed and then doing your turn. It’s even nicer when you’ve gone out solo and then silently started sharing the work with a complete stranger. It’s so much quicker and the peaceful sound of tyres on tarmac always makes me smile. It’s kind of reassures you in human kind, or the cyclist variant of.