Share the Road

Yesterday Chris came home and told me "I have a funny cycling story to tell you". Well, after he told me I can tell you... I didn't find it funny. Not funny one bit.

For whatever reason unknown to my mind, sometimes people on the rural roads of our area... any area if you ask cyclists.... find it amusing to pit their half ton or more of automobile steel against a 15 pound carbon fibre bicycle frame. Keep in mind that these cyclists are human beings clad in nothing but foam atop their melon for protection. Why is it? Why do these people do such things?

Since Chris has been cycling for the past 6 or 7 years, he's encountered a lot either first hand or by word of mouth. Among the encounters ...cyclists have been charged head on by pickups, clipped with side mirrors, had hot dogs thrown at their back, been shouted at and called "faggot" among other colorful epithets. One of the women that rode for his company's cycling team in Austin TX was killed by a motorist in a hit and run during a one of her rides.

Once, Chris' encounter was with a woman charging sidelong down her dirt driveway toward him and the oncoming group of cyclists in her SUV... WITH her young daughter in the front seat. They called CHP and she denied everything, though there were 20 witnesses. Why does law enforcement take the side of automobile drivers? Doesn't it make her at fault for charging through her driveway and gate into oncoming traffic whether cyclist or car?

Now back to our story...Chris told me a guy buzzed him about 8" off of his shoulder during his Tuesday ride. As a friend tells me (also a cyclist and EMT) something like that can be the difference between life, life in paralysis or death. The kid fishtaled to a halt and Chris along with the guy he was cycling with went up to the guy and asked what he was doing. Chris told him "you could have killed one of us" and the kid said "I will kill one of you". What gets me about this mentality is I bet that kid is "Pro Life". I'm making assumptions, but I've lived long enough to know his ilk.

So it was during this part of the story the Italian blood in me begins to bubble up and I'm ready to go Michael Douglas in "Falling Down".... seriously considering going out on that road and waiting at lunchtime for that kid. A steady stream of obsceneties poured forth from my mouth (don't worry Maggie was showering and unable to hear this story or my potty mouth). I think my words are still (homage to A Christmas Story) hanging over the San Francisco Bay. The audacity of someone threatening my husband.. Maggie's dad! I can see how people commit crimes of passion, really I do. I do look good in orange and it's one of my favorite colors, but I prefer not to wear it for 30 or more years. Incidentally I do know the name of that woman in the SUV and where she lives.

Cyclists are tax payers and they are techincally driving a vehicle on roads paid for by their tax dollars, they are not "target practice". Cyclists are road warriors out for fresh air and exercise. Cyclists are sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, husbands and wives. Cyclists are human beings.

My mom, eloquent woman that she was, told me two things in my life which I can still hear.

• "No one is better than you and you are no better than anyone else. We all take our pants down to shit."
• "Manners are free... everyone can afford them."

With those pearls I leave you with the following requests... please:

Treat people with respect and courtesy.

Value human life.

Share the road.

What this race needs... is more COWBELL!

Chris has been cycling now for oh... 6 years...maybe longer. Cycling has improved his physical and mental well being as well as, if I'm honest, given him an even more kick ass, well..... ass!

He rides appx 20-25 miles a day during the week and occasional weekend rides. It has all led to this.. his first road race!

Sunday we awoke at 5:15am (wow.. I haven't seen the front end of a sunrise that early in a long time) and left the house by 6am due East to beautiful, exotic and hot as hell Modesto! As we drove over the Altamont we saw the road was peppered with fellow motorists with bikes atop their cars... all destined for the Modesto Road Race.. a 56 mile circuit.

When we arrived at the site just after 7am it was already 77 degrees. Phew! Chris got registered, got his one day cycling license and got suited up and had time for a short warm up. The Pro's started at 8am and Chris started at 8:20am. About every 20 minutes we'd see him (Maggie more often with her sharp kid eagle eyes!) but I was able to get him in one action photo!

Maggie and I made sure to shake our cow bells (yay Livemore Farm & Feed!) each lap and Mags even brought a smile to one lone rider who had fallen off the back of his peleton. He was pedaling alone in earnest, 86 degrees by that point, no reprieve by way of the peleton slipstream... slogging out the miles trying to catch back up or be lapped and catch on the back. As he went by Maggie rang her cow bell and cheered him on and he managed a smile. (note the cowbell next to her in the chair :D)

When we waited for Chris to lap we busied ourselves by helping the race folks and picking up cast off water bottles from cyclists and putting them on a bulkhead.

Chris not only finished, he finished in the peleton and with nary a bike flat or road rash. Success!! We are so proud of him! He even rolled back in with a smile. (He placed #46 in a field of 65.. very respectable for a first timer!)