The Prince And The Popper

Long, long ago (Last week.) after a most excellent group ride I had gotten redressed in my civi clothes and was taking my mountain bike out to the car. I was planning on putting it on my bike rack that's attached to the back of my car and locking it up there. I'm trying to sell it (2006 Cannondale Prophet. Size M. Let me know if you're interested.) and a fella at work wanted a test ride. Anyway, I'm was about to put it on the rack and then head off to our traditional watering hole for a much anticipated post ride beer. When my SSHW suggested that I should just ride it down there so that it wouldn't potentially get hit or kiped off the rack. That seemed like the more intelligent thing to do so I started to soft pedal it along the sidewalk while JP and SSHW walked next to me. When what did my wondering eyes appear but a really bitchin' Rolls Royce Phantom parked by one of the banks (Huh, go figure.) downtown.



It looked a lot like this one.

 As I slowed down to take a look at it my SSHW and JP continued walking and talking. When I yelled out to them to check out the hot car.  A fella across the street sort of darted his head back towards where I was yelling from and had an exceptionally worried look on his face.

All of a sudden I was taking in the whole scene from this guy's point of view. Here is this sketchy (Let's face it. Even on good days I look sketchy.) looking dude with a black hat, coat, no helmet, riding a mountain bike on the sidewalk being loud right in front of his car. At a distance I could have easily been labeled a guy who rides a bike because he "has" to. Not because he "wants" to.
Then as if right on cue JP asks the guy if that was his car. The man very quickly said yes. Not in the way a prideful owner of such a fine automobile would say. But it sounded more like in the worried hopes that if we knew it was his maybe we wouldn't fuck with it in his presents.

It's one of those times in life when I wanted to explain my entire life story so this guy could be a little more at ease.

As it turned out that was the total of the conversation. But it did get me thinking about how a lot of the world must perceive us as cyclists. And even how cyclist perceive each other. Like somehow putting on lycra makes me better, safer, or more of an upstanding cycling citizen.

I don't really know where I was going with the story... Just food for thought.

Rubber side down,

Big E