I commute to work every now and then, I'm not a have-to commuter, I'm a want-to commuter, and I want to more than not. In this metropolius of pick-up trucks I am one of a handful of people that actually ride bikes to work in this unfriendly, no infrastructure, take your life in your own hands country. On my commute to work I expect to be honked at, buzzed, yelled at (when one yells out of a car window at 70+mph one sounds even more ignorant than if I could even understand what you are trying to convey). Don't yell it makes one seem stupid.
I never see other cyclists on my commute. Never. Well, in the year that I have been doing this maybe a handful. So you can see that I was delighted to see another cyclist on the road on my way to work this morning. Speeding up to catch said rider is my usual response, but not today. I stayed the course and gradually reeled him in. Wow! Another cyclist out on the same road enjoying the same weather and a beautiful tailwind. I was ready for a chat, a cyclist to cyclist chat.
I slowed slightly to meet his pace, edged up beside him and announced my presence with a friendly "how's it going?" He barely half-looked in my direction and kept riding. So I followed that up with a "you doin' alright?" which was completely ignored with a blank-leave-me-alone-stare. No glance, no nod, nothing. Well well, guess all the "Riders" in these parts are too PRO to have a little cycling banter on the Sunday morning spin out.
I expect rudeness from the automobile clad legions, but a fellow cyclist? Really? I know there are the stereotypical jackasses in cycling. I know this. But here in this tiny cycling community where a group ride has less people than a training ride with my old cycling club? With so few people can one really afford to be such an ass? Hope that works out for you buddy.
Ignorance comes in the four-wheeled variety and it also is prevalent on two wheels. Yes I come away from this incident a little sad that I could not share an experience, the experience of riding a bike, with a fellow cyclist and possibly meet someone new. I should know better and not have my feelings hurt, but it just seems that we are all in this together and we should be on the same team. The next time I roll up on another cyclist, if it ever happens again, I will be sure to give at least a nod, but more importantly, a "how's it going?"
