What Happened?

                                                                 


I began riding my bicycle for fun and fitness again, after a 14 month layoff. Over the past 5 or 6 years my riding had become sporadic at best, family and job considerations took center stage, those things happen in life, it's just how it goes. Anyway, I have more time now, so the old steed got cleaned up and put back on the road where she belongs. I admit it, it feels great to push the pedals, feel the wind and the warm sun, and generally feel fit again. Good for the soul, you understand.
Because I have to start out over again, (can't just ride 100 miles right off) I thought I'd ride a bicycle path near my home. The path is about 13 miles long, and combined with the distance I need to ride to the trail head and back gives me a nice 44 mile round trip. As paths go, it's about what you'd expect, rather flat, and it parallels a river and a canal. Lots of trees provide shade and block strong winds, and having no traffic for almost 26 miles is a good thing, since the roads near me seem to fill up with more and more cars each passing year.
Cycling today is popular, way more so than when I was starting out. In those days (mid 70's) if you saw another serious cyclist while out on the road it was a rarity. And if you did, and  you both were headed in the same direction, greetings were exchanged as if you had just met an old friend, and you'd ride together until one of you had to head off in another direction. Oncoming riders would wave heartily at each other. Hey, cyclists were kind of like a fraternity back then, lots of lasting friendships were made this way. Felt good in a way, meeting another person who shared your passion.
Throughout the 36 years I have been riding, 99% of the miles I put in have been on public roads. Bike paths were not too common, and besides, they were thought of as dangerous. Lots of blind turns, riders pretending to be racers, joggers, rollerbladers, people walking dogs, and other obstacles combined to make paths more dangerous than the roads. It's true...statistics show more accidents occur on paths than on the roads. So I, and others stayed off of them. Paths were, and still are , not for fast riding. Too narrow and too many distractions. When I rode a path, it was always at a safe speed and for fun. If I wanted to train for my racing I took to the roads where I belonged.
Fast forward to now....
Over the past 2 weeks I have ridden the aforementioned bike path 8 times, and (shudder) I admit to actually liking it a lot. I ride at a comfortable pace and take in the sights, sounds, and smells of the surrounding areas I pass through. I have also taken in something else which disturbs me a lot.
 I have noticed lots of cyclists use this path, from beginners to professional wanna be's. I have also seen walkers and joggers, but mostly it's cyclists rolling up and down the tarmac. Good thing, no?
No. 
I have a habit of saying hello to fellow (a term used loosely here) cyclists I encounter while out on my bike. Young, old, doesn't matter. On a 150.00 Wal-Mart special or a 6000.00 carbon-fiber masterpiece...doesn't matter. Wearing a T-shirt and cut-offs or 500.00 worth of racing jersey, shorts and shoes...doesn't matter. They all get a greeting. Old habits die hard, I guess, but it's a habit I want to keep, being nice is an admirable thing, or so I was taught. Funny thing is, that lesson mustn't be taught much anymore. Let me explain.
Over the 26 miles of the bicycle path I have come to like, I see perhaps 40 riders, even more on a weekend day, when sometimes groups of 15 or 20 pass at a time. Lots of these riders look good on their fancy bikes, pedaling away at speeds I used to reach, but, alas, are out of my reach now, thanks to the aging process. Other riders are more casual, pedaling mountain and touring bikes at a pace more suited to me. But whatever they ride, they are all riders to me, brothers in the brotherhood of cycling. So they all get a greeting from me, Mr. Friendly.  Here's the rub....I don't get many responses. My admittedly informal poll has around 20% of the cyclists returning my greeting. I get snubbed by all types, from racers to senior citizens. Don't understand it, not at all.
When I ride, I wear my old racing clothing. You might think racer types would say hi, or at least nod in response to my greeting. Nope....too busy suffering I guess. As for the others, God only knows. I get more blank stares than anything. Oh well....

When we cyclists ride on a path or road, we share a lot of things. We share a love of physical activity, of getting or remaining fit to stave off our eventual decline as the years pass by. We share the outdoors. We share a passion for the simple mechanics of the bicycle, of using human power to travel places. Perhaps some of us share a dislike for cars, preferring to ride year round to work, using a car only when necessary, thus helping the environment and saving money to boot. We share, overall, a love of life, riding a bike makes one feel very much alive indeed. Since we, as cyclists share so much, how about sharing one more thing. Share a hello. You never know, might make a new friend. I'd be up for it.....