Kimmyt
06-18-2007, 05:49 AM
Today on my ride in I was feeling fine. Riding through the heavy traffic at the start of my ride, I realized how confident I had gotten with my bike in traffic. (note, that is not to say I've gotten careless... I am super-vigilant always). But as I was riding down a tight shoulder carefully next to cars lined up to get on the freeway, and when I picked up an insane amount of speed and sped past the gridlocked traffic with a huge grin on my face, I realized just how much commuting has added to my cycling skillset.
I guess it all boils down to this. I ride a sort-of squirrely triathlon/road bike (it's a 'multisport' bike with a compact frame, but set up to use as a road bike... however it still retains it's lively spirit partially from being a compact frame and partially from being a tri bike) and have never in my life been able to ride any bike without my hands.
Today as I was doing my normal commute things on the trail, fishing around in my backpack, drinking out of my waterbottle, I realized how often when I'm riding that I feel like I've got little if any weight on my hands. Essentially, wasn't I just riding without hands, except like a baby learning to walk while trailing a hand on the wall for mental support, my hands were still gently touching my handlebars? So I took a deep breath, and let go.
I did three strokes with my pedals and didn't fall over. I put my hands back on the bars and smiled, took a look before and after me on the trail to make sure I wouldn't be 1) knocking into folks or 2) embarassing myself and then did it again.
This time I pedaled for several minutes and at the end whooped and hollered for happiness. A cyclist passed me going the other way, but it didn't matter, because then the thought came to me that I'm a cyclist now, one of those people that are so relaxed and comfortable on their bikes that they can take their hands off the bars, spin their backpacks around to the front and fish around for things in them, drink coffee while riding.
And then I smiled because I realized, I'm not a cyclist, I'm a commuter!
w00t!:D
I guess it all boils down to this. I ride a sort-of squirrely triathlon/road bike (it's a 'multisport' bike with a compact frame, but set up to use as a road bike... however it still retains it's lively spirit partially from being a compact frame and partially from being a tri bike) and have never in my life been able to ride any bike without my hands.
Today as I was doing my normal commute things on the trail, fishing around in my backpack, drinking out of my waterbottle, I realized how often when I'm riding that I feel like I've got little if any weight on my hands. Essentially, wasn't I just riding without hands, except like a baby learning to walk while trailing a hand on the wall for mental support, my hands were still gently touching my handlebars? So I took a deep breath, and let go.
I did three strokes with my pedals and didn't fall over. I put my hands back on the bars and smiled, took a look before and after me on the trail to make sure I wouldn't be 1) knocking into folks or 2) embarassing myself and then did it again.
This time I pedaled for several minutes and at the end whooped and hollered for happiness. A cyclist passed me going the other way, but it didn't matter, because then the thought came to me that I'm a cyclist now, one of those people that are so relaxed and comfortable on their bikes that they can take their hands off the bars, spin their backpacks around to the front and fish around for things in them, drink coffee while riding.
And then I smiled because I realized, I'm not a cyclist, I'm a commuter!
w00t!:D