The other day I was in a state of jonesin’ for a bike ride. It had been a few days of strong rain and cold weather and I just needed to ride some. Then a friend got in touch with me and to give him a hand, I offered to connect at the library. “God I wish it was nice outside so that I could ride,” was going through my head.
I left the Starbukes and went to prepare the mobile I was going to give to him. It was cold and rainy still and there was no end in sight. Then I looked up. Somehow, it was sunny, the grass and sidewalks were drying. It became a day to bike in Charlotte.
I was too excited. I didn’t make it a half-block before I realized that I needed to dress a bit warmer. I found one of my Nike-Fit shirts and put that under the mock-neck and cycling shirt I was wearing. On with the wind-proof gloves, and into my bag went the iPad, gifted mobile, and my Nokia wind-breaker (yep, they apparently make those too). I got outside and enjoyed myself.
By the time the day was done, I had to be ready for the cold. It was a lot of hours since I’d left the house to connect, and now it was dark, the temperature dropped 15-some-odd degrees, and the wind picked up a lot. And yet, there was this smile on my face. I knew very well that it was cold, and I don’t like the cold. But, this was going to be a good ride. It was a good night to ride.
Biking around Charlotte is sometimes looked at as something of a challenge. Many people simply bike for fashion, and those that don’t are dealt the social card of “not being good enough even for a car.” Its a strange paradox, especially when I enjoy driving and riding so much. And yet, I know that if I can just get onto those pedals for a few hours, sense will be made out of a lot of it.
Its cold now. My joints are telling me that its nearly time to put the bikes into hibernation and find something else to do to keep the blodd going and the energy fresh. But, I’m not sure that I want to be subjected to the cold. Yes, it means we move a bit slower, we pay attention to dark, frosted streets, and don’t take chances when the clouds look like grey Cool Whip. Yea, I get it. Cold. But, not enough just yet to keep me from riding. At least not when the weather breaks.
Because at that point, I’m not caring about Charlotte or the cold, just what the next hill will look like and if I’ll see someone else redefining this city by a different kind of temperature.
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