Monday, September 8, 2014

Faster than seven bikes

Living, as I do, a fairytale life, momentous events happen to me in sevens. For instance, I once broke my library's all time record by registering seven new library cards in one blow. This was a very famous event locally, if we can define "locally" as "within 18 inches of me". I also wrote about this event here on my blog, so, um, the Internet knows.

Well, it happened again. No, not seven more library cards. This momentous event happened while I was bicycling. 

I passed seven bicyclists all at once!

I know that for the vast array of cyclists out there, passing other people on bikes is part of what happens on bikes, no more notable than the rotation of tires, or passing trees. But for me, with my plodding, forever getting up to speed, oxygen deprived pedaling, on one of the 600 pound, three speed city rental "Nice Ride" bikes, for me passing joggers has counted as a notable, signal event. Passing an actual single bicyclist, on the rare occasions it actually happens, well, it makes me feel like I'm really getting somewhere.

So this last Tuesday, when, just after zipping onto the river bike path with my fresh legs, I flew past one person who seemed to be having problems with their chain, swerved around a group of three who were chatting, oblivious of the trail traffic around them, slipped by a couple trying to decide where they meant to go, and then, emboldened to a flurry of activity, at the very limits of my efforts, overtook an old man laboring along on his rusty 1970s ten speed, I knew I had achieved something special, something that may never happen to me again. I had passed seven in one blow!

A few of them were even riding their bikes at the time.

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