Biking in the Country

This morning hubby and I helmeted up and hopped on our bikes for a half hour countryside tour. The breeze riffled through my hair, still wet from the shower, as we slogged up the first long, slow hill. I have solved the problem of vehicles passing too close to me by taking more of the lane until I hear the car close behind me. Then I pull over to give myself--and them--more room.

One day several years ago we were riding single file on the pavement edge of a road with no shoulder. There was no place to pull off without going down into a deep ditch. We had ridden this route many times before but this day I could hear a big truck getting closer and closer. I was a couple of inches from the pavement edge, gripping my handlebars tightly, anxious for him to be past. And there he was, right beside me. I mean RIGHT BESIDE ME! That green Seven-Up truck didn't pull out of the lane at all but passed within a few inches of me. I felt the roar of the tires and the pull of the wind. My hands tightened and my muscles locked as my heart leapt out of my chest. In no more than a second he was by and I realized just how close he had come to me. I stopped. Hubby did, too. We pulled the bikes off the road to let our breathing calm down. We felt the vindictiveness of that driver because there was no one else on the road. He could have pulled over to the other lane but he didn't. And that was in the days before helmets. When I think what could have been, I am still angry at that driver but really ready to practise safety both as a rider and as a driver.

And so whenever I'm riding I remember and make the cars and trucks pull out to pass me. This morning's ride was no exception. Luckily, most of our trek is on 'the road(s) less traveled by' so we can just enjoy the wonderful fresh air and exhilarating childlike whoosh as we race down a hill. I saw a penny, shiny on the road, but I was too fast to pick it up. It's there, shining coppery bright, for someone else to see and snatch.

As we rode back into the village we stopped and hubby picked up a newspaper for us to take to the back porch. We sat with our water and our paper and I thought how lucky we are to have what we have but most of all to be able to ride the days out joyfully and with good health.