Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Lifelong Companions


It was dark and cold as I hit the pedal and rolled away from the office and headed home. I turned on my light and followed my beam into the black. As I passed under the street lights I could see my shadow move from my left to ahead of me with each passing of the high placed street lamps. It seems I am always racing someone…even my shadow.

The neighborhood windows glowed warm and I could see the rare family dinner scenes taking place. Mostly it was the constant electric rectangle keeping the attention of the couch prisoners. We all enjoy company even if it comes from a television.

Earlier in the day I had some company of my own. I was trail running and came across a coyote. We both stopped and looked at each other. We probably shared the same thought: Is he going to attack me? I moved along to the south and the coyote headed east. It was a nice moment and on a long trail run a visitor is a welcome site…even if it is a coyote.

Getting closer to home I was watching the light on my handlebar reflect of my front wheel and sending wonderful silver flashes off of my spokes. It was dead silent and I could hear every motion of my bike-the rubber on the road and the revolution of the chain. We were just humming along, just me and my custom white Tommaso fixie. Outside of the human element my bike is my lifelong companion. It has been since I can remember. Sure I was lured away like many others by the freedom of a driver’s license and a gas pedal but I came back. The bike has always just felt right.

So tonight on my nightly return home I found myself happy and smiling. Joyful to be a grown man riding a bike in the dark following a little beam of light home in the cold. Thankful to not be in a car, thankful to be experiencing life from my bike and thankful that coyote was friendly. Mostly I am thankful for my wife, family, my career in cycling and for all the friends at Tommaso Nation.

Happy Thanksgiving!

TR

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