Riding a beach cruiser bike in Iowa is a bit like wearing overalls at the beach, it’s weird but in a way that unlocks a new level inside you.
It’s a social experiment. Passing people as you ride, the divide is immediate. They either hate you (they have an expensive bike, they take this ‘cycling’ thing seriously and hate that you don’t in exactly the same way, etc.)
I don’t often see people riding on my short loop around the community college, pictured below.
People are friendly if you are friendly. Generally. The road bike dudes are either cool or too cool for school. In packs, they act like packs of any other male creature on earth. Aggressive and dangerous.
But I ride on the sidewalk (outside of the metro) and I don’t care. I am certain they rant about me being on the sidewalk and not ‘on the road’ where a vehicle belongs. I don’t care.
I survived my first car vs. bike crash. I trust no car. So I get it.
I think the road bike dudes look like uncomfortable sausages and they think I look like the J. Lebowski on a bike.
It’s not about that for me.
It’s just about The Cruise. Getting out there and riding to another stage of the Journey. To see my life from another point of view.
I didn’t do it for money or to meet a goal, but to enjoy being on earth.
In Cruise We Trust
Proceed to the Route
June 11, 2021
