My coffee hasn’t kicked in yet, and I am pedaling a high cadence in a low gear to warm up my legs, one icy morning. Every morning, I stop at the customized intersection that the presence of the new Oakland Whole Foods solicits. A tear from wind chill falls down my cheek. I wait as the rush hour car traffic crosses my path for the freeway entrance, when a flurry of bike commuters race through the intersection – green light or not – racing to the underpass. Most mornings, this just makes me more grumpy… but today, I am enamored by the specialness of the business suit and foam helmet combination. I find great irony in the juxtaposition of confidence despite their equipment and skill level, in contrast with the racers I have actually competed with. So brave! Indeed, the new breed of commuter does not see threshold as something limited by their heart rate, VO2 max, or power wattage. They see the destination they used to reach by driving, as an obstacle to be surmounted on bicycle – mountain or high water. So strong! I can just see the preoccupied thought bubbles follow behind them, as they put their heads down for the hammer: “Why are there so many cars on this street?”, as they continue with their habitual driving path. My heart pangs for them to know the route I’ve carefully selected, which is much more pleasant.
Of course, still living a rushed lifestyle makes them inherently competitive and prone to overloading their bikes to a burdensome degree. As I let the swarm of businessmen rush across the intersection in front of me, I head towards the bike boulevard one block further and I am hit with a wave of smells. I wonder what their coworkers must think of all this newfound body odor? Are they really that polite? Are the unstable gas prices improving the demand for body deodorant?
Now I am awake.
