It's been quite a while since I went on a bike ride with another human being. Of course I don't wait until some crazy hour at night to ride so as to avoid all humanity but I mean intentionally. I suppose it is a very different thing to pass and be passed by the hundreds to people out and about at any given time than to be consciously aware of a fellow rider. The biggest differences come as with any caravan situation whether it be automobile or pedestrian based. You have to be aware of passing and direction change decisions. To fast and your companion can miss the turn, collide with the passee, not make the pass, or in the case of stopping, crash right into you. While this is a fun game where you try to loose people while riding around at the age of 10 or so, the dynamic changes with time and company.
Like any collective endeavor the group or couple bike ride requires communication. After all it can be equally bad to lead too slowly (thereby causing the competitive and aggressive personality endless frustration) as too fast (leaving a slower companion into exhaustion and anger at you the leader). The communication difficulty is compounded when, as was the case on Sunday, you are forced to ride in a line and side-by-side or pack groupings are impossible. Lots of head turning in involved and I don't have to explain how that can lead to it's own problems.
1 comment:
So are you saying that a lot of head turning yields an experience like going to the chiropractor, or that a lot of head turning will result in the need for the aid of a chiropractor?
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