"SIT!" Sit? "Yes! Sit right here!" She was patting this concrete bench in front of the PX at Fort Stewart, Georgia, a women who looked about 60. Well what could I do. I was walking out of the PX with my wonderful ice cream cone in-hand, happy, delighted. I was freshly showered, contented and wondering where I could happily wolf down this peace of heaven and possibly, if no one was looking, I could sneak back for seconds. After all it was the next to last day of BRAG and I deserved it. A voice said sit and sat I did.
Asked her if this was her first BRAG event (Bicycle Ride Across Georgia). She said. "No! This is my third!" And how long have you been cycling? "Four years!" hmmm. Turned out she was not 59 but 67. So at the age of 63 she decided to hop on a bicycle. Makes good sense to me? I asked her how did she get interested in cycling. "Had this old bike; it was left in my garage and just started riding it around the neighborhood." She was originally from Holland and still retained an accent from her native land.
As with her and others I have met cycling, if asked, the same story repeats itself. We go from riding around our neighborhood with a bike that mysteriously appears in our garage to one day planning "the long trip." Its always a straight a-b. It can be anywhere from 5 to 15 miles but its always in a straight line. The thought of going around in a circle never occurs to us at that time for its a journey and journeys happen in straight lines not circles. Lets see, if I ask my cousin to meet me at the end of State Rd 235 that will be exactly 12 miles. It is planned with great care, no detail overlooked. It might as well have been an expedition to the moon for all the planning made. Once attained nothing could stop us now. We went further than ever thought possible, pedaled faster, and better than ever before. There was no boundary, no limit where we and our trusty (rusty) bicycle could go! We are free! I think something happens to the brain-- maybe its oxygen deprivation after such an ordurous journey. Maybe its the love hate for our automobiles. After all, one couldn't possibly neglect an automobile for 10 or 15 years, dust off the cob webs, pump up a tire or two and off you went. I've never had one just mysteriously appear in my garage before either. With the flow of oxygen decreased a bit...we look over at our very expensive car...glance at our very free bike...and it just happens. Hey Hey I'M GOING TO RIDE MY BIKE TO WORK. Commuting to work just seems the next step, learning much later that we chose the most dangerous thing a novice bicyclist could do!
We seem to learn backwards when it comes to cycling. Somewhere along the line we finally hear about a bicycle club. We join, and then begin to learn more things about cycling in a few months than any amount of riding solo could do. We meet other people who show us the easier and safer way of doing things. This past year GCC has really grown. We have several levels of riding from the novice to the expert. We are very lucky to have people with our club who are interested in the sharing their love of cycling.
I foolishly said to my Lady from BRAG, Bicycling is a great way to stay in shape isn't it? She succinctly and without hesitation said, "Keep in shape? NO! NO! NO! I cycle because I Loove itch. It has nothink to do widge keeping in shape! I'm 67 years old and I rode BRAG isn't that enough?" Of course she was right. We go to the health club "to keep in shape" we cycle because.....we love it.
I love itch to,
See you cycling,
Linda C. McMahon