Rites of Passage

The trailer park where I live is like a small community.  A lot of my neighbors think of themselves as my grandparents and sometimes think their role is to protect me.  So many of them remember when I was falling off the bicycle this spring and summer and coming home with bumps, bruises or landing in the hospital.  They have been telling me I need to give up the sport, however they don't know about the times, or don't remember the times, I have ridden without falling.  Many of them haven't experienced the thrill of the wind in their hair from riding something they themselves have powered.  I've enjoyed it too much and finally come to a place where I'm comfortable riding.  This week I've longed to be on the bicycle, even though it's been cold and windy. 

Learning how to bicycle has been fun and challening.  The November Bicycling magazine published their list of 109 rites of passage for bicyclist.  Rites of passage often mark important events in our lives, whether it's the first day of Kindergarten, getting keys to our first car or getting our first job.  Rites of passage on the bicycle have been markers for me in transitioning from being sedentary to an active woman. 

So, here's the list of the rites of passage from the magazine I've crossed. 

• When "thanks for the ride" goes from something you overhear to part of your lexicon 
• Bonking so bad you don't think you'll be able to make it home
  
• You embrocate 
• You get stuck in your pedals and topple over at a stoplight
• You wake up to find the sheets stuck to your road rash-and still feel excited about riding that day 
• Wondering how the biggest local hill would rank on the Tour de France climb classification 
• Rolling through a stop sign-and knowing it was the right thing to do 
• Your first ride with a jersey instead of a T-shirt 
• Following a favorite pro racer-besides Lance Armstrong
• Finding out your favorite pro racer was doping 
• Crashing and immediately asking, "How's my bike?"
• Waving at a cyclist coming the other way and being ignored 

Many of the magazine's rites of passage deal with group riding and racing.  I hope to get better at holding the bike steady when changing gears so that I can start riding with some groups.  I joined a local cycling group that offer lots of opportunity for group rides.  Alot of the other rites of passage listed in the magazine deal with racing.  Last spring and summer I visited a couple of the local bike races.  I may never be fast enough to compete.

I'm off to ride