Some of the people that hang out at the track do just that. They hang out ON the track. Rather than go on the grassy fence-enclosed field or sit on the bleachers, they stand around on the pavement. More idiots. I'm riding by at my average 17mph and slow to about 7mph and eventually stop to let a 3 yr old girl pass by b/c her parents were to dumb to hang around someplace other than the middle of a race track. 2-3 seconds later, I feel a smack on the rear of my trike. It felt like an empty ice chest fell on my wheel. I turned back to see an 8 year old boy standing over his red bike that was now on the ground.
I picked up the bike for him, steadied the handlebars and urged him to get back on after confirming he was okay. He didn't speak much. He was probably scared and a bit guilty of what happened. I should have equally felt guilty for not looking in my right mirror when I stopped. The boy hopped on and I give him a slight push from the seat to give him a rolling start. He went along his way and the mother of the little girl later apologized. On my second lap though, her family was still on the race track. Come on folks. The field is to the left and the bleachers are to the right. Both surrounded by fences. Pick a side for god's sake. Hanging out in the middle of a track? Seriously? The tough part is I suck it all in b/c I don't want to give recumbent bikers/trikers a bad name. I use my bell at every lap, slow down, raise my hand to thank people. It's a pain in the butt though. Race tracks are clearly not for loitering.
My next visit to the track was a big improvement over my previous day's experience. The track was empty. All parents, friends and family were either on the field or the bleachers. Clearly a different crowd. The track was empty except for fellow cyclists and people walking on the track which is fine. It's NOT fine to stand there giggling and eating. And if you are folks, be aware of your surroundings.
I picked up the bike for him, steadied the handlebars and urged him to get back on after confirming he was okay. He didn't speak much. He was probably scared and a bit guilty of what happened. I should have equally felt guilty for not looking in my right mirror when I stopped. The boy hopped on and I give him a slight push from the seat to give him a rolling start. He went along his way and the mother of the little girl later apologized. On my second lap though, her family was still on the race track. Come on folks. The field is to the left and the bleachers are to the right. Both surrounded by fences. Pick a side for god's sake. Hanging out in the middle of a track? Seriously? The tough part is I suck it all in b/c I don't want to give recumbent bikers/trikers a bad name. I use my bell at every lap, slow down, raise my hand to thank people. It's a pain in the butt though. Race tracks are clearly not for loitering.
My next visit to the track was a big improvement over my previous day's experience. The track was empty. All parents, friends and family were either on the field or the bleachers. Clearly a different crowd. The track was empty except for fellow cyclists and people walking on the track which is fine. It's NOT fine to stand there giggling and eating. And if you are folks, be aware of your surroundings.
0 comments:
Post a Comment