Oh Louisville, oh Louisville. I love you and I hate you. But, you do have a biking community, and that makes me happy. When I became more involved in cycling, I craved for organizations and communities for which to feel like I belonged. I signed up for it all: Falls City, Broke Down Bike Club, Bicycling for Louisville, Louisville Cycling Club. There are many.
I guess I kind of feel like I am part of a community. I like bikes. You like bikes. We like bikes. We have a common interest, right? I try to go to community rides but that doesn’t always work for me. Commuting to and from my place of employment works for me, which is not always so communal. You know, 7:00 in the morning, Frankfort Avenue, not that much traffic, in the dark.
Yep.
I’m alone.
But that is neither here nor there. It will never stop me from enjoying my ride.
The reason I bring this up is that there was a post on Facebook in a cycling group feed from a fellow cyclist. He was called a hipster while cycling, by another cyclist. Can you believe it? I, myself was appalled. Don’t we all have a common goal and interest? Don’t we all love cycling, no matter what it is? Spandex or mustaches? (I’m still not sure what a hipster is. I know I have been called one. I don’t think I am one. Frankly, I don’t care.) I’m just here to enjoy the road, on my bike. Aren’t you? Doesn’t matter your kit, your threads, your pedals…
I can’t help but think that if there is hostility within our biking community, is there an underlying problem? Will there always be hostility? Even if you are part of the same group, working for the same thing? An equal opportunity to use the road no matter the reason. Will that tension always exist? Must we belong to a category within a category? Is this an opposition to the opposition? How will we ever manage to get something done?
For me, cycling is about…
cycling is about…
cycling is about…
Cycling is about being on the road, on a non-motorized vehicle, no windows, wind zipping through my shirt, the glorious sun warming me, no emissions, not dependent on oil, not dependent on a corporation, not dependent on money (could be though), endorphins, exercise, sweat, hills going up and down, scenery slowly moving by, people, community, smiling and more, more, more.
What is cycling about for you?
