smoke

i originally posted this in the roadie forum. i wasn't even aware that there were regional forums until voltman let me know. so i thought i oughta re-post this in the socal forum. it's a bit of praise for this area and the attitude everyone around here has towards a person on a bike.

.....so i’m climbing up the angeles crest hwy the other day, on my way to mt wilson. pretty day, sunny, warm, i’m workin’ pretty hard and feeling good. and halfway up, a car drives by, and some young punk is leaning out the passenger side and yelling at me. now, ya gotta un’erstand, i live in ohio. i’m used to redneck a$$holes and dumb@ass high school kids yelling things at me that i used to hear in the military. so i’m one of pavlov’s dogs; it’s a conditioned response. i don’t even think any more, i just respond with a hand gesture and a “f--- you!”. i can’t help it, they’ve trained me to be this way. so the kid drives by and yells, and i’m just about to give him the finger wave, and it finally sinks in that he’s yelling “allez, allez, allez!!!!” and i couldn’t help but laugh, and then yell “i’m tryin’”. the first time in 12 years of bike riding i’ve heard someone yelling and not giving me *****. this is honestly something new to me. i kinda like bike riding around socal. i don’t get the feeling everybody hates you. ‘course, that’s just me; i could be wrong

smoke