Methinks some of y’all have got too much invested in this ride. To paraphrase an earlier post of mine, what we have here is some kid on a bike trying to make it to DC. He’s idealistic, unrealistic, a bit overzealous, and seemingly culturally illiterate beyond what lies within his own childhood. You know…like every other kid out there. He’s neither the beginning of some movement with a higher calling nor a cycling purist. In that spirit, his Mobile bar incident is no different than what most black kids from out of town would encounter in a bar in Mobile. At least he didn’t start bangin’. As far as hitchhiking, I hope he makes it somehow. Having no stake in the purity of his “ride”, I only look at this as a many-week investment on his part that I hope is not for naught. Expecting any more of him will only lead to disappointment on your part, as we’ve already seen. Will he deliver what he promised? No. Will he deliver more than he would have staying home? Yes. Do I look up to him? No. Do I wish I were out there, too? Yep.