The luxury of cycling
A few days ago a senator tweeted this:
Bicycles are a luxury, most of us use public transportation or walk. Never seen a bike rider obey traffic laws. They are special.
— Senator Eaton (@SenEaton) August 26, 2016
This weekend I attended the Ride to Conquer Cancer and cheered along my wife and the other members of her team as they completed a 250km ride from Vancouver to Seattle. It was moving to see cancer survivors and people who’ve lost loved ones to cancer, doing their bit to help fight cancer.
And let me tell you, these days I treat my ability to ride a bike as a luxury. It’s all too easy to get struck down by any number of diseases and be unable to ride. To get into an accident and get injured so you can’t ride. To live in a place that doesn’t make riding possible. To have a family situation that makes it hard to ride.
A couple of years ago my sister got really sick. When I said I was thinking of doing the Gran Fondo “you are so lucky, I wish I could do that”. So I did. And this year is my second race.
Oh and I pretty much obey all the traffic laws, unlike all the asshole car drivers who cut down the bicycle routes in Vancouver.