On 2 Wheels

The riding season is fully upon us. For some of us it never ended, but for others the weather kept us on 4 wheels and trapped inside a cage. Being back on 2 wheels, after some time off, made me see things in a completely different light. I noticed that the lane we ride in isn't as wide as it looks when we are driving the SUV. And the sunrises are just too cool. Nothing compares to starting your ride as the sun is just coming up. As you ride, you can actually feel the sun warm your face and arms. And the cool breezes really let you enjoy the sunrise. I never remember feeling that while driving my Ford Focus…instead I was busy trying to block the light. This must be how a bird feels everyday.

I also noticed that different types of bugs have their own flavors. Maybe a full faced helmet would cut down on the intake but I'm already overweight and I'm not going to count bugs as I eat them. Besides, they have a fat dude on TV that eats bugs and stuff all the time. In my car, I just watch them bounce or splatter. Although a nice beetle to the forehead is a sure wake up call.

Being on two wheels really heightens your ability to detect a stupid driver before they try something stupid. Here's a daily draw that I nearly forgot about. Dead skunks have a very different smell as ride by them on a bike than they do in a car. You are out there and you just have to handle it. In the car you can make faces and noises as you crank the window up. I really didn't have a love for the smell of skunks anyway. City riding is one thing, but a ride in the country opens your sense of smell to many different types of flowers and things that you normally don't smell or just take for granted. It also puts you closer to the mess left behind by animals too...mmmmmm, manure.

And just singing out loud. I find myself singing as I ride and I really do not care about the people around me. Sure, they look at me funny and probably marvel at why I'm on a bike and instead of on a stage, but I don't care. Although I must pay attention to what I'm singing as to keep from getting a beat down at the next light. And people can hear you when you talk to yourself, unlike in a car, and some things might just be better left unsaid. Calling someone an asshole will usually be heard a little clearer. But I'm feeling free and I'll say whatever I want and worry about it later.

And one of the best things about being on two wheels, the sunsets. They make you feel like John Wayne on a big horse. It feels like riding away after saving the farm and keeping the women folk safe. It's not the same in the family station wagon.

Yeah. The riding season is definitely here.