“Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.” – H.G. Wells

“You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy a bike, and that’s pretty close.” – anonymous

“Sweat is just fat crying.” – Paul Beevers

“Can Derek come out to play?” – Steve Brittain

Here is another post about bicycle-riding. I understand this is a topic of narrow interest, but this blog is essentially my day-to-day journal and, as riding becomes a surprisingly important part of my new 70-year-old self, I’m as curious as anyone when it comes to understanding it. For me writing about something is one of the ways I move toward understanding.

Friday was just my second 40-mile outing. I was a little concerned at the outset because I’m still getting back into the groove post-vacation, but after 32-miles I was thinking, Let’s go 50! Then I kind of hit a wall and around 36-miles I shifted my tune, Let’s go home!

The first thirty or so miles went by so smoothly I was able to relax and enjoy the scenery. The farmland around here really is lovely.

There was a particular stretch where we came up out of a densely wooded lane, climbing a fairly noticeable incline. The fields were at first above our heads, then at eye-level, then stretching out in front and to the sides in a sea of green, the morning splashing sunlight all over our view as we coasted slightly downhill with the grey ribbon of road stretching out below us, the endless fields of soybean and tobacco gently undulating in a 180-degree panorama of pristine farmland.

Then, out towards Speed I think, I looked across a view tall with robust corn and there stood one of those ancient tin-roofed barns, its red siding rising up above the fertile fields in picture-perfect contrast to the green crop. I breathed a simple prayer of thanksgiving.

So what’s the appeal?

There is this balance in riding; the exhilaration of feeling the breeze when pushing 20-mph, the almost relaxed rhythm of efficient pedaling, the satisfaction of productive exercise and then the recreational aspect of a pleasant ride in a beautiful setting.

Bottom line – and this is the eight-year-old boy in me again – riding is flat-out fun. “Rebekah,” I can almost hear my friend Steve saying, “can Derek come out and play? We’re just going to ride our bikes around the neighborhood!”

So we cruised back into Tarboro, where we wheeled into the covered patio area at the Tarboro Brewing Company, parking our bikes and flopping into a few chairs to debrief from the ride.

Why do we do it? Well, it’s exercise, it’s good company with some great guys and it’s a unique way to see the countryside. But most of all bike riding is flat-out fun.

“Wheeee!”

“Wwwwwwwwhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!”

I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like
– Queen (1978)

– DEREK