I just don't get it, I really don't. It was an absolute beautiful weekend in Austin, not too hot, not too cold. Not a cloud in the sky and well, you can smell spring. It's here and that means LOT'S of bike riders out and about. This week I rode the 50 mile Dam Loop (with the wonderful, hilly add on in River Place....quite awesome this weekend since my legs were more recovered from the Half marathon.) as I approached the top of 620, I see a cyclist in front of me, with head phones on...not just one ear bud (even though it's equally as dangerous) but with both of them in. I yelled "on your left"...nothing. No acknowledgement, no moving over to the right a bit as he was hugging the left shoulder to begin with. He said nothing. I got alongside him, startled him and THEN he gave me a dirty look. REALLY? Don't make me get off my bike and kick your ass kind sir!! I am riding safe, not you!! I called out where I was, and because you were jammin' out to Miley Cyrus's latest album you didn't hear me. Why then the dirty look? Or was that because I was passing your ass....I digress.
A few moments later I saw another cyclist that I recognized....wearing headphones, and this was a coach for a training group in town. At least set a decent example?
I don't get wearing your iPod for a ride, it's just asking for it. Music can make you zone out and truthfully you can't race with it, so why choose to wear it during training. If you want music, go sit in a spin room at a gym and pedal to your heart's content, but DON'T put my life at danger out there because you can't spare a few hours without the tunes.
Here are some things you can do on the bike that require no tunes:
Especially on those unbelievably beautiful days, just take in all that is around you.
Meditate or Pray. (God will be ok if you do either of these with your eyes open)
Maybe focus on your cadence or mph in a way you haven't before.
Set goals for the season.
Or just enjoy the fact that for those few hours you have no cell phone, no computer, no TiVO..nothing digital holding you down. You are completely FREE for that time. I know this is one of the reasons why I really love to ride. I cannot be reached & it is 'me' time.
If you are a friend that is reading this and rides with headphones, please stop...it's cause I care, cause I want you around for life. I don't want to lose you to some kind of accident because you could have prevented it had you known what was going on around you.
2 comments:
i agree about riding w/out headphones. while i'm guilty from time to time of running with my iPod i think they should also be outlawed for all races. i know AT&T was supposed to be a no headphone wearing race; yet i believe that 1/2 if not more of the folks i saw running had their earbuds in. it was really beginning to irritate me too; especially since those earbud wearing “runners” were blocking me from passing them. one place i think we can all agree that an iPod is OK is at the gym (especially when on the treadmill or a spin bike).
AMEN SISTER!!!! The roads are scary enough without the headphones!! The new Bon Jovi CD can wait :-)
Thanks for the FINAL vote--please spread the word to your TNT and Texas Iron peeps this week! Let's make this huge!
Campaign rally this Wednesday night at core!!!!
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