There I was, on my bike minding my own business, watching the morning commuters pass me by, waiting for the green light.
He appears out the corner of my right eye, small at first, but getting bigger by the second. He stops next to me on the line, a man, a man wearing denims, a man sporting a grey pony tail... an old man, on an equally old stead. We exchange morning grunts, and nod towards each other, the sport has already commenced...
The lights go green and he goes, he goes quickly, but I wait... I know the sequence of the lights, and the next set are already at red... he now waits, waiting at the red light, he has already taken my place on the left of the road, he believes the victory is already his. I hover behind him, no need to un-cleat, I have waited, I know the sequence of the lights...
The lights go green, and again he goes, quickly at first, but then that gear change, that noisy gear change, that grinding gear change, all is not well with this old man on his equally old stead. I pedal smoothly behind, I can sense the moment approaching with excitement, but still I wait...
We approach the corner at Torphicen St, a ninety degree right hand corner which marks the beginning of the Col. It steepens, gradually at first, but more so as we climb. I have chosen my gear and I am ready, the steepest part approaches just before the left hand bend, but still I wait...
We near the bend on the steepest part of the Col, and I'm still seated. I have chosen my gear, and my cadence is high. The old man is now out of the saddle on his old stead. He has not chosen his gear wisely, he needs to change down, the moment is close, but still I wait...
He changes gear, there it is, that noisy gear change, that grinding gear change, this is my moment, out of the saddle I rise, I move to the right and my cadence increases again. I draw level with the old man, he looks down and I wait no longer, I am gone.
The bend is cleared and back in the saddle I push, I push harder than at any time on this commute and I don't look back, I have beaten an old man and I feel good. At the top of the Col I reflect, this has been a good commute...
How was your commute to work this morning?
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