Momentum

Momentum

It's what I lack. I have been trying to ride more and strangely enough I have only managed to ride less over the last month. I know what the problem is, it is simple. I have the chance to get off my ass and on my bike and instead I stay on my ass and don't get on my bike. No excuses, no blaming this or that fact, not even blaming the wet or too hot weather.

I am suffering from a lack of momentum, and I, like every other non-quantum body in the universe is subject to Newton's laws of motion. In this case the first law which states.

First law: 
An object remains at rest or at a constant velocity (uniform motion), with respect to an inertial reference frame, unless acted upon by a force.

Right now I am suffering under the tyranny of the first law. I am that object of rest and I have surrounded myself with walls, fences, and security to make sure I stay at rest.

Momentum
Newton's first law of motion states
An object at rest remains at rest, unless acted upon by an outside force.

I am rest

tying to find the force that moves me.
I know this.
And still I go home and walk past my bike
like walking past a homeless man
I'm Afraid to make eye contact for fear that
I'll end up giving more than my change.
that I'll have to make a change
not in how I see the world
but in how I see
Me
I make all those lame excuses
For not getting on that bike and going for a ride.
for not embracing the love that changed my life
for finding that love, that change, like everything worthwhile,
is a struggle, and I struggle with myself, battling like drunken frat boys throwing roundhouse superman punches made of kryptonite that shatters and scatters all around me. poisoning not just me but those caring enough or stupid enough to be standing to close.
so I make grand plans and pray to God I'll never have to follow thru
I listen to the crap that flows from my mind and out of my mouth
flowing downhill and over me before I can escape
and I wonder just what the hell is going on.
just why am I sitting in this room writing?
when I could be outside.
just why the hell am I watching the sun go down from a window
when I could be watching it from the top of the hill

A bit upsetting

This friday was our monthly flock of cycles party ride. The ride was a lot of fun and the after party picnic in the park was so worth the late ride home. There was something I found to be a little upsetting. One of the girls (I won't mention names) was riding home from work and woke up in the hospital with no memory of how she got there,

"Either I wrecked my bike or it was a hit and run."

I am still having trouble believing this. I mean how could someone do something like this. I am glad she is ok, and healed up enough to go on the ride on Friday and yet I'm so upset at what happened that I really don't want to think about the next car that gets a little to close.

This isn't like me. I know this. I work hard to promote a positive outlook on cycling. I truly want more and more people to try cycling. I know that more cyclists mean safer streets.

All great things.

I for one am proud to be part of the vanguard that is out there. Part of the group that is showing people that you can cycle no matter what shape you are in.

I am also learning that being part of the vanguard also means being a target. It means being asked that stupid question everytime people see you

"You rode a bike here?"

It means being a target on the road. Being buzzed by drivers who think you have no right to the road. It means being ignored by police if you try to file charges after you've been threatened on the road. It means thinking that being a hit and run victim is no big deal, it is just something that happens.

Pardon me but that is f--ked up.

I am sorry if this post is a downer. I will try to make the next one more upbeat.

Edit
When I got to work on monday morning I heard about the girl that was struck and killed. At least this time the driver stuck around.  I am hoping that this was just a horrible accident. This unfortunately makes the third death in and around Pittsburgh in the last month. This was just the ones that were killed, not ones like my friend who simply woke up in the hospital with no idea how she got there.

Allow me to make a point here.

In an article on May 24th the Post Gazette  posted the following article.

Review finds Pennsylvania's new bike safety law not closely enforced
A year later, Pittsburgh police are yet to issue first ticket

After that we have Three cycling deaths.

John Pearson Jun 24th
Jeffrey Zietak July 12th
Emily Jancart July 21st

The first two of these deaths are listed as Hit and Run. Last year we had 2 people die within two weeks and there was an uproar nothing was actually done and Penn Ave is just as dangerous now as it was before. Now we have a new law that is being ignored by motorists as well as law enforcement and maybe I'm just out of touch but I don't seem to notice much of an uproar

A good day

Well not for me. (its been a tough week but a short one!) but still I found myself well warmed when I saw this photo on facebook.

Along with the text "Can someone tell Ian to come pick up his bike?" The white bike there locked up to the pole is Ian's bike. 

It was lost and now is found

A week ago his bike was stolen and yesterday it was spotted, tracked down, locked up, and recovered. The police were called and I'm not sure what all came of that other than the recovery of the bike. I am no longer surprised at what the Cycling community here in Pittsburgh can do. I'm sure there are many bicycles that get stolen and are never seen again (at least by their owners), but when you are a part of a large community who may very well be able to recognize your bike faster than they can recognize you. I have to think that someone is going to spot your bike sooner rather than later. 

That was just what happened. It would of been better if the whole thing ended with someone being frog marched to a cop car in handcuffs, but I for one am glad to see Ian's bike going back to Ian.

I'm gonna call that one a win.