To My Winter Brethren
#1
----
Thread Starter
To My Winter Brethren
I wrote this after an interesting encounter on my ride home tonight.
Maybe it will make sense to someone other than me.
To my winter brethren
are we so Great in number
that No look
No nod
No smile
No wink of recognition
should pass between us?
I see You
a phosphorescent patch of yellow
against a setting sun
Your tempo matching mine
quick pulse with each revolution
stoic shoulders to the northwest wind
I lean in thighs pressing down
A rounded staccato beat
just a hair faster now
You, my double, my twin
unbeknownst pursued
a steel steed gliding over ice
what is Your story
who are You
why are You too
rolling along over white
a dose of warmth
wrapped in fibre layers
I pull within a grasp
our carbide tips rat a tatting
on frozen chalk marked pavement
tracking straight across gnarled marble
pathways to our huddled homes
ready to reward our ride
"Evening", says I
Not quite
But almost or t'will be soon enough
I have miles to go before I sleep
And You
eyes set hard against the wind
Nothing
The reply is empty
perhaps some enchanted song
Lies under that muffled headdress
(so like my own)
some ear plugged accompaniment
my eyes search for yours
swaddled like a bedouin prince
a narrow gap in black
framing determined orbs
in the fading light of dusk
they catch a moment
are You like Me
a look
a nod
a smile
a wink of recognition unreturned
Nothing
in this land of zeros
no heat
now warmed
by the chase
and the effort to pull away
left chilled
You are that me
in dependent s e p e r a t e
That sees no likeness
in a mirror of ice
A cold shoulder
to an even colder world
are we so Great in number
that No look
No nod
No smile
No wink of recognition
should pass between us?
Maybe it will make sense to someone other than me.
To my winter brethren
are we so Great in number
that No look
No nod
No smile
No wink of recognition
should pass between us?
I see You
a phosphorescent patch of yellow
against a setting sun
Your tempo matching mine
quick pulse with each revolution
stoic shoulders to the northwest wind
I lean in thighs pressing down
A rounded staccato beat
just a hair faster now
You, my double, my twin
unbeknownst pursued
a steel steed gliding over ice
what is Your story
who are You
why are You too
rolling along over white
a dose of warmth
wrapped in fibre layers
I pull within a grasp
our carbide tips rat a tatting
on frozen chalk marked pavement
tracking straight across gnarled marble
pathways to our huddled homes
ready to reward our ride
"Evening", says I
Not quite
But almost or t'will be soon enough
I have miles to go before I sleep
And You
eyes set hard against the wind
Nothing
The reply is empty
perhaps some enchanted song
Lies under that muffled headdress
(so like my own)
some ear plugged accompaniment
my eyes search for yours
swaddled like a bedouin prince
a narrow gap in black
framing determined orbs
in the fading light of dusk
they catch a moment
are You like Me
a look
a nod
a smile
a wink of recognition unreturned
Nothing
in this land of zeros
no heat
now warmed
by the chase
and the effort to pull away
left chilled
You are that me
in dependent s e p e r a t e
That sees no likeness
in a mirror of ice
A cold shoulder
to an even colder world
are we so Great in number
that No look
No nod
No smile
No wink of recognition
should pass between us?
#2
Tractorlegs
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Interesting. I've felt kinship (I guess you would call it) with other riders, and have greeted them and been ignored. But just as many times I've been greeted in return. Cyclists are just people
EDIT: Nice poem, BTW. You expressed your thoughts very well.
EDIT: Nice poem, BTW. You expressed your thoughts very well.
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Last edited by Mark Stone; 03-01-14 at 01:07 AM. Reason: Added Comment
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I see the same two people almost every day. Fortunately, they say hello and we even have exchanged names. Nothing like 30 below zerex and icy paths to build a bond. Great poem!
#4
aka Tom Reingold
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It is now March, and thank goodness for that. It means we won't have any more February snow storms this year.
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New York City and High Falls, NY
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
#5
Senior Member
Just a March one on Monday. Yuck, and it is supposed to stay cold too, so it won't melt right away. Spring isn't too far away, but the way things are going we'll have a blizzard on March 21.
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I wrote this after an interesting encounter on my ride home tonight.
are we so Great in number
that No look
No nod
No smile
No wink of recognition
should pass between us?...
"Evening", says I
Not quite
But almost or t'will be soon enough
I have miles to go before I sleep
And You
eyes set hard against the wind
Nothing
The reply is empty
perhaps some enchanted song
Lies under that muffled headdress
(so like my own)
some ear plugged accompaniment...
are You like Me
a look
a nod
a smile
a wink of recognition unreturned
Nothing
are we so Great in number
that No look
No nod
No smile
No wink of recognition
should pass between us?
are we so Great in number
that No look
No nod
No smile
No wink of recognition
should pass between us?...
"Evening", says I
Not quite
But almost or t'will be soon enough
I have miles to go before I sleep
And You
eyes set hard against the wind
Nothing
The reply is empty
perhaps some enchanted song
Lies under that muffled headdress
(so like my own)
some ear plugged accompaniment...
are You like Me
a look
a nod
a smile
a wink of recognition unreturned
Nothing
are we so Great in number
that No look
No nod
No smile
No wink of recognition
should pass between us?
On 02-28-14, 10:13 PM, buzzman replied to this thread, “Am I only one smiling through the weather lately,” started by tsl
I’m sure you’re aware, buzz, that there have been occasional threads about greetings between cyclists, probably referrable to nice weather riding. The most recent to which I replied was “Greetings to/from other cyclists”:
I too have had several routine greeting encounters on my early morning commute over the years, and I have even learned some of their names when I have met them, usually other than on the commute…
If I don't know their names, I give them nicknames…It's always going to be a good day when I pass a runner going in the opposite direction known as the "The Fleet Goddess."
If I don't know their names, I give them nicknames…It's always going to be a good day when I pass a runner going in the opposite direction known as the "The Fleet Goddess."
It's variable depending on the circumstances, but mostly I do. I have two special greetings besides a finger or hand wave. My most perfunctory is just to yell out a hearty "Yo," or "Ho" with no expectation of a reply if the other rider declines…
A few weeks ago on the Wall Street Journal this Morning radio talk show was a discussion about greetings among runners and cyclists out on the roads.The point I remember and seemed the strongest argument for a mutual greeting was to acknowledge each other as particularly vulnerable users of the road.
Did I get it?
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 03-04-14 at 05:05 AM.
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On very cold winter days when I come across another cyclist there are often gestures of mutual respect exchanged.
On not so cold winter days there is this dude that keeps riding by me like I'm standing still. Last time he said "Hello" as he went by and I said "Good Morning" in return.
Next time he rides by, I'd like to push him over with my foot.
We're all brethren until the commuter race starts.
On not so cold winter days there is this dude that keeps riding by me like I'm standing still. Last time he said "Hello" as he went by and I said "Good Morning" in return.
Next time he rides by, I'd like to push him over with my foot.
We're all brethren until the commuter race starts.
Last edited by tjspiel; 03-01-14 at 09:03 PM.
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… the strongest argument for a mutual greeting was to acknowledge each other as particularly vulnerable users of the road.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 03-04-14 at 05:04 AM.
#9
Senior Member
Probably didn't hear you, and if he did, was too damned cold to reply. Some really cold rides are to be endured or survived, and aren't so much fun. I never assume someone else is in the same frame of mind as I am.
#10
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Don't be such a sourpuss. Some people just ride fast and don't mean to show off. I bet some people think I'm trying to make them feel bad. I just ride faster than most do. That's all.
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
#11
----
Thread Starter
This was an experience about another person who dressed like me, had a bike like mine, looked like me, was a similar age and was of the same gender. That they were riding home from Boston on a very cold February evening at dusk across an open landscape where I see so few other cyclists made it all the more interesting to me. Like tsl in another thread I happen to find these winter rides exhilarating- otherwise, why do them?
Does this distinction make us, as alan s says, "a member of an elite, secret subculture."?
Recently I was out in a very remote region cross country skiing. It was stunningly majestic. Out of nowhere suddenly coming towards me was another skier. He was roughly my age, my height and build, similarly equipped and as he approached I wondered if there would be an exchange of greeting at all. It was the kind of challenging terrain that can leave you breathless from both its beauty and its changes in altitude. As it was we simultaneously stopped and I blurted out a "How ya' doin?". To which he replied the obvious, "Blissed out. How 'bout you?". "Exactly the same.", came my reply. We took the time for a brief chat, where he discovered that I was the same guy he sees doing the steep climb on my bike that leads to our hidden little town and the vast expanse of forest in which we found ourselves. (How he figured that out I have no idea.) It was the kind of small, simple exchange that has a resonance and a meaning for me. If I wished to be shielded from such encounters I would choose to travel by car or snowmobile, encased in steel or wrapped in a helmet with a plastic visor moving at higher speeds. Separated from my environment and my fellow travelers.
At the same time, I recognize that not every one who chooses to bike in the winter or travel in remote regions under their own power when the temperature is below zero wants any connection with a fellow traveler and I do respect that choice. I have no desire to impose sociability in a situation where an individual might very well wish to be as far from the madding crowd as possible.
I saw as much of myself in the other rider's non-response as I might have had he engaged in conversation.
"You are that me
in dependent s e p e r a t e
That sees no likeness
in a mirror of ice
A cold shoulder
to an even colder world"
and yes, BTW, Jim, I do think "you got it."
#12
Senior Member
I'm just another schmuck out there going to or from work. Don't view myself as special because I'm on a bike. The real troopers are the folks who have the patience to endure the traffic around here in a car. Always amused that some people think I'm some kind of superhuman, able to survive the extremes of the outdoors. The reality is bike commuting is a welcome break from being indoors or in a car, and makes me feel alive. BTW, nice poem.
#14
Senior Member
On very cold winter days when I come across another cyclist there are often gestures of mutual respect exchanged.
On not so cold winter days there is this dude that keeps riding by me like I'm standing still. Last time he said "Hello" as he went by and I said "Good Morning" in return.
Next time he rides by, I'd like to push him over with my foot.
We're all brethren until the commuter race starts.
On not so cold winter days there is this dude that keeps riding by me like I'm standing still. Last time he said "Hello" as he went by and I said "Good Morning" in return.
Next time he rides by, I'd like to push him over with my foot.
We're all brethren until the commuter race starts.
I think he said hello to me, though it was hard to tell, what with the Doppler effect and all.
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I lean in thighs pressing down
A rounded staccato beat
just a hair faster now
OP you just supported my theory that anytime there are two cyclists going the same direction there is a bike race. Whether they both know it or not is another issue.
A rounded staccato beat
just a hair faster now
OP you just supported my theory that anytime there are two cyclists going the same direction there is a bike race. Whether they both know it or not is another issue.
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"I've been dropped a lot of times, but it's never been because of my bike." DXchulo
#16
Super-spreader
I'm just another schmuck out there going to or from work. Don't view myself as special because I'm on a bike. The real troopers are the folks who have the patience to endure the traffic around here in a car. Always amused that some people think I'm some kind of superhuman, able to survive the extremes of the outdoors. The reality is bike commuting is a welcome break from being indoors or in a car, and makes me feel alive. BTW, nice poem.
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I'm just another schmuck out there going to or from work. Don't view myself as special because I'm on a bike. The real troopers are the folks who have the patience to endure the traffic around here in a car. Always amused that some people think I'm some kind of superhuman, able to survive the extremes of the outdoors. The reality is bike commuting is a welcome break from being indoors or in a car, and makes me feel alive. BTW, nice poem.
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Now if he were to fall of his own accord... Well, there's not much I would be able to do about that.
#19
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My humor detector is often defective.
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
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Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
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I would never claim to be PC, but as a self-proclaimed wordsmith, I was trying to figure a nongender specific term for "Brethren.”
… BTW, Jim, I do think "you got it."…
It was the kind of small, simple exchange that has a resonance and a meaning for me. If I wished to be shielded from such encounters I would choose to travel by car or snowmobile, encased in steel or wrapped in a helmet with a plastic visor moving at higher speeds. Separated from my environment and my fellow travelers.
It was the kind of small, simple exchange that has a resonance and a meaning for me. If I wished to be shielded from such encounters I would choose to travel by car or snowmobile, encased in steel or wrapped in a helmet with a plastic visor moving at higher speeds. Separated from my environment and my fellow travelers.
…I have two special greetings besides a finger or hand wave. My most perfunctory is just to yell out a hearty "Yo," or "Ho" with no expectation of a reply if the other rider declines.
When I have the chance to meet up and speak to a "serious" cyclist," I like to mention about Bikeforums, since I am an avid fan as a self-described serious cyclist myself. These exchanges are often brief, and it's hard to explain BF, and its varied subforums quickly to a total stranger; and the URL of Bikeforums.net. as a plural, and .net instead of .com as the domain name can easily be forgotten.
So I made up some business-type greeting cards as illustrated…[see link for further details if interested.]
When I have the chance to meet up and speak to a "serious" cyclist," I like to mention about Bikeforums, since I am an avid fan as a self-described serious cyclist myself. These exchanges are often brief, and it's hard to explain BF, and its varied subforums quickly to a total stranger; and the URL of Bikeforums.net. as a plural, and .net instead of .com as the domain name can easily be forgotten.
So I made up some business-type greeting cards as illustrated…[see link for further details if interested.]
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 03-04-14 at 05:07 AM.
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"Brethren" in an informal context can simply mean any person (of either gender) belonging to a particular group- especially when used ironically or humorously. In a more formal context it can mean a fellow pilgrim on a spiritual journey, usually male. I'm using it as a bit of both.
This was an experience about another person who dressed like me, had a bike like mine, looked like me, was a similar age and was of the same gender. That they were riding home from Boston on a very cold February evening at dusk across an open landscape where I see so few other cyclists made it all the more interesting to me. Like tsl in another thread I happen to find these winter rides exhilarating- otherwise, why do them?
Does this distinction make us, as alan s says, "a member of an elite, secret subculture."?
Recently I was out in a very remote region cross country skiing. It was stunningly majestic. Out of nowhere suddenly coming towards me was another skier. He was roughly my age, my height and build, similarly equipped and as he approached I wondered if there would be an exchange of greeting at all. It was the kind of challenging terrain that can leave you breathless from both its beauty and its changes in altitude. As it was we simultaneously stopped and I blurted out a "How ya' doin?". To which he replied the obvious, "Blissed out. How 'bout you?". "Exactly the same.", came my reply. We took the time for a brief chat, where he discovered that I was the same guy he sees doing the steep climb on my bike that leads to our hidden little town and the vast expanse of forest in which we found ourselves. (How he figured that out I have no idea.) It was the kind of small, simple exchange that has a resonance and a meaning for me. If I wished to be shielded from such encounters I would choose to travel by car or snowmobile, encased in steel or wrapped in a helmet with a plastic visor moving at higher speeds. Separated from my environment and my fellow travelers.
At the same time, I recognize that not every one who chooses to bike in the winter or travel in remote regions under their own power when the temperature is below zero wants any connection with a fellow traveler and I do respect that choice. I have no desire to impose sociability in a situation where an individual might very well wish to be as far from the madding crowd as possible.
I saw as much of myself in the other rider's non-response as I might have had he engaged in conversation.
"You are that me
in dependent s e p e r a t e
That sees no likeness
in a mirror of ice
A cold shoulder
to an even colder world"
and yes, BTW, Jim, I do think "you got it."
This was an experience about another person who dressed like me, had a bike like mine, looked like me, was a similar age and was of the same gender. That they were riding home from Boston on a very cold February evening at dusk across an open landscape where I see so few other cyclists made it all the more interesting to me. Like tsl in another thread I happen to find these winter rides exhilarating- otherwise, why do them?
Does this distinction make us, as alan s says, "a member of an elite, secret subculture."?
Recently I was out in a very remote region cross country skiing. It was stunningly majestic. Out of nowhere suddenly coming towards me was another skier. He was roughly my age, my height and build, similarly equipped and as he approached I wondered if there would be an exchange of greeting at all. It was the kind of challenging terrain that can leave you breathless from both its beauty and its changes in altitude. As it was we simultaneously stopped and I blurted out a "How ya' doin?". To which he replied the obvious, "Blissed out. How 'bout you?". "Exactly the same.", came my reply. We took the time for a brief chat, where he discovered that I was the same guy he sees doing the steep climb on my bike that leads to our hidden little town and the vast expanse of forest in which we found ourselves. (How he figured that out I have no idea.) It was the kind of small, simple exchange that has a resonance and a meaning for me. If I wished to be shielded from such encounters I would choose to travel by car or snowmobile, encased in steel or wrapped in a helmet with a plastic visor moving at higher speeds. Separated from my environment and my fellow travelers.
At the same time, I recognize that not every one who chooses to bike in the winter or travel in remote regions under their own power when the temperature is below zero wants any connection with a fellow traveler and I do respect that choice. I have no desire to impose sociability in a situation where an individual might very well wish to be as far from the madding crowd as possible.
I saw as much of myself in the other rider's non-response as I might have had he engaged in conversation.
"You are that me
in dependent s e p e r a t e
That sees no likeness
in a mirror of ice
A cold shoulder
to an even colder world"
and yes, BTW, Jim, I do think "you got it."
Very cold days are a little different and I'll often find myself counting the number of other bikes I see.
Last edited by tjspiel; 03-03-14 at 12:38 PM.
#22
Senior Member
I think either Friday or Saturday evening I was on my way out for a pint and saw two people on mountain bikes coming up the hill toward me, it was 12F. As I passed they gave me a hand wave, but since I was kinda surprised anyone else was out I wasn't ready to wave back.
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FWIW, I'm often lost in my own little world while on my commute. Though I wouldn't deliberately ignore a greeting from another cyclist (my mother raised me better than that), it's very real possibility that a bike wouldn't register as anything more than another (moving) obstacle to be avoided...but for the most part I see my commute as a twice a day retreat into my head and/or a chance to get in a work out rather than as an opportunity for a social encounter...
...My early morning dark commute is from about November til March, and other than the cold weather, I enjoy the dark commute. The auto traffic is markedly diminished, particularly in my reverse commute direction from downtown to a suburb. I hunker down in my mind in a state I call "cocooning," and become oblivious to everything but the Road and my thoughts. Also because it's dark, I can't tell how gloomy the sky might be, unlike in the dawn's early light.
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Interesting post. I am very much an introvert. I don't talk much, I'm nothing like my wife who greets just about everyone when we're out riding and can make new friends anywhere. Me, I just tend toward ignoring everybody and feeling lots of distance and a degree of arrogance and animosity. But I don't think I'm much different from most guys who like to ride bikes, and I think this distance and arrogance is just a reflection of the vibes I get from most guys I see out riding. I'm sure that if I knew the guy who was going by, I'd be quite friendly and open, but for most guys I don't know, my attitude is just "f- off!" under my breath! Bike commuting tends to be quite competitive for those who are just naturally socially insecure, at least that's my experience, so this is something that those who tend to be more social need to understand. I and lots of other guys ride bikes because we're too socially dysfunctional to join sports teams. We hate everybody; we don't like greeting anybody, unless we know them, and by the time recognition sets in, it's too late, they're way down the road in the other direction!
So that's my excuse for not responding to your cheery wave. It's not personal!
Luis
So that's my excuse for not responding to your cheery wave. It's not personal!
Luis
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in
13 Posts
Interesting post. I am very much an introvert. I don't talk much, I'm nothing like my wife who greets just about everyone when we're out riding and can make new friends anywhere. Me, I just tend toward ignoring everybody and feeling lots of distance and a degree of arrogance and animosity. But I don't think I'm much different from most guys who like to ride bikes, and I think this distance and arrogance is just a reflection of the vibes I get from most guys I see out riding. I'm sure that if I knew the guy who was going by, I'd be quite friendly and open, but for most guys I don't know, my attitude is just "f- off!" under my breath! Bike commuting tends to be quite competitive for those who are just naturally socially insecure, at least that's my experience, so this is something that those who tend to be more social need to understand. I and lots of other guys ride bikes because we're too socially dysfunctional to join sports teams. We hate everybody; we don't like greeting anybody, unless we know them, and by the time recognition sets in, it's too late, they're way down the road in the other direction!
So that's my excuse for not responding to your cheery wave. It's not personal!
Luis
So that's my excuse for not responding to your cheery wave. It's not personal!
Luis
I don't feel any animosity towards other riders (or drivers for that matter) unless they've done something dangerous or were just plain rude.