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Hi, Neighbor!...

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Hi, Neighbor!...

Old 06-26-20, 12:42 PM
  #1  
BobbyG
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Hi, Neighbor!...

I was 8 miles from the house and one mile from the office when my cell phone rang. I wear an earbud and clicked to answer the call.
"Hey Bob it's your neighbor, R______."

My wife had left for work, and my mother-on-law was at the house alone. R______'s house faces ours...could there be a problem?

No, wait, R______ was backing out of his driveway earlier just as I pedaled out of mine, and I waved to him as he passed me.

"...are you down by Lake Street?" he asked, "cause I think I drove past you!"

Yes, I told him, it's a long light and I always have to stop there.

R______ was all excited. He told me he didn't realize I biked all the way down to this part of town everyday. I told him I've been doing it 28 years. I'm almost 60, he might be almost 40. I guess when you don't bike, 8 miles seems like a lot. He said he had stopped at a drive through before we crossed paths. Then he said, "So, your heart must be in good shape." I told him that's my goal.

When I got to the office I checked my helmet cam and saw his truck cross the intersection at Lake Street. I texted him a screen grab, which he also thought was pretty cool.

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Old 06-26-20, 06:44 PM
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Oh wow, He just passed by me at an intersection a mile from the house on the ride home. We've been neighbors 5 years and have never crossed paths outside the neighborhood before.

Freaky day.
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Old 07-02-20, 11:54 PM
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Time to invite him out on a ride?

Just found out my neighbor of 4 years also rides a road bike recreationally. The things you realize when you talk to neighbors!
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Old 07-03-20, 08:43 AM
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Originally Posted by yamsyamsyams
Time to invite him out on a ride?

Just found out my neighbor of 4 years also rides a road bike recreationally. The things you realize when you talk to neighbors!
My one neighbor of nearly 2 years and family ride bikes. Not socializing with them because they don't like dogs.
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Old 07-04-20, 12:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Pugs2xLove
My one neighbor of nearly 2 years and family ride bikes. Not socializing with them because they don't like dogs.
Username checks out.
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Old 07-06-20, 06:32 AM
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Jim from Boston
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Hi, Neighbor!...
Originally Posted by BobbyG
I was 8 miles from the house and one mile from the office when my cell phone rang. I wear an earbud and clicked to answer the call.

"Hey Bob it's your neighbor, R______."
Over the years, I have posted about (friendly) encounters, including acquaintances,Anyone been honked at lately?”:
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
…Over the years on my commute I have routinely encountered several people, and I like to give them nicknames …

There was a driver in a windowless white van often approaching in the opposite direction who would give me a friendly toot. This was during the time of the Washington DC sniper who also drove a windowless [white] van, so that driver became the “stalker.”

I eventually met him at a coffee shop I routinely stopped at near my destination... He was very friendly:
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
"People honking at me triggers my RAGE"

A good piece of advice I read on Bike Forums (for commuters at least) is that as you get closer to work, contain your rage, in case it’s a co-worker, or even your boss.
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
My most frequent response to a honk not readily identifiable as "friendly," is to reach out my hand, palm up, in an exasperated gesture, and say, "WHAT, WHAT, WHAT...?!!".

Not infrequently I realize the honk was not directed towards me.
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Old 07-06-20, 10:22 PM
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My mother, who is 60 years old and never exercised consistently or intensely in her life, is always telling me I ride too far and too frequently. I go for a quick 15 mile ride after work and she tells me I am going to harm my heart. 15 miles to her sounds like 15,000 miles.

People who don't ride bikes just don't understand how easily you can put some miles behind you. I took my 7 year old son for ride on Saturday and he rode 18 miles and wasn't even slightly wore out. Biking is as intense as you want to make it.
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Old 07-08-20, 06:26 PM
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Originally Posted by BobbyG
Then he said, "So, your heart must be in good shape." I told him that's my goal.
People always say that to me, but I tell them I've been cycling to work near daily for 8 years now, and haven't lost a pound (except for a while through dieting). But it's gotta be better than sitting on my a$$ in a car.

I hope your neighbor is inspired to try cycling now that he realizes it is within the realm of possibility
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Old 07-08-20, 06:31 PM
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Digger Goreman
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Originally Posted by RubeRad
People always say that to me,... but it's gotta be better than sitting on my a$$ in a car....
+Infinity!
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Old 07-15-20, 05:37 PM
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Poor neighbor, trapped in that steel cage missing out all the fun
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