CV-6 

Not from a bystander, but from a pace line going by. First ride on my first Jan De Reus. I love my Lejeunes, but for some reason Dutch bikes make me get up and go. Getting onto a long stretch, I saw a shop ride coming a bit off and decided I would see how long I could hold them off. All too soon (to my mind) they were buzzing by me. I heard several "nice ride" and the like, but the one that made my day was, "I thought we would catch you sooner."

noglider 

This happened to a friend of mine. He rode over a few days from Princeton, NJ to Fredericksburg, VA. In rural Virginia, he met a man outside a general store, and they got to talking. When my friend explained that he had ridden from New Jersey, the man said, in a strong southern accent, "Now, why would you do a damn fool thing like that?"

noglider 

On my long tour in France, I noticed that the French were aware of bike racing but not touring. I was an oddball. One tough rainy day, the road was empty. I rode by a house, and a little boy was sitting on his steps. When he saw me, he clapped and yelled, "Bravo!" It cheered me up, and I smiled.

noglider 

In heavy traffic in NYC on a Friday night, I was passed by a fancy SUV filled with four young men out looking for fun, I suppose. They yelled out to me, "We love your legs!"

bargainguy

I used to commute to work at 3:30 am, well before the sun came up.

One morning while I was stopped at a red light, a car pulled up directly alongside me and the passenger side window slowly started to roll down. I thought, am I going to get shot? Is this it? There's nowhere to go, I'm finished....

Then I see an elderly lady in the driver's seat with no other passengers. She leans over and says, "I like your blinky light." The light turns green, she drives off, I'm standing there stunned.

squirtdad

on my commute two guys decked out, nice kit, newish carbon bikes, pull in behind me on my commute....I was moving ok, but motioned them to pass....

their response was " no we want to draft the guy with the de rosa"

so of course I killed my self upping the pace until they turned of.

non-fixie 

During one of my first cycling trips in France, years ago, I was riding my old racing bike through the countryside and an old farmer looked up, saw me coming, grew an enormous smile on his face and yelled "Allez Poupou!"

He made my day, if not week.

Slightspeed

Two comments come to mind. A few weeks ago, we had a local election, which happened to be on opening day of the school year. Our polling place was at a nearby middle school, which I knew would be crowded. It was also very warm that day. I decided to ride the old Peugeot. I chained it up to the pole outside the school room used as a polling place. After voting, as I was unlocking my bike, an older couple. (I'm 70) came walking up, looking hot and sweaty. They said it was a good idea to ride the bike, as they had to park "a mile away" and walk. I agreed. Riding my bike is almost always a good idea.

A few years ago, I was on an easy Sunday afternoon cruise on my '64 Legnano. An older gray bearded guy on a mountain bike caught up with me, checked out my bike, and said, "That's a mid '60s Legnano?".

I said, "Yeah, '64, that I've had since new".

He said, "Its good to see the old stuff still out on the road."

I replied, "You mean me or the bike?"

"Both", he said.

CV-6 

Similar experience. Riding on the shoulder of a highway up a hill at oh dark thirty coming home from work. Moving along about 20 MPH (we were all once young and skinny, weren't we) when I notice a pickup slowing down to pace me. I too am wondering if I am about to be shot when the window comes down. "Twenty up this hill....pretty good." And he drove off.

And one I did for another rider. Was walking a trail and had observed a rider coming. I was on a high point and watched him labor his way up to me. I stood there and said "Allez, allez", clapped, and made noise like a cowbell clanging. Guy laughed and said "Thanks, man. I needed that." Kind of made my day.

Slightspeed

I did a bank run one day on my bike. When I came out, I was approached by a group of girl scouts selling cookies. I said, I didn't have any way to carry them. One little girl said, "You have three pockets in the back of your shirt".

I bought two boxes, as a reward for their entrepreneurial creativity.

gearbasher

One morning I decided to ride in Central Park (Manhattan, of course). It was my one and only time, Also, it was years ago and I was younger and stronger. I'm doing laps and I end up with a string of about 10 riders on my wheel. All I heard from them was "Who is this guy? Who is this guy?" It made me feel good.

J.Higgins 

This past June, we were on a weekend in Portland, Maine. We had our eight-year-old grandson, Tristan, with us for the weekend, and we took a ferry to Peaks Island. The boat was loaded with people and loaded with bikes. In front of me, was a 30-ish chap with a black Raleigh Competition. Nothing fancy, it was a rider. I went up to him and said, "Hey Nice bike, man! I love those old Raleighs!" We struck up a conversation after that and soon we docked.

Later on, as we were riding around the island loop, we stopped at a place on the shore to have lunch. Five minutes afterwards, the guy with the Competition stopped also. I said hey again, and he pointed to my Troll, "Hey that's a nice bike too!" After he left, Tristan puddled up and said, "He didn't like my bike! How come he didn't say that I had a nice bike?" His tears fell down his cheeks, clearly hurt from the lack of recognition.

I fought very hard to stifle a big wide grin, and explained to him that his bike was very nice, and that he shouldn't be sad that no one said anything about it. I said maybe the guy never saw it? Tristan got over it, and we had a great day.

markwesti

mswesti : How much did you lose selling that bike ? markwesti : only a couple huni , honey .

Kent T

I was out riding on the MUP in Oak Ridge, TN, and a window rolled down "Nice Atomic Legs" was yelled. I yelled back, "Thanks" The ultimate compliment physically challenged me ever gets when he rides.

515Cycling

As I finished the climb at the summit of Mount Evans right at the parking lot, a man saw that I had climbed up to 14,130 (+/-). He had just gotten out of his car and was walking over to the summit sign. He looked at me and said, "You are a f**king animal!" Best memory!

jonwvara 

I think the same thing whenever I see a recumbent.

Brad L 

After a ride a few years ago I was chatting with a friend about getting a rack for his Mini. He's a meticulous clean-freak and insisted on putting his partially disassembled bike in a custom made bike bag before putting it inside the Mini. This usually took quite a bit of time and frustration. During our discussion, he sees a couple of ladies who'd recently finished their ride and was curious about the brand of the bike rack attached to their car's trunk. He strolled over and said, "That's a nice rack.....umm..bike rack!"

I still kid him about it to this day.

John E

I was 21 years old and climbing Mt. Wilson (Los Angeles) with my 50-year-old friend, cycling partner, and part-time employer. We stopped about halfway up for a rest where a group of Boy Scouts was breaking camp. The Scout leader said, "Boy, I'm glad I not with you," alluding to the difficulty of our climb. "Where did you start -- Glendale?" Ollie honestly answered, "Santa Monica," (I joined him in west Los Angeles) which drew the response, "I'm really glad I'm not with you."

seedsbelize 

(Looking at the downtube), What are those levers for?

Iowa10Speed

A Walgreens pharmacist's smile when I rolled up to her drive-thru window.

gugie 

Somebody's not going to get that, and it's worth getting.

Poupou

gugie 

Some of us have heard them referred to as "suicide levers." Guy at work did that just a few months ago.

Iowa10Speed

Written for a church group, but suitable regardless of your beliefs ...

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3 (NRSV)

I straddle my bike, panting easily, sweating, waiting for the light on Urbandale Avenue. I’m really dripping in the wicked August sun.

Ahead lies a good hill, a remnant of a trestle that got the old trolleys over Merle Hay Road to the turnaround. My red backpack, bulging with business suit, laptop and folders, digs into my back. Light still red.

The car beside me rolls a window. Frosty air within collides with the wet heat of my world. A fog bank forms, blurring a young man’s face. He hollers the most clever cruelty he can think of:

“Get a car!”

The light changes before my brain decodes his rant. I smile. “I have two new ones in my garage,” I would have said.

He wouldn’t get it.

I chose my apparent misery. I love summer heat indexes. Biking back and forth to work satisfies both curiosity and challenge. I save gas. But those are boring cover stories.

What I did not expect were sun rays behind clouds, pulling me downtown each morning. Neighborhood streets ease me home each night. Daybreaks set rhythm, evenings add texture. Soccer balls and pony tails bounce haphazardly in front of me. Self-important dogs yip behind me. Fresh cut grass. The first tint of fall. Gliding through raindrops. Four wheels can never match the poverty of two.

On every street, the call for more is loud: seek more comfort, more tech, more speed, more status.

Bicycles create the opposite: vulnerability, openness and humility. We can choose similar characteristics for our spirits.

The poor spirit turns aside jeers, notices each detail of joy, savors each blessing of peace. Invite your spirit to inhabit poverty.

RobbieTunes

I once sold a bike to 6'2" 225 lb college tailback. Friction 2x9 Comp TA. I called a year later and he was doing crits with it in SC.

I would really like to hear those bystander comments.

thinktubes 

Alternatively, "reach-down switchers"