Bike story.
It was cold along the Brasewood walk-bike path in Houston, below freezing.
I would run that bike trail as fast as my 34 year old body would allow, pushing a 52 tooth front sprocket and 14 tooth back, it was getting to be a harder pedal for sure.
Not like Chicago just 6 years before when the power flew out of my body at 30 miles a day, day after day.

I was on the street coming hard into the intersection, intending to enter the bike trail and expecting to slice between 4 bikes stopped at the intersection.
It was going to be a tight fit, but no problem.
The 4 people, 2 girls, 2 young men (probably my age) saw me coming and froze in place seeing my intent.

Half way across the 4 lane street, just passing the median, my back tire caught a patch of ice and slid the rear to the left just a bit as I was leaning slightly right.
A quick steer to the left, hard brake for a moment to slow, and another quick steer to left, repeated several times and I drifted away from my target toward the curb....
Finally landing to a halt, catching my balance with one foot on the curb, I was dead stopped and aiming away from the bike path.
It was experience I knew riding ice and snow in the northern states most my years.

Looking back momentarily to make sure no cars were on top of me, I jumped back up on the pedals, and then looked back solid to make absolute sure it was clear, then put the bike in a hard left roll, and 1 pedal turn later in a quick 180°, I was reversed and headed back to the bike path.

Obviously interested in what I was doing, the 4 bikes were still stopped at the intersection.
I wasn't focused on their interest more than I was at resuming the ride.
I was looking for any traffic that would impede the time I needed to align the next move... and of course the other bikers were still there, and my intent of slicing between them still going to happen, as I powered as much as possible in three forward pedals, spacing myself for the hard left turn and gaining as much speed as possible.
Hard turns throw a bike into the gravity, increasing speed. This was essential with a big gear bike, but I was still low speed and using my legs for all the torque they could deliver.
My eyes shifted away from possible traffic, and went to the space between the 4 bikes, until I was almost even with them, then threw hard left with my right leg at full push, and left shoulder dropped.
Bang and I was between them, but the incline where the bike path dropped to meet street level was fighting back at my low speed.
The 2 men reached out and pushed me on my way from behind.
It was a kind gesture.
Made me think they got their money's worth at the show.


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Gene Haynes