Monday, May 3, 2010

emerging skills

this is my latest developing skill:
whipping a banana peel off into the weeds and brush alongside the road while riding.
I am getting good at this.

the first time I did this I nearly crashed.

okay, you laugh, but this is why: when one throws something to their immediate right or left, one usually twists a bit while doing so. and when one (cycling neophyte) is riding a bicycle and twists his or her torso without thinking, the bike has a tendency to want to twist a bit as well.

when I first experienced that I was shocked. I had no idea that throwing a banana peel could cause my bike to wobble. it's one of those core things, that stability stuff. so the next few times I tried to dispose of my banana peels I was cautious, barely getting the peel off the side of the road. (they're biodegradable, remember, helpful to the environment. I'm composting, in a very small way. when the peels stay on the road they are a hazard, at least until they start blackening and losing their slip. so it's important to be able to wing them safely away.)

and today, I winged and my bike experienced nary a wobble. not even a wiggle. my wheels stayed straight and my path remained true.

it was a good banana, too.

ain't progress grand?

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