Caveat Canis

Recently, on my usual pre-dawn loop it was wet and I suffered a puncture. 5:30am, wet, cool, dark and I have a deflating back tyre, nice. I should add that up until about a month ago I had been puncture free since the start of October 2008, but then I started talking about it, and have now suffered a couple.

This time it was down by the Tank Farm, so a light industrial area, and I stopped under a street light. As I started to effect the repair a chap came out from one of the lit buildings there, asked if I was okay, if I had a spare tube, etc, then stood and chatted to me while I changed the tube. He also had a torch, with which he helped me find the offending piece of glass that had caused the puncture.
His appearance and company turned what would have been a small opportunity for practising cursing into a pleasant conversation.

This incident, a couple of recent conversations and also the positive response to Avoid The Clown, has given me food for thought.

In riding bikes we are part of a large community, but we don't often function as a community and, too often, ignore our fellow members.

When I started riding and racing I pretty much knew everyone who rode a road bike and would wave and say "gidday" when ever we passed, bunch riding was part of a regular club activity and the laws of the bunch were passed on through admonishment for transgressions. I remember being told gently, yelled at and counselled after for various transgressions. Quickly I learnt, as did most others.
Now, most people who ride are never part of a club, have never raced and have little or no desire to. That's fine, it's great seeing so many people riding bikes. The issue is that most people now ride with others who have never ridden for a club, have never had some grumpy old codger yelling "Hold the wheel" or similar at them. They have simply jumped on a bike and enjoyed the freedom.

Unfortunately they also have missed all the experience and accumulated wisdom that is handed out, and a lot of the vital safety and social parts of riding are missing also. The greater issue is that the behaviours that they have learnt from their riding companions are often flawed and can be dangerous. Put these riders all together and add some competitive spirit and it's a recipe for disaster.

Additionally, and importantly, the greater community aspect of cycling is disappearing. What I am referring to is the friendly wave, the check to see if the rider stopped on the side of the road is okay, the simple shared companionship of a stranger.

On the first point, waving, I'm as guilty as anyone else on the waterfront, I do make an effort to say gidday to anyone who is riding in the same direction as me and passes me or I pass them, but I'm slack about the wave. Off the waterfront and out in the wider environs I do wave. Not a big arm pumping, flailing gesture, just a hand raise of acknowledgement.

I always make a point of asking people if they are okay when they are stopped, ninety-nine percent of the time they are, but you never know. I have saved a chap from a long and painful walk home after he'd used up his two spare tubes and had no cell phone or cash, one day that could be me.
Lastly, if someone does hop onto the back of your bunch, say gidday to them, acknowledge them.

I firmly believe adding these behaviours to all rides and riders does make the world a little better.

Lastly before anyone accuses me of wanting to turn the clock back, or being rose-tinted about the past, I do know that some of the more arcane rules of cycling (thankfully gone) were just plain silly. Wanting to race with socks other than white? DNS
Swearing in the bunch? $5 fine, thank you. ( It was my right to tell the squatter who sprinted us home in a handicap race just what I thought of him and his parentage as we crossed the finish line)