Team Nature’s Path Racing Blog

The Cartersville ride is among my favorites. Saturday morning we rendezvoused at the Old Goochland High School waaaay out there on Route 6, then pedaled along a circuitous route, alternating between west and south with each turn. The sky was clear and the sun glowed. It was a beautiful day, warm but not so hot as to be uncomfortable. At 14 miles after a long, fast descent, we stood in the pedals and flew over a heavily potholed railroad crossing. Still at speed, we crossed the scenic James River on which several canoes floated serenely. On the south side of the river we turned right and climbed a short, steep hill into the small town of Cartersville.

After riding through town we turned left, entered Powhatan County, and spent five miles on generally flat terrain with occasional gentle descents. The next seven miles were all uphill, intense and even brutal. After a brief store stop (riding with Brenda there is no other kind) at 29 miles, we headed north on Maidens Road, crossed the river again and returned to Goochland County.

I rode in the lead, with Ike 50 yards behind me. Brenda, Eric, Mark, Monica, Phil and Scott were some distance behind Ike. The traffic was brisk but not terribly heavy. I pedaled near the edge of the pavement so drivers would have adequate room to pass safely. For a few miles, that’s what they all did.

The air exploded in sound as the driver of a blue pickup truck blasted his air horn, and I felt a swish of air as his side mirror passed inches from my left ear. I fought the urge to swerve off the pavement; careening into a grassy ditch at 21 mph would have been decidedly unhealthy. In the sudden silence that followed I thought my tympanic membrane might have ruptured, but then I heard the crazed laughter of the driver, evidently enjoying the near-death experience he instigated. Say what you will, but my demise would be a tremendous loss for the local CPA community. Some would mourn my merger with the front suspension of a truck driven by a nitwit in need of extensive dental work.

Apparently the same driver had buzzed Ike moments earlier. Maybe he’s been practicing. I could not get the dirt bag’s license plate number. Hopefully he won’t kill someone the next time he’s out amusing himself.

While cycling in Ashland recently, my friend Patty was hit by an inattentive driver. She has a fractured sacrum and is off her bike for several months. She’s lucky to be alive. Chris, a long-standing member of RABA, was run down by a driver in April. His family is now raising money for the van and motorized wheelchair, essential to his much changed life. Other families have buried the cyclists they love.

Most cyclists I know ride safely, but some do not. Most drivers I know handle their vehicles safely, but some do not. The laws of Virginia and most other states clearly provide that a person on a bicycle has the legal right to be on the road. This would come as a surprise to many drivers, even the careful drivers. Is it too much to ask for drivers to give cyclists a little more room and a little more time? Is it worth the risk to gain brief moments by passing a group of cyclists in close quarters, when waiting a minute or two for a clearer stretch of road would be so much safer? Even if the cyclist is riding irresponsibly, does the driver really want a terrible thing on his conscience?

And a driver who gets his jollies by trying to scare a cyclist with his 3,000 pound vehicle is probably the kind of person who as a child tortured small animals. There is no excuse for such dangerous behavior.

The Cartersville ride remains one of my favorites.

I promise my next blog will be more upbeat.