Cycling is both a social activity and a solo adventure for me, depending on what I’m doing. When I’m biking by myself, there will be times when I talk to myself—give myself pep talks, sing to myself, just to keep myself occupied when the going gets tough, or the road is long, or the surroundings are boring. I’m a very social and verbal person, so it doesn’t strike me as particularly odd that I like to express things in an auditory way while riding, even if there’s no one else around. I don’t feel weird about anyone hearing me; because I’m on a bike, even if they do I’ll be long gone so who cares! However, if you were a bird perched on my shoulder while I was riding, here are some things you might hear, besides the occasional yell at a car:
An Audience of One
1. “I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m so glad I’m alive,” in a singsong voice after a particularly hairy encounter with traffic. It’s a good luck charm. 2. “When I’m Gone,” the song, sung panting and out of breath when I’m trying to go really fast up a hill. 3. Me using a sportscaster’s voice to narrate my commute in the third person like I’m in a race—I always win. 4. A re-enactment of the Al Pacino’s halftime speech in Any Given Sunday, when I feel like I just don’t know if I can go anymore- and then I grab that inch and I do! 5. Humming “We Are the Champions” when I’m coming up to my destination and I’ve made good time.