Today's Heroes

Whilst I pause from work to curse at the moisture-laden clouds that threaten my afternoon ride (hello…desert here), I have to give thanks to my four biking inspirations. Their blogs are fascinating and serve to push me to better myself as a user of two wheels and perhaps even as human being, though some may question the possibility of the latter. I don’t wish to embarrass them or me with their real names and links, so I’ll call them Tom, Jim, and Mary for the purposes of this post. Folks who cruise biking blogs will recognize them immediately.

Jim is the local bicyclist and community leader. He is a selfless sort who pushes bikers to be better by serving as an example. In my mind, he has the ideal life: a loving family, a respectable job, and the friendship and respect of his peers. Through our dealings via the social networks and brief in-person interactions, I can’t imagine anyone saying a bad thing about him. A good guy.

Mary’s life is far less stable and, as often the case, incredibly interesting. She bikes in the world’s most inhospitable setting and never gives into the environment, even after suffering what most folks would deem a significant injury. She uses her bike as a means to discover herself though I wonder if she also uses it to escape from it (not unlike me a little). Whenever I’m down on myself for some imaginary injury, I remember Mary’s out there on the road, plugging away.

I can barely read Tom’s blog because he is a hero for reasons thrust upon him. His wife suffers from terminal cancer and, from the tone of his posts, it is only a matter of time now. He recognizes that there is little he can do for her but maybe not for someone else’s wife. Through his website and his friends at the grassroots level, he’s raised thousands of dollars for cancer research. His darkest days are coming but I hope he finds strength in knowing he’s helped countless others in his struggles, including me.

The fourth inspiration is, of course, my spouse who patiently waits by the cell phone with the first aid kit in hand every time I go out. She worries with good reason because I sometimes seem bound and determined to hurt myself in some new way but she doesn’t stop me from hitting the road. I am grateful for that beyond measure.