We are all human

Today was very much a "get it done" day. I decided to take the opportunity of an early morning weather window, combined with a Bank Holiday, to get some miles in. I also added in a couple of short, but sharp hills for good measure. The wind was southerly today, and as you can see from Charlie's profile, the route has an inverse triangle look about it, the apex being at the southernmost tip.

As is my wont, I indulged in a spot of delayed gratification by heading out into the wind first, and a couple of stretches were pretty monotonous. Speaking of monotony, I almost joined a time trial competition by accident, quite literally. As I came down the hill from Axbridge to Cross, I entered their marshaling area, where one of the entrants was behaving like a Brean pedestrian, i.e. not looking where he was going or what was coming down the hill at speed towards him. He was very apologetic though, and as he was on a bicycle, albeit with a funny helmet and solid back wheel, I forgave him.

I looped around past the Webbington, Loxton and up and over to Bleadon, then headed down straight roads to Brent Knoll. Which I went over from the north for the first time (max 17%) before heading for the moors and that long stretch into the wind. I turned for home and caught a draft from a tractor for a few hundred yards before it out ran me. Or out chugged me. Later on a tractor let me go first, which was a great motivator as i was determined not to be re-overtaken!

Although a Monday, there were a lot of cyclists out on the roads today, only so much TV you can watch I guess, as well as walkers and horses. As I sped towards Blackford I approached one lady on a horse and gave my customary warning "cyclist behind you". I don't, really, really don't, want to stereotype here. But it is very difficult not to, and in a way, proves the point of my own assumptions. "Nice to see one of your kind being so polite" she said. "Three of your kind just went by me so fast without a warning".

One of your kind? Hmmm. You know and I know she meant cyclist. Was the time trialist a cyclist? Or a human being behaving foolishly? Are horse riders human, like me? Or are they a new sub-species? The cyclists who charged by the horse and rider, am I responsible for their behaviour or guilty by association? Should I have apologised? Taken the word of a horse rider?

So you can see how difficult this whole stereotyping and categorisation of humans is. It's how wars start. Imagine the ranks of the horse riders, charging down upon the time-trialists, as we the MTBers wade in to their rescue, before hot-hatch teenagers come in to the fray?

You see what cycling on my own does to me?

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/29088586