An Open (And Shut) Letter To Local Road Cyclists

Dear Prospect Park Roadies,

When you're done riding fast laps of the park in a pace line, and there are 4 or 5 of you winding down with a slow and congenial lap of the park, why must you always ride not just next to each other, but evenly spaced across the entire two lane roadway? Now all the other riders who are still riding at greater than "recovery pace" have to slow down and find a spot to get through your laterally-expansive line, as if picking out a toll-booth lane on the highway. For a bunch of guys who have just spent the last hour barking at every man, woman or Big Wheel that errantly wanders across the pavement it seems you'd be a little less ignorant of your own misuse of the public asphalt.

Please do something to correct this ridiculous irony.

Thank You.

Now, I don't know if it's intentional or not, but the message these fellows are sending is, "We have just dominated this roadway and now it is ours." Maybe the feelings of accomplishment and supremacy after completing a rigorous Wednesday morning training ride are so satisfying that they can't help but collectively gloat their way through a victory lap—and proper gloating creates an impenetrable aura around you of about 3 feet. Someday, if I can manage not to be dropped after 3 loops, I too will know that feeling, and it will swell within and around me and I will become oblivious to all else.

But in the meantime I'll have to keep paying the tolls.