Today I was riding my McLean tourer because my butt was sore from so much riding lately and this bike has the worlds' most comfortable Brooks saddle. Not a go-fast bike, but still respectable. Two deer started to jump a fence and cross the road in front of me but saw me just about the time I saw them. They turned in a panic and started running on the other side of the fence in the same direction I was going. I was on a long down hill stretch of road and as soon as I saw this I accelerated as fast as I could after them them. They jumped out to a lead of about 40 yards in a heartbeat, but I was rocking and rolling as fast as these 60+ year old legs would drive the bike. I started doing my best imitation of a "Rebel yell" and whooped and hollered at them like a rodeo hand "Go deer! Go Yee-haw!" They couldn't gain any more ground on me and I chased them whooping and hollering and laughing like an idiot for at least another quarter mile before they got smart enough to turn off. I felt absolutely exhilarated. Later, on remainder of the ride I grinned to myself and tried to imagine what anyone seeing this spectacle would have thought. Here's this old guy on an old high end touring bike racing downhill after two does, whooping and hollering...darn near catching them, too!
Now I can't say for sure why other folks ride bikes, but for me this captured the idea of fun on a bike about as well as anything I have ever done. I got in about 40 miles and felt really invigorated. When I got home my wife had the best glass of iced tea waiting for me I've ever had. The Sun is shining...Life is good...and deer are in the meadow...
Tom Sanders
Lansing, Mi