tour fever or sickness?

So it's that season. It's sunny, the tour is on, jocks at bars are talking about Lances chance at winning, blah. Brody and I went for a ride(a super serious one where we did "openers" as prescribed by training and racing with a power meter!!!) and were amazed at how many people were out on road bikes, and of those people how many had carbon wheels. Whatever.

The first reaction is to be annoyed that so many people are into "your" sport. I honestly feel that way sometimes. I say hello to the dude on the 10k bike and HE has the nerve to cool guy ME!?! It makes me want to turn around, chase him down, cool guy HIM, then attack him, wait for him up the road, and attack him again! But I am slightly above this. Its not my sport. Just cause I love something so much doesn't mean that people who don't love it as much aren't allowed to do it as well. Rewritten as a note to myself: Not everybody has to be as passionate as you about something to enjoy it.

So after riding Saturday I went to the South Side Works "exposed." It was an artist market that was set up for the weekend, and Amy was selling Garbella stuff. After loading in for her (man if I was going to be a roadie, I should have a chain wallet and groupies right?) I went to REI to avoid the heat.

On Saturdays members are allowed to climb The Pinnacle, which is a 5 sided climbing wall. I thought "what the heck," and signed up to try doing it.

THEN IT STARTED. I was the dude rolling down freeport road on a 10,000 dollar colnago. These dudes who brought gym bags and changed before their workout were just eyeballing me and talking loudly about their climbing exploits. They all brought their own climbing shoes and harnesses. I had the lender pair, which resembled the beige roller skates that the skating rink would rent. They were talking about reading bouldering magazines, gear, traveling to climb, chalk vs eco balls (?).. just all kinds of crazy climbing stuff. Maybe they were insecure, maybe I am insecure, but they were not nice to a dude who wast here alone, that is all.

I could write about how I cleaned a line that one of them couldn't, even though it was my first time climbing a wall, but they had left at that point so it only gave me personal gloating satisfaction. But I wont.

Instead I will just say that if you are a cyclist or or something else (why are you reading this if you are something else?) ... be nice to the new guys.