On my commute to work this morning, aside from dodging juvenile skunks along the side of the road, I was revisiting a series of thoughts I have been having relating to the feeling I have that my bicycle is no longer a bicycle, it is a motor vehicle. Kind of deep, kind of obvious, and really dangerous, isn't it.
Adding the power-assist to the bike has definitely increased my top speed and dramatically reduced the size of hills (it has also reduce the amount of ga$oline I would normally buy). The added speed must release some type of adrenaline because the faster I go, especially in traffic, the more invulnerable (numb) I feel as a cyclist. I sort of relate this feeling to how when motorists enter their vehicles they quickly become detached to their surrounding environments and act in ways that lead me to believe when people drive a car their IQs are lowered proportionately to how much the car cost.
The last thing I want to be doing is be riding fast in traffic and feeling invincible. I am vulnerable, and I could easily find myself on the ground with thousands of pounds of motor vehicles inches from my body. These thoughts leave me feeling very uncomfortable.
Too bad that because we live in an over-automobiled world cyclists can't feel comfortable on the road. I guess this is a reminder to myself to be vigalant, remain aware, and not get too cockie.
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