Vanity

I thought this would be a suitable topic seeing as I'm in LA. However I don't want to talk about the wonderful individuals, native to these parts, who have occasional difficulty seeing past their new nose job or pec implants. Instead I want to talk about the vanity of cyclists. Again you get the LA type, who care more about how they look on the bike than about where they cycle it, in fact the more crowded an area the more people to see them look absolutely super in their white bib shorts and on their $3500 carbon racer. However the tour cyclist suffers from a different type of vanity. For starters the men of this group look like bums: unwashed, unshaved, a mad glint in the eye; the women (somehow) manage to always appear clean and fresh, never too sweaty or exhausted, however they do not bother about make-up, their hairstyle is dictated by fitting under a less than fashionable helmet and both sexes are clad in supremely unattractive, practicle outdoor gear. So a tour cyclist doesn't (and definately shouldn't) suffer from vanity of apperance. However they definately suffer from ego of their trips. The common questions: Where did you start? (shit - early than me) Where are you heading? (Ha - I'm going further) How much weight are you carrying? How many miles are you doing a day? Take any detours? Every cyclist you meet is weighed and measured against yourself. Those who deny this are either Buddha like individuals, who have foresaken human nature, or full of bull. I have two things to say about this habit of nature. Firstly it is a good thing: it inspires and makes you want to push yourself to go that little further, take more of those little detours: in fact experience more and have a better trip. Secondly, it is pointless: every trip is completely different, even if you've headed down the same roads. The people you meet, the weather you encounter, the thoughts you have, the songs you sing, all are utterly different and no one is better than another.