Be Nice

When my training ride leader (TRL) DD told me our next ride started out with two major hills, I knew I was in for trouble if not pain. Slight inclines make me stop to catch my breath and I’m still not sure how to brake properly going downhill. However, after last week’s bail out, I knew I needed to finish this ride for my psyche and my body.

The morning of the ride, I was so nervous I woke up two hours early. Yet, despite laying everything out the night before and having two hours to prepare in the morning, I still forgot my helmet and had to rush home, arriving just in time to hear the ALC requisite safety speech.

1. We will ride single file and pass safely.
2. We will point out cars and hazards to other bikers.
3. We will use proper hand signals.
4. We will be nice to everyone.
5. We will not wuss out five miles in and call someone to pick us up.

Ok, I added that last one, but it may as well have been official for me, I was that determined to finish this ride. I knew that rule #4 was going to be crucial in me abiding by rule #5. “We are all volunteering our time to be here today,” my TRL read from the official paper, “so be patient with everyone’s ability levels, especially the beginners.”

Did you hear that you fast athletic types? Be patient. Especially with the beginners. That means especially with me. Be patient with me. Please. Follow rule #4. That’s all I ask.

But, I didn’t have to ask, they all followed rule #4 on their own free will. When I started rolling backwards halfway up the first tenth of the mound before the actual hill, they laughed with me (importantly not at me, but with me) and stopped traffic so I could make it across the intersection. When I had an asthma attack on each hill and had to walk my bike, they said encouraging (not condescending) words as they pedaled by. And when I rode the last bit of Mt. Tabor, TRL by my side helping me the whole way, they gave me a round of applause.

My training group at the top of our first hill, just after they gave me a round of applause. I may not be the fastest but my jacket is the brightest!

This is why I ride with a group and not alone. Alone, I would have stopped after the first hill. Heck, alone I wouldn’t have even planned any hills on my ride! My team challenges me and encourages me along the way. In this, we embody the spirit of AIDS Lifecycle. It is a challenge, but the encouragement you get along the way – from drag queens to elementary school students, chiropractors to massage therapists – makes it not only possible, but a little fun as well.

About Queerie Bradshaw

Lauren Marie Fleming is a writer, speaker and motivator known for her intimate, informative and often hilarious look at sex, relationships and body-image. Lauren runs the critically-acclaimed QueerieBradshaw.com blog, writes for major news sources including VICE, Nerve, Huffington Post and Curve, and is the author of her memoir Losing It: My Life as a Sex Blogger. In 2013, Lauren founded Frisky Feminist Press (FriskyFeminist.com) as a way to enhance conversations about sexuality through educational guides, online classes and entertaining publications. A law school graduate, Lauren has spoken all over the United States and is internationally recognized for her dynamic, engaging style. In everything she does, Lauren’s goal is to educate, remove stigmas and encourage people to achieve their desires.
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3 Responses to Be Nice

  1. Adrienne Franko says:

    lover, the ride is not 500 miles…it’s 545, trust me when I say those 45 miles make a difference.

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