The wild cyclist never bunches up into a peloton because he never rides with anyone else least of all a peloton. If the wild cyclist does ride with others then they do as the great migrators do and 'fly in formation'. Yet, flying in a formation on what could well be a dodgy road full of speeding cars can be dangerous. So, the wild cyclist rarely shares his way with predators and 'machines of prey'. There is always a quieter way. Trouble with road cyclists (and human billboards) is that they are beset by speed and distance, and measurement. They are car drivers in other words on bicycles. Which means they behave like car drivers. Which means they 'bunch up' so that they even resemble a car when cycling. The wild cyclist by contrast is a walker on a bicycle. Which means that they behave (and even sometimes look) like a wild animal.
Battle Mode
BATTLE MODE
The warrior dares to face the only war that is worthwhile: the battle for awareness.
Carlos Castaneda
Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn't, it is of no use. Both paths lead nowhere; but one has a heart, the other doesn't. One makes for a joyful journey; as long as you follow it, you are one with it. The other will make you curse your life. One makes you strong; the other weakens you.
Carlos Castaneda
I heard a woman cyclist the other day refer to cycling as 'getting into battle mode'. Naturally, she was sharing the road with cars that encouraged this mode of cycling and this battle-ready attitude. As a wild cyclist I have only one mode on my control panel, that of awareness. The dial is pointed to it constantly. To be sure, I am battle-ready, always, but this readiness emerges not out of fear but out of awareness, and heart. Thus, it is awareness that is the real battle. And if you're still sharing your path with cars then maybe you should consider wild cycling as an alternative. That doesn't necessarily mean cycling on pavements but being aware of alternative routes that are safe and (relatively) car-free. After all, the wild cyclist is a true warrior (whose battle is with awareness) and will always choose a path with heart before anything else. As Castaneda writes:
A warrior chooses a path with heart, any path with heart and follows it; and then he rejoices and laughs.
Cars Parked on Pavements
Scotland is a special country full of special people. Sometimes this speciality is unavoidable as in when these special people park their special little cars on pavements. As a wild cyclist I often use certain pavements as some roads are just too hairy. I always announce my presence to walkers and pedestrians by voice and/or bell if need be and never have any problems. Except that is when I encounter a car or a van as I did the other day on a pavement right outside my home. Workers (overweight and unhealthy) have a habit of parking on the wide pavements to save them having to carry tools too far. This means that the access ramp for mobility scooters, wheelchairs, the elderly, and the hard of seeing, is blocked. The group Living Streets has tirelessly campaigned for over ten years to stop this disrespectful behaviour from happening. And they succeeded, God bless them. But it won't stop the law from being implemented until 2023. Which kind of makes you think, who do our cities actually belong to: to its citizens and the people living and working on the frontline, or to the politicians living in their big houses surrounded by their big gates and fences, on their big hills, in the rareified airs?