Mr. Smooth

The cyclist approaches the 4-way stop. Gradually slowing as he nears.  His left pedal is at the bottom of the stroke and his right pedal at the top. He elegantly clips out of the left pedal with a sharp twist of the foot and drops his booted foot onto the ground. The right shoe still securely fastened into its pedal, right at the top of the stroke.

The rider is dressed in in tights, a highly visible jacket, helmet securely in place, and of course those nice cycling gloves! A car approaches from the right slowing to a stop. The occupants of the car, surely awed by the vision of the cyclist who is clearly out for a long ride on a beautiful, cool, and windy Spring day look on. Someone who knows what he is doing! Or perhaps that was a question in their minds?

A gust of wind from his left hits the cyclist in the chest.

Uh oh.

The biker’s aristocratic balance is upset. His right foot, still poised at the top of the stroke and securely fastened to the pedal begins the vain attempt to detach from the pedal. The foot twists right. Then left. Still attached.

What had been such magnificent balance now rapidly, as in instantly, disintegrates. His right foot is now twisting more quickly, almost with desperation. The world around him begins to slow. There is no balance. The long descent to the ground begins. The eyes of the passengers in the car begin to widen. They understand what is happening.

Over the cyclist goes. The rider’s knee impacts the pavement.  His shoe comes free from clip! At last, the necessary freedom! Followed suddenly with a “BOOM” as his hip quickly follows his knee into the pavement. Ouch…

The occupants of the now completely stopped car, with their jaws agape, look upon the rider astounded. What have they just seen? The rider quickly picks himself up off the pavement. Everything picked up but his pride spread upon the road.

The car moves on through the stop sign. The occupants still staring at the rider.

The rider clips back in and then moves on. "Mr. Smooth" and the beginning of the ride.