On my bicycle, I pull a longer loop tonight. Shooting across from haight to potrero, down under the 101 overpass and through the edge of soma to king street and the embarcadero, half the circumference of san francisco disappears in under 15 minutes. The temperature of the air pulling against me cools me perfectly as I crank at my highest cadence, rocketing at near traffic speeds. In my mind, I'm thinking about how much fun it would be to have a small group doing this alongside me like I did in DC. People who could really gear up fast and feel the confidence and shear exhilaration of single-speed self-propelled two-wheeled locomotion.
I slow down in the Marina and take in the blues I hear every Tuesday night rolling through there. Glancing across the IN-N-OUT storefront, I see them. A group of almost 20 riders. All on single speed bicycles. I think as I pass the group riding upright with my arms crossed, dismissive: No way I could keep up with them... [moments later] ...wait, IN-N-OUT? Wtf? What cyclists eat at IN-N-OUT during a ride?
Really fast ones. I rode to the end of the pier near Girardelli Square. On my way back, I see the cloud of blinking lights swarming toward me. Buzzing as they approach. As they get closer, I gasp, circling like a shark at the thought of a frenzy, and realize my wish is being granted. I join them for the rest of the ride. This group can cook, and we're cooking together through the clouds in the Presidio. Gears turning, lights flashing, tires whirring, and stop signs falling down at the sight of our swarm. So much fun.
At the end, I am invited to come back and try this again. Every Tuesday night.
