The Gingerbread Man

I was riding my cyclocross bike along the bike trail, approaching a road crossing at a light. It was a pleasant late September evening a little before 8:00, the sun had just set, and my lights were on.

Ahead at the crossing, a person with a mountain bike was stopped.  The traffic light was red.  Across the street, a skateboarder was headed toward the trail from a sidewalk on the other side of the street.  The skateboarder and the mountain biker were calling out to each other.  They seemed to know each other, and appeared to be challenging one another, talkin' smack.  Despite the light still being red, the mountain biker grabbed a chance to cross the road, rushing onto the trail just ahead of the skateboarder.

 I rolled up to the light moments later and stopped and waited for the light to change.  In the meantime, a runner entered a trail on the other side of the road, behind the skateboarder.  After a brief wait the light changed, and I crossed the road, and continued on the trail.

In a little while, I passed the runner on his left.  A few moments later I rolled up behind the skateboarder.  He was yelling something to the mountain biker, and seemed to be motioning to the left.  I think he was telling the biker to stay on the left.  Perhaps, he hoped to catch and pass the mountain bike on the right.  "On your left," I called out, and passed the skateboarder on the left.

Soon I was behind the mountain biker.  He was in the middle of the trail, and difficult to get around.  I called out, "on your left."  He looked back at me.  I could now see him.  He appeared to be in his early teens, and he rode what looked to be a clunky discount store bike.  With pride he said, "you can't catch me," and he started to spin the pedals rapidly.  Not wanting to be unsafe on a busy trail after dark, I said "fine," and let him race ahead.  But, I gradually accelerated.  Moments later he looked back and saw I was closer to him than he had expected.  He cried, "no fair," and spun the pedals even faster. I accelerated some more, and he looked back to see me right behind him.  He pulled to the right, and I passed him on his left.  As I rode past, he said, "Man, I love that kind of bike!"

I rode on and then smiled, thinking about the children's story.  "Ride, ride as fast as you can.  You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man."