I love to ride in the early morning, just after the sun comes up. I never had a paper route, so perhaps it's because I used to commute to work. You feel the crisp air, smell things that disappear in the middle of the day, hear train whistles and bird calls.
There's always dew on the lawns in the morning in our neighborhood. And plenty of funky vehicles sitting by the curb, hoping they will be chosen today, to take their master to work. (Instead of that new SUV that's stolen his affection.)
Some might say, "It's a good time to get kilt."
Drivers are thinking work, or school, or balancing their coffee while changing the talk-radio show. Dogs are straining at leashes, dragging groggy owners up the street for a little "dog relief" at the park. Gardeners are unloading mowers, housekeepers are shuffling quietly towards their home for the day. No one notices a cyclist. We're off the radar, and must keep a sharp lookout for danger.
Took a few more photos while riding. I know the top corners are distorted and the bottom edge is sharp, but I like this photo.
I rode around silently for about a half hour, making no noise at all. Why? As a young Boy Scout, I was preoccupied with skulking around like an Indian. We were taught not to break a branch, crush leaves underfoot, or make any unnecessary noise. None of this "Take only photos, leave only footprints" for our Troop 315. Both were an assault on the land. Instead, we learned "Make no noise, leave no sign". (Yes, I have always been a geek).
This training has come back to plague me as an adult, as I've discovered that silence is a rare thing. Most people are pretty noisy, most of the time. And happy about it, too. But in the morning, there a slight chance of calm and stillness. Between the rattling roar of the neighbor's diesel pickup and the Fedex plane overhead.
My bikes are silent, by design and refinement. No creaking saddles, no squealing brakes, no rattling chain or grinding gears. It's possible to tune almost any bike to be silent, but you have to work at it, and I do. Of course when it comes to breathing - at the moment I'm wheezing.
Remember - Skulk!
