Thoughts on a fixed gear...

Charlie has been a fixie for a week....
.....incoherent thoughts on a fixed gear:

I hurt everywhere
and it's glorious.

Pedaling to stop was unnerving at first
now it's fun.

I hurt everywhere,
....
did I mention that?
Apparently I'm a lazy old bum who relied on coasting too much
(I will not let that be a metaphor for my life, eh?)

Apparently my equitation
(well that's what you call your position in horseback riding
what do you call it in cycling?)
was less than elegant
now as I await my muscles getting stronger
I am a clumsy lump
riding toward an idea
fumbling toward a better
stronger
faster
me
(yes I sound like that Radiohead song)

Charlie is now the most exquisite dance partner
a pivot on
contact patches
with just a thought

Charlie is faster now
rocking the 42/16 gear ratio
(Oscar said that one time, hey! where'd you go?)
he passes the other bicycles
the silent blue ninja
except for the bell
please don't walk out in front of us!

More mindful of pedals going round
of the ground
of stopping
of what it really takes
to get from here to there
how far vegetables will get you
how a hundred miles in a week
means something
completely
different
when you've pedaled every "step" of the way

Still trying to figure out a track stand