I remember reading a John Irving book where one of the characters said something like “If you’re not angry about anything then you’re not very observant.” Yeah, I think I know how that goes and riding a bike on urban streets means you’ve got to be pretty observant or you won’t last long. Ergo anger can be a lifesaver, another survival mechanism in the cyclist’s arsenal.
Time was when I felt like the angriest cyclist in the city, sometimes on the planet, but gradually, almost imperceptibly, my on-road persona has started to mellow. Then just the other day I surprised even myself with the kind of measured response a Yogi might employ if faced with a bully behind the wheel of a big red double-decker bus.
I was on the homeward leg of my commute, barrelling