that dude was smoking’ … and not in a good way

When do you wait?

Groups rides and etiquette? There really is etiquette on a ride. Yes, it does vary. I will post a situation here and seek your input. I have written in the past about types of group rides. There are times to wait. Those rides should really be defined.  Usually as a ‘no-drop’ ride. There are rides that I referred to in the past as ‘take no prisoner’ rides. Usually in those early days when I was riding it was a small group of similar fitness people, so waiting was not something that occurred often. But alas, if your buddy was having a bad day – you took care of him.  

The saying – dance with the one you brought – seems to ring true.  

When do you wait on other riders? Hmmmm

This is going to truly be a tell. True story. Late ’80s. Mountain biking. With a good friend and a guy he knew (not too well, my friend was a local mechanic, S guy was a customer).  

Riding up a mountain and around and then back down. I was fit and racing as was my friend. S guy was an unknown, but we thought he was reasonably fit, so we took a chance, and he was invited. We drive far away to a wonderful, quiet mountain. We start riding and the climbing begins almost immediately. S guy falls off the back. No problem, we are climbing and with my friends you just ride your own pace, and we meet up at the top. My friend is a mountain goat anyway – no one can keep up with him.  

Part way up there is a good stopping point so we stop and wait for S guy. He arrives, has a sip of water, a snack and then lights up a cigarette. OK, we are near Winston-Salem the home of RJR (tobacco), but still…

I look at my friend, he looks at me and off we go. I will wait for you. I will help you. I will give you food, a tube, take you to the hospital, fix your bike etc … but you must also help yourself. Young guy smoking a cigarette while resting on a bike ride up a mountain? This isn’t the early days of the Tour de France, when wine and cigarettes were considered ergogenic aids. This was the ’80s. Which to many probably seems like exactly the same time period as those old black and white Tour de France photos. Rest assured that it was not. S guy thinks smoking while resting during a strenuous aerobic activity is appropriate. Make your own choices, but I am making mine also. I am not waiting on you if you are not helping yourself. Saw him at the car where we waited for him next. We did not call him for our next ride.  

Were we too harsh?