It’s days like today that I get that question 5 or 6 times. It’s as if something may have changed between the last time that I rode to work when it was raining and 34 degrees and now. I suppose I should be asking in response, “Did you drive your car again today?!” – a legitimate question given global warming and pollution today.

Yes, riding on days like today can be a struggle. It’s not so much the rain or the wind or the temperature. I think it’s more of the mood that the environment sets as a whole. It makes you just want to stay in bed.

After a few miles on the bike I forget about being hesitant to ride and begin to feel constrained and too warm in my cycling clothing. Getting into a rhythm, I unzip a bit and feel the rain and cold on my neck and chest. It feels good that the rain and cold feel good.

Two miles from work, I hear my brake rubbing. That’s unusual. I touch the front brake several times. Nope, that’s air leaking from the front tire. I pull over at a convenience store and begin the task of replacing the punctured tube – the result of another broken beer bottle. People come and go, looking curiously at me as they pass. No one says anything; strange for Memphis but it’s still dark and this isn’t the best part of town.

I fix the flat and ease back onto the road. As I stop at the light a van pulls up close to me and budges in front. I look at the passenger window for a sign of a confrontation. Instead, a school girl, aged 13 to 14 I guess, smiles honestly and warmly and gives me a wave. The stoplight changes and we move off.

Did I ride today? Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.