BICYCLE riding--it’s cool when the wind blows.

I comforted myself with this thought regularly, but riding on a bicycle, although comfortable, was certainly less glamorous than riding on a motorcycle or in a car, especially in the soaking rain or under the hot sun. In any case, if there was a gentle breeze after a hot and exhausting ride, I liked to repeat the same sentence to myself over and over again.

Bicycle riding--it’s cool when the wind blows. .

 Although pedaling a bicycle was exhausting in this heat, I felt sorry for those who had to wait along the road. I thought of offering one of them a ride because I felt that they must be more miserable standing in the hot sun than I was riding a bicycle. However, I did not dare offer my help because I didn’t know anybody, and besides, I was in a fairly difficult situation myself. To reach out and offer comfort, one should be in a superior position: offering a ride on a motorcycle or in a car would be more appropriate.

Then one day, somebody did end up riding on the bicycle with me unexpectedly.

"Hi mate, how are things? I haven’t seen you in a long time. Can

I get a ride?" He waved his hands for me to stop and greeted me in a very familiar and informal manner. I was stunned. I bad no idea where I had met this person before, but since he approached me in such a friendly way, I had to reciprocate in kind. Therefore, a weight of more than fifty kilograms was added onto the back of my bicycle.  I had to pedal harder to make it move.

"So, how far are you going?" I asked.

"Oh, not far! I’ll get off soon."