100 Things I Love About Cycling......

Disclaimer: I **stole** this idea straight out of Bicycling magazine. The 100 things, however, are purely my own.

1. Setting a new personal best down Pierce Road (43 mph), even if it WAS with a tailwind.
2. Tailwinds.
3. Making it up THAT DAMN HILL on Dunahoo Road without standing up.
4. Riding between the letters of the words "STOP AHEAD" painted on the road.
5. A dog that doesn't chase.
6. Dogs that bark - from behind a fence.
7. Jumping in the swimming pool after a long ride in June.
8. Jumping in a hot shower after a ride in January.
9. Finishing a century.
10. Stopping to take a picture.
11. Taking a picture without stopping.
12. Having someone to talk to.
13. Having no one to talk to.
14. Racing a freight train...and winning.
15. Friendly waves from front porches.
16. Freshly paved roads.
17. January days with temperatures in the 70s.
18. The smell of honeysuckle.
19. Seeing 11.11 miles on the computer. And 22.22, 33.33, 44.44, 55.55, 66.66, 77.77, 88.88, and 99.99. Especially that last one.
20. My favorite sports drink, G2.
21. Mountains in the distance.
22. A red light that changes to green right before I have to put my foot down.
23. Saying "On your left."
24. Porta-potties.
25. When the shake-n-bake pavement finally ends.
26. Pulling over to allow a truck to pass and having the driver TAP his horn in thanks.
27. Riding in an impromptu paceline.
28. Finding out there is one more gear.
29. Water bottles that still have ice in them.
30. PBJs.
31. Little girls selling lemonade by the side of the road.
32. Being rescued by Hubby in a rainstorm.
33. The funky tan lines on my feet created by my cycling sandals.
34. Riding in the rain for the last 10 miles of a century ride in June in South Georgia.
35. Making up new routes on the fly.
36. Horses that come to the fence to be petted.
37. Horse owners who come to the fence to be petted. I mean, to talk.
38. Freshly mowed grass. Mown? Mowen? Moaned? Mooned?
39. Police officers who wave. And smile.
40. Railroad tracks that are at a 90-degree angle to the road.
41. Wigwam socks.
42. Blinkie lights.
43. Having to stop suddenly and successfully unclipping from the pedals.
44. Daffodils blooming in January.
45. Cycling gloves with gel padding.
46. Rest stops that appear out of the mist. ("I thought it was a mirage!")
47. Bento boxes.
48. Rumble strips that don't go all the way to the edge of the pavement so there's room to go around them.
49. Pedaling in time to the song that is playing.
50. Brakes that work.
51. Signs that say "Speed Zone Ahead."
52. Homemade goodies at rest stops.
53. Seeing a sleeping baby in a trailer behind his or her parent's bike.
54. A motorcyclist who waves.
55. Cars that allow plenty of room when passing.
56. Taking a store stop and having people be amazed that you've ridden a WHOLE TEN MILES!
57. Store stops.
58. Having a motorist yell out the window, "Nice bike!" instead of "Get off the road!"
59. Organized rides with cool t-shirts.
60. Organized rides.
61. Shower trucks.
62. Beer trucks.
63. Buffets.
64. Live entertainment downtown after a long day of riding.
65. Passing Winston.
66. Hearing Winston say, "I. Give. Up."
67. Yelling at a dog, "You do NOT want to mess with me today" and having it run away.
68. Mist over a lake/river/meadow.
69. Seeing a huge uphill ahead...and having the route turn.
70. Matching cycling jerseys.
71. Route markings on the road.
72. Feeling the first sprinkle of raindrops...only 1/2 mile from arriving at home.
73. Fellow riders who stop to help change a flat tire.
74. Not having a flat tire.
75. Giving high fives to kids along the road...and not falling off my bike in the process.
76. A certain purple-and-yellow water tower.
77. Post-ride meals with sweet tea.
78. A clean chain and derailleurs. 
79. My "humpback" for extra water.
80. Phyllis finding a quarter in the middle of the road.
81. Singing in harmony with Katydid on the tandem.
82. Carbon fiber.
83. Baby calves (is that redundant?) running through a pasture.
84. Potholes that have been patched.
85. Cotton-ball clouds in a perfectly blue sky.
86. Shorts and short sleeves in March.
87. Stopping behind a school bus and waiting patiently for the monitor to unload a teenaged student with disabilities.
88. A cozy tent.
89. A cozy RV...with air conditioning and satellite television.
90. Cycling clothes hanging on every fence, bike rack, sign, and tent in sight.
91. Firetrucks spraying water on a hot day.
92. Seeing the word "START" appear on the GPS on a loop ride.
93. My GPS.
94. Loop rides.
95. Seeing a group of cyclists taking advantage of a watering hole on a hot day.
96. Joining said group of cyclists.
97. Noticing a new house or barn I've never seen before on a road I've ridden a hundred times.
98. Spandex.
99. Cars that motion for me to go first at a four-way stop.
100. The end.