Motorcycle riders have a reputation of being disreputable, law- and convention-flouting people. But in terms of insane, hang-it-out-over-the-edge chutzpah they have nothing on bicycle riders :).

The other day I was coming down into Woodside on CA-84 through the twisties. If you’ve ever driven that stretch of highway you know that it can be a workout. Posted at 35 MPH, I have yet to see anyone hit that speed except perhaps on some of the brief straightaways. I like to ride it to practice skills, and to assess them, too: I’ve noticed that the more experience I get riding, the smoother my handling of the curves and dips is.

I was quite impressed — I think that’s the word — to be coming down the incline behind a bicyclist. Who was going — maybe — a couple of miles per hour slower than I would have gone without him in front of me. In fact, I fell behind him at some points as he flew through some of the transitions. And him with essentially no protective gear on other than a helmet.

So when we finally exited the twisties and I passed him I did something that’s frowned on in the motorcycle world. I gave him a big thumbs up (riders and bicyclists are a bit like cats and dogs; an uneasy peace is generally the norm). He earned it…even if he was nuts :).