Care and Feeding of the Recreational Cyclist

Today we're discussing the Recreational Cyclist and how to keep one happy. When stroked the right way, it's really easy to get your Rec Cyclist purring. All you need to remember is a few key points:

• The first thing to remember is the Rec Cyclist is a social animal that enjoys traveling in groups. This social aspect is significant for a number of reasons, but if you can arrange for a group of cyclists to ride together, keeping the cyclist happy will be much easier.
  
• Cyclists have a sweet disposition -- any animal that will intentionally shove a butt-torture device between its legs and call it "fun" demonstrates a level of brain evolution that is rare in the animal kingdom -- but sometimes you may run across a grumpy one that isn't having a good day. In the interest of maintaining an advanced level of group purring, it is OK if you don't include the grumpy ones next time.
  
• When selecting a route to take your cyclists, you'll want to favor shady over exposed, trees and grass over asphalt and concrete, and long stretches over stop-and-go. Hills make it interesting, but you don't want it to be too interesting. Some cyclists avoid hills and you want to be sensitive to this, but fortunately, like the ladder to the top of the sliding board, the rec cyclist views climbing as the price you pay for the downhill reward.
  
• Like any pet, the cyclist needs food and water. Be sure to schedule refreshment breaks. Of course, this is another opportunity for socializing which will doubly please your cyclist.
  
• Fully-grown and even adolescent cyclists are typically kept off-leash, but this doesn't mean you shouldn't exercise caution. Like all pets, they need to learn not to "play in traffic". They have a hard time learning about stop signs in particular, but again, the social nature of the rec cyclist can be used to your advantage. Just ask them to alert each other, and they will happily yell short phrases like "Car Back!", "Clear!" and "You dropped your water bottle!". Like the four-year-old when you're baking cookies, the Rec Cyclist is always willing to help out.
  

Try these steps and listen for the purring. A little attention, the right stroke, and you and your rec cyclist will share many happy days.