A middle aged man in banner painted lycra walks the halls

Wheeling his bright red bicycle to the elevator

His lumpy cleated shoes tap dance 

Announcing his presence loudly

He leans on his two wheel walking stick

This crazy walker is like a fish out of water

Speeding downward in the elevator

Emerging at ground level into the parking lot

Anti covid mask is bagged and stashed into a back pocket

Nestling with keys and sugar laden snacks

A strong leg is thrown over the cross bar

Straddling the tamed beast for a ceremonial moment

Adjusting the visor on his helmeted head

Cranking the left pedal backwards

Till his foot is near the ground

A resounding click welds his shoe to the pedal

A slight crank primes his muscles for takeoff

Man and bicycle are now welded together

The beast lurches forward as his right shoe clicks in

Hands push down on the odd shaped bars

Palms resting on the hoods of the infrequently used brake levers

Padded shorts rise skyward to meet the ridiculously high razorblade seat

Arms stretched out into the wind

A small computer on the handlebar displays his progress

Speed and heart rate rise in unison

Whilst pedal rpms stay constant

Gear changes are fully electronic on this high tech machine

The skin tight costume refuses to flap in the wind

Every nut and bolt on his bike has been trimmed for weight

The featherlight carbon fibre frame mimics airplane wings

Slipping through the reluctant air softly

The middle aged man flies low at 25mph

It will be a short 30 mile ride today

The computer reminds him to hydrate every 15 minutes

He pedals hard up the bridge to Key Biscayne

Rolling back down at 40mph

He meets a group to ride in formation

Pulling hard at the front for a mile

Before dropping to the back for a tow

He takes a rest stop at Virginia Key beach

A long gulp of coconut water washes down the sugary energy gel

Snapping a photo of his ride to share with his friends in the frozen north

One more loop with the group at maximum effort

Then its a gentle cruise back home

Click clack down the halls of the high rise

Wheeling his red machine back to his condo

The beast rests while he showers and recuperates

Another day another ride