Letter to the Editor: We want to share the road with you

To the Editor:

On a recent Sunday, my wife and I chose to spend a beautiful fall afternoon at one of Allamakee County Conservation Board’s gems, Stonebrook Park on the Yellow River, accessible by County Road W4B. We brought our bikes along and rode over to County Road B38, a designated Scenic Byway. We rode 20 miles, enjoying the beautiful Yellow River valley and the early fall colors.

While the majority of motorists were courteous and passed us with care, as to be expected, there were a couple of individuals driving large diesel pick-ups with exhaust pipes large enough to hold a soccer ball who somehow get their jollies by flooring the accelerator as they pass bikers in order to flood them with extreme noise and big clouds of diesel exhaust.

To these individuals, whatever you set out to prove by pulling such a childish stunt, you should know that it doesn’t reflect on you in any positive way. If you somehow mistakenly think that driving a 4,000-lb. vehicle with a 300 horsepower diesel engine and a loud exhaust pipe makes you appear superior to a 170-lb. cyclist on a 20-lb. bike, you might want to rethink your personal growth strategy. It’s quite the opposite actually. Such behavior is more closely associated with a 12-year-old boy whose brain and personal character have yet to fully develop.

To those motorists who respect bicyclists on the road and give us plenty of safe room when passing, thank you. We want to share the road with you.

Tim Wagner
Decorah