Route companions

Today I want to talk about my route companions. Fellow cyclists who I see frequently on my way, familiar yet at the same time perfect strangers. There the grumpy fellow who shoots past me, morning and evening, in his trusty old bike and weathered high-vis jacket, no helmet, short red hair and no respect for any of the niceties of the road - like stopping for red lights and such like. Then there is the almost-elderly gentleman who, most annoyingly, always overtakes me when I'm going up the slope, at high speed as if it was down hill he was going. His bike is immaculate and old fashioned, as is all else about him. Not overly friendly, at least he does not appear grumpy - and like me, he wears a helmet.