What is it like to be a “piranha” cyclist?All of us who are already of an age, I mean well into our thirties or more, remember some legendary programs from old Spanish television: Man and the Earth, with the peculiar broadcast of Felix Rodriguez de la Fuente; the one two three, with his Ruperta, Bigote Arrocet and Doña Rogelia; but and Blue summer with Chanquete, Pancho and PIRANHA!?
What memories! The whole family sitting in front of the TV and commenting on the series. There are no programs like that anymore. the whole gang de Blue summer, including Chanquete and his “friend” Beatriz, They traveled by bike through Nejar (locality where the series was filmed) and among the younger ones they even “pressed” some series when they competed in those races among themselves.
If it were broadcast today, we would surely lend them our “Bikefriendly” logo because it really They did a great job of promoting the bicycle. Do you remember the models they wore? The mythical Bh with almost chopper-type handlebars, or the old “29” inch touring bikes with rod brakes, but the most popular was the GAC “motoretta” with its small wheels and that large, comfortable L-shaped seat where rested the already prominent rear of our friend Piranha who always arrived last. Do you remember that his little friend Tito or anyone in the group always said to him with boredom, “Vaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaability of Piranha”?
I am a bit of a party animal and I like both the bike and the laughter when we go out together. I am the one who pushes the group to bring out that healthy competitiveness that I like so much and that we all enjoy.. Surely everyone These excuses sound familiar to you: I don't train at all; ufff, what a week, I'm terrible; My wife/husband has kept me very busy and I haven't done anything; with the family you already know; I have had a lot of work and I am exhausted; Well, I've been sick and I'm convalescing... and after the excuses, you get on the bike and have a blast.
That day, when you thought you were going to leave them all behind and you were going to give them that review that you dream of...well, it's going to be that you don't: you are Piranha again. They all come out like arrows. After five minutes, someone asks, but is someone chasing us? The subject calms down for 30 seconds, takes a breath and again everyone is like a roadrunner! You think, My goodness, what hours are waiting for me with this bunch of sick people? (This happens at all levels, unprepared people suffer at their level and the pros suffer at their level too, but one more point).
This has only just begun, when you arrive at the port or the hard areas the comments are: I'm going to go calmly; Ugh, my cold; Ugh, I can't; but without seeing it coming, in a very subtle way you hear click, clack click clac... (they are placing their sprockets). Once again they have given you a hard time and you wonder: if they are going so smoothly, why am I suffering more and more? . It's clear: does that sound like going with the “hook”? As if such an object was shoved under your chin to follow all these freaks and not be the Piranha cyclist again.
All of us who go out in a group to enjoy two wheels know that There is always a “Piranha” cyclist in the group (let it be noted that I say this with all the love in the world hahaha, but wake up Piranhas!)
In the Bikefriendly team we are clear about who our Piranha cyclist is, for now, but you already know that this can change...And in your group, Who is the “piranha” cyclist? Are you “piranha”? What other profiles are you missing?
Raúl Villacampa, founding partner Bikefriendly
