Inspiration Intersection

For cyclists, stop signs are objects of inherent negativity.

Of course, there is the sign's association with the stereotype, popular especially among miscreants who troll the comments of articles covering anything cycling-related: cyclists ignore traffic signs/signals, arrogantly rolling through every intersection they encounter, causing innocent motorists to come to a screeching halt to protect the paint jobs of their precious Black 2001 Saturn SC2s. But this is association, while prevalent, has little lasting affect on a cyclists performance, and is therefore relatively easy to overlook.

For many cyclists - especially those among us that view stop signs as more than mere suggestions, or even a command, but as a symbolic duty -  stop sign presents a unique and powerful set of physical and psychological challenges.

Physically, a stop sign's simple command requires a cyclist to discard all the momentum we've worked so hard to achieve. This message is especially insulting when the sign stands between the hill you've just descended and the hill you're about to ascend. While many cyclists relish the challenge and suffering that only a good, long climb can provide, we also appreciate the assistance that momentum offers.

A stop sign's true negative power lies in the basic meaning of the single word it bears: STOP. For a cyclist who's energy is tapped, who's been dropped, who's bonked, who's running on fumes at the end of a long ride, a stop sign might as well say GIVE UP. We've all asked ourselves 'why the hell do I do this' at least once during our time as cyclists. A stop sign serves to reinforce and amplify that feeling when we're at our lowest. Every intersection discourages us with bold, red octagons urging us to QUIT, DISCONTINUE, CEASE, SHUT OFF.

It was a pleasant surprise, then, to come across a stop sign that sent a positive, even inspirational message:

When each ride we take is peppered with headwinds, hills, inattentive or inconsiderate motorists, bad roads, pain, and exhaustion, this stop sign's simple message of DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' could mean the difference between finishing strong and happy, and collapsing in a whimpering heap of Lycra at the side of the road.

Without forsaking its core mission of communicating the need to stop your vehicle at the intersection, this sign also manages to say to a weary cyclist: KEEP GOING! YOU CAN DO IT!

Thanks, stop sign. I'll be sure to hold on to that feel-ay-ee-ay-in.