"You can tell me. You're faster now, right?"

That's what one of the regular cyclists around the Rose Bowl said to me after latching on to my wheel for a lap, just so he could get a harder workout than just his usual. Cyclists are so cagey with their fitness levels, be it from modesty, bluffing so they can stuff some guy on a hill, or not being caught out on bad day so their egos don't get hurt.

So I had to admit, "Yeah, I'm faster now." At least I wasn't like Frazz's friend Ted from this old comic strip. I did have a pulse!