那个追风少年，走一个
今天在北京骑单车，到太阳宫附近的一个交叉路口等红灯时，一位少年夜骑单车过来停下，称赞我的车很棒，问我是否是专业的。我抬头看去，发现他是个高中生，穿着校服，骑着一辆捷安特入门级别的山地车。他好奇地看着我的车前叉，说这个叉很不错，气动的，行程大，还羡慕地摸了摸。我笑着回答道：“这辆车已经骑了十年了，看上去新还是因为我骑得不多。不过你的车也不错啊。”他回答：“还可以，我的车是油压的前叉，可以锁死。平路上可以提高速度。” 接着他说：“走一个？” 我一愣，马上明白过来，“走一个”意味着与他比一下。我看看周五下班高峰期的车流，摇摇头，不行啊，车太多了。他笑着说：“明天？”我看着他认真的样子，说：“也许吧。”这时绿灯亮了，他迅速加速，一溜烟地消失在前方。我看着他远去的背影，心中涌起沉寂多年的记忆。
那是一个梦想成为运动员的少年，在长沙市东塘到袁家岭的韶山路马路上训练跑步。当时机动车道和自行车道是有铁栏杆分开的，机动车不多，自行车道却车满为患。少年热身后，在公交车站等7路公交车启动后，跟在公交车后面奔跑。有时公交车司机看到后视镜中的奔跑的少年，会故意猛踩油门，进行一场公交车和少年的比赛。但公交车到站要上下旅客，这就是少年超越公交车的最佳时机。在一次次和公交车的比赛中，少年锻炼了身体，磨练了意志。
今天在北京街头偶遇这个少年，我忽然想到那个少年，已经做好了准备。
As I was cycling in Beijing today, I stopped at a crossroads near Sun Palace and waited for the red light. A teenage boy rode up on his bike and said to me, “Are you a professional? Your bike is awesome.”
I looked up and saw a high school student in his uniform riding a basic Giant mountain bike. It wasn’t anything fancy, probably an entry-level model.
I replied, “No, I’m not a professional. I just ride my bike for exercise.” The boy curiously examined the fork of my bike and said, “This fork is nice. It’s aerodynamic and has a long travel.” He even touched it admiringly.
I laughed and said, “It’s just a 10-year-old bike that I don’t ride often, so it looks new. Your bike is nice too.”
He replied, “It’s okay. My fork is hydraulic and can lock. It can go faster on flat roads.”
Then he asked me, “Wanna race?”
I was taken aback and looked at the rush hour traffic. There were too many cars on the road.
He smiled and said, “How about tomorrow?”
I looked at his serious expression and replied, “Maybe.”
As the green light came on, he quickly accelerated and disappeared into the distance.
Watching him ride away, memories flooded back from my own teenage years.
I used to train for running on Shaoshan Road, from Dongtang to Yuanjialing, in Changsha. The motorway and bike lane were separated by iron railings. There weren’t many cars on the road, but the bike lane was always packed with cyclists.
After warming up, I’d run alongside the No. 7 bus, chasing it down the road. Sometimes, the driver would see me in the rearview mirror and hit the gas, competing with me for a few seconds. But the best opportunity to overtake the bus was when it stopped to let passengers on and off.
Through these races with the bus, I trained my body and forged my willpower.
Meeting this teenage boy on the streets of Beijing today, I was suddenly reminded of that time in my life. I realized that I had been preparing for this moment for years.
Let’s race.