Tread to Tread

I rolled past the porch threshold and tracked across the sunlit driveway toward the garage wall. Propped upright on its kickstand rested a bicycle, its rear tire anchored against the asphalt. The knobby mountain-bike tire formed a towering arc of dense, grooved rubber cleats. Approaching at a cautious crawl, I guided my front bumper flush against the lowest chevron lug. I applied light forward pressure to test the resistance; the massive rubber block held completely rigid, offering an unyielding, high-friction grip against my front tires. Satisfied with the tactile reading of its oversized geometric pattern, I engaged reverse and eased back into the open lane.