Biking again
After my bike was stolen at the start of the biking season, I decided the best thing to do would be to buy a cheap and crappy looking bike that nobody would want to steal. It’s sad that I have to choose that option but I didn’t see any other way.
So, while on vacation I walked down to Recycle Bicycle and asked them to sell me a cheap bike. I came out with a Raleigh “Tarantula” which, although boasting a very cool name, looks like crap. Perfect. The brakes needed a little adjusting (the back one is still almost useless without some help from the front) and the seat was loose but other than that the ride is good.
I started riding to work again last week, and I’m loving it. I get to work faster than if I take public transport and the ride to work is about 80% downhill. Of course that means the ride home is mostly uphill which kills me but at least I can collapse in a sweaty heap on the sofa when I get home.
There are things I had forgotten about cycling though:
- Having long laces on your shoes is a bad thing.
- Having flappy trouser legs is too.
- Bike seats are never comfortable.
- Taxi drivers will do all they can to knock you off the road.
- I still don’t understand bike gears.
- Stopping at red lights is always optional (yes, I’m an evil lawbreaker and I just don’t care.)
- Did I mention it’s faster (and cheaper) than public transport?
You might want to avoid city workers as well.
Ouch!
It’s also faster than a taxi, much of the time (I’ve timed this). I never stop at a red light unless it’s absolutely necessary. I’m a jay-biker, you see.
Dude, just get a strap to wrap around your right pant leg, or a bicycle clip or something. If you’re really a cheapskate just steal a binder clip from work.
Gears 101:
In front : big is hard, small is easy.
In back: big is easy, small is hard.
I don’t know how things are in Canada, but in Wisconsin, US, bikes are legally vehicles. I know it’s convenient to make like a pedestrian and jaywalk, but the downside of it is that if you behave like an idiot, drivers will assume all bikers are idiots and try to kill us more often. One bad apple and all that.
Actually, in my state bikers have the option of either staying on the sidewalk and behaving as pedestrians, or staying on the road and behaving as vehicles. Just don’t stay on the road and behave like a pedestrian.
Keep up the great work. More people need to give up their cars and start biking if it is possible. It would make a huge difference and also be much more inexpensive.