Thursday, July 30, 2009

Chicago's the Place


For awhile now, I've been thinking about getting a new bike. We'll I guess that's not unusual. I'm always lusting after some bike I see. But lately it's been more serious because I had a little windfall, which makes getting a nice bike more realistic. So I've been searching blogs and bike shop sites for the bike of my dreams. The three finalists were: Rivendell, Retrovelo and Workcycles. I'd love to have all three, but that's not an option at this point, so I had decide which of this bikes would be most complimentary to the bikes I already have. What would be the most useful? Clarity finally came when Harvey's shifter broke and I had to ride my Gary Fisher for a week, until I got around to fixing the Schwinn. When I got back on Harvey I realized that I really preferred that upright ride. I was tired of looking at the ground and having a sore butt.

So, this weekend I'm headed down to the Chicago Dutch Bike Co. to give some very serious consideration to getting a Dutch bike. The Rivendell and Retrovelo are more of lean forward types of bikes. I love my Harvey, but I've been putting too many miles on him. Having a heavy duty city bike will give him a break.

I'm looking forward to visiting Chicago again, because I have in almost 10 years, and I may even run into a local blogging celebrity.

More to follow...

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Foreshadowing


It may seem like a long way off, but this bike picture by Choco Late is such a great shot that I feel that I must share it with you, even if it's out of season. She hasn't given me permission to share yet, so you'll have to go to her Flickr site. A few years back, I came across her pics on Flickr and fell in love with them, especially the shots from Hong Kong and China. If you have seen any Wong Kar Wei movies, you'll see the resemblance. If you haven't seen a Wong Kar Wei movie, please do, soon! They are so beautiful.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Detroit's Unusual Opportunity to Become Bike City


When people think of the future, Detroit doesn't usually come to mind. Detroit has been a sinking ship for the 50 years. A combination of racism, changing economy and some very bad decisions have left it a shell of it's former self. Whole neighborhoods have turned into rubbled ghost towns. The downtown looks impressive from a distance, but on closer look, appears more a set for one of those movies where everybody on earth disappears.

Toby Barlow ,in his New York Times Op-Ed, thinks that from the ashes of Detroit's ruin, a vibrant bike-centric city could arise. The city's emptiness, gives Detroiter's an opportunity to remake their city with all sorts of bike-enhancing infrastucture in ways that crowded cities can't. Why? There's nobody in the way. Nobody to complain about how those bike-nuts are taking over valuable realestate.

Already, more people in Detroit are hopping on bikes. Why not? There's not much motor traffic to deal with. That's a dream of many cyclists. Where'd all the cars go? Who cares, lets ride! This holiday weekend gave me a chance to have more of the road to myself(and other happy cyclists), as many motorists clogged up someone else's roads, on their way to the lake cabin. It was a pleasure.

While my city hasn't been hit as hard as Detroit, maybe this down economy can give the "bike-way"the chance it needs to create more bike infrastructure. Let's use this slack time to grab some more road.

Drawing by Esther Pearl Watson

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Friday, July 3, 2009

An Oasis on My Commute



This floating dock is on a small lake that I bike past everyday on my commute(when I commute by bike). It's out there all year long, and I often think that it would be nice to swim out to it. It would feel so nice on those hot July days, to take a dip. Now, I've decided I'm going to do it! Ditch my bike in the bushes and dive in. It will be a bit of a swim, but I swam competitively, so I'm not worried about making it out there. Then I can kick back and take in the rays, before finishing my ride home. I'll let you know how it goes.