Monday, August 20, 2012

Cycles

The last time I owned a bike it was 1989. I was at U of T and I rode it daily during the infamous, 41-day TTC strike. I was living at Clinton and Harbord then, my first apartment, in a crazy flat with floors so crooked that it was like being in a fun-house. I locked my bike to my 90-something landlady's wooden front porch (which she objected to, on the principle that it would get stolen). Sometime during the strike, it was stolen from the porch. I assure you, thereafter, she continually told me so.

My father had bought me the bike a few years earlier. It was one of those perfunctory, parental purchases when, as an adolescent, I lived in The Kingsway. Lord, I hated that neighbourhood. It was so isolated, to my teenaged-perspective. I went to school at the other end of the city. The bicycle (which I barely remember the look of, in truth) was my ticket to freedom. I remember riding it everywhere, for hours at a time. I'd zoom along while singing along loudly to my Walkman. I knew every cadence, every syncopated beat of every song on Zenyatta Mondatta. (On a side note: I remember begging my parents to be able to go to the Police Picnic, but I was too young. My husband, 6 years older than me, felt the same way in 1983. Alas, he couldn't score a ticket; it's a sad, near-miss we share.)

By the time my bike was stolen, I didn't have the appetite - or the funds - to replace it. I suppose I could have asked my father for a new one, but I felt violated by the theft. I fumed internally; it was beyond my comprehension (having grown up in affluent areas with absolutely no crime) that someone might steal something I owned (not that I'd worked to pay for it, mind you). So I started to walk - an activity that has served me well, nay saved my anxiety-prone ass with its meditative quality, for many years.

Fast-forward numerous flats and houses and decades and circumstance. When M went to visit my parents for the summer, I started to use her bicycle to get to work. It was expedient. (I can be from point A to point B in 10 minutes, give or take. My workplace is very cycle-friendly and there's a sheltered lock-up area. My route has bike paths, to increase safety and ease-of-travel.) Scott, who cycles everywhere, has been bitching at me for years to give it another go. Having never known me as an avid cyclist, he can barely believe how easily I've adapted.

Y'all know me by now. When I decide to do something, I do it.

M came home 2 days ago, and 3 hours later I bought a bike. (Scott said, as he very generously paid for it, I'm surprised it took you so long.) He'd found it for me 6 weeks ago, just after M left for North Carolina. It happens it was still at the store when I was finally ready to commit:

Fuji Crosstown 4.0. It's cream and green ombre with painted flowers!

This baby is SO DISCO. Oh, the mega-low standover makes it unbelievably comfortable for urban transport. The seat is fluffy soft. There are 7 gears (perfect for city riding). Mine has an awesome kick-stand, fenders (to keep crap off my clothes), a solar/crank front light, a tail-light - both removable. I got a great front basket, a cool (long and flexible) lock and a terrific helmet. Note: The helmet is ugly but it fits really well and it protects my brain, which I care about.

Don't misunderstand: I'm a fair-weather rider, to be sure. But I am psyched to have the opportunity to travel the city with Scott and M, to get myself hither and yon, to be just about everywhere in 10 minutes, should I so choose.

Everything old is new again, I guess. (Specifically my porch railing - metal rather than wood.)

So, what do you think? Cool ride? Do you cycle on a regular basis? If so, do share your experience...

30 comments:

  1. You know, I remember that TTC strike! I was in high school at the time (sorry) but was soo ticked that I couldn't get around. Small world. I'm now out in Alberta and a teacher, so my bike riding happens in the summer. I'm a fair weather/not super hot bike rider. Years ago, teachers got a "signing" bonus to sign a 10 yr. contract, so I took some of mine and bought me a new bike. I'd had a Canadian Tire special before hand. I'd love to be able to bike to work, but my commute doesn't allow it. Enjoy the new wheels!
    And hello - I'm a regular reader, but I think this is my first comment.

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    1. Hello Jodie! Thanks for your comment. I'm so glad someone else out there can remember this far back :-) I just can't get with the idea of riding in rain, which takes the edge off my daily cycling options, but I'm riding as much as possible in other kinds of weather.

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  2. I want! Mind you, although I cycle most days the one kilometre from home to our ferry, I don't cycle in town -- that would require locking the bike somewhere on "the other side" and knowing it would inevitably be stolen. Plus the pretty constant rain here -- don't really want to do raingear and carry a change. And campus is on top of a pretty serious hill. We do think about getting a couple for the apartment and cycling more in the city -- Vanc'r is getting better and better about developing decent routes. Right now, we tend to walk everywhere -- it would be good to mix it up a bit.

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    1. Locking the bike is the most irritating aspect of city cycling, hands down. Figuring out where to park and what to attach to what - sometimes it seems one needs a higher degree. I cannot imagine cycling in Van, though. Too many steep hills, no?

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  3. Hurrah! You're going to love the bike life, K, I just know it.

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    1. Sally: Till how late in the season do you cycle - into November? After the snow? I wonder when I'll have to put this puppy away from the winter.

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  4. Although Tucson bills itself as a bicycle friendly city, in reality, you must carefully pick where you ride if it's off one of our many bike paths. I'm in my 50s now and riding can be a bit more scary than it was in my early 20s. The city has gotten much bigger as well. I absolutely love the dedicated bike paths that keep cyclists and cars separate. Enjoy our new steed. To me the ultimate in mobility is to have both a bike and a car.

    Theresa in Tucson

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    1. How cool to live in Tucson! I definitely think that bike paths improve the quality of every cyclists ride. Even though the paths often abut the car lanes, there's more consciousness on the part of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to be safe in those designated areas. I don't have a car, so a bike is that much more useful :-)

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  5. Yay for your new bicycle! It's so beautiful :)

    I'm a fair-weather cyclist myself, and I just love it. There is something so zen about propelling yourself to your destination, and actually feeling the outside air the whole time (and zooming past cars backed up at a red light. Yay for bike lanes haha!). I specifically moved to have a better cycling commute to work; sadly, I haven't biked it yet (I still need my car for after-work tasks), but I'm really looking forward to starting later this week :)

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    1. Thank you! It's so girly! I do love zooming past the cars, though (living in Toronto) the risk-averse, law-abiding people generally stop at every light along with the cars :-) How wonderful that you considered your bike commute when purchasing your home. You will never regret bringing that kind of foresight to your living scenario. I live in the midst of everything (despite the drawbacks) for the tremendous benefits.

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  6. Congratulations! It is a beautiful bicycle. Be careful out there riding though. Speaking from recent experience people are just plain crazy.

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    1. Thanks S! And I work hard to stay as conscious as possible when I ride. Safety is my priority!

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  7. I have a Trek that I adore, but don't ride nearly enough. I should really get back to riding--when I lived in the country (literally 20 miles from ANYWHERE), we used to ride our bikes (or the horses when we were too lazy to bike) down a sandy dirt road to hang out with the neighbor kids about 2 miles away. Oh to have those leg muscles again. :-)

    Your bike is so pretty! I like the lines of it too, very good for riding with a skirt, I'd imagine. And I've yet to see an attractive helmet, but I figure as long as it protects your brain that's all that really matters.

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    1. OK, riding your horses to your friends' house is pretty amazing. Perhaps more amazing than riding a bike :-)

      My bike is crazily comfortable. It's designed for a city commuter (not a super fast or competitive rider).

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    2. Oddly enough, I've never really thought about it being out of the ordinary, (though now I do think about how young we were to be doing that by ourselves). Our horses were excellent baby sitters though, and once we were there we just kicked 'em loose in the yard and they ate grass while we splashed in the pool or goofed off inside.

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  8. I rode my bike all over Boston during my college years. But when I moved home to Brooklyn and had 2 close shaves in 2 months, it was enough to make me rethink things. I eventually gave my bike to a good cause. Although, now that I'm in the burbs and NYC has become much more bike friendly, I may have to rethink things. What a fun mode of transit!

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    1. You sure have had exposure to some terrific cities. Just to clarify: What do you consider the burbs? Queens? :-)

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    2. I'm a city gal thru and thru! LOL - Queens is a borough. I'm in NJ - about 30 miles from Manhattan in a pretty little town with a tree-lined Main St. Although, I think I'm winning the "lets move back to Brooklyn" debate so I may be a city girl again soon.

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    3. Just saw a headline in the NYT today that says NYers are largely supportive of new bike lanes.

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  9. I adore it! Only you could find a bike with "umbre flowers."

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  10. lovely bike! I got a new one a few months ago and it's great. I'm a fair mood rider - I'll ride in bad weather but only if i can really be bothered. It's my preferred way to get to work, since Public transport takes about the same amount of time and COSTS MONEY

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    1. So true! I can't stand to pay for public transport or cabs, which is why (till now) I spent all my time walking everywhere. Of course, I love to walk, but when you're running late, biking is the way to go (as long as it's not raining!).

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  11. Very cool ride, it seems perfect for the kind of cycling you're doing.

    I rode my bike a lot as a kid. I'd take off with a quarter in my shoe and if I found myself at the library, I was to ring the phone once to say I'd be a while.

    I stopped riding my bike after I had to ride it to work the summer I was not quite 16. I applied to work at a wading pool, it was outdoor, it would get me out of the checkroom at the pool across the street from my parents and I'd come back to it as a lifeguard. I applied to two pools that were twinned but they separated them and I ended up at the pool much farther from home. I fell of my bike, I was hit by a car, I got sick of seeing road kill, my peddles fell off I don't know how many times. Biking had gone from freedom to chore and risk. I always worked closer to home after that.

    Skip to turning 30 and I was convinced by a friend to do a try-a-tri, so I needed a bike. I bought a cheap-ass bike from Canadian Tire for that. It was fun, but I dunno, it doesn't fit into my suburban life very well. I'm not taking my bike the 54km across the 407, not even the 28km to my closest client. So it's there, but I don't use it.

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    1. I remember keeping a quarter in my shoe! And I completely understand where you're coming from. Egad, if I'd had a lot of bad bike experiences, I'm sure I'd leave mine in the basement. And, I do think that bikes are better in the city (unless you're one of those weekend riders who goes to the country and cycles 50K each way). Maybe you will return to the cycle lifestyle one day.

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    2. For a straight up bike song..
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnL4D8PJGoM

      But if you REALLY like your bike, maybe a bike love song is more appropriate...
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbm7m1xcK_I



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  12. Great bike! I cycled everywhere in grad school but babies meant car rides. Now that they're all in full-day school I would lov to bike again.

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    1. You have to branch out! Start up again and I'm sure you'll love it.

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  13. I have three bikes myself - the latest being a custom mixte (step-through) that I am built up --- and I have a foldable Brompton for when I'm on the road. One of my goals this year is to have more sewing pictures with bikes in it. So, imagine my surprise - when I'm catching up on my blog reading and found out you bought a bike - HELL YEAH!

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    1. I love that idea Pammie! Bikes make such excellent fashion accessories :-)

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