Bicycle Love – Part 1 by Stacey Harwood

Last Sunday I bought a used bicycle off of Craigslist.  It’s a 1960-ish women’s Raleigh “cruiser,” as bicycles with upright seating and handlebars are now called, and I paid $100 for it. For another $70 I added a basket, a bell, a lock, and new brake pads.   I hadn’t been on a bicycle in many years.  When I moved to New York City in 1998, I brought my touring Cannondale with me – the bike that had taken me throughout France; up and down the Maine coast; from Seattle to Vancouver and back to Portland, Oregon;  and on countless trips from Albany, New York, to Saratoga Springs and beyond – but I found NYC cycling unnerving so I gave it up

 

But a few months ago the idea of bicycling around town became appealing.  How easy it would be to make my rounds.  I’m not interested in a bicycle for serious exercise or pleasure trips.  I want transportation.  Hop on, zig-zag across town from the farmers market to Chelsea Market to Kalustyans to the Strand.  Making such a trip on foot or by public transportation would take an entire morning or longer.  With a bike, I could finish my errands in a couple of hours.  My daily commute to work is already brief – three subway stops – but it would be even briefer on a bike.  So,a bike.

 

I took my inaugural trip to work this morning.  I headed down Fifth Avenue through Washington Square Park, south on Thompson Street, which hits a cul-de-sac at Canal.  I walked across Canal (otherwise, carnage), and continued down West Broadway to my destination at Church and Warren.  Here’s what I learned:

1.  It’s important to stay with one-way streets though finding them may take you out of your way.

2.  So that’s why they’re called Pedal-pushers!

3.  Potholes, grates, bumps – the streets are a deadly obstacle course. 

4.  The bike lanes are on the left.  I’m not yet sure if this makes sense.

5.  Beware of cars making turns:  They don’t use their directional signals and they either don’t see you or pretend they don’t see you.  Taxis are especially dangerous.  I punched the trunk and hurled epithets at the taxi that cut me off.  That felt really good.  Maybe I’ll carry a bat.

6.  The city needs more bike racks.

Savings:  $2.25 subway fare.  Expenses: $2.25 brioche at Grandaisy Bakery on Beach and W. Broadway. 

 

To be continued.  .  .