ride a bike

Ahoy,

I love riding my bike. The more I ride my bike this summer, the more I relish in being able to get to everywhere I want to go on my bike. The difference between driving and bicycling in how you relate to your surroundings is so different. You're just so much more aware of the neighborhood and other people, other drivers. As a bicyclist, I feel like there are more things for me to be on the lookout for, but as a driver there are so many things you're not looking out for. In my experience as a bicyclist, I've come across many drivers that are just oblivious to anyone else on the road. But seeing more and more cyclists on the road this summer makes me really happy and optimistic about the future of cycling for Chicago. Thus this list of my own observations and worries for future cyclists.

List of bicyclist concerns:

1. Where the cars are, and how close they might get to the bike lane. Some streets don't have bike lanes marked out so you have to share the road. Other streets have marked bike lanes but then you see a car clearly run through the bike lane - and then you start getting nervous, because that could have been me.

2. Getting doored. I've seen someone get very clearly doored, the dictionary definition of doored, and this is not a fate I would wish upon myself or anyone. I've gotten nearly doored plenty of times, but hope on every lucky penny I don't actually get doored in my lifetime.

3. Cars/vehicles in the bike lane. This is super, duper annoying because then I have to negotiate into traffic around the thing and get mixed up with all the cars and the last thing they are looking for is me and my bicycle.

4. Quality of the road. This is something that doesn't affect cars nearly as much as cyclists. We feel every crack, pebble, sewer grate, and surface material on the road. With the quality of some of the roads in Chicago, bicycling can be teeth chattering. And then there are the newly paved roads, and bicycling is paradise.

5. Cars/vehicles pulling out or in, including buses. I try to avoid bike lanes that might intersect with buses. No one I know of has figured out a good way to address this issue. Buses are my friend, I love public transit - but buses are really big and I'm really not. I don't think I would win.

 I love the fact that I'm peddling myself somewhere. I love seeing the streets from the perspective of a bicycle. I love that this city is becoming more bike friendly as I type this entry.

rotatingly chromed,
jt

Looking for home: recreation

Ahoy,

When my brother and I were in elementary school, my dad felt that we weren't getting enough exercise. Oh, boy, if we were born 10 years later - would he have something to gripe about. I'm sure he has an opinion about our young cousins that each have electronic entertainment systems. He bought us tennis rackets and left us to our own devices. We spent the subsequent summer chasing after the ball. I can't say I learned much about tennis that summer, or any summer after that, but I can say tennis is something I continue to enjoy. I like to think what we play now is a little closer to tennis, and less so to playing fetch.

Physical activity used to be forced upon us in school, but as I've outgrown the formal education system I'm happy to be able to select my own physical activities. I remember the bane of my existence was softball and volleyball. I would steer clear of the ball at my earliest convenience, especially if it was bigger than my head.

In my mind, recreation should be for fun. It shouldn't be painful, it shouldn't be torturous. It should be a good time. My ideal location would have plenty of recreation to keep me entertained, which I've been told can be a lot. But I'm calling out to all the great cities of the world! Take your best shot!

blithely gripped,
jt