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City Bike Riding

Bad Ass Efficiency in Transportation

Contrary to current hipster group-think, you do not need to have a fixy to roll in the city. I mean, you CAN but you don't have to. Some people compare the flowing feeling of riding fixed to surfing; others describe the mechanical advantage of a freewheel as one of the greatest inventions of all time. In any case, getting from A to B on a bike. Some ride with jeans folded up, black tee shirt, baseball cap, u-lock in back pocket, making eye contact only with others dressed the same. Some wear bright orange neon jackets and with gigantic helmets they bought in 1987, askew on their heads, wondering why no one is making eye contact with them. Others wear whatever the fuck and are mildly friendly to all. Everyone is out there, though, with a common enemy - the car. The rule of the road is "get there fast without getting killed." Its not a bad time for bikers on city streets, honestly - people are more aware than ever (depends on the city, i guess). I happen to feel that everyone should raise two fingers with nonchalance, in the same way your bus driver to other bus drivers when they passed on the road when you were in elementary school. But whatever the fuck. Show off a picture your bike. A map of your route. Tell us about your favorite turn, or how you think a particular intersection was not designed with a bicycle advocate in the room. Which city is best for riders? NYC? DC? SF? L.A. (ha just kidding about LA). Let us know.

created by Shana

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matthew's Picture digitalnomad's Picture anyism's Picture Pseudothoughts's Picture Kevin's Picture FAST FRIDAY the movie's Picture christine's Picture JosieNutter's Picture Alegra's Picture Roadrunner's Picture

Shoutbox - 7 comments

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Anthony says:

I ride a Raleigh fixie conversion. I love riding in the city. I'm getting good at not having to stop at all lights, or at least not having to step out of my straps, and I can ride the dotted line in slow traffic. I don't wear a helmet, but I know I should. I hate the feeling of having one on (it's distracting). Maybe I need to try another style than the regular aerodynamic ones. New Year's resolution #1.

Anyway here she is:

posted Nov 20

christine says:

bike polo, anyone?
columbus ohio is a pretty bike friendly place, at least close to downtown. there's the "monday night ride", and critical mass. seagull bags and b1 bycicles. yeah. and now there's bike polo.

i ride a two-ton murray bike from the eighties. i can't wait for the day when i have an ten pound fixy of my own.
ditto, yay for city bike riding.

posted Aug 13

JosieNutter says:

I wear a big ol' bike helmet, but at least it's modern. I know I look like a nerd. I always look like a nerd.

It's purple-- to match my pink jacket, and my purple road bike-- "Pony Power". Since my last Specialized got stolen out of my garage (gotta love crackheads on Capitol Hill), and I was never able to find it, regardless of registration, I covered the newer one with a butt-ton of stickers. Mostly ponies and unicorns, but also sparkly stars, hearts, rainbows, pink flames, etc.

It occasionally gets messed with (I think someone hopped a curb and hit it with their car in front of Art Walk?!) but since the guys at the shop recognize it on sight, I get super awesome and speedy repairs. :)

Yay for city bike riding.

posted Aug 6

Top 5 says:

Just ordered the Bell Metro... I'm hopen not to look so much like a mushroom head.

...a selfconscious commuter...

t5

posted May 16

Alex says:

I once rode my bike over the hellish first leg of the Triborough Bridge -- from Queens to Randall's Island -- at 3:00 a.m., only to discover that the second leg -- from Randall's Island to Manhattan -- was closed, forcing me to turn right back around.

(More...)

posted May 10

kafkaesque says:

I am a pretty casual rider, but when the weather gets a little better I am going to get in shape and start making my 7 mile (one way) commute on my bike. Mine is a beat up old Schwinn Continental ten-speed, with luggage on the front and fenders. It looks like a utility/commuter.

I recently moved to a very bicycle friendly city, Madison WI.

posted Mar 16

Comment replies (1)

jason irvine says:

I used to ride a schwinn continental. it was my dads, and had been in the attic for 20 years or so until i dug it out and decided to fix it up. i didn't have the money to replace a lot of stuff that would be needed to make it a functional "ten speed" since everything was locked up and broke, so i decided to convert it to a simple single speed (free wheel, of course), no sooner did i find out that single speed road bikes (and mainly, fixed gears) were the new cool trend. i later got hit by a car and bent the bike in half (those bikes are supposedly indestructable, i'm lucky to be alive), and now i have a schwinn varsity... it's not as good as the continental. loved the continental.

posted Mar 25

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