1/30: Cool on two wheels
31/5/13 16:14![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
darkemeraldsThis picture of an attractive Dane on a bike was posted on BikePortland the other day.
I have since decided that I will signal no other way than the cool way that Mr Copenhagen there signals. (How else could you signal, you wonder? Well, I'm typically more emphatic and full-armed about it because Portland, though bike-aware, does not have Copenhagen-levels of bike-awareness. But screw that. I'm going to be cool Danish-signaling gal from here on.)
The extraordinary editor of BikePortland, Jonathan Maus, is currently posting dispatches from the two great world bike capitals, Copenhagen and Amsterdam. He has mentioned the amazing bike-riding skills of the citizens, and since we're not talking Tour de France racing, I'm assuming he means stuff like riding steadily in slow and crowded conditions, navigating safely around pedestrians, riding handlebar-to-handlebar with your friends while conducting a conversation, gauging traffic, or riding with two kids, a cigarette, a cellphone and no helmet.
No, I'm not being facetious about that last item. Americans think of cycling as a competitive sport requiring speed, power and endurance. (My daily commute is often made uncomfortable and even dangerous by cyclists of that sort.) We don't seem to place much emphasis on casual ease. And let's face it, casual ease requires skill.
I shall henceforth be all about the casual ease. (I'll probably keep the helmet, though.)
Crossposted to![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
bicycles
I have since decided that I will signal no other way than the cool way that Mr Copenhagen there signals. (How else could you signal, you wonder? Well, I'm typically more emphatic and full-armed about it because Portland, though bike-aware, does not have Copenhagen-levels of bike-awareness. But screw that. I'm going to be cool Danish-signaling gal from here on.)
The extraordinary editor of BikePortland, Jonathan Maus, is currently posting dispatches from the two great world bike capitals, Copenhagen and Amsterdam. He has mentioned the amazing bike-riding skills of the citizens, and since we're not talking Tour de France racing, I'm assuming he means stuff like riding steadily in slow and crowded conditions, navigating safely around pedestrians, riding handlebar-to-handlebar with your friends while conducting a conversation, gauging traffic, or riding with two kids, a cigarette, a cellphone and no helmet.
No, I'm not being facetious about that last item. Americans think of cycling as a competitive sport requiring speed, power and endurance. (My daily commute is often made uncomfortable and even dangerous by cyclists of that sort.) We don't seem to place much emphasis on casual ease. And let's face it, casual ease requires skill.
I shall henceforth be all about the casual ease. (I'll probably keep the helmet, though.)
Crossposted to
bicycles
(no subject)
1/6/13 00:46 (UTC)I don't think I know what part of the country you're in, but don't despair! The return to biking as transportation is definitely driving the return of upright bikes. (The bike-share programs in DC, New York, Boston, Miami Beach and Minneapolis all use uprights--as do London and Paris.) The big American bike companies are way, way behind, but most local bike shops, around here anyway, seem to recognize the need to carry some true urban commuters.
You might shop around for Electra, Linus, Breezer, Pilen, Dutch Workcycles, Pashley...they're all imports and not bargains, but they're a good starting point for dreams.
(no subject)
1/6/13 01:05 (UTC)(no subject)
1/6/13 01:37 (UTC)