Mine is an evil laugh
Mar. 20th, 2010 09:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
darkemeralds posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
bicyclesHa ha ha ha! I have inducted a new member into the cult.
Today I met my good pal at Waterfront Bicycles* in downtown Portland, where she rented a bike so she could experience this thing I've been raving about for six months.
Rent-a-bikes
*snort* Yeah, or NOT.
It's the first day of spring. The sun was out, the wind had died down, the temperature rose to 70F/21C, and Waterfront Park looked like Waikiki Beach. Thousands of people were out. The whole city seemed to have ridden downtown, and when standard bike parking was full, they locked up on the seawall, so thickly that it looked like it was made of bikes.
This Lot Is Full
Saturday Market (a "tourist attraction") was hopping.
Heading to Saturday Market
We threaded our way through that crowd (a challenge because it's composed of people who forget to keep right or watch for bikes, and one is constantly dinging one's bell and slowing to the tipping-over point), then crossed the river and went in search of lunch on the east bank.
Lunch plan number one didn't pan out (NOTE TO PORTLAND BIKE-RIDERS: ClarkLewis, in addition to not serving lunch on Saturdays, has zero bike parking. Fail.), nor did our lunch backup plan (Park Kitchen DOES have bike parking, but also doesn't serve lunch on Saturday, alas.)
An ad hoc lunch plan--PF Chang's in the Pearl--worked out well. We cruised right to a bike staple, locked up, walked a bit, looked in some shops, and ate a good lunch.
All told, we rode about five miles. Until today, my friend hadn't been on a bike for more than 40 years, but she hopped on the rented cruiser and after the faintest of wobbles getting started, she was rolling along, navigating the crowds, pumping up inclines and flying back down 'em.
We had the full experience: riding on car-free paths, getting stuck in bike traffic, waiting for a bridge to go down, riding on city streets with the cars--and my friend did it all on her first day!
She talked of feeling ageless, and weightless, and free, and full of life, and like a kid. She spoke of the flying feeling, and the wonderful fresh air, and the endorphins, and the sheer joy of it all.
She is so hooked. Ha ha ha ha ha!
*If you ever want to rent a bike in Portland, go to Waterfront Bicycles. They are extremely helpful, their prices are good, their service is outstanding, and they have lots of good bikes to rent. I watched them treat every single customer--young, old, fast, slow, newbie and old hand--exactly the same, with friendly respect. They are my new bike shop for sure.
This entry is crossposted from my DW.
Today I met my good pal at Waterfront Bicycles* in downtown Portland, where she rented a bike so she could experience this thing I've been raving about for six months.
Rent-a-bikes
*snort* Yeah, or NOT.
It's the first day of spring. The sun was out, the wind had died down, the temperature rose to 70F/21C, and Waterfront Park looked like Waikiki Beach. Thousands of people were out. The whole city seemed to have ridden downtown, and when standard bike parking was full, they locked up on the seawall, so thickly that it looked like it was made of bikes.
This Lot Is Full
Saturday Market (a "tourist attraction") was hopping.
Heading to Saturday Market
We threaded our way through that crowd (a challenge because it's composed of people who forget to keep right or watch for bikes, and one is constantly dinging one's bell and slowing to the tipping-over point), then crossed the river and went in search of lunch on the east bank.
Lunch plan number one didn't pan out (NOTE TO PORTLAND BIKE-RIDERS: ClarkLewis, in addition to not serving lunch on Saturdays, has zero bike parking. Fail.), nor did our lunch backup plan (Park Kitchen DOES have bike parking, but also doesn't serve lunch on Saturday, alas.)
An ad hoc lunch plan--PF Chang's in the Pearl--worked out well. We cruised right to a bike staple, locked up, walked a bit, looked in some shops, and ate a good lunch.
All told, we rode about five miles. Until today, my friend hadn't been on a bike for more than 40 years, but she hopped on the rented cruiser and after the faintest of wobbles getting started, she was rolling along, navigating the crowds, pumping up inclines and flying back down 'em.
We had the full experience: riding on car-free paths, getting stuck in bike traffic, waiting for a bridge to go down, riding on city streets with the cars--and my friend did it all on her first day!
She talked of feeling ageless, and weightless, and free, and full of life, and like a kid. She spoke of the flying feeling, and the wonderful fresh air, and the endorphins, and the sheer joy of it all.
She is so hooked. Ha ha ha ha ha!
*If you ever want to rent a bike in Portland, go to Waterfront Bicycles. They are extremely helpful, their prices are good, their service is outstanding, and they have lots of good bikes to rent. I watched them treat every single customer--young, old, fast, slow, newbie and old hand--exactly the same, with friendly respect. They are my new bike shop for sure.
This entry is crossposted from my DW.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-21 08:10 am (UTC)I was making plans last night at a party to help another friend start riding more, & am v pleased about that as well.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-21 08:28 am (UTC)The perfect day sure didn't hurt either! Good luck with your "recruitment" effort, too!
"How to get people on bikes" would make an interesting topic for this comm.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-21 09:49 am (UTC)I also like that your friend proved that riding a bike IS like riding a bike!
no subject
Date: 2010-03-21 07:23 pm (UTC)I know, don't you just LOVE that?
Glad you enjoyed the pictures. Bikes are an endless source of interesting forms and colors to photograph.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-21 01:34 pm (UTC)Rental places are awesome, I wish there were more of them.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-21 07:28 pm (UTC)There are no pictures of me on a bike because I still have some pride, but I'm living, pedaling proof that fitness for riding eight or ten miles a day, while probably registering well on the blood-pressure and cardiovascular scales, does NOT look like Lance Armstrong, nor does it have to.
I hope you find a way to get your dad on a bike. My mother, who turned 80 last week, is going buy herself one of those three-wheelers. She gets that same envious, dreamy look on her face when my sister and I visit her by bike, or talk about our bike-riding fun, and she just decided what the hell, it's never, ever too late.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-21 09:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-21 09:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-21 09:21 pm (UTC)(I will be responsible. I will. I will ride the airplane. But the siren call of really good tacos and riverfront bike paths is hard to avoid.)
no subject
Date: 2010-03-21 09:26 pm (UTC)Wow, it will be tough to make the responsible choice. I don't envy you.