bike commuting

I always enjoy assimilating into the culture. There's something unique and beautiful about different people and different ways of living, and it's fun to try out a new way of life. Language, music, art, style, and values are some of these cultural features, but an oft-forgotten aspect is transportation.

While in Arkansas, I purchased an '89 Ford F-150 to tool around town. I felt like a down-home ol' country boy hanging my arm out the window (well, I would have hung it outside if the window had worked), and I was proud to drive down the street with a load full of house remodeling trash piled in the bed. I'd throw on my old ballcap and smile the whole time.

But, I've now left that life and that truck in Arkansas, and I've journeyed to the west coast - a land of liberal environmentalists who snub their noses at gas-guzzling pick-up trucks.

Who am I to offend my new community?

So, in an effort to join my new culture, I have rebuffed the automobile and adopted the bicycle. Yes, I am now a bike commuter, saving energy, trees, oceans, the climate, and human life.
I've purchased a 1968 Raleigh SuperCourse that I found on craigslist.com, stripped it down, and converted it to a singlespeed (not a full blown fixie, but close - with my flip-flop hub, all I need is a fixed cog and I'm ready to go!). Ah yes, I'm already learning the language of my new culture!

Zipping in and out of downtown traffic is a much different experience than lazily rolling down wide country roads, yet some things have not changed - I still throw on my old ballcap...and I'm still riding with a smile.

Here's my 40-year old beauty:



((for anyone wondering what a singlespeed bike is (and probably no one is, but I'm going to tell you anyway b/c I think it's cool stuff), it's a bike without gears, so there's only one "single speed." Taking vintage steel bikes and stripping them of excess parts has become a huge craze in the Seattle community. The reason is that it's a purer way to ride - too much unconscious mental energy is used thinking about what gear to use, and removing this choice liberates the rider to simply enjoy the ride. Plus, it saves weight and it's easier maintenance (less moving parts), but these reasons are secondary. One day, when I get daring enough, I'll moved to the fixed gear - the gear is "fixed" to the pedal, so if the wheels are moving, so are your legs (no coasting) - it's a crazy way to ride, but bikers are obsessive about it.))