day 17: memories and white tees

When do we lose interest in bicycles as a means of transportation? When do we say to ourselves, "Self, I don't like the fact that I have to 'work' to transport myself from one place to another...I want a machine to do that for me, because I am modern (wo)man and more technology makes everything better..." ?

I know there is more to these questions than I would like to think. We use cars because of issues of safety, distance, avoiding the elements, transporting those who cannot transport themselves...yeah, yeah, I know. While I could 'debunk' most of those, I will save that for the 3000 word essay that I will write for the NY Times someday. Until then, let's take a stroll down memory lane.

Yesterday morning, I saw 3 kids riding 2 bikes to school. One of the bikes was a bmx bike with pegs on the rear axle, so the 3rd kid (presumably the boy's little sister) was standing on the pegs and holding onto the seat. As a kid, I never lived close enough to school to ride my bike. But looking back I sure wish that I had. I love you anyway Mom and Dad...

My first "real" bike was a Christmas present when I was 7 or 8ish. It was a blue kids bmx bike, with white tires and a white molded plastic seat. The seat had a cutout that acted as a handle, because you see, the chainstays had tiny platforms which allowed someone to stand on the rear. Pegs weren't as prevalent on bikes back in that day.

I remember having so much fun on that bike - riding to Omni baseball card shop, or to the BP to get a Pepsi on a hot summer day. I remember riding down the big hill around the corner and skidding at the bottom. I remember riding down "Space Mountain," a single-track dirt trail between our neighborhood and the park. Back in those days, a bike meant "Freedom." It meant being able to get myself from A to B, without having to drag anyone else into aside from my friends. If I wanted to go somewhere, well I just had to pedal my little butt over there.

On a different note, I wore a long-sleeve shirt for my commute today - to see if it helps keep you cooler in the heat. It was a Nike Dri-fit shirt, so it is made of a technical fabric that wicks away moisture. All in all, it certainly didn't make me feel cooler, but it didn't feel any worse than a short sleeve shirt either. It certainly aids with sun protection. The key difference was while you are riding, you don't get the breeze on your arms, and you notice. BUT, I still doubt that it made me sweat any more than normal. Phoenix is one day away from setting a record for the most days over 110 degrees in a year. The current record is 28 (held by Phoenix...). Yesterday was #27.

I do it all for the Velorution.