Article #3

Riding, Riding, Riding in the City

By Lois Parshley

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City riding comes with many dangers, but it’s an experience everyone should try.

Although an avid outdoors-person, Lois hadn't ridden a bike until she was 19 years old. City riding can be a bit menacing at first but with time she got the hang of riding and maintaining her bike. There are some obvious steps to being safe in the city such as signalling, looking ahead, and obeying lights the same way other vehicles do. Past the safety, riding gives her a sense of freedom she never felt before. Things like the smile of the man at the hotdog stand; things she never would have seen in a car, brighten her day when otherwise she’d be commuting in traffic. “To leave your loneliness... While you float free into a cloud of sudden azaleas.” Biking is a victory on two wheels.

I chose to read this article because a few weeks ago I found an old steel road bike of my dad’s at my cottage and have since decided to turn it into a fixed-gear bike for commuting wherever I end up after highschool. I haven’t done much city biking but the few times I've been with friends have always been fun. (apart from a bike being stolen) I think being aware of your surroundings is key for staying safe in the city. What this article made me realize is that you can dwell on the dangers and negatives of something, or you can go out, enjoy yourself, and take in the positives. I don’t think I’d quite call it “float free into a cloud of sudden azaleas”, but this article has definitely made me excited to do city biking once my bike is built.

Parshley, Lois. "Riding, Riding, Riding in the City." Adventure Journal. Web. 4 Nov. 2014. <http://www.adventure-journal.com/2014/07/riding-riding-riding-in-the-city/>.