What are we talking about today?

I'll get back to theme days once I find a groove of posting regularly. In the meantime, most of my posts are about some variation of books, bikes, buses, or Broadway. Plus bits about writing, nonprofits, and grief from time to time.

This blog is mostly lighthearted and pretty silly. It's not about the terrible things happening in the world, but please know that I'm not ignoring those things. I just generally don't write about them here.

02 August 2017

8 Years, 4 Cities, 9000 Miles

Facebook was kind enough to tell me that yesterday was my 8th anniversary... with my bicycle. Yes, Sharlie (short for Charlotte; she's named after Charlotte Brontë) entered my life on August 1, 2009, and we've been BFFs ever since. This is my first proper bike of my entire life--up until that day, I'd only owned department store specials. Not really the best thing for someone who rides as much as I do, which is probably why I've never owned any other bike as long as Sharlie.

She's a lot less shiny now. Also, it looks like it was rainy
in Lubbock on the day she came home, so clearly she's a
good-luck charm.
Mind you, she objects to my characterization of the relationship (yes, my bicycle has a Twitter account):

Chadwick and I went to two different bike shops before I finally settled on Sharlie being the one. (He was pushing me toward the equivalent Trek model. I held firm on wanting a Giant.) I asked the gent in the shop to air up her tires so I could ride her home, mostly because there was no way we were fitting her in our tiny car, but also because I couldn't wait another minute for our first ride together. Also, Chadwick was convinced that hopping on Sharlie would magically make me faster and he wanted to see just how quick the ride home would be. She has some magical qualities, to be sure, but that hasn't been one of them so far. (He thought that it was, though. That day and every day after.)

We've ridden over 9000 miles together, and barring any dangerous/careless/just plain dumb drivers taking either of us out, we plan to carry on for another 9000.

She likes Cincinnati so far, although we both agree that
the bike parking around here leaves a great deal to be desired.
As said by: At the hour:
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2 comments:

Crystal Collier said...

I miss biking. One day... Actually, we get these crazy cross-country biking groups that comes through our neighborhood and drive us all crazy. There will be twenty of them all biking in a gaggle while a whole line of traffic is built up behind them, wanting to drive 45 mph, but unable to. *sigh*

02 August, 2017 10:33
Su said...

Wait, wait, wait... you *want* people driving 45 mph through your neighborhood? Now that that is crazy.

People who go on cross-country biking trips, on the other hand, are no crazier than people who go on road trips. And despite a few minutes' inconvenience (for which I have zero sympathy, given how often drivers do stupid things that could kill me), people on biking trips have been a boon to many rural economies, since they need to eat and sleep somewhere. Lots of places are working to attract people on bikes.

If it's really bothering you, start asking your local transportation folks to build an off-road bike path so the groups have a safer place to ride.

03 August, 2017 08:00

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