14 June 2012

Training On Small Wheels?

This bike was parked outside PS 1 this afternoon:




Because I have a weakness for stories, I constructed a few in my mind.  I imagined a four-year-old girl looking at Lara Favretto's pieces.  Wow, I thought, that girl is a much better kid than I was!


Then again, she might have been sneaking away from her parent(s) or whoever else was caring for her.  That would make her more advanced, at least, than I was. Imagine having the wherewithal to be able to rebel in such a way!  Imagine being able to choose, at that age, riding your bike to an art museum as a form of rebellion!


Or, perhaps she (I assumed she was a girl.  I apologize for being so inculcated with patriarchal notions!)  was a midget hipster, or hipster wannabe.  Believe me, I've seen hipsters ride much stranger bikes than this one!


As I was about to take a picture on my cell phone, a woman walked toward the bike.  I explained that I wanted to take a photo for this blog.  I got to glimpse and wave at her daughter, who rode the bike and whose name I didn't get.  But the mother's name is Holly.   Holly, I hope you're reading this!


Anyway, from PS 1, I rode over the Pulaski Bridge into Greenpoint.  On the bridge's bike/pedestrian lane, and into Brooklyn, I found myself riding behind a man on this bike:




It's a Strida.  I snapped the picture--again, with my cell phone--as we were riding.  I was going to approach him at the next light, but he turned.  Oh well.


Perhaps the little girl who rode the bike parked at PS 1 will grow up to ride a Strida--or Brompton or some other small-wheeled bike for grown-ups.  And maybe she'll bring it inside PS 1 or her school or workplace.  


On the other hand, I don't imagine the man I saw on the Strida had ever ridden a bike like hers!



1 comment:

  1. An online friend restored one only to have her old car damaged when thieves stole it! It looks so new but have been around for quite a while.

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