In the middle of the journey of my life, I am--as always--a woman on a bike. Although I do not know where this road will lead, the way is not lost, for I have arrived here. And I am on my bicycle, again.
Now I'm going to subject you to another "look at what I found parked on the street" post.
I've seen this bike a few times before, locked to a post underneath the elevated tracks on 31st Street. It's a spot I pass often, as it's right by Parisi bakery, a Dollar Tree store and a pub whose name I can't remember because I never go to it. In my neighborhood, Astoria, you can see a greater variety of bikes than in most other New York City communities. Even so, this one is unusual: It's more like bikes I saw in Cambodia and Laos than anything I've found here.
First of all, that top tube has to be one of the thinnest I've ever seen.
And that internally-expanding rear hub brake is something, I believe, that has never been standard equipment on any bike made in, or exported to, the US. I've seen brakes like it on a few older bikes in Europe, but not in the US. I'm guessing that someone brought that bike with him or her from Southeast Asia or Europe.
While pedaling streets that straddle and crisscross the Brooklyn-Queens border, I came across this:
It looks like a decent bike, but the frame is obviously not custom or even the product of a small-volume builder. That is why it caught my eye: Rarely, if ever, are mass-produced mixte or women’s frames found in such a large size.
I tried, but couldn’t, determine its provenance. A couple of details, like the heart-shaped cutout in the seat lug, led me to think it’s Japanese because my old Nishiki had a similar detail. Also, the largest mass-produced diamond frame on a 700c-wheel bike—71 cm—was made, ironically, in Japan by Panasonic.
On the other hand, the shape of the twin laterals made me think of French bikes. Also, the only part that seems to be original—the Weinmann centerpull brakes—indicates a European bike of some sort. I would love to know more about it—and how it ended up on Halsey Street by the Brooklyn-Queens birder.
Naked Bike Rides are held in London and a number of other cities every year. Some riders paint their bodies, while others get onto their bikes the way they came into this world, except bigger. The only requirements seem to be that participants are riding a bicycle and not wearing clothes. I am sure at least a few riders cover themselves as soon as the ride ends. Somehow, though, I doubt that any have done what a man in Wilton Manors, Florida did. The unidentified chap was riding, naked, down a local street. Police were called. Then the guy entered a local store, put on an article of clothing and told an employee he was trading the bicycle for the garment. Oh, but it gets even better: When he got outside, he took off the article of clothing and exposed himself to passerby. The cops showed up. He wouldn't give his name. And the constables couldn't ID him because, well, he didn't have any ID on him. After all, we don't come into this world with a musette bag. He was arrested and charged with "lewd and lascivious conduct" and "obstruction by disguised person." That second charge, I don't understand Then again, since most of us wear clothes most of the time, I guess going au naturel could be a "disguise." After all, there aren't many people who know what most of us look like without our clothes on. Now, if the guy had kept the bike, he could have finished his ride naked--and, perhaps, evaded the cops! And he wouldn't have needed to disguise himelf.
Question of the Day: A tandem enters an intersection. The green signal is about to change. The "captain" (the rider in front) makes it past the signal before it turns red. But the "stoker" (rider in the rear) doesn't. If some cop with too much time on his or her hands sees this, does he or she ticket: a.) only the stoker, b.) both the stoker and captain, or c.) neither? I have ridden tandems only a few times in my life, so I must admit that the question never entered my mind--until I saw this:
On Monday, or some other time during the coming week, I will offer some of my reflections on cycling and traveling in Greece. In the meantime, I simply cannot resist sharing this:
Apparently, the Green Bay Packers have a tradition in which players ride kids' bicycles onto the field at the beginning of training camp. It's supposed to bring the players closer to the kids, and the wider community. I don't doubt that it helps to accomplish that. If nothing else, fans and players alike get a good laugh: How many things are funnier than a 280-pound guy atop a two-wheeler that's barely bigger than a tricycle. I can't help but to wonder whether J.J. Watt is the first player to break the seat off a kid's bike. You might say that he's breaking a tradition in more ways than one. Manufacturers of racing components (and bikes) sometimes specify rider weight limits. At least, they did when I was young and racing. For the lightest stuff, the limit was around 70 kilograms (about 155 pounds). I wonder whether any kids' bikes have similar stipulations. If they don't, I could understand: How many kids, anywhere in the world,are the size of J.J.Watt?
