Future Focused Riding
I received an email from someone I used to work with, whom I last saw 15 years ago. He'd seen my name on the masthead and wanted to know if I was the same guy. Yes. He'd recently sold his car, relocated from the suburbs, and was looking for a bike to use around town. We'll probably see more of this, as the price of gas continues to rise, and operating cars grows more unfeasible.
And why not? You can buy a very good quality bike for less than the cost of one month of car use. You'll rediscover your city, recover the use of your legs, have a lot of fun, and save wads of cash. Paradoxically, your food bill may go up even as the extra pounds drop off. (Cyclists eat a lot, and then burn it all up with their after-dinner ride.) You'll never again pay for parking, and the rush-hour traffic reports on the radio will become a source of entertainment, since they will no longer apply to you.
Over time, you'll become "the expert," and people will begin contacting you for bike advice. And you'll probably meet a lot of interesting people.
The sun has finally reappeared, and summer is here; there's no better time to get outside and ride. Whether that's just a quick ride to the corner store, or a crosstown jaunt for a beach barbecue with friends, you'll find that riding is habit-forming, and you may start to wonder about even longer distances.
MOMENTUM will be here for you. This issue, we have some stories about bike touring and travel, and how it's getting easier all the time. We'll tell you how to prevent those annoying flats, recommend some books for quiet time off the bike, and generally amuse and delight you with our usual eclectic mashup of bike culture.
Bikes were here before cars, and they'll be here after they've gone. And while the future may be unwritten, we know how we'll be getting there. Come along for the ride; it's fun!
In upcoming issues, we'll be looking at style and fashion (the two are not the same), and following that with a look at architecture: how and why buildings and the built environment interact with bikes, and with us. If you have any ideas on those themes, please get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.
