From the bike lane

By Jen Bond
April 2010

Sponsored by

Biking has changed our lives in countless ways, helping us to adopt healthier lifestyles, make new friends, explore new places, feel young again and even conquer our addictions. Our bikes give us freedom, fresh air, exercise, focus and fun! Sure, we replace parts, do maintenance on them, or even have to buy new bikes occasionally, but they seem to give back so much more than they demand.

I recently asked friends, acquaintances, and random Portland bicyclists about the positive things that biking adds to their lives. The overwhelming response was heartfelt gratitude. Here are a few of the responses.

“To me, cycling is not just a mode of transportation or weekend activity. Somehow, it has worked its way into every aspect of my life.” –W.B.

“Biking keeps me healthy despite my debaucherous lifestyle.” –B.H.

“Traveling by bicycle is so different from any other mode of transportation. After trying it, I don’t think I’d travel any other way. You get to meet really interesting people, observe wildlife, be in contact with nature, feel the wind on your face and the sun on your skin. It reminds you of what is possible in the world, with just a little effort and an open mind.” –A.M.

“Biking enables me to exercise regularly while both grounding and slowing my energy. Being around the youth as a teacher, it also provides a positive model of making progressive and easy changes in our collective lifestyles. Most of the time my bike rides are liberating as well.” –R.M.

“I love mountain biking on ‘The Hide and Seek’ trail with my dog Otto right on my wheel, trying not to go so fast that I crash. Going from banked turn to banked turn, it’s like a Hotwheels course for bikes. I’m always wishing the trail was longer, and soon it will be!” –J.B.

“Cycling helped me kick my habit.” –J.D.

“Biking is a great way to spend time with my kids. We all have fun, laugh and see things we would never see from a car!” –J.M.

“I love riding my bike around Portland in the springtime, along streets lined with beautiful fragrant flowering trees, the petals drifting around me in the breeze, seeing all the other smiling bicyclists and thinking how very lucky I am.” –H.M.

“Bicycling kept me out of the army and jail.” –Z.B.

“Biking is the closest thing to flying that we humans will ever experience.” –K.Z.

“Riding my bike allows me to explore new places while searching for cute sheep, goats and donkeys.” –A.C.

“Biking keeps my life grounded, and more simple. It keeps me a little out of the mainstream, and helps give me a perspective that I would not have if I mainly drove. Bikes slow you down, and let you experience your surroundings. Riding lets you say ‘good morning’ to the people you see, gets you breathing fresh air and gets your systems working. Biking excites your cerebral spinal fluid, and connects both sides of the brain. Your balance, coordination and awareness improve. Bicycling helps young people develop, and old people stay young. Bikes are so energy efficient, that riding somehow seems like cheating. I have personally noticed all of this, and try to appreciate it every time I ride.” –D.G.

“Riding my bike makes me feel as free as a bird, powered by youthful energy, fast and light and full of the joy of simply being and moving, without a care in the world.” –J.B.

“Biking is my anti-drug!” –J.P.

“Ever since I started riding a bike, I fell in love with cycling and it has completely changed my life. I don’t know what I would do without it. I just love it!” –N.O.

“The sun, the sky and two tires on the road. That makes a great day!” –S.H.

“The one thing that cycling has brought to my life is a lifestyle. Of course Portland has helped cultivate that. It seems like I have always ridden bikes, but it never became a lifestyle until I moved to Portland. I still own a car, but that’s mainly just to ski and mountain bike. Biking is my transportation, my living and my recreation. I never get tired of my bikes. I ride all of them, but my favorite is always my mountain bike.” –D.D.

Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts about biking with me. Happy pedaling!

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If you have a biking story you’d like to share with Jen you can email it to fromthebikelane@yahoo.com

Jen Bond is a River City Bicycles employee, cycle-tourist and all-around bike-enthusiast.

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From the bike lane

By Jen Bond
March 2010

Sponsored by

After moving to Portland ten years ago as a very casual cyclist, I’ve expanded my biking horizons beyond the occasional commute to work or brief ride through the park. I now include all kinds of cycling, and I’ve been amazed at the many cool and creative ways that Portlanders make bicycling a part of their lives.

Indeed, Portlanders use their bikes for everything from training to transportation. It brings me so much joy to see people from all walks of life out enjoying themselves on their bikes, getting exercise, breathing fresh air, soaking up the sunshine or smiling through the rain. While it’s true that biking has many positive effects on our personal lives, and on the health and happiness of our community, the main motivation is that pedaling is fun!

For many of us, learning how to ride a bike as a child was one of our major early accomplishments, filled with excitement and the thrill of an emerging independence. That feeling of freedom brings many adults back to biking.

Recently, our friend, Maxwell Rush, owner-operator of Green Light Construction and Painting, stopped by the house to give us an estimate on some remodeling work, and I was excited to see him arrive by bicycle. It was a nice day, especially for February. Since he lives in the neighborhood, biking over to take measurements and discuss plans seemed way more fun than hopping in his pickup truck. We started talking about the irresistible allure of biking, and he related how he and his family incorporate biking into their busy lives whenever they can.

Maxwell had been pedaling around town on an old mountain bike until he stopped by River City Bicycles to get a commuter bike with a rack, pannier bags, and fenders. His new rig allows him to do more of his errands by bicycle. When the weather and time allow, he goes grocery shopping on two wheels or rides his 6-year-old daughter to school on her trail-a-bike. Her schoolbooks fit nicely in the pannier bag, and she gets to pedal if she feels like it, or just enjoy the ride if that’s more her style. She’s learning about the joys of biking with her dad, spending quality time with him during the forty-five minute ride to school, and becoming more used to being outside in less-than-perfect weather.

Maxwell’s wife and 2-year-old have also jumped on the bicycle bandwagon, cruising along on a bike equipped with an extra-cycle, a seat and cargo option that makes her bike even more fun and versatile. Maxwell even plans to employ his carpentry skills to build an outdoor bike garage next to his house this summer. The addition will make it even easier for his family to use their bikes whenever they feel the urge to add a little bit more fun to their day.

Many of us have demanding schedules, and we all have different thresholds for cool rainy weather. Yet Maxwell and his family remind us that we can add biking to our lives in many different ways to reap the benefits of fitness, family-time, and mostly, fun!

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Visit River City Bycycles at 706 SE MLK Blvd., Portland, Oregon, 503-233-5973; or online at
rivercitybicycles.com

Jen Bond is a River City Bicycles employee, cycle-tourist and all-around bike-enthusiast.

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