Tangible/Intangible Benefits of Bike Commuting

[pardes]

A record day of 12 miles.

What to do with a bike on a lunch hour?

How long has it been since you've reclined on a luscious lawn of grass without havng to park the car, find a spot, and then fidgeted because you are "supposed" to be doing something else.

On a bike, this is a snap. Put a foot down, stop, and collapse in a bed of Kentucky bluegrass, closely-clipped but not so close that you can't run your fingers through it and ponder how wonderful nature is.

Have you ever noticed that some blades of grass are blue?????

Or pondered the stately, albeit degenerate nature of another relic like yourself?

Or eavesdropped on a conversation between the aspargus and the rhubarb at the Riverfront Farmer's Market?

"Hey Rhubarb! Get a load of that tomato that just walked by!"

Back at work you convince your princely manager that it's a dire emergency that you have your gearing upgraded that afternoon and you need to take a few hours of vacation. Being a Prince with the wisdom of Solomon, your manager recognizes the earth-shattering need for this emergency vacation leave.

A bus/bike ride to the LBS, and you want to ring your hands to see Trekkie exposed in such a proctological position before surgery. Howard, the bike mechanic sterlizes his hands with a greasy rag and tells you to come back in two hours.

There's not much to do in downtown Newark, Delaware for two hours. You can watch the paint peel....

You can find faces in the wood of derelict buildings being rennovated....

You can shop for items that won't fit in your bicycle saddlebags even if you could afford it...

You can stop in an antique store and ponder that fact that while others were doing drugs and rock and roll you were campaigning for Nixon. And then you can ponder that drugs might have been a wiser choice.

You can meet a little girl with her new puppy Riley (all 6 inches and 2 pounds of him).

And then you go back to the bike store to gather your reamed and gleamed new gearing system. So Howard sends you out on a test ride and in your exuberance you sail down a road, shifting all the way through the 27 gears and ummmmm.....well accidentally you end up on both large rings and suddenly the gears grind to a stop and you've broken the bike and have to walk it back to the bike store in anticipation of three men who will find the whole thing very amusing.

"Good God, Howard! She did what? And you said with her panniers loaded she'd never make it to the third ring and get in trouble."

So Howard reamed things out again and loosened up the chain so "Rocket Lady, won't get in any more trouble."

Two trips around the Hall Rail to Trail and I went home and collapsed.

[TxDoc]

Amazing ride report - and wonderful pictures. Thank you for sharing the story and photos!

[Blueberry]

I LOVE your ride reports and pictures. Please keep posting them

CA

[Aggie_Ama]

Thanks for the laugh, it has been a long day.

[badgercat]

Your posts are a joy to read. That early little snag aside, I hope you're loving your new gearing!

[Grog]

I secretly hope you never start riding faster, I love the photos and the stories about peeling paint.

[OakLeaf]

I secretly hope you never start riding faster, I love the photos and the stories about peeling paint.

+1 What a rare addition you are to our little community!

[Becky]

"Rocket Lady!" I love it! I think that's going to stick

As always, great pictures! (As an aside, someone has to explain to me how you get more than 5 pics in a post. I tried to post my commute and it cut me off after 5.)

[lph]

You tell a really great story, pardes

[Aggie_Ama]

"Rocket Lady!" I love it! I think that's going to stick

As always, great pictures! (As an aside, someone has to explain to me how you get more than 5 pics in a post. I tried to post my commute and it cut me off after 5.)

You have to use photobucket or something similar.

[Becky]

You have to use photobucket or something similar.

Duh! I can't believe that I didn't think of that! Thanks!

[Serendipity]

Pardes, what a fabulous travelogue!
Love the photos - a great reminder to slow down and enjoy the journey.
Thanks

[Iris616]

"You can stop in an antique store and ponder that fact that while others were doing drugs and rock and roll you were campaigning for Nixon. And then you can ponder that drugs might have been a wiser choice."

This made me laugh hardest of all Thanks!

[Pax]

"You can stop in an antique store and ponder that fact that while others were doing drugs and rock and roll you were campaigning for Nixon. And then you can ponder that drugs might have been a wiser choice."

This made me laugh hardest of all Thanks!

Same here!

[cosc]

Pardes, thanks for reminding me that ever day can be a wonderful adventure.
Wonderful pictures!