Re: [CR]Lou's Great Adventure--NYC

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From: "Mike Sherman" <msherman@peregrinegroup.com>
To: <LouDeeter@aol.com>, <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <00D18833.506039A1.0269AA25@aol.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]Lou's Great Adventure--NYC
Date: Fri, 28 May 2004 10:20:06 -0400


I grew up in NYC and used to do fun things like ride over the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges on the roadway. You had to jump the expansion joints which were large enough to swallow a skinny wheel and a lot of the rider too.

Cycling in the city requires a lot of adrenalin and commitment but you can move right along with all those yellow cabs. After moving to Boston I was hit twice my first year by drivers who follow a passive-aggressive game plan. Everyone drives as if they're all alone even in the densest traffic. Fortunately I survived long enough to figure it out and bike commuted for many years. Now too far out in the burbs.

Mike Sherman
Sharon MA


----- Original Message -----
From: LouDeeter@aol.com
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2004 11:43 PM
Subject: [CR]Lou's Great Adventure--NYC



> This has very little classic content, but I did see a few lugged steel bikes during my week in THE CITY. First of all, there are a LOT of fixed gear bikes in New York. I saw many track and just plain fixed gear, but a lot of them had freewheeling cogs on the rear. I was impressed that there are so many wide boulevards to ride in Central Park without traffic. After watching the hundreds of cyclists here, I now understand why Gianni Pergolizzi says he can get a good workout in the park. Also, the bikes on the streets have locks and chains that weigh as much as the bikes. I'm not kidding here. And, the idea of placing tape around the tubes to obscure a nice frame is alive and well. I did see a fair amount of cheapo bikes, but seeing a nice bike with electricians tape on the tubes was a first for me. I learned that you can take a bike on the subway. If you do it at rush hour, don't expect to win a popularity contest. Riding in traffic doesn't look like much fun. While I didn't see any wrecks, I would not have been able to do what these riders here do. Weaving in and out of traffic where the favorite color of the cars is yellow isn't my idea of fun. Riding in one of the yellow cars and seeing how they drive would scare the heck out of me if I were also a rider here. Pollution is a way of life. Other than the park, I don't see how anyone can enjoy riding where your deepest breathe inhales as much pollution as they have here. I did see a nice 1880s tricycle in a picture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Don't recall the artist, but it seems like it was a Renoir or Monet. Any art lovers that can recall when those guys painted? Finally, the one thing I did gain an appreciation for is food. You won't starve here. In fact, it would be worthwhile to ship a bike to the hotel for a morning ride just to justify the excess caloric intake that comes with a trip to New York. Lou Deeter, "big, fat & beautiful" on the way home from New York city to Orlando FL
>

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