At this point, everyone’s already heard the story of the fateful night of automotive woe that inspired the purchase of my bike as a backup form of transportation. I don’t remember what was going through my head as I rode the block around the bike store working my way through the glittering clean cogs, but I’m sure I had no idea where that bike and I were going. I was just hoping to have a backup plan for my work commute the next time my car was out of service. Oddly enough, that exact situation didn’t happen again for another year and a half, but it’s finally here. Working its way through the inspection and maintenance gauntlet, old four wheels has spent a few days this week away from home and I’ve been relying on pedal power to bridge the transportation gap.
It’s liberating, to prove that it’s possible to get through a day without a car. Sure, I’ve done it plenty of times before, but there’s something grittier about living the necessity of not having another choice. It also simplifies things, since there’s nowhere to rush off to when you get home, although I have to admit there is still no way to be a social creature in rural New England. I can bike almost anywhere I usually drive, but when getting somewhere interesting and back takes the whole day, it can’t be a complete solution.
I’ve recruited a few fellow cyclists to contribute. My dad, my brother, and my friend Debbie have all had some role in my adventures and I’m hoping they will share theirs too.