lovelybike3

  • Subscribe to our RSS feed.
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Digg

Friday, November 27, 2009

The "Born Again" Moment

Posted on 6:00 AM by dvdsvdsdv
Some of you were surprised when I mentioned in a recent post that I only began cycling again in Spring 2009 - so I thought it would be fun to share my "born again" moment. The Co-Habitant and I developed a huge batch of film for one of our art projects earlier this week, and it turned out that one roll contained these pictures from 8 months ago - pictures of my first real bicycle ride after not having cycled in 12 years.

After testing a coupe of bicycles on the premises of local bike shops, we finally took the plunge and rented a his and hers KHS Green, to see how feasible it would be for us to travel by bike round Boston. These shots were taken along the Charles River trail.

It was an unseasonably warm day, and within the first half hour of the ride my jacket was folded up and tucked under the spring on the rear rack. Also within the first half hour of the ride, I knew that this was "it". How could I have lived without a bicycle thus far? And what would I do when the time came to return the rental?

The day after these photos were taken, my search for a new bicycle began in earnest, and that is how this weblog was born: It was initially meant to be a collection of reviews and photos of beautiful, functional bicycles for people with similar skill levels to mine and with the same beginner anxieties. I guess my viewpoint has progressed a bit since then, and I have gotten much more into "cycling culture" than I had anticipated. But still, the whole point of this website is that I am not an expert and do not have a great deal of cycling experience - which hopefully makes me unintimidating and approachable to new readers curious about bicycles.

The Co-Habitant and I had been toying with the idea of bikes on and off for years. But what finally made me start cycling had nothing to do with the practical considerations this involved. It was a result of a very personal, visceral sense of pure joy - which apparently has been captured on film quite nicely! Seeing these shots was a nice surprise; we had forgotten that we took them. And it was especially timely before Thanksgiving, as I am most grateful for the role bicycles have played in my life this year.

Enjoy your week-end, and make sure to feed your bicycles some turkey. They don't like to feel left out!
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Posted in beginners, Boston, trails | No comments
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • Profiles of Traditional Bicycle Manufacturers
    {This post is now a Page }
  • Netted Dress Guards
    I love the look of netted dress guards, so while I am in the EU, I decided to stock up. Here are some lovely options from reliable online se...
  • Review of "Marianne": Motobecane Mirage Mixte
    I. THE BICYCLE: Marianne is a 1981 Motobecane Mirage Mixte in a shimmery aquamarine colour. She is a 21" frame, 12-speed, with original...
  • Creative Encounters: Bicycle "Self-help" Workshop
    Located in the WUK center for workshops and culture in Vienna, the Fahrrad Selbsthilfe Werkstatt (Bicycle Self-Help Workshop), functions o...
  • Bicycles in Vienna, Part IV: Mixte Galore
    Continuing with the theme of the previous post, I am showing off some Mixtes that I've been encountering around the neighborhood. After ...
  • Velo Withdrawal
    Earlier I posted about having to stay off the bike for a few weeks after a minor injury. It is now week 2 and I am climbing the walls. My m...
  • New Year, New Look, and Change of Contact Info
    Happy 2010 everyone! It's always nice to do something new in the new year, and so you may have noticed that I've made some minor cha...
  • Elections, Lovers, Marching Bands
    It was a strange weekend in the EU. Here are some photos of bicycles amidst all the excitement: These are spectators at what appeared to b...
  • In Defense of the "Frivolous" Bike Craze
    [J. Crew catalog excerpt; image from pink-to-green.blogspot.com] During the past two years, traditionally styled bicycles have gained consid...
  • Viennese Cyclists
    I have finally gotten up the nerve to go beyond photographing parked bicycles, and to capture cyclists in actions. Here they are, on the st...

Categories

  • ANT
  • art
  • bags
  • basket
  • beginners
  • bicycle events
  • bicycle industry
  • bicycle reviews
  • bike friends
  • bike shopping
  • blog development
  • Boston
  • Brompton
  • Brooks
  • Cape Cod
  • cats
  • clothing
  • Co-Habitant
  • coaster brake
  • comfort
  • countryside
  • diamond frame
  • DIY
  • DL-1
  • dress guards
  • drop bars
  • Eustacia Vye
  • fashion industry
  • fenders
  • films
  • flowers
  • food
  • framebuilding
  • Gazelle
  • gender
  • give-away
  • grips
  • handlebars
  • holidays
  • Italian bicycles
  • lights
  • local bike shops
  • loop frame
  • Lucy 3-Speed
  • lugs
  • Marianne
  • mixte
  • Motobecane
  • Myles
  • night time cycling
  • Pashley
  • product reviews
  • rain
  • Raleigh
  • restoration
  • Rivendell
  • roadcycling
  • rod brakes
  • Rodney
  • Royal H
  • Royal H. Mixte
  • saddles
  • shop visits
  • silliness
  • skirt
  • social commentary
  • somervillain
  • summer cycling
  • sun and heat
  • tandem
  • technique
  • test rides
  • tires
  • tools
  • traffic
  • trails
  • travel
  • urban cycling
  • Velouria
  • Vienna
  • vintage
  • winter cycling

Blog Archive

  • ►  2010 (8)
    • ►  January (8)
  • ▼  2009 (182)
    • ►  December (22)
    • ▼  November (20)
      • All the Leaves Are Brown
      • Metropolitan
      • The "Born Again" Moment
      • Wisteria Lane
      • Flohmarkt Finds
      • Cycling Lessons From Miss Brodie
      • Thoughts on the Retrovelo Paul
      • Specialized Globe Haul: Test Ride Report
      • Out on the Town with Paul and Haul
      • Cycling the Parliament
      • BikeShare: Possibilities and Limitations
      • Augarten: a Bike Friendly Palace
      • Bicycle-Free in a Cycling City
      • Cycling and Flying
      • Not Your Typical 3-Speed!
      • Cross Town Express to Castle Island
      • A New Acquaintance... and a New Career?
      • Just Hangin'
      • A Most Civilised Outing
      • To the Grocery Store: An Exercise in Aesthetics
    • ►  October (27)
    • ►  September (21)
    • ►  August (20)
    • ►  July (21)
    • ►  June (23)
    • ►  May (19)
    • ►  April (9)
Powered by Blogger.

About Me

dvdsvdsdv
View my complete profile