The Internet is a scary and wonderful thing all at the same time. So much information at your fingertips waiting for you to use the right search terms to find what you’re looking for.
Awhile back I started to think about how I wanted a better method of transportation to get to more areas of the city where buses or the metro might not be as efficient. And no, buying a car again was not in my list of options. I love being car-free, and I will strive to never go back to being a car owner again.
At one point I convinced myself I could learn to ride a skateboard. Then, I happened to meet a skateboarder at a book sale in DTLA. We started talking, and I eventually asked him if he would ever teach someone how to skateboard. He smiled and replied, “No way.” Something about not wanting to be the cause of broken bones or bruised ribs. Understandable.
Though, that ended my dreams of skateboarding.
Around the same time, someone suggested I get one of those razors to scoot along the sidewalks as a way to get around. Tempting, but no.
So, finally I realized, I’m going to have to get back on a bike. It’s been several years since I’ve been on a bike, let alone ridden one in the streets during rush hour. But, I’m never one to shy away from challenges. Though for someone who was not directly connected to the cyclist culture, I had no idea where to start.
[Enter stage left – the Internet.]
Flight Vs. Bike was really the start of it all. A couple of weeks later, I contacted Joe Anthony of Bike Commute News and asked for some help. “I’m a super short girl in need of a kid’s bike, can you point me in the right direction?” Strangers helping strangers. Lo and behold, a week later I had a new bike.
Bike riding is addictive. My first attempt was funny, at best, and I made sure no one was around to actually see it. Luckily, the saying “it’s just like riding a bike” really does apply to bikes. It only took a few trips around my neighborhood to get comfortable again. Now, I want to go fast and far. I’m ready to go explore the remaining areas of Los Angeles that I’ve avoided simply because access was difficult.
I love riding, and I’m definitely looking forward to new adventures around Los Angeles by bike.
However, I realized yesterday how much I miss walking to work in the mornings. I no longer say hello to the guys along my route, I don’t get to listen to my iPod on days when I really need a little music therapy, and sometimes a nice stroll through DTLA is just what the doctor ordered.
I have a lot of friends trying to figure out a work-life balance for their lives. Well I’m now in search of a pedestrian-bike balance in mine.