A bicycle as therapy

[CapnAwesome]

Go to a bike shop and test ride some better bikes. Mountain bike sucks for getting around the city. It's way more fun on a road bike. You can get some good deals on road bikes on Craigslist too.

I work sometimes as a bikie (delivering food) and also have been bike touring before. Don't worry too much about 'getting good' at biking. Just do it when it's the most efficient way to go somewhere.

Which if you are downtown in basically any city is always. I pass rows of cars regularly in Portland and in Seattle a bike is even better for getting around compared to a car. No parking, sitting in traffic, no bullshit. No people hasseling you.

Biking is the best. Walking is slow and stupid and so I driving a car.

[bennyboy]

Bikes are great therapy. If you talk to them, the just listen, and they never interrupt or tell you to take out the trash.

[Brian37]

It saddens me and confounds me at the same time, knowing our history of bigotry and discrimination, that those who claim to be on the other economic side, but are not bigots, allow for a piece of shit politician who panders to that bigoted minority base, the real minority, the hyper nationalistic minority. 

Our history includes slavery, includes genocide of Native Americans, includes denial of women's right to vote, includes Japanese internment camps, includes segregation and lynchings, includes denial of gay rights. I take your story personally knowing my neighbors, and how, for the past 11 years of living here, have been nothing but kind. Unfortunately with our species, including our foes, it's seems far easier to consolidate power through sell of fear, than it is to know all 7 billion of us are the same species.

[The Valkyrie]

No one should have to put up with that shit.

Sorry that you keep encountering it from fuckwits, Jack.

I agree with sending letters to the CEOs of big chains or demanding to see a manager, especially if you're being singled out and other people are doing as you're doing.

Haven't ridden a bike (apart from an exercise bike in the gym or the powered variety) in years.

[The Grand Nudger]

You can use the bike to work a pump for a still. 

(joking-ish, I love bikes. Cant ride em anymore. Jealous.)

[The Industrial Atheist]

I’m so angry lately.

I recently crossed the country by road. Situations and people constantly reminded me that even though I’m a US citizen by birth, to others I’m a foreigner who’s in the way and taking up their space. I had experienced racism before, but I live in a small town made up of mostly brown people now, so I had forgotten a little about how it feels to be treated like a pest constantly. It’s my country, but it certainly didn’t feel like my country understands this on several occasions. When you’re standing in front of a person ready to order and the cashier tells her coworker in English thinking I won’t understand, “haha do you think she’ll even know what she’s ordering?” Right after a hotel maintenance lady came up to me and not all the other white peoples sitting around to yell at me because I’m sitting at the wrong area, and when the white people asked why they weren’t reprimanded she continues to yell into my face and my black friend’s face, “I don’t want any trouble, stop causing trouble, just leave!” Yeah. It takes its toll.

I’m angry. I’m angry at comments people I love had made about single mothers, forgetting I’m one of them. I’m angry at comments people I used to like have made about the children being detained. Just angry lately.

So, I bought a bike. Nothing fancy. A cheapo mountain bike that works and can take me from point A to point B and back again. No more renting bikes in every town I visit. I got my gear and even crotch cushioned shorts. I came to San Diego this weekend to ride my bike with an ocean view. I felt angry still, but I smiled at the passerby wearing a funny hat, I said good morning to the happy families, high fived all the hippies and hipsters, the homeless and skaters. I put my phone away so I had no interruptions. I had breakfast on a balcony and then kept riding. It gave me comfort. I felt a bit of joy.

Plus I need to lose weight and increasing the heart rate helps haha I packed in some pounds after two years of beer being my medicine. I need to get back in shape and this is a start.

My legs have been hurting the last two weeks from all this riding but my brain feels like it’s getting massages every time. I know I haven’t been around as much lately, and I miss you guys. I’ve been busy with roads, hills, valleys, winds, rain, sun, and everything that you do when you were dead for two years due to divorce exhaustion and you woke up ready for life, but were confronted with, “We don’t want any problems, just leave!” Fuck you, Ohio!

Anywho... I’ll get a nicer bike when I’m not such a noob at this.

Any cyclists here who would be kind enough to share some tips or whatever? So far I’ve been told to adjust my seat so when I have my foot on the pedal at the bottom, my leg should be straight. I’ve used bikes before lol but this time I want to do it right and stuff.  

Sorry you are going through such racism and bigotry. Everybody deserves basic respect, and I think you're an awesome person to boot.

I've thought "Fuck you, Ohio!" many times myself and I'm an obvious Anglo that's lived here all my life. It kind of sucks here.

[J a c k]

Go to a bike shop and test ride some better bikes. Mountain bike sucks for getting around the city. It's way more fun on a road bike. You can get some good deals on road bikes on Craigslist too.

I work sometimes as a bikie (delivering food) and also have been bike touring before. Don't worry too much about 'getting good' at biking. Just do it when it's the most efficient way to go somewhere.

Which if you are downtown in basically any city is always. I pass rows of cars regularly in Portland and in Seattle a bike is even better for getting around compared to a car. No parking, sitting in traffic, no bullshit. No people hasseling you.

Biking is the best. Walking is slow and stupid and so I driving a car.

I went to a bike shop and they’re all a minimum of $700 lol definitely not there yet. I got a mountain bike because I planned on going to certain trails around here that aren’t city roads, but I’m liking roads more and more. Might need to get another bike. I’ll definitely to the craigslist thing. Hadn’t thought of that. Thanks!

[CapnAwesome]

Go to a bike shop and test ride some better bikes. Mountain bike sucks for getting around the city. It's way more fun on a road bike. You can get some good deals on road bikes on Craigslist too.

I work sometimes as a bikie (delivering food) and also have been bike touring before. Don't worry too much about 'getting good' at biking. Just do it when it's the most efficient way to go somewhere.

Which if you are downtown in basically any city is always. I pass rows of cars regularly in Portland and in Seattle a bike is even better for getting around compared to a car. No parking, sitting in traffic, no bullshit. No people hasseling you.

Biking is the best. Walking is slow and stupid and so I driving a car.

I went to a bike shop and they’re all a minimum of $700 lol definitely not there yet. I got a mountain bike because I planned on going to certain trails around here that aren’t city roads, but I’m liking roads more and more. Might need to get another bike. I’ll definitely to the craigslist thing. Hadn’t thought of that. Thanks!

Yeah, craigslist is good way to find bikes. A plethora of people selling bikes.