September 05

The City of Boston is making a concerted effort to encourage bicyclists -- or rather, to try and convince Boston drivers to share the streets with them.

Part of me wants to cheer when I see bicycle lanes appear on area streets. The other part of me feels rather dubious about the chances of the typical Boston driver actually heeding this advice is somewhat less than even.

I've pretty much blown any chance of actually commuting to work on bicycle this summer, but I hope to spend more time on a bicycle next summer, once I've purchased one. Perhaps then I'll get more use out of the new bicycle lanes.

248/365 -

May 21

As I was driving to work today, I was behind this cyclist for a couple of blocks on South Huntington Ave. It got me to thinking about commuting to and from work on a bicycle again. While today's photo doesn't have the whimsy of April 13th's, seeing this guy did bring to mind the same ideas.

I was hit by a car while riding my bike in late May 2007. That put an end to my cycling commute for a while. I ditched the damaged bike and haven't replaced it yet, though I've been giving it some real thought. Boyfriend offered to let me ride his bike, but it's a racing bike and probably a little too small for me to ride comfortably for any length of time.

I'll work on getting a bike sometime this summer, and hopefully will dodge cars more successfully than in the past.

141/365 -

April 13

I was stopped at a light on Huntington Avenue today when this beautiful retro bicycle caught my eye.

A couple of summers ago, I commuted to and from work on my bicycle. Often, I could ride the five miles faster than I could drive them (which speaks volumes about Boston's notorious traffic). It was a great opportunity to save on gas, to get some exercise, and to be nicer to the environment, all while accomplishing something useful (moving from point A to point B). I really enjoyed the experience, right up to the moment the car hit me.

Fortunately, considering the injuries I could have sustained, I got off with a couple of broken ribs. With both my bike and my body bent, I didn't ride anywhere else that summer. But now I'm feeling up to doing the commute again, once I get a new bike (a project I need to put some more thought and energy into). Seeing this pretty blue bike, with the wide whitewall tires and the rack on the back, made me realize I really want to get back on a bike again -- hopefully remaining uninjured this time.

103/365 -