Today I decided to test the notion that you never forget how to ride a bicycle. In my case it had been about 20 years since I last rode a bike, so it seemed plausible that I might actually have forgotten. It turned out that while I was pretty inept when I got on the bike today, I was almost certainly better than I would have been had I never learned in the first place. It took intense concentration, but I managed to avoid falling over, colliding with anything, or ending up in the Hudson River (it turns out the trail has no guardrail between about 100th and 125th streets).
Some thoughts about the re-learning process:
Citizens demand pictures of you in the Starfleet uniform!
Posted by: Mason Porter | May 9, 2009 7:37 PMAll hail Captian on the bridge
Posted by: shellock | May 9, 2009 8:03 PMI started biking again recently, although I need either to get a new bike or clean up the one I have. The current one suffers from an uncomfortable seat, a rusted transmission, a shifter that doesn't, and a front brake that did. It's still really fun to ride, though, and picking it up again is surprisingly easy.
The biggest troubles I've been having are with signaling (I need both hands to steer), and with confidence to be on main roads. The only thing crazier than the drivers around here are the cyclists and pedestrians.
I'd like to start partially commuting by bike. Getting in and out of Somerville around rush hour is a nightmare, but by bike it's not so hard. A friend of mine lives a few miles away and works a couple of buildings down from me, so hopefully I can get in a habit of biking to his place and carpooling in from there. I could certainly do with the exercise.
I saw Star Trek last night in an IMAX theater — it was a lot of fun!
Posted by: Nick | May 9, 2009 10:45 PMI finally learned, having somehow missed that particular rite of childhood. So now I practice by cycling around the local cricket pitch. (Learning to ride in Britain is exeptionally peculiar, since the traffic patterns are all the reverse of the US.)
I got a used bike and have up/downgraded various bits to suit. I think it's worked out a bit cheaper than buying new and has the benefit of looking too awful to steal.
Posted by: Wren | May 10, 2009 4:11 AMI have only one memory of your bike riding career as a boy and it has its own boxed and starred entry in the "Annals of Fatherhood Horror Stories."
Posted by: JSpur | May 10, 2009 1:38 PMMason: Would you believe that none of the 18 friends and coworkers I saw the movie with had a camera? Probably not. Ok, I could post the pictures, but making them available on the internet might ensure that I never date again. Sure, I don't date much to begin with, but it's nice to have the option.
JSpur: I do have a few memories of childhood bike riding, but that exact moment when I went over the handlebars is especially vivid.
Posted by: Arcane Gazebo | May 10, 2009 11:21 PMCan I get a picture of the childhood incident too? ;) How about sending a picture directly by e-mail for those of us who have no interest in dating you anyway. (Also, dating is overrated, and I imagine that anybody who would ever get that close to me would probably want to see pictures in which I look stupid.)
Pictures!! And isn't your uniform Next Gen? Or do you have a wardrobe appropriate for every era? :-)
Along the lines of what Mason said, you seem to be dealing with the wrong pool of potential dates if cool trekkie pics would count against you rather than working in your favor.
Posted by: Justin | May 11, 2009 3:45 PMWell, I made the dating comment mostly in jest. But seriously, I look like a dork in these pictures so I'm not posting them for all the Google-capable world to see. I can e-mail them upon request. And it is a Next Gen uniform but I felt it was still appropriate.
As for the childhood incident, no pictures were taken but unless you like blood and gore, you don't want them.
Posted by: Arcane Gazebo | May 11, 2009 8:41 PM