QUESTION:
My friend, Psychic Sherry, tells me that bikes reflect your personality and that I need to choose a bike to reflect mine. Do you have any advice regarding what bike would be best for me?
Answer:
Psychic Sherry's right. Your bike reflects your personality - kind of like the cars people drive. Some even go so far as to say people start to look like their bikes the same as people look like their dogs - but I don't believe that.
Here are some examples: ? Suzy Cruiser rides a single-speed, brightly colored bike leisurely along the Spirit Trail. The bike might have handlebar tassels and flower decals, but must have big fat tires. Suzy is never seen in the rain and certainly never works up a sweat. If Suzy drives, she drives an older Chrysler LeBaron convertible. Suzy is a nice, steady, happy person everyone likes.
? Randy Racer rides a wafer thin carbon-fiber frame covered with sporty graphics that make him go faster. He also wears wafer thin clothes with sporty graphics that make him go faster. Randy often rides alone early on Sunday mornings. Nobody really likes Randy, so he obviously must drive an import and have excellent hair.
? Serious Simone rides a retro fixie - a bike with only one gear, no ability to coast and no hand brakes. Simone might be a bike courier or an FX person from the movie industry. Arty and stoked, she has lots of friends to share near-miss stories with in coffee shops. Only her bike is cooler than her. Simone belongs to the car co-op.
? Electric Linda rides a bike heavy enough to kill a dog. She is practical and lives at the top of a long hill or rides to Seattle, Wash. and back for fun. Linda has a sense of adventure and may be avoiding joint replacement surgery by choosing an electric bike. She secretly loves blowing by Randy Racer. Lots of people love Linda and she's either a Brown Owl or a municipal councillor. She drives a Subaru or Volkswagen.
? Commuter Cranston rides an ugly, sturdy hybrid with as many gears as possible and questionable modifications: high handlebars, strange light arrangements, googly rear view mirrors and overfilled panniers. He has an unhealthy love of bungee cords and wears polar fleece and old Gore-Tex with retrofitted glow-in-the-dark 3M stripes. Generally regarded as insane by most of his friends, Cranny does not own a car.
Know what you're getting into and choose your ride wisely. Send us your favorite bike personality at bike@ northshore-pedalpushers.com. The Pedal Pushers are Dan Campbell, Antje Wahl, Anita Leonhard and Heather Drugge, four North Shore residents who use their bikes for transportation. They can be reached at [email protected].
