#1
|
|||
|
|||
A Bicycle Story
As I wrote this for my journal/mailing list I thought that it might be
appreciated here as well. .... On my way out the front door every morning I grab my cycle computer and my bicycle keys. The computer has nifty functions like the ability to tell me how fast I am going. I don't find this all that necessary. The main purpose of the computer, for me, is to see how far I've gone. My bicycle gets far more use as something for exercise than it does as something for transportation. I currently live in the downtown area. This is where things are happening. Even with my bum leg, I can get to all of the local places of interest on foot. I unlock my bicycle and snap the computer into place. When I am at the school I usually only use one of the locks. It has a lock built into the bike. There is a second lock that immobilizes the rear wheel. And the third lock is a cable lock. The second lock gets used when I am parking in the daylight in an unguarded lot or when I plan to be somewhere for a good long while. The third lock is only used when I am parking at night or in an area where I don't trust the safety of my bike. Now, I creep out of the school rather slowly while trying to be unobtrusive. Possibly because of the speeds with which I am known to go racing through the compound the school has instituted a new rule about not taking bicycles into the compound during school hours. I'm not taking the bicycle into the compound during school hours. I'm taking the bicycle -out- of the compound during school hours. Once out on the street I head north to start a long, slow, circle around the block. I could go south and make it to breakfast quicker, but I like to be going the same direction as the majority of the traffic. I usually end up almost completely circling the block rather than waiting for the green light to cross Zhongshan Street at Likang Road. I normally cross at Pingan Road where the lights change far more frequently and go back down Zhongshan Street. At the first pedestrian bridge I turn right into a small alley. This hutong probably has a name but it doesn't have a sign. Here I stop my bicycle. I do not get off. I order my breakfast from a man whose resteraunt is mounted on the back of a cargo bicycle. After lunch is over, he will pack up his resteraunt into the cargo area and bicycle away. I rest while he makes my bai ji mou. These are a muslim dish originally from Xi'An. They are basically pita bread baked in a coal fired oven (also on the back of the bicycle) and filled with chopped meat and hot pepper. I eat the first and put the second in my basket. Now, I bicycle farther down the alley and get sweet fried pastry filled with red bean paste. This shop is actually in a building - for now. The block is being knocked down. The one across the street, which sells the same kind of fried pastries, is only there in the mornings and is bicycle mounted. It is a big shop. Three bicycles for one resteraunt. I get my four or five sweet pastries at whichever resteraunt has the shortest line and bicycle out of the hutong. At no point have I yet gotten off my bicycle. So far I have spent the equivalent of 37.5 cents American. As I go along slowly with the morning rush crowd I periodically reach into my basket and pull out a sweet pastry. When I am finished the sweet pastries and am at a traffic light I pull out the now cool pita pocket. I usually pull to the side of the road to eat this. I can eat it while moving but have found that I drop an unacceptable amount of the greasy meat on my shirt if I do this. Then I bicycle back to the school and park out front among 200 or so other faculty, staff, and visitor bicycles. The students have their own bicycle parking area. It's at the back of the school. -M |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
A Bicycle Story
Marion,
Which city are you in? My only riding experiences in China have been fun. But I hate being on those chaotic roads in a car. When I'm staying in a reasonable size town I always I hire one of those three wheel cabs. I tell the rider to hop in the back and I do the pedalling. They absolutely love it, although they tend to panic when I start having trouble with the weird handbraking contraption. Usually generates a bit of a crowd and quite a bit of giggling by passing women. I always pay the driver, cause they really earn their dough. I've done this in Chengdu, Kunmin, Zhanjiang, Changsha, Xiamen, Yong'an and quite a few small towns out in the back blocks. It's a great way to earn a bit of respect and have some real fun with the locals. I've even had the pleasure of being recognised when I go back to some of these places. It's nice to have someone greet you out of the blue in a foreign country. If it was good enough for Mao to swim in the three big rivers then it's good enough for me to do some pedalling in China. I've thought about buying a new bike and then giving it away when I leave as they're only about $40 each brand new, but I never stay in one town long enough to justify it. -- -------------------------- Posted via cyclingforums.com http://www.cyclingforums.com |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
A Bicycle Story
"Spider1977" wrote in message
... Marion, Which city are you in? My only riding experiences in China have been fun. But I hate being on those chaotic roads in a car. When I'm staying in a reasonable size town I always I hire one of those three wheel cabs. I tell the rider to hop in the back and I do the pedalling. They absolutely love it, although they tend to panic when I start having trouble with the weird handbraking contraption. Usually generates a bit of a crowd and quite a bit of giggling by passing women. I always pay the driver, cause they really earn their dough. I've done this in Chengdu, Kunmin, Zhanjiang, Changsha, Xiamen, Yong'an and quite a few small towns out in the back blocks. It's a great way to earn a bit of respect and have some real fun with the locals. I've even had the pleasure of being recognised when I go back to some of these places. It's nice to have someone greet you out of the blue in a foreign country. If it was good enough for Mao to swim in the three big rivers then it's good enough for me to do some pedalling in China. I've thought about buying a new bike and then giving it away when I leave as they're only about $40 each brand new, but I never stay in one town long enough to justify it. Spider, What do you do? A friend did the same with cabs in Harbin, and (she said) caused quite a stir amongst the locals. Brendon |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
A Bicycle Story
Spider1977 wrote:
Marion, Which city are you in? My only riding experiences in China have been fun. But I hate being on those chaotic roads in a car. I'm in Shijiazhuang. It is the capital city of Hebei Province. Kind of near Beijing. If it was good enough for Mao to swim in the three big rivers then it's good enough for me to do some pedalling in China. I've thought about buying a new bike and then giving it away when I leave as they're only about $40 each brand new, but I never stay in one town long enough to justify it. $40 is for a local higher end bicycle. My $22 bicycle served me fine all last year. There are bicycles better than my $58 bicycle but not a whole lot of them. I don't know how you are travelling through China, but if you take the wheels off of a bicycle, voila, put it in one of the big tarpaulin bags and you now have luggage that can be taken on a train or bus or the Beijing subway. Just think about the taxi fares you are saving. -M |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
A Bicycle Story
"Marian Rosenberg" wrote in message ... Now, I creep out of the school rather slowly while trying to be unobtrusive. Possibly because of the speeds with which I am known to go racing through the compound the school has instituted a new rule about not taking bicycles into the compound during school hours. I'm not taking the bicycle into the compound during school hours. I'm taking the bicycle -out- of the compound during school hours. I absolutely adore your use of semantics in the pursuit of cycling. -- 'Sell your sin Just cash in' -Jewell |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
A Bicycle Story
Spider1977 wrote:
Marian Rosenber wrote: Spider1977 wrote: Marion, Which city are you in? My only riding experiences in China have been fun. But I hate being on those chaotic roads in a car. I'm in Shijiazhuang. It is the capital city of Hebei Province. Kind of near Beijing. If it was good enough for Mao to swim in the three big rivers then it's good enough for me to do some pedalling in China. I've thought about buying a new bike and then giving it away when I leave as they're only about $40 each brand new, but I never stay in one town long enough to justify it. $40 is for a local higher end bicycle. My $22 bicycle served me fine all last year. There are bicycles better than my $58 bicycle but not a whole lot of them. I don't know how you are travelling through China, but if you take the wheels off of a bicycle, voila, put it in one of the big tarpaulin bags and you now have luggage that can be taken on a train or bus or the Beijing subway. Just think about the taxi fares you are saving. -M M I was in your town in April this year. I travel to China for business. I'm a professional forester, so I get to be a visiting guru from time to time. Most of the time I'm learning as much as the knowledge I'm imparting, and I'm getting paid to do it! If you ever find that you are going to be in Shijiazhuang, look me up! I don't know how much longer I'll be in this city. I have a bad case of inertia but I also have frustrations and irritations. I did have a scary experience. My host from SJZ picked me up in his very big, very black Mercedes limo. On the highway from Beijing the driver travelled at over 200 kph. This is the fastest I've ever been in my life on land, and I didn't enjoy it. Especially when passing those omnipresent, overloaded blue trucks, with there penchant for changing lanes for no particular reason. But I survived to tell the story. DBTs or Damn Blue Trucks. They come in all shapes, all sizes, with a myriad assortment of wheels, and motive powers ranging from electric to coal ... and the drivers never seem to have a clue about how to drive. I haven't seen a one wheeled DBT yet but I do not doubt that exists. And the one that looked like it had two wheels might have had three. I'm sure if I painted my bicycle bright blue it would give me the mystic power to forget (or ignore) all traffic rules (or suggestions), to disregard common courtesy, and to carry amazing loads of stuff. I've been lucky enough to visit some amazing parts of the country, snip lose weight and feel healthier when I'm there. I can do without the ganbai at meal times. If you put your foot down about not doing it with alcohol the first time it is ever offered to you by these people and you continue to refuse to do it they will honor this. But the first time you do ganbei with liquor you have lost your exempt status. Keep those stories from your journal coming. You must be able to go on some really good rides in the countryside aroung SJZ. The poplars must I'm preparing for my first countryside ride this weekend. I live practically at the intersection of Pingan North, Pingan South, Zhongshan East, and Zhonshan West so it takes a fair amount of travel before I am not physically inside the city. I'm going to try bicycling to Zhengding. At 18 kilometers away I think I should be able to manage. be fantastic, providing shade in the summer and colour in the autumn. I'd hate to be there in winter, do you ride your bike then? I didn't ride it much last winter. I wasn't confident enough of my ability. I plan to ride this winter. Local winters are terrible and ugly. A London Fog phenomenon is caused by wide numbers of people heating and cooking over coal. There were days when I couldn't see the far side of the compound. Occasionally there are sudden days of striking beauty that nearly make up for it. Autumn was great last year. I hope this year's autumn lives up to the promises end-of-summer is making. I spent the hottest part of summer in the US, I'm told it rained a lot. -M |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Recommended high-volume floor-type bicycle pumps? | Jon Noring | General | 34 | August 16th 03 05:28 AM |
Disappointing (was Recommended high-volume floor-type bicycle pumps?) | Jon Noring | General | 10 | August 11th 03 01:08 AM |
More on the August 24th Northeast Bicycle Swap Meet | Menotomy | General | 0 | July 22nd 03 04:35 PM |
Commuter Bicycle with fenders, chainguard, rack, etc., Any available in the U.S.? | Steven M. Scharf | General | 3 | July 13th 03 04:40 PM |
Bicycle Courier Business Plan | http://www.businessplanning-4-you.com | General | 0 | July 12th 03 12:41 PM |