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Meet my bike Smarty Jones
When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. ~HG Wells
I never planned on making a bicycle my main mode of transportation. I never even planned on buying a bike - but I saw a picture of my (now) bike at the beginning of the summer and fell in love. I had to have it. At the same time I noticed that NYC had explosively grown the number of bike lanes they have. Now my bike has replaced the subway for me - I use it to get to work, dinner, parties, stores. Biking in NYC (and lots of other cities) is tres easy. I'm just coasting on greatness though - I'm grateful to Critical Mass for forcing all the bike lanes to happen. The last time I stopped at a traffic light…
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%20bike%20at%20the%20beginning%20of%20the%20summer%20and%20fell%20in%20love.%20I%20had%20to%20have%20it.%20At%20the%20same%20time%20I%20noticed%20that%20NYC%20had%20explosively%20grown%20the%20number%20of%20bike%20lanes%20they%20have.%20Now%20my%20bike%20has%20replaced%20the%20subway%20for%20me%20-%20I%20use%20it%20to%20get%20to%20work,%20dinner,%20parties,%20stores.%20Biking%20in%20NYC%20(and%20lots%20of%20other%20cities)%20is%20tres%20easy.%20I'm%20just%20coasting%20on%20greatness%20though%20-%20I'm%20grateful%20to%20Critical%20Mass%20for%20forcing%20all%20the%20bike%20lanes%20to%20happen.%20The%20last%20time%20I%20stopped%20at%20a%20traffic%20light%20during%20my%20morning%20commute,%20I%20counted%2011%20other%20bikes%20waiting%20with%20me.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBiking%20has%20all%20the%20virtuous%20qualities%20of%20not%20emitting%20carbon,%20getting%20around%20uberquickly%20and%20being%20outside,%20%20but%20my%20Pashley%20is%20strictly%20for%20transportation%20-%20I%20didn't%20count%20it%20as%20exercise.%20I%20have%20a%20pretty%20slow%20pace,%20so%20I%20figured%20there%20would%20be%20no%20health%20benefits.%20Oddly%20enough,%20I%20lost%20a%20few%20pounds%20after%20I%20started%20biking%20(even%20though%20I%20usually%20only%20do%205%20slow%20miles%20a%20day),%20and%20my%20stomach%20is%20the%20flattest%20it's%20even%20been.%20Coincidence?%20I%20think%20not.%20I%20think%20it's%20actually%20exercise.%20A%20new%20study%20from%20the%20Archives%20of%20Internal%20Medicine%20also%20states%20that%20biking%20is%20as%20effective%20as%20brisk%20walking%20in%20helping%20premenopausal%20women%20avoid%20weight%20gain.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBefore%20I%20started%20commuting%20by%20bike,%20I%20had%20a%20lot%20of%20questions%20that%20I%20wanted%20answers%20to.%20Bill%20and%20George%20spent%20a%20lot%20of%20time%20trying%20to%20answer%20them%20(thanks!),%20but%20after%20living%20on%20my%20bike%20for%20a%20while,%20I%20got%20some%20firm%20answers:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIs%20it%20scary%20biking%20in%20the%20streets?%20I%20was%20terrified%20for%20the%20first%203%20weeks%20on%20the%20road.%20Then%20all%20of%20a%20sudden,%20a%20switch%20turned%20in%20my%20brain%20and%20traffic%20patterns%20made%20sense.%20Now%20I%20buzz%20in%20and%20out%20without%20any%20fear.%20You%20do%20have%20to%20be%20on%20the%20lookout%20though,%20because%20cars%20don't%20see%20bikes.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIs%20it%20safe%20to%20bike%20at%20night?%20Another%20thing%20that%20scared%20me.%20Make%20sure%20you%20have%20a%20bright%20rear%20light%20and%20a%20headlight.%20Use%20the%20bike%20lanes%20and%20common%20sense.%20I've%20been%20biking%20for%204%20months%20at%20night%20and%20haven't%20had%20an%20issue%20yet.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EDo%20you%20have%20to%20wear%20a%20helmet?%20Will%20it%20give%20you%20hathead?%20Oh,%20helmets.%20I%20refused%20to%20wear%20them%20at%20first%20but%20then%20I%20started%20because%20of%20peer%20pressure.%20Now%20I%20don't%20even%20notice%20them.%20Over%2090%25%20of%20bike%20fatalities%20happen%20to%20those%20without%20a%20helmet.%20Yes%20you%20get%20some%20hat%20head%20-%20but%20sometimes%20it%20makes%20my%20hair%20look%20better%20and%20not%20wearing%20it%20blows%20my%20hair%20out%20too%20flat.%20Wear%20your%20helmet!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EDo%20you%20get%20to%20work%20all%20sweaty,%20especially%20during%20the%20summer?%20This%20was%20a%20huge%20concern.%20Short%20answer%20is,%20I%20get%20to%20work%20much%20less%20sweaty%20than%20I%20do%20on%20the%20subway.%20But%20I%20also%20bike%20really%20slowly.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWill%20I%20get%20hit%20by%20a%20car?%20All%20the%20real%20bikers%20say%20yes.%20Hasn't%20happened%20to%20me%20yet%20(knock%20on%20wood).%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhat%20are%20the%20traffic%20rules?%20Don't%20bike%20on%20sidewalks,%20get%20lights%20for%20night%20biking%20and%20bike%20with%20traffic.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWill%20I%20still%20exercise?%20Yes.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWill%20my%20bike%20get%20stolen?%20Maybe.%20Lock%20it%20up%20all%20the%20time%20and%20be%20smart%20about%20where%20you%20lock%20it.%20I%20have%20an%20Abus%20chain%20lock.%20It's%20heavy%20but%20probably%20worth%20it.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhat%20kind%20of%20bike%20do%20you%20have?%20Smarty%20Jones%20is%20a%2020%22%20Pashley%20Sovereign%20Princess%20in%20British%20Racing%20Green.%20I%20can't%20believe%20I%20have%20a%20bike%20that's%20associated%20with%20the%20word%20Princess,%20but%20I%20love%20her%20because%20she's%20gorgeous.%20She's%20heavy%20though%20-%20I%20definitely%20need%20the%205%20gears.%20Though%20she's%20beautiful%20and%20a%20great%20ride,%20I%20wish%20she%20had%20higher%20handlebars%20so%20she%20was%20more%20upright.%20If%20I%20could%20have%20gotten%20the%20orange%20Batavus%20with%20gears,%20I%20would%20have%20because%20that%20bike%20is%20more%20comfortable.%20However,%20Smarty%20Jones%20is%20better%20looking.%20I%20switched%20her%20black%20rubber%20grips%20for%20Brooks%20leather%20ones%20-%20the%20only%20issue%20with%20them%20is%20that%20they%20shrink%20and%20need%20to%20be%20adjusted%20after%20the%20first%20time%20it%20rains.%20As%20for%20size,%20I'm%205'4%22%20and%20I%20could%20have%20gotten%20either%20the%2017%22%20or%20the%2020%22%20frame.%20My%20last%20bike%20was%20a%20tad%20bit%20too%20small%20and%20it%20drove%20me%20nuts.%20This%20time%20I%20went%20for%20the%20bigger%20frame%20and%20I'm%20glad%20I%20did.%20Smarty%20Jones%20came%20from%20Adeline%20Adeline%20in%20Tribeca.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhat%20to%20do%20-%20Commute%20by%20Bike%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EGet%20a%20bike.%20Try%20lots%20of%20bikes%20at%20lots%20of%20different%20bike%20stores.%20Go%20with%20the%20store%20you%20like%20best%20since%20you%20will%20be%20back%20regularly.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EGet%20a%20bike%20map.%20There%20are%20great%20bike%20paths%20and%20trails%20that%20you%20will%20want%20to%20take%20advantage%20of.%20It's%20safer%20to%20use%20them,%20so%20a%20map%20will%20help%20you%20figure%20out%20how%20to%20navigate.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EProtect%20your%20head.%20Wear%20a%20bike%20helmet.%20See%20the%20question%20above.%20If%20you%20can't%20stand%20the%20thought%20of%20it,%20get%20a%20Yakkay%20helmet%20-%20they%20look%20like%20cute%20hats.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMaintain%20your%20bike.%20Make%20sure%20you%20like%20the%20bike%20shop%20you%20bought%20your%20bike%20from.%20They%20will%20make%20adjustments,%20and%20you%20can%20take%20your%20bike%20in%20for%20a%20tune%20up%20once%20a%20year.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EResources:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhat%20I%20ate:%2012%20oz%20latte,%2016%20oz%20cafe%20au%20lait,%20coffee,%20large%20tea,%20nymilk,%20nycheese,%202%20hardboiled%20eggs,%20Mindful%20Mix,%20brown%20rice%20+%20ground%20flaxseeds%20+%20seaweed,%20steamed%20tempeh%20+%20yellow%20squash%20+%20broccoli,%20crudite,%20grilled%20cheese%20+%20watercress,%201/2%20Doughnut%20Plant%20doughnut,%20black%20forest%20cupcake,%20dark%20chocolate%20+%20almonds,%2050%20oz.%20water%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EExercise:%20jogged%204%20miles%3C/p%3E){kind=link}