Romeo and Juliet - a tale of star-crossed bicycles
A couple of years ago, my husband borrowed a loaner bicycle from a friend and discovered an immediate love for cycling. Actually. He went out and bought himself a new bicycle the day after returning the loaner. This sort of enthusiasm was new for Drake, who, at the time, didn’t really have any hobbies. He bought a Giant Rome bike, which I promptly dubbed, “Romeo.” Drake rode Romeo in the evenings and weekends. He rode Romeo to work. He bought cycling accessories and planned cycling trips. He bought a second bike, a Salsa Fargo, I named "Chutney." (Yes, I've got a thing about naming inanimate objects, but thats another story).
While he basked in the delight of his new love, I waved merrily from the sidelines, or sidewalk to be precise. I hadn’t ridden or owned a bike for several years and I wasn’t super interested. I was, however; interested in being a supportive partner. But I certainly wasn't about to spend hundreds of dollars on a bike. $50 for a super cute gently used ladies mountain bike off Kijiji? In my favourite colour? Done deal. I bought the bike and a helmet (Because traumatic brain injuries are not sexy) and declared myself wife of the year and a great cycling partner.
Unfortunately, mountain bikes, even cute teal ones, are obscenely heavy. They are not meant for jaunts in the river valley or rides downtown for ice cream. This meant I was not a good cycling partner. I was no match for a Drake’s lightweight hybrid bike or my friends’ city cruisers. Any sort of terrain other than completely flat was beyond me. I walked up hills, got left behind, and was a miserable bitch during every biking expedition. This did not endear cycling to me.
The problem was obvious to Drake; my cute Kijiji bicycle wasn’t suited for me or the types of cycling we wanted to do. He spent several months trying to convince me to buy a newer, better bike. I staunchly refused, claiming that a new bike wouldn’t change things and that it was fine for us to like different things. One day, I came home to find a beautiful ladies hybrid bicycle waiting for me; with a bow on the seat. Drake had gotten tired of trying to reason with me and decided to show me the difference a new bike would make. He bought me the ladies version of Romeo, a Liv Rove. Obviously, I had to name her, "Juliet."
Although I will likely regret putting this in words, DRAKE WAS RIGHT. A new, lightweight bike with gears that actually worked made all of the difference. I didn’t immediately fall in love with cycling like Drake, but I wasn’t pushing my bike up slight inclines anymore. Brooklyn 99 fans will be familiar with "6-Drink-Amy." A similar concept applies for me, but with cycling. Pretty much every bike ride goes like this: 1-5 kilometre Laura is irritable and unsure why I agreed to come along. 5-10 kilometre Laura is whining about my ass hurting, the weather, and anything else that comes to mind. 10-15 kilometre Laura finally has enough endorphins flowing to enjoy myself and have fun. 15+ kilometre Laura is unpredictable and often hungry. Fortunately, Drake is so happy just to be cycling that he handles my shit with aplomb. He usually takes the lead when we bike. I realize now, that this is probably so it’s harder for him to hear my bitching. Smart man.
In December 2018, I changed jobs. Instead of driving all over the city, now I stay at one site. This new site has a 2 year waitlist for parking, but is only a 30 minute bike ride from our house. I could be a bike commuter, the eternally optimistic version of me declared. It would be good for me and the environment, and I wouldn’t have to keep walking to work from my parking spot in Narnia. I got a key to our bike cage, got access to the locker room. And then spent the next several weeks trying to drum up the courage to actually bike to work. Sure, there are bike trails, but they don’t always go the direction you need them to. Biking on the sidewalk is technically illegal and biking on the street is terrifying. Cars often become impatient driving behind you and pass a little too close. Pedestrians walk out in front of you and both parties yell obscenities. But I was determined. I could do this. Drake was ecstatic, worried for my safety, and every inch the supportive partner. He plotted my route on Google, drove it with me in the car, had a rack installed on Juliet, and lent me one of his very expensive saddle bags.
My goal was to be biking to work consistently by the end of May. The morning of my first ride (May 22), Drake followed me to work on his bike, helped me lock my bike up correctly, and then biked 30 minutes back home to start work. So far, I’ve biked to work and home again 4 times. This certainly isn't the traditional definition of "consistency", but I'm proud of my progress. I although wouldn’t say that I love cycling, it’s definitely growing on me!
Do you bike to work? Or at all?
Best,
Laura
