City Boy

A local bike activist brought in some copies of Urban Velo magazine to the shop the other day. They were left over from a documentary on the Portland cycling scene, which I didn't attend. After leafing through the 5" by 7" mag, I came to the realization that I cannot relate to urban cycling at all, and I'm kinda glad I didn't attend the movie premier. That might be surprising to hear, coming from a kid who considers himself a bike enthusiast, but I have my reasons.

First, while I love living in a city due to a relative abundance of people, things to do and sheer convenience, I'm a country boy at heart. I grew up in a fairly rural environment and while I'm still a novice to road cycling, I don't really see city riding as very enjoyable. I mean, I do it; using a bike as a form of transportation is usually more convenient and much healthier, and cities are way more BMX friendly than anywhere else, but as far as actual cycling is concerned, I'd rather avoid it. The backwoods are where it’s at. Fewer cars, (generally) better conditions and full fucking throttle. Having to watch the lights and avoid potholes is a pain in the ass. Pretty girls are a great distraction, but when I'm on my bike, I'd rather just concentrate on speed. I'm not one to meditate or discuss spirituality, but I guess I see road bike sessions as a time for introspection. If I want to think, I can. If I just want to go fast, that works, too.

My second reason for not relating to urban cycling is a general distaste for cycling “culture” in general. Again, this sounds extremely hypocritical coming from someone who has worked in the bike industry for close to a decade, and has been heavily influenced by BMX for even longer than that. But even my passion for BMX has its limits; there are few people I ride with that I spend time with outside of riding. As years pass, I find myself relating less and less to BMX as a whole, and while I’m getting more into road cycling, I feel absolutely NO connection to that culture. Maybe it’s because a lot of the riders who come into my shop are more consumed by WHAT bike they’re riding than where and when they ride. That happens in all forms of cycling, and yeah, I love my own bike as well, but I’d rather ride a rusty pile than stare at a carbon masterpiece.

In all honestly, most of this sentiment stems from my feelings towards fixed gear riders, which I see as the most fashion-conscious group of fair-weather riders that has ever existed. I almost see “urban velo” culture and fixed culture as one in the same. When I’m on my bike, I just want to ride. I don’t want to play bike polo. I like coasting. I hate “tall bikes”. I have no desire to take part in Critical Mass rides. While I’m all for upgrading road conditions for cyclists (as Albany is incredibly undesirable to ride in), I would rather ride alone that join the bi-pedaling masses. A bike is a bike is a bike as far as I’m concerned. Just leave me alone while I’m on mine.