Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2004 14:36:58 -0800
Reply-To: Aristotle Sagan <killer_jupiter@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Aristotle Sagan <killer_jupiter@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Friday and Bicycles
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Stan,
It's a different world. Where as I would ride my bike into town, a steep
five mile ride (both ways), at the age of 9 or 10, these days, who would let
their 10 year old out on a 2 hour trip without supervision. Not I. Too many
creeps, idjits, plain old nasty suckers to risk the well being of my
daughters.
As for the clothes? I use to ride 30 miles a day when I lived in the Boston
area. Some of those duds are very useful, most are window dressing. As for
pricing, it don't take much to exceed the cost of my 1984 Shogun 500
Chromoly street bike. But then again, like my vanagon, who'ld want to steal
it. It's better than a Kryptonite lock.
I laugh a bit when I go by them too.
tim in san jose
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stan Wilder" <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2004 2:25 PM
Subject: Friday and Bicycles
> I'm on a street that is only three long blocks in length.
> On one end there is a grade school and the other end just ends at an
> intersection.
> We have lots of dog walkers and joggers along with just the older folks
that
> walk.
> Our street works out good for this since it is double width but with no
> sidewalks.
> Most of the dog walkers and joggers come from neighboring streets.
> Our street is attractive to persons that Walk, Jog or Walk the Dogs since
> almost nobody ever parks at curbside and the width of the street gives
some
> idea of safety.
> Many of my neighbors have school age children and none of them ever ride
> their bicycles on this street, that's parents or children.
> None of the children at the elementary school at one end of the street
ride
> bicycles to or from school, the bike racks are empty.
> As a school aged kid I rode my bicycle on trips that were as long, round
> trip, as 30 miles in Dallas area.
> Folks around Dallas load the bikes on racks and go to specific bike trails
> or parks that have bike routes.
> It's comical to see some of the groups riding the specified bike trails.
> With just standard required helmets and the optional knee pads, elbow
pads,
> tighter than skin spandex cycling shorts, shirts with designer labels they
> cut quite a figure of how the biking wardrobe can reach or exceed the
price
> of the bike.
> I just use my bicycle to ride from the Westy to the bathrooms at the State
> parks and of course just around the park areas.
> Lots of families take the bicycles on camping days since it's about the
only
> safe place a kid can ride a bike nowadays.
>
> Stan Wilder
>
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