Warning:  Today's post won't be about bicycles or bicycling. Many people, especially in the media, believe that at least one of Trump's trials will be the "trial of the century." Now, call me jaded, but I've heard more than one court case so hyped.  Nearly three decades ago, we were treated to the spectacle of the recently-departed O.J. Simpson: that era's "trial of the century."  And, two decades before that, we almost witnessed a proceeding that, had it happened, would have been so labelled.  A few days ago, former Times sports reporter pointed out some parallels between ..read more

 Even after half a century as a dedicated cyclist, I still don’t understand what goes on in the minds of traffic and transit planners. There are the bike lanes to nowhere that seem to begin out of nowhere—not to mention the ones that are ill-placed, -constructed and -maintained.  Oh, and then there are lanes and turns that seem to be designed to put cyclists and pedestrians in the most possible danger. Sometimes, though, I wonder whether those planners—those who enforce policies or the law—have any idea of what they’re trying to tell us or a working knowledge of the language in which ..read more

 I may be, ahem, in midlife. So I might be slowing down. But, by virtue of half a century of dedicated cycling—and writing this blog, I can confidently make this claim about myself: Enjoy Cinco de Mayo ..read more

 Yesterday, while riding home, I stopped at Addeo’s: one of my “discoveries “ in my new neighborhood. It’s in the same ZIP code, but some would argue it isn’t really in my neighborhood:  It’s on one side of the Fordham campus—in the “Little Italy” of the Bronx—while I live next to the Botanical Garden. In any event, I first came across it about two weeks ago. I could tell it was an “old school” bakery even before I took my first bite of their wonderful breads. It not only has the look of an old Italian bakery in New York—like the ones I grew up with-it also bakes only breads, biscuit ..read more

 Four years ago, North America, Europe and other parts of the world were experiencing the biggest “Bike Boom” in decades.  It was a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which engendered lockdowns and shutdowns. In the wake of social distancing and the closure of gyms, other recreational facilities and transit systems, bicycling became one of the few available options for transportation, exercise and simply getting out of one’s home. Among the facilities that shut down were ones that produced bicycles and related equipment. Most of those factories are in Asian countries that were subjecte ..read more

 As I wrote this, at 3:33 p.m. (15:33), bright sunshine fills the skies and streets around the Botanical Garden, where the temperature has risen to 75F (24C). It’s hard to believe that when I rode early this morning, I saw this: and this: and the temperature was 52F (11C). Still, I enjoyed my ride on Tosca, my Mercian fixed gear, down the Hudson River Greenway into lower Manhattan. I wore shorts and a flannel hoodie over a stretchy black short-sleeved top: enough to keep me warm yet still feel the bracing mist.  You might say I had the best of both worlds. I would agree. Still ..read more

Today, the first of May, is "May Day." I didn't know, exactly, what this holiday commemorated--or even why it was on this date--until relatively recently. According to several accounts I read, this date marked, on pagan calendars, the beginning of summer.  On or around this date in the Northern Hemisphere, the Earth is halfway between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice.  So why this would be considered the first day of summer--especially in the climates of some pagan lands--I don't know. This date is also significant in the labor movement--again, for reasons I learned only recent ..read more

 Say this three times fast: Even at my age, I can ride faster than I can say it ..read more

 A new study confirms an impression I formed during my most recent visits to Paris. According to L’Institut Paris Région, 11.4 percent of all trips in the City of Light are made by bicycle.  In contrast, only 4.2 percent are made by car. Perhaps even more encouraging for members of the Institut and cyclists, in the banlieues (suburbs) are 14 percent and 11.8 percent respectively. I say “more encouraging” because even though some of those suburbs, especially the ones that border on the city itself, have more access to mass transportation than some major American cities, they stil ..read more

 Probably the first “normal” thing—besides cycling—I did during the COVID-19 pandemic was to visit the hospital Metropolitan Museum of Art just after it reopened. Of course, there were restrictions: Visitors had to wear a mask and have their temperatures taken. And, of course, we had to follow social-distancing protocols. But one thing I loved—along with the Japanese exhibit I went to see—was a service that was provided:  a bicycle valet.  That person parked your bike in a nice safe spot in the parking garage and gave you a ticket, just as if you had checked a coat or backpack ..read more