Romancing the Bike
It seems some people can’t see anything romantic about biking in the city. To me, that seems ridiculous.
Bicycling is full of meet-cute situations, laughter, and the chance of romance all with a beautiful city backdrop- just like in a movie. Except it’s better than a movie because you can live it.
In this world, the bicycles play a role too.
They easily bring characters together on wheels.
And once together, they get to go beautiful places. Even if it’s just to work.
Bikes might be the most romantic machine ever.
After getting over my “Squee!” moment and getting a chance to reflect, this is an example of the differences between cycling and driving. Bicycles engage us in the environment, allowing personal interaction (positive or negative, see the “wrong way dude” panel in the above comic), where cars are designed to isolate us from the environment even trying to make this a selling point.
This sort of happened to me this morning! Stopped at a red light, a guy rolls up beside me on the very bike I’ve had my eye on to buy next. I ask him if he likes it how it rides, Im told it’s great and super light. We smile and ride on. I take a detour along the lake path, he sticks to the quicker route through traffic, A little while later, we pass again and as we do he says, ‘Hi bike buddy!” and waves. It’s not always about the romance, it can be able meeting really nice like-minded people too 🙂
Sometimes I really love my city.
I remember cycling along a quiet street in Green Bay beside a cute girl holding hands. Thanks for bringing back that memory. I was 17.
Good stuff! My partner and I met at a bike shop. Turned out we lived in the same direction, so I asked her if she’d like to ride together on the way home. I asked her out during that ride home, and we went on a date by bike. And we still go on dates by bike!