Check me out, dominating suburbia on my plastic bicycle!
Well, okay, technically I’m not dominating the suburbs, I’m really only dominating myself.
I tried for another one shortly after that and failed dismally, so I think one effort a week is about all I can manage. Honestly it’s the novelty of the computer compelling me to do even that much–it’s sort of like having a pachinko machine on your handlebars–and I imagine once that wears off I’ll get back to pushing the pedals lightly at all times. It’s just far more dignified.
Then, later in the day, the boys and I rode to the park:
I will say that one of the very few benefits of this whole world-at-a-standstill situation is that the kids are getting a lot more saddle time than they usually would, and both of them are coming into their own on their respective bikes. My younger son has been able to ride a bicycle for a couple years now, but over the past couple weeks he’s reached that point where he’s got real control over the thing, which in turn makes him want to ride it more and more. As for my older son, it’s all about quick bursts of speed, hard cornering, and laying down skids (and not infrequently the bike itself), which means I’ve got to get him on a BMX before he destroys this thing.
Speaking of the park, if you’re a New York City cyclist and you’re wondering about the status of the Old Putnam Trail, as you can see from all the fencing it’s still closed–though it does appear to be graded from end to end, which means it’s only a matter of time:
Between this and other renovations, as well as the field hospital they’re now building not far from where I took this photo, large sections of the park are currently inaccessible behind chain link fencing. (Though it’s not stopping kids from using the brand new not-yet-opened skatepark, Lob bless them.) Even so, between the spring blossoms and the people seeking respite from the house arrest they’re under, the park is brimming with life, and it’s a beautiful thing to see. As I mentioned yesterday, I can’t abide the shaming, and as far as I’m concerned squandering a day like we had today by holing up inside is like taking a freshly baked cake out of the oven and throwing it right in the trash. I very much look forward to the day when these fences both real and imagined come down and we’re all moving around freely once again–though once the car traffic comes back “moving around freely” will be relative.
Goddamn it, you just can’t win.