I Resolve Not To Yell Profanities From My Bicycle

2012. Lots of resolutions. Being a daily cyclist means that weight loss is not one of them (albeit I seem to be all legs and lungs with mush and no muscle above the waist).

And speaking of mush and no muscle I fall into the camp of slow rider. A few weeks ago I got to ride with some of the guys who are in the NY VeloCity club. One showed up with his new bike with the electronic Shimano shifter things. Needless to say I was dropped immediately if not sooner but they did drop back to stay with me for 6 minutes before heading up to Nyack and back to NYC while I wheezed my way home.

Did I say I didn't need to lose weight? Or maybe I just need to get younger. These guys were all 20 years my junior. But no excuse. It did, however, make me want to curse a bit.

And speaking of cursing, I have resolved not to yell profanities at motorists and pedestrians who do stupid things. This will take more self-discipline than losing 100 pounds because there are so many stupid things that happen daily. Mostly red light runners, cars turning in front of you and pedestrians stepping off the curb because cyclists, after all, don't count.

I have studied profanity a lot while riding. Here is what I have discovered. Most profane utterings are two guttural syllables. Think about it: F... Y.., D..... B.., S... H..., A.. H...

I have tried to come up with substitutes.

It is difficult.

I tried yelling "Troglodyte", but it is too long and just doesn't have the gravitas and impact. "Cro-Magnon" also too effete and too many syllables. "Dufus" comes close but just elicits a smiley smirk.

So I have come to a realization. Yelling profanities doesn't do anything productive. It just zaps you of good Karma. And what good is that?

So my 2012 bicycle resolution: brake, smile and keep on going. Oh, and work on my upper body strength. Who knows, maybe in twenty years those NY VeloCity guys will have to work to catch up to me.

Cheers all.

“What If…” the questions you ask could really change the world?

Last night I had the privilege of attending a very special event called Summit 360 put together by genius and impresario Susan Bird of wf360. In a room filled with some of the most intelligent and forward-thinking people in the world of commerce, we were provoked to consider how to make the world a better place by using the simple but powerful question of “What if?”

Naturally my personal “what if” always revolves around encouraging everyone to use a bicycle to get around instead of a fossil fuel machine. But I suspended my inclinations last night to embrace a broader view.

And I was glad I did. Because in this bastion (the New York Stock Exchange) of capitalism (which I embrace, love and endorse as the best way to improve the standard of living for all people) this crowd spoke of giving generously of their personal and professional time to educate young people. I heard radical ideas about ways to eliminate corruption in our political system, and ideas to promote new, non-polluting energy, and new ways to encourage commerce in emerging nations using non-traditional currencies.

We were a few blocks from Zucotti Park (which I passed on my two wheels on the way downtown) and I could not help but reflect on the contrasts but more importantly the similarities between people.

In their hearts, I would say that 100% (not this bifurcating 1 vs. 99 stuff) of people want to make the world a better place. And it is that belief in the positiveness of humankind is what will move us forward.

And as I wound my way uptown on my trusty one speed on a beautiful balmy night in Manhattan, I could not help but feel positive about the future of our country and our world. And only part of that feeling was because I was on a bicycle.

What if we could all harness this power to change our own world, one person at a time, in all our interactions with others, in a positive and embracing way, every day?

Safe travels.

Born To Be Wild

Yesterday I had a great chat with a brilliant business colleague who asked me, "Does riding your bike make you feel free"? I guess I had never thought of free vs. non-free but the answer is, "YES!"

There is no replacement for that feeling of effortlessness as you glide down a hill, wind in your face, having the universe's momentum propel you along corpus and spirit entwined.

You can almost hear Steppenwolf in your mind, sans the "get your motor running'" part:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm5DPlNCmtk

Born to be wild? Ride a bicycle.

$15.40 - Cab V. Bicycle

Air travel is a drag. Pre 9/11 or post it just is not fun. Having logged over two million actual air miles I am sure of this.

A few weeks back I landed at JFK on a Monday morning. I had intended to go from flight to office but due to flight delays etc. I needed to go home to change clothes before heading for the office. Being late, I decided to go by cab in order to be "fast".

WOW! Was I wrong.

I live on the upper east side of Manhattan. I work on the west side near 27th St and 7th Ave. It's a 3.3 mile bicycle ride.

I ride it (back and forth) every day and love it. It takes me 20 minutes in the morning (downhill slope) and 30 minutes at night (uphill plus the day's grind on my mind).

The cab ride took 18 minutes and cost $15.40. I was aghast.

Why does anyone use a cab in this city?

Cheers.

Gotta Love The Snow

Yes. You can bicycle in this weather.

Where's My Maybach?

For those of you who may not be car aficionados, the Maybach is your basic $340,000 dollar limousine. That is the base model. Of course if you want the floor mats, the crystal decanter, the proper burled walnut trim and the nice alloys (plus the privacy curtains), the price is closer to $400K. And you obviously need a driver who is on call 24/7 and a garage nearby. Don't forget insurance, etc. So if you are a Maybach owner (and my blog readers know who they are), you are likely in for a cool $1MM the first year of ownership.

My trip to work each day takes me past 740 Park Ave. It's a storied building and I won't bore you with its history; do the google. Suffice to say that there are at least seven s550's lined up each morning waiting for their captains of industry as I pedal by. But it is the Maybach that captivates me.

I cannot help but yell out (and ring my 33cent bell), as I pedal by on BBUD (my 1965 one speed Schwinn), "Where's MY Maybach?". Alas, I don't see it in my future. But as I gather steam on the downward slope of Park Avenue from 70th St to the 60's I can't help but think, maybe it is for the better.

What do you think? Where's YOUR Maybach?

Councilman Eric Ulrich's Regressive and Discriminatory Proposal

For those of you unaware, there is a councilman in Queens, NY who has put forth a proposal to register all bicycles with the government and that all bicycles should have an identification tag.

Mr. Ulrich's priorities and understanding are misplaced. He would be better served introducing legislation to make drivers safer, enforce traffic laws for motorists, and encouraged the populace to use bicycles.

The proposed legislation is like asking people to register and wear an id tag on the next pair of running shoes they purchase. After all, you use the shoes to walk. And you may walk into somebody and they may fall down and you might run away. So shouldn't we make sure that everyone who wears running shoes register them with the government. You can see this is a slippery slope.

And what an irony. We have a democratic president in the White House issuing an executive order to examine federal regulations to free up commerce. We have a republican councilman in Queens New York seeking to regulate the most basic of freedoms.

For those of you who are unaware, bicycles are a pollution free and healthy alternative to almost any other form of transportation. As an everyday (and civil) commuter in Manhattan, I daily witness at least 6 automobiles running red lights. I see drivers speeding, getting in accidents and polluting our precious world. I see people texting, phoning, eating, reading and being otherwise distracted while driving a 3000pound weapon every day.

Perhaps Mr. Ulrich's priorities should first be turned to those infractions and leave the mostly harmless bicyclist community alone.

For the economically disadvantaged, bicycling represents a legitimate option to more costly forms of transportation. Registration is one more economic burden for them and regressive by design if not discriminatory.

All in all, this is a bad idea. Mr. Ulrich, there are so many more important issues to attend to. Please withdraw your sophomoric and offensive proposal.