Monday, December 28, 2009

The "Carfree Lifestyle Movement" (a rant)


Do you espouse the carfree lifestyle movement? Do you have a blog dedicated to whimsical fashions while riding your pashley poppy or trek soho or hipster fixie? Maybe you participate in a tweed ride, or ride your dutch bike in cocktail dresses flitting from pub to pub? Perhaps you live in San Fransisco, Portland, New York City, Copenhagen, or any other cyclist-friendly city where traveling by bicycle is not only practical, inexpensive and fast, but is actually cool. Showing up at a business meeting trailing your personally designed and coordinated brompton folding bike and leather pannier or - even better - your $300 brooks messenger bag is uber cool. The very definition of today's environmentally conscious, fiscally responsible, stylish quarter-lifer. I have no beef with you- I admire and somewhat envy your polish and decorum. It is, however, my duty to remind our readers, or perhaps console them that while we can all aspire to this level of awesome, the realities are that many people must live carfree in less than desirable areas.

The Suburbs. Miles of sprawl with perfect, never-trod upon lawns and an eerie

absence of people interdipersed with nail salons, take-out thai food, and banks. I do not have a shiny japanese bike bell for I encounter no one traveling at less than 30 mph who would hear it. There are few sidewalks where I travel, because no planning board official can envision anyone choosing not to own a car and drive everywhere for everything. Perhaps they think that in the environment of the future, we'll all be too fat and out of shape to walk anyway, so why bother with things like sidewalks, pedestrian crossings and walkable town centers. I live on a highway, and to get to work, I must cross 6 major highways, connected by a labyrinth of cul-de-sacs. Almost all major stores, including the nearest two bicycle shops, are accessable only by a highway, which is, interestingly enough, rather inaccesible by bicycle. My shopping is done almost exclusively at the strip malls relagated to the back roads where, presumably, the rent was cheaper and the traffic (customers) less frequent. The sad irony can be fully realized at the intersections that I encounter which have ground sensors for the lights that can be only tripped by cars. Like a child waiting for a parent to cross the street, I must wait for a car to pull up in order for the light to change or cross at my peril. The other day, I got off of my bike to press the pedestrian cross walk button to find that it was frozen solid. Immovable. To wait for a car to trip the sensor or cross on red was a degrading experience.

I see no transportation cyclists. In the summer I may see some roadies on very expensive bikes who probably drive their bike on SUV racks to places suitable to ride them. I see a plethora of presumed immigrants who ride walmart brand mountain bikes on the wrong side of the road with no lights or reflective gear. They do not choose transportation cycling and have no interest in being better cyclists. They are biding their time until one of their kin gets a car and they can get a ride or buy a car themselves. They are not living the glorious car-free lifestyle or checking the cycle blogs for the latest in helmet covers that look like fedoras. I don't even see kids on bikes anymore. Once in a while, I see a crusty old man with a six pack in a plastic bag swaying from his handlebars, but I assume he simply lost his license. Now that it is winter, I see no one. I am the lone cyclist. And it's lonely. I haven't seen another person on two wheels since mid-October. And I haven't seen a pannier bag or a rear rack on any bicycle since I began commuting years ago. I've talked to lots of people and no one has any friends or relatives who commute by bicycle. How is it so normal in the fabulous and progressive cities of the world, but here in New Jersey, it's a completely foreign concept? People are amazed, mystified, bewildered, and at times, angry at my choice to eschew a motor vehicle. As if I threaten their right to hog the road.

And now.. to cycling clothes. I've seen many pictures of beautiful women who wear lovely dresses on heavy upright city bikes, their hair flowing in the breeze. This is how they get to work or for a day shopping- faster than city traffic, unfettered, getting looks of admiration from the multitude of cyclists and pedestrians. Ok, so there is nothing wrong with this. I wish I could be this way, but the fact of the matter is, I need to wear an ugly bright lime ANSI construction vest just to get the attention of the latte-drinking SUV wielding majority who are absorbed by their own bubble of existence. Besides this, I cannot ride a heavy city bike with skirt guards and upright positioning and have any hope of making the hilly, 12 mile commute with any speed or energy. I assure you I will not look pretty or carefree when I arrive tired and annoyed by lugging a 40 pound baby blue vintage bike over the hills. Besides, there is no one around to see me. There are, as I've stated, no other cyclists, pedestrians or people walking about. There is no main street, only desolate neighborhoods and highways. I must ride a functional bike, not a pretty sit-up and beg with a cute wicker basket. I must ride in cycling clothes that wick away sweat and not get caught in my chain. In the winter, I have to layer until all semblance of womanly shape is gone and is replaced by something resembling the michelin man. Very cycle-chic.

I have to travel fast because everything in suburbia is far away. I have to be agressive because there is no bicycle infrastructure. No bike lanes, sharrows, share the road signs or nicey-nicey bike crap. The car is the undisputed king of the road here and you are lucky to get a shoulder to eek your way through on. It is evident that you are on borrowed space, and only by the grace of the drivers do you have the good fortune not to get run over like road kill. There is nothing sexy about being a transportation cyclist in the suburbs. People distain you, and because of the distances between anything, it takes planning and effort to get anywhere. Public transportation stinks and your scenery is nothing but endless mcMansions and strip malls.

So, if you live in Southern California and ride a beach cruiser to work 3 miles down an ocean-view bike path, do not espouse the sacrifices of car-free life to me or anyone else who lives the reality of the uncharmed life. Being carfree in a civil design built around the motor vehicle is as tough as it gets.

Ghandi says, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Things won't change here unless people get out and demonstrate that it can be done. That other guy who secretly wants to get out on his bike may see me and really consider it, and then perhaps, I will finally have a friend on the road. Riding in the suburbs is nasty and brutish, but someone's gotta take the first step. Someone has to have the courage to light the way for those who fear change. Seth tells us to live according to our dreams and then we can help those who live according to their fears. Well, New Jersey, if you just have the courage to start pedaling, I promise you will have at least one friend to ride with. And you can wear whatever the hell you want too.

4 comments:

  1. Kudos to you, Jennifer. You don't have to have the "it" bike imported from Europe or handmade in Portland to be a utility cyclist and I guess that the point of just getting on a bike and riding gets lost in the fashion photography sometimes. All the glam was supposed to give cycling the status required to make the proudly dedicated consumer feel comfortable on riding the humble bicycle. Or at the least provide an encouraging nudge to those who are considering it, but don't think they can really pull it off.

    I too have lived in a town where the population of cylists was constituted primarily of Latino males (presumed immigrants) and alcoholics with revoked licenses (confirmed by their constant boozy odor). Most of those fellows were on mountain bikes; I had to look for consolation when I could find it in the few who had old cruiser bikes with fenders and chain guards. The town I live in now seems to have primarily fairweather cyclists. I write my blog to encourage others like myself, who don't see much two-wheeled transportation in their cities and towns. I want others to know that not everyone begins cycling by jumping on a cute retro cruiser in expensive heels to roll off to the farmer's market; I didn't. (And I haven't been anywhere resembling a farmer's market since I left Atlanta).

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  2. The funny thing is, in a true cycling culture no one really gives a darn about the brand or fashionableness of their bicycle. It's just a utility item to get you where you are going. The important thing, for me, you, and everyone is just to ride a bicycle somewhere without too much hassle. Nothing more. And maybe hope for higher gas prices or a better federal transportation program??

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  3. So true in my coexsistence just west of the Bush's home. Yea, surrounded by sprawling, creeping suburbias, within site of Jerry's new mega-stadium for his Cowboy team. That one last paragraph SUMS it up well Jenni, wether EWR or DFW, wear what ya' will... ride fast too.

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  4. I live in al Austalia, THE CAR IS KING, and only nuts like me rise in winter or to work, thanks for the words of wisdom

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