Hello, and welcome to roadrubbings, weblog for bicycle blurbs, badinage and breakdown. Troubleshooting, that is.I've been advised (by people I respect) that I should pursue writing more seriously, so almost immediately, I made the cardinal error of thinking about reviving my derelict blog. But -
You know what's popped up since the last time I worked on a weblog?
Facebook. Love it, loathe it, it's now a mountain that must be negotiated. I plan to lure many of you here through the mountain. So you likely already know me in some way.
This is a "new" blog, mostly dedicated to cycling,
as a means of experiencing the city, the peculiar physical link between human and machine and the cultural issues that the bicycle connects with. I am sure to find more reasons for writing as I go along.
Roadrubbings should come to reflect my pursuit of fitness, joy and activism as a cyclist, or as I put it, in the face of Toronto's pound-foolish mayor, as a "two-wheeled taxpayer".
The city I live in, love in, and work hard to stay on good terms with, is currently beset by chief administrators widely acknowledged unfit to serve the needs of most of the electorate.
Their first year in power has has a marked - largely negative - effect on the city's achievements and on collective aims for bicycles as a viable transport option.
Since it's just really started acting like Winter in this bend on the road, I might get to some basics on cold weather riding - and staying focused on the psychology of full-season cycling.
Taking care of the body, or the machine (hello, road salt!) might be good themes, too. While at work - surprise, it's a bike shop - I see the health of riders and rides being neglected, much the way vets will see it with animals, though the upshot is different - nobody crashes their hamster because of faulty brakes, right?. Well, I hope not.
I believe that 'taking care' is an extension of our capacity intelligence and love.
I love cycling and hope to help you care about it, too.
Here's to the New Year - it's practically here as I write this. So, as you think of champagne - or better yet, dim sum (Mmm-Mmm!), why not tuck away any bike you won't be riding, pick my brains for maintenance, riding or storage tips; put me to work, with all this stuff I know.
As Spring approaches, this should also serve as a platform to discuss training and my first big charity ride, the 2012 Friends For Life Rally. More to say about that soon.
To Bee, and my Sisters, thanks for the kickstart. Every writer is a candle in search of a match. With any skill, the story will shed some useful light.
