1. my purple-blue world, 2. Lesbian haircuts for anyone (and bike store), 3. Classic Bicycles, 4. The old bicycle and the field of wheat, 5. Lets Biking, 6. Bicycle (yeah) bicycle (eh) bicycle
Riding a Bicycle was a super big scandal for a woman when bikes first became a method of transportation. Not only was a woman daring to place something between her legs, giving her phallic import, but she could truck along as fast and merrily as any man, she could move under her own power and go where she pleased.
Bikes give women a practical excuse to prefer pants over skirts, are a form of exercise, and are just a whole barrel of fun to use. I myself had a discussion with my bike yesterday, out in the yard. As we shared a bucket of Iron-Out and a can of refreshing WD-40, I thought about what my literature professor had been saying about feminism.
I've been walking the 9 blocks to school 2-3 round-trips per day this winter. Sure, it's cold, I thought, but being on a bike has spoiled me. This is better for my body, and a good exercise in time-management.
HA! The instant I set my butt on my bike yesterday, for the first time in months, all my resolutions with regards to walking melted away. I will never walk again so long as I can glide down the pavement, whooping and kicking my legs with glee. I can go anywhere I want, and go there fast.
Now the thing is, I'm sure that in a few weeks, biking will be just as much a chore as walking was. I won't go back to walking, but I won't be quite as happy on my bike. Maybe I'll even start wishing for a car.
There is a sweet lesson in here somewhere about feminism, settling, never being happy with what you've got, and I'm sure many other things.
My mind is thinking about the pain in my bum from the bike seat, which will take some getting used to again. I'm thinking about how quickly I sped to school, how grimy my fingers were after a satisfying half-hour of prodding a rusty chain into place. I'm thinking about how, if I wanted to, I could go home now in those times when I would otherwise sit on campus, waiting for my next class or meeting or appointment.
I love my bike. I love biking. I love the wind and the squeaky brakes and the time I skipped the curb and fell and landed on my lunch in front of some old man. Maybe I'll get a little bell and ring it all the time, "Incoming!"
Elephants Away! (on a speedy machine!)
