Bicycling

Yesterday I bought a bike. I actually have a bike already, an ancient Schwinn that's from the 1960s that I got at a thrift store. Unfortunately when Mike and I dragged it out of my parents' shed a few weeks ago we found that it was in rough shape...rougher shape than it was when I had it in grad school. After a cursory look-over Mike estimated that a tune-up and new wheels would cost around $100, so when I saw this new bike on sale for that same price I decided to get it. I'm going to bike this summer, and if I get really into it I'll rehab the Schwinn. If I don't, well, it's still nice to have a usable bike around. Biking is something that Mike loves, so it'll be nice to have an activity to do with him.

I brought the bike home with me because there's a bike path not too far from my apartment building, and I envisioned myself coming home from work and shedding my stress (and a few pounds) with a long, leisurely bike ride down that shady path.

Now, we have a bike path in the city where I work. It's actually the same path, which is very long and runs from Wisconsin to Chicago. And where I work, it's not a nice path. People get shot on that path. Of course, the entire city where I work is not nice, so today at Easter dinner I asked around to see if this bike-path-danger is an exception or a rule.

Um. Looking like a rule. My aunt looked slightly uncomfortable and said there had been a few "incidents" on the stretch of path that I'd be riding on, and recommended that I find somewhere else to ride.

So, as much as I'd love to ride on that path, I think it's better to skip it. A kevlar vest would only weigh me down.