Cargo Bikin’ in Albany & The Art of Cycling (Comments: 1)

I went for my second ride of the week tonight. It was a lot warmer — and drier — than the last ride. Almost 40 degrees! So I rode naked.

I’m still learning my way around the area, and I was looking for a grocery store or an interesting restaurant. As it turned out, there was a Price Chopper about 3/4 of a mile from my place, so I got to use the Packet Boat (Xtracycle) for its intended purpose — as a lean, mean, cargo transportin’ machine. It’s goofy, but I get a lot of enjoyment out of jamming as much stuff as possible into the oversized bags on the Packet Boat.

I’ll say one thing for the city of Albany: It sure has a lot more hills than Rochester. I’m originally from the Berkshires, a range of hills across the border in Massachusetts, but I didn’t do much riding there as a kid. Mostly on a Big Wheel, probably. So I’m getting my first taste of the Hudson Valley hills, and they’re fun. Even in the city, you can find some nice climbs and nice descents.

I’ve been wanting to read The Art of Cycling: A Guide to Bicycling in 21st-Century America by Robert Hurst for a long time. Julie White’s recent post on RocBike finally spurred me to order a copy. It’s great. I’m about halfway through, and I really like the mix of “vehicular cycling” and “adaptive cycling” that Hurst proposes.

My own experience bears out the need to break free from Forester’s vehicular cycling when circumstances warrant. When my 5-year-old son Bernie and I were bike commuting each day, we’d spend some time on the sidewalk in the busiest sections. You just can’t expect a little kid to make the right decision every time. Or to make it quickly enough.

If you’d like to check out the book for yourself, here’s the link:

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