several bicycle-related events this weekend. yesterday, riding up to andrew’s house-to-be i was showing off my new fixie stop on gravel and broke a spoke on my rear wheel. fortunately, i was able to get andre to help me repair it and get it back together again. then i took the opportunity to go down to columbia city and donate my mountain bike to bikeworks.

today was a day where i once again realized how beautiful the bicycle is. there was a small boy, maybe 10 years old hanging out at bikeworks, obviously bugging the mechanics on duty and handling all the bikes, his mother had dropped him off and sent him over to replace his broken bike. one could only guess that he’d probably be there for a few hours after andre and i left. i hope he gets a bike.

the bicycle is one of the finest inventions of man. it is simple enough for anyone to understand, inexpensive enough for anyone to own, and the most efficient method of transportation available to the modern individual. i can’t imagine living out of the city – the suburbs are for the car and their design is anethema to the pedestrian, the cyclist, and the bus. wide streets with large intersections that encourage speeding and huge distances from home to work to shopping – it’s an environment where cycling cannot flourish. the worst part about it is that the people who live out their lives in the suburbs are unlikely to ever know a different way; to be able to see their community from the saddle of a bike.

tonight i’m going to head downtown and do a poker race with the point83 crew. it looks like it’s going to be a nice night for a bike ride.