cycling is fun

as some of you may be aware, i finally got myself a portable bicycle to aid in my overlong daily commute; in specific, it's a Dahon Piccolo D3. it's quite lovely, and while of course there's been a bit of an adjustment period since i first got hold of it a week and a half ago, it's been working out quite well so far, and has cut out approximately an hour out of my daily commute in total. as of next month, it will save me having to purchase a link-up bus pass in addition to my usual train pass as well, which will put nearly $40 more in my pocket every month. as a result, this bike will pay for itself in almost no time.

and as i'd been told prior to getting this bike, of course it's sparked conversation with various people on the street who witness it. i also now get nods from other cyclists on the road, which i find kind of amusing; it's much like people who've got the same specialist model of car (or sometimes even make; Volkswagen people often nod or beep at each other across vehicle platforms) acknowledging one another, actually.

it's also sparked some really dumb comments, too. which i suppose i can't totally blame people for but yes i can, the idiots!---i've had two people say something about it being just a GREAT idea when they don't feel like walking somewhere, and implying it's somehow an aid to laziness.

which doesn't really offend, per se---i mean, i know what i'm doing with it, and i don't much care how it's perceived. however, it does make me question their intelligence and/or skills of observation, because i'd really love to know in what parallel universe carrying around a 24 pound bicycle in a shoulder bag can be considered "effort-saving." is it time-saving? yes. money-saving? eventually. and while i don't carry it much (as it's usually busy carrying me, or else sitting on a seat next to me on the train), it's awkward and large and no small feat to carry on those occasions when i do carry it.

next time someone says something similar to me, i think i should quickly disabuse them of their ill-thought-out notions of laziness and just hand them the bloody thing to try carrying on their own. of course, with my luck, the next person who says a similar thing to me will be significantly taller and possessed of much greater upper body strength than i, and will merely raise an eyebrow at me and enquire as to my point in this little exercise upon hoisting it onto either shoulder.

my current route to and from work is the same: bike, train, bike, train, bike. it's like a repetitive pentathlon, but it's better than it was before! XD