Long Distance on a Girl's Bike

Last Sunday, I went on another 5BBC trip from City Hall in downtown Manhattan to the Flat Rock Nature Preserve in Northern NJ, and my good friend decided to join me. Of course, I was riding my Bianchi Avenue, a rugged, all-purpose, hybrid, 21-speed city bike that I have come to love and treasure. She was riding a used, "vintage" Schwinn that had a rusted derailleur, a rear wheel past its glory days, breaks on the verge of failure, and a list of other glitches that I don't have nearly enough expertise to diagnose or explain. It was an impulse buy to replace a bike of hers that was stolen.

Needless to say, it made for a rough trip for her on the way there, so I decided to be a good friend and trade for part of the way back. It was easily 15 miles of me riding on a broken-down girl's bicycle that was too small for me, and the other participants of the ride gave me an honorary "What a Guy" Award. I wear that badge with pride. The picture on the side is not her bike, but it is an almost identical one.