Just a short note about my bicycle (the Rans V-Rex rendered above). Today I crossed the 1,000 mile mark for the summer of 2019, which means I have 15,000 miles on it. Oddly, it’s been almost five years to the day since I put the first 10,000 miles on the V-Rex, proud product of the Rans aircraft company. I started riding in late March, took a two month break for May and June, and pushed myself for the rest of the summer. 

It’s been tough. The Heat has been a bear here in Brooklyn this summer because it’s accompanied by lots of humidity. An 85 degree high temperature is pretty gruesome when the humidity is hovering at 80%. And the sun didn’t go away, which turned the pavement into a convection oven. And nobody over 60 should be pedaling away in weather that turns one’s shirt into a mop. The furthest I got was 42 miles on a single ride out to Long Beach, just past the Nassau County Line.

Anyway, I had a lot of things to say about the city and the transit grid and the idea that a helluva lot more people might be taking bikes for their daily business if it were safer. but for now, I’ll take a bit of rest.