I Love Riding in the City
NAME: Jorge Catalán Campbell
LOCATION: Santiago, Chile
OCCUPATION: Industrial Design Student
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I live in Santiago, Chile. Santiago is fast and has a lot of cars but has a little of urban cycling culture. I prefer to ride on the street fooling around between the cars.
What was your favorite city to ride in, and why?
Viña del Mar, 200 km from Santiago. Fresh air, a lot of wind and beautiful sights.
Why do you love riding in the city?
I feel part of it, I’m not sealed up in a car. And while everybody is getting chubby, I’m getting tight. And the most important reason... Because I want to make this world and this city cleaner for all of us and the generations to come.
Check out www.flickr.com/raz_of_bathory
NAME: Kelly Benecke
LOCATION: Chicago, IL
OCCUPATION: Mom
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I live in Chicago, IL. Riding in this city has been a very interesting experience, specifically because I had not ridden in years when I started and because I ride with my child. My husband and I sold our car when we first moved here in 2007, but I did not start biking until summer of 2009, when my daughter turned a year old.
The bike lanes can be badly labeled and contain the brunt of the potholes, and drivers do not seem to respect cyclists very much. Even so, I still have a love for biking and will continue to bike with my child as our main mode of transportation. My daughter loves to sit in her trailer and can often be found singing and reading books while we ride.
Why do you love riding in the city?
I love the freedom. I love not having to wait or having to drag a stroller onto the bus or up/down the stairs to a train platform with a screaming toddler. I spent nearly two years relying on public transportation, and it was horrid. Now, I have no wait times, no break downs that can’t be easily fixed, and I don’t have to spend time searching for a parking spot.
Or just say whatever you want about riding in the city…
“The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart.” –Iris Murdoch
