I Love Riding in the City

NAME: David Gardiner
LOCATION: Edinburgh, Scotland
OCCUPATION: Graphic Designer, Bike Sales and Hires, Bike Trainer

Where I live…
I live with my wife and daughter in the ‘old town’ of Edinburgh. The castle is 100 yards up the road and the cobbled Royal Mile at our front door. I don’t own a car, but we do have a tandem (and a few other bikes). In my view cycling will continue to be more attractive for people in a hurry. The satisfaction of overtaking a line of 30 cars stuck in a jam can never be underestimated.

Favourite?
Gothenburg/Göteborg, Sweden. We arrived by ferry in the centre of town after overnight crossing the North Sea. It was rush hour and it was great being part of the wave of bikes crossing the River on their commute home. My daughter was seven at the time and thought cycling off the ferry was amazing.

Or say whatever you want…
A few years ago I started Laid Back Bikes, providing guided tours for people that want a different kind of bike experience. It’s a ‘faith in the future’ kind of thing. If we are to get all sorts of people riding, it should be possible to use any bike in the city safely. Recumbent bikes are fine, and they have mirrors, so they’re actually very safe.

Check out www.laid-back-bikes.co.uk

Name: Josh Cole
Location: Long Beach , CA
Occupation: Triumph motorcycle mechanic for South Bay Triumph in Lomita, CA

Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
Riding in Long beach is just like any other congested city—lots of cars, lots of smog. But all in all it’s a very fun city to ride in. The bicycle culture has exploded over the years. There a lot of really cool people, and a lot of cool places to go for art and music. Pretty much all my friends are connected to a bicycle in one way or another.

What’s been your favorite city to ride in, and why?
I like riding on Catalina Island. You can go from one side to the other within hours, and you can go swimming on all sides!

Why do you love riding in the city?
I love riding in the city because you can feel the city breathing and hear its pulse. It’s a living sorta thing that’s hard to explain but each city has a different heartbeat. People riding and living in all cities are amazing!