I Love Riding in the City

NAME: Jeby
LOCATION: Philadelphia, PA
OCCUPATION: Bike shop girl, barista, perpetually on the list.

Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I recently moved to Philadelphia from Pittsburgh, and riding here feels very different. The flat cityscape and gridded streets make for fast and easy navigation, and the impression that one is not riding as fast or far as they might be. On days when you feel more inclined to relax, the Kelly Drive loop is amazing. This scenic road is closed to motorized traffic on the weekend, and loops out of the city and through Manayunk, where you can stop on the mainline for coffee or microbrew. All in all, I love riding in Philly.

What’s your favorite (or the most exotic) city you’ve ever ridden in, and what’s special (or memorable) about it?
I taught English in Xian He, Shandong Province of China and as part of my teaching contract I received a bicycle to use as transportation to and from school. It was a blue coaster cruiser with a front basket, rear rack, and comfy seat—it was so much fun. Every morning I would ride down beautiful, wide, tree lined streets with multiple lanes of cycle traffic, a few pedicabs and the occasional car. For once, as a cyclist, I was part of the majority. Aside from the cycling aspect, the scenery so vastly different from my narrow western experience mesmerized me. From the undecipherable street signs to the outdoor markets full of unknown foods and distractions, riding around the town challenged my sense of adventure and equilibrium.

Poetry anyone?
Drunk sprints home
Laughter echoing through the night
Skchhhh skid
Driver stops and tries to fight
Except we keep riding
Too much fun to stop
The skyscrapers have our backs
This is our blacktop