Biking to the Promise Land

I grew up riding bikes almost every day during the warm months. I’d ride to meet my friends or over to my cousins house. If we were feeling really brave, we’d ride all the way to 7/11 for slurpees. My friend Kelly and I would cruise the neighborhood looking for old furniture at garage sales to build our dream tree house. Even in the beginning of high school I would ride my bike to a party if my mom wouldn't let me go. But once I got my license, my good ole bike started collecting cob webs.

When I studied abroad in Australia, I had this dream of buying a bike and riding it everywhere. It wasn't like this was such a crazy thing to do in another country but I had this vision of riding to get my groceries on my bike and thought it was the coolest thing ever. So from the second I stepped foot in Oz I blabbed about how I wanted a bike so bad. When I started shopping for one, like everything else in Australia, they were sooo expensive. Within a couple of weeks I found out a friend of a friend got a brand new bike for her birthday and was looking to get rid of it. I scooped up my brand new bike, lock and helmet for $40!!!! To give you and idea, it costs almost $20 to go out for a burger in Oz, so I was lucky to get a great deal!

Cheesin with my new Aussie wheels

That very day I was so excited to ride to the mall at Garden City and pick up some groceries at Woolworths. Griffith’s campus was on a massive hill so it was a breeze getting down to the mall. As soon as the road turned flat I felt myself huffing and puffing. I started cursing myself out in disappointment of how out of shape I was. I was moving slower than a sloth, school kids in their cute little outfits were running past me. I was almost there when a little school girl tapped me on the shoulder, then pointed to my tire and said “hey miss, you have no air in your tires!” in her Aussie accent. Sweat poured down my face and onto my front tire as I stared at it in disbelief. I’m so quick to be determined to get through what I set out to do and be so oblivious to everything at the same time. I immediately bought a bike pump and that never happened again.

I recently moved to LA almost 4 years later, without a car. A bicycle was again in my vision. I was picturing a pink beach cruiser this time with a basket for a pug in front. I live in Hollywood so the realistic option was to get whatever I could find for cheap. I walked up to an estate sale in the Hollywood Hills last week searching for furniture and stumbled upon a bike. I got talking to the owner, and what do you know he is from Long Island! His father also graduated from Towson University like myself, what a small world! A combination of sharing our LI bond and feeling pity for me hiking up Laurel Canyon at 7am, he sold me my new cruiser for $45!! I lucked out again. I chained it up on the bike rack at my apartment and was a very happy camper.

My sweet new LA wheels! 

A few days later I went to take my first bike ride to work and there was another lock intertwined to lock in my lock and bike so I couldn't get out either of them! I called the building manager and some disgruntled tenant was claiming I was parked to close to their van, making it impossible to park. Are you kidding me?!!!

Does it look like there is enough room to park??

I guess people love having something, anything to bitch about. Good thing they didn't run into me as I attempting to persuade the landscapers out front for giant clippers to free my bike and deflate their tires. An hour later my bike was magically free and I was able to take her for my first spin in LA!

Setting out during rush hour probably wasn't my best decision. Los Angeles has the most traffic in the country because the public transportation system is terrible and the city is so spread out. I've heard it almost every day that I've been here. “OMG you don’t have a car? But you live in LA!” The metros only cover a quarter of the city with stops 4 miles apart and the buses sit in the same congestion that cars do. There are some random bike lanes throughout the city, but you are not allowed to ride on the side walk. This is the most ridiculous rule ever because no one is even walking on the sidewalk, everyone is in their car! Even when I did try and sneak on the side walk, I was berated by two extremely flamboyant men and their Chihuahua. While riding down Melrose I saw my life flash before 5 Bentleys and a Phantom. Half the cars in LA don’t even have proper license plates because you have a grace period when you a buy a new car, and its very common to have a new car here. Perfect scenario for a hit and run I kept thinking, especially since 90% of the cars that went by me were worth more than my life!

Los Angeles has some of the worst traffic in the country

I finally reached the Beverly Center safely! As I picked my bike off the curb getting ready to cross Las Cienega Blvd my front tire flies off, graces the little brown bag clutched by the lady next to me and rolls into traffic. Somehow it doesn't get run over and I ran to get it when the coast was clear. I struggled to get it back on my bike and began to laugh as I realized how much I blended in with the lunatics and homeless on the corner.

After struggling forever figuring how to lock my bike up without the front tire falling off, I finally made it into the promise land, City Target! I don’t know what my issue is with bikes, but I have a feeling I’ll have many more stories to come while ridding around LA. Bikes can be great way to get around, reduce your carbon footprint and stay active. Just make sure you check to make sure everything works properly before going for a ride and research the best route to your destination, especially if you’re a space cadet like me!