philly bike expo

 Between the demands of moving (to another part of the same county we live in now), failing fitness (I can't reliably ride at the rates, or for the distances, that I could even less than a year ago), and various weirdnesses with friends and associates that I won't elaborate on here, I've been anywhere from out-of-sorts to completely crazy for a few days (The Excellent Wife [TEW] and I suspect there might be a nickel's worth of a seasonal affective disorder in the cocktail). So when I mentioned that the Philly Bike Expo was this weekend, TEW insisted that I take a day and go. So I did.

I chose to go on the Sunday, because there was to be a presentation entitled Bikefitting for Cycling Literacy. I don't know much about bikefitting, and thought that would be the main topic... but it wasn't. The presenter was a Brooklyn bike fitter who's gender-non-binary, and makes a point of engaging people into cycling who are atypical for the endeavor - not just the LGBTQ+ folks, but women, short and tall people, heavier people, long- and short-waisted people... in fact, anybody who's not a white, heterosexual male over the age of 40. 

It was a great presentation. I teach the Basic Bike Maintenance course for the Princeton Adult School, and this presentation changed the way I will teach. I'm co-manager of the New Brunswick Bike Exchange, and this presentation will affect the way I deal with customers, neighbors, and volunteers. 

And I came to another realization. Most of the folks I ride with regularly, ride together almost all the time. When the club has all-paces rides, and people come together and and ride together who don't normally do so, these friends generally do their own thing. It is undoubtedly riskier to ride with comparative strangers. But first, we were all strangers once. And second, it is elitist to leave out newer riders from these in-groups. And third (and probably most important), I like to meet and ride with new people! I like to see new riders on those first few rides, when their skills and behaviors improve so dramatically. 

Similarly, I like the big ride-for-a-cause supported rides: I like seeing all the different riders and bikes (and different kinds of riders and bikes) that come out, and I like going places I wouldn't normally go, and I like the new rest stops, and even the (often terrible) provided lunches. There was a table flogging the American Cancer Society Philadelphia Bike-A-Thon, and it sounds like a great time.

I plan to do more of the biking I like. That was one of the gifts I got at the Bike Expo today.

There were also, of course, beautiful bikes.

...and beautiful parts:

Above, King Cage; they make hand-bent bottle cages in steel and titanium in a number of styles. Yes, cages can be had for $4, but they're not these. Below, the titanium dustpan they made, because they could.

Above, Silca. Once upon a time, they were known for expensive, but serviceable and repairable pumps and bike accessories. As far as I'm concerned, in 2024, they make jewelry: the stuff works, and it's beautiful, but it's ridiculously expensive for what it is. They've also taken the process of waxing chains, and made it complicated in an effort to make it easier.

Below, the Bike-A-Thon I referred to above.

I hooked a pocketful of stickers to decorate my workspace in the new garage, and bought a replacement for my Suzu Crane bell, with a tone and sustain that defies description. I got out cheap.

A good day.