The perfect vehicle

Before coming to Vietnam I already thought the bicycle was the perfect form of transportation. Suitable for all ages:





Now I am more convinced of this then ever. Bikes are a great way to meet people and chat with them:





They can carry much more of a load then most people think. Especially when the terrain is flat.









And no form of transport can match the sociability aspects of bikes. As you pedal along you see a friend. You can either ride along with them:



Or have them hop on:



Excuse the poor framing on some of these shots, most were taken by me while riding a bike. All the urban bike riding we do at home sure comes in handy when trying to negotiate a sea of bikes and scooters, and the occasional car or bus, one handed while taking photos. (You didn't read that Dad!)



That's why you mostly see the back of Rich in these photos. If he sees me riding one handed while taking photos he get a bit nervous. So I lurk behind him and take pics, and occasionally make him stop when we see something scenic.






Getting out on a bike is not only a great way to meet people and see things off the beaten track, but we've had some of our best food when out biking. You get tired and hungry and try places that you would never see otherwise. Or wouldn't be brave enough to try. And you realize that people are just people, and most are friendly and nice.

I can't bike...I'm too old!

This post is for all my biking buddies, in honor of all the public meetings we've been to in SF to fight for better biking conditions. At these meetings we frequently hear from a few seniors that it would be unfair or unrealistic to remove a lane of traffic, or remove a few parking spaces, or slow traffic down to make cycling safer and eaiser, because old people can't bike. "It's for younger people, I can't ride a bike." A perfectly healthy senior will say.



Well of course you can't, you got into a car 50 years ago and never got out! That is what we want to avoid by making cycling so safe in SF that I will be biking all the years of my life, like these folks in Verazdin. Verazdin is a lovely town in Croatia, a potential UNESCO world heritage site, where the baroque old town is mostly closed to motor vehicles.

Rich and I sat at a cafe and calculated the average age of the cyclists go about their business, it was over 50 so these photos are not unusual. Maybe these folks were only going from the market to home, a kilometer or two, but they were doing it by bike.





Bike on!



And never stop fighting for better biking wherever you live.