As a Philly bicycle commuter, it’s long been my dream to race through the city slapping tickets on all the cars parked in the bike lanes. In the eyes of bikers, many of the everyday users of city streets — delivery trucks, contractor vans, Ubers picking up and depositing passengers, even residents dropping off groceries
MoreBicycle Diariesby David Byrne Viking, $25.95
In the early ’80s, David Byrne rediscovered the bicycle. It quickly became the Talking Heads frontman’s primary means of transportation around New York City. Soon after, he began taking a fold-up bicycle with him on tour for downtime explorations. A practice born of convenience, cycling through unknown terrain fostered a
On a roof or in a yard, Grace Wicks grows gardenersby Char VandermeerIt was easy to pick Grace Wicks, sole proprietor of Graceful Gardens, out of the horde of stern-faced suits bustling by the Four Seasons Hotel in Center City. She was the one wearing a great big grin and carrying a giant green gardening
MoreWheels that won’t make you tired—unless you want them toThere was a collective sigh of relief from Philly’s bike commuters when extrawide lanes were painted on Pine and Spruce Streets. Traveling across Center City for work or pleasure is now a lot easier!
MorePhiladelphia struggles with bike parkingby Sarah Clark StuartThe lack of bicycle parking racks is obvious around much of Philadelphia; not only in front of commercial storefronts, but inside office buildings as well. This bike parking shortage makes biking to work or other destinations difficult, but additionally, it leads to more bike theft. In 2008, when
MoreThe urban Appalachian Trail is coming through Phillyby Will DeanIf you run across someone who has biked across the country, or even across state lines, one of your first thoughts might be of admiration—both for the difficulty of such an endeavor and for the uniqueness of it. A long-distance bicycle trip is kind of a
MoreBike parts normally go on bikes, as nature intended, but occasionally they can find other homes, like on your walls. At the Bike Part Art Show, local artists have sifted through the unusable parts left over from Neighborhood Bike Works’ (NBW) community and youth cycling programs and created pieces of sculpture that entrance the eye
MoreHow to fix a bike flatby Will DeanSo you’re riding along, minding your own business, maybe humming a tune, and suddenly every push of the pedal takes ages, and people are walking past you. Unless you have some kind of heart condition (in which case, please seek medical attention), your tire probably popped a flat.
MoreA friend of mine owned an independent bookstore for a number of years, and during that time he claimed to have the best job in the world. All day long, he said, intelligent, engaging people come through the door and talk about the subjects that they're most passionate about.
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