She wakes late, immediately getting out of bed, hurrying into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Then a quick shower. Immediately thereafter throwing on a pair of jeans and a light sweatshirt, brushing her hair as she walks into the living.
A brand new mountain bike rests against the brick wall in her living room. The end of the flat bar handlebar holds the bike steady. The paint’s bright, shiny, glimmering from sunlight shining through the window. The spokes and tires are spotless, shinning with the rest of the bike.
Her Livingroom window is large, arched, divided into many squares with a stunningly detailed vintage wooden frame dividing the windows.
She grabs a helmet hanging from the handle bars, tossing her shoulder strap purse over her shoulder as she tightly straps her helmet to her head. Soon thereafter, she grabs hold of her bikes handle bar and seat to wheel it into the hallway, resting it against the wall on the other side of the hall just before she closes the door behind her, locking the door seconds later.
The inner hall of her apartment complex is long. It’s empty. She pushes her bike down the hall towards the elevator, pushing the down button when she arrives. A few minutes later the elevator doors open.
Others move to the side as she backs her bike into the elevator, being extra cautious not to bump the peddles into anyone.
An oldish elevator in a somewhat renovated building vibrates as it lowers, reaching the lobby after a few stops a few minutes later.
Others let her exit first.
Out of the elevator, through the lobby to the exit of the apartment building she pushes her bike, stopping just before she reaches the streets sidewalk.
Taking a quick look around, her longish blond hair smoothly flows over her shoulders as she turns her head.
Lifting her foot, she spins the peddle backwards with the tip of her sneaker. Seconds later, stopping the peddle from spinning. Planting her opposite foot atop it to mount her bike, pushing the pedal backwards and downwards. She swings her other leg over the seat just after using it to push herself and her bike forward. Then, pushes downward and forward with all her strength atop the opposite peddle as she hovers over her bike’s seat.
With a couple quick peddles, she exits the parking lot. Her bikes thickish tires glide over the sidewalk. Her free spinning sprocket spins smoothly, sounds beautiful, chchchchchchchch .
A few blocks later traffic builds as she nears inner downtown, slowing the vehicles in the street to a few miles per hour. A line of people waiting to board a bus take up most of the sidewalk ahead. She carefully exits the sidewalk onto the street. The chain on her bike shifts from gear to gear as she maneuvers through traffic, speeding up and slowing down when necessary.
A few seconds later she’s past the bus, hops the curb to the sidewalk, slowing to weave in and out and around those walking.
A few blocks later she turns into a mostly empty alley, picking up speed as she maneuvers around debris within the alley. Another few blocks later she exits the alley into a caddy cornered empty parking lot she takes as a shortcut, then enters the sidewalk next to another busy city street.
Her destination’s ahead. She slows while unstrapping her helmet. Minutes later, locking her bike to a bike rack.
Inner City Bike Ride, Written By George Farina: GeorgeFarina.net