Gas here is now $4.40 per gallon and I got a bike (the Electric Blue Novara Runabout pictured here). I purchased the used bike at the Community Cycling Center, a wonderful place that takes donated bikes, refurbishes them, and resells them at reduced prices to help finance their operations and outreach, including classes on bike safety and mecanical repairs. A most worthy cause.
I bought my helmet at A Better Cycle, “a worker owned and collectively run used bicycle shop in sunny South East Portland” that, wouldn’t you know it, closes every May 1 for International Workers Day. (Welcome to the Peoples’ Republic of Portland.) The two spacey 20-somethings insisted on this one, the Bern Watts. It’s a “multi-impact” hardhat style developed first for skateboarders and adopted by bikers.
So what’s with the “multi-impact” thing? “Oh, that way you can fall on your head repeatedly and not have to replace your helmet,” he said, “I have one and I store it in the freezer so my head keeps cool in the summer. Awesome, huh?”
Uh, yeah, dudes. Awesome.
