Eunice Chang, 28, learned to ride a bike not long ago. Nevertheless, she’s hooked. In addition to wearing suggestive T-shirts, Eunice’s skills include photography and making the “pupscicles” for Locopops.
So, Eunice, what bikes do you own and ride regularly?
A Breezer Uptown 8, U-frame. I call it Gale the Maroon Marauder.
What’s your primary flavor of riding?
Mostly commuting, though the overall flavor is to have fun. if it ain’t fun, don’t ride.
What’s the length and frequency of your average ride?
It depends on the seasons. In this land of mostly-summer, I’d say, about twice a week, mostly weekends, with an average of 5 miles, sometimes more depending on what I plan to do on weekends. I drive on weekdays so I try to make the weekend car free as much as possible.
Why did you start riding and why do you still ride?
Short answer: Because I had to and because it’s fun.
Long answer: I started riding after post-Katrina gas price highs. Durham was the first place I’ve ever lived that required wheels — previously, I’d been using my two feet and excellent public transit. Also, my partner and I were going on vacation in Martha’s Vineyard, and we would be mostly biking. So I had to learn how to ride at the ripe age of 27. I’d thought riding a bike impossible, since I had tried it before and ended up with bruises and frustrated teachers. Fortunately, I had something going for me– patient and experienced teachers, as well as the fact that people had been biking for a long time since the bicycle was invented. That, and basically, if you can walk, you certainly can bike.
I still ride because it’s fun but also because it’s extremely practical to bike in North Carolina, the land of mostly-summers. Being a born and raised New Englander, I’ve never really been used to the heat, and I’m prone to heatstrokes. Walking forces me to stay outside in the heat for much longer, and takes more time to get somewhere. Biking offers me a quick, efficient, gas-free way to get around, as well as providing those rare breezes to cool me down. That and it is much nicer to come back to a warm bike seat than a burning hot metal car.
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve seen while out for a ride?
Smells. My favorite riding season is spring– the air is rich with scents of wisteria, jessamine, honeysuckle, and just about every flowering thing. Sometimes I’ll smell someone’s dinner or burning chimneys.
Probably the most unusual thing while I’ve been out for a ride is a old preserve in Christchurch, New Zealand. The preserve had the original species from when the British first started colonies and is protected from the outside by gated cages (it’s open to air and sunshine, but not to invading bugs or other critters). Very rare sight, especially so when most of the world’s landscapes are changing.
How would your world be different if you wake up tomorrow and there are no more cars?
Throw a party. Cancel my gym membership, because then I’d have to bike 6 miles each way, 12 miles per day to work. Probably get another Xtracycle so my partner and I can haul more stuff around if we have to. I’d also garden vegetables more often and be efficient about my grocery trips. I’d also bake more often because I would certainly need the fuel!
And I would be far less cranky because not only does biking as exercise provide endorphins, I wouldn’t have to put up with dangerous drivers.
What’s one thing Durham could do to become more bike friendly?
Educate people that streets are for all forms of mass transit, whether it be on foot, two, three, four, six, or eight wheels. I feel that Durham is stuck in a “streets are for cars only” mentality. There’s been progress, but most of these are made by dedicated bicyclists. I would love for everyone to understand that cars are not the only form of transit available and that they are not always necessary, and that in the near future they may very well lose their dominance on the streets as oil supply declines. Also, drivers need to understand that Durham is a city where most sidewalks end and thus provides very few options for people who do not drive…other than the street. They need to learn how to share and to be careful and considerate of pedestrians and bicyclists.
I would love Durham streets to look more like Netherlands or Denmark in terms of bike lanes, but I understand that involves a lot of money. I sigh when I read in the paper that much of the public transportation funds are being invested in making roads wider in order to alleviate congestion. You’d think that if you wanted less cars on the roads you’d have to provide car-free alternatives that are easily accessible, like park and ride rail stations, or even park and ride bus stations, instead of providing even more roads for even more cars, thus not really solving the problem of congestion. Basically, Durham should invest in more available public transit, which will result in less cars, which in turn will result in more bike friendly streets.