A bike shop in nearby Parnell has a quote in its window by John F Kennedy concerning cycling. I did an internet search for that quotation and found it, but I thought the above a better start to this post.
Once a year, the Harbour Bridge here in Auckland closes for bike riders. Some go over a hundred kilometres and some much shorter. Yesterday, a group of us opted for only the 15 km route and then added another fifteen for a decent ride and a fine breakfast. Starting on the Auckland side, we met in the viaduct area where so many trendy restaurants look over the yachts. A short ride to Shelly Beach brought us to the queue waiting to start the trek. Finishing in Takapuna, we then continued to Devonport, had breakfast, and then rode the ferry back to the Auckland CBD.
We were on the motorway and bus lanes not usually available to cyclists. All of us could not help but remark that if those were bike paths, not just lanes along side the aggressive drivers of NZ, bikes would fill them each day. Imagine all the cars off the roads. Think of the cleaner air, the fitter bodies, and the diminishing of oil’s extractive industry. Holland has excellent bicycle roadways, some even banked to preserve one’s speed. Cities in the US and around the world have made efforts; Davis CA comes to mind. Yet the car and the motorway continue to reign. Too bad really, because, as JFK noted: nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride.
