Forgot this morning that they had scheduled elevator maintenance for today, so when I arrived I got to play urban cyclocross, hiking Gilbert over my shoulder and carrying him up a big flight of stairs (14' ceilings here).
The others in my office just parked their bikes outside, but I hate to leave Gilbert outside, even on a nice day like today.
What kinds of obstacles to you find yourself carrying your bike over?
I live on the 7th floor of a 107 year old tenement style building. The type that has one tiny elevator (formally the iron gate type up to about 10 years ago) cut into the middle of a rectangular stairwell. The stairs are only about 3 feet wide, have a landing between each floor as well as a sprung fire door. The ceilings are 12 feet. My elevator breaks from time to time, and my bike, which I keep in the 7th floor hall, is a 50 lb utility bike with giant delivery basket. I have to stand the bike up on its rear wheel on each landing to get it around the bend. Those aren't my favorite mornings.
ReplyDeleteUm...a stairwell full of drunks on the T after having naively decided to take e train home from downtown Boston on the day of the St. Patrick's Day parade after a long, cold day of biking. The crowds on the platform were so appalling that after taking the elevator down, I changed my mind and headed back out into the fresh air and biked the five miles home instead! But yes--grappling a 40-50 lb. DL-1 up a couple of flights is a different story than swinging your ten-speed over your shoulder. And now that I think about it, the disadvantage to a ladies' model is no handy top tube to put over your shoulder...
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't really cyclocross unless you RAN up the stairs and hurdled over a couple of homeless people. But I'd show up with a cowbell to cheer you on! :-)
ReplyDeleteI found myself at the blocked off end of a mile long spring cleaning construction zone along the canal. I didn't feel like backtracking a mile, so I carried my bike over the last stretch, climbed over the barrier, and was getting ready to lift it over the last fence, when two nice women on cruiser bicycles on the other side decided I needed rescuing, and helped me from the other side. Canal-o-cross at its finest.
ReplyDeleteLately, fallen redwood limbs.
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