Choice Sidebar: Bikes

Seven bicycular rants and raves.

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Published: Nov 1, 2006

State-imposed casino blight seems a certainty. And the mayor's new riverfront planning commission reeks of a desperate legacy-grab that won't come to fruition. But there's one plan for a truly public and popular use of the Delaware River waterfront: its inclusion in the Maine-to-Florida "East Coast Greenway. " A multi-use recreational path and an Appalachian Trail for cyclists, the Philadelphia stretch of this enormous project already has a groundwork of planning and documentation. Let's make it happen, people. —Justin Bauer

Best Nickname, Bike Courier Division

Maybe you know an authentic messenger or two, but most fixies on the streets are pedaled by FAMs (aka Fake-Ass Messengers). The real deals can spot the frauds three lanes away. How to spot a faker: They don't ride in the dead of winter, they don't carry radios and they own only one cycling shirt. —Kelly White

Best Organized Ballbuster of a Bike Ride

There are centuries and there are Centuries. The Scenic Schuylkill Century, The Bike Club of Philadelphia's September 100-miler, isn't for the faint of heart, with its bing-bing-bing assortment of out-of-nowhere climbs. But it's just fine for the directionally challenged. Off the city grid, I'm not the kind of guy who tends to have a good feel for where he is. But even dropped by the main pack and riding big chunks of the route alone, I managed to finish the well-marked course with nary a wrong turn — which is exactly how you want your first Century to go. (www.phillybikeclub.org) —Brian Howard

Best Bike Expressway Under Benny Frank

Every time you blaze through the bike lane tunnel on North Fifth Street, it's like cheating death. You can just go flying, especially if you shift up on the way down and prepare for greatness. If you thirst for danger, gather your bike enemies and tie your arms together for some extreme (illegal) street racing. —James Saul

Best Bike Shop for People Who Own Bikes, Not Two-Wheeled Ferraris

Most Center City bike shops expect you to be riding something worth $8,000 — that, or be willing to spend $8,000 to repair your junker. Mike's Bikes in South Philly is as close to an old-fashioned bike shop as you'll find within an easy pedal of Center City. Don't get me wrong: There are tattoos aplenty — just none of the attitude that goes along with them. I shudder to think how the "therapists" on South Street would react when asked to help adjust my bike helmet straps or car bike rack. The folks at Mike's don't even crack a smirk — they just go to work. (1901 S. 13th St., 215-334-9100) —Carolyn Wyman

Best Cycling Signage

The share-the-road signs that decorate Center City's largely bike-lane-free streets show an easygoing cyclist, sitting upright on something that looks like a beach cruiser, maybe an old-style three-speed. But those that mark Delaware Avenue's four miles of bike lanes show a biker stretched out in an aero crouch, wearing a helmet that swoops off the back of the head, like how we look when we daydream about being named Armstrong. —Justin Bauer

Best Resource for Novice Bikers

Every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., Neighborhood Bike Works opens its doors to newbie cyclists, selling discounted parts and offering adult biking classes. And while older bikers are always welcome, the NBW's main focus is on kids. Youth-friendly repair classes, biking workshops and the Earn-A-Bike community outreach program are just a few of the group's efforts to instill a love of cycling in the local community. (St. Mary's Parish Hall, 3916 Locust Walk, 215-386-0316, www.neighborhoodbikeworks.org) —Lou Perseghin

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