By Neil Bezdek
Cycling is a sport of contradictions. It promotes itself as a healthy form of exercise, yet the fastest among us pedal to the point of illness and bake in the sun for hours on end. Team-issue bikes are worth well over $5,000, but many of the people riding them can barely afford groceries. Bicycles are eco-friendly, though traveling to races means our environmental impact is greater than ever.
There was a time when owning a bike meant I could happily get by without a car. But as my racing career took off, so too did my need for rest and recovery and access to far-off events. With progress on two wheels came the need for mobility on four. So I thought.
Two years ago I left New York City with a freshly signed pro contract and no idea of what to expect in the coming year. On a holiday layover in Colorado, I bought a car, reassuring myself that I could always ditch it if I didn’t really use it or if I needed some cash.
A couple of days later, as my Honda Civic and I were cruising to Southern California for the winter, I slid off the road and through a set of hefty light poles. Just 48 hours after purchasing the vehicle, my liquid asset had been reduced to a crumpled, shattered mess. It was a cruel and fitting dose of justice for this hypocritical, anti-car crusader.
Racing began in the spring and I set off on a team-supported bicycle-themed adventure. Meanwhile, my mangled car (damage was too extensive to warrant full repair) collected dust and money for insurance coverage. On my occasional stops home, I’d fire it up just to make sure the damn thing still worked. Then I’d head to the grocery store on my commuter bike.
The following winter, exactly one year ago, I liberated myself from that infernal contraption. Trading one form of horsepower for another, I bought a fancy power meter for my bike. I don’t regret the decision.
On my Cinelli, the prize for winning the 2011 Red Hook Crit Milano. (David August Trimble)
If anyone can get by without a car it’s a transient bike geek. Between long business trips, I live in a small city where everything I need is only a couple of miles away. The weather in North Carolina is mild, and substituting recovery spins for errand-running trips is easy enough. And after doing the same in Santa Barbara and New York, I’ve realized that going carless is more doable than you might think.
Despite my penchant for minimalism, I have two commuter bikes, my first race rig and a lovely track bike from a race in Italy. These pieces of thiefbait are a cut above your typical townies, but if bikes are really a viable substitute for cars, then using a rideable, respectable “vehicle” is the only way to do it.
Granted, I have access to a couple of team cars, even a scooter. I can cheat if I have to. But I try to stay out of the car.
I’ve always thought that the ideal car situation is access without dependence. I’d like to think that if my lifestyle ever forces me to rely on a car for daily use, then something will have to change.
Maybe I’ll grow up someday, but for now that’s one contradiction I won’t accept.
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Related:
Red Hook Crit Milano
How to Start Bike Racing
How to Master the Group Ride