Medal to the pedal
The 2008 Indy Summer Guide
A funny byproduct of being ruled for 40 years by Republicans and their Democratic imitators, and being indoctrinated with the goodness of consumption and economic growth, is that liberals tend to perk up at the sign of bad news.
So it is that Republicans and their capitalist fellow travelers—already reeling from their association with the man who burned Baghdad and let New Orleans drown—are also suffering from their identification with high gas prices and a recession (that is, nonetheless, widely and confidently forecast to be a mild one).
There is a possibility of an improving political climate, but in the meantime, it can be tough to have fun and feel good while there's a war and a recession, and while the planet continues to show signs of distress (this month, the mighty polar bear was listed as a threatened species).
This year's summer guide carries the theme of "recession recreation," and the more we thought about it, the more we determined that the humble bicycle—invented decades before the automobile, and the livelihood of aviation pioneers Wilbur and Orville Wright—deserves special attention. As much fun as bikes can be, as Megan Stein reports on page 12, we propose that we think seriously about the bicycle as a daily tool. The benefits are obvious and enormous, and, as Bob Geary learns in our main feature (this page), you're never too rusty to get back on a bicycle.
We've also got some basic tips for buying a bicycle cheaply, thanks to the Triangle's burgeoning bicycle co-ops (page 16), and we consider some possible trans-Triangle bicycle routes (page 15)—which may become necessary sooner than we'd like, as gas prices show few signs of abating. And remember, train service isn't coming anytime soon—but highway improvements proceed on schedule.
We may be limping along in this, the last summer of the Bush era, but it's still a beautiful world out there, and we encourage you to discover it on a bicycle. —David Fellerath
Take the lane
After practicing with Bruce Rosar for an hour, I am totally comfortable riding among the cars in the center of Cary. By Bob Geary
The great human race
Miles Holst, organizer of this Alley Cat race, has designed missions for participants to accomplish as they travel from checkpoint to checkpoint. By Megan Stein
Getting there from here
If you have a couple of hours to kill and some ambition to spare, traveling via bicycle between cities in the Triangle is a good way to go without burning increasingly precious gas. By Megan Stein
Cycle, and recycle
The cheapest and most interesting way to get a bike in the area is through one of the local bicycle co-ops, which tune up old donated bikes and bike parts. By Jessica Fuller
School's out (and the living is easy)
A guide to free—or practically free—cultural events. By Megan Stein
- To create paragraphs in your comment, type <p> at the start of a paragraph and </p> at the end of each paragraph.
- To create bold text, type <b>bolded text</b> (please note the closing tag, </b>).
- To create italicized text, type <i>italicized text</i> (please note the closing tag, </i>).
- Proper web addresses will automatically become links.
Latest in Summer Guide
-
Summertime
A slideshow of scenes from the season: street parties, sno cones, bottle rockets, picnics, hammocks, the beach and more
- May 23, 2012
-
2012 summer calendar highlights
Our picks of the summer's cultural offerings
- May 23, 2012
-
So, about that rebellion...
On the trail of the short but exciting history of the Civil War in North Carolina
- May 25, 2011
- More »
