Two Wheels To Nowhere

While tooling around Oregon’s state capital today it’s apparent to me that cycling is a part of every day life for many people here in Salem. Bike lanes on so many roads, drivers passing with wide berth. Many bike shops and bike racks downtown. Michael, the owner of Cycleworks, who is renting me his personal “rain bike” for a mere $25 a day – bike lifestyle stickers were free. He is the eccentric shop owner who is just glad to hear you are keen to ride. He laid out a route for me (with highlighter on a free cycling map) that will take on some of the most challenging climbs around town, avoid “road kill alley”, provide scenic surroundings, and tips of where to stop for good food. He’s not charging me a damage deposit; instead he simply asked me to be careful with his old bike. That’s an attitude that just doesn’t exist in big cities. Just so down to earth. And of course, if I run into any trouble while I am out, I can always pop in to Zombie Tactical in the local strip mall to get me some protection. God bless Oregon. God bless America.