Every. Day. Ride #26 with Elijah

Tell us a little about yourself?

Hello everyone. I'm 26 years old, and I grew up in the New York Tri-State area. Mostly in New York and New Jersey. I enjoy cycling, skateboarding, and casual hiking on nature trails. The art of motion resonates deeply with me, and using a skateboard or bicycle allows me to express that form of art.

For about six years I worked with various companies doing bike deliveries. Food delivery, pharmacy, clothing, jewellery, cargo items, you name it. Sometimes its a big box, and sometimes its a pocket sized envelope. The larger items are always fun to ride around with.

I have prior experience with parkour and gymnastics during high school, and those skills were able to transfer to bikes and boards. Those disciplines give you an understanding of how to move in space, which is very helpful for day to day activities on a bike/board.

How and when did you get into riding?

 

Outside of playing on BMX mongoose bikes as a kid, cycling as transportation began in senior year of high school. I came across a bike shop in Downtown Newark, New Jersey. The doors were open, so I thought business was normal. Sadly, the shop had a flood and took out the electricity. They needed to get rid of their inventory, so I got a decent bike for $120.

It was a 90s Nishiki 12 speed road bike, in need of repairs. Wiggly wheels out of true, tires so old the treads on the sidewall were fraying. None of that mattered when I first bought it, the feeling of moving on a bicycle was the only thing I could focus on. It was beautiful.

 

I did get the bike fixed up to working order shortly after.

What are the best and worst things about riding?

 

Freedom of movement, efficiency, and convenience are some of the best things about cycling. With a bike, you have the ability to go wherever you want. The effort is about the same as walking, yet more distance is travelled.

 

On the other side of the coin, weather conditions and physical limitations are some of the worst aspects of cycling. Above freezing rain, slushy road conditions, and frigid temperatures are very tough things to endure. Proper equipment for these conditions can help improve your experience. Having the physical stamina to travel far can be tough, but training can help you develop more endurance.

 

As you gain experience, the "worst things" start to become more enjoyable. I now find myself embracing the rain rather than running from it.

Tell us about your most memorable ride to date?

 

There was one time I had a cargo delivery job from Soho to Harlem. It was a five drawer dresser, the largest item to date I ever had on my trailer. I was nervous pushing the limits of my trailer, but wow it felt great safety making it to the drop-off location. I even got to the drop-off location before the clients, and that was surprising given how cautious I was riding. 

Overall, this was a confidence building ride with lessons that carry out to this very day.

What's the best piece of riding advice you've ever been given?

Always maintain a space cushion based on your speed around other vehicles. If you need to come to a complete stop, you want to make sure you have enough space to stop without hitting the vehicle in front of you. The faster you go, the larger the space cushion should be. Also, larger/heaver vehicles take longer to stop and need larger space cushions.

How do you keep your bikes secure at home and on the go? 

(The following is from a perspective of a NYC resident. You may need more or less security depending on where you live).

Find a spot where you live to store your bicycle. If you have to partially disassemble your bike, do it. Better to spend 10 minutes or less on that, rather than risk your bike outside overnight.

For motorcycle riders, a regular lock per hour outside your home unattended. So 8 hours overnight would take 8 locks (or two X3's. Could also do three to four X1's) Kinda expensive, but probably not as much as a new moto.

Daily endeavours should be fine with one lock (the X1 is perfect for this). Going to a store? Try to lock up in front of that place. Heavy foot traffic helps, it puts a thief in the spotlight. Also, please make sure the object you lock up to is secure.

Share your best tips to help others keep their bikes safe.

Saddle chain is a must, and very easy to make. It's a bike chain that anchors the saddle to the frame, preventing a thief from removing your seat post easily. You can run the chain through a piece of inner tube to prevent scratches to your frame, and make it harder for a thief to undo.

When locking your bike, try to get the lock shackle to pass through your rear wheel and around your seat tube. Easy way to secure your frame and rear wheel with one lock.

Take bike bags with you, if possible. If you can't take your bike bags with you, put decoy items in there. Empty bottle, bag of snacks, napkins or a cloth. 

The yellow bike in the picture showcases all of these tips, as a visual reference.

When someone asks what kit you recommend, you say?

 

Flat fix kit is a must have for anyone riding a bike. It consist of an inner tube, tire levers, rubber cement, rubber patches, and an air pump. Many brands sell pre-made kits with these components.

A multi tool is also a must have, so you can make adjustments to your components on the road. The brand Topeak makes good multi tools, I have one that's four years old and still works flawlessly.

 

If you don't have quick release wheels, you're probably gonna need a 15mm wrench to take the wheels off. This should be a part of your flat fix kit, but you can "technically" fix a flat without taking the wheel off.

 

Any other kit after that is more technical. Want to fix your own bikes? Get a Park Tool kit. Want to build and true wheels? Get a truing stand kit. Eventually, you'll have a bike shop in your garage!

What's on your riding bucket list?

I'd like to complete a century on a fixed gear bike, that's 100 miles. I'd also like to do bikepacking, so I could complete multiple centuries while bikepacking. Achieving both of these goals in one trip would be amazing.

I also would like to build and ride a cargo bike on a fixed gear drivetrain. It wouldn't be a practical setup, but it would be fun and simple.

I'd also like to learn how to wheelie for a long distance. Learning how to ride a unicycle would be cool too.