Bike-assisted Walking
Bike-assisted walking is a great way to spend a lazy afternoon meandering around a neighborhood. Especially a neighborhood that is a little too far to reach on foot.
It’s also a great way to blur the line between the strictly utilitarian approach to “bike commuting”, and more seamlessly incorporate biking into your life.
Walking has it’s own undeniable merits, and personally I would almost always rather walk than use any other form of locomotion. However, in a sprawling city like Chicago, walking isn't the fastest way to get around, and you can get pretty tired of wandering around your own neighborhood. And sometimes we all just want to be somewhere else.
Being somewhere else in Chicago is very easy. The city is a veritable United Nations. A trip down any major thoroughfare exposes you to a myriad languages: signs in Spanish give way to Polish, Russian, Arabic, Bulgarian, Korean, Hebrew, Thai, Hindi, and many, many others. A short bike ride opens up dining options from cuisines around the world. Look at a map, and see where a two to three mile bike ride will take you. I've ended up in all sorts of areas: Edgebrook, Lincolnwood, Devon Ave., Andersonville, Lincoln Square and Avondale, and enjoyed menu samplings from Ireland, Poland, India, Sweden, Germany, Greece, Middle East, Brazil, Ethiopia and Thailand, to name a few.
Of course, many people drive to these destinations, and then walk. But there is something removed about getting into a self-contained car on a glorious afternoon and sitting in traffic, and then looking for parking when you get there. You might as well be going to a mall. I'm talking about exploring real neighborhoods at your own pace, and with wind in your hair.
You don't need a very fancy bike to do this. In fact, the more basic your bike the better. Old three-speeds work really well, especially with front or rear baskets attached. You can use any bike with panniers, baskets, milk crate, or a backpack on your back, and you'll have a way to carry home souvenirs, leftovers, or baked goods from other cultures. And forget about bike clothing. Just wear your regular stuff and shoes you can walk in.
A bike really expands your roaming range. For example, the closest little neighborhood shopping area to where I live is about two and a half miles. Yes, it’s possible to get there on foot, but a round trip is a fairly long walk, and I rarely have the time, leisure and energy to go much beyond that. With a bike, I can ride that distance very quickly, lock up, and explore the offerings of the neighborhood: library, hardware store, consignment shop, Chicago-themed gift shop, a local grocery. At this point, after fortifying myself with a latte, I still have plenty of time and energy to wander another mile and a half to an area that has two bookstores -- new and used one -- and several other establishments I like to frequent.
A bike also expands your carrying capacity. I don't have to worry if I buy too many books, or take too many from the library, even if I’ve also picked up some groceries. If you throw a couple of bungee cords into your bag, there is really no limit to what you can carry, be it a pair of shoes, a ream of paper, a bulky toy for your kid, or a thrift-store find.
After walking back, I might get lunch at one of the local restaurants, or treat myself to ice cream at the corner shop. And, even if I'm a little tired at this point, I'm glad I made room for a long, unhurried walk, and now am only a short bike ride away from home.