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Well, CitiBike in NYC and Divvy in Chicago, I split my time between the two as of late. I fell in love with the regular CitiBikes quite a few years ago here in NYC when it clicked with me just how much faster they were to get around the city than taking an Uber (which now feel about as enjoyable as being on a zoom call) or taking the train. The eBike situation changed everything. My friend Joe Holder refers to the pedal assist function they have as positive use of "strategic laziness" which I love. Not only do they help get you to a meeting far less sweaty and winded than a normal bike, they're incredibly fun. I use them for both functional transport and leisure. When the temp is just right, there is nothing more enjoyable than a ride (on alucky one that is completely free of rattles) from downtown up to Central Park, around the park, then back while listening to whatever audiobook I might be finishing that week. I just wish they were even faster, though, I've had my friends describe my riding style as "insane" so maybe that's not a great idea.
Aug 26, 2021
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With most of the city being gone last year, I picked up the confidence to bike in Manhattan for the first time with a Citibike subscription. The convenience of going wherever you like, the lack of bike commitment, and the option to go electric over the bridge have been life-changing. I’ve also gotten myself a Bluetooth JBL speaker, that all my friends have rinsed and judged me for. Honestly, it’s safer than wearing headphones, and I’m having a terrific time listening to 1PLIKÉ140. The only thing I'm missing is this in matte infrared.
Jul 6, 2021
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Idk why I only got hip to this method of transport as my primary one this summer as this is my 4th year living in New York. I was notoriously 30 min late everyday to any class before 12pm in college or any class I didn’t care about purely because my method was train or bus then train and I’m one of those people that always just thinks they have 20 minutes to spare when it takes so long for them to put a perfect outfit together and they then negate breakfast every morning. I was often late to morning shifts of retail jobs for similar reasons or the bus just was late late late… Or I’d oversleep so much going to class didn’t even seem worth it.
But now. I realize. If I had just taken a fucking bike. I really wouldn’t have been the latest girl in the world all these years. And I love biking; it’s literally how I survived lockdown. my daily routine was get high all day and ride my bike around my suburban hometown to different locations and keep smoking (until this led to an actual psychosis.)
perhaps I was intimidated by nyc chaos. I will admit electric Citi bike is not for the faint of heart. I’ve almost gotten hit numerous times. And once somewhere around Times Square on my way to the JT concert, a strange man with a high quality camera took a picture up my skirt? Hopefully it was blurry as I was going the speed of light but idk. so many of the docks are broken which may cause insurmountable frustration? And there was one time this summer I went to 5 different stations and every dock all of them were dead and it felt like the electricity system was conspiring against my ability to meet my friends at Mott Street Eatery.
Regardless. I’ve felt safer transporting myself at night without the fee of an Uber. I’m more often at time. I feel like I’m flying. Ive gotten to reconnect with my passion of the bike ride. I love to whip around with my friends who equally love biking. And I feel unstoppable.
My dad wants me and my sister to invest in collapsable helmets but that feels embarrassing like borderline voyeuristic - and I’d have to really commit to the bit as I bike probably average 4x a day now. he says young people avoid safety precautions because we have huge ego. Considering the amount of accidents these fast ass bikes cause: he has a point.
Live love laugh electric Citi bike. It’s an art you should master. I have a need for speed.
Oct 7, 2024
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the white Citi Bike (word to Blaketheman1000) goes so hard. Max speed 20 mph on a bike is the perfect speed and form factor, it’s my favorite way to get around New York.. I also think electric bike delivery workers have the best swag out rn. They’re one with the bike, very Snow Crash. Real post-apocalyptic energy.
Mar 13, 2023
Top Recs from @benjamin-edgar
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I was a rather die-hard anti RSS internet guy for quite some time. I wanted to soak in the design of the site - likely a left-over behavior from the magazine culture days. Reality is, once you properly load whatever RSS reader you prefer, it's kinda hard to even figure out how to go back. It helps me consume all the information of the day quickly and with effectively no advertising or unneeded visual distraction and it syncs across all my devices, etc. I find the Reeder app itself to be incredibly elegant in it's subtle attention to detail and one-handed use. Real nerd stuff.
Aug 26, 2021
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I wore contacts for well over a decade before on a whim I bought a pair of the "Frankie" model while on a stay in NYC so that I could see the TV in my hotel room without needing to fall asleep in my contacts and effectively just never wore contacts again. My daily driver is a pair of the Lemontosh in Havana with a barely blue tint. It makes, at least to me, the hereditary dark circles under my eyes seem less visible and makes everything around me look as though it's that tinted blue that all old episodes of Top Gear had. I have gradient, clear, jet black, etc and always want another pair.
Aug 26, 2021
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I suppose it's somewhat tacky to list your own product in something like this isn't it? But of all the objects I've made - this one likely gets used the most on a daily basis. A good tote bag you use often becomes almost like a favorite bar or restaurant. But instead of a respite for yourself, it's a respite for your items that you can depend on. My favorite feature is the slightly padded and structured suede bottom that helps give the bag a bit of shape and allows me to throw my laptop in without a case.
Aug 26, 2021