Broke Student
I identify as a late-onset cyclist. While I pedalled around the neighbourhood growing up, it wasn’t until later—at twenty-three when I purchased a used department store bike for a cool fifty bucks—that I fell head over heels in love with the sport. I paid another $15 for fenders, and $20 for a lock. With tax, the entire purchase rang up at nearly $100. As a university student working ten hours a week at minimum wage, that felt like a lot of money, but I figured it was worth it because the bike was red, and even then, I knew that the colour red undoubtably signified speed. Plus, I was dying to do something to relieve the monotony of my two-hour commute in transit to campus.
So that spring I started to incorporate a short bike ride as part of my longer daily commute. I discovered right away that I preferred the wind in my hair to the stuffy bus and Skytrain. I also realized that I didn’t have the appropriate clothing for riding through the West Coast of Canada’s rainy season (you’re telling me I have to purchase more gear? No way.) and so I often showed up to class trailing pools of grime, grateful the fenders at least prevented a nasty streak up my bum. It wasn’t until the following Christmas, which happened to be a couple…
