It’s been over a year now since I’ve had my own two wheels. I haven’t been able to find a bike that I absolutely felt the most comfortable on or that’s worth my investment. After years of having WendyBird I got accustomed to riding a certain way and living on bike with a certain type of lifestyle. Since moving all the way from SF to NYC, I have been taking much time to settle into my new life and A LOT has changed. Shopping for a bike in Brooklyn has been no walk in the park either. Looking on Craigslist wasn’t simple, I had checked weekly to find the right bike, hoping to find a similar model to WendyBird while visiting new neighborhoods, used bike shops, and surfing the webs for something old or new.
However, while recently surfing the net, I had found an ad on Craigslist for this 1969 Raleigh Sports women’s bike with a Brooks saddle and a front basket in top shape. I took the opportunity as I was enchanted but unsettled. When I had made the journey to South Brooklyn, I learned that this seller in particular had been selling used bikes by word of mouth making a decent living by up-cycling bikes, repairing and selling them. He then tried using Craigslist, selling 40 bikes out of his garage within the first month. A major success.
I was able to to test the bike, to get a feel of what it would feel like on the road. It was as if I was riding WendyBird again however different with the chill and sun, yet still liberating. I took it right away, carrying it with me all the way home to plan the rest of my life in NYC. I decided to name my English Raleigh Elizabeth Bennet, the Jane Austen character that I have been referencing my life to in the past 2 years. Although I have taken my time to find the right bike, it took time to find the right pace for my life here, and yet that day was the first time I could say that “New York is starting to feel like home now.”