I do many different kinds of bike rides. Almost every day I ride from Winooski to Burlington. I mostly go to some combination of the group home where I work, the Family Room, City Market, the Fletcher Free Library, and the YMCA. I am starting this essay on Monday, August 3rd, which will be a typical riding day. First I will go to the Y to teach a swim lesson, then I will be at the group home from 9 AM to 2:30 PM. After work I will go to City Market but also the FedEx store and the Asian Market. Then I will ride home.
Once or twice a week I ride with the Winooski Bike Gang. Usually we go on routes that I have planned in past years. This week we will be going to Mallets Bay. I also take rides with my friend David. We often go to Colchester Pond or South Hero.
In past years I have gone on many long rides. I have explored most of the roads within thirty miles of Winooski. This year I have not felt the impulse to take multi-hour rides. I still enjoy riding and other kinds of exercise including swimming, lifting weights, stretching and walking. Most of my long rides were just for the pleasure of experiencing the Vermont countryside.
Sometimes I do rides to specific destinations. On July 19th I rode my bike from my house in Winooski to Shelburne Museum. I left early so that I would be there around 10 AM when the Museum opens. I was not sure if there would be a line or not, but in the event there were only a few people waiting to get in. The quickest route would have been to ride into Burlington and then take Shelburne Road to the Museum. I wanted to do a more scenic route so I went down Patchen Road, cut over to Dorset Street, then Spear Street and finally to Shelburne Road.
I visited the museum because I am leading some discussions on Charity & Sylvia, a graphic novel about a same sex couple in early 19th Century Vermont. Tillie Walden, the author of Charity & Sylvia, used some of the interiors from the houses at the museum as models for her drawings. Charity and Sylvia’s house no longer exists.
It was a warm and sunny morning and I enjoyed walking through the museum grounds. I fell into conversation with a guide who was about to do a tour of two of the houses. I told her about Charity & Sylvia and she was very interested. I ended up being the only person who went on the tour! The two houses I viewed were filled with objects that were more costly than the original owners could have afforded. They were placed in the houses by the museums founder, Electra Havermeyer Webb. She had a very particular vision, which did not always conform to historical accuracy.
As I was leaving the museum someone greeted me who I had not seen for a long time. He is a former director of the Family Room. I was reminded of another friend who used to work there but has now moved to the Northeast Kingdom. Later that day I emailed her and we were able to catch up a bit.
I rode home on Shelburne Road. I took the new route into town by way of the Champlain Parkway. It was a bit easier than the old route on Flynn Avenue. I stopped at City Market and headed home. It was a satisfying ride!
On the 12th of August I did the kind of ride I wish was not necessary. It was a Critical Mass ride for Shiloh Skalka, a 16 year old student who was killed on her bike while riding on Pine Street. The ride was organized with the help of Local Motion. I have a daughter and losing her is unimaginable. As soon as the bike gang found out about the ride, we decided to go instead of doing our usual Wednesday ride. Some of us met in Winooski and rode to Pine Street together. It was a rainy late afternoon but hundreds of people showed up. Earlier in the day there was a call for a megaphone for the people who spoke before the ride. I offered the megaphone that the bike gang uses and my offer was accepted. I was glad to be able to make a small contribution to the success of the event.
The bike is an amazingly flexible machine, that can be used in so many different ways!
About the Author: Peter Burns is a long-time bike enthusiast, and one of the original year-round bike riders in the greater Burlington area. In addition to writing about walking and biking, Peter teaches a variety of bike workshops. He also works at a group home for people with psychiatric disabilities, teaches classes for the Vermont Humanities Council, teaches swimming at the Burlington YMCA, and is a regular host of Storytelling VT. You can contact Peter at [email protected].