Riding a Bamboo Bike Studios Express model, (thanks Marty!) BBS chum Patrick Albertson powered through 43 miles of cold, rain, wind and horrible pedestrian collisions last Sunday to complete the first entry of a BBS bike in the NYC Five Borough Bike Tour.

From the battery to the Bronx, the Queensboro to the Verazanno, pictures and elaborate prose after the break…

For a moment last Sunday morning, bicyclical camaraderie managed to displace the bite of the cold heavy air as 30,000 cyclists qeued up North of Battery Park in Lower Manhattan. It warmed the sidewalks, the manhole covers, the dormant steel towers and powered the legs just enough to turn over that first pedal and launch the 2009 Five Borough Bike Tour.

But what I experienced was slightly more than camaraderie; not just a common purpose and goal, but an intense and profound period of inquiry, intrigue and interest— because of course, my bike was different.

From cycling afficianados and fair weather fans, from purists and converts alike, everyone wanted to know about the bamboo bicycle.I learned that bamboo is the phoenetic equivalent or a cognate in at least five other languages. I grew accostomed to people staring and pointing, and used to their eyes that so desparately wanted to touch. To answer their curiosity, I would flick a single finger, nail first, into one segment of the frame’s crossbar and let the quick hollow tick prove the point. Yes, motherf@#%ers. This is bamboo.

Yes, the unparalleled functionality, the inherent sustainability, the minimal footprint and the engineering miracle, but more  importantly: the ride.

The 43 miles were a fantastic ride and the vehicle upon wich is was accomplished was not only a smooth, easy ride, but it provided an instant ice breaker with 30,000 of Bamboo Bike Studios newest friends.

And to answer one person’s fear: At no time was I in danger of having the bicycle disintegrate—not even in the rain.

-Patrick Albertson

Tags: Add new tag, Bamboo, Bamboo Bike Studio, Bamboo Bikes, Bike Tour, Boroughs, Brooklyn, Five Borough Bike Ride, Sustainability

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 7th, 2009 at 9:33 am and is filed under Events, General News and Updates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.