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Hoboken Hot Wheels
Adam Wade
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
 This past May I was walking around Sinatra Park and
I saw this girl riding a bike. I fell in love at first sight. It was one of those
nostalgic “loves.” Everything old was new again. I longed for it. I needed it.
For the weeks to come I couldn’t stop thinking of that singular image. It had been so
long. I had to have it. I had to get myself a bicycle. To be clear, I’m not a bicycle
enthusiast. My knowledge of bikes starts at Huffy and ends at BMX (though one of my bosses
used to call me ‘Cannondale’ for no particular reason). I’m just a fan of
the old fashion laid-back bike ride (imagine your grandpa going for a leisurely ride on a
Sunday afternoon.) And Hoboken is the perfect bike place for Grampa Wade – it’s
mostly flat, not many hills. Not much sweating involved!
THE HUNT IS ON
So now I was on the hunt for a bike and it was more difficult than you would imagine.
First off I was on a tight budget because: 1) I just needed a leisure bike 2) Two of my
friends had their real expensive thousand-dollar bikes stolen. 3) ‘Cha ching’
– I am not Rockefeller at the moment. I hit the Hoboken bicycle shop on Washington
Street and their bikes were moucho expensiveo for me. Starting price $250. Then I hit a
few run down ‘used’ shops on St. Marks in the Village, and didn’t find
anything to my liking (three words: too much rust!).
WINNER
My luck faired better when I took a long walked to the Target in Jersey City and bought
the cheapest bike ($80) there – with a nice shiny blue paint job – and also the
cheapest lock ($7). I rode out a WINNER! Riding back to Hoboken I had a childish buzz. The
wind was blowing through my hair. A big shit-eating grin on my face. Oh… this was the
best day I had had in some time. Near the end of this inaugural ride I saw Fred, my friend
who works at NBC, walking his dog. “Hey Fred. Look what I just bought!” I yelled
proudly. Without missing a beat, he laughed and said, “Wow, you got a girl’s
bike at BJ’s?” Buzzkilled, I responded defensively, “I got it from Target,
and it’s NOT a girl’s bike.” “Wade, c’mon, you got a girl’s
bike.” I panicked, but kept my composure. “The guy at Target said it was…
unisex.” He laughed loudly and said, “My ass it’s unisex.”
THREE DAYS A WEEK
Since I bought the bike I try to get it out of my garden apartment at least three days a
week. So far, this is what I’ve experienced: 1) Dog owners love giving me crap for
riding on the sidewalk. Perhaps some of them should focus more on curbing their dogs. 2)
Hoboken delivery guys on their bikes always smile and nod to me (FYI: many of them have
girl’s bikes too). 3) The bike is living up to the $80 price tag. I’m extremely
afraid I will hit a pothole and the bike and its rims will break into a million pieces. I
try to be very cautious.
IN CLOSING
Overall I am very happy with my new bike. I just sort of hope nobody else I know sees me
riding around Hoboken on it. BUT if they do, it’d be great if they genuinely said,
“Wow Wade, that’s a very nice unisex bike you got there.” Oh, that would
make my day.For more Adam Wade go to:
adamwade.com |
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