Reflections on a Rusting Bicycle

Who owned this bicycle? Why did they chain it up only to abandon it?

Photo by Walter Rhein

I recently found myself in the great city of Chicago. Now, Chicago isn’t the first place one thinks of to provoke wistful reflection on the nuances of silent sports. But the athletes are there, hidden by the chaos and the noise.

You often stumble across curious bike racks around the city. Seeing them in disuse or occupied with some heavily chained carbon fiber machine is common enough, but there are other manifestations that are as suggestive and mysterious as a crime scene.

Bicycle thieves

Bicycles are vulnerable. If they are not secured and leashed they tend to disappear without a trace, and fast!

To make matters worse, everything on a bicycle is quick release these days. From the wheels to the seat to the speedometer to the little bag you clamp to the back to carry your spare tube, it all comes off with the twist of a knob or the press of a lever.

The U-lock

One of the first celebrated responses to the cleverness of city bicycle thieves was the U-lock. True to its name, the U-lock looks like the letter “U” and it’s big enough so that you can pop off the front wheel, set it alongside the chain stay, and…