This past Friday I finally got clipless pedals and biking shoes which gave me a new relationship with my vehicle. As I cruised down to the North End Friday night, gliding along through traffic and then later along the Charles, I felt a kind of oneness with this machine. Even when this connection toppled me to the pavement at stop lights when I couldn’t get me feet unclipped in time, I knew it was worth it. It’s when I’m on my bike that I feel I’m most fully here in Boston, then when I feel most able to figure out where I am.

I got plenty of time to practice with my new shoes this weekend as I put on over 100 miles on my trusty old commuter bike during a ride out to Walden Pond and during the Ride for Hunger. As I biked through such towns as Waltham, Sudbury, and Wayland, it gave me plenty of time to think about how my experience of place is intimately tied to how I choose to get around.