Recently, I had a real life experience highlighting what I’ve been saying about bikes and walking building the social fabric of a city. I was riding my bike downtown at night, and passed someone I knew walking the other way on the sidewalk. I was able to shout hello, something I wouldn’t have been able to do if I had been driving.

I ended up caught at a red light and we were able to carry on a conversation while she walked away since our speed differential was small. It was one of the serendipitous events that builds the social fabric. I even gave the drivers behind me at the light a moment to exercise compassion when I totally borked taking off from the light. Being able to switch gears without pedaling is one of the big advantages of internally geared hubs over traditional bike gearing, but it doesn’t work if you aren’t paying attention.

Have you had a chance encounter with a friend that made you feel better about your city? Let us know below!