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Name:
Niki Gudex
Location: Sydney, Australia
Occupation: Professional
athlete
Where do you
live and what's it like riding in your city?
I live in Sydney, Australia. Riding in Sydney is fun, like
most the city is busy and you have to stay alert. My
favorite place to ride is out in the forest surrounded by
trees and fresh air, but I love the thrill of the city. The
track standing at lights and the sprints between them. Riding
in Sydney city is more about short and fast accelerations,
whereas out of the city center is still very busy but you
can get a better rhythm on the bike. I train on the highways
out of the city, there are still a lot of cars - I don't really
like breathing in the pollution but I do love getting out
on to the open road and away from the city cars that
almost brush your side.
What's your favorite
city you've ever ridden in, and what's special about it?
My favorite place to ride is across the Harbour Bridge in
Sydney around dusk, the light is falling and the city lights
are becoming visible across the water. I love the mix of the
ocean right up against the city. The trains fly by on one
side and the cars are constantly buzzing past, but on the
Bridge there is one side dedicated to cyclists. I like seeing
the different cyclists on their way across the bridge. Some
flashing by while others struggle to hold a steady line. The
only stationary limbs are those of the security guards who
patrol the edges of the bridge. I think riding across the
Harbour Bridge is my favourite place to ride because I know
I am home. I can feel it as I ride across the Bridge, feeling
the huge metal structures above and catching glimpses of the
ocean through the fence gaps beside me.
When I am on a bike in a city I feel content
and happy, I think it is because I am so glad to be on a bike
and not in a car, I don't feel tied down or restricted...
The rush of the city seems to be calmed by the presence of
the cranks... I know that every stroke is my own. When I ride
my bike in the city I live in the moment completely. I can
see, smell and hear the city. I can feel the cars breathing
onto the hot tar. I know I want to stay alive and I have to
be alert to do so. This alertness means I also get the chance
to see the different lives people have as we cross paths.
Some wonder why I am on two wheels in the pouring rain while
I wonder why they stand there, under umbrella, crowded, cross
and smoking.
The cars get my adrenalin going, because
you do have to be very aware. I get so excited to be on a
bike sometimes. Once I was out a borrowed kids pixie bike
in Colorado and it was so small I couldn't even sit down.
But it was so fun, I got carried away and took it down a set
of stairs. It was a good laugh but without suspension on a
tiny bike, I don't want to do it again in a hurry.
Night city riding is fun too, because the
day shift is over and the streets take on a different face.Once
I drove with my team from Mt Saint Anne in Canada (after racing
a World Cup round) to the other side of Canada, to Calgary.
We arrived in the city late but after three solid days and
nights of sitting in a truck I wanted to spin my legs out
before the coming World Cup round, so I headed out for a 1
am spin in the city. The rest of my team were racing DH so
they didn't understand the XC need to spin out. They went
to bed and I headed out into the city. I had no map or idea
where I was, except for where I had left. It was fun to explore
but the entire time I also hoped that I would find my way
back.
Why do you love
riding in the city?
I love being able to get somewhere on my own. The bike has
its own spontaneity, I can feel the city when I am amongst
it. Whereas with a car I just get from A to B, a bike entices
me to take a different route, to add in a little extra or
to try and cut a little out. I love exploring new cities on
bikes and I also love the comfort of knowing Sydney like the
back of my hand.
I have so many memories from city riding.
Once I spent NYE on a bike, it was surprisingly fun. We went
from North Sydney to a frantic sprint across the Harbour Bridge
as we realised it was closed... lungs and legs burning but
made it across with some good tires and well timed dodging.
Then across into the thick of the city, filled with happy
people out celebrating. We explored the whole city, from the
Cross to the Rocks, out to Bondi and back in. The city streets
were closed off to cars and the energy around us was so high,
it was lovely.
Profile with Jeff Guerrero for urbanvelo.org
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