Marginalia
Seen & Heard
One of the sights most familiar to denizens of the quads is Dean John W. Boyer riding his bike. The more observant may have noticed that the deanly velocipede is a shade shinier this spring. Late last fall, Boyer retired his 12-year-old model, replacing it with a new, green-and-black 26-inch Schwinn. The Core caught up with him and asked a few questions about his life on wheels.
Are there any weather conditions
you won’t ride your bike in?
Packed ice. But if you ride behind
CTA buses, it’s OK. Wherever CTA
buses can go, bicycles can go.
How long does it take to get
to work?
From my front door to my desk,
about four minutes. Five if it’s a particularly
windy day.
Do you have a car?
I do. It has very few miles on it.
I mainly drive it to the Toyota dealer
to have it serviced.
What do you think of cyclists who
ride on the sidewalk?
It’s a very bad habit. There are some
occasions—street repairs and so
forth—when it’s unavoidable.
Ever been in a crash?
I’ve been knocked down twice.
Both times, happily, there was no
damage to me. There was damage
to the bike.
Why don’t you wear a helmet?
I wear it for longer trips, when I go
into the city. It’s too awkward and
cumbersome for the four-minute
trip to campus.
What do you think about novelty
bikes, such as fixed-gear bikes
with no brakes?
Whoever rides such a bike, I hope
they have a good orthopedist.
