I initially planned to close-crop the Featured Image but instead present it as shot. Both bikes are something of anachronisms in San Diego, where more and more riders mount motorized hybrids. Blame electric rentals or SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)/COVID-19 lockdowns—both, likely—for dramatic behavioral shift in a short span of about two years.
The Surly is a Long Haul Trucker model that the manufacturer describes as a “long-distance cargo bike ready to go anywhere”. The single saddlebag—pannier, if you prefer—suggests somewhere. The LHT was retired last year, after 17 years of production, which makes me wonder how much the sudden surge in popularity of electric (and some gas-powered) hybrids played into the bike’s end of life.
The question: Are pedal-powered bicycles soon to be like vinyl records—nostalgic reminders of authenticity, simplicity, and tactility?
I used Leica Q2 to make the moment during last night’s Old Trolley Barn live music concert in my neighborhood of University Heights. Vitals: f/1.7, ISO 100, 1/1250 sec, 28mm; 5:52 p.m. PDT.