Meet Sampson

Ever since I relocated to downtown Phoenix, I've had a keen eye out for a vintage cruiser - something that would carry me to and fro in style around my urban neighborhood. Six months of scouring the local Craigslist offerings and finally, I struck gold. His name... is Sampson, a 26" 1980 Schwinn World Cruiser with a basket perfectly sized for a 6-pack.

We went for a 'get to know you' spin around the park nearest my house yesterday morning. This is a favored spot to the homeless population, and as I swerved to avoid suspicious looking puddles left on the sidewalk, it became painfully obvious this wasn't the best trial run course. It had been at least ten years since I'd been on a bike, and after a less than elegant veer off the sidewalk into the grass, I realized the danger I was presenting to the bums. They were alarmed, and for good reason.

Somehow, I managed to make it back unscathed. And despite the poor performance of my first joy ride, I found myself looking for excuses throughout the rest of the day that I could take Sampson out again. We rode to the ATM in the afternoon, purse in the front basket and wind in my hair. Somehow, this ride was much different, and I was cruising block after block, rounding corners and dodging pedestrians with ease. My Cheshire Cat smile grew in width as I rode on, and after a while I was actually laughing as I weaved through the quiet downtown neighborhoods. Every crosswalk light was green the entire way, as if the streets of Phoenix had opened up just for our ride. Other bikers acknowledged my passing with a nod, construction workers took pause as I whizzed by, and leisurely joggers admired my speed. The feeling of envy they all possessed towards Sampson was evident, which made the ride that much more enjoyable.  

As I rode back to the house, I was bubbling. There was something liberating about that cruise, something I've yet to identify, but that I know is just the beginning. The adventures of Sampson and RB... this should be something for the books. Oh yeah.