Based in Auckland, New Zealand, Myriad is a collection of writing by Phil Williams. Topics explored include technology, design, poetry, writing, art, and politics.

On Two Wheels

The Schwinn City Speedster

If you haven't been on a bike for a few years, you may have forgotten how many reasons there are to love cycling in the city. Here are just a few...


You're Connected to The Street

Ever been in a car and driven past a friend you're dying to talk to? You honk the horn, or wave out the window if you're lucky... but the relentless tide of traffic sweeps you onwards. This problem doesn't exist on a bike. Just like walking, you can stop and talk to anyone. You can pat a dog. You can pick some roadside flowers. You can ignore detour signs and ride through a film set, ending up in the final take. Serendipity is the order of your day. But it's serendipity with speed. Fast and connected... it's a combo that brings a city to life.

Green Lights All The Way

Although your friendly local policeman might disagree, there's really no such thing as a stop sign for a bike. Red light? Give way. Bus priority? Give way. One Way? Ignore it. Pedestrian walk? Just go! The art of timing, threading the needle through a walking horde (without freaking them out), is more art than science... and such a thrill.

Arrive Feeling Alive

If cycling is your morning commute, you know this feeling. First, consider the act of getting in your car, or on a bus, and slouching in a seat for half an hour as you crawl through gridlock. Your neck muscles tightening, and your rage increasing as you suck fumes. Alternatively, consider flying past those metal boxes full of zombies, with the fresh air and sun on your face. It's exhilarating. You get to work and you're whipping off that first email in record time, or crushing that new design.

And since you're hopped up on those good motion endorphins, you're almost certainly loving it...


Video: Muriwai Drive

Video: An Autumn Sail