http://www.suntimes.com/output/letters/cst-edt-vox04a.html

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Just fold your bike and ride

February 4, 2005

In reference to the article of Jan. 31 regarding permitting bicycles on
Metra trains, I would like to mention that there exists a ''miracle
machine.''

That machine is the modern folding bicycle. I began riding folding
bicycles 21 years ago and experienced the following: Folding bicycles
can be stored in a smallish, suitcase-size canvas bag. That is
considered ''luggage,'' and I have innumerable times ridden ordinary
buses and trains without any trouble.

It takes only three steps and less than a minute to set up my folding
bike. I carry a knapsack on my back and often take the CTA downtown,
doing efficient shopping. Some of the modern folding bikes, with six
speeds or more, weigh as little as 18 pounds -- the approximate weight
of a bowling ball.

Often I leave my folded bike and bag in the trunk of my car. If I come
upon a scenic park, bike path or harbor, I go for a quick, enjoyable
bike ride. When I fly in a small plane, the handy bike is on a vacant
seat. Yachtsmen take them along on cruises for land transportation.

That's why I call the folding bike a ''magic machine'': It weighs 18
pounds, transports my 200-pound body, provides me with great exercise
and entertainment, and folds into a convenient suitcase.

It uses no gas, saves on parking fees, and lets me enjoy the countryside
at a leisurely pace. I don't even have to join a health club and pay
hundreds of dollars a year in membership fees. I call my little bike my
''wire mule.''

Peter J. Botzek,
Rogers Park