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By BRENDA Time check: 9:31 AM Eastern Time(ET), 22nd of August, 2024
……me checks passport, “Oh wowww, how time goes by…..2 freeaaakin’ yeeeaaarrrrs”
I have been a resident in AMERICA for 2 years now and oh myyyy, I’ve accumulated sooooo many stories worth sharing
But for this blog’s sake, we will stick to cycling.
Fun Fact; Before I travelled to America, I used to refer to it as “the US“
…….but here I am….all cultured😎 and feeling like the only right name of this country is America
Anywaysss, soooo cycling……
During my time here, I have been able to do all things cycling – from just commuting while in Cleveland, to events that are all about cycling within America.
In this blog, I will share some of the insights I have gained as I cycled through the streets of Cleveland
1. Weather
Yep…..it’s this topic again
Any expat I know will find this topic worth 1 hour or so of chit chat, especially if it’s the Mid West.
…and Cleveland being in North-East Ohio – a mid western state, that is a couple of thousand miles away from the equator – makes it definitely freezing during winter months.
You will expect that throughout the winter season, the temperatures will be about 4 to -10°C, which is 14 to 39° F.
Mind you, Cleveland being Cleveland, the cold season goes from September to May, with ¾’s of the year being frigid.
Surprisingly though, on a random day in the coldest months – January, February or March …..out of nowhere, you will be blessed with a sunny day and clear blue skies making the temperature averaging to about 19°C (66°F)
It goes without saying….. in Cleveland, you can have all 4 seasons in one day
For someone like me, whose physiology is still adjusting to the idea of cold weather, such is a PERFECT day to pull out a bike to relish all the spontaneous warmth
2. The Roads
I have heard it from a Clevelander that when it comes to roads, in REALITY, Cleveland has two seasons; WINTER and CONSTRUCTION seasons
The reason for that, is that winter is all about white lawns and icy slippery roads which on ice melting, results into potholes through which melted ice penetrates, leading to potholes that grow larger without repair
“Okay, so I guess I am not that far from home,” I surprisingly reckon as I ride on potholed roads.
Construction season on the other hand, is well, the rest of the year when the temperatures are warm enough for this damage to be fixed.
3. Terrain
When on any sort of ride, it’s inevitable not to find a hill or slope – ORRR both as part of my route
Cuyahoga County, in which Cleveland is found, is organized based off of heights: Cleveland heights, Shaker heights, Mayfield heights, University heights etc and trust me – the heights be HEIGHTING.
A little bit of Cuyahoga’s History, shall we?
According to history professor John Grabowski, many communities in Cuyahoga County, Ohio have “Heights” in their names because the term “Heights” was used to indicate a higher status, whether literally or figuratively.
In particular, the two communities Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights that initiated this are located on the Portage Escarpment, which is an extension of the Appalachian Mountains, a mountain range in NorthEastern North America.
I interact with at least two hills every time I go biking a distance of more than 5 kilometres (3.1 miles).
One ride from say my university to my place of residence gets me about 80m of elevation
And hell yeah, there goes me with a workout sesh just by commuting
4. Lanes
Cycling in the streets of Cleveland should be safe
Every road I have had to use, either has a bike lane or at least a bike symbol within the road to indicate that the road can be used by both motorists and cyclists
Butttt, did you know that MOTORISTS are not exactly fond of cyclists?
Hold that thought….
Thing is, being a cyclist means I can either use the main road or use the pavements – or sideways like Americans call it – to go wherever I want to go
And from my point of view, there’s nothing more freeing than knowing I can use either lane depending on which path gets me to my destination ASAP, as well as being a path of least resistance.
From my experience, should I choose to use the main road, I sometimes encounter motorists who will do anything to let a cyclist like me know that I am trespassing – regardless of the road saying otherwise🤔
In my head though, I am certain that the law in America PROTECTS ME and should any sort of accident-like incident happen, I would have no fault as I have the right of way – because you know, I am a cyclist😎.
5. Food
Over my time of being an expat, I’ve experienced the simple beauty of understanding people and their cultures through food
Living in Europe for a while before traveling to America paved a mental way to appreciate the whole idea of “cuisine”
With American cuisine, anything is possible I tell you
I mean it – like anything
Like biscuits for example…
In Uganda, there is this vibe where as a kid, somehow somewhere, you somewhat learn to sing to a rhyme that goes like, “Mwana wange, tolyanga biscuit, biscuit, minyila gy’abazungu“
Interpretation “oh my child, don’t you ever eat biscuits as biscuits are white people mucus”😅
As in the video, this always came off with a jolly humourous touch whenever I sang it with my peers
In the meantime, every child in Africa had biscuits as one of their favourite snacks after candy – or sweets as we call it in Uganda
Coming to America, what my inner child knows as biscuits is considered as crackers
Infact, biscuits here can be had with gravy yooo
As in, flaky like round scones with an airy texture that you could dip in a thick white-ish soup – wowww!
And it’s actually DELICIOUS if you asked me
Pineapples on pizzzzzaaaaaa, OMG don’t get me started
An Italian will swear by their ancestors that that is an OFFENCE of sorts
….but a couple of restaurants in America will point it out on their menu as one of the most popular item
Then I….. with me being me, my palate is always up for an adventure
I could ramble on and on about the different food creations and how much they have been recreated to suit a typical American’s sweet tooth.
But, we are focussing on insights about cyclinggg, right?
Soooo
Having a decent meal in Cleveland is pretty simple as you’ll find restaurants serving authentically made dishes from allover the world – except for the pizza, I am still holding onto this
If I had to choose a favourite dish though, if not a Ugandan or an African meal, it would have to be Italian and I bet you this is very much celebrated in America.
Little Italy, just like its name is a small commune in Cleveland heights that is home to Italian everything – from culture, restaurants to an Italian-influenced wood block paving, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Not exactly a fan of cycling on the wood block paving, but that doesn’t stop me from cycling to the commune to indulge in a pasta dish or authentic Italian pastries
It is also home to the celebrated Feast of the Assumption that gathers all kinds of tourists and restaurants
Not me catching myself eating from almost all the stalls because yes, the food is really good!
6. Africa
So I have a friend in Cleveland that told me a story about someone who went to a bar on a bike – too much for being into cycling that these are the stories my friends think I will enjoy😅
Picture that
Cycling with the intention that I am not commuting fwaaaaa but actually going to the bar to dance, and after, get back on the bike and ride home
This killed me😅
But you see, I wouldn’t be surprised if that bar was Africa Taste.
This club is the IT when it comes to spots with African vibes
I’ve been there a couple of times with some of my African buds – and no, not using BIKES as a means of transport
I mean, don’t get me wrong, I reckon one day……someday somehow I will make the bike-to-the-bar story – who knows?!😃
Anywayssss
With all that said, Cleveland has been my longest stay away from home and I’m only happy I had the privilege of riding through its streets like I did
Any comments or questions, share them in the comments sections below