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We’ve been riding around on our bikes for a few months now. This footage was shot back in April… and Yan still hasn’t named the damn thing! Regardless, this purple little beauty has turned out to be a really good purchase. The fella who sold it to us explained that his girlfriend hardly every road it, and so, as Yan is quick to note, it’s practically new. There was a slight tear in the rubber casing around the front suspension, but that’s really just a cosmetic flaw, nothing big. Everything else is golden.

Honestly, there’s something empowering about a bicycle, both literally and metaphorically. For Yan especially, it is a symbol of independence. It’s a natural progression, I suppose. Crawl, walk, ride. Unlike the car, bus, tram, subway, etc., all of which do the hard work for you, a bike is still largely powered by human energy. In some ways, then, it is the ultimate in human mobility. That’s how I like to imagine Yan–ever moving forward, confident in her own ability to proceed and progress.

Ride on, Xu Yan!