Tournez à gauche

Should be a meme: 5 nice things about my bike commute

2008-07-25T07:01:00.001-07:00

1. The showers at work are not gross

2. They even provide free towels (well, covered in my $3 monthly fee)

3. I am glad not to be the only "freak" who rides my bike to work (two other people that I know of ride to work at least occasionally)

4. Bonus of riding to work: My brain is already operational once I get to work

5. This seems to be the only ride time I get these days, aside from the Monday night ride

6. Now that gas prices are high, I see other bike commuters on the road and we ride together and chat. It is nice!

Miles to work (one way): 7.9
Mileage upon arriving at work: 3784.2

What I ate: Monday, June 2, 2008

2008-06-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: 1 Van's frozen waffle

Lunch: Egg white omlette with tomato, spinach and mozzarella, half a piece of toast, some fruit

Drinks: 1 water at lunch

What I ate: Sunday, June 1, 2008

2008-06-02T11:32:00.001-07:00

Lunch: Burger and fatty sides at Oeder's Lake picnic
Snack: 2 Hershey's Special Dark miniatures
Dinner: Yagoot with Cap'n Crunch and Strawberries (I recommend this combo)
Drinks: Water

testing mogulus embed code

2008-05-16T09:07:00.001-07:00

test

2008-05-09T11:02:00.001-07:00

I'm putting my money on team Slipstream

2008-04-12T22:04:00.000-07:00

First, cuz they have the nicest team kits. Second, because husband thinks so.

How you know it's time to get back on the bike

2008-02-12T09:06:00.000-08:00

1. You're flabby and plain old out of shape

2. Your "baby" excuse is no longer valid - the kid is nearly 2 years old

3. Your evening physical activity consists of sitting on the couch with the laptop

4. You have a vivid nightmare about your hand cracking open in the thenar web area, due to skin that is dry to the point of brittle. Instead of seeing blood, ligaments and muscles below the skin, you notice that everything has turned to a grey-brown dust, which disintegrates upon contact. And, on top of that horror, you notice green pustules are placed nearly, though not perfectly on the grid of disintegration, ready to pop at any moment.

I thought that writing about the nightmare would make it stop creeping me out. Nope. :-(

Cincinnati, a modern land

2008-02-08T13:50:00.000-08:00

My town, Cincinnati, is home to some great cycling stuff, including great cycling clubs, great racing including road and cyclocross racing and a weekly crit near my house, a bike messenger, alleycats, a river-side rails-to-trails trail, swell bike shops, the Sunflower Century and now....our own pedal-powered food delivery service.

Man, now all we're missing is a velodrome!

Video profile of bike commuter

2007-09-10T09:06:00.001-07:00

The talented Carrie Cochran produced this video on local bike commuter Wes Crout.

Here's the text and slideshow.

Getting the baby to enjoy the bike trailer

2007-09-05T09:17:00.001-07:00

The baby - 1.5 years old - doesn't enjoy riding in her bike trailer. Our longest ride with her to date is 2 miles.

We were SO excited to take her out on the bike (and for us to start cycling again,) so as soon as she turned 1, we wanted to try out the trailer. Her helmet - the smallest size available - was too big.

So, we waited for several months. Five months to be exact.

Now that the helmet fits, my kid doesn't get a kick out of the trailer. We gave her snacks (occupied her for the most part) and loaded the trailer with stuffed animals and books, but after awhile, she had had it. I think she wants to ride on her own bike, not in a trailer.

A friend suggested what she used to do ... give the kid a radio with a knob so she can tune it. Cool idea!

The cost of my commute

2007-09-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

I live in Cincinnati, Ohio, and first, travel about 5 miles to drop my child off at daycare then head about 3 more miles to work. My husband picks up our daughter, so I usually head straight home from work.

According to GoMetro.com's cost of driving calculator, my monthly commuting cost is $312 and my annual commuting cost is $3744.

The parking garage (downtown, same building where I work) is $150 a month.

Pre baby, I used to ride my bike to work and my cost was about $200 in the first year:
- Winter riding stuff - Tights ($85) and heavier duty winter cycling gloves ($15?)
- Tires - One pair, I think ($80-ish)
- About 5 tubes ($25-ish, probably less)
- Shampoo - An extra shampoo for at work - I use soap as body wash, not just for the head ($3)

Husband now wants to eat Chipotle all the time

2007-09-04T07:16:00.000-07:00

This is because Chipotle is sponsoring a cycling team. Quoteth the husband: "They are very serious and very stylish."

And now, they want you (the generic form of the pronoun) to design their new jersey!

Going on the Reser ride

2007-08-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

Gotta leave so I get there on time! (See, twitting isn't reserved for Twitter!)

I remember the old Internets

2007-08-17T19:26:00.001-07:00

JACK HANDEY-ESQUE MUSING:

I remember, back in the days of 1.0, that there were lots o free services but then they shut down because they weren't making money. There's a heck of a lot of free stuff out there now. Hm.

testing

2007-08-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

back on (again) and those damn inchworms!

2007-04-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

notes.

1. i went riding sunday with my husband. it was nice, except the weather is causing his asthma to act up.

2. we rode a few miles on the new bike trail to lebanon. it was nice and included a nice bridge and hill. we didn't go the whole way (long story, my fault) anyway, despite my husband's bitching that trails are not as fun as streets, this was nice.

3. i never thought i'd say a caterpillar was ugly, but the tent caterpillars sure are. perhaps that's because they've invaded my street, wriggling all over the damn place. i wanted to use the deck for a's birthday party, so i am paying $50 to have them killed off of the tree in the back yard. gah.

this relates to cycling because they drop from the sky on long webs and, yech, just another reason not to ride with your mouth open.

4. now that i'm off for a few weeks, i'm planning a ride every day. it's about time to go out now...

5. in local news, the newspaper reports a man was pulled over for not having a headlight on his bike. police discovered crack and coke on the guy as well.

Eating: Flavored potato chips

2007-02-08T18:15:00.000-08:00

Why do you ride? Personally, I ride to enjoy the scenery, ride to enjoy passing fit-looking people on super-expensive bikes, and, of course, ride to EAT.

I love to try new food. Chocolate covered bugs? Check. Pickled kimchee? Check. (I'll skip the balut though.)

So when I saw the online offer for Kettle brand's Passport to Flavor pack, I had to proceed.

Soon enough, the tasty chips in their cute bags (and CD and fancy chip clip and flyer and postcards) arrived on my doorstep, and I dug in with both hands.

These chips are worth riding extra miles for. Here's my review, and by the way, I'm ordering several more packs for friends.

1. Azteca Chocolate

Dagoba chocolate-dusted yumminess. They seemed to be greasier than the other packs, so score them down for that, but I was licking the inside of the bag, if that gives you any idea. I bet this would be good with dipping chocolate. The other flavors were savory-sweet but this was sweet with a bit of savory (red chili and cinnamon - sounds Skyline Chili-esque, huh?.)

2. Dragon 5 Spice

The spices are exotic-y: anise, black pepper, cinnamon, fennel and ginger. I couldn't taste the black pepper so well, but I wouldn't be able to eat a bunch of these in one sitting, but the taste was interesting. My husband, on the other hand, LOVED these.

3. Island Jerk

This chip does a good job at capturing the essence of Jamaican BBQ, but despite the greatness of flavors, I'm just not a BBQ chip person - well, I've gotta be in the right mood. Really well done, just not my cup of tea.

4. Twisted Chile Lime

The taste was like an upscale Fritos brand flavor, but props to the flavor engineer - it was more of a symptom of the flavor rather than the excellent engineering/balancing of the flavors. (I remember being thrilled when Fritos chili cheese flavor came out a few years ago.) Perhaps I'm spoiled because chili that isn't either Texas Chili with beans and stewed tomatoes or Skyline Chili to me is CRAP.

5. Royal Indian Curry

Some other blogger suggested these would pair nicely with raita. That's a swell idea and perhaps I'd like them more if I was dipping to diffuse the sweet-tart flavor. The same blogger also discussed how this seems very British, as Brits are always creating masala or curry flavored snacks. But, unlike the other blogger, was not a fan of this flavor. I happen to enjoy curry flavored items and I'm a huge fan of Indian food, but my bag of chips was too overpowering. I needed more subtlety.

Fat mommy

2007-01-23T19:50:00.000-08:00

My daughter's 8 months old and I'm not yet back on the bike.

I rode around a few times after she was born, but never got back in the habit. I also didn't get back in the habit of exercising and eating right. Big, fat mistake.

It's amazing that I could go from health "fan" (I was in no way a nut) who rode my bike to work in the COLD and RAIN and even raced (twice) and went to yoga class (the hard one) a few times a week to fat ass has to squeeeeeeeeze on my old jeans - then has to wear a long shirt to hide the muffintop.

Gross.

The hardest part of having a kid and exercising is being organized. I'd say it's finding the time, but if you are organized, you have time.

And, it's also about tearing yourself away from an adorable kid who you want to shower with love and attention. There's something about being a working parent that, at the end of the day, brings you back to your child like a magnet, not wanting to let go until they drift off to sleep. (The too-late bedtime didn't help, but we're fixing that.)

Number three on the list would be remembering how good it feels working hard on the bike and seeing great things you wouldn't see in a car. Or, remembering how it feels after a long ride and how good it feels to pull on those jeans over my hips, not over fatty hips.

Another thing. I might as well sell my Cannondale and buy a Goodwill Huffy so I don't look like that fat idiot tooling around at 15 mph, sweating up a storm. (Don't worry. I'm not going to sell it.) That's why I'm staying inside on the trainer (for bike purposes, only) until I start looking a little more...respectable.

I'd like to see that study with Lycra as the variable

2006-12-09T22:48:00.000-08:00

Here's the link to the NYT article about Ian Walker's study (University of Bath) on cars overtaking (or, in America, "passing") bikes on roadways. Direct link to study here.

The study results make perfect sense to me - if a motorist percieves a cyclist to be more skilled, they'll subconsciously pass closer to the cyclist. This is the same thinking cyclists encounter while passing the little kid, weaving back and forth, on the bike trail - STAY AWAY.

Actually, there's a whole list of people to stay away from, on and off the trail.

--- Old lady riding Wal*Mart bike with big shock absorbers - What is up with these oddly shaped, off-balance bikes, anyway? They weigh a zillion pounds and don't corner. Nope, they just tip over unless ridden by member of circus high-wire act.

--- Dehydrated person - See, their bike didn't come with a water bottle, so they just ride and ride and stay "tough" until they faint from dehydration. Nice.

--- Aforementioned little kid - Please keep your out-of-control monsters off the bike trail. Same goes for aloof teens who are so embarrased to be on a family outing that they zone out and end up crashing.

--- Freaky drivers - It may seem like fun at the time, or not fun but a "duty," but let these a-holes go and don't yell back or try to get even. Just not a good idea.

That's just a start...

So, here's my new plan: dress like a kid, ride a kiddie bike and weave in and out of busy traffic. Perhaps someone will stop, ask if I've run away from home, and offer to phone my parents! (Kidding, folks.)

Baby carrier

2006-11-19T16:56:00.000-08:00

Well, not really...

Women, take note!

2006-11-18T21:04:00.000-08:00

The ad claims: "One can be genteel and neat, and still indulge a love of out-door sports."

Need to get back on the bike

2006-11-14T18:33:00.000-08:00

No excuses. I'm sick of pigging out at work, pigging out at home, going to bed way too late, waking up way too late and not riding my bike AT ALL. As in, my gut is too big, too much moving around makes me winded, and that's a disgrace.

To motivate me, here's a cute photo that was used for a SF Critical Mass poster. And, to think, that I've never been to a Critical Mass ride. I've promised myself for at least a year that I'll go and yet I never have.

Click here to view the photo on Flickr.

Happy Halloween

2006-10-31T18:11:00.000-08:00

Above photo found on Flickr. It's someone's costume.

Go Further

2006-10-28T21:33:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching Woody Harrelson's Go Further, an independent documentary about Harrleson's speaking tour/clean-living initiative.

I was a bit surprised that Harrelson and his cohorts spent so much road cycling time sans helmets. I've ridden Route 1 in California, and I wouldn't dream of riding without styrafoam and plastic around my cranium.

On a non-cycling note, I thought the movie lacked focus, but as I watched more of the movie, more of a storyline emerged, and it became more clear that one doesn't have to be a biologist or any other -ist professional to have an understanding about responsible living.

Fox and hound

2006-10-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

Saw this on my local Craigslist: Someone wants to start a Fox and hound bicycle game in my city.

I love my little blue Cannondale and I've had some wonderful times on bikes, but reading this particular post made me long for the days when riding to me meant horses.

I've been on a foxhunt before - the kind with horses and doggies, er, hounds and MFHs (masters of the fox hunts) and whip (or, to the green, whipper-ins) and it was way fun.

I was a young Pony Clubber at the time, but to ride in the hunt as an adult is a whole different ball of wax. The adults get to drink afterwards. They have flasks! And now that I'm an adult I ride my bike.

Sorry to say, but the horse version of "Fox and hound" is more exciting to me than the bike version. I have no choice. I don't have a horse anymore. My custom chaps - embroidered with my initials, and with fringe!, custom tall boots, helmet, Tailored Sportsman breeches, hunt coats, spurs, draw reins, bell boots, splint boots, bridles, oiled shipping halter with brass nameplate and real lambswool, polo wraps, hairnets - for showing, martingales, curry combs, scrims, turn-out blankets, tack trunks, a saddle, and every other piece of high-end, overpriced gear that my parents bought for me -- bless them, I had so much fun -- are packed away in my parents' basement. I haven't even transferred the gear to my own, as in we own a house, I have a little girl of my own now, basement.

I should, someday, tally the list above, though that list isn't exhaustive. That list doesn't cover the monthly board that at one time topped $1,000 a month, the purchase price of several horses, the monthly vet bills - the one horse needed corrective shoeing, which is $150 (cash) per month. I don't even spend that much on my own shoes. Then there's lessons, private lessons of course. There's the show weekends, which included $30 a day for a professional braider (I do not make this crap up) to braid the horse's mane and tail for a polished look in the ring. There's the other expenses at a show - the trainer's daily expense, the rental of the stall at the show, the bedding for the rental stall, the trailer that takes all the horses from the barn, the tip to the grooms who scoop the poop from your horse's stall and polish your horse's feet with shellack before you (I) go into the show ring only to totally bomb the course that one time or get moody for no reason other than every other kid is a snob and you figure you should be one, too. Sure, there were wins, too, but if you are (I'm ) thinking back on all of this now that you're (I'm) a parent, you realize how good your parents were to you and how much opportunity they gave you.

There's good reason why, when I had outgrown my banana seat two-wheeler and it was time to get a 10-speed, my father took me to the expensive bike shop several Saturdays in a row and patiently let me try every bike there was, offering to buy me a high-end bike. Yet I opted for horses and he didn't complain except to joke about the hayburner.

Let's hope my daughter takes her father up on his offer to buy the sweetest custom ride ever, but if she goes for horses, too, I won't complain. Often.

Bike hate

2006-10-12T19:27:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting on the bed, laptop on lap, baby sleeping away next to me. There's only one thing missing from this idyllic situation: the husband.

He's still out judging some moot court competition. Come home, already! We can both stare at the baby at the same time! Come on!

So, to pass the time, aside from writing this fabulous blog post, staring at my beautiful baby, eating Kashi GOOD FRIENDS (how do they know, exactly?) with some brown sugar thrown in for good measure, listening to some PBS special, giving the baby a bath, reading my favorite parenting blogs - Dooce.com and Shenuts.com...I also participated in a favorite timewaster of the 2000's: Googling random terms.

Tonight's random search: bike hate

Winner of top ranking in Google (Dude! You must enter that #1 ranking into the Guinness Book of World Records!!!! Seriously, who reads that piece of crap book except for 5th graders who are attempting to grow their "own" libraries (that was me, in case you couldn't tell) and dorks who like to look at the photos of the dwarves, extra-long fingernails, and super-tall guy (really? that was me, too!)?) for the term "bike hate":

SITE #1:

A Spate Of Bike Hate - This is a boring post where a person recalls the jeers the anti-cyclists spewed forth at him.

What would be cooler is if someone compiled a list of bike hate quotes. My husband gets "F'in homo!" quite a bit because he can't be hetero since AND wear Lycra, and because he insists on taking the Whisky Tango route all the time - the one where the classy folks yell at passerbys from their rockin' chairs.

SITE #2: Bad Case of Bike Hate - This is an essay in a bike zine. I thought the story was on the boring side.

SITE #3: BIKE HATE CREW - This is the bees knees. A DIRT JUMP DOWNHILL FOURCROSS FREERIDE TEAM. Shit, I didn't even know DIRT JUMP DOWNHILL FOURCROSS FREERIDE TEAMs existed, did you? It's not in English, which explains why the stylish English language title doesn't actually mean anything. Pretty pictures on this site.

Funny as hell: Derny racing

2006-10-11T17:06:00.000-07:00

Before this week I'd neither seen or heard of derny racing, and man does it look like a hoot! I must find my way to one of these races so I can watch in person. Unfortunately, the only people odd enough to enjoy this sport seem to be European.

If you're not familiar, here's how it works: An out of shape (see image above) or old guy (see image below) on a funny looking moped thing paces a pro cyclist. The key for the pro cyclist is to tuck in behind their derny.

Dernys (dernies?) are also used in Kerin racing, a Japanese pasttime that seems as exciting as speed skating or biting off one's own nipples.

For a more detailed look into Derny racing -- like, did you know that Derny is the last name of the original maker of these pace "bikes" -- check out this site from the UK.

Here's a link to a good gallery of derny racing photos.

Here is a link
to some boring British derny photos.

Or, perhaps you'd prefer a YouTube video on the topic?

And, finally, here's a video of some gangmaker/derny driver/pacecar training:

Bus riding today

2006-10-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

I took the bus to work today. Since I started off from my child's daycare (we had breakfast with my husband down the street from the daycare), I took a different bus. I had to transfer once, and it wasn't too bad.

The major drawback was that it was beautiful outside and rather temperate. I should have ridden! It would have cost me $1 and I would have gotten to work quicker.

Ride report

2006-10-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: I'm not sure. My bike's not with me at the moment.

About the commute: This will be one of the last 70 degree days of the year, no doubt about it. The leaves are starting to change. We'll soon have to (pay someone to) clean out the gutters on our first house. It's just a few weeks until we fall back, gaining that precious extra hour of sleep daily. Let's just hope the baby feels the same way about that extra hour.

The commute was lovely. I didn't need a jacket or my cycling tights. Sun was sunny but not opressively bright. Nice.

One car or two: Part 2

2006-09-18T09:48:00.000-07:00

We have discovered the joy that is the bus. We took some test rides and more important than cost, we found it to be extremely easy and convenient to use.

Pros:

1. Costs:
The bus is $1 each way and $40 for a monthly pass. A bus card doesn't save us too much money. Based on the public transit website's cost of driving calculator:

CAR...
Monthly car commuting cost: $77.32
Annual commuting cost: $927.84
A new car starts at $16,000 - we're pay cash types.

BUS...
Monthly bus commuting cost: $40
Annual bus commuting cost: $480

2. Door to door service: This is perhaps the best part for us. We walk not even a half a block to the stop - it is at the head of our cul-de-sac. There is a stop across the street from my work and 1/2 a block from husband's work.

Plus, we live close enough to our workplaces that the bus ride is not long.

3. New buses: Our city has recently introduced new (biodiesel! willie nelson!) buses and they're quite nice to ride on.

Cons:

1. This isn't a con so much as I need to do the entire mathematical workup.

2. More cons listed in previous post on this topic.

Commute report

2006-09-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

Heading to work: Caught all the green lights except two. Zoom.

Heading home: One car slowed so I could go from the parking lane - where there was a parked car - and into the right lane and then back into the parking lane; Yellow bike with panniers was ahead of me on the long hill. I nearly caught up - I always have the urge to chase down other bike commuters - then I hung back, as I wasn't in a social mood.

Post ride: Saw "Little Miss Sunshine" and liked it. The beauty pageant reminded me of this British documentary that was often on late-night while I was in college. My roomies and I would routinely repeat lines from the documentary, as we found the child pageant thing so darn freaky. Our favorite line: "Weeestern weaaaar," the favorite part of the competition per one child who was interviewed. (This was pre-JonBenet, by the way.)

Anna's first IM

2006-09-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

My nearly 4 month old daughter is soooo smart. Here's what she IM'd me today while I was at work. She got a *little* help from her Nana BJ.

Anna the baby: p;dcd
Anna the baby: anna wrote that
Anna the baby: zz;.;l/O./'
Erf9976: wow!
Erf9976: you are a smart girl
Erf9976: mommy is so proud!
Erf9976: your first IM!

One car or two???

2006-08-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

So, Internets WWW series of tubes users, I need your opinions.

HISTORY

We got rid of the '91 Honda Accord this summer. After years of loyal service to my dad, then to me, it was getting jalopy-esuqe. I started getting too embarrased to drive it when the back bumper fell off. It wasn't knocked off; it just fell off.

(I do blame myself for the car's demise. Hondas are damn fine vehicles, and most of the fault can be traced to the lack of maintainence and the car's general state of dirtiness. Of course a car is going to rust if you don't wash it and all the crud gets stuck underneath.)

Guilt aside, we donated the Accord to Goodwill and are now left with one gas-powered people mover, our trusty silver Honda Civic 4-door, 5-speed. Yes, the ubiquitous fuel saver of a cute car. We do love it, but now with the baby and daycare and our two jobs, my husband is in favor of rejoining the ranks of the 2-car families.

THESE DAYS

I'm kinda liking the 1-car lifestyle, and most days it's not a hassle, but the days we both need the car at the same time, that's when it sucks.

Right now, we're taking turns commuting to work by bike. That day's car-enabled person takes the bambino to daycare and picks them up.

WHICH ROUTE IS PREFERABLE?

So, should we stick with the 1-car, 3-person family or opt for 2 cars???

ANALYSIS

Why not to get a second car:

I'm working 9-5 and haven't (knock on wood) had to stay long hours
Husband has an "and then some" job. He gets in at 9ish but gets home whenever he happens to finish. 7ish, 8ish, etc.
Bike commute is 5+ miles one way. (We work fairly close to each other.)
We need the car on alternate days in order to do our parent hours at daycare.
My parents work fairly close to our work/the daycare. They could pick up (and have offered to pick up) the bambino if necessary.
My dad could also give one of us a lift to work/home if there's a car emergency.
The bus goes right by our house and our workplaces, and that's always an option.
There are very few extreme weather days, and we'd carpool in those situations anyway.
Gas, car prices

Restaurants, library, coffee shop, diner, stores, other entertainment are just a short walk away.

After-school activities like soccer practice are a ways off. (We will definitely need a 2nd car by then.)

Why to get a second car:

Since I've gone back to work 3 weeks ago, we have already had to do some car juggling. Ex: Days when husband has worked really late and wanted to be picked up around 10 p.m., which meant I had to drive back to town to pick him up.
This part is selfish, but there's no pre-planning necessary when you have two cars.
You're not as reliant on others. I went out with some girlfriends on a recent Saturday and husband dropped me off with the gals because he wanted to use the car that afternoon. The downside was that the gals had to drop me off afterwards. Luckily, we were close to home. It would have been too much to ask them if we were not close to home.

So, Internets, what do you think? Second car or not?

Ride report

2006-08-17T17:37:00.000-07:00

Miles: Didn't look

Highlights: Saw another cyclist whom I had met last year and we rode together for about a mile during my commute home. Can you do that in a car? Just askin'.

Wipeouts

2006-08-17T17:34:00.000-07:00

This is obviously taken from "America's Funniest Home Videos." While you're certainly a loser if you watch that show on Friday or Saturday nights when you should be out partying down like the cool kids, apparently watching it on the net after some loser (or some person with TiVo) posts it to YouTube or Guba does not make you uncool.

Furthermore, if the producers of AFHV were smart or savvy, they would have CREATED YouTube and Guba and that genre, as THEY were the pioneers.

Ride report

2006-08-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: 2831.5

About the ride: I liked the commute from our old place better. It was hillier. Today I was going mostly downhill, much like my body has gone. ha ha

I only saw one bike commuter along the way.

First bike commute since the baby...

2006-08-09T16:51:00.000-07:00

I brought the towel and toiletry kit to work today. Tomorrow I will ride to work for the first time since my daughter was born.

Here's how we will do the back and forth:

1. I ride to work.
2. Husband drives to daycare, drops off cute child, parks at work and takes his bike off of roof rack.
3. After work, I ride to husband's car, put my bike on the roof rack and drive over to pick up child at daycare.
4. Husband rides home.

Our commute is not safe enough for a bike trailer and even if it was, little baby is too young for a bike trailer.

a bike mishap, as told by the wife

2006-08-06T05:25:00.000-07:00

i like this post.

her husband's response kind of reminds me of the movie "european vacation" where the grizwolds keep running over a british guy and each time it happens, the chap responds good-naturedly "tis no problem at all!"

Police pursuit of a bike

2006-08-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

My husband, who loves bikes sooo much just had to show me this video clip.

I immediately said "Fake!!"

His head drooped a bit.

I Googled to make sure.

Yes, fake, but certainly cute.

My husband, former TV producer that he is, wanted to believe. Sorry, honey.

View from the passenger's seat

2006-07-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

This was my view from the passenger's seat on the way home from Saturday's "three dot orange" ride.

p.s. I really don't think Floyd did it...

Plastic Peloton People eBay shop EMPTY

2006-07-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

I think it'd be fun to buy a Plastic Peloton Person on Anthony Pope's eBay shop. Too bad nothing's there...

If you're not familiar (then you're obviously not a ProCycling reader - heck, I'm not a ProCycling reader unless we buy a copy for a long plane ride. I always think about getting a subscription for my husband but it always is superceded by another gift. This year's gift was a digital camera. Anyway...) here's a link to Pez's interview w/Pope.

Sadness

2006-07-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

Two cyclists were killed near Cincinnati last week. A drunk (or under the influence of something) driver whose license was already suspended, plowed into a group ride. Story here on WCPO.com.

One of the victims was joined on the ride with her daughter. Fortunately, the daughter didn't see the moment of impact - she was either in a group ahead of or behind her mother. Still, what a horiffic, terrible event.

And a reminder that not everyone watches the news - during our ride today, a driver yelled at one of the cyclists, calling her an asshole. (Little did they know she's a well-known local TV anchor.)

Ride report

2006-07-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got home: (Need to check)

Cyclometer still doing that 0 mph thing on and off: yes

Post-ride food: Some whole wheat pasta w/veggies; Small taco salad (I took off 85% of the cheese and didn't use any dressing/sour cream); a taco; a few fresh cherries

About the ride: Went with husband's MS150 team (well, the team he would have ridden with).

We went on a nice rolling route and I didn't do as terribly as I thought for "just" having a baby. (Can I still use "I just had a baby" as an excuse? How about I "just ate a ton of cookies this week" while baking for the baby's naming?)

The weather was in the mid-70's (Mother Nature is STRANGE) and breezy. Hallelujah.

What didn't happen in Le Tour: My father is always telling tall tales, so when we stopped over to pick up the baby, he asked me if I'd heard about the cyclist in the Tour De France who was caught eating McDonalds. I believed him enough to Google News search it as soon as the baby went to sleep. After 29 years of my father's tall tales, you'd think I'd learn...

Weekend rides: Riding in the heat

2006-07-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

Mileage when returning home: 2784.8 (though my cyclometer registered '0' mph several times during the ride - I need to check that out)

It's getting hotter every day. Yesterday was high of 90 and today's high is expected to be 95! Thanks to the "thick air", the heat index will top 100.

(I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV. So, if you're some bastard who is relying on this for 'medical advice', forget it bucko. Wow, I can't believe I wrote a legal disclaimer on my blog that no one reads. That's pretty pathetic!)

So, does the hot weather mean no riding at all? I don't think so. At least, not for me. It does mean paying attention to my body and taking it easy when necessary.

For my own knowledge, I've looked up some info about cycling in the hot weather. Here's what I've compiled so far...

TIPS FOR RIDING IN THE HEAT

- Ride early when it's not yet hot outside. (With my daughter's breastfeeding schedule, I haven't been able to get out of the house early enough...) The sun is highest in the sky between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

- Drink. Yeah, duh. Drink when you're NOT thirsty, in anticipation of the thirst, though don't drink TOO much - you may become waterlogged! Better yet, according to this article, you should have a drinking schedule while riding - drink no matter what every 8 to 10 minutes.

Here's a link for a more complete look at staying hydrated.

- Acclimate yourself to the heat. The first day out in the heat will be tough, so ease yourself into the heat starting with shorter rides during the early morning.

- Dress for succes. I have been wearing the only jersey that fits over my boobs while I'm nursing - a BLACK Terry jersey with multicolored hearts. It's cute enough, but it's hotter because the fabric is primarily black. At least it is a well-ventilated touring jersey. My helmet has lots o' slots for ventilation.

- Pre-and post-ride self-exam. This article I referenced above (no wonder it was the #1 link for my google search) recommends checking the color of your urine (should be colorless if you have had enough to drink,) amount of urine before and after the ride to check out fluid loss. No, don't get out the measuring cup, just be mindful.

- Don't forget the sunblock. Not SPF 10, either! Re-apply sunblock as frequently as needed, as the sweat can take off the sunblock. Don't forget about your protecting your lips and ears!

- Make sure your eyes are protected. Wear sunglasses with the proper filtering from the sun.

- Make sure you know the signs of heat stress.

- Pretend you're on a tropical island on vacation. In my mind, this makes the heat seem like a gift that I had to take a plane ride to get to.

- This page has some nice stats on heat stress, fluid loss, etc.

Milk Crate Panniers

2006-07-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

The directions are on Indestructables via Make Magazine's site.

momma's ride report

2006-07-08T15:55:00.000-07:00

Miles on the bike after today's ride: 2,750.4

Finding spontaneous non-trainer (outside) bike riding time is tricky, but do-able with 8-week-old. Let's take today as an example.

for posterity, here's an example from the pre-baby days: wow, it's nice outside. i'll go for a ride right now. well, perhaps i'll put a load of laundry in the wash, ooh, then i'll check the mail. oh, i should start the dishwasher. i'll make this one call. // an hour later... hop on the bike for a lazy 3-hour jaunt.

today: the baby's 8 weeks and i'm breastfeeding: honey? (assuming honey is home from his 1,204 hours/day lawyer job) would you mind taking the baby for 15, well, 20 minutes? great. oh shit. i need to feed her first and her next feeding is in 30 minutes. well i could pump...nah, i'll just try to feed her now... // 30 minutes later (the baby was taking her time, snacking on the breast. she fell asleep a few times along the way.) ... hop on the bike for a 25 minute loop around the neighborhood, up that hill that leads into the park and back home.

OFF TOPIC: Typing numbers is hard

2006-07-07T18:34:00.000-07:00

You know what really grinds my gears??????

I'm a slow poke at typing numbers on a computer. I never learned to use the keypad thingee on the big keyboard. My laptop keyboard only has the numbers across the top. There is no home key for numbers. Therefore, I have to PAUSE and LOOK at the keyboard as I'm typing the numbers.

This grinds my gears.

Food Poisoning 1, Husband 0

2006-07-07T14:38:00.000-07:00

The husband calls from work Thursday afternoon, says he's not feelin' so hot. Does he want to be picked up? Nope. He says he's pedaling home.

When he gets home, way later than usual, he says he went about 10 miles per hour (slow) the whole way home, and promptly goes to the bathroom to puke, and puke, and shit and puke some more.

After a torturous night, he does look a damn sight slimmer this morning. What great lengths for our little contest!

Trash haiku

2006-07-06T20:51:00.000-07:00

From the husband...

96 days to get fast.

you will likely have no problem.

i may need the epo.

95 days left

2006-07-06T07:14:00.000-07:00

I feel like the woman in the photo above, without the smirk.

The fitness competition between myself and my husband has commenced. I SHALL BE VICTORIOUS!

Officially back on the bike

2006-06-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

I've been certified (got the doctor's okay at the 6 week checkup) and a day later I'm on the bike for my first non-under the radar ride.

I pumped (Medella hospital-grade pumps rock and so do double boob pumps!), left the bottle (and baby) with the husband and hopped on the bike.

I fit into my bike clothes, sort of. A few more pounds and my black Lycra shorts would have probably split down the middle. I'm sure my butt was hanging over both sides of the saddle, like an old man's flabby tummy over the lip of his pants.

My boobs haven't ever been so huge. They are giant moo cow teats and belong on my stomach like a real cow. Nevertheless, I put on a bra, nursing pads and my "fat" jersey.

I felt like Dolly Parton pre-surgery but I pressed on, clipped in and rode out of our cul-de-sac onto the street.

It was a warm day and I brought only one water bottle. I wouldn't be that thirsty because I wasn't going that far. Brilliant thinking, oh nursing one, oh out of shape one! I was out of water in approximately 10 minutes.

Rode to a local park and back, about 5 miles (that's pushing it) round-trip.

First, I stopped by a friend's house - they live near the park. They weren't home, so I pressed on, hitting the long hill in and out of the park.

Let's just say that I suck and all of the ice cream I ingested while pregnant and postpartum (people came over bearing ice cream more than once) is probably the main source of my weight.

What's more, triple chainring girl actually STOPPED two times on hilly terrain, mostly for fear she was overheating and would die. During one of the stops where I pulled the "get off the bike and pretend to inspect something" manuever which would somehow keep me from looking like an out of shape nincompoop, a concerned biker asked if I was okay to which I answered, "Thanks! I just had a baby!"

Concerned biker guy gave a knowing yet I haven't a clue nod and said "Good luck!" while peddaling onward.

Riding again...and the soundtrack for the ride

2006-05-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

We spent some time in the laid back college town of Yellow Springs, Ohio, today, and what do you know, we encountered a bike race!

It seemed -- as it always seems when I'm in a college town -- that everyone was riding a bike. Old guys were riding flat footed on cruisers with panniers, young kids were riding to their friends' houses, college kids were cruising around on their 80's throwback bikes...I could go on and on with the descriptions but you get the picture, especially since it's virtually the same picture in every college town.

There was plenty of team Lycra around town, and combined with the sunny mid-80's weather, I was itching to be back on the saddle, pereneal stitches and all. Don't worry, I didn't get back on -- my bike was sitting safely in our basement, unaware that it was great bike weather, perfect for soundtracks and movie opens.

I don't have the time to delve into what songs would be perfect for -- I have to pump before baby wakes up -- but I would include "Cosy In The Rocket" (you may know it as the Grey's Anatomy theme song) as a blase ride down the smooth, smooth road on an impossibly sunny day.

Babes on bikes

2006-05-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

I am beginning to research how to take little Anna bike riding. Of course, I'll leave the decision about when she's strong enough (head and neck strength, mainly) up to the doctor, but I need to get started on researching what to buy.

This lady took her child around in a trailer and simply attached the baby seat inside.

This place, the Bike Helmet Safety Institute, recommends (and I've read this other places) not to take baby along on any bike rides until she's at least one year old. In fact, some states prohibit kids under 1 year riding on bikes or in bike trailers.

This guy has a page that addresses trailers vs. kiddie bike seats.

The body yearns

2006-05-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

Anna is now 3 weeks old, and my body is yearning to get back on the bike. The spring showers have subsided, short sleeved shirts are making their way back upstairs from plastic tubs in basements and fat people on overpriced bikes are showing up on the streets of my neighborhood.

I'm feeling better, mostly. The lack of sleep isn't killing me, but I'm not completely healed up down there. I'm yearning to gingerly swing my leg over the bike, just to remember what it feels like, but I don't want to, erm, rip anything back open. That'd be inconvenient for me and the baby.

I have had very little - okay no - me-time, so I don't feel like I'm being a bad mamma, abandoning my babe, my sweetest of the sweetie pies, my most wonderful, special, adorable, perfect child. Instead, I'm interested in maintaining part of my own identity, and in time, enabling Anna to join me on bike rides.

So, I not-so-patiently wait for my followup doctor's appointment and hope he gives the thumbs up.

------
Speaking of postpartum cycling, this VeloNews article says 10 weeks postpartum is a typical back on bike schedule.

Spying on a perfectly nice Amsterdam family

2006-03-03T10:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a nice rush hour shot I took in Amsterdam.

View the image on Flickr

Photo: Pregnant lady riding the bike trainer!

2006-03-03T10:34:00.000-08:00

Click to visit the image on Flickr.

Bikes, not bombs

2006-03-03T10:29:00.000-08:00

Check out this story about an Ohio University graduate student who has been charged in a bomb scare.

University police say Patrick Hanlin of Three Rivers, Michigan, was the owner of a bicycle that had a sticker on it saying, "this bike is a pipe bomb."

After police discovered the bike chained in front of an on-campus restaurant, they shut down four university buildings, blocked off streets and called in the Columbus fire department bomb squad.

It determined the bike was safe.

Prego rides the trainer

2006-02-19T15:30:00.000-08:00

Now, I can add cycling as a tummy-obstacle sport.

This must be what it feels like to be a cyclist with a beer gut. You've seen them on the side of the road, looking silly with their $2,000 frames with $2,000 worth of components and $1,000 worth of matching clothing.

My pedal stroke took on an awkward shape as I pedaled while avoiding the tummy. I must fix that - don't want to injure myself.

Otherwise, this new trainer dealy is really cool.

We went for the covered wheel because it's a tad quieter, but didn't go for the super-expensive gel flywheel thingie because, well, it was expensive.

Saturday was my first attempt at riding in about five months. My legs were appreciative, but I didn't get a chance to ride that long because my big, fat pregnant butt started hurting nearly immediately.

Pink Jellybean likes to stand on my rectum and pereneum, so having pressure from the saddle and from the inside wasn't so comfortable.

Another obstacle, as I wrote above, was the ever-growing tummy. It's only started majorly jutting out in the past week, and it's made the bend-down tasks, like putting on my shoes, a little harder.

Now, I need handlebar extenders. Perhaps I could outfit my frame with monkey bars for the next three months.

Fortunately, my feet still fit in my cycling shoes. I did have to wear a pair of my husband's cycling shorts. I was quite a sight. Perhaps I'll post a picture if I'm feeling really bold.

Pregnant lady needs bike trainer

2006-02-06T06:27:00.000-08:00

At 6+ months pregnant, I'm no longer able to ride to work. Well, technically, I could, but my cycling gear really hurts when I put it on, my family would yell at me because my ride doesn't take me through the quietest or safest streets, and, well, it's darn cold outside.

To make matters worse, I haven't been excercising at all. I'm convinced my child will plop out a big fat doughnut (a cake doughnut, if you're wondering) and I'll have to spend all my time and effort weaning little Jellybean from refined sugars and white bread.

So, with three months to go in the pregnancy, I've decided to get my act together. I need to start eating right, which means eating green veggies every day, amongst other things. Dropping the Krispy Kremes would also be a good plan.

Although my body hasn't been craving broccoli, it has been craving exercise. Good, old fashioned exercise. My prenatal yoga class is for beached whales, and I'm not at at that stage yet. So that's almost anti-exercise.

(By the way, pre-natal classes are for big, fat couch potatoes. It was evident when the teacher asked for raised hands on the first day - who has done yoga before. No raised hands. Oh, so NOW you're going to exercise? Okaaay.)

So, back to my plan: I'm on the lookout for a trainer so I can cycle in the living room. I can watch movies or listen to the iPod while riding. I don't feel like investing in the "you're riding the Tour de France" DVDs although they sound like fun too.

Now, to accomplish said plan...

He rides!!

2006-01-24T18:42:00.000-08:00

The husband has ridden his bike to and fro work today for the first time!! I'm so proud of him.

Previously, he had ridden just to work and I had picked him up.

Oh, I'm so proud.

I'd love to be riding WITH him, but in my prego state, that's just not possible.

hardcore bike commuter

2005-12-16T10:18:00.000-08:00

he lives in maine and rides during the winter. need i say more?

Off the bike

2005-12-11T18:41:00.000-08:00

Today's installment of "Off the bike" profiles the ever-hilarious Joe McCloskey! We met Joe while on a summertime charity ride. He was working the sag van for his cycling club, which sponsored the event.

Q&A With Joe:

OTB: Tell us about this photo...

JM: My daughter got married in Hawaii, to a native fellow. Very nice native fellow. I have trouble pronouncing his name...I'm working on it. Anyway, I am a big party animal and my daughter knows that so she put me in charge of the rehearsal dinner. This was a photo from the shindig. I think it went really, really well. My son-in-law's family was so surprised, let me tell you!

OTB: Favorite post-ride meal?

JM: Anything that's not tacked down. (Laughs.)

OTB: Favorite music?

JM: Since it's holiday time, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra comes to mind. I like to get the whole family together and just splurge on tickets on a nice dinner beforehand. It really puts me in the holiday mood.

OTB: Best bike gift?

JM: Well, I really want the new Madone. I mean, I'm a bit overweight but I think that having such a nice bike would really inspire me to get back to fighting weight. I've mentioned it to the wife. We'll see what happens under the tree this year.

OTB: Name one of your non-bike hobbies

JM: Tell you what? I'll tell you about two of them. The first is collecting 8-tracks. Now I know it sounds weird, but you know, I started this in the 70's and just haven't stopped. It's fun to go to garage sales. I usually take my bike and wear a backpack so I can store any 8-tracks I pick up.

Thanks for your time, Jim.

Way cool site for un-tall female cyclists!!!!!!

2005-12-08T19:01:00.000-08:00

How cool is this?

At 5 feet, 1/2 an inch, I'm often the shortest cyclist around. Sometimes it seems like there are no resources for short cyclists.

Then you find Kerry's site...The sun comes out. Birds sing. Little puppies hop through green grass fields. That nice choral aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah sound comes from the sky...

Kerry has lots of info on short people cycling - specifically 'cross - and there's even a blog! Niiiice.

Well aren't you just the life of the party?

2005-12-04T16:43:00.000-08:00

Say you're rolling a party, and you want to make a good impression.

Why not use your wheels with the flowery spokes?

Here's a link to a how-to guide.

Tales from the car

2005-12-01T06:44:00.000-08:00

I've stopped bike commuting, for now. I feel fine and with the pregnancy at 4+ months, I'm not even really showing - I can still wear my regular jeans. However, the pressure from family and friends was huge so I stopped.

Today was tough. I was feeling nostalgic and in the mood to ride.

The morning was crisp and chilly, but not windy or snowy. I have a great balaclava and winter tights - the tights are getting tight though. I even have a big set of bike gloves that I can wear stretchy mittens under. Damn, I miss the bike commuting - even the winter commutes. I am feeling extremely selfish.

The car commuting thing is pretty easy to do but I feel kind of angry when I get to work. I don't exercise most mornings now - I intend to fix that - and I have pent up energy when I get to work.

p.s. File this under "now I've seen it all"...I saw a UNICYCLE COMMUTER today. To make things even more strange, husband was in the car and he said that there must be two of them - a woman and a man. So there you have it, unconfirmed report of MULTIPLE UNICYCLE COMMUTERS.

Non-commute report

2005-10-11T06:01:00.000-07:00

Miles today: Zero. Big fat zero. Had to go to some off-site strategic planning day thing and had to drive there.

Then, just like the comedy gods had planned, everyone in the entire universe -- I spotted five people, which is quite a high number for my area since I rarely see more than one other bike commuter in an entire day -- decides to bike commute home.

Perhaps everyone was bike commuting because it was A BEAUTIFUL DAY AND WE WON'T GET MANY MORE BEAUTIFUL DAYS THIS YEAR. PRETTY SOON WE'LL BE DIGGING OUR CARS OUT OF THE SNOW.

Yes, our off-site meeting had to take place on the nice day, the one with temps "above normal highs" as the weather man said on TV.

There's the whole gamut, including Practical Man, in his commuter-style helmet, Dockers, plaid button down and nicely outfitted (and complete with rear paniers) commuter-style bike.

I was so frustrated about driving to work that upon spotting a different bike commuter -- "I have a so-so 80's roadbike but I can still manage to look like a total hipster" -- I lowered my window and shouted "WOOOOOOOO!" No doubt he thought I was an evil car making fun of him or trying to scare him or something. I should have clarified my screaming with "GO BIKE COMMUTER GUY!"

Finally, I can't recount my bikeless day without the handy lime green team kit fellow. He was obviously headed up to the park near my work, as those other team kit folks have been heading in the same direction on Tuesdays. For him, I wanted to play team car and offer a bottle of water.

total cuteness

2005-10-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

This photo is from 2002 Studios.

Tugboat, choo-choo train

2005-10-10T06:17:00.000-07:00

One day, when there is a little person member of our family, we will get a child bike trailer.

It'll probably be attached to E's bike since he has rear brazons (those eyelet things soildered to the bike) on his Bianchi and my 44" Cannondale is probably shorter than the trailer!

Some parents strap their kids in the car in desperate efforts to get them to nap. Perhaps we will just ride the bike around the neighborhood for the same effect! Okay, I know that's wishful thinking since this is often a nighttime problem, but let a girl dream...

I haven't done much research, but so far, the Burleys look pretty nice.

There's a middle-class suburb just inside the loop that's full of uniform rows of $150,000 4-bedroom pop-up houses, eager soccer moms with minivans and pretty-good-but-not-great schools. I've heard that baby treasure hunters can get excellent deals on barely used baby items...There's no doubt that at least one yard sale will yield a well-priced, once used Burley trailer.

I'm not big on buying used, but a piece of simple mechanical equipment that we'll use for about 3 years doesn't seem like a long-term investment...

Exercising for two: Cycling

2005-10-09T23:44:00.000-07:00

I've been reading up lately on the rights and wrongs of exercising while pregnant.

With regards to biking, my doctor says:

Falling off is a bad (goodbye cyclocross season and going BMXing with Dave - thankfully they'll both be around next year)
Getting out of breath/overheated is also bad
If you feel off balance, bullet point #1 will be an issue
Otherwise, go for it!

Most doctors -- including mine -- say that when it comes to healthy pregnancies, heart rate limits are very old school, especially since different pregnant women have different pre-established fitness levels.

Instead, the best way to see if you're going too far is to keep the "talk test" in mind. If you can take a ride and maintain a conversation without huffing and puffing, you're okay. Of course, there's no one to talk with during my commute, so I keep this in mind. As things progress, I'll probably start talking to myself while riding -- ooh flattering!

I have stopped racing but have read of some women who have raced while pregnant. I'm guessing most doctors would advise against this for the malpractice worries alone! And, what's the point of getting pregnant if you're going to jeopardize your health and your future child's health?

I'm still bike commuting with no problem and won't stop until there's a reason to: I start showing, things start getting uncomfortable physically or mentally, or I start feeling off balance - whichever comes first. My family is interested in my stopping NOW but hasn't been forceful about it - just little comments here and there. I do have an almost 1-mile UPHILL on my commute home. It's not a slope or a slight grade, it's a HILL, but so far I'm not out of breath at all, so I don't think I'm pushing it.

Take it easy...
My daily bike commute covers some fairly busy roads so it usually makes more sense to be worried about the other drivers. What's been surprising is that I'm having to remind *myself* to stay extra cautious. I'd say that off-bike, I'm more aggressive as a pregnant lady than I am usually - though I'm no wuss usually.

For now, I have to curb my appetite for:

Going around stopped cars

Riding through yellow traffic lights

Pushing myself to go faster when I get bored

Racing other bike riders I spot on the road. No full-out blowing past their sorry asses (for another 9 months or so)!

This was especially annoying last week. I was leaving work and a lady in full team kit was riding on the road beside me, obviously headed for some evening group ride. I could totally take her - even in my current state - but I had to hold back. I could smell her vibe: "Come on - you have a pretty nice bike. Let's race!" I played the "I don't see you game" instead...

Commute report

2005-10-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: 2631.4

Last night's dream: I was in a beautiful, futuristic multi-use facility with a friend (having coffee, I think) when I spotted TWO iPods on benches, just sitting there. I took one, not because I like iPods but because I wanted the music in it. Odd.

Commute report

2005-10-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

Miles when we got to work: 2621.8

Of interest: We're in an October warm snap. That's just swell!!

Commute report

2005-09-28T06:24:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: Not sure becuase my cyclometer is temporarily lost

Of interest: Some guy tried to race me in the park today. It was that kind of race where we don't discuss that there's a race, we just race. Well, I won and wasn't breathing hard.

Wacky dream: It was a three-parter. Part one, I'm in a lecture hall where other professional writers - everyone from fiction writers to technical writers - were sitting, listening to some guy say that because you wrote it, you technically own it. After the seminar, everyone proceeded to go to bookstores and snatch their books for free, and... this leads to part two of the dream...

In part two, I went to a fried food factory place that made lots of breakfast food (no doubt this has something to do with the chain breakfast place TV commercial I saw last night) and the technical writer whom I had met at the seminar took me into the company cafeteria. They suggested I take whatever food I'd like, since they'd written the manual on how the factory workers were supposed to do their jobs.

So I got in the cafeteria line and it was like Charlie and the Fried Food Factory. They had no less than four kinds of waffles - one was totally fried but still soft on the inside, kind of like a funnel cake, another was a regular waffle but it was fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth good. Anyway, I proceeded to the end of the line and they didn't charge me because I was with the writer. It was splendid.

I've now forgotten the third part of the dream...

Today's picture: Children's book "Gretchen the Bicycle Dog"

Sorta commute report

2005-09-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: Didn't check, was in too much of a rush

Highlight of the commute: Getting a flat, discovering I am an idiot (it took 29 years!) because I wasn't carrying a spare tube, attempting to patch my injured tube which luckily was patchable, discovering that my first patch didn't hold, attempting to put on my second patch which also didn't hold, furiously adding more vulcanizing cement until my fingers were all black - and the tube still wasn't fixed, finally a 1/2 hour later calling husband to pick me up and shuffle me off to work since i was only 3 minutes from his work. yay for nice husbands who are willing to pick up their idiot wives just 15 minutes before scheduled meetings. yay.

Why my bike shop is #1: They are willing to leave spare tubes for me behind the dumpster behind their shop on the day that they close at 5 and I can't to the shop by 5.

To do list: I need to trim my patches so that they are not TOO BIG for my 650 tubes. The big ones never seem to hold. When will I get this through my head? Oh, now, I guess.

Commute report

2005-09-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: 2597.0

About the photo: This guy was upset because his bike was stolen, but then he found a DUMPSTER BIKE. Looks okay to me!

Commute report

2005-09-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work today: 2588.6

Of interest: There's this one sidestreet on my way to work that isn't hilly (compared to the others) and isn't busy and hasn't been much of a bother at all, but now someone's dumped SAND on a two-block stretch of road. It's nice that it isn't a particularly steep or busy road because I make it my business to go around the clumps of sand.

Commute report

2005-09-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: 2580.2

Like a daisy: It feels great to ride after a few days off. I always hate to take time off, but I do feel great!

Of interest: The commisary smelled like danish today. If I didn't have to go to work, I might have stuck around and just sniffed the air for a few extra minutes. Also, it was the first day of school at the university campus I ride through. Traffic was packed, but I rode right by. Ha ha!

Photo: Low-ri-duh from Mexico. Sweet.

Did not ride report

2005-09-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: I didn't ride today

What's my good excuse for not riding? There must have been horrible thunderstorms, right? Nope. My bike must have broken in half, right? Nope. I was just very late. I still should have ridden, as I've been later before and ridden and it's been okay. I WILL ride tomorrow.

Why was I late? We live in a duplex and our downstairs neighbor, although she's the sweetest person ever - folded our laundry without us asking, brought us some cheese from her visit to Wisconsin - smokes. For some reason, every single time the woman has a cigarette, the stench wafts into our house. Every single time. It's not just a faint odor, it's ALL OVER, in every room, and it STINKS. It must stop.

Commute report

2005-09-16T10:17:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: 2575.9

About the photo: Even though I love my 1 lb. Black Diamond Bullet Bag, naughtily, I have been searching for the next cool bag. It's silly because I am not going to buy one, especially since I don't need one. Nonetheless, the Rumble Fish Messenger Bag has caught my eye. It's cooler than the now-uncool Timbuk2 bags.

Commute report

2005-09-15T14:53:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got home from work today: 2571.7

Of interest: I saw two bike commuters on my way home today and one (the only one in my city that I know of) bike messenger while heading to lunch

Not quite as tired: I know I just jinxed myself by writing that. I think that that extra hour of sleep per night and the after-work naps are helping my body not shut down during the middle of the day.

Today's photo: Found via a Google Image search as usual. It's from the website for B.I.K.E., Bicycles and Ideas for Kids Empowerment, which seems to be a pretty cool organization. It may be an optical illusion, but it looks like the chain's on the right side of the bike...

In the bike news...

Commute report

2005-09-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: 2542.7

Lame: I am feeling really lame lately. Slow and tired, mostly. Like people keep putting bricks in front of my bike and I have to ride over them. I think this will correct a bit starting this week - husband and I have switched again to 100% unprocessed foods and I'm heading back to yoga starting today.

Filed under "because we ride": Forget those turbo power super carbo gross-o health suppliments that come in cans and you can make "shakes" out of them. For a healthy pre, post or during-ride snack, try a delectable HOSTESS FRUIT PIE. They're just amazing. It's been years since I've had one, but damn it, I'm going to get around to eating one soon because they're little fried gifts from God.

Commute report

2005-09-08T05:31:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: 2514.7

Drivers yelling at me today: One, an ANGRY guy in a construction truck who objected to my use of the crosswalk while the WALK LIGHT was on. He got out of his truck to explain that that wasn't okay. I don't think he has anything else on his mind, nope.

Commute report

2005-09-07T06:35:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: 2506.3

Today's photo: This is another photo from my recent trip to the Netherlands and Denmark. It's 5 p.m. and the market in Amsterdam - I forget which one, not the tulip market - is tearing down for the day. They're boxing up the endless rows of fish, backpacks, nuts, messenger bags, cheap ruffled dresses, made in China tees and crappy shoes. Husband and I took a load off for some yummy capuccino and to rush hour people watch. This photo isn't my best, but I decided to add it anyway because of the moment it brings back. We got the free arts papers and sat down to figure out what to do that evening. We read that Jurassic 5 was playing and hiked on over to Paridiso to get some tickets. The show was great, J5 was full of energy for the show, the acoustics were perfect and the venue wasn't too smoky, despite a guy smoking a j right next to me, which is legal, or at least tolerated...

Charlevoix, Michigan

2005-09-06T13:13:00.000-07:00

We ended up bringing our bikes, despite the extra gas expense. We saw lots of bikers around, many on cruisers, but many also on nice road bikes. It's a "gently rolling" area overall.

We didn't end up having much time to ride around, so we took the trail (rails to trails, gotta love it) to Petoskey for lunch and then back to Charlevoix, about 20 miles each way.

Some guy on the trail was trying to "beat" us speed-wise, but when I passed him, he stopped pedaling in order to swig water from his bottle. Smooth move, not. Then, husband pointed out that dude had a KICKSTAND. Boy did I feel lame. Who cares about whipping someone with a KICKSTAND??????????????

Commute report

2005-09-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: 2447.9

Last night: Went on the club ride and had a lot of fun though my bike is acting funky.

About the photo: I have finally started uploading photos from my Amsterdam trip. I plan to upload a whole bunch to my personal site - sorry, no link - and perhaps a few here as well. This photo is a typical rush hour scene from Amsterdam. A kiddie extention for the fiets (bike) and a daddy in his business suit riding home, probably after picking up the kids at daycare.

So, the moral of the story is, if gas prices are getting you down and you want one of these pedal-powered SUVs, just visit this site: Fietsfabriek.nl

Hurricane Katrina spares bicycle

2005-08-30T03:46:00.000-07:00

More Amsterdam impressions....

2005-08-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

Amsterdam is the Las Vegas of Northern Europe, probably due to the omnipresent Brit stag parties

The line at the Anne Frank House really does move quickly

Kiddies ride along in bike "pumpkin seats" in between the rider and the handlebars. The little kiddies do not wear helmets.

In fact, no one wears bike helmets

Most women pedal in high heels

The weather in Amsterdam was a bit chillier than I expected

The Stedelijk Nuseum was my favorite museum in town.

It's possible to walk along and find a tasty restaurant

It's also true that most restaurants in town do not serve Dutch food. The only exception is the pancake houses. We stumbled upon one that looked hole-in-the-wall but ended up being really tasty, and, halfway through the meal I noticed some autographs taped to the wall -- some movie stars had been there recently.

I wanted to go to the garlic restaurant because I love garlic. Didn't make it. Luckily, it looks like there are plenty of garlic restauraunts in the US as well.

We were dedicated to keeping a full plate, but not running from place to place. In addition, we had more ideas for restaurants and activities than we could have achieved. Consequently, we missed a few museums we wanted to hit, including "Our Lady of the Attic", and missed Boom Chicago, which is supposed to be hilarious. We also missed, the. I was curious about the Jamie Oliver restaurant, but there also seemed to be too much hype surrounding that place...Plus, the Pasa Doble tapas restaurant was lively and had great sangria. (It was a "we were just walking by" restaurant.)

Other restaurants we wanted to try but didn't get to: Supperclub and

Enjoyed: Jurrasic 5 at Paradiso. Wow, the acoustics in that place are GREAT.

Before I forget....

2005-08-28T17:33:00.000-07:00

On the topic of: Amsterdam and bikes

Glad I didn't bring my bike? Yes
Sad I didn't acquire a junkie bike? Yes
Does everyone have a heavy-duty, super duper bike CHAIN? Yes, even the kids' Big Wheels
Do cars yield to bikes in A'dam? Yes
What color are most of the bikes in A'dam? Any color you'd like as long as it's black

I'll upload some photos later this week.

Commute Report

2005-08-19T23:00:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got home: 23485.0 (I forgot to write it down when I got to work)

Of interest: Today was the first rainy day commute in awhile. The rain cooled things down in the morning but by afternoon, when it was sunny again, the outdoors was muggy as hell. We just got back from a backyard BBQ party where it was still muggy as hell.

Pre-Amsterdam

2005-08-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

Lock em up: Such a demonstrative photo. Even the crappy little kids bikes are locked up with HEAVY CHAINS. Check out Rob's b&w photo gallery of Amsterdam bikes. Very well done.

Helmets: Practically no one wears a helmet while riding in Amsterdam, or so I've read. Odd. I'm actually thinking of leaving mine home since we aren't bringing our bikes after all and our rentals will probably chug along slowly.

Where to rent? I've just started looking, but MacBike sounds like a popular place. Damstraat Rent A Bike sounds cool too.

Ugh: I really wish bike theft wasn't so much of a problem in A'dam. If it wasn't, I'd much rather bring my Cannondale and in addition to getting around town, ride the extensive bike trails the city has to offer. I do know my road bike would stand out among the beater bikes and solid commuter bikes of the city. Therefore, I'd probably be spending more time locking up the bike, removing the seat, etc., etc., than actually doing stuff.

Granny bikes: Apparently the term for the practical looking bikes that populate Amsterdam is OMA FIETS, aka, granny bikes.

More about the bike thing from VirtualTourist: Click here

Commute report and more

2005-08-18T06:48:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: 2376.5

Debating: Should we take the bikes to Amsterdam this weekend? We're thinking not, since the incidence of bike theft there is VERY high and we may take a side trip to Paris. We are now deciding whether we should bring our helmets, pedals and shoes or just scrap it. I'm leaning towards scrap it altogether...

Club ride: I had a great time again. Didn't know what to expect when we decided to ride with the next speed group up, but it was no trouble at all. We saw the same curious problem that we saw with the slower group last week - people are not used to hills. It's odd, since we were definitely on the fatter side, and yet people with very pricey bikes and toned looking bodies had trouble on the hills. I also expected more hills than last week's ride, but this wasn't really the case.

About the photo: From Paris Bike Tour

Commute report

2005-08-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: 23444.0

Tonight: Group ride with the cycle club

Commute report

2005-08-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: 2335.7

Of interest: Rode to the bike trail yesterday - the one that takes us about 35 minutes and two highways to drive to! It was about a 50 mile round trip and we only rode about 15 miles on the trail, as it was looking kinda stormy - of course it didn't storm. The route we took to the bike trail was pretty good, and we hit several hills and one BIG ASS hill as well. I actually got off the bike in the middle of the hill and stopped for a few seconds because I was feeling HOT (not tired) and all those TV news stories have been airing about people dying of heat stroke have scared me! Regardless, we had a fun time and felt pretty studly when we got back home.

Special report

2005-08-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

I have won a race!

Sure, it was only 10 miles and the category was for women who had never raced before, but I - someone without a team - beat someone from a team.

The course was a fairly flat, windy loop with a hill towards the end. Towards the start of the race, I managed to work out a mutal draft situation with the girl who was leading with me, but towards the end I killed her on the hill and by the final lap it was cemented, the cute trophy with the girl cyclist (boobies and ponytail!) was all mine!

I have no average speed stats, as my cyclometer registered "e" for my average speed. I seem to remember I was solidly in the mid-20's for most of the race.

Commute report

2005-08-12T08:31:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: 2254.1

You know what's frustrating? When the rain starts falling horizontally JUST as you're putting your bike helmet on to go home. You wait about 15 minutes, but the radar doesn't indicate that the downpour's going to dry up. You think about riding in it anyway, but then you hear thunder. Since your husband is off work this week, you call him and ask for a ride. As soon as he arrives at work, the sun peeks out and the rain halts. To make things even more annoying, about three blocks away from the workplace, you notice COMPLETELY DRY ROADS. Yes, you've just been fooled by a selective rainstorm. Argh.

Commute report

2005-08-11T05:54:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: 2247.6

Recap, club ride: Very nice people. We went in the slow group because we didn't know what to expect. We saw some slick looking riders and bikes and since the slow group was advertised as 15 - 17 average on hilly roads, we thought we'd be safe, not sorry.

As the number of riders grew in the parking lot, I said hi to a few acquaintances, and was pleasantly surprised that such a wide variety of folks showed up. Although some people were clearly racers and some clearly citizens, most bikes were pretty nice and nearly everyone was in a jersey and bike shorts.

The tradition behind this ride was also very comforting. Apparently this ride is older than I am, and in a way it's like the grownup version of Critical Mass. These folks go on the road like they should, but they're ultra observant, like going single-file if there's a car back.

We rode out from the parking lot and onto city streets until we hit a short bike trail that took us out to less populated roads. It was a swell loop, though I could have used some more hills.

The slow group had a no-drop policy, which made cycling tough, as the ride leader kept stopping at turns, waiting for folks to catch up. This is a good policy because many of the folks didn't know where they were going, but it's also hard to get the heart rate up if you're constantly stopping and waiting...and waiting for that last straggler.

The speed was definitely lower than advertised. I know this the beginner group, but I expected some more skills. For example, minor hills - to me - are for spinning, not coasting, and I always approach the base of a hill with some momentum. These guys were going so painfully slow that heading uphill was a bigger chore than it needed to be.

Regardless, it was nice to be with such a social bunch. I spent a good bit of time in the beginning talking with a chemical engineer. Then, when I couldn't take it anymore - the pace, not the conversation, I rode in the front (so far in front that I think the rest of the group was a road or two behind us because we couldn't see them) with a British guy who was pretty interesting as well.

I did want to talk with the couple on the tandem but didn't get a chance. The wife seems to have prosthetic legs below the knee, either that or really odd socks. That's cool that she was riding.

The organization was great. Each group (there were either 4 or 5, from the slow folks to the studly) had a leader, and a main ride leader laid down the law to the entire group before the ride began.

Next week we'll try the next group up. They take a hillier route - ours was amazingly unhilly - and ride a few more miles. If we get dropped, so be it. More than anything, I hope to keep up instead of staying out front.

I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the group. Apparently, 150 people showed up for last week's ride. This week I'd say there were 50. Even so, that's a nice group.

Commute report

2005-08-10T08:13:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: 2216.7

Thinkin' of... Going on my first club ride tonight. I've been on organized rides and group rides, but never a ride with an actual "bicycle club". If I ride over to the starting point after work, I hope I'm not too tired before the ride even begins!

Cool site: Steal It Back is a police auction site with a large selection of bikes. Unfortunately, I'm not in NYC.

Today's image/also sweet: BikeTV

Commute report

2005-08-09T06:09:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: 2208.2

Weather: Nice! Not too hot, not too cold.

Lungs: A little achy. I always swear I'm not going back to a smoky bar like the one we were at last night. The smoke makes the night extremely uncomfortable and I really regret it the next day, but alas, I went to a Monday night concert and now I'm paying for it.

About the photo: Found it here. Raleigh bikes and cigarettes were/are made by different companies with the same name, I believe. If they were both manufactured by the same company, that'd be like owning a kosher seafood restaurant run by nun prostitutes.

Sadness: VeloDiablo has stopped bike blogging for now. Major bummer. I checked his site daily.

Commute report

2005-08-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: 2199.9

Tricked: After this Sunday's ride, I was really hankering for some evil sugary cereal. After much time pondering in the aisle, I purchased what I thought was a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Despite eating this cereal in the past, I absolutely hated the flavor this morning, but I didn't want to be wasteful, so I finished up. As I was finishing up and reading the box, I noticed a TEENY message at the bottom of the box - Made with SPLENDA. Grrrrrrr, I hate the supersweet taste of sugar substitutes. (Yes, I intend to notify the company.)

Commute report

2005-08-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Miles when I got to work: 2137.3

Of interest: Do not pick up a 7 foot long PVC pipe and pretend that you're in the circus's bicycle high-wire act, especially if you're on a slope. That's a bad, bad idea, especially when you go over your handlebars onto the blacktop. I knew someone that happened to. I can't disclose who it is, though.

Today's image: A real bicycle high-wire act, as seen on Charles Schwartz Ltd.'s website.

Welcome to the jungle

2005-08-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

Total props to Lucas Brunelle, the guy with the videocamera. NYC street racin'.

This vid is totally like the G&R pinball machine with the bikes as pinballs and the vehicles as the flippers.

More vids available at http://www.digave.com/videos/