Cycle Chic?

For those who wonder what happens to bike bloggers when they are not blogging...



It isn't as glamorous as one might think ; P

Left to right-

K.T. Vélo Vogue

Mikael- Copenhagen Cycle Chic

Meligrosa- Bikes And The City (and of course, here at CYLRAB, but you already knew that : )

It ain't always pretty, folks : )

Small Packages

Aiko here is making the blog rounds this week, and one look at her will tell you why- she is damn cute!



Cute, though, is just the door to this wonderful story. Aiko is 84 and rides the 150 miles of the 2 day City to Shore MS ride in New Jersey. She has done this every year for over 20 years. She rides a single speed bike, she wears the clothes she always wears (including her heels) and she rides the race with her family (including great-grandchildren!!) as a team.


Aiko is a remarkable woman, to be sure. More than that, though, she is the benchmark of what we should all strive for. She is a woman without boundaries. With complete style, being only herself, she completes tasks that most of us think of as monumental but really only require a different point of view to be manageable. Through a simple, determined act, Aiko proves that the only things that hold us back are our own, self imposed mental limitations.



Reading her story makes me want to ride. It makes me want to be better as a person. It also makes me want to start a purse and heels group to do some charity riding! Who wants to join me?

(huge thanks to "the skepticaloptimist" for the pictures!!!)

Shazaaammm!

I usually leave cycle chic posts over at "Vélo Vogue", but this one just had to go here. We'll call it an homage to my bike blogging beginnings : )







From Flickr group member, Sweet Olive.

It may be time to step it up, people! How good can you look on your bike?

CPH? Nah baby, this is North Beach in SF

Saw this lovely picture in CPH

copenhagenize.com
Saw this lovely memory from beers and my super babes.
The frenchie and mixte friends Melyssa's and Adrienne's.


Of course CPH is flat. And mixtes look so much better in our crazy SF hills. Just sayin - /Love ♥m.

The Devil Bikes

Over at Copenhagen Cycle Chic there is a discussion going on about an ad for Dior Perfume. It depicts a young woman on a bicycle holding a very large bottle of perfume. One of the commentors to the post asked "Is it just me or is anyone else sick of cycling being the latest fashion trend?"

My answer? Everything is fashion, it just takes some people longer to catch on. We look to others for guidance all the time, even if we don't realize it. Even those who choose to buck the trend still need a trend to oppose. In this case, I hope it gets trendy as hell because every once in awhile, trends stick and become culture (Shakespeare, democracy, educating woman....)

Meril Streep's answer-

LA Cycle Chic Ride: shopping on Melrose

Invite from Cosmo of lacyclechic.blogspot.com

Come join LA Cycle Chic for a really relaxed ride to shopping on Melrose. We'll meet at Scoops and people can get ice cream while they are getting ready to ride or if people prefer they can get ice cream after or not at all. Scoops is vegan friendly. Also Pure Luck vegan restaurant is right across the street in case people want to get dinner after. There are also plenty of places along the route if we need refreshment. The Metro Redline stops as Vermont & Santa Monica and it is a short ride from there to where we are meeting. Parking can be tricky in the area so plan to arrive early if you are driving. As a group we'll decide how much shopping we do. Dress should be chic. I hope you can make it.
(this is Cosmo. she's awesome)

Edit: If you are planning on attending please sign up to follow us on Twitter that way we can tweet where we are and you can tweet us and everyone can K.I.T.

A Little Coppenhagen, A Little San Francisco

That crazy rabble rouser from Copenhagen, Mikael Coleville-Andersen is going to be here in San Francisco. He will be giving a lunch time talk at SPUR, titled "Bike Like The Danes". The talk is open to the public (free to members, $5 for everyone else).

photo by Amsterdamize who needs to come to SF next!

I will be in the audience hoping to get some tips on selling this lifestyle to the world. The more I ride and the more I write about it, the more I know in my bones that we need to get more people out of their cars. Not just for the planet, but for all of us as people.

Hope to see you there! If you see me in the back, come sit with me! I have enough pictures of myself out there, you will recognize me : P

Tuesday Injection of Fun: Mischievousettes.

Yeah. we are up to something. When aren't we?!

Preview

I am a very loyal person. I have no problem holding on to something for a really long time while using it all the time. One of the things I have had, since the late 90's (my stepfather had it prior to that from 1988) is my old bike, Baby (named so because "nobody puts Baby in the corner").



Baby is a 1987 Specialized Rockhopper Comp that has been modified to be a super comfortable commuter. She has been taken care of very well over her 22 years and is great to ride. The only reason I stopped riding her is because I needed a smaller frame (this one is extra large and just a tad too big for me at 6'). Even with the size issue, I have taken this bike all over the SF Bay Area over the years.



Baby's yellow fenders always make me happy!




While I love talking about my bike, I have a purpose.

Baby needs a home! While I will write up the details of this sometime this week, it comes down to this- I want Baby to go to a good home where she will be used and cared for. So here are the basics.

1) I will give Baby to the lucky recipient. If this person is not within easy delivery /pick up distance (50ish miles) we will have to work out shipping (which is not expensive).

2) She will come as is (she is 22 years old. She has been completely maintained, is solid and will come tuned and ready to go, but as with all older bikes, she is not perfect and has nicks and scratches and will most likely need some maintenance work in the not too distant future).

3) Baby will come with her lovely yellow fenders, her wonderful orange bell and a child safety seat (I will take pictures of the set up later this week so everyone can see what is really on offer here).

4) The idea is for Baby to go to someone who really wants to start a bike life, but for whatever reason, needs a bike and can not get one. This could be you, but I am really looking for someone who has been nominated by a friend. Do you know someone who needs a solid bike to get a kid around with?

So there it is. Look for complete details later this week and start thinking about someone you know who could give Baby the home she deserves!

I Would Not Have Thought It Possible

Three thousand, four hundred and forty seven miles from October 14th, 2008 to October 14th 2009. That is how far I have got puttering around town, buying groceries and going to work. It wasn't a monumental effort. It was just daily life.

It isn't the distance that is important. It was what I got out of those miles that counts- new friends, new opportunities, new strength, new life!

Get out and ride my friends! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

A parking problem that fits 12.

Parking is hard to find in the city, unless you are rolling to a coffee shop with us.
Joe and the Mojo cafe crew. Always rad. Always fun.
We would have fed the meter, but it was past 6 PM...

Independent machines.

Who said parking in SF is hard?

VIBs (Very Important Bicis)

Unite Bike 2009: San Francisco!

// ♥ We will all be around, striking a pose :D

Don't forget to join us Sunday 5PM
Location: TBA

This years Unite Bike photo will happen in 3 different cities, in Minneapolis-St. Paul – it’s origin, in San Francisco, and in Austin, Texas. The Unite Bike idea is traveling to new places this year because from the beginning it was envisioned to be more of a new kind of solidarity then just a group photo of people with bicycles.

This Sunday, October 25th
+info & join the list:
Unite Bike

Twitter
Facebook

The Fun Factor

This is not directly bike related, but it is most certainly relevant (forget this is from VW. Pretend it is from Bianchi or something).




Some are uncomfortable with the silly side of cycling. They think it trivializes riders as over grown children. I am OK with being an overgrown child, because children know how to make things fun.

photo by pagedesign

If you can live in it, should we laugh it off?

photo by craparu

Why not make a ride sparkle? Is it any less a human powered machine because it has a disco ball? I think not!

photo by pedale. barrique

And when was the last time a smile and a wave from a man in pink spandex did not make you feel happy?

The fun factor- how do you find it on your bike?

Three Wheels, Ninety-Two Years

This lovely picture and story was sent into our Flickr group by "Cold Iron", a bicycle mechanic at Cycle City in Alameda, Ca. He sends in lots of pictures of his customers with their bikes. I like the stories he puts with the pictures because they show us all that a cyclist is just a person with a bike. This story, however, was super special to me. I just recently ended 12 years of working with Senior Citizens and this generation is, by far, my favorite. With a daily dwindling number of WW2 vets left, to see one out on a trike... makes my month!

Mr. F was born in 1917.

He's lived through 17 U.S. Presidents.
He was 9 or 10 when Charles Lindbergh became the first man to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.
He was 22 when the Nazis invaded Poland.
He was 30 when the British left India.
He was 39 (my current age) when Elvis made his television debut on the Milton Berle Show.
He was 52 when Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon.
He was 64 when Iran freed the hostages from the American Embassy in Tehran.
He was 73 when the Berlin Wall came down.
He was 86 when the Centenial of Powered Flight was celebrated at Kitty Hawk.

I am fascinated with the history of the 20th Century, and it's a real treat for me to know such a man.

I think there is so much that can be learned from someone who's lived through so much change... and can keep a positive energy, and a fresh attitude... the way he has.

I plan on riding well into ride into my 90's. When I grow up, I want to be just like Mr. F.

Why We Ride

There are a million reasons why we ride. Maybe we ride so we can be the wind.

photo by Giorgio Vianini. Quick! Go look at his AMAZING photography!

Why do you ride? What does it look like? Let us know!

Tuesday Injection of Fun: Bike life is colorful!!

Frome Cycle Chic by WestfieldWanderer

A Wee Bit Damp

: )

Tutu + Bicycle = Meligrosa's Birthday

Meligrosa is a year older, a year wiser, and now the proud owner of a purple tutu!


Meli called the ride a few days ago



and we all arrived to drink coffee and ride through the City




We rode under blue skies with a gentle breeze and the beauty of Golden Gate Park



and then to prove we are all adults, we played on our favorite bike racks





A good day was had by all. Of course, because it was Meli's birthday and we all love her!

I will leave the rest of the story telling to Meli who hopefully has more pictures because very few of mine came out !

Urban Riding

What do urban riders look like? They look like you and me! They look like this



Some of San Francisco's most popular bicycle corridor is being completely torn up (to make it 50 times better!) but that does not mean that we have to be frumpy or frightened!

picture by Iam SterdamOf c

We can let our beards free in the wind!

picture by Meligrosa

In the City, we can take our curry for a ride knowing full well we will be followed and appreciated.

picture by Sexify Bicycles

Of course, a little walk through the city is a pleasant thing.

photo by Bike Hugger

Maybe you feel like ghost riding a bike with a hundred of your friends?

picture by Visser62

There are those urban cyclists that have things to take across town, so they do.

photo by Amsterdamize

And sometimes, you realize you are fresh out of super cute toddlers and you have to run to the store to get one : )

The moral of the story? Get out on your bikes you Urbanites!

Missing The Mark

Bicyclists are becoming a force to reckon with. Car companies are making fun of us! When you discover you can not beat them, and before you join them, you tease them.





Of course, they fail to understand that anyone who is contemplating bicycles for transportation is no longer interested in overpowered machines that can pass illegally while speeding on blind curves. They also seem to think that those of us who do ride for transportation are not capable of riding to work in the rain in proper rain attire or in a straight line.

Aahhh, advertising- hoping you are too stupid to know when your intelligence is being insulted.

TGIF!! Tag along

With his dad. by Iam sterdam

Give me more. Fog, cement and readings.

Today when I got home from work I fed my cat and headed back downstairs to grab my frenchie. Out Out is all I could think.
Riding around the city is all I can think about when I'm at work. Like the city skyline is calling my name and pulls me by a rope to join the masochist society and ride those hills up, down, back around.
The structure of the streets, tunnels, bridges and hills spin my personal perspective widening it every year . As I become a wiser cyclist (you can never be so used to hills, you know..) and an even bigger wanderluster, my focus this month is cement.
Cement on bridges, cement and pavement smoothly re-done on bike lanes - or lack thereof, oil spills, smooth sidewalks for pedestrians and the inevitable steep hills with all the fall leaves colorfully soothing the eyes with that brownish red taste that looks so rad in contrast with the fog.
Ding-ding.
I look over the north-east end of the city and the fog is wait, that isn't fog, that is a steam-like cloud sitting atop the bay water. Ladies and gentleman, we are now floating in space.

I have been reading about cement structures with the recent 20th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake. Here is a nice piece I found about Moses, david vs.goliath case, and the oppositions to freeways in the teh NYC:
•Removing Freeways - Restoring Cities.

The bicycle, and cities, and we, as residents of the world. It is something that we are all already contributing to, step by step, towards a better end. That is a good step forward.
It will happen.
In the meantime I will take the longer route to hit an extra coffee shop and maybe meet some cute guy along the way. Or a new bikey friend. Cheers /xo♥m

09/25 yehudamoon.com

Have you read any essay, article book, that has taken you out of the pages and not only because of the bicycle, but as a citizen, human and vehicle for well-being pushed you to think more about certain aspects of your daily life? or perhaps triggered further reading in a specific topic (cement?!?? -what)

Blogging For Climate Change

Climate change. It blows. I should be able to write something more intelligent about it, but the fact is I can't. What we are experiencing right now is the result of a 100 years of expanding population, expanding economies, expanding technology.... and after all expansion comes retraction. This is what I see as "climate change". Nature is pulling us back because we have not pulled ourselves.

Photo by Rocketdog

What does this have to do with bicycles? It is easy to see that riding a bicycle is good, and others have done a great job pointing that out. I am afraid that I am a bit more... pessimistic about it. To me, I think that we better get used to it now, 'cause in another 20 years, there will be many, many fewer options for us when it comes to how to get around.

I write this because it is Blog Action Day and bloggers across the globe are being asked to blog about climate change today (and because I am a hopeless joiner from the looks of it). The hope is for a larger, global conversation to come out of it. A laudable goal, to be sure.

For myself, I am not sure that the challenge of tackling global climate change is how I want to look at bicycling. It is too large an issue for an individual to tackle. I prefer to look at cycling as a means of changing my own, personal climate- how I feel in my own body, how I improve my own life. The only thing we can change is ourselves, and one of the tools I use in that pursuit is my bicycle (and blogging). While my riding may or may not make a difference to the globe, it makes a difference to me. Hopefully, along the way, it makes a difference to someone else.

photo by Klemmin

Sorry I can't contribute a more rah-rah POV, but there it is.

Addendum- I find it interesting that when looking at registering the blog at the Blog Action Day website, I was asked to choose from a list of possible blog topics- Iraq, celebrity, cars, blogging, social media, Mommy & Me, "green"..... there was nothing for bikes or transportation or New Urbanism. Seems a bit strange to me considering the topic.

Bike Culture. Yay Or Ney?

I have a family blog that does not get updated enough these days. With three kids, James and I are usually pretty busy, so writing can get shoved to the side. Today I was looking for a picture I knew was on the family blog when I ran across this post from my Hubby the Bike Man. I didn't realize he had posted it (I haven't even looked at the family blog for months!).

James & His Xtracycle

While discussing the topic of American bike culture with our new found friend Geoff, he explained how no such thing existed while he lived in Amsterdam.

Huh?

How can that be? How can the city where bikes have the privilege of having roads made specifically for them, where every one rides a bicycle, have no bike culture. Further discussion on the matter lead to some enlightening conclusions that come at you like a bus full of Vegas bound retirees. And it seemed so obvious in hind sight, in a way not so unlike the cartoon light bulb going off.

The discussion started with a simple question not unfamiliar to American cyclists: "What kind of cyclist are you?". Most American cyclist will have a natural answer at the ready. The terms "weekend warrior", "roadie", "mountain biker", "downhiller", "BMXer" come to mind. Yet that very same question would perplex someone from Amsterdam. The bicycle is so ingrained into the every life of the Amsterdamer, that they no longer think of it as a facet of their lives.

Suppose I posed to you this multiple choice question: "What kind of driver are you?", with the available answers as "off roader", "race weenie", "mileage counter", etc. It would seem rather absurd wouldn't it? The bicycle is such a large part of the average Amsterdamer's life, just like the automobile is a part of the average American life, that the very idea of "bike culture" just doesn't make sense to them. It's just part of their culture, much the same as American culture is car-centric.

So to have Americans integrate bicycles into their lives, all we need to do is rid ourselves of bike culture, right? Until then... Down with bike culture. Long live the bike.

photo by Iam Sterdam

So, what do you think? Do we need to eliminate "bike culture" or do we need to make it so ubiquitous as to make it unnoticeable?

Declan Says "Let It Rain!"

If you watch the news, you know San Francisco (and most of the rest of California) is being hit by the remnants of a typhoon. By 1 pm today, San Francisco has received a little over 2 inches of rain!!! With winds up to 60 MPH and my neighbor building an arc, what do I do? Go for a ride with Declan!


There was enough of a break in the wind to make riding down to the next neighborhood for coffee doable. Declan got new rain gear just for riding and we wanted to test it out. I thought he would be miserable back there in the rain. I was wrong! He loved it!

It was a short ride, a mile one way, but he thought it was great. He pretended to be on a boat floating down stream. Of course, the stream in the gutter next to us helped the fantasy along ; ) His REI rain jacket and pants kept him completely dry and his fleece unders kept him warm (he will not wear wool, so fleece it is!)


At least I know he won't whine the whole way home from school tomorrow. One can hope!

goodbye summer!!! ^_^

white sunglasses!


scarf!


fur boots!

some pictures from summer '09. autumn has finally arrived here in SoCal. yayy, rain!

Movies And Laws And Days In Court

I love people who stick up for what they believe in. It isn't always easy to stand up for what you think is right, especially when everything is stacked against you.

You may have seen these films on other sites, but if not, give them a look see. Both films, by Mike Rubbo of "And So To Bike", feature Sue Abbott. Sue is a woman who has never worn a bicycle helmet in her life and does not want to start now. This is problematic for her as she lives in Australia where helmets are required for all riders.

For myself, this is not a story about helmets. There is so much more to it than that. This is a story about a woman who does not want to be told how to live her life. She wants to make her own choices, and really, don't we all?





So now that you have seen these films, how do you feel about helmet laws? Note, I am not asking about helmets themselves. That is an endless discussion in frustration. Are people smart enough to make these decisions for themselves? Do you want helmet laws where you live? If you have a helmet law, do you want to keep it?

Check out our friends photos!

Eddie Merckx (photo tiphat to boberelli)

This is to our friend Eric, the wool jersey extraordinaire. Here he is, looking good as always:

Eric's photos:
• flickr set
• blog - 10speeds.blogspot.com

Also, how I first learned about this ride was via Lee, and he said a quick hello on the bridge, here are some of the links he shares with us (in the comments feed) of his and his friends thanks Lee! :)
• SF Randonneurs Populaire 10.3.9

And here is also a nice set by jimgskoop: 2009.10.03 - SFR 115k Populaire

- - -
Alrite, now that we have flooded you with riding pictures, it is your turn to send us [cylrab-at-gmail] or add to our flickr pool, your story and some pictures to go with them, okay! /xo♥m

Family Life

So Monday has come upon us again and it is time to get the family out to school and work and soccer and violin lessons... this is what it looks like!

Time for a play date?

Home from school

Kids can ride for themselves.

The whole family can participate in getting around.

SRO commute.

Cross town traffic.

First day of school!

Japanese commute cuties!

Headwind stops for no Dad!

So go out there and get those kids to ballet on your bike! They will thank you for it!

bike parking

happy saturday, all! ^_^

TGIF!!

Drinking Accessory #2: Ahearne Spaceman Flask Holster by ibikenz

Thoughts Of The Day

Mikael has a really great essay in five parts on the "Fear Of Cycling" going on over at Copenhagenize. The subject of fear is one of my favorites (maybe I should go back to school and study sociology?) so this has been a good read for me. One of the subjects the writer, Dave Horton, tackles is the practice of marginalizing and scapegoating cyclists for being cyclists (within the context of bicycle riding in the UK)-

"Against the context of socially and ecologically destructive automobility, the reproduction of concerns about cyclists’ behaviour is a classic example of scapegoating (Cohen 2002). Scapegoating deflects attention away from greater crimes, by in this case sacrificing the cyclist in the ideological pursuit of ‘motoring-as-usual’. Through representing the marginal practice of cycling as ‘deviant’, the dominant practice of car driving is reproduced and reaffirmed as ‘normal’. Representations of cycling as deviant and cyclists as outsiders both contribute to, and are facilitated by, low levels of cycling which mean that few people are able to take, and defend, the cyclist's point of view."

This brings up two thoughts I have had lurking around my head, lately (I need to get them out before they collide like a couple of drunk fixie riders : D).

Thought #1- The rider as a "deviant". I understand that choosing to ride a bike for transportation is a radical choice in this day and age, especially in places like the sprawling suburbs that were built just for the motorist to get away from the city. When everything is against you riding, you have to be pretty strong willed to do it anyway.



How is this above scene threatening? What makes this man riding on a beautiful day with his absolutely gorgeous little boy in any way damaging to anyone else's sense of self? What makes this scene make so many drivers so nervous and aggressive?



What makes these riders so different as people that others feel they are undeserving of safe passage and respect?



How does getting from point A to point B become political, or economic, or threatening... anything other than just getting where we are going?

Thought #2- When people yell at us, call us names, throw things at us... it means we are making progress. I know it does not seem like it, but you have to be noticed in the first place to be insulted.

The other day, I was riding to pick up Declan from school. A guy, about to get into a car with his friends deliberately dropped a soda can on the ground. He looked around to see if anyone had noticed, so I called to him "Hey, you dropped something!" and kept riding. I knew I would hear from him once he and his friends drove by, but I wasn't too worried. Sure enough, as they passed me, he and his friend hung out the window and yelled "Wear a fucking helmet you fucking hippie!". I looked them right in the face and laughed! They had to find a way to insult me and they used the bicycle world equivalent of calling me a "poopoo head" to do it. "Wear a helmet" has become an insult, and as it is a pretty weak one, I can't help but think it is the last gasp of society seeing the cyclist as the "outsider".

I could write a bunch more, but I'd rather get out and ride! Ride on people!

Street Clothes Are For Commuting

I'll just say this right off the bat- I am envious of how cute Dottie is over at "Let's Go Ride A Bike". OK, I am envious of how cute a lot of the bloggers out there are, but I promised myself to keep this post short so as not to alienate too many of the guys out there.

Today, I found myself thinking of Dottie as I got dressed for my day's errands. This is what came out of that-




Now, before you say " but there is no way I could wear that when I ride", all I can say is try it. I rode 17 miles around San Francisco like this, 8 miles with Declan on the back. I was just as comfortable as I was in my true bike clothes over the weekend (OK, more so because my head was freeeeeeeee).

38 Weeks

You are not a real, dedicated cyclist until you have ridden clipless at 38 weeks of pregnancy! What's that crap about the weaker sex? : )

Make that 75 miles...

Pandastiques

If you told me last year that I'd be finishing this year a 75 mile ride, I would think you were talking about a bus trip to Santa Cruz to camp out with my trippy hippy brother. I could ride 75 minutes, sure. As long as we stop about 5 times for coffee.

Okay, so to be honest we had plan "A", not even "B" because we had painted a pretty easy-breeze image, that after stopping in that diner (both Adrienne & I are familiar with, across the street from Cowgirl Creamery) we would 'drop out' and go home. Well that didn't happened.

Honestly, when I looked at the map, you know I was mapping my coffee spots.
Good coffee in Marin is not a problem, the issue was not wanting to go to every single one of them...
Anyhow, the morning started slow. Very slow for me. Perhaps it was because, I admit it, it was the first time I ever felt like not-riding the Frenchie...
The Wednesday before the Randonneur ride, my smurfette, Torpado road bike, encountered a somewhat unexpected accident :(

one torpado down

Anyhow, when I came to realize that I was to ride my beloved mixte that has survived the Marin headlands, and the San Francisco 7hills, I said - what the hell. Let's do this.
And Somehow we were on the other side of the bridge. I was still trying to get my caffeinated blood going. Seriously.

Good morning sunshines.

"meli you sure you had enough coffee?" James is always on top of things.

I was very impressed our first major break stop was in Point Reyes, not counting the multiple quick ones along the road. Adrienne with her crazy multiple former injuries seriously rocked the hills, she walked some of them and that is cool. We were not in a race. We rode to have fun and we sure did. I am all for walking them up, but really I probably am more efficient going turtle speed on the bicycle, than walking up a hill.

Okay, this is the Pt.Reyes rest stop. I was happy to get my coffee at Bovine Bakery. I love that place.

My language is spoken here.

moooooo.

I HAD to get coffee. Stretching that ex-jock knee of mine felt good.

Midway Coffee.

And as you can see, we ride hard, we chill out hard.

The tree is not only for yoga poses.

After having some naked juice, pizza, caprese salad and coffee, we stopped at Cowgirl Creamery. They have Mr. espresso beans, so I got an Americano for the road ;)

Preparing espresso for me.

I am not your stereotypical caffeinated hyper friend. I guess you would have to be around me to believe I do drink that much coffee. I don't realize, as it really is second nature to me. I am a rather mellow person that is not 'jittery' or talks a gazillion words per minute, like some might think I do. I am a complete monster if I don't have my coffee by 7am. Luckily very, very few have experimented that. At any rate.

Here we are approaching the Nicasio Reservoir. Beautiful. And intense. Wind was starting to kick in.

behind me.

Ade kicking butt.

Reservoir. Just beautiful.

Somehow I felt my ankle had been hit by a nail. It was a bee doing pirouettes spot on my ankle. Had I been on my road bike, I would have probably gone down. However, the frenchie and I, have this bond. Something about old bikes, I could do some crazy maneuvers, juggle, and still ride, that is how comfortable I feel on it. So goes my right hand down and SWAT - the bee went.
I hadn't been stung since pre-school which I don't recall. I am pretty sure the bee experienced an overdose of caffeinated blood exposure.

Today is Tuesday and the bee sting only hurt on Sunday for a little bit. So not bad at all.

Over the bridge.
Adrienne takin pictures and the guys. That seem to be a popular stop ;)

A few minutes before this, there was this beautiful downhill. A visual milestone.
James and Sean made it look so painless and easy!

Happy trees.

I think we (Ade and I) were pretty swept by one of the hills we encountered before dropping back down to Forest Knolls. Good thing that road was pretty shady and there was no sign of gutsy winds, just yet.

By the time we got back to Fairfax we were pretty tired, in a good way. My butt was not hurting and I had already surpassed the amount of miles I had ever ridden in one day on the frenchie. I tend to say that saddle has had it, but it does a great job of proving me wrong.
And yes, I did get one last (single) shot Americano for the road. Sharing is caring, you never know if your friends will need some coffee too later down the road!!! :D

Fairfax love machine.

These below, are images of the home stretch. The group we were with was great, and this will be an experience that will linger in my memories as a first. I will never look at those roads the same way, even if later in life they become easier to ride. Time will tell.
In the meantime, I am fortunate to have hooked up with my peeps. I have also gone riding with the woolly cool guys (retro ride) and Eric, who started as our flickr friend, and has become one of our favorite ragazzi.
Good humor, good energy and even a new riding buddy (Sean!) thanks guys for sticking around with us the photohog, coffee lovers, first timers, Adrienne and I.
And to the Randonneur guys, thanks for emailing us for a follow up, we heard from phone calls you were checking on our group and glad you heard we made it!!!!!

HELLSYES /xo♥m

East Larkspur/Millvalley see it large

Panda y Eric

Panda y Ade y James

Trooper machines.

bike. walk. ride. we made it.

Don't ask me why or how I found some energies out of me to go out on a city ride on Sunday. Surprisingly I wasn't sored, my arms didnt hurt and my legs didn't feel like spaghetti. The frenchie rocks and my peeps kept me going - love you all ♥!!!

Flying By Bike

I love the things people send in! What can be done with a bicycle is always amazing to me, and if you can make other people fly with one, what could you do for yourself?

Tuesday Injection of Fun: She rode the hasselhoffffff

We rode bikes. We had a blast.

And we found out how the name of Adrienne's new pimped out ride came around.

image via moviees

We loved it.
75mi.
More soon /xo♥m

The Long And Winding Road

I am a city cyclist. I ride an upright, city bike. I wear city clothes.

Me in my normal habitat.

City streets are my paths and I share them with city drivers. Recreational riding is not a part of my regular life and until this week, I have not, since college, owned a bike you could easily put on a car rack. My usual ride? Café to grocery shopping to preschool to dry cleaner.... So when my husband told me about the San Francisco Randonneurs' Fall Populaire ride, I was initially disinterested. Riding all day just to see how far I can go does not appeal to my taste, nor does riding for 24 hours in a row! When he said it was a shorter ride than they usually do, just 71 miles, and not going over Mt. Tam, I found myself listening. There were enough parts and a great Raleigh frame in the garage to make me a sturdy touring bike for the ride and James and I are always looking for things to do together.

In three days, Hubbie the Bike Man put together a touring bike for me with an early 80's Raleigh Pursuit steel frame as its base (and may I say, it ROCKS!).

The Hasselhoff knows where to wait.

The fact that I was going to be riding on drops was a bit frightening for me. I have many physical injuries that make riding problematic- Spinal injuries (at C3 & 7, T4, L4-5), partial paralysis in both my arms, damaged sternocostal joints, recent wrist surgery and 4 surgeries on my right knee that have left my right quads visibly smaller and weaker than my left. It has taken years to regain the strength and co-ordination necessary to ride on the level that I do everyday, and the key has been riding upright, not on drops. Amazingly, by the end of the ride, my only pain was in my neck and I know that at least half of that was caused by my helmet. I was so surprised.

The day of the ride came (the key to getting me to do it? Don't give me time to think about it too much) and James and I met up with Meli and our friends Eric and Sean at the Golden Gate Bridge with the rest of the brevet riders (it was the last time we saw them : )

Instructions. Way too early for instructions.

Our first challenge was getting to the top of the hill just north of Fairfax. When I drive up that mountain, I always look at the cyclists puffing up to the top and find myself greatfull that I am not one of them. Not today! The guys all scooted up to the top. Meli and me? We were less speedy, and I know for certain that I was less graceful! There were several stops made on the way up, but we didn't have to push (a claim I can not make on other hills) and Eric had grapes waiting for us at the top.

Top o' the hill (#1)

We took the Cross Marin Trail through Samuel P. Taylor park. 3 road touring bikes and a 40 year old mixte on gravel- no wipeouts, no flats!

Cross Marin conversations.

We glided into Point Reyes around 1:30 PM and fell to finding lunch immediately. I'll let Meli tell you where she headed first (although you can probably guess : ). A little food and a few minutes out of the saddle and we were all good to go (after a bathroom stop).

We are a happy crew!

From Point Reyes we headed toward Nicasio to ride around the reservoir (there is still water in it!). Yet another climb, but this was right after lunch so we were good. I was talking to Eric as we rode along, and didn't notice we had lost Meli. I decided to stop and wait for her because I did not see her behind us, which meant she was pretty far back. When she caught up a few minutes later it turned out she had been stung by a bee!

Meli gets stung and I take pictures!

The bike gods must love us because this was our only disaster of the day. No flats, no injuries, no bad moods- just a great ride! The ride back toward San Francisco was challenging because we were getting tired and we were way behind the rest of the riders. By the time we hit the Golden Gate Bridge, the wind was literally howling through the girders and all of us got thrown off our bikes or completely stopped in our tracks by the wind coming around the towers!!

OMG! Windy!

We did not make a single check point on time and arrived back in San Francisco 3 hours after everyone else! We were the definition of DFL!! We could not have been more pleased!

Team DFL? Team Caboose? We need a name!

We may be slow, we may come in last, we may be the "lanterne rouge" but we ROCK! I have always thought that a ride that long was beyond me, that I could never make the hills. Bicycling has shown me two things- I am way stronger, physically, than I knew and that the best people out there are on bicycles! Because of this, I was smiling at the beginning,

8:30 AM & I am wearing a helmet!

and I was still smiling 74 miles and 10 hours later!

6:30 PM Still smiling, still wearing the damn helmet : )

Don't think you could do this? Try! You have nothing to lose! Meli's version of the ride coming soon!

New Disclosure Rules

From the AP. This will certainly effect many out there. I am glad that this is being addressed because it is important to know where your information is coming from and bloggers have more responsibility for keeping our blogs clean than we sometimes realize.-

FTC: Bloggers must disclose payments for reviews

(AP) – 4 hours ago

PHILADELPHIA — The Federal Trade Commission will require bloggers to clearly disclose any freebies or payments they get from companies for reviewing their products.

It is the first time since 1980 that the commission has revised its guidelines on endorsements and testimonials, and the first time the rules have covered bloggers.

But the commission stopped short Monday of specifying how bloggers must disclose any conflicts of interest.

The FTC said its commissioners voted 4-0 to approve the final guidelines, which had been expected. Penalties include up to $11,000 in fines per violation.

The rules take effect Dec. 1.

We Made It!

More later. For now, this picture of me and Meli at the almost 75 mile mark! Still friends and all pieces still intact : )

Black & White Saturday

Wish Us Luck!

Well, my friends, Meli and I need your good thoughts with us... we are about to experience a grave challenge. We are going to ride from San Francisco to Point Reyes and back.

71 miles.



We were both beat after riding to Fairfax and back over the Summer. Will we survive to blog another day? Or will we succumb to the comforts of Point Reyes' many B&B's and spend the night there with beer and oysters?

Pray for us, my friends. We need it!

TGIF!!

There are no excuses now...

Commuters by ramjetgr

Here Comes The Rain Again

San Francisco is finally having Summer. It will last for the month of October, if we are lucky. Then the fun starts- rainy season! All of us face rain challenges differently. Last year was the first year I have deliberately chosen to ride in the rain and by far the greatest challenge was what to wear.




I didn't take it too seriously to be honest. I tried true rain gear, and for heavy rain it worked to keep the rain out, but it sure keeps the sweat in. I figured out pretty quick the best thing to do was limit my exposure by making sure my trips were as short as possible.



After a while, I decided to dump the strict rain gear and just go with quick dry for days when the rain wasn't too heavy. My nylon skirt and nylons proved to really do the trick as they dry in minutes. My regular old rain boots work fine for pedaling.



Some days I had to wrap myself up like a giant rubber Christmas gift.


Sometimes I just got caught in it unprepared. Not a big deal.

This is not a comprehensive report on how to deal with rain, just my silly take on it. How do you do it? Do you hang it up when the clouds get dark or do you hit the road, hermetically sealed against the elements? I know that this year my greatest challenge will be how to ride with Declan on the back- how do I keep him dry enough to not be cold? how do I keep him entertained enough to not whine the whole way home?