Today was a challenging day on the bicycle. It was way warmer than I expected and thus, I was over dressed. I ended up riding in sweaty jeans, which many of you already know, is awful. There is a kind of baseline awful involved in damp, clingy denim but today, it was worse than usual.
Right above the spot where my posterior meets my leg I have developed two very uncomfortable ingrown hairs that have further developed, with the help of my saddle and today's sweaty jeans, in to two huge swollen lumps that hurt when anything, including the sheets on my bed, touch them.
Needless to say, I am unhappy with this situation. No more bicycle until they go away.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Snapshots Of The Bicycle World
Bicycles should all come with cameras. The two go so well together that I am sometimes surprised when I see one without the other. Some, of course, take truly wonderful pictures of the world of bicycles and our Flickr group has some fantastic examples of those shots. Every now and then someone sends us some pictures that really stand out, and this week, that person goes by "macfred64".
I love how all of these pictures feel like a really nice dream. These all make me want to get out and ride my Batavus. They also make me wonder how so many of us fell for the "cars are better" farce we have been operating under for so long? How did we let anyone convince us that fresh air and independent power were undesirable?
Macfred, with his beautiful photograhpy, reminds us all that we haven't lost anything. All we have to do to get it back is get out and ride. And take our cameras along to help us remind others.
I love how all of these pictures feel like a really nice dream. These all make me want to get out and ride my Batavus. They also make me wonder how so many of us fell for the "cars are better" farce we have been operating under for so long? How did we let anyone convince us that fresh air and independent power were undesirable?
Macfred, with his beautiful photograhpy, reminds us all that we haven't lost anything. All we have to do to get it back is get out and ride. And take our cameras along to help us remind others.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
friday fun times: one of these things is not like the other
as seen in a parking garage in downtown san francisco:
um, yah. free bici. be careful while parking your bike out there. m'kay?
happy friday everyone!
happy friday everyone!
Street Life
There is a lot of manufactured enmity out there. Not sure why.
Seems to me like people are getting along just fine.
Happy Friday!
Seems to me like people are getting along just fine.
Happy Friday!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Sunshine, Sushi and Road Lessons
Finally, just when we all thought we were going to become walking mushrooms from lack of light, San Francisco has sun!!! Oh glorious sun from which all life springs, you have finally seen fit to visit us with light and warmth!! For a few days there will be no thought of taking a sweater, or two, when leaving the house. I will not have to wipe fog from my eyes or contemplate wool. No boots, no socks, no sleeves!
When it gets this warm, I stop cooking. On Tuesday we decided to have a family sushi night so we could ride in the warmth to the restaurant. Declan was very clear that he wanted to ride his own bicycle, not on the sidewalk. It was quiet out, and with four of us to buffer him, why the heck not?
I am quite sure that people seeing us pass thought I was completely nuts for letting my kids, especially one so young, do something as radical as ride a bicycle on a street (godforbidbutatleastheiswearingahelmet...) but that's fine with me. I had the great joy of seeing my three monsters pedaling away, joking with one another, keeping tabs on each other and enjoying the amazing evening.
It is always a little difficult when he decides he would rather skid to a stop than slow down and come to a gradual one, but other than that, we just enjoyed a real summer evening on our bicycles. Something about sunset light, and summer heat, and bicycles and the prospect of sushi make a Tuesday night quite nice.
When it gets this warm, I stop cooking. On Tuesday we decided to have a family sushi night so we could ride in the warmth to the restaurant. Declan was very clear that he wanted to ride his own bicycle, not on the sidewalk. It was quiet out, and with four of us to buffer him, why the heck not?
I am quite sure that people seeing us pass thought I was completely nuts for letting my kids, especially one so young, do something as radical as ride a bicycle on a street (godforbidbutatleastheiswearingahelmet...) but that's fine with me. I had the great joy of seeing my three monsters pedaling away, joking with one another, keeping tabs on each other and enjoying the amazing evening.
It is always a little difficult when he decides he would rather skid to a stop than slow down and come to a gradual one, but other than that, we just enjoyed a real summer evening on our bicycles. Something about sunset light, and summer heat, and bicycles and the prospect of sushi make a Tuesday night quite nice.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Behind the Scenes
People frequently ask me if I just jump out in the bicycle lane and start taking pictures. The answer is, yes, that is exactly what I do (unless I am riding, in which case it is straight from the saddle). It is always funny to see how people react to me and my camera. My friend Jon, who is the creator of the Bikescape podcast (now defunct, but there is great stuff on there you should check out. I think he should start it again.) filmed me taking pictures of the riders of Sunday Streets.
These are some of the pictures I took.
All of these were taken at Sunday Streets. This closure was through Golden Gate Park and along Ocean Beach (where I grew up and would have been thrilled to have the Great Highway permanently closed to traffic). Last time it was closed it rained buckets. This time it was glorious with the most perfect weather anyone could ask for! You can see it on people's faces!
In looking at my pictures from this day, almost no pictures of women came out. The guys were all willing to smile for the camera, but the women were all shy. Come on, ladies! Time to represent! (I have noticed that when women wear helmets, I have a much harder time getting them to let me shoot. No one likes how they look in a helmet.)
These are some of the pictures I took.
All of these were taken at Sunday Streets. This closure was through Golden Gate Park and along Ocean Beach (where I grew up and would have been thrilled to have the Great Highway permanently closed to traffic). Last time it was closed it rained buckets. This time it was glorious with the most perfect weather anyone could ask for! You can see it on people's faces!
In looking at my pictures from this day, almost no pictures of women came out. The guys were all willing to smile for the camera, but the women were all shy. Come on, ladies! Time to represent! (I have noticed that when women wear helmets, I have a much harder time getting them to let me shoot. No one likes how they look in a helmet.)
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