About Trisha: Nashvillle, TN
In late April 2008 I dusted off my 18-year-old pink Schwinn and decided to try bicycle commuting. Despite a few pesky hills the 5-mile roundtrip wasn’t much slower than driving, and I gradually built up some stamina (and leg muscles) and started using my bike for more than just getting to work. Since then I’ve lost that bike, gained two others, conquered my fear of riding in the dark and cold and am working on expanding my cycling horizons in the city. My bikes: a 70s Peugeot UO-18 Mixte built up for me by Jon Grinder and a 2008 Batavus Entrada Spirit from Littlehampton Dutch Bike Shop.
Trisha meeting the Batavus in Littlehampton
About Dottie: Chicago, IL
I began riding my bike to work shortly after Trisha. This innocent dabbling turned into a full-blown addiction, as I slowly began replacing all modes of transportation with a bicycle. Since then, I’ve sold my car, purchased more than one bike, and cycled through my first Chicago winter. My bikes: Azor Oma and Rivendell Betty Foy.
Dottie and Betty Foy
If we can do it, anyone can — as you’ll no doubt realize when you read our posts. We hope this blog will encourage others, especially women to give cycling a shot. You might be surprised by how easily it fits into your life…
Email us at letsgorideabike [dot] wordpress [at] gmail [dot] com – we love hearing from readers!
January 13, 2009 at 09:14 |
Hello, Trisha and Dottie. I just stumbled upon your blog (via Chicago Bike Blog), and I’m thoroughly enjoying it thus far. I just got back into bicycling myself this past August, and I did so in anticipation of moving and taking a new job this coming summer. I presently work from home. That limits how much I need to commute anywhere, but I go by bike as often as possible when errands come calling, and I ride for fun the rest of the time. Once I move, I’ll be going into the office five-days-a-week, and I plan to do so on my bicycle with religious regularity and zeal. Keep up the good work.
January 13, 2009 at 16:55 |
Thanks so much. We’re looking forward to reading about your adventures once you start your new job! If you manage to go five days a week you will have my undying admiration. :) I’ve only managed that a few times in the 10 months I’ve been commuting.
January 18, 2009 at 22:34 |
I was excited to find your blog – nice work! I added you to my blogroll under the “Blogs” heading (imagine that ;-)), and I’ll be subscribing to your RSS feed as well.
Thanks for doing what you do..
Alan @ EcoVelo
January 20, 2009 at 09:08 |
Hi, Dottie.
You’ve inspired me to start a blog of my own. You can find the first two posts here:
http://mplsrad.wordpress.com/
-Tad
January 21, 2009 at 22:28 |
Hi Girls,
Love love love the fact that your both getting into riding it is just so much fun and people never realise how easy it is to ride to work!
And even tradtional cycling clothing can have a bit of style, I handmake cycling caps and love the way they go with heaps of other outfits (and cover up bad hair days)
http://www.rocketfuel.net.au
Keep riding and blogging!
Susan
January 22, 2009 at 10:16 |
Thanks, Susan! Your caps are too cute.
January 22, 2009 at 21:39 |
Friends, it seems wicked tacky to do this via your “comments” area, but I don’t know how to contact you directly. Google hijacked my blog, and I’ve grown tired of waiting on them to release it. I’ve started over at “Hadrian on a Bicycle” (http://velofolk.wordpress.com/). I would be forever grateful if you’d update your blog roll (and politely ignore that I’ll be circulating this same message among the other three or four bloggers who have been kind enough to link to me). Cheers!
January 22, 2009 at 23:26 |
Scribe, not tacky at all. I was wondering what happened to your blog. Good to see you’re still out there – welcome to WordPress!
January 28, 2009 at 15:50 |
ya’ll need a “contact us” button. hopefully this comment will do the job. this is mainly intended for trisha -we have a google group for Nashville’s Urban Cyclist. http://groups.google.com/group/nashville-urban-bicycle-league?hl=en&pli=1
you can sign up from the home page or shoot me your email and i will send you an invite. we organize lots of events from longer group rides, shorter party rides, alley cat races and the group is also a good way to contact other cyclist who commute for advice or venting. check us out. we have an event this saturday afternoon at 5pm at the springwater.
March 8, 2009 at 08:53 |
Ladies – just found your blog. Look forward to following – keep it up and ride on!
March 29, 2009 at 09:21 |
I love your site. Keep it up !
March 30, 2009 at 20:12 |
Yet another devotee joins the fan club. I’ve linked your blog to my Cycle Commuting blog.
March 31, 2009 at 08:11 |
Thanks for the comments, everyone. Doohickie, I look forward to checking out your blog!
March 31, 2009 at 18:18 |
After reading your intro, Trisha, I have to say, you sound a lot like me. In February last year I got my trusty Nishiki Olympic 12 (that I bought new in 1984) off the hooks in the garage and started riding to work.
I almost lost more than my bike though, the second time riding to work… read more here at my other blog.
March 31, 2009 at 18:33 |
Uh, OUCH! I’m glad that didn’t happen on my second day; may not have made it where I am today. :)
April 5, 2009 at 18:37 |
Hi Ladies,
I found your blog on bikecommutes.com. I read that website at least twice a week. I commute myself to & from work. I have a 34 mile round trip commute. I’ve noticed that the day goes by faster when I do commute & it’s more enjoyable too. I applaud both of you for doing it with such style & panache. I look foward to following your adventures.
April 6, 2009 at 08:29 |
Thanks, James! I’m always impressed by commuters like you who take 34 mile roundtrips in stride.
April 7, 2009 at 04:37 |
[...] two authors of this blog, Trisha of Nashville, Tennessee & Dottie of Chicago, Illinois, have captures the essence of cycling with their enthusiasm, writing, and pictures. Dottie has [...]
April 7, 2009 at 05:41 |
Love your blog. You “guys” have very interesting information, presented in a way to bring your readers back, time and time again. Thanks for sharing. –jim
April 22, 2009 at 21:34 |
I thought your blog was fresh and sassy and i am jealous….however i will promise just to look on in admiration from England and not copy………keep up the quality
May 27, 2009 at 14:28 |
i love your blog! you guys are troopers – i started biking for the first time since childhood in fall of ‘08 and i’m trying to make it part of my every-day, not just once every few days. your posts really encourage me to keep going! still on the quest for the perfect commuter bike on a budget…
May 27, 2009 at 14:34 |
Commuter bike on a budget is so tough. We will do a post about this one day — but you might check out Jamis. Dottie started out with a Jamis Commuter, and it worked for her. :)
June 2, 2009 at 14:45 |
You ladies made the top 50. Nice work
http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/features/top-50-cycling-blogs/
June 2, 2009 at 21:23 |
Sweet!
June 22, 2009 at 08:00 |
Hey! Just stumbled upon your blog – really love what you are doing. I gave up smoking there 2 years ago, started cycling and now am hooked! I just started my own cycling blog if you want to have a looksee (. Have put you on my blogroll if that is cool.) Thanks RG (http://rothargirl.wordpress.com/)
June 27, 2009 at 21:57 |
Hi Ladies,
After enjoying your blog for quite some time, it was really nice to meet you both this week at the ATA mixer and the Summer Babes ride…
I have a little biking blog also…mostly about what I see on my daily rides from Uptown to…wherever.
http://uptownbikinglife.blogspot.com/
July 15, 2009 at 09:15 |
You girls are totally awesome! Yay for you!
July 16, 2009 at 11:32 |
I am torn between the Azor Oma and the Pashley Poppy…I will be using it for short (1-10 mile) jaunts instead of driving…grocery shopping, errands and such. What are your thought on which would be the better bike.. I am 5′7″ and 150 pounds.
July 17, 2009 at 07:16 |
Hi April. The main differences are the price (Oma is about $900 more), gears (Poppy has 3, Oma has 8), carrying capacity (Oma can carry heavier loads), weight (Oma weighs more), extras (Oma has skirt guard, fully enclosed chain case, integrated lights). If you can, you should test ride both and see which suits your fancy. I considered the Pashley when bike shopping and chose the Oma instead, so my natural inclination is toward the Oma. I love the Pashley, too, though!
July 17, 2009 at 06:42 |
Just added your blog to my blogroll at http://practicalcyclist.blogspot.com. Take a look at A Practical Cyclist and if you like what you see, consider reciprocating. Have a great ride today!
July 19, 2009 at 11:55 |
Nice blog. Done!
July 18, 2009 at 22:09 |
Hi Ladies:
I just discovered your blog and it’s so inspiring! Seeing what you have both been able to do has made me want to give up the el and start biking more often. I am a fellow Chicagoan and my boyfriend has been an avid biker for years. I just bought the Gary Fisher Simple City 3 which I absolutely love, but I’ve only been riding on smaller side streets around our neighborhood. I was hoping you could offer some advice on how you started riding on bigger streets around the city. I have to admit, I’m a bit scared of all the horror stories and oblivious drivers. We live in Wicker Park so I would have to find some major street just to get to the lakefront. How did you both start riding on bigger streets? Can you recommend any resources to learn how to ride more safely? Again, I’m really enjoying your blog. Keep up the good work!
July 19, 2009 at 11:53 |
Amy, thanks so much for your comment. We love to hear stuff like that! Your question is an important one: Trish and I will put our heads together and come up with something good later this week.
Love your blog! Your bullies are adorable.
July 30, 2009 at 23:38 |
Hello, ladies.
I just thought I would mention that I started a new blog, The Mixte Gallery, and as a blog just starting out, I need some help. Perhaps Le Peug is ready for a sexy photo shoot? Maybe Betty Foy could use more exposure? And if you can pass the word to other mixte aficionados, I would appreciate it!
August 13, 2009 at 09:41 |
A Toronto leisure cyclist returned to her locked bike that she had been ticketed…for having a “badass” bike. If only all tickets were like this…
http://torontoist.com/2009/08/bicycle_ticketed_for_excessive_awesomeness.php
August 17, 2009 at 21:08 |
after stumbling onto your lovely blog, I was motivated to re-start my search for a beautiful bike. currently trying to see if I can get a small Azor Secret Service ladies model across the atlantic and into my hands. it is reportedly smaller/lighter than Oma … the better for navigating crazy chicago streets and stairways I am thinking? we’ll see how it goes. thanks for the inspiration!
http://workcycles.com/workbike/bicycles/dutch-city-bikes/workcycles-secretservice-ladies-bike.html
August 17, 2009 at 22:56 |
I’m living proof that importing bikes can be a successful strategy! Keep us posted.
August 23, 2009 at 21:21 |
OK gals, could not get a SS in until next spring, and well, the Oma sang to me, she is now mine. today we went to the beach, the market, the gym, the loop, …though having been born in New Amsterdam, not old, I continue to wobble a bit starting up. and I must add, since my back is a bit older and creakier than it once was, the Oma’s super straight up seat position is so, so excellent and un-painful.
August 24, 2009 at 20:33 |
Cool! Feel free to e-mail pics :)
August 18, 2009 at 14:09 |
Great blog! My girlfriend will love reading about this. Her biggest requirement when looking for a bike was for it to be “cute”
Couple of other things. In the resources page, you might want to add mapmyride (dot) com to the links. It’s a great site for figuring out a bike route.
Also I was wondering if you would mind adding my blog to your bike blogs (linked to my name in this comment). It’s based around riding for charity and logging miles for a good cause.
Thanks and have a great day!
August 18, 2009 at 14:14 |
Hi Greg,
Great suggestions, thanks. I use MapMyRide a good bit and didn’t even realize we hadn’t linked to it. Your blog has been added; looks like a fun read.
August 30, 2009 at 11:31 |
Is this an idea to make Oma and Batavus even more recognizable: http://www.bikecap.nl?
September 6, 2009 at 10:04 |
Your blog is wonderful and inspirational for anyone who wants to ride a bike as daily transportation.
I’m trying to build my confidence up on a bicycle (for riding around Paris) and I was wondering if those little learner wheels exist for adults and can be adapted onto a city bike.
Thanks ;)
September 6, 2009 at 10:33 |
De rien! I often dream about a vie Parisienne so we’re even in the inspiration department. Good luck getting started with city cycling! Dottie and I plan to visit Paris next spring; maybe by then you will be ready to show us around by bike. ;)
September 8, 2009 at 14:30 |
You have my email, let me know when you’re coming! And if you come across the small trainer wheels for adults, let me know ;)
September 15, 2009 at 10:38 |
I’m considering trading my Rivendell Atlantis for a Betty Foy. How do you like it?
September 17, 2009 at 17:21 |
Howdy. I love my Betty Foy! I don’t have much to compare it to, as my most similar previous bike was a Jamis Commuter, which is much lower end and correspondingly much less expensive. That said, the Betty Foy is everything I hoped she’d be and more :) Feel free to email with further questions. letsgorideabike [dot] wordpress [at] gmail [dot] com.
October 20, 2009 at 23:19 |
Hi Velogirl,
I saw your post about your Atlantis. I had an Atlantis (bought one from the first shipment) and I rode thousands of miles on it. I absolutely adored it! A few years back I was hit by a truck as I was commuting on it, and wrecked the frame. I tried a few different bikes after that and finally ended up buying a Rivendell Glorius. I absolutely love it! It is not as fast as my Atlantis but it is unbelievably comfortable! I rode a Betty Foy when I had the good fortune to visit Rivendell World Headquarters a few years back and I loved that too. If I had a spare 2K laying around (haha) I’d buy a Betty Foy too, just because they’re so great! My husband got an Yves Gomez in 8/09 based on my recommendation and he loves it. Note: my husband is 55 y.o. and I am 48 y.o. We both were hardcore bike racers years ago and have mellowed quite a bit!
October 4, 2009 at 11:01 |
Just stumbled across the site and I love it. It has been rainy here (Spearfish, SD) and I have been riding and people look at me like I’m crazy. I liked the blog about October riding and rain. I ride 7 days a week and wouldn’t have it any other way. Pedal power!
October 5, 2009 at 19:33 |
Was googlin’ girls who ride cruiser bikes and landed on your page. Love. love. love it. Just got back from Interbike in Vegas and lovin’ the new Batavus line – very sweet indeed. If you are looking for some adornments for your cruiser bike – check out my website http://www.beatriceholiday.com – I make Handlebar Bags, Seat Cover and Basket Liners made out of vintage upholstery fabric and vinyl materials. WHEEL CUTE COUTURE. They are really FUNky and FUNctional! “Cruise the Streets in Style” -Beatrice Holiday
October 8, 2009 at 15:06 |
I thought I was hard core! I will absolutely be following this blog. I live in Chicago and started out bike commuting from scratch with a beach cruiser and then upgraded to a trek hybrid. I’m suprised to see you riding on a cruiser, it is so much slower! You are both an inspiration!
October 8, 2009 at 21:47 |
By some sort of providence I found your site and was left somewhat breathless as I was profoundly impressed with your impeccable style and sense of sophistication for something most people don’t see as sophisticated. Love your bikes and of course both of you are absolutely beautiful. Cheers!
-joaquin
October 8, 2009 at 22:27 |
Such kind words — thank you. Glad to have you as a reader. :)
October 9, 2009 at 08:01 |
Ladies, you ride your bikes with STYLE – not only do you look like you are probably having heaps of fun but in doing so you’re encouraging other women to get on their bikes too – this is such a good thing.
Have added you to my blog links at http://www.ibikelondon.blogspot.com and will be coming back to check your latest fashions soon (check out my post “It’s all about the cycle chic, baby” for a fabulous photo of our Olympic cyclist Viccie Pendleton looking graceful besides her Pashley)
Great work, keep it up!
Mark
October 26, 2009 at 13:36 |
Going to get started today! I use to ride my bike everywhere! Been a stay at home Mom for 11 yrs…now have afternoons free, go’n biking in the sunshine!
October 27, 2009 at 21:53 |
Just curious – are you aware of this: http://www.candycranks.com/archives/4034 or, for that matter, this: http://www.candycranks.com/ in general? Seems like there is potential for some crossover rides – formal cupcakes and cocktails, anyone?
November 2, 2009 at 13:02 |
I’ve loved reading your blog ever since I gave up my car and started riding my bike to commute to work. My workplace is dog-friendly and I got a new 40 lb. pooch last week. I want to know about others experiences using a dog trailer. Do you or any of your fellow bikers have any experience with this? I series on riding w/ dogs would be great! (Could touch on using baskets, bike leashes, trailers.) Thanks!
November 12, 2009 at 15:36 |
Hi Girls
Your blog is amazing.Since that I initiated the reform of my bicycle I adore to visit this site. I wait to soon finish the restoration of my bicycle to be able to leave the car in the garage.
Here in Brazil the majority of the people has bicycles type mountain bike. Here feminine bicycles are half old-fashioned. I am not of the type that use clothes of lycra and helmets, taste to move me, only to take a walk. Seeing its blog I was with will to remodel mine bike that I gained when child (a Monark Ipanema). Now it this dismounted and each part in a different store of the city, being chromed, painted and waits that in the end she is cool. When ready sending photo.
It has an item that it would like to place in the bicycle that is not available in Brazil, the basket. I would love put one but no site sends for Brazil.
I already bought many things for the Internet, I found stranger not to find a site of bicycles that he sends for Brazil. I wanted to know if some dispoem sends it me a part to complete the appearance of my bicycle. Case somebody has availability can order an email to make right the value. Good I say farewell myself here, congratulations for blog
Abraços,
Marge
November 22, 2009 at 02:30 |
Hi friends…
How are you? Thanks for your comments..I want to ride a bike..But ways are very bad here..
Please help me..Contact with me…How can I ride a bike truely in Tel Aviv?