Getting There is Half the Fun

The Day. I spent Sunday in downtown Chicago with Melissa, ice skating, warming up with afternoon tea service and generally enjoying the beauty of the season.

Riding the Nashville Greenways

Back in November, I went on my first group ride with Nashville Slow Ride through two of Nashville’s greenways: Shelby Bottoms and Stones River.

It’s really criminal that I waited so long to post about this, actually, because not only was it a fun 20-ish mile ride with great people, it also marked the meeting of the Flik and Andrew’s Bike Friday. How would the two folders compare?

Andrew and Friday, on Saturday

Chicago’s Christkindlmarket

This weekend we took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather (~50 degrees F) and cycled along the lakefront to the Christkindlmarket downtown.

I love being able to take off my helmet when I get on the Lakefront Trail with Oma. The wind in my hair feels so good.

Helmet off, hair loose

Chicago’s Christkindlmarket claims to be the only authentic Christkindlmarket outside of Europe. I’m not sure about the “only” claim, but it looks “authentic,” based on pictures of a Christkindlmarket in Salzburg via Academichic.

Winter?

I think today was the coldest of the season, dropping down to 32 degrees F. We donned our winter Bern helmets and safety glasses for a trip to a home improvement store. I got caught up in the holiday ribbon section, where I picked up some trimmings for Oma (more on that later).

Waiting for Winter

Despite the chill today, the weather tomorrow is expected to be sunny and up to 54 degrees F. I feel like I’ve spent a month bracing for a winter that never comes. By this time last year, snow was on the ground. Not that I’m complaining – I’ll be on my bike enjoying the sunshine!

Sir Raleigh and Betty Foy

In celebration of the mild weather, Sir Raleigh and Betty Foy went for a date ride today – chaperoned by me and Mr. Dottie, of course. I think they are a perfect match. (Tip: you can now see a bigger version of each picture by clicking on it.)

The Natural Attraction to Bicycles

I am still thinking a lot about bicycle marketing, and how important a simple and positive message is for eventual infrastructure change. I strongly believe that on a basic level people are naturally attracted to bicycles. Cycling reminds them of the freedom and fun of childhood. If only we can expose everyone to the beautiful side of cycling – think Copenhagen – the tide would start to turn in our favor.

Out and about with Oma

Am I veering too far into unicorn-and-faerie territory?  An experience today makes me think that this idea is not too far-fetched. 

The Bat Hits Broadway . . . Eventually!

Just when I start thinking, yes, I am a badass city cyclist, something comes along to humble me. This is probably as it should be. My most recent lesson in humility was 8th Ave. South. I have always avoided this most direct route to downtown, preferring instead to go a couple of miles out of my way to take the Music Row bike lanes, since it’s a steep climb on a busy road. But on Saturday I had a friend along who needed to go that way to get out of town (more about that later), and I figured it was a good time to try a new route.

I would post a picture of the hill I was facing, but they never look as bad as they feel. Let’s just say it is the kind of hill that has a reservoir at the top of it, and a Civil War-era fort, and the climb lasted for at least three long city blocks. We made it to the top but I spent a lot more time in first gear than I expected to — and had to rest for at least a minute in front of the Scientology Center before moving on (luckily no one came out to recruit us).

But! It was all worth it when we got downtown and the Bat got her first glimpse of Elvis (yes, if you’re wondering, he IS from Memphis, not Nashville — but we have kindly provided several statues for drunk tourists to pose inappropriately with).

The Last Week of October

Fall weather in Chicago this year has been up and down, with brief periods of sun amid days of cold rain. Today we seized upon one of the warm and dry periods to enjoy a ride up the lakefront. A lot of Chicagoans had the same idea, so we detoured off the crowded main trail to amble through secondary dirt paths.

Autumn Ivy

A Perfect Fall Day

What started as a rainy and gloomy Saturday suddenly turned into the perfect fall day. The sun came out to warm everything, and we got the bikes out for a ride to the Farmer’s Market. I was riding a bakfiets, not my own bike: I borrowed the bakfiets from Dutch Bike Chicago (thanks!) last night to haul tables and chairs for a fundraiser that I helped organize, and had to return it reluctantly this morning.

Candy Apple!

Grocery Shopping on a Bike

I’ve never posted about grocery shopping on my bike before, because I live very close to a grocery store and simply walk. In these tough economic times ™ I decided to head up the road a bit and see what good stuff (i.e. beer and wine) I could find cheaper at Trader Joe’s.

Loaded Oma

As expected, all my purchases fit with no special panniers. For the weight she was carrying, Oma rode smoothly. There was a barely perceptible squirrely-ness to her front handling – a slight but constant shift side to side in the handlebars.

The Groceries

If I had to bike to get my groceries on a regular basis, I would either make more frequent trips, drag Mr. Dottie with me, or buy less beer and wine (maybe). I’d also buy some special grocery panniers. I imagine grocery shopping gets more logistically complicated with a kid or two, but then I would have an excuse to buy a bakfiets.

Anyone else grocery shop without a car? Silly question – I know lots of you do! What’s your method?

Cozy Cocktail Party Ride

Friday’s cocktail party ride took place on the coldest night of the season (in the 30’s) after a day full of rain. A great group of stalwarts showed up – a mix of old and new bike friends – and the result was an alternating cold and cozy ride. I love cold weather because then you get to warm up afterward!

Fancy Drinks at The Violet Hour

A Real Community

The best part of blogging is meeting (virtually and in real life) so many cool people who share my passion for cycling. A community of like-minded folks is invaluable: I may have been the only bike commuter at my office, but I was never alone. This weekend was packed full of visitors from the online cycling community, and I had a great time.

There’s so much for me to cover, including the people I met, the cocktail party ride, new Gazelles at Dutch Bike Chicago, and the temperature dropping into the 30’s. I’ll start with the visitors.

Velorbis and Elisa at Copenhagen Cyclery

Bike Skirt in Chicago!

Elisa of Bike Skirt fame is visiting from Alabama. And yes, we are now simultaneously blogging. I met Elisa in Nashville at the Garden Party Ride, but felt like I already knew her as a bike blog friend :)

Elisa and Betty Foy look tres chic together. I need a matching scarf! While I consider Betty my “racing” bike, Elisa kindly reminded me that the description is not quite accurate, compared to her drop bar bikes. Just wait ’til I get her on Oma!

Future Album Cover

Anyone who reads our blogs knows that rain would not keep us off our bikes, so we set off for downtown via the Lakefront Trail, despite the steady rain.

Trail to Nowhere

The most enjoyable and safest way for bikes to travel is separated from auto traffic. I don’t want to share the road with one ton vehicles going three times my speed – I have to. A trail or separated path is always my first choice.

Trail - Melissa

Unfortunately, such infrastructure is absent most places. The paths that exist are often trails to nowhere, with a focus on recreation. Other problems include lack of lighting at night and lack of snow plowing in the winter.

Was ever woman in this humour woo’d?

The easiest way for bicycling to woo a person is on a bright, sunny day with birds chirping. However, to move past the initial stages of infatuation and build a solid relationship, bicycling must endure the ups and downs of real life. By trudging through, you will realize that the bicycle allows you to feel alive and connected to the world.

On the bike

People nowadays are too hermetically sealed. When’s the last time you played in the rain? I like being able to answer that question: “Today!” The force powerful enough to send me on a 12-mile roundtrip in 50 degree rain was a showing of Richard III at the Shakespeare Theatre. My toes and fingers were freezing, my tights were soaked through, and my bow was dripping water down my neck. I’m not sure if the ride was fun, but it was exhilarating.

Me, Oma and Lake Michigan

Bikes, Beer and Books in Sevier Park

Though we’ve already penned our odes to fall and tights, and recapped our fun-filled summer, I left work this afternoon to find an overcast morning had brought forth one last glimpse of summer sun. So of course, Le Peug and I headed off to enjoy it. Our destination: Sevier Park, starting point for the  LGRAB Garden Party Ride, home of Sunnyside Manor and less than a mile from my house.

Le Peug, Sunnyside and some very green grass.

Real Life in the Rain

In the interest of full disclosure, I must show that my cycling lifestyle is not all red bows and ruffled dresses. Sometimes there is cold rain, and then I pull out the jeans, sneakers, and trench coat. The worst part of riding in the rain for me is the sound of car tires as they speed by: WHOOOSH! Louder and more intimidating than usual. Better than staying inside, though, and the Wicker Park thrift stores beckoned.

Rainy Oma

As some of you requested, we will have a full “how to” on riding in the rain. Look for it in the next week or two.

Happy October!

The Red Shoes

Yesterday I attended a party at De Fietsfabriek, a Dutch bike shop, to celebrate the fall line of Po Campo stylish bike bags. I wore my lucky red velvet Marc Jacobs shoes and a vintage red bow.

The red shoes are lucky because I wore them when I met Tori Amos and the first thing she said to me was: “I love your shoes!” Then she hugged me. This is the kind of outfit I wear simply because it makes me happy like a little girl. RED BOW!

what's black and white and red all over?

Fall Arrives in Nashville

When we posted about fall cycling wear last week, I felt like cooler weather would never make its way to Nashville. But after nearly two weeks under a raincloud that brought 100% humidity and overcast skies, a cold front is coming through. I like to think Dottie’s waving it my way from Chicago.

There are leaves on the ground.

The autumn leaves . . .

And cool mornings with bright blue skies.

But the best thing about this temperature change? I have a feeling tights might make it into my wardrobe rotation this week.

A few favorites from my tights collection--I'm drawn to texture, color, and yep, sparkles.

Are you seeing signs of fall?

Together Again! (Again!)

Surprise – Trisha and I are together again! She’s in Chicago for the weekend, to be joined soon from Texas by our friend Tanya. Tonight we rode our (well, my) bikes downtown for a picnic in Millennium Park. I thought we were going to see a free ballet performance, but that was yesterday – oops! my bad. We still enjoyed our picnic and the beauty of the park at night.

Trisha and Dottie - you'll have to take our word for it

Laughing :) Totally not staged