Author Archives: bikegoddess

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About bikegoddess

I love to ride bikes. I just ride. I think we can save the planet through biking. It's an elegant solution to most of the world's energy problems. I also just love the ride.

Insight into Illumination

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bikeyRolling into another season of commuting, I wanted to pamper my commuter rig. I gave my bike the gift of dynamo lights. It’s one of those upgrades I’ve wanted to do for quite some time but always found an excuse. Mostly it was cost. I have a vast array of USB lights and a few others which take batteries. I had more than a few occasions  last year when I neglected to recharge my lights at work and ended up with only the blinky light on my helmet to find my way back home at night. Something is better than nothing, however, I was doubting my ability to remember to charge my lights before leaving work this year so at the end of the summer one of my favorite bike shops posted a picture on Instagram of a Kona bike with these awesome fenders and dynamo lights and I felt compelled to get it done. Sadly, the bike mechanic said the fenders wouldn’t work for my bike, but the lights were a go!

Naturally the next part is the immense regret and heavy burden I bear for not having the wherewithal to install the lights a long time ago. What was I thinking? This is the best thing I’ve ever done on behalf of biking and commuting! What are you waiting for? If you don’t have dynamo lights and you are on the fence about getting them—get off the fence and get it done! Talk with your mechanic about what it will look like and how it will be mounted and then choose your lighting system. I wanted the safest, brightest light I could get without taking out a second mortgage.

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I did spend some time getting quotes from three shops, but service and willingness won out. I was going to be out of town for a week and I opted to leave my bike at the shop for a few days. The hubs and rims needed to be rebuilt and I needed new rims anyway, so it all worked out. Be prepared for spending $400 to $600. It might be less, but I didn’t realize how much I needed to rims. While it was there I had the break pads done and a few other little tweaks. My final bill was $560.

After. The first thing you’ll notice if how liberated you feel. Pure unfettered biking with little regard for time. I can go to Happy Hour and still get home without worrying about the whether my LEDs have enough to get me home or if I will get plunged into darkness and need to catch a bus. Those days are over! I feel like I’m in control, not the lights.

My first encounter with integrated bike lighting was in 2009 when I rented a bike in Potsdam.

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My bike rental in Potsdam, Germany in 2009 had a lighting system that was bulking but effective.

Wide taillight makes me easy to see.
Even in fog, I feel safe and seen.

 

The other great thing is that these lights can be taken off this bike, in the event that I ever replace the Kona, and installed on another bike. Personally, I can’t imagine buying a bike without having a dynamo system installed. I commute 50-70 miles a week and there are days when I’m at a meeting which goes a little too late compromising my ability to get home safely. Dynamo lights on my bike mean I can think about loftier issues and not worry if I’m going to make in home before it’s pitch dark.

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What do you do for lights on your bike? Do you have a dynamo or similar system?

Be safe out there.
Happy riding,

Bike Goddess

Mad About Mass Transit

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I love mass transit. I’m a transit junkie. Figuring out bus and train schedules is like planning a trip to a far away destination but the ticket is infinitely cheaper. I don’t know why I love it, I just do. You become the travel agent. In the mornings I commute by bus and bike and in the afternoon I ride my bike all the way home. It’s what I do and it works for me. Last year I got lazy and didn’t take the bus much opting for my husband’s offer to drive me to work. Then the bus schedules changed this fall. It has been the best change too. At first I was upset since I wasn’t sure how it would work. Now, I love it. My bus goes farther east which means I only have to ride 2 miles in the morning and I’m at school at 6:40 a.m., instead of 6. That extra time has been put to the pillow since I don’t have to get up as early. The bus comes a bit later so I don’t have to wait outside until 5:50. Liberating!

The other amazing upgrade this year is my bus. Not that I had much to do with that change, but what a difference it makes to ride a shiny new eco-friendly bus.  The first day I was on the new rig I was wearing a dress and it felt like a special occasion. What a difference. Quite a boost to morale to be riding is such a posh carriage.

With few other bikes on the bus I feel like I have it all to myself. There are a few other bikers who ride but they get on after me. There was only one day I had to school the guy who was on before me about how to put his bike on the rack closest to the window so others could get their bikes on swiftly. He has since learned his lesson. There was a day last week a young guy got on and he was asking me about my bike. His friend gave him a fixie and he wanted to know where to buy tubes and how to get his new acquisition into shape. I gave him a few tips about patching the tire and taking it to a bike shop to have a mechanic give it a more thorough check up.

Since the bus goes a little further in the morning and I don’t have to ride as far, I tend to wear my work clothes and pack whatever bike related knickers I plan to wear home. That was working great for the month of September, so we’ll see what the rains of October bring. I pack my rain pants and it would be easy enough to change if the weather required it.

There was another upgrade I made this year, but I’ll save that for my next post.

Be safe and seen out there!

Happy riding!

Right after the bus drops me off.

Summer’s Hits and Misses

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The fog of the last six weeks is lifting. Now is the time when people start asking, “So how has your summer been? Did you do anything exciting?” I always cringe because I don’t tend to do what I think I’m going to do. I don’t want to get into the contest of who had the most impressive summer. I just want to say that there were some hit and some misses.

At the end of the school year I was hit hard with a wretched cold. All year I managed to dodge the gazillion germs passing from the 900 kids in my middle school, but then in June with only two weeks left in the year, my defenses were down and I knew something was coming to get me. I didn’t get the attendance award and in the final stretch I missed three days of school and over a week of my daily bike commute. I haven’t been hit that hard by a cold in a long time. Antibiotics were involved and despite the research, people who workout regularly still get flattened by colds.

It took me awhile to recover from the cold and then from the school year. I had family visiting from Chicago and we did a lot of touristy things. While I managed to ease back into riding during their visit I felt I was missing out. In retrospect, it was good. Because they were here I wasn’t going to overdo my rides. Again, the miss became a hit. Blessing in disguise as they say.

July, however, I was ready to go and go more. I did too. I took off one day on my road bike and I did 38 miles and I felt great until I pulled something. I didn’t know until the next day but something behind my knee just didn’t want to do anything except throb and ache. Ugh! Lost a few days trying to recover. Plus, I had to pull back on the reigns since I took on a big project for my dad’s 80th birthday.  My father is my hero and he’s the best man I know. He’s smart and entertaining and I know I get my spirit of adventure from him. His birthday was July 30th and since I enjoy video editing, I made him a video. It was a big deal and we had an awesome party for him. My July biking routine can best be described as restrained. Often July is the month when I really rack up the miles. However, July 2016 was more about the video. It feels like it was a miss on bike riding, but it was probably more of a hit since it was less of a strain on my body. Since I’d go out for an hour or two instead of half the day, I was more deliberate about where I was going and what I was doing.

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Since the party was last weekend, I’ve been back in the saddle. Last week I went out on some trail riding. I got off my bike and went into the grass to get this amazing shot of my bike in a grove of trees and something in the grass, I think a spider, mistook me for a fly and bit me. At first I thought a needle was shot into my ankle by a sniper. Freaking thing took me down. Of course, it had to eat and run so I couldn’t find the thing to kill it. My ankle merely looks like a giant red patch is attached to it. Stupid. That has never happened. Definite miss.

The weather for July was a serious hit. Usually July in the Portland/Vancouver area is hot, hot and more hot. Starting on the 5th of July, you have to get out early in the morning to get in a decent ride before you’re melting into your bike. Mornings would start out cloudy and overcast and by 2 p.m. you’d see the sun breakthrough. The weather was a definite hit.

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Bike rides to unexplored areas is part of the joy during the summer. My summer has had some unmapped, unexplored events: from guests to injuries to spider bites, it’s always something. Many events have turned out better that I thought. Also some unscripted, unplanned moments which leave you shaking your head about more than just politics. Summer 2016 was both a hit and a bit of a miss here and there. A month from now when I back to my routine and I’m too exhausted to write a word much less a paragraph, I’ll remember that this summer had its own set of ups and downs, just like the other seasons. August is here and my schedule is clear. I’m strong and ready to roll. I’ll make what is left a brilliant success.

Happy riding!

 

Belle Days

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Remember that post… about the new bike? In the last few weeks I’ve had the opportunity of putting a few miles on the new bike, 125 to be exact. My spring break was a stay-cation and my goal each day was to ride at least 15 miles. The week was mostly about Belle, the Trek Stache 5.  The weather was agreeable enough to warrant a roadie day too, but ideally, I wanted to take Belle off road and see how she handles in different terrain. Did I mention I couldn’t have ordered better weather? A few days were in the mid and high 70s.

I had a blast riding the Stache around town and introducing her to all the spots that are made for a fatty. I rode in dirt, sand, and gravel: loose and packed, through potholes of all sizes and in grass. I also tried hay, bark dust and a few puddles. This bike is more fun than I ever expected. I’m head over wheels about how she moves on a path. I’ll ride to the summit of a mountain and shout:  I. Love. This. Bike!

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She enjoys every terrain type and veers off road like a puppy sniffing a path. I find myself looking for challenging terrain just to see how she handles. When people describe a bike as agile, I always get a picture of a bike dancing like Gene Kelly in my mind. This bike is limber, nimble and ready for anything ahead.

Here’s a little video of one day :

There’s this long stretch of road at about :47 which I rarely use on any bike. On this bike, I only notice how well the bike handles and how I’ve missed being on the road. The bike makes you feel topnotch on any topography. At 1:47, I decided to dive into some gravel and roam around a construction area. Ridiculously fun! I let the bike propel through holes and even the slightest pedal action had me secure in whatever lay ahead. Cut me a slice of awesome because it was fun, fun, fun!

Want to know how train tracks feel? Like absolutely nothing! The bike makes me feel like I am a kid again. I thought the tires might be too much for just riding around. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Three-inch tires are amazing. First, you don’t have to worry about anything. It reminds me of the joke, “Where does a 500 pound (fill in the blank) sit? Anywhere it wants. A bike like this will go anywhere and climb anything. It has one speed: go!

Spring break was a teaser. I ready for summer and more time riding Belle.

Hope you’re having fun and riding the day away.

Happy trails.

BG

 

 

Wheelie Great Bike Movies

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When I’m not on a bike riding around and exploring I enjoy watching movies about riding around and exploring. There are lists and lists of movies about bikes. I have seen many of the ones on these assorted lists. Triplets of Belleville was a longtime favorite and it’s still in my top five, along with Breaking Away. I also really love the bike scenes in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, plus Quicksilver, E.T. and PeeWee’s Big Adventure. Yes, I realize there are more than five noted, but it’s my blog. Recently though, I’ve had to do some serious soul searching about my list. I found a movie I missed from a few years back. This gem was released in 2012. I found it on iTunes and remember hearing about it, but for whatever reason I missed out. The movie, Wadjda is my new favorite of all time — that has something to do with a bike. Actually, no, I take that back. Wadjda is brilliant and the film touched me deeply for reasons I still can’t explain. It’s not just about the bike, it’s about the freedom and opportunities it represents.

You might want to stop reading now and go watch the film, then come back and finish this post. Wadjda has become my new obsession. When we were about to rent it, I just opted to buy it instead. Again, bike movies mean exploring too and we’ve been experience more than normal amounts of rainfall which means I want to curl up on the coach and watch movies.

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In 1982 I traveled with my parents to Saudi Arabia. My dad, a college professor,  was invited by a student. We visited Riyadh, Taif and Jeddah. It was 10 days of amazing!  It was hot outside and freezing inside. The coffee and tea were sweet and the cakes and pastries looked phenomenal but tasted like sand. My favorite days were in Taif. It’s at a higher elevation and it wasn’t as hot. I was young and brash. I asked loads of questions which were laced with disrespect about how badly women were treated. I was a youngster and full of opinions. Why can’t women drive? Why would you take a second or third wife? Why were the women relegated to the kitchen when we were eating in the dining area? Our host’s wife didn’t drive and wasn’t permitted to continue her education. Tradition? That’s the party line. Don’t even get me started on voting. Of course I recall needing to cover my head. But that was 1982. Oh, wait—women did vote for the first time in 2015.

Saudi Arabian director Haifaa al-Mansour and actress Waad Mohammed pose with a bicycle on the red carpet during the premiere screening of "Wadjda" during the 69th Venice Film Festival in Venice

Saudi Arabian director Haifaa al-Mansour (R) and actress Waad Mohammed pose with a bicycle on the red carpet during the premiere screening of “Wadjda” during the 69th Venice Film Festival in Venice August 31, 2012. The movie, a story about a 11-year-old girl who dreams of owning a bicycle, is the first full-length feature ever filmed in Saudi Arabia, according to a media release. REUTERS/Max Rossi

Wadjda is about a girl who wants a bike. She’s spunky, smart and she wants to race her friend Abdullah. She makes and sells these bracelets and she sings with her mom and goes to school. She’s questioning some aspects of her life and there are things about the adults around her that are confusing. Her parents are in love, yet, the mother has not produced a male heir. Tension. But again, Wadjda wants this bike. We can all relate to that, right? She decides to enter a contest which if she wins will provide her with the money needed to buy the bike, but, but, but. But she’s a girl. Girls aren’t supposed to ride a bike, let alone want a bike. It might compromise her virginity. Plus, she’s already been rather cheeky with the principal of her school and all of this complicates the story. But you love Wadjda because she will find a way. She will study and she will persevere. Right? See I didn’t spoil the plot.

She reminds me of … the best of myself, especially at that age. I love this kid. Abdullah is also a great friend. The mom is amazing. Even the dad who loves his Wadjda is amazing, but he’s stuck in a traditional system that means he will be taking another wife despite his love for Wadjda’s drop-dead gorgeous mom.

Wadjda is an exceptional film. I loved every frame and I think you will too. The bike is freedom and there are borders that even it will have a hard time crossing. I will stifle the urge to type in all capital letters, bolded and with underlining, that this is a movie you have got to see and you have to tell your friends to see it.

One more thing: After you watch the film you will want to know more about the director Haifaa Al Mansour, read this interview.

Thank you Haifaa for this story. Thank you for Wadjda.

Happy riding and watching!

Be safe out there.
BG