Author Archives: bikegoddess

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About bikegoddess

I love to ride bikes. Commuting is great and 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.

The Heat Is On

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Not only a classic hit from the 80s, (Thanks Glenn Frey) but a reality right now living in the Northwest. Temperatures have been usually high. Before last Saturday three digit temps were a record from 1965. Our heatwave of 115 degrees is a shock to most natives. Even though I enjoy the sun I must admit that it has been intense and scary.

At least it only FEELS like 111 degrees.

Even seeing the big number 115º made me think of the hottest temps I’ve experienced in my life. The highest temperature I recall experiencing was 118º in Athens, Greece in mid-August. Not unusual for Greece. I know that on the coast-to-coast bike trip I experienced days of temps in the high 90s and mid-100s, but I remember 118º because I had to convert it from Celsius… (47.8C). When you do math like that in the real world, you remember it.

How do you ride in high heat? I’m not an expert, but I’d say you have to work around it. One thing I do is I start early. That’s my first big tip. I’ve set out early on my daily rides during this heatwave. On Sunday I went out at 5:30 AM and it was already in the high 70s and inching up a few degrees every few minutes. Monday I woke up a little later and set out by 8AM and today was a wonderful respite from blazing heat with temps in the mid 60s. I even broke out with a case of goosebumps for a few minutes going downhill. I wanted to take a picture because I didn’t think I’d ever feel chilly again. During the summer even if it isn’t a heatwave, I tend to head out early.

Two bridges ride

Always have water. Even better if you throw in more ice cubes and let it melt during your ride. Friday I wanted to go a different route but I changed my mind at the last minute because the heat was coming on fast. Not being one to admit I should turn around and head home I figured the best thing would be to go forward toward the other bridge and cross to make my way home. It would be 15-18 miles round trip and I had water so I did it. Sunscreen is a must! The heat is a formidable opponent. I had slathered on the sunscreen and I wore one of my favorite summer garments, my Terry Soleil top. I’m not making any money to tell you this, but these tops are the bomb! They are super lightweight, moisture wicking and UPF 50+. Plus even with long sleeves they are weirdly cool and I love them!

Another tip: Ride in the shade if you can. My route did not have much shade. I was out there and exposed to the rays of the day and without some of the aforementioned tips it could have been bad. I think the heat has reminded me that it’s important to pick routes closer to parks and keep my foliage friends nearby and ride in areas where you aren’t out there like cookie dough in the oven of life.

Desperately seeking shade.

I’m bad about packing food, so another tip is you should pack a protein bar or some snack you like because you never know when you might need it. Since I’m so accustomed to commuting I don’t always remember to check my snack stash. Sometimes you can pick up something while you’re out but that may not be convenient so better to leave with something in your snack hole.

No, I’m not in Phoenix, it only feels like it.

“Shoot some over here!” It’s usually what I yell at someone watering their lawn if I happen to be going by their yard and the planets align and they spray me. I love those moments but people are becoming so much better about watering their lawns that it’s hard to find sprinklers running when I most need it. Take two water bottles and spray yourself with one. While we’re on the topic of water, another top tip for riding when the heat is on is to carry a bandana or just soak a shirt and wear it.

I’m a slow rider. Works great in the summer months to ride slowly especially in the heat. You wouldn’t want to sweat any more than absolutely necessary.

Thanks for reading. Try any of the ones I mentioned? How do you cope with riding in the heat? Any tips you want to share that you completely endorse for riding when the heat is on?

Feel free to comment.

Until next time… stay cool and get out there and ride.

Bike Goddess

Where’s My Oscar?

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I’ve always wanted one and I think this year I really earned it. The whole line goes like this: “Where my Oscar for acting like everything is fine?” A friend of mine posted it and I’ve been thinking about it today. Nailed it!

The drama of the last few months of school is something I will spare you, dear reader. Suffice it to say that I survived and now I look forward to some fallow time to find myself and my life. I want to reclaim my time. I have some advice for you. If you know a teacher or anyone in education, please just say, “Thank you.” Maybe they deserve it, maybe they don’t, but I’ll tell you something, if I was a tire and this year was my tread, I’d be shredded. 

This is from a kids bike. They know how to shred!

I’m a seasoned, veteran educator which is a diplomatic way of saying I’ve roamed the land with the dinosaurs. I love it, however, even I haven’t seen a year like this. I’m not okay. None of us are. Not really. We will pretend. We will continue to act like it’s fine. We will continue to do what we do. Friday was the last day of school and I’m slowly regaining consciousness.

The first Monday of break is always a real day. It’s not the Monday of Sunday night plans and preparations, it’s just a day full of unstructured time. Potential just waiting to unfold. The only thing I know for sure is that my first Monday will include a bike ride. Some riding and some writing will get me on the road the finding my way through.

Get out there and ride your bike!

Thanks for reading.
Bike Goddess

Out of True

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I’m a year older tomorrow. I don’t feel older. That’s good. I do feel wiser. Since my last birthday which involved a masked party in my mom’s garage (which was great), the pandemic has been the top story. This whole year has been about surviving the pandemic and getting the vaccine and pivoting in ways that let me know I should practice yoga. At work, remote and in person have given way to roomers and Zoomers. Every day has been an adjustment to an ever changing landscape of challenges. Like the spokes on a wheel help the wheel hold its shape. Each day of my 58th year has been a spoke helping to move me forward and get me through.

Spokes are pretty amazing when you consider what they do for a bike wheel. They take all the stress we put into our bikes. As I understand it, the spoke pulls the rim toward the hub. Spokes have to put up with all sorts of stress. Consider those potholes you hit because you’re watching traffic. Consider the time you lob yourself over a curb to avoid a squirrel or what about just trying to go a little faster and on the road only to end up on gravel or worse. The tension makes them stronger.

That’s all well and good for a wheel but what about life? It has been a very tense year. School is extremely stressful and even if you are doing your very best you feel like an utter failure everyday. Everyone does and you can’t even complain without hearing someone best your story with one of their own. “Yeah, you’re right,” I want to say, “You are working harder.” We have these signs on campus that extol positive messages. I’m all for that and yet I overthink them. One is “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Okay, so what should I do instead? I feel both driven and lethargic. I tell myself to focus on the students and think about them first and foremost and in the same moment I feel ignored by coworkers. An island. Alone. We are isolated and every meeting and most interactions fall short of community and connection. 

My balance.

A maladjusted spoke makes the wheel out of true and wobbly. I love the way that sounds: out of true. Whoa! Conversely if it is balanced than it is trued. It is aligned and working in the community of spokes. Truing in bikes is making those tiny adjustments and getting the spokes aligned so they can handle the stress and tension of the ride ahead. It takes work to true a wheel. Typically there are 24-36 spokes on traditional bikes. Truing a wheel can mean hours to weeks of time to get it into balance. We are making similar adjustments.

That’s just it. We all have to make tiny adjustments to be true and aligned and balanced to withstand the stresses of whatever is around the corner.

William Shakespeare said it best, “To thine own self be true.” He probably was not talking about bikes but he and I share the 23rd as our birthday and I think staying true and honest to yourself is as much about balance and alignment as a spoke is to a trued wheel. 

Here’s to fair weather and trued spokes and another day to ride. Stay safe!

Bike Goddess

Thanks for reading. How do you find alignment and balance in times of stress and worry?

Thank you for visiting me on WordPress. I appreciate it. Feel free to add your Likes and Comments. If you really want to make my day, you could Follow the blog through WordPress. Re-blog and Share as long as you give credit and a Have a great day! 

Bike Gallery: A Tribute

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My Kona after a tune up at the Bike Gallery on Sandy.

“How do I love thee, let me count the ways.” Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s 43rd Sonnet is easily recognizable as one of the greatest love poems of the English language. People often quote the first line not just for their beloved but for stuff and things too. Possibly even bikes. What do you mean you don’t write sonnets to your bikes? 

I do love bikes. The beauty of design and geometry of each and every machine is a marvel. The ending of the poem is where she hopes God will grant her the ability to love even after she has passed. I don’t know about bikes and the afterlife, but I do know that in this life I love bikes. That means that I also love bike shops. 

One of my all time favorite bike shops closed recently. All six of them closed and then morphed into Trek stores. The first 1974 iteration was owned by a local man by the name of Jay Graves. Then in 2012 the 2.0 version opened with some changes but generally the stores still felt local. But a few weeks ago the 6 stores were sold to Trek.  

Things got real.

When I saw the official announcement on Facebook with the name change then it sunk in. 

I can have all the mixed feelings I want but it happened regardless.  Bless me Father, I have a confession. It has been over a year since I’ve visited either the Broadway or Downtown Portland shops. Pandemic year and then add another year where I was crowned a Specialized Ambassador and I wasn’t popping in as much because of the Specialized connection. Don’t get me wrong though. I love bikes. I do have some favorite brands, and Trek is one for sure.

My 2006 Trek Portland after getting dolled up.

The Bike Gallery was the start of something beautiful in my biking life. It wasn’t just about the bikes though. It was the people. My biking life started at the Bike Gallery. The fine people at The Bike Gallery never missed a chance to say hello or chat with me. I always felt welcome. Such a phenomenal bunch over the years. I can’t even name them all but there was an ethos, a mindset that set them apart and set the bar by which I measure every bike store. Is it customer service or it is who they are? It’s a “You can do anything” sort of attitude that filled every conversation, every purchase  and every goal. Simply said, they believed in their customers. Well, that’s a broad statement. They believed in me. There wasn’t a single sales person or mechanic that every made me feel like I couldn’t win a race or ride to the ends of the earth. They looked you in the eye and said, let’s figure out what you need. The customer experience was a conversation. 

The Bike Gallery sales were momentous events.

When I couldn’t fall asleep the other night I stated counting Bike Gallery bikes instead of sheep. I was musing about how much I enjoyed Bike Gallery and wondering how many bikes I had bought there over time: I came up with 9. 

Trek 520 touring

Trek Portland 2006

Gary Fisher Tasajara MTN 

Kona roundabout 2012

Trek Lime (gift for my mom)

Electra Townie orange 

Trek road bike, (For a friend who had his bike stolen)

Trek mountain bike (for husband)

Trek stache 5 (Fatty)

That doesn’t take into consideration a few friends who bought bikes from them as well. I even have a few that did a fitting with a fit expert. 

Some of the bikes from The Bike Gallery.

Bike Gallery always had an incredible selection of bikes on display for you to admire. I always felt my eyes grow big with desire and plans.  As a woman it’s always hard to find people (men) in a bike shop that take you seriously. I’ve always had this challenge. One man from another store even asked me if I was there to buy a gift for the “ol’ man” and I left. Note to bike any/all shops: never do that! 

One of the bike mechanics, Pete, did this mount for my light (way back when) and it even had the Kona cap. Seriously, this was a work of art!

Bike Gallery always had great gear for women too. I never felt like gear for me was an afterthought like most bikes shops. “Let’s order a few bike tops for the ladies.” Of which most would be extra small. Instead I felt like buyers knew what I wanted. I was a priority. Women’s gear was not at the back of the shop or even behind the men’s gear, it was alongside and there was equal parts, right down to shoes and socks. It was impressive. They carried SheBeest, SheilaMoon and Sugoi products that no one else ever carried. Nearly every visit meant I’d buy a bike, something for a bike or gear for me.  I rarely left empty handed. I have a few pieces that I are as timeless as pearls. They are key articles of clothing that continue even after years of use to perform superbly! Investment pieces. One of my favorites it a racing style sweater with Bike Gallery, Portland, OR on it. That’s the warmest layering piece I own and my go to when temps dip. I did notice a change in gear in 2012 when it was first sold. More Bontrager and less about accommodating more types of riders. I’m not a racer and bike shops need to think about the everyday rider. 

Always smiles at The Bike Gallery. That’s me with Niko.

I always felt comfortable and not in the least intimidated by their experience or athleticism. Just good people selling good bikes and excited to share their passion of the ride and commitment to the community.

Spa time for Kona G, my mixte.

Their $180 winter overhauls was the best deal in town and so thorough you’d think you were getting a brand new bike. My bikes always came back feeling like they’d spent a week in a spa. Perfectly lubed and cleaned and ready for the next adventure.

I wish I’d said thank you more. 

I wish I’d bowed down and kissed their cleated shoes.

I wish bought them a round of beers. 

I wish I’d bought 9 more bikes. 

I wish I hadn’t taken them for granted.

I never ever thought they’d be gone one day. 

Nostalgia is like an upset stomach. Take an antacid, go to bed an hour earlier and it will pass. This has lingered. I feel sad that a Trek superstore bought them up, or they got sold or whatever the circumstances. Here are the details of the change.

Every bike event I ever attended always had a Bike Gallery tent and the mechanics helping people get back on the road. In the Seattle-to-Portland ride when some jerk put a mess of tacks in the road causing a massive pile up of flats, they were fixing tires like something out of Nascar, and getting people back on the road. Every Reach the Beach, Bridge Pedal, every event you knew to pop over and say hi and ask for some air or you could count on them to tighten, loosen or just be there.

Someone at the Sandy store did these great chalk drawings. This was one of his.

As the saying goes, don’t be sad it’s over; be glad it happened. I am glad I have such fond memories and while I am not a poet gifted with the skills to write a sonnet, ode or even a haiku, I can take a moment to thank the good people of Bike Gallery for a great ride. 

Thanks for reading.

Bike Goddess

Thank you for visiting me on WordPress. I appreciate it. Feel free to add your Likes and Comments. If you really want to make my day, you could Follow the blog through WordPress. Re-blog and Share as long as you give credit. All photos are mine. Please contact me if you wish to use them.

Have a great day! 

Friday the 13th, 2020

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Today’s sunny day was lucky!

I’ve always been superstitious. That said, Friday the 13th has always been a lucky day for me. I never go into a Friday the 13th thinking something bad is going to happen. 

I could never have imagined what happened on this day last year. 2020. It was the last Friday when life could be called normal. It’s the sort of life altering day that seems prophetic by the light of 2021. When I look at pictures of me and my students in the studio doing the news LIVE, or being together with our unmasked faces, I wonder if we had any clue what was ahead. Of course not. There was a massive run on books in the library and shelves were left in disarray when students learned that we would be starting Spring Break weeks ahead of schedule. It was a great wonderful mess that made me feel happy to have something they wanted. Books! But it was also paralyzing. There was an upcoming musical and the cast was  commiserating in the library and clinging to each other but also looking to the adults for answers. We didn’t have many if any answers. 

Chromebooks and books checked out in droves.

Then the doors were shuttered and we went home and our world of screens and Zoom meetings became our new universe. Schedules were completely overhauled and even though I’d had solid video editing experience at the juncture even I had to learn other tools. So many other tools. 

Remembering that a year ago it seemed like there was no one else out. A biker’s dream!

We had 5 days to shift, pivot, swivel, think, mourn and wonder what was next. The anxiety could be seen in everyone’s eyes through the little Zoom screens. We all looked like the sun was too bright in our eyes or our brows were furrowed enough to create a unibrow of distress and uncertainty. Then we had “spring break” week to rest, but no one did. I worked. I was trying to think about what my job would look like and how I could help provide assistance to teachers remotely. I could continue to offer classes and record instruction and share the videos with teachers. There was a massive push for eBooks and audiobooks, so I used the remaining money in my budget to purchase those resources. It wasn’t much but it was something. I created a Google Classroom for students who wanted to join to have virtual contact with other kids in my school. I would post tasks, ideas, suggestions, videos, lessons every weekday during their breaks. It never stopped either. Even now, evenings, weekends, everyday is consumed by school.

With my commute less than 20 feet, my biking life changed drastically. Instead of going to and from school I would wait until the end of the day and ride to all the Little Free Libraries and stock them up with books from my home. I’d even move stock around if I noticed that one was brimming with books while another was nearly empty. I rode not to or from but around. I rekindled my love of the ride. Just to get out there and ride with no destination or task in mind.

Did you have a period of time when you sampled masks? I did. I tried one or 10 others to see which one(s) fogged my glasses the least. The weather was decent which made getting out easy and predictable. 

Here I am a year later. I’m grateful that I’m healthy and one shot away from fully vaccinated. I’m employed and able to continue working in a job I love. I’m also grateful there’s a vaccine and that little by little the students are returning to school and life is starting to expand beyond my house and my school. I have a fashionable assortment of masks and all in all life is good. It is hard, but it is working out. It always was good, but a pandemic helps reveal all that is good.

My wanderings to every Little Free Library within 20 miles of my house.

Saturday the 13th of March 2021, I rode my bike on a gorgeous sun shiny day. The daffodils are popping up like sunshine at your feet and I see the rhododendrons are also starting to flower and I can’t help but think of the lyrics from Sheryl Crow, Soak Up The Sun, “…It’s not having what you want. It’s wanting what you’ve got.”

Today was a good day. I hope your’s was too. 

Take care out there.

Be safe.

-Bike Goddess

Thank you for stopping by to read my blog. I appreciate it. Feel free to add your Likes and Comments. If you really want to make my day, you could Follow the blog through WordPress. If you already do, thank you! Re-blog and Share as long as you give credit. Have a great day! 

Snowlandia

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This Trek Stache 5 is the best snow bunny.

Winter has fallen. Snow is not unheard of in my corner of the world, but it doesn’t often stick for an hour let alone a day. Flurries were expected yesterday but the weather has a mind of its own. It has been snowing all day and now it’s as if confectionary sugar has been scattered everywhere. I have learned not to get too attached to the snow. Instead I seize the moments however sleeting and take a quick ride or at least a few pictures and marvel at its beauty. The bright blanket of white that both confuses and awes young and old alike. 

Snow has a quiet quality until it mixes with freezing rain. As it begins to transform into icy pinheads you can hear it in the trees and its audible droplets turn the powder into sheets of ice as soon as they hit the ground. The freezing chorus whips into song as the wind blows. I don’t fancy riding on it when it’s icy. I prefer the powder. Admittedly wearing a mask and riding in the snow means I can’t see a flake in front of my face. Very few people out in it because we just don’t know how to drive in this weather since we seldom have to do it.

It could be gone by the morning. It’s a welcome change from the usual weather du jour. The forecast says more is on the way and it won’t be turning to rain until Monday.  I like the possibility that it will linger a bit longer. Like a guest you didn’t even know you missed. I’ll give credit to the pandemic for making me more aware of the subtleties in changes. Everything small feels miraculous and worthy of note.

Brisk ride at midday. Perfect powdery combination for a ride.
Me in the mirrored eye leaving after my first dose of the vaccine.

In other news, I got my first dose of the vaccine today. That is notable since this day was all about getting to the site to get the shot. I was considering biking to the clinic or taking the bus, but my guy drove me. In Portland there were vaccinations scheduled to be administered at the Convention Center and in Vancouver at the Clark County Fairgrounds. Both were closed due to the snow. I wasn’t nervous about getting my vaccine but when the nurse told me that the other sites were closed I felt waves a gratitude that it worked out for me. This whole thing has been like gambling. In 29 days it will be March 13th when life in the pandemic started. My school building closed and the whole pandemic-quarantine-bubble existence kicked off.

View of the park across the street. Great light dance on the snow.

Who knows what’s around the next corner? Let’s not even guess. The snow is beautiful. I had a brisk ride in the powder and I got my first dose of the vaccine that didn’t even exist until recently.

I’d say that’s a good day.

I hope you had a good day too.

Get out there and ride or take a walk.

Stay safe. Stay kind.

Thanks for reading!
Bike Goddess

Rainy Days Get Me Frown

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Take a picture of the sun (because it will last longer) from January 18th.

My people initially came from Greece. My grandparents were born in villages near Thessaloniki and they emmigrated to the United States in the 1920s. There’s a very involved history I could go into here, but I don’t think we know one another that well yet. That’s a post for another day. Let’s say that I’m Greek on both sides. As I tell my students, “My mother is 100% Greek and my father is 100% Greek, so I’m 200% Greek.” My students usually groan and say that’s not possible and we laugh.

Some members of the family were smart and moved to San Diego. That was not my part of the village. My part of the family tree went to Detroit and Chicago or as they are also known, cold and colder. Not having any say in the first move of my life, from Detroit to a little town called Anderson, Indiana, I didn’t really care. Anderson was great for growing up and biking around on my banana seat-flower-power Schwinn. I don’t remember much rain. I do recall that my parents and I were on the road almost every weekend going to or coming from Mo’town or The Windy City visiting the grandparents from the old country. Personally, they really would have loved San Diego. Why didn’t they go there? Why?

When I did have a vote in moving it was out West to Oregon, not San Diego. All of this to say that it has rained for nearly the entire month of January and frankly I would like to stake my claim to some territory in a sunnier part of the world. I get into a sun trance and I think about the hottest days I’ve ever experienced and they’re almost all in Greece. There was one in Yuma, but that place is just hellish hot, so I don’t really count it. It has to be sunny and yet pleasant enough to bike. I don’t want sun stroke!

On Paros with my bike rental and a lovely glow of sweat. Yes, please!

It’s a classic line. Everyone complains about the weather but no one really does anything about it. The fact that we can’t travel because of the pandemic means that we’re all just a bit edgy out here in the Pacific Northwest. Some people claim to love it. There was a time in my life that I didn’t mind because it is as beautiful as a postcard. Green as a leprechaun’s hat, but still a whole lot of rain made it so. Be careful what you wish for since only as recent as September 2020 we had air quality issues due to massive fires. I don’t want that, of course. I just want to see the sun every few days. Can we get some balance in the forecast? Let’s bring in a lawyer. Here’s my offer: How about rain at night or less rain on my commute. I want one weekend a month of sun and sunshine on at least three holidays in the winter months. It doesn’t have to be consecutive days. I’m not unreasonable. Every other weekend should be sunny and bright. My husband always says, “Cheer up, fire season will be here before you know it.” He always takes weather’s side. He loves the rain and cold. It’s a fundamental incompatibility.

The most annoying part is the Dark Sky app. I need to get rid of it. It’s more accurate than reality. “Rain starting in a few minutes.” Yes, then rain. Rain for the hour. Usually, it is ridiculously accurate. My favorite alert (say that bit with sarcasm) is the one that says, “Rain stopping in 10 and starting again in 15 minutes.” Those are enough to send me into a fit of rage. Does that mean there’s a 5 minute window of no rain? It feels like I signed a contract with Zeus for an eternity of rain. Zeus is the boss of the skies, y’know. I bet he’s an investor in the Dark Sky app. Zeus is such a short tempered, impulsive god. We have Titan Prometheus to thank for the clouds. Humans needed a sign it was going to rain. As it goes, Prometheus decided to use lamb’s wool as the sign of rain. Clouds! When Zeus would send rain to the mortals, Prometheus would throw the lamb’s wool into the sky as a sign that rain was coming. But then Zeus brings on the rain and gets busy wielding some of deed and forgets he left the faucet on in the Northwest.

Sunny days at the Temple of Zeus in Athens. @WeBikeAthens

January is the weather-trifecta. Cold, wet and wind. I don’t enjoy riding in the cold below 40ºF. But I do it. Then if you add rain to the list and a light, variable wind, well, then the bike ride is about surviving. I should saddle up and Zwift instead, but I don’t. I brave the elements so I can claim some commuting points. You know the line, “Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.” Mondays are no big deal, but 27 consecutive rainy days do get my down. Every day of January feels like I’ve been under a rain style shower head.

There are those who say that I should “dress for it” and I do. There are some who say I should drive on those days. The problem is that sometimes the forecast shifts as easily as gears on a bike and you end up with a day that seems like “all is right in the world.” I find myself forgiving everything that came before. It’s like I’m in a really dysfunctional relationship. “Yeah, I took them back. They apologized and said they’d try to do better.” The sun shines and the mountains are bold and bright. Steam rises off the bike lanes and and I know that I couldn’t possibly live anywhere else.

Except Greece.

Or San Diego.

Get out there and ride.

Take care,

Bike Goddess

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