Category Archives: About

T-EEE-rific Riding

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Tomorrow, my Faraday Cortland and I will celebrate our two week anniversary. I’d like to report that this bike is a marvel. I couldn’t be more pleased. We were planning on purchasing a new front door for our house, but then my guy suggested we buy me a bike for Christmas. Uh, how can I agrue with that type of logic? Why use the front door when the garage is infintely easier for the bikes?

Let’s catch up some on some details. In my previous post I mentioned concern about the creamy tires. I’m over it. Tires are still creamy and rims are shiny. I have put over 100 miles on the bike. Roads are dirty, muddy and wet, and the tires should look like they belong on a cyclocross bike. The disc brakes make all the difference in the world. A few years back I purchased a Specialized Globe with creamy tires and brake pads and they turned gray within the first few rains. I became skeptical about creamy tires back then. With disc brakes there’s nothing to worry about. A few fragments of gunk on the fenders, but otherwise, clean. There’s still only one thing to change and that’s the addition of the racks, but honestly, there’s nothing to be done until they are available. I have been using a backpack to carry a lock and other other essentials plus my adorable PoCampo bag I borrowed off my road bike.

One day I logged 33 miles and I did run out of … electricity. I am still getting used to the 20-22 mile range. I rode into downtown Portland and did some shopping and then decided to ride over the new Tilikum Crossing.

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When I was at the boutique showing off the new bike I should have turned it off. That along with my range of miles meant I was running on sheer leg power for the last ten miles home. I hoofed it up the big hill and it was fine. I was fine, my legs were fine. I made it fine without the assist, but the assist is the E-Factor.  Getting home took a little longer, but I didn’t have to dismount and walk up. The bike is still light enough to be a great bike for riding even without the E-Factor. The Cortland is heavier than my normal commuting rig, by about 10 pounds, but on the hill I geared down and made it up… fine.


On Christmas day I biked over to my parents’ house (9 miles one way) and since I wasn’t sure how long I’d be there I packed the charger and once I got there I put the bike on the charger. I used the assist here and there, but not for the whole ride. The assist is particularly helpful at intersections and getting across busy streets. It’s like a jet pack for your bum. When I left their house by bike and my husband left by car, given the traffic and my bike route, we kept pace with each other along the route. We were not racing. I simply followed my normal bike route and we met up at a few intersections and stop signs. I shaved 10-15 minutes off my time here, there and roundabout.

As I go into the new year, I’m hoping to ride the Cortland in the morning to school and skip the bus ride. I think I can, I think I can.

Thanks for reading.
Happy rides and routes in 2017. Be safe!
BG

 

 

 

 

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.

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

 

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.

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

 

 

Getting in Gear

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Last year I joined Strava. I like tracking my rides because the data is illuminating. I had been using MapMyRide, but it seemed like most of my friends were on Strava and they loved it. Peer pressure took over. All the cool kids were using Strava and I wanted to be one of them. I tried the free account for a few months and then went Premium at the tail end of 2014.

Why bother? Two reasons: motivation and data. In 2015, I started the year with ride #1 and ended with ride #303. The data says I completed more than 303 rides, but that’s what I named them. There were rides that were not numbered, but that’s fine. You can choose your own system. I decided to start 2016 the same way; ride #1 was today.

Also, when you see how many miles you ride every week, month and year, you see your progress as a rider. Essentially, you compete against yourself. Either app (and I’m sure there are others) provide features that keep you riding. You can determine your weekly mileage goals or annual totals. Plus there’s a community of riders out there who have your back. I love it when another rider gives me kudos on a ride.  Also, I enjoy seeing their routes. I wish I knew more about all its intricacies and I’d love to have a manual to explore some of the features, but most of what I’ve learned in the last year has been by experimenting or looking up stuff online. For example, the graphic above is an annual summary provided by another app or extension I found here, and it uses the Strava data.

My goals for 2016 are to keep riding and recording my rides. I’m not sure about my total mileage yet. I’m setting the bar for 4000 miles. My Kona Roundabout gets the most use use since it’s my commuter bike. I have Luna, a Cannonade Synapse road bike which is a fair weather bike. No fenders, just speed. There’s the Trek Portland and it was my commuter up until 2012. I don’t ride the Trek much and I’m considering selling, but it’s a good backup bike.

I love bikes and I love riding. Your gear can be your kit, clothing, shoes, your bike, bags and tools but one tool in particular that allows you to quantify your riding. I use Strava for everything, even walking my dog Max. It’s a new year and it might be time to explore a tool to help you track your rides.

Strava is not paying me to sell you on the idea although this post does sound like a pitch. I was dubious about making the move from MapMyRide to Strava and now I can’t imagine a simple ride without Strava. When I travel I try to rent a bike or use a city’s bike share and tracking my rides is becoming a sort of keepsake for me. It’s a great way to share your
adventures and remember your routes.

Thanks for reading. Have a great day and get out there and ride!

 

 

Just Living the Ride

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Riding a bike is what I do. I was never a fan of working out in a gym and the whole idea of riding a stationary bike indoors over a spin outside seems unappealing. Gym membership is not my thing. My daily prayer for myself is that I can ride my bike. “Please, God, let me ride my bike again today.”

Like many of my brothers and sisters in bikes, I went through the period of being a roadie. I’d dress up in my kit and go out for hours, but now I don’t care about what I wear when I ride, I care that I ride. Usually it’s my commute, but on the weekends I love doing errands by bike or riding to fetch groceries, whatever, wherever, let it be by bike. That’s my mantra.

Winter is the most unpredictable season for riding. Despite the apps and radar and updates, you don’t know what the day will bring. I’ve had exceptional rides on days that the weather app told me it would be raining for hours. In the Pacific Northwest, you can’t let the rain get in your way, or you’d never ride. However, I do think that weather can be managed. The weather gods should be limited to one weather system at a time. You can give me rain and no wind or wind an no rain, but together…well, that’s like weather doping. Not cool Mother Nature! Dress for it and don’t be stupid. If it seems too dangerous, then wait it out. Like the company so aptly named, Showers Pass… they do. Showers do pass and sometimes you can find that opening in a weather system and still get a little time in the saddle.

Happy 2016 and start the year with a ride. You can thank me later.