It’s an interesting question to ponder on this the last day of the month. Plus there are scores of ads and spam and political posts using the, “No Tricks, Only Treats” sort of wording. Why not grab that as a question for my blog post today.
People in my life seem to think that if I’m not doing 20 miles a day, it’s not biking. Oh, no, wait, that’s my inner dialogue judging my own self. Sorry. I get the two confused sometimes. I don’t think anyone really cares about consecutive days of cycling, but I do and that’s really all that matters. I am not sure when the streak will cease, but I’m at 820 days and it has become a marker for me of perseverance and commitment to the extent that it’s maybe the one tiny thing I can control a teeny tiny bit.
Yesterday is a case in point. I was tired and it has been raining with such determination for the last several days that my mammal instincts are to burrow in and read my books and kick this streak to the curb and begin to winter.
I saw a tiny break and got all the rain gear on and the boots and the everything and was just about to go and it started up again as if someone (Mother Nature) was watching and waiting for me. Ah, yes, fine, whatever, I thought. I’m going and you can’t stop me. There was sun to the east and rain overhead and a very intimidating group of clouds ready to bully me back into the garage, but instead I went out. Under 2 miles. Yeah, not my finest moment, but I went out and rode in the neighborhood and assessed the layers I put on and decided I would need another warmer layer under the two layers to adequately ride longer.
But I rode when I could have not. I rode when I could have sat and nested. I rode and it felt good to have ridden. I quieted the poopoo head voice in my head that says I can’t when I can. I confronted the negative with movement and I forged onward. Some days that’s all you can do whether it’s a consecutive day of cycling or not.
At least that’s what I tell myself. I think a streak can be both trick and treat. 🎃 What do you think?
My 365th consecutive day of cycling is today. I’m not stopping or taking a day off. I’m planning to continue the streak until I can’t for some reason. Here are some of the questions I’ve been asked the most while cycling my streak.
Has it been hard? Not terribly, no. At first I was recovering from surgery on my heel and my streak was broken in July 2024 because doctor’s orders. Then it was hard to remember that I was setting a schedule to ride in the summer when usually I wouldn’t be commuting to work anyway, so setting new routines was challenging for a month or so.
The most challenging aspect of riding consecutive days is traveling and there’s bicycle uncertainty. Can I get a bike in a 24 hour period? While it only happened twice in 365 days, first in April when we were taking the Amtrak to and from Vancouver, B.C., and we had to clear customs at the Canadian border near Seattle. I was counting on a ride when we got home but also knew it would be late, so I was full of anxiety over how this would play out. Seize the cycle is the best way to handle it. You make the most of an opportunity. We ended up having a layover in Seattle at King Station so I rented a Lime ride and it all worked out as if I’d planned it.
The second time was a few weeks ago. We took a trip on the Columbia and Willamette rivers on our sailboat. I brought my Brompton onboard. My husband tied down the bike at the stern and when we docked we’d unload it and I could pedal around the city. It requires the tiniest bit of planning, but completely worth it.
Did it get boring? Absolutely not. I love riding and even though I was mostly riding in my area, it’s a treat to see how many different ways you can get from point A to B. Plus I didn’t have to commute to work so I could break the route to and from and just go, go, go. There are a few decent climbs by my house and now I can say without hesitation that I don’t mind them now, much. Since going to and from some of my trusty routes I must go down the hill, then I’ll have to come up said hill again later. a portion of the hill is has a 10% grade and you know it’s just before a stoplight and traffic to the north and south and you feel vulnerable and hidden and it’s hard. I don’t love the main hill on days when the sun is a broiler and the pavement is so hot you can hear your tires sizzle. But I got over it or planned it so I wasn’t doing the climb in the heat of the day.
Do you have a favorite route? Not really. I’m not bound to a commuting route like when I was working, so I just go. I go wherever I want and try different routes and explore. I am reminded that this is exactly how I rode my bike as a youngster. I’d wander and see what was around the bend. Just riding. It’s less about the miles and pushing myself than it is the consistency of riding every single day. I did make a point of documenting it with photos along the route. It was part of the journey to find a good backdrop for my bike to pose.
Did you set a minimum number of miles every day? I get this question the most. I wanted to ride every day for the pure joy of it. Going from commuting 22 miles a day, 4-5 days a week to potentially nothing because I don’t have to commute any longer could have been the end of my riding. I could have turned my bike life into a hobby and less of a daily obsession. I didn’t want that to be the case. I wanted to ride just for the satisfaction of riding. The challenge of doing the thing every single day and not so much for miles. I didn’t wanted to overthink anything related to my bike life. Sure, maybe by the time I was 6 months into it I’d shoot for at least 30 minutes or 5-10 miles, but I also embraced the Grant Peterson cycle philosophy and showed up for my ride. Anything else is frosting. Old habits die hard is a cliché for a reason and it challenging to silence your inner critic and not let the commuting habit boss you around. Whoever coined the phrase “Follow your bliss” had to be a cyclist. The feel of my legs moving and my eyes taking in all that is around me is exactly what draws me to cycling. It feels amazing!
Did you participate in any group rides? Nope. There was a time for that in my life, but I prefer solo riding. I wouldn’t rule it out but no, I did not participate in any organized rides in the 360+ days of riding.
Did you use an eBike? Me-power versus e-power is interesting to ponder. I have nothing to prove and I have bikes because I’m a cyclist! I did occasionally use my eBike. My 2012 Kona mixte was my primary ride. It’s not one OR the other, it’s both. There are some days I didn’t have the legs to deal with hills or heat or rain and it was safer to eBike, so I went electric. It kept me in the saddle where I might not have had the me-power to ride. I also used my Brompton (foldy bike) because it’s easy to take on and off train or bus. This always makes me think of the iconic line about having more insurance coverage in the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes”. The character Evelyn Couch, played by Kathy Bates utters the line, “Face it, girls, I’m older and I have more bikes!” She actually says insurance. She has more insurance. I have bikes and for the first time in my life I can ride whatever I want. Evelyn agrees!
Why? Or as my husband says, “You keep telling me why, but I don’t understand it!” It is a good basic question and while I could quote the phrase “because it is there” which is a famous quote attributed to George Mallory, a British climber who perished on Mount Everest in 1924. That quote certainly encapsulates the inherent human drive to explore and conquer challenges, particularly in the face of formidable natural obstacles like mountains, or biking up 10% grade hills.
I don’t have a therapist, but I guess if I was on the couch and talking about the why of my riding, I’d say it’s one of those things I can do. It all started in gym class when I was a wee lass and I couldn’t climb the rope or was told I’m not good at sports. I’m sure I’m not alone. I’m not a runner and I’m not a lot of things that physically fit people look like they are. I am not slight of build and I have been told, “You don’t look like a cyclist,” whatever that’s supposed to mean. Simply put, I wanted to see if I could. I was inspired to do so by a cyclist in Toronto. An added benefit is that my legs are toned. My gastrocnemius muscle, both the medial and lateral are defined in a way I envied on “serious cyclists.” Just the other day I sort of noticed this definition on my own legs and I really wanted to set up a photo shoot because for the first time it’s defined enough for me to say Hello!!Legs by cycling. If you follow this blog, you know I’m not one to have a gym membership and I don’t run and while I do enjoy swimming, that’s not my thing either. I ride my bike.
One comment from a Strava follower was “You must be so strong after this experience.” I do feel good and I want to hold on to that zeal of just doing the do and riding as much as I can for as long as I can.
What’s next? I’ll keep on doing what I do. Getting out there and riding my bike! I wish the same for you.
Thanks for reading and get out there and ride your bike. Tomorrow will be day 366!
The risk in talking about a streak is that somehow you will jinx it. You will attract some sort of mischief that will kill the streak. Better to just hunker down and do the thing and not draw any attention to it.
I’ve been reflecting on this streak and happy to keep spinning and reviewing some of the days. Recently Day 260 proved to be very complicated because I was traveling and wasn’t quite sure if I could ride a bike through the aisles on an Amtrak. Fortunately, it didn’t come to that. I squeezed in a ride during a layover in Seattle. That was the closest call I’ve had in my adventures.
The 260s came and went and the 270s also. I’m on the #297th day of consecutive days of riding my bike as of this post. Why not wait until #300? Well, I may not have time to write about it.
With this streak, I’ve gotten used to seizing the moment—and also sensing when something might go wrong. A snag. I can feel it, like shaking a Magic 8 Ball, and hoping for the “Yes-Definitely,” but some days are leaning toward, “Very doubtful.” The outlook of each day holds a bike ride, and I work diligently to make sure it happens, part of my daily rhythm.
One is working and one is not.
As much as commuting was a necessary part of my week getting to and from school when I worked, I wasn’t for certain how my graduation (retirement) from work would influence my future riding. I didn’t want it to but how could it not alter my schedule and commitment?
When I started this streak 297 days ago I didn’t know I’d get this far. All you can do it try.
Puttering in my yard a week ago, I decided to move a big bucket of water. Think 40 pounds. I know better. Plus it’s water! Why did I think it was so necessary to move it. It was on grass and I should have pushed it over which my cycling legs, but no… the weakest part of me, my arms were put to the test and I hauled it over to a flower bed to water some plants. I felt the twist in the small of my back and thought possibly a giant knife was thrown at my side. But still I got on my bike the next day (after an hour of alternating hot and cold) and the next day after that for a week and rode.
#297 and HollyBerry, the eBike.
I’m accustomed to getting a massage now and again. But it has probably been over a year since I had one. After the bucket incident I made an appointment and today I feel like a voodoo doll with pins sticking out everywhere. I used my ebike today and I persevered and rode. In the last 297 days there have definitely been days when my body was not up for the challenge.
A rest day for me on my streak means riding, but not as far or as long. That’s okay! Coming off of the commuting miles or the days when it was raining sideways during my commute, now I can pick my time of the day and just go! I can wait for that break in the rain to get in my ride. How liberating!
Everything falls away when I ride. Correction, most everything falls away. I take in the scenes and scenery and I feel as though I’m on some new path of enlightenment. Not quite a reclining buddha but a pedaling goddess and even when distracted drivers annoy me I still feel blissful and renewed at its conclusion.
Ride #260 was a $17 Lime ride. But I got it done.
I stared my streak on August 8th, 2024 and I even started it before that but I had foot surgery so I stopped and resumed once the doctor gave the green light. Now I’m on the threshold of 300 days and only 68 days from a whole year and I’m amazed. But we’re going to be aloof about it and chill so as not to anger the gods.
People ask me, “What happens after that?”
I’ll keep going is what I say. Day 366 and day 400 and 500. Of course I’ll need a little treat, for the bike of course, but I want the streak to continue.
Thanks for reading my blog and some of you on Strava have been following me and giving me Kudos, and I want to thank you for your support. It means
BikeGoddess is also a YouTube Channel and I’m planning more for it in the upcoming 68 days, including some video of my trip to Vancouver B.C., and my bike tour recommendations. Have a look and Subscribe because doing this streak has been a sort of biking bootcampt for me.
My bike(s) are like a part of me. They are an extension of my body and my mind. As a bike knocks off mile after mile and you pedal through the weeks and commute or grab groceries or try this hill or that dale your bike willingly goes along for the ride.
I went too far. We’ve had lots of rain and I thought the screeching braking sounds were a result of the rain. However, that’s not the case. Prepare yourself for the photos you see.
In my defense, I did hit the 5K mark on my commuter, HollyBerryBike recently and I suspected that I would be addressing the brake pad soon however I didn’t really think they’d sound like the Psycho score turned screech.
The downhill spiral on brake pads is quick. What you suspect becomes reality when dogs howl and birds flee and babies cry as you pass by and you may not even be using your brakes. Today was such a day and I’m grateful that it wasn’t SO bad that fluids leaked and my bike was ruined but was bad enough that I learned my lesson. Again.
But here’s the thing, I’ve gone to the garage a few times tonight and my bike isn’t there. It’s at the shop. It’s having an overnighter and I don’t think we’ve been separated ever, so I feel like a bad bike mom and I know it’s only a night but I miss her.
Left is the one I wore out. On the right is the new pad.
All the forums and experts say every 5K miles your brake pads should be checked and “possibly” replaced. But it depends on how hard you ride and how much you brake. Commuting adds loads more wear and tear to a bike and in this case, she’s right on time. 5,100 miles.
I have been here before. We’ve all learned lessons about bike maintenance multiple times. I’m here again at the brake pad lesson 101 and it’s all going to be okay. Mark at the shop assured me that I did the right thing and it’s all going to be okay.
She will get rear pads and a new rotor and we’ll be riding into the end of the school year soon enough.
This is Bike Goddess here with a reminder to check your brake pads. Don’t be like me.
Thanks for reading. I know it’s been a beat and I’ll be back sooner than you think with a few exciting announcements. In the meantime if you found this helpful, please give this post a Like and I look forward to another post soon.
The calm and bright from the sailboat on the Columbia River.
The lines from Silent Night echo in my mind often and without provocation at this time of the year. I think it’s a coping mechanism in my brain and much like breathing, it’s simply in my head on autoplay. I especially love the “all is calm, all is bright” line. There are many more.
“Glories stream” and “radiant beams” and the “dawn of redeeming grace.” Wow, right. I mean, the words alone are sunrises and you feel your heart fill with the potential of the universe. Plus, there’s sleeping in peace and heavenly hosts singing and the shepherds are quaking but who can blame them with all the beams and streams and glories.
I love it because it’s simple and majestic and there’s a meditation in the lyrics that helps me breathe and relax. There are such equisite simplicity in that carol.
Being alive is science and it’s also a miracle. It’s wonderous and any day you feel like you’re healthy means you are indeed wealthy. Any day your head is on and you feel like you’re in a good place is special and if you happen to be moving and grooving, well, that’s success!
At this time of winter darkness anytime a star wants to lend its light is indeed magnificent.
This was the first night which was delivering Santa to the public dock. Photo credit Christmas Ships.
Dear readers, at this time of the year I usually report a great year of biking. The miles ticked by and topped over and I feel like a Goddess to the tenth power! This fall has not been successful in miles. The weather has put quite a damper on my riding goals. I’ve also had a few mechanical issues and I’ve felt defeated by the number of things put on my work plate and much like a child who shoves superfluous items into the grocery cart, my work life has been full of excessive distractions and most of which are not even my job. But whatever.
What better time to admit that it’s been a daunting December. However, also delightful and successful in a different way. The days that I have been able to ride have been splendid and beautiful with sunrises that are breathtaking and remind you that the madness of the moment will pass.
Wreathly good times!
Also I had some new experiences on water not land when my guy and I joined the Christmas Ship parade on the Columbia and Willamette rivers. Even though we thought we’d only do a couple nights, we ended up participating in seven of the 13. This is the 69th year of the Christmas Ships parade and I’m happy to report that both our boat and our marriage survived.
She’s also a biking pal who enjoyed our river run.
As it is the eve of THE EVE, I wanted to take time to be calm and mild and think about streaming glories and radiant beams of light since it’s been weeks of watching the boats on the rivers and seeing the community of people who pull this off. There are moments when the lights from the boats ahead or behind fill your soul and you know that it could all end right then and there but you’d be complete.
Sunset on a commute home.
I ride and I ride a whole lot. I do have suggestions for gifts to buy the cyclist in your life, but that will have to wait. Maybe Valentine’s Day I do a post about that. I don’t even remember my Strava goals for this year and while I could look it up, I don’t really care. A year ago this experience with the Christmas ships was merely an ember. I never expected to be among the fleet of boats that participate in the parade. But now, I can’t imagine not doing it. That’s the thing about new experiences, they seem to crack open something in us that fills a void. The faces of people at the dock were indeed radiant and they were filled with a childlike innocence that was resplendent and angelic. I remember thinking, “It this what it’s like to be Taylor Swift? Is this what it’s like to be so beautiful that people line up to take your picture and applaud at your existence?”
Simply, yes, that’s what it’s like.
Our onboard noise makers and more importantly, friends. I was working the radio so you have to have help from crew.Bridges in the city. Dreamcatcher. We were 1 among the sailboats.Our stern wreath.Another spectacular sailboat, Speendrift.View from the bow of the Columbia.Blushing.Following is an art all its own.We’re the green triangle.Skipper HusbandSpeendriftPretty, pretty! Yeah, so much beauty! Our leader.
However, to do this, we had to submit. We had to defer to those who have done it and we had to be passive and learn how to be meek and mild. That’s not easy! It’s a miracle we could set aside our egos and our will and fall into our place in the parade.
My life is much richer for having experienced the rigorous pace of doing Christmas ships and for hearing people from the docks and piers yell their appreciation and Merry Christmas greetings and telling us and all the ships that we were beautiful. We should all do that. We should all yell to one another how beautiful it all is and in those moments find the calm and mildness and simplicity of the moment.
Readers, thank you for being here with me in the moment. I’m grateful for your Likes and Follows and I wish you all the calm and mild you need this season and into each and every day of 2024.
In between summer and the teacher strike I wrote about recently, I went to an event called Made. This event exists to honor, appreciate and demonstrate the ingenuity of people who make bikes. However I forgot to remember it. Now November, I am starting to remember that I did some cool things in the waning hours of summer that I’ve neglected to share.
Maybe you’ve done this too. You’re reviewing your photos and you see a chunk of pics that you know you took but they were eclipsed by a thousand other things happening on and around the very same time. For me, the time we went on strike feels surreal. Literally the time has been put back into our school calendar to “make up” the strike days. Ηοςεωερ the other happenings were sidelined. That time has left me feeling flat even though they were very cool events. It all feels like a bike stuck up on the top of a car lying on its side and forgotten about completely.
As I was looking for photos from the strike for a collage, I saw these other moments digitally preserved and I was remembering the day I went to Made and how I hitched myself up on a pennyfathing and actually rode it in place for a few minutes. I remembered how amazing the event was and how I was itching to blog about it. I remembered that I forgot to share the adventure.
MADE is described on the ticket as “an industry/consumer bike event highlighting the craft of handmade bicycles.” There were 200 or so builders and brands sharing their creations.
As we say in a post Covid world, it’s been awhile since we’ve even had this event in Portland, Oregon, so I was as excited as a kid hyped up on Halloween candy to attend. I could not contain myself.
Entrance to the event.
As I walked into the area I felt like everything was possible. I knew I would see some builders I remembered from past shows and I knew I’d see cool gear and unique builds and I was ready and raring to go.
Zidell Yards is an outdoor performance venue on the South Waterfront.
The venue was spacious and buzzing with activity.
Set for some bike camping.
Pennyfarthing bikes a.k.a. High wheel bikes are so odd and iconic. Most of my sources say that these bikes were notoriously difficult to handle and I can see why. Getting aboard them requires a leap of faith and you literally have to hop up and hang on.
At first the gentlemen asked if I wanted to take a spin. The bike is stationary but on a platform so you can try riding it. I dismissed the opportunity outright. “No thank you, I’d prefer to not risk my safety.”Wait? What did I just hear coming out of my mouth!? Is that doubt mixed with fear? I lingered a bit and wondered why I said that.
I love bikes. I love opportunities. Why, yes, I think I do want to try it. I mean in all my time on planet Earth I have never had an opportunity to ride a Pennyfarthing. Yes, I want this!
There are these pegs on the rear little wheel and you step on it and then hop just as I was told. With the hop up you also lean forward enough to grap the handlebars and then you scoot your caboose up on the saddle and you ride. It’s very smooth, but not because you’re on air (which I was) it’s because the big front wheel allowed for higher speeds on the flats. I was told that it was a smoother ride before the invention on pneumatic tires.
Pennyfarthing for your thoughts.
I couldn’t believe I was riding and gliding and generally loving the experience. I’ve never been on a tall bike, but I imagine it’s a similar feeling. The handlebars were odd and you can see in the video that it was as if I was holding myself up while pedaling down. I felt like I needed longer legs, but I was pedaling long enough to get a sense for how difficult it would be to ride this out and about in the olden days. What a great moment in time and lots of fun to actually give it a spin.
There were bags and all sorts of beautiful bike related gear but the spotlight was on the stars of the show, the bikes, all made, engineered and created like works of art you ride. Everything you can imagine and some things you didn’t even know you wanted to see.
Overall it restored my faith in humanity because it’s all impressive and clearly some people are ingenius and inventive and they know how to make cool things. They got it MADE and I feel ebullient because I got to witness it all in one place.
Plus, the pennyfarthing. Right?
As I listen to the rain thrash against the house and I watch the leaves swirl around in colorful cyclones I recall that hot August day and how beautiful it was to see bikes forged from imagination into reality. Do you have any favorites? If you had a bike custum built what would you do to make it the perfect bike for you? Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for reading my blog. I wish you a wonderful week and I’ll see you in the next post.
September 14, 2016, Dr. Carla Hayden was sworn in by Chief Justice John G. Roberts as the 14th Librarian of Congress. The third professional librarian, the first woman and the first person of African American descent to hold the position. This is important because today is the 14th and I went to the Library of Congress National Book Festival in mid-August in Washington D.C. and I was out and about on the convention floor browsing books and I spied with my little eye, Dr. Hayden.
A selfie moment with the Librarian of Congress!
It was one of the moments when I hesitated and thought I looked too beleagered to greet her but then I thought, I MUST MEET her so I caught her eye largely because I was staring at her until she looked over and then I shoved out my right arm and actually introduced myself like a boss and told her I was a volunteer (I also had on my volunteer t-shirt) and my super cute bookish skirt and then she asked where I was from and of course I said I was visiting from the other Washington, the one that was a state. She smiled like I said the wittiest thing ever and said it was such a beautiful state and I agreed and quickly added that we had some great indy bookstores and then I think I blacked out because I was talking with Dr. Carla Hayden which is about a high as you can go in the library business and I felt like I was at the summit of Le Col de la Bibliotek and then she shook my hand or had I even let go of her hand from the first handshake, I can’t recall.
Library of Congress National Book Festival
Sometimes you have to seize the moment and I’m glad I did because there are just as many times one might say, “Oh, I shouldn’t bother them” or “Why don’t I mind my own,” and then you might be fraught with regret about not seizing the moment and so I’m glad I didn’t let good judgement interfere with intution and I thrust out my arm and gave it a go.
Since today is the day she was appointed, it felt like a good day to share my moment. There has been so much business in the days following the return from that trip. I’ve had no time to process what a great trip I had to D.C. and that moment of meeting the Librarian of Congress was such great fortune.
Mythology for the win.
I also got to sit in the reading room because I got an LoC card. I spent about 2 hours looking through books in the stacks and sitting at the beautiful tables and reading. The serendipity of it all was overwhelming. I couldn’t have written it into a plot line of a book better than I lived it.
#capitolbikeshare
After that I was floating around a few inches off the marble floors reliving the moment hoping it really did happen. I checked my phone to be sure the photo was there, and it was, so it did in fact happen. I bought more books and went to a few more author sessions and marveled at what an amazing adventure the event had been.
Then I hopped on my Captiol Bike share bike and rode the National Mall. That’s a story for another day. D.C., to be continued. Today, I’ll savor the memory of meeting Dr. Hayden.
I hope you have magical memories. Thanks for reading my blog post, I appreciate it.
