Cheer!

Beatrix the C8 is now decked out with her holiday cheer. To be honest, the basket has been cheery for a week and a half, but without a handlebar there was nowhere to hang that basket.

~record scratch~

Kitty photobomb! Margie is the pair of yellow eyes floating next to Oreo.

Without a handlebar??

Yes, Dear Reader, I swapped out the flat-ish stock handlebar for a Velo Orange Tourist Handlebar which now gives me the full upright posture that I've wanted from the C8. The whole operation was a lot easier than I thought it would be aside from initially ordering the wrong handlebar (anybody need a slightly scratched Velo Orange Postino Handlebar that I can't return because my brake handles left marks?) and non-artistically cutting down the right hand faux cork grip so that it would fit with the shifter knob thingy.

Cheer! (And VW photobomb.)

In the process, I swapped out the humongous bell for the slightly more diminutive one that came with the bike and adjusted the position of my rear view mirror.

I can sit almost bolt upright, but I can also lean forward to tackle the hills in my neighborhood and the approach to the 20-hate bridge. The saddle needs a little bit of adjustment backwards and then this will be the exact bike that I wanted when I started shopping for a city bike. At least until I come up with something else to muck around with.


With the new handlebar, Beatrix feels like such an elegant ride, and she's already gotten compliments on the basket decor. The holly garlands have been in my tub of Christmas greenery forever and the lights are two battery-operated strings I purchased at Target last year. Cheer!

An out-of-the ordinary commute

I hit the trail thirty minutes later than usual because 1) I stayed up too late reading and wasn't ready to bounce out of bed the third time my alarm went off [I am way too fond of the snooze button] and 2) it took a while for me dig out my cold weather gear and suit up for the commute. I'm good with a light cardigan, scarf, and gloves in the 40s, but once the mercury dips into the 30s, I want my helmuffs, arm warmers, and at least a windbreaker. After bundling up and ensuring that I had all the needed bits and bobs, I took off for work.

As I pulled my bike over the curb separating the neighborhood street and small hill to the W&OD trail, two lightly bundled cyclists on heavily laden bicycles cruised by in my planned direction. I overtook them after half a mile and realized they were on a bike tour. The fully loaded panniers and bedroll each had attached to their rear racks gave it away. I called out for them to enjoy their trip and the woman of the couple assured me, "Oh, we are!"

More joggers were out than I normally see in the morning and fewer commuters/trainers. I'm sure that was due to the lateness of my ride. I was surprised that traffic on Waxpool was lighter at 8:50 than 8:20. It certainly feels heavier when I'm in the car. Crossing two traffic lanes to get into the left turn lane for the campus was a breeze. It was also nice not having to fight for a parking space what with several parking lots and access to one of the garages being closed off for repaving and repair. One of the many perks of riding on two wheels.

Brrr

My general feeling about October. Source.

I needed a scarf in addition to my thin wool gloves for this morning's commute. Egad, I love this time of year!

However, because I love to borrow trouble, I'm looking ahead to the dark, damp months and wonder how well Beatrix the C8 will handle slick roads. Her tires aren't nearly as narrow as the Dolce's, but are significantly thinner than the Ariel's. I feel more confident in the hybrid's handling of rough weather -- as if I ride that often in such conditions, but you never know -- than the upright's.

But the practice of that particular theory is at least two months away (unless we get another freak Hallowsleet this year). In the meantime, I look forward to fall's riot of color and chilly mornings. Yum!

New stuff

What is it "they" say? The first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one? I love love love accessories. For my person: jewelry, scarves, fun and funky shoes. For my home: quirky artwork, colorful pillows, candles. And for the bikes: baskets, panniers/rear bags, bells, mirrors. Here are some items I've added to lovely Beatrix.

Electra Butterfly Ding Dong bell.

As I noted when I first got the Public C8, I wasn't in love with the bell. There was nothing wrong with it, per se; it even matched the colorway of the bicycle. It just wasn't exactly what I wanted and I wasn't fond of the ring. Also, the mirror I've been using hasn't been all that great with this bike's handlebar. It's slightly more swept back than the hybrid's bar and while the Mirrycle Bar End Mirror provides me with an excellent rear view on Lily, the same mirror gave me a view of my hip and waist mostly on Bea. Not terribly useful. Today, I swapped out the items which vexed me with items that please me.

Sunlite Deluxe Bicycle Mirror.

The colors in the Butterfly bell are so dadgum cheerful it's almost ridiculous.The bell is huge at nearly the size of my fist. The ring is so loud I think Margie lost one of her nine lives to terror when I gave the bell a test while inside the house. If its ring doesn't get through to zombie joggers, I fear only an air horn will affect them.

At first, I didn't think the Sunlite mirror would give me a decent view, but it surprised the heck out of me. The attachment to the handlebar is fairly soft metal and I'm a bit worried that it won't stand up to rigorous commutes. Everything else is great, though, and I'm pleased with the inclusion of a reflector on the back. I feel comfortable with removing the reflector that came with the bicycle thus decluttering the cockpit.

Velo Orange Porteur Double Kickstand.

Beatrix isn't the most steady when parked and loaded down. The front end has a tendency to fall to one side or the other and, on more than one occasion, the bike has threatened to fall over. With the other changes I made to Bea today, I decided I may as well swap out the kickstand as well. The Porteur is a little stiff when kicking up, but it does a fantastic job of balancing Beatrix when she's parked.

At this point, I've swapped out hand grips, bell, seat, pedals, and kickstand. The handlebar, frame, rear rack, wheels, and tires are all original so I suppose I can say that Beatrix is still the bike that I originally ordered.

Oh, and in non-Beatrix related gear, I found neon stretch gloves at Target yesterday. I've found very few non-black cool/cold weather gloves which I think is insane because how are cars, peds, and other cyclists supposed to see your hands when you signal a turn? I think these guys will do the job just fine. And at $3 a pair, I won't shed a tear when they inevitably get filthy from use.

My phone camera couldn't capture the eye-searing neon of the yellow pair.

Good things

I'm a little high on life this morning. It's a welcome change from how I've been feeling over the past month or so. Here are the good things from this morning's commute:

• The weather! Blue skies with wispy clouds, bright sunshine, and a temperature of 55F when I left the house.

•  Polite cyclists! Every person who rode around me called "on your left!" as they approached. Plus, a guy I met at the Sterling Bike to Work stop in May waved and yelled "Hi, Melanie!" as we passed in opposite directions. Luckily, I was smiling as we approached each other and he won't think I was a jerk for not yelling "hi" back. I was too surprised and he was already too far behind me to have heard a reply. See Melanie rationalize. Rationalize, Melanie, rationalize.

• My new pedals. Last month, the delightful Dottie of Let's Go Ride a Bike reviewed Dimension Curved Pedals and has been very happy with their grippiness when she wears heels while riding. The stock pedals that came with Beatrix the C8 are slippery as all get out if I wear anything other than sneakers. I swapped out the pedals yesterday and enjoyed a slip-free ride in my heels today.

•  My outfit. Sleeveless purple with cream polka dots knee-length, A-line dress; gold chain and big honking pearls necklace; dark red, faux gator Mary-jane heels. Oh, and a thigh-length, cream, open-weave cardigan for when I cool off and start freezing because of the AC vent blowing on my neck and shoulders.

•  My make-up. Benefit They're Real mascara and Too Faced Vanilla Glow (because I am glow-in-the-dark pale) Beauty Balm. I have searched high and low for a mascara that a) doesn't smudge because of my oily eyelids, and b) doesn't flake into my eyeballs. This is my Holy Grail mascara. It survived last week's humidity and this morning's commute like a champ. The BB is great because it didn't smear and run despite my sweaty, sweaty face.

• And last, but certainly not least, Beatrix the Public Bikes C8. She is finally set up so that function is just as beautiful as form. Granted, I had to change out a lot of stock parts to get to that point, but I can now ride like a lady when the inspiration strikes.

I hope that you have as wonderful a day as my morning has been.

Almost there...

The C8 has finally shared her name: Beatrix. I was trying to hard with the other names, but when I glanced over at her last night, "Beatrix" was the first thought to pop into my head. Scott thinks that's a perfectly wonderful name as well. (He wasn't too keen with any of the other options I'd floated.

I keep adjusting the saddle and handlebars because I'm still not completely comfortable with their positions. The Selle Royal Contour saddle may simply be too narrow for the upright posture. I find that I keep pushing myself to the very back of the saddle which makes my arms straighten out uncomfortably. So now I'm leaning towards a Velo Orange Model 8 which is nice and wide and sprung. According to a quick perusal of the intarwebs, it appears that the Pashley Princess and Linus Dutchi 3 I test rode both had saddles about the same size and with springs.

I'm also thinking about changing out the handlebar for something that sweeps back a bit further... but I'll wait on that until I get a new NEW saddle and see if that improves the ride quality of my city bike.

Any opinions in blog land?

Still here

Nothing particularly bikey is happening at the moment. I may go riding with a friend in the park near the Junction of the W&OD and the Custis trails on Saturday. According to Google maps there are a number of intersecting trails in that area and it's someplace that I haven't ridden through dozens of times. Plus, there are trees. That will be good if the day is hot and sunny. (If. Heh.)

My bike club is riding from the Herndon depot to the Vienna depot and back tonight. I wanted to participate, but not badly enough to risk heat exhaustion. I may brag to my friends that my thin southern blood helps me deal with the oppressive heat and humidity. However my southern brain knows that the best way to deal with the aforementioned heat and humidity is by laying low and not moving much.

Just because I talk slow don't mean I'm stupid.

(Yes, I know that's grammatically incorrect.)

Egad, I cannot wait for autumn. I am definitely a cool/cold weather rider.

In other news, I'm in the market for a new bike rack. I traded in the gas-guzzling Highlander for a gas-sipping Turbo Beetle. Well, it'd be gas-sipping if I weren't driving like a Formula 1 racer. It'll be a sipper on the next tank of gas. Anyway, there's no tow hitch, nor will there be, on the new car but I still want to haul bicycles. The Saris Bones 2-Bike is en route and will, hopefully, do the trick. There's a pretty significant spoiler on my trunk but I think the arch will fit over it. If not, the carrier will definitely fit on Scott's car and that'll be our bike-hauling vehicle.

Belle Helmets

A live action phrenology chart. Brilliant!

As I perused the July/August issue of Momentum, I noticed a lady on page 50. What caught my eye was her cute dress but then I saw her unusual helmet. Curious about the maker, I fired up ye olde firefoxe and took a gander at Belle Helmets.

Thought 1: Wow! Those are gorgeous (and hysterical, in a good way).
Thought 2: Wow! Those are spendy.
Thought 3: Oh, they're hand-painted hence the spendiness... Wow, those are gorgeous.

My favorites are Red Apple, Solar System, and Escher Sphere. If money were no object, and I didn't already have more helmets than bicycles but mostly if money were no object, I'd snap up Phrenology Chart in a heartbeat.

More customization

(I don't know about y'all, but I've been having EXTREME difficulty accessing any Google site except for the main home page. This has put a serious damper on my ability to email or blog or upload photos. Grr.)

(Ah! Looks like the flash upgrade from earlier this week munged things up. With the new download, everything is again tickety-boo.)

On to the actual post: I mentioned my dislike of the stock saddle and grips on the PUBLIC Bikes C8 and I took haste to replace those troublesome items. The creamy white of the Selle Royal Contour and the PUBLIC Leather Ergo grips purred "Buy ussssss..." and I was powerless to resist.

The saddle installation was surprisingly easy. It was so easy, in fact, that I worried I'd done something wrong. But, after several test rides around the block, the saddle felt like it was in the right position and angle. After the saddle installation, I scoured the intarwebs for information on how to remove and install handlebar grips. I was shocked to learn that three out of three bike shop guy videos said to use hair spray as both a lubricant and adhesive.

Sure enough, with a light coating of hair spray inside the grips, they slid right onto the bar. I waited a while for adhesion and then took the bike out for a spin to test the new grips. I took off... and nearly crashed when the left grip popped right off the bar in my hand. That was more than a little bit terrifying. I tried coating the bar ends with hair spray, slid the grips on, and let them cure overnight.

I tested the grips in the morning and they popped right off again. After work yesterday, we carried my bikes over to Spokes, Etc. After the wonderful mechanic swapped the clipless pedals out for my old spiky pedals on Lily the Ariel -- the numerous and painful crashes just weren't worth it and I wasn't strong enough to remove the pedals -- I asked him to make my grips not slide off the handlebars. What I didn't realize is that the tiny little hole in the end of the grip held a tiny little screw that would help the grips not fly off the bar when I took off from a standing position.

The mechanics fixed my grips -- they needed to slide the shifter and brakes in a bit -- quickly and I was a fairly happy cyclist. When I got home I futzed with the brake and shifter position and got them back into more comfortable positions. Scott came into the kitchen at one point and said that I was as bad as a gearhead. I don't think I'm worthy of that title until I actually build up a bike, though. And with everything accomplished, I was a completely happy cyclist.

Now my beautiful bike is even more beautiful and the color coordination eases my need for harmony. I realize that the saddle and grips will get grimy just like the lovely cream tires have, but for now everything is perfect.

In the name department, the top contenders are Mina, Hermione, and Cate (as in C8...Cate). Yes, the cruiser is "Kate", but I think of that bike as being free spirited like Kate Winslet and the loop frame is more elegant like Cate Blanchett.

Love at first sight

Okay, so my trip to Columbus was kind of fun, as much as business trips can be anyway, except for the getting into and out of the city. My experiences reminded me of why, when I fly for personal reasons, I never fly with... Oh, wait. Y'all don't want to read about my business trip do you? You're here for the PUBLIC Bikes C8 review, aren't you?
 

The PUBLIC box is sprinkled with quotes about bikes from the likes of Susan B. Anthony, Albert Einstein, Ernest Hemingway, and Bob Weir. I savored every moment of opening the box and Scott hauled the bike out for me.

The PUBLIC assembly team had already installed the seat, rack, and bell for me. All I had to do was slip the handlebar into the head tube and attach the pedals (which are not part of the recalled set) to the crank arms -- pretty simple tasks, truth be told. The included tools meant that I didn't even have to search for anything in our toolbox except for a Phillips head screwdriver. After I'd put the bike together and pulled off all the cardboard packaging, I stepped back and gasped at its elegant beauty. I began champing at the bit to see if it really would be love at first ride.

It was. Sure, the C8 is no speed demon, but it holds its own. The ride quality is fairly smooth and it corners well. The bike is simply fun to ride. And hills? What hills? The 20-hate bridge was no match for this San Francisco-designed cycle, even with a basket and pannier loaded down with groceries.

Speaking of which... who knew that a Po Campo Loop Pannier could comfortably carry a six pack of hard lemonade?

I love how easy it is to step through the frame. The opening is not as spacious as my cruiser's, but I'd put the C8 on par with a Linus Dutchi. The reflective stripe on the cream tires is an inspired safety feature. I'm going to have to get used to such an upright riding position, but I'm willing to make that sacrifice. It was also fun seeing appreciative glances from passers-by and even getting "That's a great looking bike!" from an overtaking roadie.

Now, there are a couple of things I don't love: the grips and the saddle. The triangle grips hurt my palms and the material makes my skin crawl. The saddle is quite plush and feels ~so~ big compared to my other bikes' saddles. I will be trading out both of those items. Right now I'm considering either a Velo Orange or Selle Royal saddle. Grips will follow to match whichever saddle I decide upon since I can wear gloves in the meantime. I'm not in love with the bell, either, but that's a fairly minor swap if I decide that it's too irritating.

Overall, and after only a few miles of riding, I am beyond pleased with the C8 and I do not regret the purchase AT ALL. I'm looking forward to many, many miles ahead. Oh, and figuring out what its name is.

 More impressions on the C8 can be found here, here, here, and oh heck, just use the Public C8 tag. :)

May Day

It's the first of May (NSFW for language), my eighth wedding anniversary, and the start of National Bike Month. Whoo hoo! I've signed up for the WABA-sponsored Bike to Work Day -- yay, free food and swag en route to work -- and am anxiously awaiting to see what activities the fitness center at work will provide on May 18.

In other news, I -- well, the staff at my LBS -- have made some upgrades to Circe and Lily. Circe got a new stem Friday afternoon and that change has made my road bike so much easier to ride. My hands usually went numb a few miles into a ride; on Saturday, I completed a thirty-two mile ride with no numbness or discomfort. I even felt comfortable enough to ride in the drops a few times and I didn't feel like I would take a header over the handlebar. The new stem has me riding in a slightly higher position which is a lot more comfortable on my overdeveloped ab and my back. As my core strength improves, I'll probably go back to the shorter stem.

Lily got a thorough bath on Sunday. And I do mean thorough. It was a two and a half hour ordeal, but I got every bit of road grime off the frame and out of the cogs and sprockets. Her rims, cassette, chain wheel, and chain practically sparkle. She's not showroom clean, but she's the cleanest I've seen her since taking possession. Unfortunately, when I put her in the two highest/hardest gears, there was some grinding in the chain wheel. I could have monkeyed with the front derailleur, but I let the professionals handle that and I had the mechanic change out the spiky pedals for the combo platform/spds I purchased a few weeks ago. It's going to take a little getting used to riding with pedals that aren't grippy, but I'm happy to have the option of riding clipless while commuting.

Jersey girl

In my hunt for a way to carry belongings on my road bike on solo journeys, I overlooked the most obvious and universal portage solution: the humble bike jersey. My main reason for not considering this garment is that, up until very recently, I had only one jersey.

Looking like a pumpkin at last October's "Great Pumpkin Ride".

It's a cute jersey and does a fairly good job of fitting my non-standard cyclist body. But it's so specific to a certain time of year that I didn't even consider wearing it in winter and spring. Which is weird since I wear Halloween-themed PJs year round; my deeply-closeted goth must be extremely closeted when it comes to jerseys. At the time I wore this garment, I didn't really use it for holding stuff since I had a trunk bag on the back rack so the pockets were kind of superfluous.

My typical road bike ensemble has been a Ruu-Muu with a long sleeved shirt or windbreaker. The Ruu's back pockets are good for holding a hankie, my iPod, and a camera. I could probably stuff more in there, but it would start getting uncomfortable and bulky underneath the overshirt/windbreaker.

Post ride, front.

Yesterday, though, I decided to wear my new jersey from HillKiller Apparel for a short ride and I discovered the joys of honest-to-goodness cycling jersey pockets. Hankie, ID, cash (you never know...), phone, iPod, and keys all fit comfortably with lots of room to spare. I could stuff extra powdered drink packs and waffles and a banana back there if I'd wanted, plus my camera. So this is how it's done...

 My deeply-closeted goth is beyond delighted with both the form and function of my adorable purple jersey. Their plus size actually FITS which is not always the case. I'm going to contact the HillKiller guys and ask if they'll make some of their men's designs in a women's cut because I want more of their jerseys. In the meantime, I'm champing at the bit for my jerseys from Scudo Sports Wear (they made the Halloween jersey) to arrive.

Zombie Girls do have more fun.

Ew.

I may need to break down and purchase some Febreeze for the office. My cube, specifically my chair, is beginning to smell like a gym thanks to sweaty workout clothes. :/

I'm so sorry, coworkers.

Oh, and...

The Detours Metro did the trick! It kept my snacks and accessories in place and close at hand. I could grab and stash my hankie and my lip balm as necessary and had plenty of room for all the extra gear that I didn't need to bring. Two pleased thumbs up.

New gear

Lily is great for road trips thanks to her basket and pannier. I can (over)pack whatever I might need for a longish ride such as snacks, extra beverages, an assortment of gloves, extra jacket, speakers for the iPod, etc. Even the larger pump can fit in either the basket or pannier. Circe doesn't have that storage capacity. Even her seat post bag -- the Detours medium Guppy -- is smaller than Lily's.

I love its wee flowers.

I've crammed a spare tube, CO2 cartridge, tire levers, multitool, handi-wipe package, a tiny amount of emergency cash, and a couple of band-aids in the Guppy and that sucker is PACKED. I might be able to wedge my house and bike lock keys in there, but no way could I stow my phone or snacks.

Detours Mighty meh.

My first solution was a Detours Mighty Midge stem bag, but I was never completely happy with it. I couldn't fit much in the way of snacks in there and it wound up getting pretty full with phone, cash, ID, and keys. Plus there was no good place to stash my handkerchief. Despite trying to use and love the bag, the final straw was when it fell out of the mount no less than three times during the solo portion of my training ride last weekend. Thank goodness I was stopped each time. When Scott arrived at the park, I ripped the bag off my bike at threw it at the backseat of my truck in disgust.

However, that wasn't the only bag on my bike. Oh no. I also had a Bell handlebar bag which DID contain gloves, headband, PB&J, banana, camera, and the contents of the stem bag after it was removed. It, however, also had drawbacks. It unzips in the front and, if not opened carefully, will dump its contents into an unseemly pile in front of the bike. It also doesn't play nice with the brake and gear cables and I was nervous that the velcro straps would come undone since they were so tenuously clasped in order to make room for the cables. It was close, but not right.

I'm hopeful that the Detours Metro is the final solution to my portage problem.

My aesthetic needs are satisfied.

It's roomy without being overwhelming. It has multiple openings for stashing items of different sizes and shapes. And it matches my saddle bag and the colorway of my bike. (Shush.)

The cover flips up to reveal mesh pockets and a deep front pocket.

Headband and bag strap, check. Windbreaker, check. There's room left over in the deep pocket for extra gloves, sport drink powder packs, and a marmoset or a small lemur. When its cover is flipped open like this, the inside of the cover has a clear pocket which could hold a route sheet, but I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving the cover open like that. On the other hand, the marmoset might like feeling the wind in its fur.

Can't go anywhere without my HoneyStinger waffles.

The top zips open to reveal deep storage which will easily accommodate a sandwich, banana, waffles, and my camera. The zippered inner pocket will easily hold my phone, ID cards, and cash, and the key ring will do what key rings are supposed to do.

No attachment anxiety here.

The attachment mechanism does a fairly good job of playing nicely with the cables and keeps the bag pushed out from the handlebars enough that I can wrap my fingers around the flat portion when I want to give my hands a rest and/or sit uprightish for a bit. The bag is removable from the bike by pulling on the ring on the back of the bag. Be careful of jostling the small mammal in the front pocket.

The hubs and I are taking a training ride tomorrow and I will report back on how well (or not) this bag performs on a modified Arlington Triangle route.

Overachiever

In less than twenty-four hours and within fifteen miles of riding with combo clipless/platform pedals, I decided that I'd rather have dual-sided clipless pedals. Luckily, based upon my enthusiasm for the new pedals, Scott decided Saturday morning that he wanted a set as well. En route to the shop, I asked Scott if he'd like my pedals on his bike and I'd get the new pedals for mine. Since both sets of pedals use the same style of cleats, switching them around wouldn't be an issue. He thought that was a great idea and the Spokes, Etc. mechanics were only too happy to set us up.

Circe at rest.

Oh my gosh but the dual-sided pedals were even easier to use than the combo pedals! Scott used the platform sides for the ride home and I coached him through clipping in and out Sunday morning and he took off to practice with his new pedals and shoes on the W&OD. He came back all grins.

When he's ready to change his combos out for standard clipless, we'll move those pedals over to my Ariel so I can either clip in or wear regular shoes on commutes and shopping trips.

Kate's a natural against cherry blossoms.

In slower and lower news, I love my cruiser so very much. I've decided to name her Kate because she's so spunky and all the Kates I know are overflowing with personality. I love that everybody smiles at her. Little girls gasp as I cruise by and even the two ten-year-old boys I pedaled past yesterday let out a breathless "Cooooool". Her only drawback is that my cable-and-string-eating cat Oreo wants her tassels so badly.

Ima eat your tassels.

Apparently plastic tassels are made of noms.

Going clipless

I biked to work this morning on the Dolce so I could ride directly from the office to Spokes for a personalized fitting. And since I was getting the fitting, I decided that I may as well switch out the pedals and get some clipless shoes and cleats. I chose the Shimano PD-A530 SPD pedals (I think... I'm too tired to get up and verify) which have a clip on one side and a platform on the other and Specialized's Women's Spirita Touring Shoes (surprisingly comfy!). Alexander took his time measuring my angles and adjusting my posture. Everything seemed to line up satisfactorily and he suggested trying a shorter stem if I continue to experience hand pain. I think that particular issue is clearing up as I can now ride in the horns for ten miles before my hands start hurting.

After the fitting, he let me stay on the trainer and practice clipping and unclipping until I felt comfortable to try it on the open road. My sometimes-elegant (-ish) dismount method off platform pedals didn't really lend itself to a clipless dismount and I had to talk aloud to commit "move pedal to 6:00 position, unclip, coast, brake, lean to unclipped side, put unclipped foot down, and get clipped foot into 2:00/10:00 or 3:00/9:00 position for take-off" to memory. My platform dismount is "move pedal to 6:00 position, coast, brake, stop, take foot off 12:00 pedal and sail forward off saddle so I can touch the ground, step off 6:00 pedal and kick it up to 3:00/9:00 for the next take-off".

Yeah.

Anyway, I finally felt like I had the process figured out and I hit the open road -- literally; the shop is about four miles from the W&OD trail -- and, as luck would have it didn't need to unclip until I got to the gravel turn-off for my neighborhood. Yes, you have to "turn off the paved road" to get from the trail to my neighborhood. It amused me that every single stop light was green and every single intersection was free of oncoming vehicles. I successfully unclipped to leave the trail and successfully clipped back in on the neighborhood street. My only issue was when I got home, unclipped on the left, and promptly fell to the right. Luckily, I caught myself on the side of my truck and was able to correct before hitting asphalt. D'oh.

Impression? I LOVED riding in cleats. I was able to power up hills more easily and I could feel different muscles working. I can see how using this style of pedal/shoe combination will make it easier to ride longer distances. I wasn't nearly as psyched out by having my feet attached to my bike as I was afraid I'd be. Some day I'll fall with my feet clipped in but I'm almost used to falling with my feet on platforms so no big.

Empowerment

My friend Charlene, who bought a bike at the swap meet last weekend, left her bike at my house because she couldn't fit it in her car. We made arrangements to get together this weekend and go for a ride and find her a suitable rack so the bike could live at her house. In preparation for our ride, and because I had no other plans on Friday night, I turned the kitchen into a makeshift garage and set to work sprucing up her bike.

After wiping off the dust and cleaning gunk off the rims, whitewalls, and spokes, I lubed the chain. No problems there. I flipped the bike right side up and gave the back tire some air. All cool, there. I gave the front tire some air. All good... no, wait. What's that hissing? Oh no, I killed her tire!

Actually, the stem had nearly ripped off the tube. There's no telling how old the tube was, but given the amount of cracks in the tires, I wouldn't call them new. Happily, my favorite bike shop had tubes to fit her tires and I rode over Saturday morning to retrieve those as well as buy the Dolce (more on that later).

I've decided that if you have to fix a flat, the absolute best scenario is to do it in your own home with all your tools available and to work on a fairly inexpensive bike which belongs to someone else. The front tube was an absolute cinch to replace and I felt pretty proud of myself for managing on my own. The back tire seemed much more complicated because, unlike Scott's and my bikes, there's no cassette or derailleur: there's just a hub and a coaster brake and some other contraption. Scott didn't feel comfortable monkeying around back there. I, on the other hand, didn't know any better and forged ahead because, gosh darn it, my friend was going to have a safe-ish bike! And the contraption had only one little screw which, alarmingly, caused the contraption to fall off when the screw was loosened.

I'd post pictures except 1) I didn't think to take any since everybody but me has changed a flat tire and 2) I'm too embarrassed that the Gentle Readers would identify the contraption as something perfectly benign and simple to manage, which it was...

Anyway, long story longer: I removed the back tire, much to Scott's amazement, and changed out that tube after realizing that I couldn't loosen the tire and old tube until I'd deflated that tube a bit. They don't cover that bit in maintenance classes. Well, I suppose they do as the instructor deflates the example bike's tire to demonstrate how to fix the flat, but the instructor never calls attention to the deflation part. I got the back tire on the bike as well as all of its associated bits and bobs.

So, with new tubes on slightly rotting tires, I then installed front and back fenders, a front basket, bell, and mirror on Charlene's bike. She was delighted. I also installed the rack on the back of her Scion. And before handing over the bike for good, I took a quick test ride to make sure that she wouldn't be the one to pay the price if my mechanical "know-how" caused pieces to fall off while in motion. (They didn't.)

Now all she needs are new tires -- an actual bike mechanic said she could go a little longer on the current ones -- and new grips and she'll be ready to ride for miles and miles and miles. As it is, we got in a five mile ride on Saturday and she can't wait to go for another spin.

Stop, Swap, & Save

As stated in a previous post, my friends and I attended a bike swap last weekend. This was my first bike swap and I was both overwhelmed and excited by the event.

General bustle.

Scott browses pants.

I'd hoped to find some cute panniers or other accessories like that, but there wasn't anything that caught my fancy in that department. I did, however, spy the most adorable hat helmets by The Band Box and, because of the bike show discount, snapped one up.

There really is a helmet under there.

It's completely unnecessary, but I'm a sucker for hats. Plus, being a crafty sort, I can easily change out that hat for any of my own and I won't have to destroy a Santa hat for next year's Christmas-time rides. Continuing the girly them was a pair of Sheila Moon "Thumbie" arm warmers.

I loved the orange version of these, but thought they'd clash with everything I own.

The guys from Hill Killer Apparel delighted me with their inspired bike fashions.

So adorable, in a grisly way.

As a horror fan I simply had to have the Zombie arm warmers. They generously threw in a pair of leg warmers for free. For some reason, I don't mind that they clash with everything I own. The guys didn't have any jerseys in my size; by the time we found the stall, their stuff had been picked over pretty well. But I'm tempted to order the Zombie Girls Have More Fun and Hell on Wheels jerseys, even though it pains me to have SO MUCH pink gear. I would totally snap up Riding Pretty jersey if it were available in my size.

Getting back to the sights, I saw my first Penny Farthing in the flesh (see what I did there?).

I couldn't back up far enough to get the whole thing in frame. :(

Plus a Missoni bike that made Scott's eyes wiggle.

Target sold the multicolor version last year. I don't know where this one came from.

I also spotted a Globe Daily 3 and immediately ran over to take a closer look. I've been stalking the step-through version of this bike online, but haven't found anyone locally who carries the brand. My local bike shop will order one for me, but I don't want to go through that hassle and then hate the bike. The bike on display was an extra large and was much to big for me to test ride it. The vendor was from a bike shop on Solomans Island, MD which is pretty far from our home, but not that far if we combined the trip with a visit to Scott's parents in Annapolis.

Browsing (and shopping) the bike swap was a fun experience and I'll have to keep an eye out for other swaps in the area.

My friend's new bike

On Sunday, my friends Charlene and Bill joined the Hubs and me for the Stop, Swap, & Save expo in Westminster, MD. The bike enthusiasm I've infected most of my friends with finally overcame Charlene and she was determined to find a bike of her own at the swap meet. Almost immediately she spied an adorable blue cruiser with partial chain guard and coaster brakes. After locating the owner, she took it for a test ride and came back with a smile that nearly split her face in half. I couldn't resist the adorableness and took the bike for a spin of my own. Like buttah. Bill's a bike mechanic and after taking it on his own spin, he declared it sound. The bike was half of Charlene's allotted bike budget and she paid the seller without a second thought.

Careful... you'll cultivate bike face.

After riding the bike to the truck for storage (hey! I finally got to ride a bike in the snow!), we headed back inside to find her some safety gear. First up was the helmet.

We found a woman selling Bern helmets for $25. Dude! I shoved Charlene toward the stall and waited while she tried on several different styles. Unfortunately, none of them fit comfortably and we walked away dejectedly. I was tempted to snag another Bern for myself, but I already had three (now four... that'll be another post) helmets for my own noggin. As we hunted for more helmets, Charlene talked about all the stickers and whatnot she was going to add to her bike.

See, I would have gone all girly with a bike like that: wicker basket, tinkly little bell, streamers maybe, and a floral helmet to coordinate. That's not Charlene's speed. She's going to bad-ass up her bike with stickers and an oogah horn. These are the blinky lights she snapped up:

These are ~so~ Charlene.

If I remember correctly, the white blinky is a white skull and the red blinky is a black skull. Pretty adorable, right? But because I'm such a tight wad, I couldn't possibly put something like that on my bike. Charlene, on the other hand, squealed and snapped them right up. She also found a helmet that I would have never in a million years picked out:

She's got a thing for skulls, you see...

She was almost as happy about that helmet as she was about the bike. My inner Martha Stewart was crying but but but, it doesn't go with the bike! Except, you know, it isn't my bike to accessorize. This is HER bike and it doesn't matter one flip what I think about the accessories she likes. I have to (and do) admire her individuality and her knowing exactly what she wants. I fret about making my bike look "right" and "presentable" which is silly because there's no standard out there for what a bike should look like. She's going to look awesome on her bad-ass bike, she's going to love making it hers, and even more importantly, she's going to love riding it.

Kudos to you, Charlene! I can't wait to go riding with you this spring and seeing all the looks of admiration other cyclists throw your way.