And we're back

OMG. It's been a spring for the record books. Let's have a quick little run-down, shall we?

March: Bariatric surgery for me. No cycling for a month thanks to an overzealous husband who looked out for my "best interests". Of course, I had no energy for riding much farther than a couple of miles.

April: Still no energy, which meant that I did not participate in Paul's Ride for Life. I took Lily the hybrid and Beatrix the loop-frame to the bike shop for a check up in hopes that I'd be cycling again.

May: Brain surgery for husband. (The MRI ordered by his audiologist in April showed a mass, and three weeks later he was in the OR having a rock the size of a tennis ball removed from his head.) I spent the first half of the month driving 60 miles round trip to keep him company in various hospitals and the second half working at home so that I could keep an eye on him.

I did participate in Bike to Work Day on May 17 even though it felt like a cheat. I mean, I'd already registered and I did sort of ride to work; I just happened to be working from home... Nice swag, though. I loved this year's t-shirt and water bottle color. The Sterling/Orbital stop also had reflective wrist bands with LEDs. Sweet for night time hand signals.

Pretty Bea seemed a little bit out of place amongst the road bikes.

This week I made a couple of shopping trips via bicycle and they haven't wiped me out. Of course, the grocery store is only 1.5 miles away.

Sunday is the National Capital Area's Tour de Cure and I'm nervous about it. I'm riding the 14 mile route from Reston to Vienna and back with a girlfriend and I just don't know if I'll be able to do it. Scott thinks that the excitement surrounding the event will pump up my stamina. I think that the heat and humidity will crush it back down. It's not a race, it's not a race, it's not a race... And if I have to turn around early, that's okay.

Here's hoping my stamina improves so I can get back on the trail and roads before too much longer. I'm itching to feel the wind in my face and bugs in my teeth. Okay, maybe not so much with the bugs, but there are a lot of cicadas out there...

Howdy!

Cold weather and recuperating from surgery have kept me off the bike for most of the year, but I'm eagerly awaiting being cleared for riding soon so I can again enjoy life on two wheels. My babies are primed and ready to roll. I even took Lily in to have the annoying clicking sound when I was in my favorite gear fixed (the rear derailleur was out of alignment, doh!).

I hope beyond hope that I get cleared to ride at my appointment on Thursday and can do the short route of Paul's Ride for Life on Saturday. Please, oh please, oh please.

See you on the trail soon!

Women in Cycling Seminar Tonight!

Local cycling ladies: the next installment of Upon a Bike's Women in Cycling Seminar Series is tonight at 7pm at the Vienna branch of Spokes, Etc. Tonight's class focuses on nutrition and weight management. Here's the blurb from Upon a Bike's site:

"Many run, bike, swim, etc to lose or control their weight. But do you know the facts? We'll discuss calories and food groups as well as how nutrition and eating ties into cycling and weight management."

Hope to see you there!

OMG

55F, sunny, 23mph wind gusting to 35mph: Yeah, sure. I'll happily -- well, maybe not happily, considering the wind -- ride in that for miles and miles and miles.

19F, sunny, windchill of 8F: Oh HAYELL no.

Call me a wuss. I can take it. I can also keep my toes, fingers, and nose.

Women in Cycling Series: "The Bike: How It Works and How to Buy One"

Kathy Rosen of Upon a Bike presented a lively and informative introductory seminar on the bicycle's parts and choosing the right type for one's planned activities. Kathy had a bike on a stand and detailed every part so that we'd know what to tell a mechanic when there was a problem to be fixed. She then asked each person whether they currently had a bike (and told me I was too "advanced" for the class when I answered with "four", heh) and how she planned to use that bicycle. The answers ranged from commuting to exercise to playing with the kids.

I felt that the lecture part of the class focused primarily on using road bikes for activities, but that might be my own prejudice flaring up since I'm still afraid of my own road bike. A few women seemed apprehensive about that choice, but Kathy took us around the Vienna Spokes, Etc. to show us the wide variety of bikes available. She outlined the pros and cons of each and that relieved the more timid in the audience.

Because Kathy had called me a "ringer", a few women asked me more about my bikes and my opinion on what would be good for them. I pretty much echoed Kathy's suggestion that they borrow a bike from a friend and test ride lots of bikes to see what felt good to them. While I LOVE my hybrid, that doesn't mean they'd love it as well.

I wound up talking one on one with Kathy about riding for weight loss because she'd mentioned that she'd lost forty pounds thanks to cycling. My experience has been nearly completely the opposite because I get so hungry when I ride. She asked if I was riding for distance and said that I should try interval riding instead. Happily, the February seminar will focus on nutrition and weight management. I'm looking forward to that. The following classes with deal with confidence on the open road and roadside maintenance.

One does not simply bicycle into Lego Mordor*

The husband and I enjoyed a Lego-filled Christmas what with him gifting me two sets from "The Hobbit" series and my gifting him with two sets from "The Lord of the Rings" series and the video game. We've been playing a lot of the cooperative version of the game and I've been cavorting through a Lego Middle Earth as a single player even more. Like obsessively, embarrassingly even more. (Which is yet more confirmation that I was right to never join "World of Warcraft" despite my brothers' pleading and cajoling...)

What does this have to do with bicycling? Hang on, I'm getting there...

So last night, as I drifted off to sleep, I began dreaming that I was riding Beatrix the pretty loop-frame bicycle through the landscape of Lego Middle Earth. It was a pleasant and picturesque trip until my tires skidded on some scree around Mount Doom and I lost control. I awoke with a full body jolt when I crashed. I think my friends summed it up best with both "I think that's about time we have an intervention for you..." and "You can't even ride a dreamcycle without crashing."

Obviously, I should have ridden Lily the hybrid.

*Yet another friend's input. This is my new motto.

Women in Cycling Seminar Series

DC-area cycling ladies and those interested in bicycling:

The Vienna branch of Spokes, Etc is hosting a series of seminars focused on women and bicycles. The Women in Cycling classes are free, an hour long, and open to an unlimited number of attendees. I've registered for the three classes which are as follows:

• The Bike: How It Works and How to Buy One - Thursday, Jan 10 at 7pm - "Knowing how a bike works and what its parts are called will make not only your buying experience easier, but also will help you troubleshoot mechanical problems and will enable you to speak in the same language as your mechanic. What's the difference between a mountain bike, a hybrid, and a road bike? Why would you want one over another? How do you decide what size bike you need? Come find out! Short lecture and a lot of time for discussion."
• Cycling, Nutrition, and Weight Management - Monday, Feb 4 at 7pm - "Many run, bike, swim, etc to lose or control their weight. But do you know the facts? We'll discuss calories and food groups as well as how nutrition and eating ties into cycling and weight management."
• Ride the Roads with Confidence - Thursday, Mar 7 at 7pm - "Ask many new, aspiring, or even experienced cyclists what they most fear and the answer will often be 'riding on the streets.' But the fact is experienced cyclists have fewer crashes despite riding far many more miles--and actually have a lower crash rate on the streets than on bike trails. Why? Because they know how to properly negotiate and ride with vehicular traffic. But you don't need years of experience to do the same. Through education you can learn how to ride and where to ride on the roads to maximize your safety. You can also learn what are the most common pitfalls that lead to crashes and thus avoid said pitfalls!"

You can register for just one, two, or all three, and registration is FREE. Come and join me in getting more knowledgeable about bicycles!

2012 Highlights

Living in the present is difficult for me as I'm constantly evaluating the past so I can use that experience to improve the future. 

A year ago today, I reached a goal that I'd thought impossible: I rode the nearly 46 mile round trip from my home to the western trail head of the W&OD trail.

January: Flexed connections by busting a delivery driver for aggressive driving and received an apology from the regional director and a promise of educating area employees.

February: Attended the Stop, Swap, & Save event and enabled a friend in the purchase of her very own bicycle. Purchased the speedy Specialized Dolce so I could ride farther faster.

March: Started using clipless pedals on the Dolce. Purchased the adorable Trek Cruiser because I was overcome by the cute. Went to BicycleSPACE for the first time and test rode a Pashley Sovreign.

April: Rode the "Arlington Triangle" during a 40-mile training ride from Sterling. Rode in Paul's Ride for Life. Watched as the space shuttle Discovery was flown directly over my building during its tour of the DC area before being parked at the Air & Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center. (My employer's campus is directly north of Dulles Airport and Udvar-Hazy.) Crossed paths with a turtle during the morning commute. My first turtle!

May: Rode the streets of DC and Arlington with Scott and several hundred of our cycling friends during the Bike DC event. Met a couple of bike commuters I pass every day at the Sterling stop for Bike to Work Day. Hopped the Metro with the Ariel and rode the streets of DC by myself  to test ride upright bicycles from District Hardware, BicycleSPACE, and City Bikes. Visited New Orleans, took photos of nearly ever bicycle I saw there, and noted the presence of bike lanes and sharrows throughout downtown.

June: Rode 55 miles in the American Diabetes Association's National Capital Area Tour de Cure and raised $1200 thanks to generous friends, family, and blog readers. I cannot say THANK YOU enough. Purchased the Public Bikes C8 and immediately began customizing her.

July: After reading so much about the Memphis/Shelby County Greenline, I rode from the eastern trail head in Germantown to the western trail head and then braved the mean streets of mid-town Memphis to ride to my best friend's house (where I promptly collapsed from heat exhaustion). I look forward to doing that again, minus the heat exhaustion.

August: Took a couple of rides with Bike Me DC and broke a spoke during the last one. Most of the month was too blasted hot for being on a bike.

September: Another commuter I recognized from Bike to Work Day (and had been calling Bike-to-Work-Day-guy in my head) turned around and rode a couple miles with me so we could become reacquainted. Rode the 30-mile route of the Backroads Century with Scott and a couple of friends. Rode both the C8 and Cruiser on the Outer Banks.

October: First cold ride of the season.

November: Met another bike commuter while waiting at the stop light at Waxpool. Met him again at the bike rack in the garage for my building.

December: Completed the upgrades to the C8 and turned her into my dream upright bike. Completed the polka dot taping of the Ariel. Took many solo and accompanied-by-Scott nighttime rides through Sterling to look at Christmas lights.

My riding has slacked off considerably at the end of this year. My bicycle resolutions for 2013 are to ride even more in 2013 and not buy any more bicycles. I hope that all of my readers are able to get out and ride in 2013 and enjoy a safe and prosperous new year.

Two out of three "Top Gear" presenters like bikes

Captain Slow, aka James May, endorses bicycling while lamenting the miserable attitudes of fellow cyclists he encounters.

And there is, of course, the infamous race across London by The Stig via public transportation, Hammond via bicycle, May via car, and Clarkson via boat.

This is probably my second favorite race/trek episode right after the drive across Botswana. OLIVER!

Cruisin' on a Saturday and Sunday afternoon

Saturday was fairly pleasant in the mid-Atlantic region and I took advantage of the mild weather and sunshine to run my errands via bicycle. Everyone -- pedestrians, fellow cyclists, and motorists -- seemed to be in good spirits and I noticed lots of smiles and waves. A couple of ladies outside the grocery store even complimented Beatrix and my fairly casual outfit. To be honest, I felt casually elegant on Bea with her spiffy new handlebar and grips. I love the way they look and feel. Oh, and it may not be a Christmas tree, but I did manage to haul the twenty-pound container of cat litter home via the rear rack. Boo-yah. Granted it did make climbing that last hill home a little bit more difficult.

Sunday, on the other hand, was chilly and overcast in the mid-Atlantic region and I took advantage of the poor conditions to put in a few miles on the W&OD trail. The trail wasn't empty by any stretch of the imagination, but it wasn't clogged with families and dog-walkers like it was on Saturday. I made it out to Battlefield Parkway in Leesburg and attempted the hill that climbs up to a park off that road. My coworker who occasionally bike commutes has mentioned that climb a few times and won't do it. I made it about a quarter of the way and had to push Lily the rest of the way up. Even walking up the hill was tough.

Oof. I've gotten so out of shape.

The ride back down that trail was pretty terrifying and I squeeze the brakes with nearly every bit of strength in my hands. Good times.

The Weather Channel said that the air temperature was 49F, but I beg to differ. I was FREEZING by the time I got home and could see my breath during the last half of the ride. It was a great ride, but it took a while to warm up.

Big Red Bicycle Christmas

Nora and One Left share the holiday spirit with "Big Red Bicycle Christmas". Enjoy!

Bargaining chip

This is my brain.

Id: I want cookies!

Ego: We don't need cookies.

Id: I WANT COOKIES!

Ego: All right. We can have a cookie if we ride our bike to get it from the grocery store.

Super-ego: You don't need a cookie. You need to do crunches, squats, and eat some celery.

Id: COOKIES!

Ego: Look, I said we could have a cookie if we take the bike instead of the car. Not only will we get a teensy bit of exercise en route, we could also ride around the neighborhood and look at the new Christmas lights that have been put up since the last night ride.

Id: COOKIES AND LIGHTS!

Ego: There. It's settled. Saddle up, body.

Super-ego: I think we should ride to Leesburg and back for that d@mn cookie. It's only twenty miles...

COOKIES! (Not from Leesburg, but I did get in nearly ten miles riding through neighborhoods.)

I'm trendy?

Oh, PUBLIC Bikes... you silly minxes!

Source.

You loved what I did to my Ariel so much that you copied it -- after a fashion -- onto your cute little C7. Bless your hearts. ~MWAH~

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!

Admission is the first step

The main reason behind my not commuting recently is that I developed a fear about riding home in the dark. More specifically, I was terrified of riding the unlit 1.25 miles from the campus to the trail. My headlight is more than adequate for seeing the road ahead and my taillight is also powerful and (hopefully) attention-grabbing. Plus, I have multiple weights of reflective outerwear. However, I've had so many close swipes in daylight from jackhole drivers in that distance that the thought of riding in the dark on those streets made me panicky.

It's skeery out there.

The weather yesterday was so beautiful that I HAD to take advantage of it. And you know what? The ride home was actually more relaxing than the ride in. I felt so calm and happy when I got home that I cajoled the Hubs to come out and ride around with me to look at Christmas lights. We cruised up and down neighborhood streets and my love for riding at this time of year was renewed.

I light up the night.

I'm baaa-aaaack

It's been almost a month since I was last on my bike. Shameful. Shameful, I tell you! But that doesn't mean I haven't been tweaking my bikes. Oh no...

So, remember when I used to fret about being taken "seriously" because I'd personalized my bike? Allow me to condescendingly pat my past self on the head and mutter, "There, there..."

It's pretty and silly.

Check out that pattern matching.

The stars are this year's holiday cheer.

I love that the (inch wide) tape is translucent enough that the manufacturer's stickers still show through. This project took the better part of six hours; although, I'd taped the seat stay and chain stay before the Backroads Century in September. During that ride, Max, one of my favorite Spokes-people, passed me and complimented my "unusual" bike before we recognized each other. He laughed and said that he thought it looked like an Ariel, but he'd never seen one with that paint job. Heh. I told him the red polka dots were to help me learn to love hills. Maybe now that the whole bike is polka dotted, I'll actually get there.

Ack.

Not much riding lately nor have I even been able to keep up with the blogs I read. Oof. Work- and home-life have been crazy busy. It's not letting up, either, as I'll be in Dallas next week on business travel and the mountains of North Carolina for Thanksgiving week. When I get a chance to breathe, I will make some updates but I've got to upload and edit photos. Maybe I can sneak in some time in the hotel next week instead of being distracted by housework, etc.

Good times.

Are you gonna go my way?

I spied him -- I assumed it was a him -- when I was a quarter mile from the stoplight at Waxpool and Smiths Switch. Another bike commuter! Riding in the same direction as me! I hoped that the light would stay red long enough for me to catch up to him. Luck was with me and I smoothly pulled up beside the male commuter. We chatted a bit during the remainder of the red light and then I wound up beating him off the line because it took him a few extra seconds to clip into his pedal.

There was, presumably, safety in numbers and cars gave us a wide berth as we rode single file in the right hand lane. He was more daring than I at entering the campus among the turning vehicles while I waited for the cars to clear before I made my own entrance. He cut through a parking lot while I continued on the street and through the garage. I had parked and was locking my bike as he pulled up to the rack. We bid each other adieu and headed to our respective destinations.

A study in scarlet

Red is a powerful color and one that I work to incorporate into my wardrobe and accessories so that I don't drown in an over-abundance of my go-to blues. Monday's commute made me especially observant of the reds about me:

Blazing in the morning light.

The crimson of dying leaves in the trees and shrubbery along the trail,

The scarlet of the cardinals who flitted away before I could snap their photo,

The vermillion of my new trench coat,

The ruby of a passing cyclist's backpack,

The write-me-a-ticket red of the SUV which passed me on the two-lane portion of Smiths Switch,

The rosiness of my cheeks, nose, and forehead after the morning commute.

Red. It's not just for tail lights any more.

How I spent my Sunday afternoon

I love October because it holds not only my birthday (only five more shopping days!) but also Halloween. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday and I love decorating inside and out to celebrate. I typically  wait until the weekend before Halloween to deploy the cemetery, but this year I threw caution to the wind -- literally: today was GUSTY -- and built my little yard of horror.

Welcome to the Cemetery.

Enter if you dare. Muahahaha!

The neighbors are quiet.

But we have a bit of a giant spider problem.

The masterpiece which delights and terrifies the neighborhood children.

This is definitely one of the better parts of being a grown-up.