We cycle as transportation and as a way to enjoy life more by connecting with the world around us. We do not engage in the "sport" of cycling - not that there is anything wrong with that, but neither of us is exactly the sporty type. The health benefits of daily cycling, however, are undeniable and serve as a big reason to ride a bike.
The other side of this benefit is that the muscles can get very tight with repetitive motion and some complimentary stretching is necessary. Not to over-complicate our basic mess...
read more
Et ici "ça" = "moi." At least for a few minutes after I arrive at the office. Temps aren't too high yet, but with 95% humidity, I'm thinking it's time to start coming into work early lest my coworkers start begging me to work from home. I got here today, cranked up the air and purchased some Action Wipes. Next week, I'll come in wearing different clothes than the ones I work in, and wipe down and reapply deodorant in the bathroom once I arrive. Ah, the glamour of summer commuting!
What are your strategies for cop...
read more
I don't have cable. My boss teases that I am one of the few people under 70 who will be affected by the digital TV conversion next month (for the record, I've been ready since February 2007). This does not affect my life in any major way, but it does explain why, on the few occasions I turn the TV on in the morning, I watch the "news" shows on one of the major networks.
"Today" used to be the default, just because everyone else watches it, but once I found out that Harry Smith rides his bike to work, I decided to sw...
read more
Way back in January I started a "Beautiful Bicycles" series, wherein I discuss the beautiful bicycles that I came across during my intensive research leading up to purchasing my Azor Oma. Although the first in the series is consistently one of the most viewed posts on this blog, I had yet to do a second in the series. Until now. I present the Velorbis Dannebrog, very similar to the Velorbis Victoria Classic.
Earlier this week I briefly discussed the Velorbis Dannebrog in the context of my visit to the new Chica...
read more
One of the best things about traveling is seeing how the place you're visiting is different from your home. I've traveled widely in Europe and Russia was probably the most different place I've been yet. To sum it up in one sentence: Russia is not for wimps.
There didn't seem to be many rules there at all, and many of the public health things we now take for granted—safe and stable stairways, pedestrian crossings, lanes on the interstates, no holes in sidewalks smoking bans—do not exist. Not even medicines cater ...
read more
Sunday morning Chicago held its annual Bike the Drive, an event put on by the Active Transportation Alliance where the city closes Lake Shore Drive (the main scenic highway that cuts down the city parallel to Lake Michigan) to motor traffic and opens it up for cyclists. An estimated 18,000 cyclists participated! What an amazing sight and beautiful way to reclaim our streets!
We had to wake up at 4:00 a.m. to get ready and cycle the 7 miles downtown to get started at 5:30. Totally worth it for the sunrise al...
read more
When I began searching for a Dutch-style bicycle last summer, no shop in Chicago sold them. I used a vacation in Vancouver and Seattle for test rides and then in the fall bought my Azor on the day that Dutch Bike Chicago opened. Since then, buying lovely bikes in Chicago has become considerably easier: Dutch Bike Chicago (Azor, Retrovelo), Boulevard Bikes (Pashley, Batavus), and Tati Cycles (Batavus) are the go-to shops, especially my beloved Dutch Bike Chicago.
Now Copenhagen Cyclery joins the group. Chicago'...
read more
Traveled more than 2,000 miles and not a scratch -- but the Batavus' first ride in America left a mark on both of us.
No, we didn't fall -- but when you have to try to lock your bike to a lamppost there's a lot of opportunity for something to go wrong. Not sure exactly how it happened, but one moment I was tethering the bike to the pole, the next it was falling and I was shooting my leg out to try to stop it. We both got scratched and the Batavus is no longer a perfect specimen (me, well, I was already messed up...
read more
There is a beautiful bike in my living room today and it's all due to my fabulous parents.
You may recall my riding the Batavus in England and then heading off to Russia. Since I wasn't going back via the UK, there was no way I could bring the bike home myself. Luckily, my brother and I had bought tickets for my parents to visit Prague and London last fall, for their upcoming 30th anniversary -- and they generously offered to take the bike back for me. I arranged to have it delivered to their hotel, and they would s...
read more
This post combines two of my favorite things in the whole wide world: Tori Amos and bikes. Until now, there's never been a public picture of Tori on a bicycle - trust me, I've looked. Imagine my delight when these images showed up on the video of one of her new songs, "Fast Horse."
you've got yourself a fast horse, darling / but all you do is complain it's not a Maserati / you've got a soul that you left back in Memphis / but your momma ain't New York, she is pure Tennessee.
Any guesses ...
read more
