2009 September » Let's Go Ride a Bike - life on two wheels: simple. stylish. fun.

Commute Diary

Posted by Dottie at 21:21 commute diary No Responses »

Sep 242009

I have been waxing poetic about my lovely rides lately. However, every ride is not rainbows and sunshine – you all know that. Here is a commute diary entry from a less enjoyable day.

Not so cheery

I’m not smiling because:

I am sick with a cold. I thought a 12 mile bike ride would make me feel better. I was wrong. Quite the opposite.
The weather was super muggy. I was sweaty.
My thighs were tired. My lack of a daily commute is showing.
I cannot walk in those heels. They hurt my feet. Why do they make them that high? Why do I buy them? Eternal mystery. (For the record, I wore black flats for the ride and carried the heels in my basket.)
I was on my way to an interview for a part-time job. My competition was teeny boppers.

There will be good days and bad days, regardless of whether you are on a bike. Don’t be discouraged; even a bad day on a bike is better than a day without a bike. We hope this message comes through here.

How To: Dress for Fall Cycling

Posted by Dottie at 12:58 advice, basics, How To: 36 Responses »

Sep 232009

Welcome, Autumn! This is my favorite season with the best cycling weather.

Fall cycling: light jacket and tights

Incomprehensibly, when summer ends bike commuters begin dropping off as if they were flies and the crisp autumn air were infused with Raid. I’ll never understand why so many people think the best days to cycle are the insufferably hot ones. In light of this phenomenon, we’d like to discuss how to keep on cycling in the fall. The main trick is using light layers to combat the chill that you can remove easily if your body warms up. I am writing this from my point of view cycling in Chicago. If you live in an area with mild weather, consider this your how to dress in winter advice, or pick-and-choose what works for you.

(3) Days of Oma

Posted by Trisha at 17:50 humor, Oma, style No Responses »

Sep 212009

Oma is one good-looking bike.

9-20 trisha walk

Chicago Hot Dogs and Kitschy Fun

Posted by Dottie at 16:34 explore No Responses »

Sep 212009

Chicago has plenty of sophisticated dining options, but the heart of Chicago’s food experience is its deep dish pizza and hot dogs. Our friend Tanya visited this weekend and wanted a Chicago dog, so I took her to Murphy’s Red Hots (1211 W. Belmont Avenue). I am not an authority on Chicago’s best hot dog – I don’t eat beef or pork! – but she gave them two enthusiastic thumbs up.

While she had a red hot with everything, I enjoyed delicious fries and a vanilla shake with a hearty dose of kitsch.

9-21 sign

9-21 red hot

When Graffiti Goes Right

Posted by Trisha at 17:30 humor, travel No Responses »

Sep 202009

Yesterday, in between thrift store visits, we stopped for lunch at the Earwax Café, where the food was much more delicious than the name might suggest.

Public bathrooms aren’t usually the best photo venues, but I couldn’t resist documenting this piece of graffiti. If you’re going to deface a wall, you might as well say something worth saying. Just one of the reasons I love visiting Chicago!

Graffiti I can agree with.

Bicycling in a Wedding Dress

Posted by Dottie at 12:45 How To: 24 Responses »

Sep 202009

My friend Jeremy is planning his wedding and wants to ride off afterward with his new bride on their tandem bicycle. They have a very cool set-up where they commute to work together 20 miles on their drop bar tandem, so they are experienced tandem riders (in fact, they have a whole blog about tandem cycling, Honking in Traffic). The problem is how to secure her wedding dress to prevent it from getting wound up in the drivetrain.

Extra complication: there’s a chain on both sides in the stoker’s position, drivetrain on the right, timing chain on the left. Alas, the tandem is not equipped with chain- and wheel-guards and step-through frames…

You can read the full explanation here.

Wedding Tandem

Weather Girl via Great Full Day

Together Again! (Again!)

Posted by Dottie at 22:52 random rides, travel 9 Responses »

Sep 182009

Surprise – Trisha and I are together again! She’s in Chicago for the weekend, to be joined soon from Texas by our friend Tanya. Tonight we rode our (well, my) bikes downtown for a picnic in Millennium Park. I thought we were going to see a free ballet performance, but that was yesterday – oops! my bad. We still enjoyed our picnic and the beauty of the park at night.

Trisha and Dottie - you'll have to take our word for it

Laughing Totally not staged

Two Pictures, One Garden

Posted by Dottie at 15:09 commute diary 8 Responses »

Sep 172009

After six months of winter, I was thrilled by the re-emergence of roses and puffy hydrangea in Chicago’s Grant Park. I cycled through the garden every day to and from work, and these flowers always brought a smile to my face. Sadly, they are now dying as autumn takes over.

Beginning of summer, blooming flowers in Grant Park

End of summer, dying flowers in Grant Park

Aw, so sad. See you in nine months, garden!

I Love Riding My Bike

Posted by Dottie at 09:15 basics, commute diary 29 Responses »

Sep 172009

The number one reason I ride my bike is because cycling is so much fun. Words cannot describe the feeling that comes over me while riding my bike. Even if I’m running late to a meeting and there is a ruthless headwind, I am happy. If I get soaked by a sneak wave attack, I swear and laugh and keep rolling. If I get to ride with a friend, it’s double the fun (thanks, EA!).

I wish I could make everyone feel this, but the best I can do is blog about it and hope others give bikes a try.

Seagull!

Shakespeare in the Park

Posted by Trisha at 18:21 events, explore No Responses »

Sep 162009

Last week, my friend P. and I took Le Peug and the Dahon down to Centennial Park, one of my favorite places in Nashville, to see a performance of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged.

We both decided that we would have preferred an actual play, but it was still a nice night under the stars. Before the show, we had a quick ride around the park and admired the sun setting behind the Parthenon. Unfortunately I couldn’t convince P. to step out from behind the camera and make her internet debut—next time, I hope! Since brevity is the soul of wit, I’ll speak no more and simply draw the curtain and show you the picture[s].