Spring Fever

Like Dottie, I had my share of invisibility yesterday morning: a pedestrian—probably a Belmont student late for class—darted out in front of me, in the bike lane.
All I could do was make inarticulate noises. Luckily that was enough to make him look my way and hustle as I applied the brake. No collision!
But then, on [...]

I Must Be Invisible

I must be invisible. Invisibility is the only explanation for a pedestrian walking out in the street in front of me and for a car turning left across my path on the way home today. Except not invisible to other cyclists, since a guy on the other side of the intersection shook his [...]

Roll Models: Lalipourie’s Bicycle Style

I’d like to introduce our newest roll model, Laurie Harris. She studied at cycling mecca UC-Davis, where she earned a degree in design with an emphasis on textiles. Very cool! She now has her own small brand of eco-friendly jewelry, Lalipouri Designs, and blogs about her inspirations, including lots of bicycle beauty. [...]

The Beauty of Mid-Day Escapes

Did you know that sitting all day is as unhealthy as smoking or sun over-exposure? After reading about that study, I feel like even bicycling to and from work every day is not enough to make up for all my sitting. Bike commuting is an amazing activity for consistent exercise, but on average [...]

Bulk Groceries on a Bakfiets

Some readers asked for more information about the shopping trip I made with the De Fietsfabriek Bakfiets.  I’m happy to oblige.
As I mentioned before, last week I ran into my friend Elizabeth talking to the shop owner, Jon.  When I commented on how cool the Bakfiets looked, he said I could borrow it, if I [...]

Beautiful Bicycles: De Fietsfabriek Bakfiets

Look what I found! An amazing cargo bike from De Fietsfabriek, a Dutch bike shop that I ride by every day during my commute. I got to borrow the Bakfiets overnight for an ambitious Costco bulk food shopping trip, 9 miles total riding distance.
This beast means business. The De Fietsfabriek Bakfiets is [...]

Bicycles on a Budget

We all love beautiful bicycles, but what if you’re on a tight budget?
At Let’s Go Ride a Bike, Trisha and I aim to show how transportation cycling can be simple, stylish and fun. A major factor of “simple” is low cost – the only lower cost transportation option is walking, which we [...]

First Bud of Spring

I’ve been on the lookout for the first bud of spring. Recently, I started seeing plants pushing through, but nothing more. I gazed longingly at ecovelo’s poppies. Today, I finally saw the first Chicago bloom! (And I’m feeling better – thank you!)

I plan to write a retrospective on winter soon, but [...]

Under the Weather: Commuting with a Cold

We all know that bike commuters are less likely than non-cyclists to get sick.  But what happens when a cyclist does catch a cold: garage the bike or keep on keeping on?
I encountered this situation today and decided to ride to work.  I have a cold – sore throat, sneezing, a little weak – but [...]

Beautiful Bicycles: Velorbis Scrap Deluxe

When my friend Ms. Elle called to ask if I wanted to meet up at Copenhagen Cyclery after work, I was quick to agree.  She has been loyal to her vintage bike Cilantro, but decided to explore less “rickety” options.

While she quickly fell in love with the Velorbis Studine (they make a hot couple – [...]