Hello, there! Since today is dark and rainy and I have to go back to work (sad face), I'm starting the morning with something bright and happy. I just stumbled upon these photos and realized that I never posted about this ride.
On the last Sunday of October, a day of perfect weather, I biked to Hyde Park to enjoy brunch at my friend's house. Hyde Park is a neighborhood on the southside where the University of Chicago is located, about 15 miles from where I live. After brunch, I took the opportunity to expl...
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Wow, only five more days until December! Hard to believe that winter and the year's end are so close. Chicago's weather has been mercifully mild and is predicted to remain so through the rest of November. I've been getting along fine with cashmere sweaters ($6 at the thrift store) and wool mittens.
This pair of fingerless wool mittens is convenient for fiddling with my bike lock and flipping off drivers (only once, I'm doing better!).
This is my favorite time of year. I'm spending my Thanksgiving holida...
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The Women-Who-Bike group has been coming together for brunch every month for over a year now. November's brunch was number 13. There were 20 of us, a great mix of regulars and new faces, plus Trisha. I was especially excited to have a group of teenage girls and their mentors from West Town Bike's Girls Bike Club. (Much more about them in a future post!)
I was so busy eating and gabbing, I managed to take pictures of only a few of the women, so this is merely a sampling of the awesomeness. :)
...
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I'm back in Chicago! Can you believe it's November already?
During my Denver vacation, I spent a day in nearby Fort Collins, Colorado. Melissa, Chanh, Mr. Dottie, and I went on a bike tour of the city's breweries. Melissa mapped out an ambitious plan to hit all seven, but a late start, early return time for the bikes, and a lot of beer sampling lowered that number to three.
Our first stop was the Fort Collins Bike Library to pick up free bikes. That's right: free. The Bike Library is a non-profit that lends...
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Mr. Dottie and I are in Denver this week vacationing and visiting Melissa and Chanh. We're staying at a B&B downtown and so far we love the area. Today was devoted to B-Cycling. We picked up a couple of bikes a block away and made our way across town to the Platte River Trail, where we biked several miles, stopping for lunch and an excursion to the flagship REI store. We biked about 12 miles total for the day.
B-Cycle is Denver's bike share system. There are 500 bikes at 51 stations, mostly serving the...
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The past two days have been rainy and super windy, so I've taken public transportation. The L train is no fun compared to my bikes, but I'm grateful for its convenience when needed. The combination of bicycling and access to great public transportation is what allows me to live without a car
Happily, today is sunny and dry, although 39 degrees - brrr.
I'll not complain about fall weather too much, because I know what's coming.
Gotta remember to appreciate the present. Happy Friday!
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This is a post where I get to use our "a-holes" tag.
Yesterday morning, during the portion of my commute where I have to use a busy road, I approached an intersection (Wells & Division) with the green light and I kept a sharp eye on opposite traffic to make sure no one turned left in my path. That is a common occurrence because drivers either don't pay attention or think they are fast enough to dart through, so I'm always looking out for it.
I entered the intersection and the opposite driver, who had a clear ...
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This weekend may be one of your last to soak up the sun without simultaneously shivering (especially if you're in Chicago).
Jump on a bike and enjoy the ride! 
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The past two days, I have worn skirt and blouse outfits similar to what I wore in my last post, with a helmet, and drivers were pretty nice, but not as totally nice as before. Again, maybe it's in my head, but it's interesting to ponder.
For anyone who is "meh" about the Mary Poppins Effect talk because they don't experience it - Mr. Dottie is right there with you and he's perfectly content to ride a faster bike in construction-site work clothes, thankyouverymuch.
In an unrelated observation, the sk...
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I left work yesterday evening, unlocked my bike and prepared to set off when I realized that I forgot my helmet in my office. It was one of those days when the idea of locking my bike again, removing my bag, going upstairs and unlocking my office was unbearable, so I decided to continue on helmetless. If I had a busy route, I would have retrieved my helmet, but my route is a series of calm side-streets.
This was one of my first times riding Betty Foy without a helmet. I have done it more often riding Oma,...
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