Yesterday I posted pictures I took while playing in the blizzard and I mentioned my bike ride the day after the storm. Here is a detailed account of that ride and a look at the blizzard's not-so-pretty aftermath.
After pulling Oma out of the garage and into the alley, I began doubting my decision to ride my bike one day after 20 inches of snow poured down on Chicago.
The condition of the first street I came upon did not increase my self-confidence.
However, I had a plan to take arterial streets that...
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I did it! I biked to work 10 miles roundtrip with temperatures as low as -4F and a windchill as low as -20F. As far as I'm concerned, any of you could do the same - and I know some of you have already. All it takes is a positive attitude, an adventurous spirit and a few extra accessories. If you put the time into preparation and hype yourself up enough to pull your bike out, everything else should be a piece of cake.
My ride felt similar to any other cold winter ride I've experienced this winter. The...
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On a very cold Saturday evening, a group of fun-loving city cyclists came together for a midwinter celebration at local Chicago shop, Dutch Bike Co. A time to recharge batteries, talk with cool people and drink lots of wine out of a cargo bike. :)
Among the cool people there (I wish I'd taken even more pictures!) was Janet, a writer and illustrator who rides an Oma and blogs at Tuttle Tattle.
And Steve, who just returned from a whirlwind European trip, including stops in Amsterdam and Copenhagen. ...
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Trisha's post yesterday about the difficulty of riding in Nashville after snow has me thinking about the important role that city preparation and maintenance play in winter commuting. If streets are not cleared quickly after a storm, even a modest snowfall can ruin several bike commuting days.
Southern cities are getting more wintry weather this year than they're equipped to handle. I heard on the news that Atlanta has 8 snow plows; in contrast, Chicago has hundreds. I assume road salt is in similarly limited s...
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My third women-who-bike brunch was the biggest yet, with nearly 20 women gathering together on a freezing Sunday morning to enjoy each other's company and $3 mimosas. I love these brunches for the opportunity to sit down and have great conversations with so many smart, fun women. Next we'll expand to happy hours, in the spring we'll start some group rides and from there we'll take over the world.
What an awesome group! I tried to get everyone's photo, but did not ...
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I must say a few words about a post on Copenhagenize that ruffled my feathers. I'm a huge fan of Copenhaganize, but the internet is all about criticizing people for every little imperfection, so I'm taking issue with one small part of one post in the Copenhaganize archive. The post is called "Cycling in Winter in Copenhagen" and starts out nice enough until this part:
"And no bicycle studs were harmed in the making of this blogpost. I never see them here and wouldn't possibly know where to buy them.
...
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Hi there! We are back and ready for 2011. :)
My first bike commute of the new year was pretty much perfect. First, during my absence, all the snow miraculously melted in Chicago. The temperature has since dropped down to well below freezing, but the roads remain clear and dry. I celebrated the rare occasion by riding studded-tire-less Betty Foy for the first time in a month. Vroom-vroom!
Half way to work, I pulled over to change the album on my iPod and blow on my numb fingertips, when Maria of ...
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The end of December has brought an interesting mix of personality dynamics among road users. In my experience, Chicago drivers are much nicer in the winter and so far I've had no issues. They've been giving me generous passing room and follow slowly when necessary. I haven't seen a lot of cyclists out there, usually sports types who ignore me. Meanwhile, pedestrians and onlookers have been more outgoing than usual, with a road crew waving at me, a guy enthusing as he crossed the street, "You are brave! Look...
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If anyone was wondering about the cliffhanger of Monday's post, I did not ride my bike to work. As many of you mentioned in the comments, it was not worth the risk of leaving my bike parked outside downtown overnight. Of course, as life goes, the snow storm did not begin until later in the night, when I was safely home.
Riding the L train is a great back-up option, though. As a bonus, at the L station I got to shake Rahm Emanuel's hand, as he greeted the commoners and kissed babies and such. I wanted to sa...
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Earlier this year, Trisha and I opened a Formspring account and welcomed you all to ask us questions. We've been answering the questions on Formspring individually as they come in. Now we're putting the answers together as a cohesive FAQ section, although some of the questions are not so frequent. :) This is the first half. We'll post the second half soon.
How and when did Dottie and Trisha meet?
Trisha and I met through our mutual friend, Erin, at a group happy hour. The first meeting I really remember w...
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