Today was another lovely bike ride home. A little windy and chilly, but sunny and relaxing. Refreshing. I was grateful for the escape after a day at the office. Nothing helps me unwind and appreciate my place in life like time on the bike.
read moreThe shining sun this morning lured me out to the Lakefront Trail, away from my usual route to work. Once I got onto the trail, I realized that there was an extremely strong headwind, the kind that slows me down by half. I started to feel grumpy (this was pre-coffee, people!) but I stopped myself and decided to focus on all the good. My path was clear, the sky had a subtle pink tint, and the spindly trees looked cool. I could turn my face up to the sun and feel the slight warmth on my skin. ...
read moreI continue to ride with my Christmas lights on Betty Foy. Apparently, I'm all confused about what time of year it is. Adding to the seasonal confusion, the weather was so warm when I left work, I shoved my light jacket in my basket because my cashmere sweater (another $6 thrift store purchase) was more than enough to keep me warm. A few miles from home, I began overheating and pulled off my sweater to ride the rest of the way in my t-shirt. Imagine that: a t-shirt in mid-January in Chicago! So if you ...
read moreI ended the year on Saturday with a ride downtown along the Lakefront Trail with my friend Elizabeth. Here's a little video of cycling the Lakefront Trail heading south. I'm riding my Betty Foy and Elizabeth occasionally pops up with a santa hat on her helmet. The video is sped up by 150% and the song is by The Moonlighters from Free Music Archive. You can see that the car-free trail is a very nice route, especially when it's not crowded. I would take this route to work every day if it were a little more ...
read moreFa la la la la, la la la la! Every year around the holidays, I think about how cool it would be to go all out with Christmas lights on my bike. And every year I punk out by throwing on ribbon and a couple of ornaments. Not so this year! I finally bought a string of battery-operated lights, one that's colorful and blinks in fun patterns. Installing it on my bike was easy - I simply wrapped it around, starting from the handlebars, down along the top tube, and ending at the rack, where I tucked th...
read moreBright red seems like the best color for city cycling, getting drivers' attention while still looking stylish off the bike. Chic, classic, and bold. For this reason, I've been searching for the perfect red coat for two years, especially since seeing this post on Copenhagen Cycle Chic. Yesterday, the miraculous happened: I finally found "my" red coat. I was walking through Anthropologie during my lunch break, which I often do to torture myself because I usually can't afford their beautiful clothes, when I spott...
read moreThe 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!
read moreThis 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! 
Picking up on Trisha's post yesterday about craziness and courtesy on the road, I have a little courtesy to share from this evening's commute. On my way home, an SUV driver stopped for three older gentlemen at a crosswalk. This is so rare in Chicago, that could be the whole story, but there's more. I was biking from the other direction and also stopped. Two of the gentlemen shuffled by and the third saw me waiting and gave a polite bow while motioning for me to go ahead of him. I thanked him with a smile and s...
read moreNow that Labor Day is behind us, the crowds are starting to thin out on the Lakefront Trail. I've avoided the trail most of the summer because dodging hundreds (thousands?) of other trail users is not my idea of fun. I plan to take the trail much more often during the fall, when I can relax and enjoy the crowd-free and car-free goodness. I have missed the beautiful view of Lake Michigan and the fresh air that comes off it. So far early fall has been perfect in Chicago - hopefully we'll have at least two g...
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