I missed the past couple of Critical Lass rides, so I was happy to catch up with the group for May's ride. Coolest bicycling group in Chicago, for sure, including a couple of baby-bicyclists. We started in Roscoe Village and enjoyed a leisurely ride through Lakeview and Lincoln Park, ending at a Mexican restaurant for margaritas.
Many thanks to our fearless leader Ash, pictured first below.
We got rained on a little during the ride, but hail and lightening waited until we were safely...
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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 morning I was excited to jump back on my bike after a week's vacation in North Carolina. I set out bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with the sun shining down on me.
A couple of miles into my ride, the air began to look strangely green. Suddenly, all at once, the wind picked up massively, rain poured, lightening struck and thunder pounded. A small branch fell down behind me. It was freaky!
I was on a quiet neighborhood road and I started riding toward a bigger street in hopes of finding shelter at a cof...
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For summer rainstorms, a quick-drying outfit is more important than a good raincoat. Who wants to wear a coat when it's so hot outside? The sweat and humidity is worse than the rain. Ick.
I was wearing this outfit below last week when unexpected rain hit just as I left work. Five minutes into my ride, the rain stopped and the sun came out. I was pretty wet, not quite soaked, but by the time I got home 20 minutes later, I was completely dry. Very impressive quick-drying performance from my Patagonia skirt and...
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Trisha showed you her Little Miss Messy coffee-stained Abici and now I'll show you my Little Miss Muddy Velorbis. On Wednesday I rode Coco, my Velorbis, in the rain for the first time. I discovered that the gorgeous cream-colored frame shows mud quite clearly. I'm not good at keeping my bikes clean, but I definitely have to wipe Coco down after the rain.
Although Coco's aesthetics suffer in the rain, her performance is top notch. The substantial fenders, chain case, and internal brakes are perfect for ke...
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Last weekend a friend asked me and Trisha what we do about thunderstorms, and we both agreed that we simply do not bike in them. However, that is a simplified, partially true statement. The full explanation is that I choose not to bike in the morning if, at the time of leaving, hard rain is actively falling or the forecast all but guarantees thunderstorms. I tend to ignore vague forecasts for the possibility of thunderstorms in the evening, because so many times when I started bike commuting, I was tricked into no...
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As Chicago experiences the rainiest April in 50 years, my thunderstorm-averse and frankly unmotivated self has been taking the L train this week. A colleague yesterday asked if my bike was okay because she saw me walking.
I'm determined to bike tomorrow no matter what (probably) because I'm going stir crazy. In the meantime, I'm taking advantage of this rare public transportation time to wear the few outfits I have that simply do not work on a bike, which usually sit untouched in the back of my closet.
For ex...
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April showers are officially here. As winter slowly recedes, the season of rain begins. Unless you live in Portland, in which case it never ended. 
Although I haven't experienced rain since the snow started months ago, rain is no stranger to the LGRAB world. Check out the 4 pages of posts we've written about the subject, under the tag "rain."
For more direct guidance, there's Trisha's how-to advice for riding in the rain, a quick video I made showing how easy it is to prep for rain, an...
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Oh yes, I'm pulling out the Guns 'N Roses. This is my last chance to use the reference for a year, since tomorrow is the last day of November.
Today's rain led me to take the Lakefront Trail. Even though the route adds another 15 rainy minutes to my commute, riding among cars in the rain frays my nerves. On the bike path I don't mind the rain at all, especially when there's a tail wind.
As usual, wool and boots kept me toasty warm. These super windy pictures are actually from the rainy day...
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Today's evening commute brought on freezing rain. Not the most fun weather, but not insurmountable. There was no ice on the road, so the only issue was staying dry and warm. A tweed skirt, long wool winter coat, knee-high leather boots, earmuffs and huge mittens did the job admirably. A thick leather Coach purse in my basket kept my belongings dry. As long as the rain is mild to moderate, this kind of set up works well - no raincoat and waterproof panniers needed.
The photo below shows why I hate to ri...
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