On the way home from work today, I met Mr. Dottie for a bulk food run. We were fresh out of the huge jar of fancy olives! We usually don't grocery shop by bike because we live a block from a nice store, but we will go out of our way for a great deal on peanut butter: that's where Costco comes in.
The magnitude of this trip did not come close to our last haul with the bakfiets. Since we don't own a bakfiets, most of our trips involve a basket, panniers and a few select bulk products. Our acquisitions today...
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A bicycle trip to the farmer's market is a perfect way to begin the weekend. Fresh air, exercise, a feeling of community and local food. Saturday morning, Greg and I met up with Arielle (of the newly-formed Bicycle Goddess Brigade) to ride our bikes to Chicago's Green City Market.
What a happy scene - dozens of bicycles were locked up outside the market and many bicycling families went by with kids in bike seats, trailers and on their own bikes. In general, I think people who ride bikes are the type of peopl...
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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 ever needed to. My ears perked and I soon took him up on the offer for a trip to Costco. Such is the life of a car-free bargain hunter.
For those who are not familiar with Costco, it's a store w...
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My favorite online vintage shop is Market Publique, where the sellers are vetted, the pictures are well-styled and the selection is a top-notch mix of designer duds and affordable finds. Imagine my delight when I saw that the intrepid entrepreneur behind the site, Pamela, uses a vintage trike to get around and haul cargo for the shop. She was gracious enough to talk with us for Part III of our Vintage Style Series. Read on to hear about the traumatic event that stopped her from cycling for so long, her return to p...
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I've never posted about grocery shopping on my bike before, because I live very close to a grocery store and simply walk. In these tough economic times (tm) I decided to head up the road a bit and see what good stuff (i.e. beer and wine) I could find cheaper at Trader Joe's.
As expected, all my purchases fit with no special panniers. For the weight she was carrying, Oma rode smoothly. There was a barely perceptible squirrely-ness to her front handling - a slight but constant shift side to side in the handlebars...
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This is the first part of a four-part series on vintage style. In part two, Trisha will discuss her vintage style and share some of the best places to find vintage items online. Part three will provide tips for buying vintage bicycles and the pros and cons of ownership. Finally, part four will profile a founder of a vintage shop who gets around the city on her vintage trike.
Why are we devoting a series to vintage style on a bicycle blog? Vintage style and bicycling have a lot in common! They are both sustainabl...
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Cycling is quite prominent in London, although the city obviously has a long way to go. The narrow streets, huge double-decker buses, and tiny speeding cars present special challenges for cyclists, but many Londoners are up for the challenge. Walking down the main streets downtown, I watched several cyclists go by each minute. A lot had sportier bikes and special gear, but the vast majority looked quite stylish. I saw a few Pashleys and some Dutch bikes, as well. I took as many pictures of interesting cyclists as I c...
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Thanks a lot, Prince! You forced me to shop at Target for the first time in a long time.
The 2 miles surrounding my home has everything I would ever need to buy: bikes, books, music, wine - you know, the basics. So when Greg suggested that we swing by Target today, I was highly resistant. Once I heard the reason, however, I had to oblige. Prince is his favorite singer (he has fond memories of pedaling around his family's farm blasting Sign o' the Times on his Walkman) and the new album is being sold e...
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One of my favorite things to do on the weekends these days is make the rounds of the neighborhood shops on my bike. It's never a long ride -- 4 miles roundtrip, max -- but it's relaxing, and going on Le Peug keeps me from buying too much. I especially like visiting the thrift and antique stores in the area since I'm always looking for a bargain.
Yesterday my mom left a comment that proves this runs in the family:
I live in Anniston, AL and decided this would be a day of “firsts” for me. I took my first bike...
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Along with the gorgeous mast that Trisha designed, we'll soon have a new addition to Let's Go Ride a Bike. My decision is made, finally! Long-time listeners may remember my first steps to finding a bike to replace my stolen Jamis. I oggled bikes the I could not afford, such as ANTs and MAPs. I encountered annoying bike shop guys. I toured Chicago's bike shops. At one point I thought I had something on the horizon, but that did not work out. After (almost too) much thought, I've decided that I will purchase the...
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