Bike Camping Trip

This weekend I took my first official bike camping trip. I’ve camped plenty of times and taken my bike before, but I’d never biked to the campsite or carried my camping gear on my bike.  Rivendell has termed this kind of small adventure the S24O, for sub 24-hour overnight trip.

The basics:

Packed [...]

Bike Commuting in a Severe Storm

A severe storm hit Chicago unexpectedly late yesterday afternoon. Hurricane-force winds up to 77 mph, torrential rain and hail blew out windows in the Sears Tower and downed trees and powerlines. Guess where I was when this happened? Yup, riding my bike home from work.

When I heard about the approaching [...]

Carry a Load on Your Bike!

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 [...]

Tolstoy in the Park

Unless I’m riding my bike or spending time with friends, you can bet that I’d rather be reading a novel. Especially Russian novels, which I studied in college to earn a degree in Russian literature.
My attachment to Russian literature began as quickly and simply as my attachment to bicycling. [...]

Sunny Side Up

Given that Jerk Season has become our most commented post in record time, I figured I’d take this opportunity to highlight the sunny side of cycling. The sunny side is much bigger than the dark fringes!
On Wednesday, I had the great pleasure of meeting Cherilyn of Bike Bliss. She, her husband and their [...]

Pop-Up Carnival

While on a quiet solo bike ride around my neighborhood on Saturday, I stumbled upon a pop-up parking lot carnival. This was quite a gift from the Chicago gods, as I love carnivals and their childlike, old-fashioned and slightly creepy vibes. These pop-up carnivals are also a fun way to re-use public space [...]

Bike the Drive 2010: Chicago Closes Highway for Cyclists

Have you ever wondered what the world would look like if cities were built to support bicycles, rather than cars? For five hours every year, Chicagoans experience this utopia during Bike the Drive.
Bike the Drive is an annual event organized by the Active Transportation Alliance, during which the city closes the main scenic highway [...]

Allergies?

I’ve never been allergic to anything in my life – no food, medicine or plant could get me down. However, this spring I’m wondering if allergies have sprung upon me. For most of April, I had a terrible headache that went away temporarily only when I took Advil Allergy that someone gave me. [...]

Explore: Lincoln Park Zoo

On Saturday for the first time I visited the Lincoln Park Zoo. Of course, we rode our bikes there. The zoo is free, located just north of downtown by the lake. The size is impressive for a free attraction and it’s a fun way to spend the day, especially for families with [...]

Ride Slowly, Don’t Sweat

After the group ride on Wednesday – cycling no faster than 12 mph – I realized that I was not sweaty at all. That was a pretty big deal, especially for a 10 mile ride in 70 degrees, since I tend to sweat while riding. I’m no rocket scientist, but I managed to [...]