The Let's Go Ride a Bike tribute to summer: we celebrate the good times, the sun, the dresses, the friendship, the bicycles.
We basked in the sun.
We garden partied.
We loved blue, the most human color.
We stood tall.
We wore sundresses. A lot.
We navigated crowds.
We wore sunglasses.
We cocktail partied.
We considered the horizon.
We got wet.
We rode sexy Italian bikes.
We saw a lot from this perspective.
We stopped to smell the flowers.
We biked the drive.
We cruised.
...
read more
As summer comes to an end, I've decided on my favorite warm weather cycling outfit. I've worn it many times, including a 20 mile ride on Labor Day and a fast ride downtown today for a networking event. The dress is super light and airy with great ventilation. The pleated skirt drapes prettily and covers everything I want covered. Wrinkles never form. Sweat spots never show. Best of all, there is a shorter layer of fabric just below the waistline that flies up in the breeze and flaps behind me like a cape. Ve...
read more
Chicago's gem is not the Sears Tower and other skyscrapers or the Magnificent Mile and high-end shopping. Rather, it's the beauty of nature carefully curated by city planners - the Lakefront Trail that runs along Lake Michigan from the north to the south of the city, with downtown in the middle.
My old work commute took me south down the trail to downtown. Now that I have a lot of time on my hands, I decided to explore the trail in the opposite direction: north from my neighborhood to the very top. I have r...
read more
Cycling with style is easy and fun. However, I don't want it to seem like I simply hop off my bike fresh as a spring flower and go along my merry way. If that's what people think is supposed to happen after they read about how easy it is to ride in regular clothes, then they will be annoyed when it does not work for them and give up. So I want to be clear that I sweat. A lot. More than the average person. I have been known to sweat in the dead of winter on my bike if I wear one layer too many. My hair...
read more
This week I am in Nashville, vacationing at the Trisha Resort and Spa. Highly recommended, as it includes a pool, cats, bikes, alcohol and delicious home-cooked meals. Except for the ride from the airport on Tuesday, I've yet to get in a car. Here we are last night setting out for a Yazoo party in celebration of its new beer, Sue, a high-alc, cherry-wood smoked porter. Yumm.
I must say a bit about the hills. And the humidity. Ugh. Very articulate, I know, but that pretty much sums it up. Trisha is a Southe...
read more
The sun was blazing today with temperatures near 90 degrees. Although I grew up in North Carolina and should be used to it, I absolutely hate extremely hot weather. I'd much rather cycle in the snowy sun. Despite the heat, I couldn't sit around all day, so I put on my breeziest summer dress and set out on Oma. This picture captures how hot the sun was, apparently burning through my clothes.
My original plan was to go to the art musuem and park downtown, but I did not get far before abandoning that idea - s...
read more
My employment-free ride of the day was to the drug store to pick up a prescription and to the pet store to stock up on cat food. I know, I live such a glamorous life. But wait, it gets really exciting - I forgot my lock key in my garage. What a plot twist! So at the drug store I had to use the drive-through window and the pet store was nice enough to let me bring Oma inside. Whew, crisis averted! As you can see in the picture, I got a lot of cat food - both wet and dry. I am so rock 'n roll with my bike and my...
read more
As much as I love the sun, today's somewhat stormy and cool weather was perfect for cycling. The storms stopped before my ride home, which meant that the trail was dramatically less crowded than it usually would be (people are easily scared off by the rain) but I did not get wet. The temperature hovered in the low 60's, which meant that I did not sweat. I had a 16 mph headwind, so I simply popped Oma into 4th gear and took my sweet time. Mmmm, lovely. What is your perfect cycling weather?
read more
The majority of my waking hours are spent in a skyscraper. My office has a big window with a view of Lake Michigan, but looking at the view only reminds me of what I'm missing. Without bike rides before and after work, my life would be pretty sad. Because of this, I try to really appreciate my time outside: winter, spring, summer or fall, I love it all if I can be outside on my bike. Today I focused on enjoying the summer sun - a rare bird in Chicago, land of the six-month winter. The sun reciprocated by playing...
read more
People are surprised that we cycle in skirts and dresses so often, but it's not rocket science. Over the past year, we've learned that almost every type of outfit works fine on bikes. Skirts offer freedom of movement and are much cooler than pants or shorts, making them especially good for summer cycling. There are some skirts and dresses that are not ideal for cycling, but those are few and far between, easy to work around or avoid. If you find yourself in a problematic skirt, be prepared to either hitch it up or ...
read more
