If someone asked me last year what kind of business I would most like to see open in my neighborhood, I might have said {deep breath} a combination bike shop and coffee shop that sells steel frame mixtes made in Chicago, cupcakes, and fancy coffee, with a friendly atmosphere and a communal table where I could gather my bicycling friends.
I mean, that's awfully specific, but I could have said it.
Either someone read my mind or I am not the only lover of bikes, coffee, community, and local goods, bec...
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Six inches of snow fell on Chicago yesterday afternoon and evening. As I mentioned in my previous post, I had no intention of cycling in that mess. My plan was to take the L train, but a co-worker mentioned that she and a friend carpool along a route that passes by my L stop. She offered to pick me up anytime and I gladly accepted the offer. The car is already on the road anyway.
In the morning, I walked a block to the L station and a couple of minutes later she pulled up. I sank into the heated passenge...
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Have I mentioned that winter's finally come to Chicago? And she is not messing around.
This morning I biked to work in 15 F temps. My alley was an ice rink, but the streets and bike lanes were clear and dry. That's good, because I haven't put studded tires on Oma yet. I was totally comfortable throwing a puffy vest over a wool skirt suit and wool undershirt, plus cotton tights, snow boots, scarf, gloves, and earmuffs. I stuck heating packs in my mittens and boots, otherwise I wouldn't have made it.
By...
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The inevitable has happened: snow finally arrived in Chicago! Yesterday evening I was biking home without a jacket and today the streets look like this:
Instead of my bike, I took public transit:
I'm escaping to Nashville for a long weekend tomorrow, so I can deny the arrival of winter a little bit longer. :)
Anyone enjoy a snow ride today?
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On the morning of New Year's Eve, I was sipping coffee in my pajamas when I got a text from my friend Elizabeth, encouraging me to join her for a bike ride downtown. I was sorta prepared to spend the entire day in my PJs with books, but after some peer pressure, I said yes (don't we all need a lil' push sometimes?).
I'm so glad I did because it was a lovely way to end the year!
The weather was chilly but mild for Chicago winter. I broke out my new hot pink Kate Spade tights to go with my suede boots and red...
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I 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 ...
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The first Women-Who-Bike brunch of the new year marked an excellent start to 2012! The lure of beautiful weather and the highly-acclaimed new restaurant Nightwood drew 23 women, including several first-timers.
Because the restaurant was in Pilsen, about 8-10 miles from my house depending on the route, I met up with a group of six to bike together. Sunday morning is the best time to cycle and low traffic allowed us to ride side-by-side and chat most of the way.
After a delicious meal, we all spent a good amount of...
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Yesterday I was in the Pilsen neighborhood on Chicago's southside for the Women-Who-Bike brunch. I decided to take the Lakefront Path for the 10 mile ride home, which I could reach by taking the new protected bike lane on S. 18th Street from Canal to Clark Streets, connecting the Pilsen and Chinatown areas. This protected bike lane is one of three in Chicago and exists in part thanks to Alderman Solis (read more about his Ward's projects and his recent trip to the Netherlands here).
Here is a quick video I mad...
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Sunny blue skies, clear roads, mild temperatures - is it April already? I'm used to the occasional brief warm up during winter, but this year winter hasn't yet arrived at all. If the forecast is right, this will continue for at least the next five days.
Yesterday was so warm (relatively) that I simply threw a long cashmere cardigan over my dress before heading out the door. By my evening commute, the temps had increased to 50 degrees F and I didn't even use my cardigan. And I'm thrilled to continue rid...
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I 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 ...
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