Biking Babes

ride like the wind

nobody@vox.com(Park Girl) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 08:22:50 -0700

It was a perfect weekend for riding and my first true ride since the injury. I must admit I was scared. It was a little muddy and every time my wheel slipped I put my foot on the ground. Must get back into the groove.

Rode 6 miles Saturday and 6 Sunday.

Saturday ride was on BH's expensive bike - the front break was broken so I had two choices. Ride with the break on or off.

Sunday was on BH's inexpensive bike - much more enjoyable but with disk breaks.

Either way the breaks were an issue. I hope to get my new bike out of layaway by the weekend.

Riding is great for me - when I'm alone I meditate, when I'm with friends there is chatter. I couldn't be happier.

Stanky

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oh dear

nobody@vox.com(Park Girl) — Thu, 22 May 2008 04:56:10 -0700

I did something extremely irresponsible yesterday.

Responsible bit: Went to the bike store for some help. I have new clipless pedals and have a hard time getting out of them. Scared to death I'm going to break my leg. Made my appointment, showed up, they set the bike up, I rode. They measured, they had a plum line, they watched me ride. They adjusted, they changed the position of the clips in my shoes. Outcome: "Your bike is too small for you"

I knew this already.

Without skipping a beat I said "Do you have any used bikes in my size?"

Seconds later

The Irresponsible bit: What do you have new in my price range. They set up a couple of bikes, I rode, they measured, they watched, I signed.

2008 Hardrock Sport

You may say "But this is your passion, what could be wrong with buying a new, relatively inexpensive bike, that fits properly?"

The problem is that I'm flat broke. Putting the bike on layaway was smart but spending the money in the first place was not.

The really bad part is that now I think I should have bought a bike with disk breaks. Honestly - It's a little over $100 more. This is an investment - right?

Holy crap, what have I done. Why can't I pike up the phone and say "oops".

'Cause I don't want to.

I've done something extremely irresponsible.

Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle

I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like

Bicycle races are coming your way
So forget all your duties oh yeah
Fat bottomed girls they'll be riding today
So look out for those beauties oh yeah
On your marks get set go
Bicycle race bicycle race bicycle race

Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle
Bicycle bicycle bicycle
Bicycle race

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Clipless

nobody@vox.com(Park Girl) — Mon, 19 May 2008 06:45:05 -0700

Let's talk clip-less. I'm new to it. It's hard.

Tricks?

How did you determine where to place the clippy things on the bottom of your shoe? I've tried top - couldn't clip out. Tried bottom inside - still not happening.

Or is the key in the peddle?

SHOES: I have two - hand-me-down Nike for the trails and the Keen cummutor shoe for everything else.

CLIPS: Shimano M520 Mountain Bike Clipless Pedal

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Summer is nearly here.

nobody@vox.com(tara) — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:40:43 -0700

You can tell because the lilacs are preparing to blossom and the Fearsome Fleet of Skinny Terror is back on the trail:

It's okay, biking n00b. We know you are clueless.

In sillier news, the Bike Center opened today and somebody had the seriously clever thought: What if we set up the speech-givers on one side of the trail, and the audience on the other side? Despite being separated by about six feet of pavement, this ensures that our cameras will be constantly interrupted by the bikers who actually, you know, have to get to work and stuff. It's like setting up a press conference on opposite sides of a highway. Talk about awkward.

In sadder news, I stuck a book in my pack of stuff and in my sleepy state thought that it would be secure there. Lo, I got to work and no book. It was brand new! I'd barely even cracked it! At least it's a sunny day, so assuming that everybody just leaves it where it fell, I might find it on my way home. Alas, I can't really go hunting for it till after work. Poor book. Poor me. I hope some other writerly type finds it, if I don't get to keep it.

In inspiring news, here is a blog post from a brand-new bike commuter. Hooray!! It's a success!

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Happy National Bike/Walk to Work Day!

nobody@vox.com(tara) — Wed, 14 May 2008 09:02:54 -0700

Hooray!

I guess I should have mentioned it BEFORE as a reminder, but there you go.

Good bike news:

I got free breakfast this morning because I am a bike commuter, plus the cafe was swarmed with other commuters and I loooove hearing people talk about how they never use their cars and only filled up their tank for the second time this year last week.

The weather has been sunny, clear, slightly chilly, and generally beautiful for biking. And it's warm so my bike parts all move easily and aren't half-frozen.

It's sort of astonishing how quickly I forget the dark-at-4:30 commute I had all winter (and which will be back in short order):

Bike over Hiawatha

I love how supportive Minneapolis Mayor Rybak is of bikes and bike commuting. The city had a commuter challenge, wherein three individuals started at the same place and had to end up at the same place. One person went by car, one by bike (the Mayor himself) and one by transit. Rybak showed up first en bike, followed by the transit person and then by the poor car driver.

On Friday, there is going to be a bike center opening on the trail I take to and from work. It's going to offer repairs, gear, bathrooms, showers, etc. It sounds really spectacular and I can't wait for it to open on Friday. I kind of want to shower there just because I can! Mid-commute shower!

Hay everybody: Who's riding these days, regardless of national initiatives? How's it going? You can leave a comment without signing in here if you'd like.

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Happy Mothers Day To ALL MILFs !

nobody@vox.com(Debbie) — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:18:05 -0700

http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=29785

3 Cheers To All Us MILF's This Mother's Day !

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Biking = Joy

nobody@vox.com(Park Girl) — Sun, 04 May 2008 14:41:08 -0700

Saturday my biking babes and I hit the streets for a 15 mile ride. It was a beautiful morning but very windy.

A tale to come - just wanted you to know that biking really does = joy. I have never felt better.

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update

nobody@vox.com(Park Girl) — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:01:22 -0700

I've been off my bike for a month and a half while I heal from being gouged by my bike pedal. Now that Tara has announced Bike Month I say - SCREW TISSUE REGROWTH - I'm hitting the trails. Well, I'm hitting the streets.

This weekend is the Outdoors Canoe and Kayak Race on the Mississippi River. I'll be riding the 5 miles from my house to the race with several friends.

Repeat after me: I will not sit in my car as often as possible!

heal damnit

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I am obsessed with my bike and I won't deny it.

nobody@vox.com(tara) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:48:36 -0700

Spring! It's here. I know some of you are sweltering, but we had snow on Sunday so I think we deserve a little bit of sympathy.

I rode to work for the first time in a while. I ride from work, but it's a much simpler enterprise to take the bus to work. I'm not sweaty when I arrive, I don't have to change, I get to read my book, I can be on sleepy-zombie autopilot. But not today! Today I could not let this delicate spring morning, full of calicos racing across fresh green lawns, creep away while I take the bus.

National Bike Month starts tomorrow. I have no idea what events are happening (I could only find info for last year's Bike-to-Work Day) or how people are supposed to celebrate, but I started my festivities by doing a tune-up at home. Aired up the tires, adjusted the seat height, tightened the ergostem and installed PowerGrips!

A) This means they're not sitting on my floor anymore, and
B) This means I can be more efficient and that thrills my nerdy little heart.

Tonight I will do the lazy person's tune-up, which is to say I will take it outside and spray it down with synthetic tune-up in a can or whatever it's called. Anyway, I feel good about treating the bike well, since the bike returns the favor. Next up I'm going to fit my winter bike with fenders and get it set for Paul to ride all summer. Already I have daydreams of rolling up to the Metrodome with him and giggling at the masses as they stumble into the stadium, exhausted from their 20-block trek from the $15 parking lot.

What about everybody else? Are you thinking of joining in? Riding the good ole bicycle around a bit?

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I Am Woman, Hear Me...

nobody@vox.com(geekgal) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:33:23 -0700

Whimper after too long out of the saddle of my road bike?

I am sore, but I am so glad I got off my fat arse and rode with Justin and brother-in-law, David, today.

GPS track, and my heartrate & cadence data for today's ride

According to MotionBased.com, where I log all my outdoor rides, it has been two MONTHS since my last ride--how in the hell did that happen? I did some indoor training rides since then, but they don't show up on MotionBased.com to help my "motivation through publication" since their site is a little crippled in that it won't log rides that lack a GPS track, even if they have cadence (and thus speed + distance) and heart rate data.

Anyhow, the ripe whipped my overly ample arse but in a good way and I am starting a new week feeling energized and ready to try, again, to lose all this excess "baby weight".

Justin's heartrate and cadence data shows his fitness level & my lack thereof -- his heartrate zone was 2.6 avg on the same ride that kept me at 4.4 (of 5 zones!)

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