Commuting – Page 3 – wife. mother. awesome girl.

Oh hey there …

Oh hey. It’s been a while hasn’t it. Gosh. Sorry about that. Been busy with life and such, being elected to the board for Philly Bike Club. I’m really thrilled to be able to give back to the club that has been so instrumental in keeping me on the road, making new friends, and learning as much as I can about cycling.

The bikes are back home. This makes me incredibly happy.

The weather has been difficult to say the least. We didn’t get much snow since the Nor’easter pretty much stayed to the Nor’east. But it’s been colder than I care to venture lately (sub-32*F).

But venture I did this past weekend – I wanted to ride my new bike (Lady Rainicorn – you may recall her as the sexy ’88 Peugeot you see in the image above) and the weather outlets were predicting upper-thirties/low-forties and sun. My Always Up For A Bike Ride commuter buddy agreed to join me on an inaugural ride to meet up with some friends for brunch downtown. I warned him we were not going to be breaking any speed records.

Every ride is a learning opportunity:

1. Toe clips SUCK. There is a reason we attach our feet to pedals on the soles of our feet instead of shoving our shoes into a tiny metal cage that mocks you as you attempt to pedal from a stand-still.

there is no love in my heart for these pedals

2. Toe covers do not cut it below 40*F. Not even with sock liners and my thickest, warmest wool socks. Riding with fish sticks for toes is also the worst.

3. I needed one more layer in the morning, one fewer in the afternoon. It was 23*F when we left; 39*F when I got home.

4. Winter cycling gloves are BOMB DIGGITY.

5. The new bike will be excellent for the commute. I will get stronger because she’s not a compact – just a double – but she’s stable and nimble. Zippy. My lowest gear is nowhere close to my lowest gear on my Felt. But the hills mostly flew under me – only the steep(-er/-est) of hills got painful.

So of course my Wish List of cycling crap got longer: insulated cycling jacket, winter cycling shoes, getting a second pair of thermal tights. And new pedals. Even if I just get some platforms for the time being – anything is better than the current weighted toe-clip pedals I have now.

When I picked up my bikes I also bought a new seat – a Specialized Ruby Expert. The local shop has a 90 day return-for-store-credit policy so I need to get out on my Felt a few times to give it a go. Hopefully the weather will co-operate – currently this weekend looks terrible for outdoor cycling (snow and sub-freezing temperatures).

So more to come, dear reader. Looking forward to warmer weather, longer sunshine, and commuting by bike again in the near future.

See you on the road!

Getting In Touch

Like many in this country, we’ve been dealing with a vicious Arctic cold this past week. Sunday seems so far away – a “balmy” 30 degrees when I set out with my daughter in search of a parking lot we could ride around in while she gets comfortable with her bike. We bought it for her last year as a birthday gift, just a touch on the large side so she wouldn’t outgrow it too quickly. She’s now able to get the hand brakes easily and use her twist-shifters more effectively. I grabbed Lady Rainicorn and gave her a test spin, trying to figure out how to both turn and shift my downtube shifters and not fall over.

It’s not as easy when the only road bike you’ve ever had utilizes what is unimaginatively called “brifters” – brake shifters. My instinct is to just click the small levers with my middle finger. Downtube shifters are bringing me more in tune with my bike.

As I’m walking home from the train station tonight, it occurs to me that being a cyclist or pedestrian really puts you in tune with your world. You feel the subtle and not-so-subtle swells and depressions. Flats that are really slow and steady inclines or declines. You need to know the weather to prepare your attire accordingly. You can pause to truly enjoy a beautiful sunrise, sunset, or the way the light sparkles like glitter on the new-fallen snow.

You can always tell the folks who will hurry out of the train and into their parked car because they aren’t dressed to spend a length of time in the weather.

Back to the “new” bike. I’m realizing I need to be OK with a variety of things I haven’t had to worry about up til this point. Things like when to shift up or down, easing up on the pedals to get the front derailleur to guide the chain to the big ring … and back without dropping. Calculating when I need to shift on a hill or descent. Having HALF as many gears to work with in general.

The bikes are in the shop but once they are done, I’ll see you on the road!

2012 Stat Check

2012 was the year of getting out and being active. My metabolism started junking out on me when I turned 30 a few (five) years ago and staying healthy is high on my priority list. Here’s a look back at What I Did this year:

Outside cycling miles: 1908

Trainer miles: 74

Total cycling miles: 1982

(so close to my goal BUT two hundred miles longer than the distance from my old house in Colorado to my new house in Pennsylvania. Chew on that symbolism!)

Total running miles: 7.5

Total walking miles: 269

Dancing: over 15 hours

my LEGO avatar

None of these are overly impressive – I ride with folks who put up big numbers like 4,500/8,000/Turn It Up To 11,000 miles in a year. I run with people who eat marathons for breakfast. I talk a fine game – but in the end, these folks motivate me to higher achievement. They are the ones pulling me up the hill or racing me down the street or gleefully shouting “MILES FOR BREAKFAST” as we zip through town.

This is only Year One of actually being active on purpose since my teens and early twenties. I hope to continue to be active and healthy for as long as possible! More riding, more running, more yoga – balanced with staying involved in family and community life. No regrets.

(Actually, I am impressed with my walking miles. I walk to the train station when I commute by train and occasionally take a lunch break walk. Little things add up! )

Whatever your goals for 2013, whatever your stats for 2012 – wishing you and yours the very best!

Coffee Break

Everyone has certain associations with Saturday mornings from their childhood. Mine were waking up so early the test pattern was still on the local affiliate station (does that even happen anymore?) and sitting on the couch with my sisters under homemade blankets, eagerly awaiting Saturday morning cartoons. My dad would get up around 8 to cook us breakfast – scrambled eggs, fried Spam or bacon, and all the orange juice we could handle. After breakfast was time to get dressed, do our chores and go outside to play.

My dad was more of an instant coffee drinker until I was in middle school – and it was around 8th grade or so that I sampled my first cup of coffee. To this day I can’t drink coffee black – I’m more of a “like my sugar with coffee and cream” kind of girl. For many years I would simply have a cup of whatever was in the workplace breakroom, regardless of the quality of flavor. Then I went on a several year hiatus and switched to teas, a second love. Ultimately I eventually got back on the coffee wagon, began discovering quality coffees and, since purchasing a coffee maker for our home a few years ago, I am simply unable to function without a daily dose of my drug of choice.

Through the magic of the internet (OOoooo!) the proprietor of Sip, Clip, and Go! coffee and I began to connect socially. As one who enjoys a quality cup of coffee regularly, and my current supply running low, I reached out to ask which of her coffees may be right for me. I enjoy middle-of-the-road flavor – not too light but not too dark. She recommended I try Off the Chain or Carbon Free Commuter.

Fast forward to a week ago and my supply is back to running low. Instead of heading for the local grocer, I logged on to Sip, Clip, and Go! and picked up a bag of coffee and a lovely travel mug advertised to fit in my water bottle cage.

CarbonFree Commuter — Arrived just in time!

The package arrived the day Hurricane Sandy decided to also arrive on the East Coast and with my power out, I could only smell the smokey sweetness of the ground beans. Heavenly! Now that my power is on, it’s all I have been drinking. The beans are perfectly balanced, creating a wonderful beginning to a day at the office or on the bike. My house smells amazing while the coffee is brewing – definitely a reason to get out of bed for a delicious beverage.

Overall, this product is a Must Buy for any coffee lover and particularly those of the cycling variety – not only are the beans fair trade and organic, but a portion of every sale is donated to Bikes Belong. A win-win situations AND you get an excellent cup of coffee every day.

Thanks for sharing your coffee break with me – see you on the road!

Aftermath and Decisions

Just popping in to report that we weathered Hurricane Sandy fairly well. We ended up losing power around 7pm Monday night and didn’t regain it until 9pm on Tuesday night. Our damage is limited to two downspouts being ripped from the gutters and plenty of small limb debris in the yard. Cable and internet service finally came back last night; our cell service provider is still on the fritz in our area. We learned a few lessons along the way: camping gear and a propane grill mean hot food and cocoa; next time stock firewood for heat; don’t have Halloween candy readily accessible because you will end up eating it mindlessly.

We are thankful for our limited inconveniences and send positive vibes for our friends and neighbors who are still without power, heat, or have significant damages (like the neighbor with a massive tree resting on their roof). Our thoughts are also with our fellow brothers and sisters in New Jersey and New York.

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This week was to be my glorious return to bike commuting since my husband is back in town but after the storm, I have been knocked off my rocker a bit. The kids haven’t been in school all week and I’ve spent my time trying to get back to normal as quickly as possible. Yesterday was our 15th wedding anniversary so my husband and I went out for an anniversary dinner for the first time in a VERY long time wherein he shared with me his concerns about my cycling habbit. Mostly time spent away from the family and other obligations, but also that it’s cold and dark now and often my bike commute leaves me physically exhausted (and essentially useless for the remainder of the evening).

He has valid points – as a team, we have to work together and find the areas of opportunity to ensure harmony. I have my own concerns with commuting/cold-weather cycling.

1. I have most of the gear I need for cold-weather cycling but need to invest in a few key pieces to be viable long-term: winter gloves, winter-weight socks, shoe covers, second pair of thermal tights and another thermal (or wool) jersey. A bike light that I can use to See AND Be Seen. A balaclava. Nothing major or seriously expensive but key to layering and staying adequately warm. I dislike being cold very much.

2. I dislike being so exhausted after bike commuting. Heavy Bike Is Heavy. I’ve done the commute on my carbon-fiber bike (which I don’t find approproiate for commuting in that it’s too light) and there is a 15-20min decrease in time spent commuting per day. The toll on my legs is significantly less (although the sweat factor remains constant). And honestly, it’s more fun to go a little faster or to not feel like you are dragging an anchor up a hill. I’ve groused about this at length so I’m trying not to bore you about it – but it remains my #1 adversary outside of my schedule.

3. And there is my schedule. I’m trying to look ahead and see where a pattern opportunity exists so I can build momentum. I’m rapdily determining that maybe I need to just chill (HA HA) and resume biking to work in the spring. I have a lot going on. I don’t want anything to be half-assed. I need to be able to commit myself to key things for now and allow the bike to be a Nice Weekends kind of thing.

Because my bike will still be there in the spring. And my love of cycling will still be there as well. And hopefully a little disposable income as well to round out my gear. I admit it’s hard to say “yes, I need to stop trying to shoehorn riding my bike into my life right now.” After devoting so much time to this hobby, it hurts to put it on the shelf for a bit. I love the freedom of setting out with friends and not even thinking for a second about where we are going or how we are getting there. I get to be a follower for once!

And no, I’d prefer not to invest in a trainer to try to ride inside. I have a gym membership at work – if I feel the need to try spinning, there is an opportunity already paid for on Tuesday nights.

We have an older home that could use a little cash to repair and improve (little by little), a car that should really be taken in to the shop, kids who outgrow their clothing and shoes before you want them to, and pets. I’d also like to spend some time working yoga back into my life and actually having unscheduled down time. So important in our hectic lives.

Anyway, hope to see you on the road soon!

And it’s been a while …

After I posted about giving ourselves permission to not be on the bike for two weeks, I have been taking advantage of being too busy to ride my bike for that purpose. It’s been wonderful, really. I don’t feel anxiety about not riding my bike because I’m getting other important things accomplished as well – like cleaning the house, paying bills, grocery shopping, shuttling the kids places, leading my daughter’s Girl Scout troop meeting and a three-day business trip to Orlando. But I do miss it. It being riding my bike.

The weekend after I posted, I met up with five guys from Philly Bike Club (BCP) for a greasy-spoon breakfast run out to Skippack. It was a lesson in proper layering – while I did good with layering my base, jersey, armwarmers and woolly (with my windbreaker stuffed in my back pocket), I opted for thermal tights. The tights got very warm once we were done with breakfast and the temps were in the mid-60s. The lesson being if you are going to overpack bring your own backpack and next time opt for capris instead of thermal tights. 😀 55miles with 3800’+ of gain means breakfast was well-deserved.

This past weekend my girl friend and I decided to get brunch at Royal Tavern in South Philadelphia. I drove to the art museum district where we met up and then we biked over. I can say an easy three miles each way was as delicious as breakfast. Urban riding is decidedly different from my usual weekend rides – and it’s easier to slip into a mode of rolling stops. Bike lanes make you feel safer than sharrows. And assholes in pickup trucks honking at you are more prevelant. Fortunately I am a fan of being kind to drivers who are not as progressive.

This morning I was contemplating my bike commute. My commuter friend and I were talking about how much routine plays into motivation to ride. If it’s your routine to get up and ride your bike to work every day, it’s less of an issue to simply get out of bed even though it’s dark and cold. When you are sporatic and occassional, it’s more difficult because you don’t have the momentum of routine behind you. To make bike commuting permanent, I would need to fundamentally alter my existing routine. I’m not sure that’s possible right now, no matter how much I’d like it to change. My husband travels for work, the kids are still school-age and I feel strongly that being there for them in the morning is a small way to show them their importance in my life. I’m hoping that will pay off as they get older.

Also, I haven’t been running like I should be. The Lemon Run is in 3 weeks and I’ve been out twice for no more than one mile. I need to focus my time to running or this 5k will eat me alive.

So this post isn’t so much about cycling as enjoying the time off and focusing on other things that are also important for a bit. I’m looking forward to next week, when I will have time to bike commute again. Next weekend is the Philly Bike Expo as well, which I will be riding to with my BCP friends and then volunteering at their booth Sunday morning. Come by and say hi!

Until then, see you on the road.

Baby It’s Getting Cold Outside

Autumn is in full swing and the weather is staying cooler, it’s staying dark longer, and the thrill of riding my bike is being weighed against burrowing back into my down comforter for another hour (or more on the weekends). I have to be honest here friends – it’s becoming difficult to get up early in the morning to ride my bike.

Fear not, my good reader – I haven’t thrown in the towel for the year yet!

My casual rides are going to be gradually diminishing over the next month or so. I still have a fall foliage ride scheduled in two weekends and will be riding with friends to the Philly Bike Expo (I’ll be volunteering at the BCP booth – come say hi).

I’m planning to keep on bike commuting. It’s fun and I really do enjoy it once I’m up and dressed and sipping my coffee. My ability to actually bike commute is hindered by other employment and familial obligations – I am the assistant leader to my daughter’s Girl Scout troop and my husband and I both travel for business. So I’m looking at other opportunities – perhaps I ride to the train station that’s a bit further from my house but totally achieveable in regular clothing – to keep riding (albeit at a significantly reduced distance).

And when a rare unscheduled day comes up, it’s delicious to indulge in sloth. Sleeping in, relaxing in my pajamas and reading a newspaper (gasp!) while enjoying my morning coffee is a most excellent moment. I try not to think about how I really should be riding my bike.

Which may not be a bad thing! I just got this email newsletter from my favorite Center City bike shop, Breakaway Bikes:

You Have Permission to Stop Training

We’ve hit October and for just about all multi-sport athletes and road cyclists our seasons are over. Some of you might be mourning the end of competition, while some of you are excited about adding those training hours back to your week. Regardless of your personal position, this is the time to let go and put your training to the backburner for a few months. I know the reality of not training can be anxiety inducing; but, trust me, you’ll be better off for it. Here are just a few things I want you to keep in-mind as you head into your off-season.

1.       Rest: You had a great season. You trained your butt off, your fitness skyrocketed, so you believe that you’ll keep improving if you keep training. Right? Wrong! Your body and mind need time to recover from the stresses of a long season. Think about how sleep is your body’s way of recovering from the stress of the day; an extended break allows your body to recover from months of training and competition. If you fail to give yourself enough time to rest, you’re signing-up for some serious early season burnout next year.

I usually recommend that people take at least two-weeks completely off from their sport. Yes, put your bike, goggles, and running shoes in the corner and don’t even look at them. This might be hard, but I know you can do it. Instead of working out, find some other activity to fill that time. Training got a lot of your attention during the season; now it’s time to let some of the other parts of your life have you back. Believe it or not, taking a break will actually be laying the foundation for training in the upcoming season. Start to integrate other forms of activity back after those two-weeks. Coach Charlie would usher in the off-season with the quote, “you’ve got to get slow to go fast.” These are words to live by during this time of the year. You’ll be back to training soon, so enjoy the break.

2.       Eat: Did you regularly pass on dessert during the summer? How about your favorite dish? If so, it’s time to indulge a bit. Please note that I said a bit. You were meticulous during the season when it came to your food. You managed portion sizes and balancing your nutritious meals. I don’t want you to forsake your good eating habits; I just want you to be a little less regimented. It’s ok to add a few off-season pounds, just don’t go too crazy.

3.       Cross Train: You took your time away and now you want some activity. Use the off-season to find other ways to stay active. Our sports are very muscle group specific and repetitive in motion. I mean, think about how repetitive pedaling a bike can be. Find activities that will challenge opposing muscle groups. It really doesn’t matter what the activity is, just find something that’s fun and keeps you active and motivated: run, swim, play soccer, golf, walk, rock climb, or go to the gym. Your sport will still be there when you come back.

4.       Miss it: A lot of people will ask when they should start back to their sport and I think that can vary for many people. I personally tell people to use a mental test. Do you genuinely miss your sport and are you excited to get back to it? If you can honestly answer ‘yes,’ then it’s time to bring your sport back to your life. I want you to be excited to do your sport and not have it feel like a chore. If riding your bike or going to swim feels like an obligation, you’re not ready. This is the off-season, this isn’t the time to make yourself workout. I think this time of the year is great because you get to rediscover why you fell in-love with your sport…..because it’s fun. Just remember that this is the off-season, so keep the intensity low.

This is just my $.02 on a positive way to approach the offseason. I know the pressure to just stay on the gas, but remember that rest and recovery are just as important as any workout.

See you on the road!

Urban Adventures

Thursday I decided to join my commuting buddy for the Moveable Feast, an evening ride around Fairmount Park after work. The registration fee went to benefit the Pennsylvania Center for Adapted Sports (PCAS) and we had several riders from PCAS on tandems joining us on this inaugural, unsupported ride. Because it’s getting dark early, lights were mandatory.

We rode in the morning on our usual commute and it felt good – rarely do my legs feel nimble and light when I’m riding my commuter. He said its because I took two days off the bike; I maintain that it was because I had a cup of coffee before leaving my house.

THE WORLD WILL NEVER KNOW.

After work, we had about an hour to kill so we rode out to the Ben Franklin Bridge via the buffered bike lane on Pine St. to enjoy the view. I had no idea there was a pedestrian/cycling part of the bridge … turns out it is above the roadway and a marvel of old school architecture.

Panoramic Philly from the Ben Franklin Bridge — Panoramic view of the Delaware River and the Philadelphia Skyline from the Ben Franklin Bridge

Dark clouds were looming over the Philadelphia skyline and soon fat drops of rain were falling.

The trains shuttling commuters from the city back to New Jersey rumbled below us.

This way to Jersey — View of New Jersey from the Bridge

On the way back to the start point for the evening ride, we saw a laundry valet by bicycle – a girl towing three 30+ gal laundry bins. Such a cool idea! We arrived back to the ride start in time to check in and chat with some of the riders from PCAS. There was maybe twenty of us. Unfortunately there was also a major auto accident on the adjacent street (up the road) so there was some last-minute scouting to ensure the multi-use path was still open. The 10 mile loop was low-key and fun, if challenging to see the buckles and heaves in the path on the west side of the river.

After the short ride we teamed up with two others from the ride and rode over to the Night Market, which was being held in Chinatown. Night Market is a fun street fair-type atmosphere where local restaurants ply their delicious goods to the hungry masses. It was packed – lots of good people-watching, a DJ on one end and a live band on the other! We were able to find an alcove big enough for four bicycles and devoured some Vietnamese cuisine from Vietnam Restaurant (me the chicken spring rolls with rice noodles; Commuter Friend the tofu sandwich). Then we explored the area in search of a cupcake truck which we eventually found at the very end of a side street (Jimmy’s).

By this time it’s about 8:40pm and we still have to ride home (which takes an hour and a half and is uphill). We bid our fellow cyclists adieu and headed out back to the path. (On a safety note, I would not have ridden my bike home this late at night by myself. The park is VERY dark and as a female, I wouldn’t have felt comfortable alone.)

This is where you learn that most bike lights are not meant for riding outside of urban environments. My bike light is small and clearly is more for Being Seen not Seeing. My commuter friend has a comparably huge light that cast an adequate amount of light for the two of us to ride closely once we were out of the city and into the black curtain that had enveloped the Wissahickon Park.

Riding at night by the river and the creek was very cool – the water is still, reflecting the boathouse lights and the headlights of cars zipping by under the cover of night. There’s no one around except us and we were able to slide through intersections with ease. We rolled up to our parting point about a mile or so from each of our houses and agreed Friday would be a train commute day.

And that’s how I got over 50 miles on my commuter bike in a single work day. That’s probably the longest distance I’ve ever done on that bike in a single day. Even last year I rented a road bike for a 50-mile day. Muscles still felt good – had some very minor stiffness the next day but not enough to need an ibuprofen.

It was very cool to see different parts of the city from two wheels. It’s so frustrating to try to drive in Philadelphia – but on a bike, you can keep moving and see so many other cool things.

In other news, I am about 278 miles short of my friend Matt’s challenge to hit 1,800 miles this year (triple last year’s total mileage). This feels so achievable as long as the weather holds out and I can keep riding.

See you on the road!

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Miles for Fun

My riding has been severely curtailed this past week because my husband is out of town. I suppose my ability to ride shouldn’t predicate on whether he’s around or not but it does – someone has to guide our youngest out the door in the morning for school. And I suppose I could take my bike on the train and then ride home – I’d have to take the train after 9:30am to ensure I’m on a non-peak service. Significantly sub-optimal when it comes to convenience. Something to think about.

I’ve been reading BikeSnobNYC’s other book, “The Enlightened Commuter: Commuter Angst, Dangerous Drivers, and Other Obstacles on the Path to Two-Wheeled Transcendence.” I like this guy. It’s like he reads my mind and we think the same things about cycling in general. I endorse his books and blog – hilarious stuff friends!

Anyway, one of his points is to not get so wrapped up in ourselves and our data that we forget to get out and ride for fun. It’s easy to get wrapped up in “But I’m not on my nice bike” or “I forgot to turn on my app – these miles don’t count!” Data is only half the game – it’s fun and cool to ride for recreational purposes – but practical miles are still miles. It’s more than you do if you just stay home and sulk about not riding anywhere.

As a relatively recent convert to the Church of Cycling in general, I am definitely guilty of not always just getting out to ride. I enjoy group rides, I enjoy rides to the cupcakery, I enjoy rides on the path with my kids. Lately the kids don’t want to ride and it’s sad to me but I respect their need to assert their independence from my current hobby.

I’ve missed bike commuting this week a lot. More than I thought I would. I did a load of laundry and for the first time in months there wasn’t any cycling attire to make sure doesn’t get thrown into the dryer.

WEIRD I KNOW.

So today I had plans to meet my girlfriends for brunch. I am also on a schedule because the car needs an oil change and the dog needs to go to the vet. The oil change didn’t work out – that will have to wait until Monday. I hemmed and hawed over whether I should ride in for brunch or not. On one hand, I love the idea of getting a 30+ mile bike ride AND yummy brunch. On the other hand, I’m not keen on being the only one at the table in spandex and sweating profusely. I mean, it’s fine – I just want to look cute too.

My girlfriends all live downtown so they can ride their bikes over AND look cute. I want this! So I decided to drive my Beast of Burden and park downtown, then ride over. It was a brilliant idea! And I didn’t even turn on my mapping/tracking apps!

(although I did go back and map it out, estimate my time riding, and manually enter the data. HI MY NAME IS LAURA AND I AM A DATA ADDICT)

It was fun! I got a short ride in – and truth be told, I was sad when I rode up to my car because I just wanted to keep riding. But I needed to get back to the house, the kids, and the dogs.

Oh and brunch was awesome too – I could only eat half of it. Four thick slices of challah french toast stuffed with fresh local peaches, sweet farmer’s cheese, a light coating of local maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar. Coupled with mimosas, coffee, and awesome conversation. Totally worth it.

Hoping to score another breakfast ride tomorrow morning with my commuter friends. On a schedule again, but any miles will be better than no miles.

See you on the road!

Super Secret Cool People Club

I managed to bike commute twice this past week on consecutive days, which always makes me feel like I’m part of a Super Secret Cool People club. As much as I hate my alarm clock blaring at 5:30am, the dark still cloaking the neighborhood, I know I’ll love the ride in. The cool air, watching the sun come up as we cross the bridge, fellow bicycle commuters with their panniers giving each other the knowing nod of solidarity.

I’m sure part of this is the novelty – I am a total noob in terms of bike commuters having only done it a couple times a week for about a month. The solo commute with two flats definitely tested my resolve … if I didn’t enjoy riding my bike so much, I would have totally used that as an excuse to stop.

This week also featured some drivers who were not using their best manners, of which I’m sure their moms are very proud of them.

The mornings are getting cooler and the dark sticks around a little longer each day. Arm warmers are becoming mandatory. One day I rode in with a base layer (no arm warmers) but was very warm by the time I got to the office. May not need it just yet? Although today’s ride was worthy of both arm warmers and a base layer in the morning … it was chilly!

Starting to think about winter riding and keeping the general fitness level throughout the winter. I’m not a fan of indoor cycling (hence why I have never gone to a Spinning class) … but I don’t want to hang up my cleats completely this winter. This past winter was super mild, which was great but also sad. Every winter needs some doozy of a snow storm.

(wow – I think I totally just jinxed us out here)

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Today’s ride was 52miles of hilly happiness, an emu farm, a stunning view of the city from a distance, and a pit stop in the woods. Low speed but good company and a great way to spend a Sunday morning.

Tell the world:

Tell the world:

Tell the world:

Tell the world:

Tell the world:

Tell the world:

Tell the world:

Tell the world:

Tell the world:

Tell the world: