Happy Hyggelig Thanksgiving!...

It was an OUTSTANDING Day for a ride.
I'm always Thankful for Thanksgiving Day rides,
today was no exception.
60 degrees
Sunny
Calm.
Ahhhh...sigh...
Perfection!

and,
true to Minnesota form,
6 hours later it began snowing.
so it begins...

Minne Miss...

My Tuesday Commute - the Mighty Minne
My Saturday Ride - the Mighty Miss

Deep down I am terrified of what happens when all these leaves fall
and when my Sun leaves me.
BUT
on the surface I am maintaining a happy face
and riding my bicycle as much as time allows.

Happy Autumn from Minneapolis!
Please stay awhile...

island time...

Another long day at the office,
too little time or energy to get out on a lycra ride.
But I needed some zen time,
some bicycle time,
some me time.


It had been awhile,
a long while,
but what I needed
was to hop on the Pash
and feel like I was
on my Summer Island.

good ol' Denver...

It's Wednesday and it's been a long week.
We all deserve a happy tune, don't we?!


Denver kicks out some good stuff now and again.
Thanks Lumineers, and thanks to The Current!


On another note,
last night was my best bicycle ride of the year.
41 is feeling a little creeky this year, but
Damn I love when the Sun is out!

who'd of thought?...

image from Trek

I'm a bit in shock.

I remember 5 years ago when I dreamed of this day.
In fact, the other day I was still bemoaning the fact
that no one had made a Dutch-style bicycle
in aluminum.

lucky enough...

I am not lucky enough 
right now 
to be living in California.
But until that day comes again,
I was lucky enough
to spend half of my February 'home'.
sigh...


CA i love you
CA i miss you


Now I am back in MN,
a layer of this weird white stuff is all over outside,
and the first thing I did after picking up the pups 
was clean the bathroom.
Oh how easily the CA bubble bursts...



I will be sharing
a few of my 
NorCal
and
SoCal
adventures
in the following posts.


Happy March Everyone!
May it be good to all of us.
I miss more than CA,
I miss my bicycle...

Thank You Stellar November...

Trek, Minneapolis, & Me
2012.11.25

I am really thankful
for having a few nice long days off.
AND
the stellar November weather this year.
Holiday rides are always the best,
quiet,
reflective,
meditative.
Holiday rides over Thanksgiving?!
Now those can never be beat.
Especially,
when you live in Minnesota,
and this time last year
winter
had already set in,
and hard...

I needed this time.
Each ride makes me feel better
physically
and mentally.


The only bummer is that we had one snow
and of course it became ice and required
lots of sand and salt that is still on the trails.
I found myself riding on the margins to stay out of the
wet and sand for most of my rides this long weekend.
Luckily as I turned to head home there was this nice stretch
of sand-free and sun-filled bliss.

Trek will probably be staying inside now,
and out of the salt and sand.
November,
it was fun while it lasted...

This was an accidental picture I took.
I rather like it.

repair and respect...

For about the last two months of riding season
(which sadly I have deemed as officially over)
I had this nagging problem when I was out riding.
I ride a lot in this zone, and every time I did,
the bike began to have a mind of its own.

In early September I had a cable issue
that essentially turned my bicycle ride
into a fixie ride for a number of miles
until I could limp into my usual shop.
I thought the change in cables after this would solve the issue,
but it kept getting worse.

Anytime I could bring the Trek in, I wanted to ride,
so I just kept suffering through the annoyance.
Finally, after I rolled 1000, it was time.

H and I like to support good people doing good things,
so Trek was taken to a new shop.
I was a bit nervous because a lot of bicycle shop dudes
don't really speak 'girl speak' and turn to the guy to have a conversation.
Especially when they race together during Cross Season,
or so I feared.

Not Dan.
I told Dan my issues, and it was instantly clear he knows A LOT about bicycles.
I asked him to keep the Trek for a few days to really diagnose the issue.
He came back with another cable replacement
and a gold 'tooth' (ferrule).

And then, the snow set in.

So I haven't been able to get her out for a ride,
but I did officially begin my QTT this weekend
and she shifted with grace.
The forecast is predicting Sunny and 53 on Thanksgiving.
I think you know where I will be...

I appreciate that Dan treated me with complete respect.
And when I had stopped to take my cassette picture,
two groups of male riders yelled out "Everything Okay?"
to me as they passed by.
I always appreciate the bicycling community,
the fact that folks have got my back,
and knowing I am not out there alone.
And yes,
I was MORE thank OKAY,
I was on my bicycle and it was a beautiful day.

Trek and I have been together for nearly 4000 miles.
I think in the Spring she is going to need more than a cable.
I am looking forward to giving her some tweaks,
and taking her with me for the next 4000...

cheers to beautiful shoes and bicycles...

I LOVE these shoes.
Oh YES I do.
I started stalking them before my NY trip,
it didn't work out to get them then.
Then...there was a brief moment in time
when they were available online.
And a few short days later
these beauties were on my feet.

What I like about the new shoes
is not only do they LOOK good,
but (wo)man oh (wo)man are they COMFORTABLE.
And comfort is my middle name.

And some of you may have given up on me
thinking I run around in lycra all of the time
and lost all my sense and love of good design.
Not so fast....
That will NEVER happen.

In fact, I'm such a freak about good design and beautiful moments,
that I had this photo shoot planned for the last three weeks
and was waiting for the perfect moment to execute.
Today was that day.
How boring would a picture of just a pair of shoes be?
You've got to accessorize those feet!

AND ~ Here's the Pashley again for you who keep thinking
she has gone into bicycle never never land.
The Pash is the perfect accessory (I know I should say bicycle...)
She is patiently sitting and waiting for me to
slow down
get bored with all this lycra business
and tool around the neighborhood.
I think she may be waiting a loooong time.

Cheer's to beautiful shoes and beautiful bicycles.
And Sun and Lovely Lovely Autumn.

ps ~ yup, that's the top I made all by myself.

40 +1000 +...

I am pretty freakin' proud of myself.

Let's backtrack a bit...
-I am 40
and I have had a heck of a stressful first half of that.
-The key early summer months in Minneapolis were hindered by winter,
Summer really did not arrive until the week of July 4th.
Because of those two points,
my riding season was purposefully reduced.

I am not a hugely goal oriented gal,
but sometimes in life
you need to set goals for yourself.


Goal 1:
Knowing I would never match the feats
of my last two summers~
1400 miles
AND
1500 miles
I did have in mind
that a nice cool 1000
(hmmms sounds familiar)
would be respectable after a year like this.
Come hell or highwater,
with each ride
I could feel it getting closer
and closer
until it was down to that deceptively easy 300...

Goal 2:
To be able to ride through the end of October.
I need to set myself up for that winter weight gain
by going into it with what I like to feel is a respectably awesome me.
Usually by August I am looking
and feeling
fit
and can enter winter
knowing I will gain a few pounds despite my best efforts,
but I will be okay.
NOT SO EASY WHEN YOU ARE 40 and had a year like I have had.
I feel like I already have that winter weight, and I'm not happy about it.
But one thing that was important to me
was to at least get as much riding in as I could before the end of October.

I am proud to say I met both of my goals and I am a very happy girl.
I've been giving myself a mental pat on the back ever since Sunday.
At about the same time
and about the same place
as last year,
I quietly rolled 1000.
I stopped my bicycle,
gave myself a mental embrace,
and proudly kissed the Trek again.

One of the best things I ever did for myself
was to let H talk me into a road bicycle.
One of the second best things I have ever done for myself
was to use it.
I can't explain the elation I have felt for the last three years.
What I have accomplished has been beyond any goal I ever imagined.
One step at a time,
life begins to embrace us,
or we it.
Time passes.
I feel like 20-40 went in fast forward.
Where did it all go?
It's a difficult reconciliation.
But one thing I will never regret
is taking care of me,
accomplishing my goals,
and being the best me where I am now.

I love good design,
and dressing the part.
But even more right now,
I love fast bicycles
and lycra.
There is a time and a place.

I am much more fit at 40
than I ever was at 20.
Mentally maybe I'm struggling a bit,
physically this year I may be struggling a bit.
But some days I freakin' rock it.

Thank you fast lovin' lycra gal...

ps this doesn't include the miles I put on Lexa.
in fact, a few hours later we biked off to a bikish meeting together...

me, him, us...

me: 40 years 6 months
him: 41 years
us: 16 years

nothing better than a lover's ride
with your sweetie
on your anniversary.

H, you've been pushing me for 16 years,
and today was no exception,
thanks for the nice ride,
today,
and always.

last days of 'freedom'...

This is from a zen ride I had a couple of weeks ago.
I am hoping to have more of the same this weekend,
but suspect there will be more color in my field of vision.

Monday brings a new routine for this family,
H returns to the world of the employed.
And not only that, he returns to the world of
cubicles, copy machine chatter, and parking spaces,
he has worked from home for nearly a decade.
This is a big deal,
for all of us,
and it is time.

It has been a long ten months.
I lightened up on the bicycling this summer
and focused on our family,
but my 40 year old waist doesn't like it.
Time to hit the bicycle riding hard for the next few weeks
before winter sets in.
Though my cycle computer has logged 755 miles this year,
that's half where I have been the last couple of years.

More exactly,
it's been a hell of a long 5 years.
Minneapolis has at times brought me to my knees.

I have just never recovered from losing NorCal,
This annoys me to no end.
But it is Time to really move on...
To continue the work I have been doing on myself,
reflected in this space,
and for US to advance ourselves and do better.

It is not about letting go,
it is about releasing.
It Is Time.

We are excited for what the future brings, finally.
This fall is feeling like a rebirth.
A time to focus.
A time to nest.
A time to get fit.
A time to plan.
It feels good to turn down a new road,
and begin again...

Happy Friday Everyone!!!
At least it is for me.
H and I are celebrating his last days of 'freedom',
and our wedding anniversary,
by simply being together.

Enjoy those Autumn Colors and
the delicate and warm Autumn Sun!

morning...afternoon...

Saturday morning...


Saturday afternoon...

So good to back in the saddle.
So good to be back with my boys.

together apart...

alternate post title: encounters of the bicycle kind...

H and I both ride our bicycles a lot.
At the end of a work day we often both suit up
and head out,
together,
but apart.
Sometimes we love riding together,
sometimes we need to ride apart.
Not because we want to be alone,
but the fact is our skill level is different,
we finish our work days at different times,
and we ride different routes and miles.

We are both 40
and the winter was not so kind to us,
stress will do that to a person.
We both are strong believers
in losing our winter weight,
getting out and getting fit,
and the huge mental benefits
of bicycling.
Riding our fast bicycles in our lycra
is part of what we do.

It is always great running into a friend
when you are out on your bicycle,
but it is even better running into
the one you love.
Everytime we see each other from afar,
it is an electric moment,
we stop, we chat, we encourage each other.
These encounters are often the first time
we have seen each other for hours
and it is good to catch up,
set the stage for the evening,
and know we are both okay.
Then H heads home to let out the pup,
and I head out to let the day melt away...

click, click, click...phhhhhh...

It's always a rough road after returning from vacation.
But usually more figuratively than literally.
Last night I needed to hop on my bicycle
for some meditative me time.
17 minutes into the ride
I hear a strange metal clicking sound.
I hop off, check the front wheel.
Can't figure it out.
I go again.
Click, click, click.
I continue this routine a few times.
Then I switch to the back wheel.
Finally I completely pull off the road
and
phhhhhhhh
flat tire.
Urgh!
I pulled myself over to a grassy area
and proceeded to find a staple
well entrenched in my tire.
I pop it out in disgust
and proceed to change my tire.
15 minutes later,
I head off to finish my ride
and enjoy the beautiful night.

I have had a flat tire on my bicycle twice,
almost exactly a year apart.
Both times the rear tire.
Having a flat on a rear tire can scare the dickens out of a person,
there is a lot going on back there to contend with in getting your tire on and off.
But don't fear!

My advice?
Know how to change your tires.
Practice, practice, practice.
Have someone show you how to do it and practice at home a few times.
Be sure that tube is not snagged on the side by your tire - keep it clear.
Having the right tools is invaluable:
Tire Levers (2-3),
A Spare Tube,
A Pump.

Being able to change my own tires on my own bicycle
gives me the greatest sense of
Independence
Empowerment
Self Sufficiency.
It is a great feeling.
And better yet,
I can continue my ride,
treat my body right after sitting all day,
and clear my mind,
instead of limping home defeated.

Do you live in fear of a flat or are you the master of your flats?
What are your flat stories?

introducing Lexa S...

I waited 3 months for this day.
No Rain.
Sunshine.
The opportunity to ride Lexa over to the photo op
I had envisioned in my mind.
Finally,
the day came
and here she is...

Introducing
Lexa S

Yup,
a few months ago
I got my 'in-between' bicycle.

Those of you with a keen eye
may have been noticing her recently
in some of my posts.


dual computer bicycle search on a cold March day

H and I did a pointed and purposefully fast search earlier this year
to find a bicycle I can ride all over town
for my bikish meetings,
and my bikish ways,
and feel okay leaving outside at a bike rack,
getting 'city-ized' with scrapes and dings,
mostly non-descript, but good looking,
and fast, light, and agile.

What other bicycles did I consider?
A Soma Buena Vista, and other mixte options - but all of the reaches were too far for me with my short torso and my bad back.
A Salsa Casseroll, but not a one was to be found in stock and I didn't want to wait.
I had briefly considered another Trek road bicycle, but only briefly.
When we went to the store and no Casseroll's were to be had, I eyed up the Lexa S and swiftly we decided it was time and she would be a good friend.
Lexa S is a basic Trek Road Bicycle with the exact same dimensions as The Trek.
So I knew she would be perfect for me.


The first time Lexa was left alone..

We promptly took care of the 'cityizing' when we brought her home.
Yes, after JOKING about it,
we got distracted and drove her into the garage.
The worst part was I was on the phone trying to sell Lil'C!
Lexa got a rough start, but amazingly she was OK!
Note to all, if you have a roof rack, and put a bicycle on it, IMMEDIATELY put your garage door opener in your glove compartment so when you get home you have to dig for it, wonder why, and then the red light will go on that 'oh yes, I have a bicycle on the roof'.

Lexa and I haven't been on many rides because of all the rain we have been having this year and the personal stresses that have been occurring, but we have been together enough to know I love her.
My first love is truly the Trek, but Lexa isn't far behind.

I have made some basic citification modifications (besides the garage bling):
Changed out the florescent green bar tape for a subtle grey.
Added Planet Bike fenders
Added two-sided flat, light pedals.
I had the shop change out the quick release skewers for ones that require a tool to change out.
Added a bottle rack because I drink a lot of water thanks to living in Colorado for nearly a decade, and hey, I get thirsty.
I had the store set her up to my fit kit dims, but have since lowered the seat for city riding.

My only complaints are
that I have to have a small frame, so I can't fit a bottle rack and a clip for my u-lock within the frame triangle. Same issue with putting the lock off the back, too small to fit.
I clip my feet sometimes on the fenders, but no big deal.

What does Lexa S stand for?
Stoic
Silent
Steady
Serene
Strong
Lexa is my strong and steady friend, she stoically waits for me to return, and then silently and serenely we pedal off on simple adventures and everyday escapades.

I still wish for that perfect combination of comfort, speed, agility, and most of all - good design.
But I have learned that is a hard package to obtain all in one.
My good design does not get me as far as I like.
Speed is expensive and should not be parked alone outside,
Combination means leaning towards one side or the other to get the most out of what ideally you want.
I lean towards that fast lovin' lycra gal inside me.
If Lexa had the look of the Pash with the comfort, speed and agility of my Trek, it would be my perfect bicycle.
I used to think that combination would never exists, and I still mostly don't, but every season I see new brands trying, and getting closer.
Perhaps someday, my bicycle dreams will come true...

I have some more Lexa adventure posts coming in combination with another series.
Stay tuned.

let's try this again...

Yes!! It's like the old happy NorCal me! yay!
I knew she was in there.
Amazing what SUN can do.


I know
I said this before,
but it didn't quite stick.
Today I mean it.

SUMMER...

It is OFFICIALLY ON!!!

What a GORGEOUS morning it was for a ride today.
What a GORGEOUS day it is to be alive today.

What do you have planned?
So far I've cycled, the dog has swam, a picnic was had,
and tonight outdoor dining with folks in the hood.
Not bad!
The less time I am inside,
the more I beam from within.

Happy Saturday Everyone!
Summer.
Bring it...

just me...

For some reason
I get a rush
out of heading down the hill
on my own private bicycle road
no cars
no nothing
just me
gravity
and the power of an oncoming train.

thankful for the long road...

Yesterday was hard.
I went on my fourth bicycle ride of the year.
Fourth.
Pretty much most of the last 7 months,
7 MONTHS!
Have been crap and have looked like this...

I feel out of shape.
I feel angry.
I feel down.
As the cold wind was chilling my ears
and slowing me down
and the heavy clouds were feeling ominous
I forced myself to once again
get over it.

An incredibly sad event happened here this week.
A young woman, Kimberly Yeong Sil Hull (Audrey), was taken from this world.
She was riding her bicycle through an intersection I ride through
on just about every bicycle ride I go on,
hit by a commercial vehicle,
and died.
I was thinking of her my whole ride
and when I passed through the intersection on my way home,
and saw the flowers in her honor, I could not help but well up.
I sent my thoughts out to her and will think of her often as I pass this spot.
To be robbed of a life at only 25 years old immensely saddens me
and my heart goes out to those around her.
Then a city bus came up behind me,
and I had to return to the moment at hand.

So for all my complaints about the weather
how out of shape I am
and how few weekends of the summer lay ahead of me,
I have bright flowers to make the grey days beautiful,
I have sunshine today,
and I am thankful for what is hopefully a long road ahead of me,
because I have it.

Happy Sunday Everyone.
In a few hours I am off for a ride.
May your day be what you want it to be,
May you be thankful for what you have today and tomorrow,
and may you stay safe out there ~
make eye contact with those drivers,
cycle defensively,
don't assume.

There is a Memorial Ride for Audrey on Wednesday Night.
Information here.

lover's ride...

It's a Beautiful day.
The Sun is shining.
I get a call at work.
A message is left.
"I was thinking we could go for a lover's ride after work..."
Hell yeah!
By 5:30 the lycra is on
and we are off.
Just like
riding a bike...
Nothing like sharing
my first ride of the season
with my Sweetie!
Thanks H!

Oh yeah....
IT'S ON PEOPLE!!!