Whispers from Beyond the Death of the iOS Blogger App

Hello, friends!

A lot has happened since my last post in October 2015. A quick timeline:

• June 2016: Twins turned one!
• August 2016: Learned we were expecting one more!
• April 2017: Baby Bee arrived!
• June 2017: My office moved from 7 miles away from home to 1.5 miles away!
• Summer/early Fall 2017: Hotter and more humid than a dog's mouth.
• Mid-Fall 2017: PERFECT biking weather. 

I was able to sneak in a couple of rides to and from work before it was getting dark before I could get home. I found my helmet (need a new one!) lights, and get them charged, but I'm not feeling very organized about it just yet and plan to start fresh in the spring when the days are a bit longer and the temps a bit more favorable. 

The twins are now two-and-a-half, and the baby is almost 9 months old. We were gifted my brother-in-law's bike trailer (yay!) this summer, so when it warms a bit, I'd also like to take the Tinies (the twins) on our local bike trail (Grant's Trail, from Kirkwood to Mehlville). My BIL also provided us with two helmets appropriate for young children, so we're all set.

I have also been able to walk to and from work a couple of times but that also requires organization and a bit more time over my schedule than I've managed with a nursing baby. But she'll have broader food options in a few more months and with my 40th birthday(!) coming up later this year, I plan to reinstate a lot of things that have been pushed aside for high-risk pregnancy or to care for three very young people in the past 3.5 years. (How? So fast. So long. So everything.)

Goals for my 40s:

• Ride/walk to work as often as possible
• Start running again
• Streamline my wardrobe and possessions
• Capsule wardrobes 

I hope to start posting more regularly here again - I'll aim for once a week.
It's good to be back. ❤🚲

2014 National Bike to Work Day!

Today was National Bike to Work Day! 

What is National Bike to Work Day?

Bike to Work Day began in 1956[1] to celebrate and bring awareness to the option of commuting to work by bicycle. It is part of Bike to Work Month and the culmination of Bike to Work Week. In St. Louis, Bike to Work Day is the same as National Bike to Work Day, which, as far as I can figure, is the third Friday in May each year (May 16, 2014, May 17, 2013...)

I had never picked up on the existence of BTWD before last year. Before that, I was vaguely aware that the young and progressive folks in the city had taken up a distinctly non-lycra style of riding. (For those not from around these-here parts, STL City is geographically and politically and culturally distinct from the adjoining STL county, where I've lived the last 9.5 years.) I noticed naked bike rides, and moonlight rambles, and I was intrigued. And then, as I have written before, I started to see bikes everywhere that weren't these carbon-fiber speed machines. They had "swoopy"* frames, and swept handlebars, and rattan baskets, and the little part of me that had a pink swoopy (Huffy) frame circa 1984 wanted in. Badly. Unfortunately, my decision to buy a swoopy-frame bike (Fleur) coincided with a push to pay off some consumer debt, and so in 2013, I missed BTWD because I'd saved up for her*, and she was on order, but had not yet arrived (at the time, I only had my mountain bike, which is still in need of repair, and which is poorly fitted to me at the moment).

*er, that would be "loop" or "step-through" in real bike jargon...

**The Linus is a she, the Trek is he, and the Motobecane is whatever it feels like at any given moment. 

So this is my first official "Bike to Work Day" ride, but probably my dozenth (dozenth? is that a word?) or so bike commute to work, and I rode at least as many times to my church, where I have meetings 3 times per month, music rehearsal 3-5 times per month, and worship 3-5 times per month. So while this was my first BTWD, this is not my first rodeo, right? Right.

Today's Commute.

I left my home at 7:45 a.m., wearing a long-sleeve black tee, skirt, tights, and heels, covered with a black wind-resistant jacket, plus my Nutcase helmet and my cycling gloves. Why does it matter what I wore? Two reasons: (1) it doesn't really matter, that's the point - it doesn't have to be "cycling clothing" to be cycling clothing; and (2) here's why, for me, this is cycling clothing:

1. Dark top - it was cool today, but my commute has hills, so while I didn't sweat much or for long, I was still pretty warm by the time I finished my 6.5-mile work commute. A dark top hides any perspiration. (Busy patterns and certain materials can, too.)
2. Skirt - with the dark tights, I was sufficiently warm (it was in the upper 40s/low50s) and my modesty was preserved, and knee-length-or-shorter skirts don't get caught in your crank. 
3. Heels - I personally prefer to do anything in flat shoes, but my ballet flats died and my replacements haven't yet arrived, so the only court-appropriate dark shoes I had available were low-heeled booties. That said, biking in heels isn't so hard. You use the balls of your feet (where flats and heels alike are flat), and heels are generally more comfortable to bike in than walk in! I have packed the heels and worn flats, too, so that's an option if you are biking with something that will haul your stuff.

So, how did I haul my stuff?
I've been experimenting with the ten-speed for distance, because it's lighter and has more gearing options than the heavy, basket-ed, upright bike. The verdict is still out as to which I prefer, which is a discussion for another post. However, I've decided as I bring some older bikes back into use (the ten-speed was my mom's and is circa early-70s) I'm adding, at least, fenders, a rear reflector, and a small rear rack. The ten-speed's rack is very little, but it worked just fine with my "makeshift pannier" from my early Linus days. I shared a photo of it here.

In my bag, I placed my smaller cross-body purse, cell phone, keys, u-lock, lights, and (after I was warm enough) jacket. The bag has mesh side pockets for bottles, and I use the rear one for my water bottle (I kick it if I use the front pocket). This means I have to stop to use the bottle on my ten-speed (the Linus has a front bottle-ring in the Delano basket; the Trek a bottle cage on the lower frame tube), but that's okay. I fall into the camp of people who don't like to wear cargo when I ride. Not a cross-body purse, not a messenger bag, not a backpack. It's distracting, heavy, or flops around uncomfortably. So cargo capability is my thing.

OK, you're all set. How was the ride? Glorious. Frustrating. Hard. Easy. Worth it. Discouraging. Educational.

Glorious. You can't ask for better than lows in the 40s and highs shy of 70 with no rain or humidity. It's perfect. You're a bit chilly when you start, but don't sweat too much, and the exertion and breeze are positively refreshing. We don't get many days like this in St. Louis, and in my opinion, there's no better way to spend them than on a bike.

Frustrating. I'm struggling with fit and comfort of the drop bars on the ten-speed. It's okay for shorter distances, but my shoulders and neck hurt, and though it's easier to "shoulder-check" what's going on behind you from a ten-speed, I'd like a mirror. That said, the ride on this bike is stiffer and more narrow than on the Linus, which I consider a drawback, but also the posturing is more aggressive and the bike lighter, which theoretically, with the skinny tires, could make hills less obnoxious... 

Hard. ...if I had added a little air to my tires. They felt pretty good when I checked them, but I ignored the nagging feeling I should check the actual PSI (I aim for 90 on the skinny tires, as recommended), and they were a little soggy, which made my ride positively sloggy. Also, shifting on this bike (downtube shifters, no individual gear "landing spot" so you can be stuck mid-shift) is hard. So all in all, I found myself wondering whether I do really need more gears on the Linus and if so how many and fighting my way up the saddest inclines (and hating the real ones). Dumb. I should have checked the PSI.

Easy. I can get there from here and I've done it before. The distance is do-able, and had I not stopped twice for water and to let traffic pass, I probably would have arrived at least five minutes quicker than my Linus pace. 

Worth it. Bonus: adding in my Cycling Savvy knowledge meant that my commute on Clayton Road and Forsyth was so much nicer, because I was better able to navigate rush-hour traffic in a way that felt safe and effective. Unfortunately...

Discouraging. No matter how safe and visible you are, some people are frustrated, impatient, don't understand the rules of the road (for motorists or cyclists) and decide to take that out on you by honking, swerving, and passing too close for comfort. That happened today on my least-favorite stretch of road, and it's put me off that part of the route, possibly for good now. I'm officially actively campaigning for a bike thoroughfare that connects Manchester Road to Clayton Road west of Brentwood and East of Woodlawn. The options right now? Frankly, they suck. For everyone. (My reward on McKnight for getting through angry motorists on the 4-lane roads bumper-to-bumper 2-lane traffic, followed by a hilly ride through a busy highway/street intersection. Inhaling exhaust is not why I chose to ride. Blerg.)

Educational. Every. time. I. ride., I learn a little more about what works and what doesn't. Using my Cycling Savvy skills on Clayton Road made that part of my commute an absolute breeze. And on more than one occasion, I figured that I do prefer the upright Linus, but I still wonder whether I need to play with the gearing, or maybe even shift the stable around someday. Maybe the right bike is none of the three, but has elements of all three? A decision for another day.

Now what?

Tonight, I'm riding my bike from my office to meet friends, and then hitching a (car) ride home. I'm so glad I rode in, and so looking forward to a group ride and picnic tomorrow, but tonight I'm too tired to navigate an imperfect route in the dark, with sore shoulders and lingering frustration from the aggressive motorist. Which is to say that every little bit counts and it's okay to keep trying new things. 

I rode today. Full stop. That I'm not putting in the full 13-14 miles is okay and doesn't diminish the experience in the least. And I'm quite sure that my route isn't right yet, so I'm going to keep experimenting, or, if I do move from my current house someday (likely), I will absolutely be taking into account my access to bikeable destinations and effective mass-transit options, and giving them proper weight. 

Did you ride today for National Bike to Work Day? How was your ride?

Location, location, location...

I mentioned here that my husband and I went to see about a house in December. And then, last week, that we had submitted an offer. As of a few days ago, we are officially under contract. We are currently waiting for news on a couple of contingencies so that we can formally inspect the home, and hopefully, we won't find anything too surprising. Assuming no deal-breakers, we should close at the tail end of February or beginning of March. We won't move in right away. There is a lot of work to be done to get the home ready - it needs a new kitchen, the plaster walls and ceilings need some major TLC, and there's a little evidence of water damage here and there so that we will want to make sure the plumbing is in good shape throughout the home. There is, of course, the other cosmetic stuff you would always expect: painting, refinishing floors, etc. And we'd like to update the windows, which probably haven't been replaced in 40 years or longer. And, all things being equal, I'd love to convert the fireplace from wood-burning (nonfunctional at present) to gas (warmth at the flip of a switch). At least, those are the things we know about and are planning for now.These things may change.

While, ostensibly, this development has nothing to do with cycling, it really does do, which you likely recall from past posts. The home is in a much more cycling-friendly area. It is four times closer to my office (one-and-a-half miles vs. six), half the distance to the nearest bike trails (one mile versus two), a handful of blocks from a bustling, walkable and bikeable area with racks a plenty, stores, restaurants, and entertainment, and a hop, skip, and jump from the nearest MetroLink stop - I can eschew my car pretty easily, weather-permitting (and frankly, after driving in snow and ice and slush on Tuesday and Wednesday, I'd rather have bundled up and let the light rail whisk me to work and not worry about the terrible drivers out there who don't adjust their driving for weather and road conditions. At all).

There are a couple of trade-offs. We'll be (relatively) a lot farther from the grocery store (at least one mile from the nearest one, and probably farther for preferred stores), and my commute to church will become eleven miles instead of two. And I go to church frequently (I volunteer extensively there, and will continue to do so at least through the remainder of 2014, and I'm not even considering changing churches).

It's about a wash for my husband's commute. It's shorter, but the principal routes to/from are more congested, though the option of the MetroLink becomes available to him if we move into the new home. Similarly, the yard is smaller, but will also require less work to maintain, and less water, too. Both neighborhoods have a strong sense of identity and are perfectly lovely.

In total, the benefits really seem to outweigh the drawbacks. I go to work at least five days per week versus usually no more than three days at church (there are weeks when I'm there four or five days out of seven, but that's fairly rare). There are a number of days when I need to work late, and so does the husband, and being able to get home quickly to have lunch with the dog would be good for both of us (me; the dog). The shorter commute makes walking (half an hour versus not-an-option) or biking to work (10-15 minutes versus about 50) a real and meaningful option. The very close proximity to parks and trails makes getting outside to play more often another easy option for us (especially since we won't have to drive to get there). We can walk over to all these great restaurants. On nice days I can walk to see a movie or a band play live at a couple of different venues, too, activities I truly enjoy. 

Really, it's about buying into a change of lifestyle. We can walk to a few things now (grocery store, a couple or three restaurants, a couple little shops), but we usually don't. It requires crossing a large arterial road and walking through parking lots, which is, frankly, kind of awful. When we walk, it's most often when we want to pick up or drop off a Redbox movie, because we can at least take the dog with us. "We" can bike to a trail and church, or over to the neighboring 'downtown' without interacting with the arterial road, but by "we", I almost always mean "me", since my husband prefers to stick to trails (he doesn't feel safe or comfortable on many roads), and most of my riding friends don't live in the area. Where we are is safe, and suburban, without crossing into exurban territory, but I've been itching for a more urban experience for a while. Our trips to Europe in 2008 and 2012 and Australia in 2010 have only cemented this desire for me. (I also spent four summers in London in 1990, 1995, 1997, and 2003, lived in Massachusetts and relied on rail to commute in 2000-2001, and embraced the bus as a means of traveling to and from college classes for three of the four years I was in undergrad. I really loved the ability to get to different places without a car that each spot offered.)

I read a post recently by Santa Cruz cyclist Richard Masoner (@cyclicious), whom I've recently begun following on Twitter and the message really resonated with me. 

[Being green // avoiding traffic // saving money // exercise] aren’t reasons to bike — they’re just nice bonuses. If I felt like I had to bike to work to save the planet and my wallet, I’d probably hate it. The Santa Cruz County Bike To Work website repeats those “reasons” to bike to work, which is fine, but ignores the most important reason: We bike because we like it. Biking is fun. It feels good.

I don't want to pursue this lifestyle change (which includes, among other things, cycling) just because I should. I want to do this because it feels good, and it's exciting.

Feb Car-Free & Shift Your Commute

This showed up in my Facebook newsfeed earlier this week:

Post by Trailnet.

I think this is a great initiative. 

I thought about trying to incorporate more MetroLink options into my commute - my office is only about 3 blocks from a stop - but my home is not near any MetroLink stations (the nearest is 4+ miles away, which means I might as well just ride my bike the entire way to work and back - it's only couple of miles farther). I could hold my breath for additional expansion, but I don't think we're there yet. 

If I were closer to a MetroLink stop at home, I'd consider participating for sure. Which brings me to this... Last month, I mentioned that the husband and I are considering a move to another part of St. Louis County. Well, we put an offer in on a house, and it's currently in negotiations (we are not yet under contract; just the most attractive offer at the moment, so I'm not holding my breath and neither should you). If we are able to work out the contract details, the home would be substantially closer to both mass transit and my office, making regular biking, walking, and MetroLink-ing a truly meaningful possibility. I have visions of only using my car sporadically during working hours, and it's kind of making me giddy. 

If the home works out for us, it would still be a few months before we move, so that rules out any meaningful bicycle commuting in February, but would put me in a good position to start riding more regularly when the weather and daylight hours cooperate more frequently than they do in January and February. So, don't hold your breath, but if you wanted to cross your fingers for us, that'd be fantastic. I suspect -- hope?? -- we'll know if we're at least under contract by the next time I post. 

Cheers, happy riding, happy walking, happy MetroLink-ing... and stay warm, whatever it is you're doing!

St. Louis & Complete Streets

From the "Better Late Than Never" Posting Dept... *

*a reference to the fact I usually post on Fridays...

Approximately two months ago, a "Complete Streets" bill was proposed in St. Louis County. It was met with a lot of questions and push-back, was tabled and revised, and resubmitted last week... and it passed!

Complete Streets means designing new and redesigning existing streets to be more usable by everyone - cars, bicycles, the disabled/wheelchair-bound, pedestrians, young, and elderly. 

I am thrilled with this development, though I know it will be slow-going due to the cost and the state of current infrastructure. Many roads have been expanded at the expense of wide-enough lanes, adequate sidewalks, or adequate frontage (just yeesh, Manchester Road in Rock Hill/Warson Woods and points West).

Here's a recent article with more info from the local paper (the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).

The measure was contentious, to say the least. There is a strong contingency of riders who believe that riding in traffic ("taking the lane") is safer and makes riders more visible. There are other riders who just feel more comfortable in a designated bike lane (I'm in this camp, rightly or wrongly), and who often argue that dedicated bike lanes will encourage more women and other riders unwilling to take the lane to begin commuting. 

I believe both are correct - I do agree that bike lanes present issues with visibility, with distracted drivers, and with maintenance (Chicago tweeters have often complained this winter that the main lanes are plowed, while bike lanes remain icy, slushy, or otherwise obstructed), but others don't trust the drivers to be less distracted just because you're right in front of them, or simply aren't comfortable sharing a lane when the 30-pound steel contraption is traveling at about 20% of the speed of the multi-ton, steel contraption. I do think that both camps generally can agree that more riders makes bicycling safer, because the more cars see bicycles on the road (whether in bike lanes or regular lanes), the more they look out for them and learn to share the road. 

Of course, there are the folks who are totally against bicycle infrastructure because they do not want to share the road with either a cyclist or a dedicate lane. A major argument comes from the belief that bicyclists are gaining a major benefit (at the high cost of revamped infrastructure) without contributing (generally, because the bicycles, unlike the cars, do not have to be registered, the riders don't have to be licensed, and bike-ownership taxes aren't paid on an annual basis). Many people also feel that roads were built for the exclusive benefit of cars. I think these arguments fail, for the following reasons:

• Drivers don't cover the costs of roads. Gas taxes go to highways, or to a general fund. The funds are woefully inadequate to cover the staggering cost of construction and upkeep.
• Most cyclists are also car-owners. Even in bike-friendly Portland, Oregon, 89% of cyclists also own cars. Ergo, fuel and vehicle property taxes are paid by nearly 9/10 of cyclists who choose to get around by bicycle from time to time (or even most often). Oregon's laws also dedicate a portion of vehicle-related taxes to provide for infrastructure for walkers and cyclists. 
• Further other, non-car-related local taxes paid by home owners and consumers which go into a general fund are used to pay for roads, and this often includes people who live in an area, regardless of how they get around.
• Roads may have been built for cyclists. Many people believe that cars drove the paving of America, when, in fact, the original push for pavement came from the two-wheeled set, not the four-wheeled one.
• On a practical level, driving makes us less healthy, while walking and cycling improve our health. Americans, in particular, are notoriously sedentary (between driving places and sitting all day at work). Recent studies show excessive sitting is a predictor of heart disease and other ailments, that walking or other daily exercise (like cycling) can offset all that sitting, that being stuck in traffic is bad for heart congestion and stress levels. Some studies even suggest that long commutes are detrimental to your relationship. 
• Meanwhile, alternative forms of transportation are good for your overall mood and well-being. I know that - no matter how much I've tried to talk myself out of a ride (usually due to time constraints) - every bike ride has given me "Bikey Face" and has made my day better, not worse, in terms of my general well-being. Also: it's a fabulous way to improve your general health.

One of the things that most strikes me, however, regarding the objection to bike lanes by cars...
So many of the objections have to do with not wanting cyclists (slow) in the way of cars (fast). Cars have to pass them, or get stuck behind them, and the resulting frustration lends itself to a lot of animosity toward cyclists. A bicycle lane, however, gives the bike a clear place to be so that the car lane is more often open for cars (for a bike lane does not preclude a rider from using the car lane*, though it does preclude a car from using the bike lane). Isn't that a nice solution for cars? If drivers could safely drive by instead of behind a transportation cyclist moseying along at 7-10 mph, wouldn't that make the drivers happier? All I ask in return is that drivers quit texting and drinking and driving and keep an eye out for me and other riders, and not try to turn right across our path... Isn't that a suitable compromise? This doesn't fix the "take the lane" arguments or preclude the need for a bike rider to sometimes ride in the flow of traffic rather than in a dedicated (or absent) bike lane, but if you're in the "roads for cars" camp, doesn't a designated corridor make you happier? More bike-friendly?

*Missouri cyclists are not required to ride in a shoulder or bike lane that is unsafe due to parked cars, debris, or other obstructions. In fact, cyclists are granted all the road rights of cars pursuant to Missouri state law, subject to a few special rules about lighting/reflectors, default lane position, and signaling. 

If you even think about suggesting the proper place for bicycles are sidewalks, please note that in Missouri and many other states, there are entire swaths of sidewalks (usually the same places where sidewalks are most prevalent) where bike riding on sidewalks is often illegal.


All in all, I'm pretty excited about the passing of Complete Streets. I see it as a fabulous opportunity to continue to increase discussions and awareness about cycling as a safe and meaningful alternative to driving, to help both cyclists and drivers better understand their rights and responsibilities when sharing the road, and hopefully to create a better sense of camaraderie between the two camps that are so often pitted against one another. Really, most cyclists are also drivers. They are all someone's spouse, child, parent, sibling, friend, or and/or lover, as are all drivers. We're all in this together, and I see Complete Streets as a fantastic opportunity to try to find the things we have in common, rather than focusing on the things that divide us. Hopefully, this starts by encouraging more people to use our roads in new and different ways, by realizing we all want the option to get to work safely and conveniently (however we're traveling), and that we're all pitching in to fund these roads, sidewalks, and bike lanes, however we are choosing to get around any given day. 

Cheers, and happy (and safe) riding...and driving!

A Funny Story

I spoke with a local paper this week about commuting to work by bicycle in St. Louis County for a story they are planning to run about Complete Streets.

Paper: "Do you commute regularly?"

Me: "Uh, no. I'm what you might call a 'fair-weather' commuter."

P: "Did you ride this week?"

Me: "Have you been outside? No."

P: "Are you planning to ride to work this week?"

Me: "See answer to previous question."

P: "Do you know anyone who is planning to commute to work this week in St. Louis County?"

Me: "See answer to previous question."

This is what my street looked like on Tuesday morning...

The roads were much better by Wednesday (with snow still encroaching on most lanes, and totally obscuring bike paths and shoulders, even on arterial roads), and Thursday we woke to more fat, slippery, slushy, icy snow in the region. This morning brought reports of mist and black ice. No thanks - I'm just not that adventurous, though a major hat-tip to those of you who are -- be careful out there. 

I am exaggerating the conversation for the effect of this post, but this was the gist of it. The conversation was perfectly lovely, and I'm so looking forward to seeing County streets become more multi-user-friendly, and reports and discussions will only help this happen. Despite the fact that I couldn't help them find a cycling commuter who is riding to work this week, I was able to share what I love and loathe about my commute to work. I'll be looking for the story, and will post it here when it's available!

Fiets-losophy: Thoughts on Guilt, Social Media, and the Bicycle Rider

You're doing it wrong.

You're not doing it enough.

You're not a real cyclist.

I came back to bicycling slowly. Awareness of bicycles as a means to stay fit crept into my consciousness back in 2007, before I married The Hubster, when I needed a way to cross-train on days I wasn't running. I dragged the Trek to St. Louis from my hometown in Kansas, aired up the tires, and took the bike out. I was shocked at how easy and difficult it was all at the same time. The fat tires and aggressive riding position felt awful and slow. Also, I hated wearing a helmet, and I thought I had to wear padded bike shorts to ride, which made me not want to ride. So after the wedding, I stopped, and I didn't touch a bicycle again for years.

Then, starting somewhere in 2012, bicycles started to creep back into my consciousness. I started to see them referenced on some of my favorite blogs. Most of the writers had bikes that looked different from the "grown-up" bike options I was familiar with - e.g., mountain bicycles, "mountain-bike-lite" hybrids, serious road bikes, or ten speeds. I was seeing "upright", "city", or "Dutch-style" bicycles, though I knew little more than that I thought they were very chic and lovely.

In the spring of 2013, however, I was smitten -- and had been bitten by the bug. I started reading bike blogs voraciously, and following cyclists on Twitter. I quickly decided that I wanted to buy myself an upright bicycle, and keep my mountain bike, too. The bike blogs were amazing inspiration. There were people all over the place who were completely in love with bicycling and riding 3, 6, 10, 25 miles to work...every day. In all sorts of weather. And they looked healthy and happy. 

I used the stories from the blogs and the comments to inform the purchase of my own upright bicycle in very late May - a Linus Dutchi 3-speed in black. I immediately purchased lights, and outfitted it with front and rear baskets.  I rode it my own 13 miles round-trip to work, 4 miles round-trip to church, and 15-22 miles round-trip to/on my local multi-use trail. I loaded it into the back of my car and drove to other trails in the area (St. Louis is rich for these). I got the mountain bike back out and rode it around a little. I packed it and took it with me to KC to ride trails with my brother when I picked up my Mother's nearly 40-year old 10-speed to fix up and ride. And here's what I've discovered, so far:

• I do love riding bicycles! 
• Having the right bicycle for the type of riding you are doing can be really important - - I get bicycle stables. (I'm pretty pleased with my three bikes.) 
• An upright bicycle is heavy. An upright bicycle with three baskets is even heavier, and will punch you in the throat with a handlebar when you're trying to shove it into the back of a vehicle. That hurts.
• I really hate wearing a helmet. Still, I will wear a helmet mostly to keep people from telling me to wear a helmet, which I find more unpleasant than actually wearing the thing.
• I love the fabulous bike trails in the St. Louis area - especially Grant's Trail and Creve Coeur Lake.
• It's amazing how quiet the world is when you're biking through a neighborhood without cars or pedestrians. 
• Animals don't immediately run away from a bicycle like they do from cars and pedestrians. (I think this speaks volumes for bicycles.)
• I cannot ride to/from work or church without sweating profusely if it's over 85 degrees, and I do not like to sport a red face and drip sweat for half hour after I arrive somewhere. I can ride slowly, but hills are hills are hills, friends.
• I think anything between 40°F and 75°F is just about perfect for any outdoor activity, save, perhaps, swimming. I'll grant an extra 10°F in either direction without complaining. This pretty much gives me the bulk of March to June and September to November to ride, and a few odd days in the remaining five months. Otherwise, I'd just as soon hide inside or be somewhere with better weather.
• I don't much care for riding at night/after dark. I will, however, ride after dark for a short trip within St. Louis neighborhoods where I can avoid busy streets. This pretty much knocks out work commuting in November and the first third of March. 
• I am not interested in riding in snow or ice... or lightning.
• I am looking forward to trying my work commute on the ten-speed, because with the upright bicycle's heavy weight and three gears, some of the hills on my commute are brutal. Brutal. (Even if someone else wouldn't mind them, I still find them steep.)
• If the ten speed (which is about 5-7 pounds lighter than the upright bike, with all her baskets) is significantly more pleasant to ride to/from work, I will have to decide whether to make the ten speed my work commute bike (with a rear rack and fenders, it's just about ready to go), or upgrade the hub and shifters on the upright bicycle to an 8-speed Shimano (versus the 3-speed Shimano). This bullet is THE. BIKE. DECISION. of 2014.
• My mountain bike's exact role is unknown right now. I am not pleased with the fit (feels really small and crowded), the handlebars, or the grips, and need fenders and a way to carry things. I just can't decide yet which direction I want to go. Smooth tires and commute-y, with a full rack? Or keep the knobby tires and just add fenders and a small rear rack (like on the Motobecane), and *slightly* swept-back, wider bars? I'm leaning toward the latter, because then I think the mountain bike would be just about perfect for a trip down the Katy Trail. 
• I'm a designated bike-lane sort of girl -- which I'm gathering quickly is very controversial. I don't like taking the lane, and I don't like riding with cars (though I will in order to ride as safely and predictably as I can). I don't want to be on the sidewalk, either. If it were up to me, there would be a network of Grant's-Trail-type multi-use paths connecting all of St. Louis City and County, with designated bike lanes on most roads (and protected lanes on arterial roads). That would make me happy. Also, I'd like to ditch the helmet in that circumstance, if I'm totally honest.
• I need a bike rack. But not on my roof or on my car all the time.

As you will have noticed, at least so far, I have a fair amount of things (excuses, even) that keep me from riding. It's cold and dark right now, and we got snow Wednesday night and the metro area is bracing for another 8" this weekend. I've pretty much accepted that, other than to get to and from church on a reasonably mild and clear-road day, or the odd unseasonably-warm-day-on-a-weekend, I'm probably not going to do a lot of riding until the return of Daylight Savings Time. I'm completely open to the fact that, with just a few weather-ideal days in June, September, and October, I've really only begun to rediscover bicycling, and I may feel very differently after another year. I know I'm excited to welcome the return of Daylight Savings Time and spring come March, and to see what that brings. I'm purchasing my bike rack today - it will hold two bicycles and fold away in the back of my car when I don't need it, which will mean I can take any bike any place, and bring a second bike for the hubby or a friend. This will be fantastic.

Right now, though? My bicycles are ornaments. The upright bicycle is simply too heavy and unwieldy (see, e.g., throat punch) to lug to and from my basement, but I've moved the lightweight mountain bike back downstairs. The red ten-speed is keeping the (surprisingly, still up-and-decorated) Christmas tree company, and will probably stay in the living room for easy-access should a lovely weekend day present itself.

And I feel guilty, and sad, and like an impostor. The blog posts by the most dedicated of bicyclists have lately become somewhat of a burden instead of a blessing and inspiration to me. Twitter offers a constant reminder of all the people out there riding in the worst weather and on the shortest days. I read about people bicycling in parts of Canada with 6" of snow on the ground 6 months out of the year (and even fewer long-light days during those six months), or in Boston or Chicago (with aggressive drivers and snow-covered bike lanes), or in busy, car-crazy Los Angeles, where every few days, it seems someone is hit while riding by a distracted or drunk driver. And its a little overwhelming. Because I'm new, and maybe I'm not doing this right and missing something. Maybe I'm not riding enough, and therefore, not a real cyclist. 

Except that I am. And so are you, if you ride at all, and if you want to be. 

I am a huge proponent of the idea that a little bit of good swapped for something bad is a whole lot better than nothing at all. So I smother my kale and quinoa in butter and salt (I sure do): I'm still getting more - and more real - nutrients from that meal which are far better than anything I'd find at a drive-thru window, which is probably what I'd be eating instead (if I'm honest). 

Likewise, I probably rode my bike to work or church over about two dozen trips between the last couple days of May and the very end of October. I also did another half-dozen "just for fun" rides around my neighborhood or on my favorite trails. I may have stayed home, or I may have spent that time running errands or shopping in my car, and I know I would have otherwise used my car for the work and church trips. That's 36 trips of between four and 20 miles that weren't made by car. Let's say I did 12 trips of 13 miles each, 12 trips of 4 miles each, 2 five-mile fun rides, 2 10-mile fun rides, and 2 20-mile fun rides. 

That suddenly sounds like a fair amount of riding, when I've felt so focused instead on the time I wasn't on the bicycle, and which isn't fair. And, are you ready for this? Those rides encompass two hundred and seventy-four miles that weren't spent in a car, and didn't use gas, or spew ickypoonasty stuff into the air. 

At $4/gal and 27 mpg average, that's ten gallons of gas I haven't had to purchase since May. Only $40, but, according to this site, you emit 271 g of greenhouse gas per km driven, versus 21 g/km on the bike (taking into account your own fuel, and what it took to produce all of the things to get you moving in either instance). Converting mi to km, 274 mi is 441 km. 441 km driven produces 119,511 g (about 264 POUNDS) of CO2 emissions. Biking the same distance? 9,261 g, or just over 20 pounds of CO2. 

And that feels like something. And it is something.

In another metric, at 35 calories per mile (I'm small, and slow), I've burned nearly 10,000 calories on my collective rides. I'm still the same size and shape, but I like to think that I've made room for that extra slice of pizza or extra cream in my coffee without my belt getting tighter. Seriously: let's do some math. I bike an average of, say, 8mph, taking into account slower commutes and faster bike trails. I've spent about 34.25 hours on my bicycle as a result. That's approximately 280 calories burned per hour, versus about 60/hour if I'm totally sedentary. Even assuming a fairly active alternative (100/hr) -- which driving is not -- I've burned 180 cal/hr more on the bicycle over 34.25 hours, which is 6,165 calories I'm not carrying around as excess, or almost 2 pounds. (Considering the average American adult gains a pound per year as they age, and my average weight this year is -- perhaps not incidentally -- two pounds lighter, this is certainly something.) I've strengthened my heart and lungs in the process. I have said of running: once you've done it, no one can take it away from you. Bicycling is the same. 

Yes, more could be better -- better for the cost-per-use of the bicycle; better for the earth; better for my waistline and heart and lungs. But something is still something. And I want to go into 2014 focusing on that, and feeling proud about what I have done in just half of 2013, and what I may do in 2014 - and even if it's about the same, or a little more, or a little less, that's all good enough.

Cheers, Happy New Year, and happy riding! 

(Whenever - and however - you ride.)

Re-Routing

You guys, I just fixed almost everything that frustrated me about my work commute by changing my route just a little bit.

1. It's a full half-mile shorter, because it's more direct (less meandering). 
2. There's a bike lane for part of my ride now! A real, on-street, clean-and-smooth bike lane!
3. I LOVE REAL BIKE LANES.
4. Not as fond of sharrows.
5. Especially when the sharrows are in the door zone.
6. Or worse, in the parking lane.
7. We need more bike lanes.
8. Though it is FAR from perfect, the .6 miles of sidewalk on the busiest street is preferable to having cars zip around me at 35+ mph. 
9.  And by far from perfect, I mean:
• The sidewalk is about two feet wide.
• There are pedestrians, including pedestrians with dogs on the sidewalk.
• They (pedestrians) are going both directions.
• On this tiny sidewalk.
• Because I'm polite and practical, I dismount and let them pass.
• When there aren't pedestrians, there are telephone poles. 
• Telephone poles smack dab in the middle of the two-foot-wide sidewalk.
• And a street sign for work that isn't being done.
• Blocking. the. entire. friggin'. sidewalk.
10. My new route has much fewer crazy hills. 
11. This is life-changing.
12. For the first time since I have started biking to work (I've biked to work about 7-8 times now? Not enough, because it was too easy to talk myself out of a commute I wasn't enjoying), I'm ecstatic, have full-on "bikey face", and can't wait to ride to work more often. 

I consider this a MAJOR coup.

In bike event news, the Arch Women's last brown-bag luncheon for 2013 is next Wednesday, October 16, 2013 from 12-1pm at the Railway Exchange Building on the 12th floor in the lobby. Topic: bike laws! No luncheons in November and December in anticipation of the crazy holiday season. For specifics, click here!

Scenes from my ride in this morning:

Bike Lane! Yay!

Quiet side-streets.

Bike Path.

Sharrow!

Streets of downtown Clayton, MO.

Totally sweaty and gross, right? Nah.

Make it Work: Trek Mountain Bike

Happy Friday, friends! 

Let's go on a virtual bikey shopping-spree, shall we?

Today, I want to talk about my moutain bike. I worked in a bicycle shop in my hometown when I was in high school, when mountain bikes were the thing. As I mentioned in my initial post, I cycled (heh) through a few mountain bikes due to bike theft (my hometown is kind of steal-y about these things, though my second MTB was actually stolen from the flat we were staying in in London for the summer in 1995). While I was working at the shop, I purchased an alumnium-frame Trek 8000, then upgraded the fork to Shox. It has its original tires. My bike looks like this, except for the headset and Shox:

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It's a gorgeous bicycle, and I love the color scheme - loved it in 1996 and love it today (charcoal and yellow are a fab pairing). I also have a yellow bottle cage. That said, I wouldn't mind it getting a slightly more sophisticated style. I'd ideally like to make the following modifications (not in order of preference):

1. Upgraded saddle - The current saddle is not comfortable and the gel cover I have over it shifts and doesn't help much. Plus, since I've been riding again, I'm a little more accustomed to the bike saddle. I would like to get a Brooks, since I don't like this saddle (I don't LOVE the Linus' stock saddle, but it works just fine, so if I'm going to spend money to replace a saddle, it will be the MTB's). I like the ochre ($117.00).

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2.  Smooth tires. Let me be honest: I've never been a big "off road" girl. I don't mind fairly flat trails, but I'm not going to "shred" and never have. I like my spine and noggin intact, and I'm not an aggressive- or competitive-sports girl. The knobby tires slow me down. I'd like to get smooth tires. These Kwenda Kwests (~$25 each) would be fabulous . 

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3. Rear-view mirror. Always. I am particular to Sunlite mirrors, because they are crazy-inexpensive (under $8.00) and large and have reflectors on the back. Also, they mount to the handlebars instead of the bar ends which means your grips remain intact. Speaking of grips...

4. I'm now obsessed with these grips... ($81.00) to match the ochre Brooks saddle. My plan is coming together nicely...

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5, 6, 7, 8. The foregoing address cosmetic and comfort issues. From a truly-practical standpoint, I'd also need a kickstand ($29.00), rack ($90.00), fenders ($55.00), and I'd like a chain guard ($29.00) to protect my pants. I have combined them, because VeloORANGE makes gorgeous accessories. All photo credits below are VeloORANGE. 

I would be inclined to order two of the kickstand, since the single-leg variety (which I have on my Linus) doesn't do well with heavy loads, or since I've added the front basket. 

9. Finally, I'd like a pannier for the Trek. The narrow Philosophy Burnside is perfect, and the grey and black is really sleek (if a little expensive at $259.00).

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10. Bonus? A bell. Can get those anywhere for a song.

My thinking, here, is that the Trek could become a meaningful commuter option for work (extra gears), and I'd have the Linus for errands and local travel. I've have a couple of very good-looking bikes, and since I know the Linus can get me to work and since the outfit on the Trek can accommodate baggage, either would be a perfectly-reasonable substitute for the other in the event of a flat or if repairs were needed.

Sidewalks, Great Commuting Link, Bikey Dates

Can I get a hallelujah for cooler fall weather? 
With lows in the 50s and 60s and highs barely above the 80-degree mark, being outside is a good thing again.

Since my last post, I rode my bike as transportation three times, and three days in a row! I rode to a retreat 2 miles from my home on Saturday, to church two miles from my home on Sunday, and to work 6(+) miles from my home on Monday. It's been a long time since I've ridden that much and 21 miles in 3 back-to-back days did me in. I will try to ride twice to work next week, and go from there - maybe add once per week and see if I have a week where I can ride all five days?

The bike is set up perfectly for commuting, now, in terms of accessories: I love all my baskets, and having ready access to my phone (photos while stopped; safety) is fabulous. I also continue to love my easy-to-charge-mount-remove Serfas lights. Where I'm struggling this week is with the hills to and from work. I am trying to decide whether to replace the rear wheel/hub and shifter (currently a 3-speed Shimano Nexus) with an 8-speed Shimano Alfine. I wonder if that would help much on the hills... I struggle on a few. I may also require (at least temporarily), a slightly different route in order to reduce some of the hills. In particular, a route I favor for familiarity and safety and reduced traffic may not be my best bet. It may be better to take the road just a smidgen West of it, which I have been reluctant to do because: (1) it also functions as a highway on/off ramp in both directions in addition to being an overpass, and (2) it requires additional time on a very busy, if only somewhat bike-friendly arterial road (which makes it friendlier by a mile when compared with most other arterial roads in the area). My current route places me on this large road for .3 miles; the changed route would place me on the road for .6 (1/2 kilometer vs. full kilometer).

On this arterial road, I find my ride east in the morning to be okay to share with cars. I think this is because the sun is blocked by tall buildings, and because there's not really a standard "start" time to cause a total glut of cars - people are working their way in to their offices any time between 7:00-9:00am. My ride home is a different story. People flee the area between 5:00-5:30 en masse, and after a day of work, they are anxious to get home and annoyed with traffic. Their mood is not improved by a struggling bicyclist huffing up an incline at 5MPH. I feel crowded, like I'm at risk, and it's upsetting enough to make me want to ditch th commute...all for this .3 miles of my 6+! That's, what, 5% of my ride? Crazytown. So, Monday, I opted to take the sidewalk on my westbound .3 miles on this road. There are occasionally pedestrians, but there were none that day. The sidewalk is hardly ideal. It is narrow, bumpy, and quite close to the road, but the decision was made for me when I saw that the position of the setting sun would operate to blind both me and the cars behind me. (Ah, that time in the fall when the sun is right in your eyes at 6pm. Duly noted; no staying at the office past 5pm when you're biking home, Rebecca.) Added to my stress about this stretch was the realization, at about 5:30pm, that I had left my pouch with my bike lights at HOME. So I couldn't even be blinky to help my visibility, and I was stressed bout getting home in time for the 7:00pm sunset. I ultimately decided that the decreased visibility (I got home before dark; no worries from that angle), the aggressive rush-hour drivers, and the narrow and busy arterial street posed a greater risk (one which I had minimal control over) when compared with the sidewalk for the following reasons:

1. Limited risk of pedestrians. In half a dozen rides so far, I think I've seen pedestrians twice. If I see a pedestrian approaching from the opposite direction, I can hop off the bike to let them pass comfortably. This is entirely within my control.

2. Exclusive sidewalk-riding on this particular road. One of the most dangerous things a bicyclist can do is alternate between sidewalks and the road. Weaving in and out makes you unpredictable, and cars are not looking to interact with or avoid bicyclists on the sidewalk and aren't prepared for you to enter the stream of traffic. On this part of my route, I was able to turn directly onto the sidewalk from a quiet side-street, and stay on the sidewalk until I could cross the route with a crosswalk, then resume road-riding on a less-crazy and wider street (=friendlier for bikes).

3. Very quiet side streets and minimal driveways.  On the .3 mile route, there are only two side streets which intersect the sidewalk, and only a couple of business driveways. Again, this is something I can control for by being especially observant of traffic patterns around me. I ride slowly on the sidewalk (~4-5MPH) and looked around extensively prior to entering any driveway or street.

I am generally an advocate of "bikes belong in the street / pedestrians belong on sidewalks", but I also think that you have to make a call based upon how aggressive your vehicular companions are and how visible and easy to avoid you can be (in this stretch, and with the particular angle of the sunlight? NOT EASY).

If I decide to continue west past my normal street to the next option to the west, I will lose the sidewalk option, but gain a wider shoulder. The road, in general, gets a smidgen wider and quieter at this point, so I think this could be okay. And when I reach the road on which I'd need to turn off, I can, as with the current route, take advantage of the crosswalk and light to safely transverse the five lanes of traffic.

The advantages to the alternate route? It's flatter. Also: shorter! By half a mile. How do I know?

There is a great link I discovered (in desperation, due to some of the hills I encounter) called Flattest Route. You put in your start and end point and it tells you, in color code, and section-by-section, the % grade of every incline you encounter. It defaults to the flattest route (which, in my case, would require heavy reliance on two arterial roads that feel more like courting suicide than reasonable options), but like on most mapping software, you can grab parts of the route to move it, and see how that affects distance and the grading of the slopes you'll encounter.

Mapping my current route and a proposed alternative, I am able to determine:

• The current route is 6.5 miles and is estimated to take 43 minutes (this assumes I can cover a mile in 6 minutes and 40 seconds; it takes me more like 8 minutes and 10 seconds per mile or closer to 53 minutes to complete the route).
• The proposed route is 6.0 miles and is estimated to take 40 minute (extrapolating from my real-life experience with the 6.5-mile route, this would shave about 4 minutes of my route, getting me to work in 49 minutes instead of my normal 53).
• The current route has a maximum slope on the way to work of  15-20% ("Very Difficult") twice. There are two places where the incline is over 10%. On the way home
• The proposed route never exceeds 15% slope and exceeds 10% just four times in each direction.  
• My lowest altitude is 465' above sea level; my highest altitude is 603'. In both routes, I start high, work my way to the lowest point about 1/3 of the way through (toward work) or 2/3 of the way through (toward home) and end high. 

I may try out the route this weekend; if it feels good, I will try it for my work commute next week. Through this site, I can find even flatter routes, but certain bike-commuting obstacles, like highways, business complexes, or an inability to avoid arterial roads, require me to increase those routes to closer to nine miles.  

Let me just say that I totally understand why people consider bikeability when they scope a new residence, now. If (when) we decide to move someday, I will definitely require the route to be at least as, and preferably more, bikeable than my current route.

Upcoming bicycle events:

Next Arch Women brown-bag lunch: Wednesday, 10/16/13 from 12-1PM

Where: Railway Exchange Building, 611 Olive Street, 12th Floor Lobby

Topic: Knowledge Is Power! (Missouri Bicycle Laws)

Special bike events:

25th Trailnet Anniversary Ped-A-Palooza

Friday, October 11, 2013, 630-11PM

Randall Gallery downtown

Drinks, dinner, dancing, raffle, prizes!

Registration by 10/4, cost: $150pp

25th Trailnet Anniversary Family Fest

Sunday, October 13, 2013, 11AM-4PM

Culver Pavillion at Forest Park

Free entry; food and drink available for purchase

Registration encouraged, demonstrations, helmet fittings, cake, raffles

More information about either special event here.

More information about weekly rides and events here.

Happy fall! and happy riding!

Photo Source. Image Credit: Bryter Later / Flickr.