2 Wheels & Heels Ladies Ride – May Ride

We had a fantastic evening ride last night.  We began at Camelot Cellars (thanks, Janine) for our ‘meet & greet.’  As we rounded up, I walk outside and look to both my left and right and bikes were locked up to meters, trees, you name up; up and down the entire block.  It was a beautiful sight!

We rode about 9 miles and through a variety of neighborhoods.  As we were biking east on Long St. I stopped and counted 51 women riders.  I’m really excited to watch the ride continue to grow throughout the summer and beyond.

Enjoy!

Be safe and keep riding

Read Full Post »

Be proactive. Be predictable.

There’ve been previous updates on this but I just wanted to refresh y’all.  I saw these bicycle signs pop up in German Village yesterday and I was thrilled.

More of these will continue to be installed along with the bike symbols on the ground to guide you on where to stop your bike at intersections.  Once you place your bike ontop of the symbol on the ground, it acts as a detector to change the light.  The city of Columbus’ Public Service Dept. plans to install both the signs and bicycle signals on the ground when you place a 311 request.  This is why it is so important to utilize this easy service-request system (http://311.columbus.gov/).  Our streets cannot get better unless we ALL are proactive in making them better.  I recently placed three requests through 311 and one of them is already in progress.

Next subject.

People constantly ask me ‘where is the best and safest place to ride my bike?’  The honest answer is, is that there is no real answer but there are better practices than others.  I tell people that if there are multiple travel lanes going in each direction, I always take the far right lane b/c there’s still another full lane(s) of travel.  Now, what about a street like High St.  There’s one travel lane, sometimes a dedicated left turn lane, and a far right lane that has buses, right turns, and now – parked cars.  Engineers reinforce that this lane can be ‘shared’ and let’s face it, most drivers DO want us on the most far right lane as possible, so they can continue about their destination, not having to slow down.  The fact is, is that that far right lane is 12ft wide (I counted) and clearly NOT enough for both a bike rider and an open car door to safely exist together.  Take a look at the pics below:

Many car windows these days have tint to them leaving it as either a guessing game or a ‘Hail Mary’ for us bike riders riding in this lane.  As you can clearly see, there’s a variety of width of these cars.  I don’t care what people say, this is clearly not enough room.  I’ve been door’d and I’m still intimidated at times.

We learn in drivers education to be ‘predictable’ when driving.  Having drivers be able to anticipate your next move is both courteous and safe.  You dont want a driver to abruptly turn right and not signal or a car to change lanes with out adequate space and time.  The same goes with us on bikes.  We want drivers, buses, and walkers to be able to anticipate our moves.  Weaving in and out of lanes isn’t predictable.  I would rather anger the driver behind me b/c I’m slow and predictable than create this bike rodeo of weaving in and out of lanes and parked cars.  I know it’s engrained in us (slower traffic stays right) but when it comes to safety, drivers are just going to have to deal.  I hope these images help along with my quasi-clear explanation.  Again, its really difficult to answer b/c there are so many different levels of confidence when riding however, I hope these images give you a better idea of why its always not in the best interest to appease the cars behind you and for you to maintain the lane until the far right lane frees up for you to move into.

Be safe and keep riding.

Read Full Post »

The Need for Tweed

So, finally the clouds parted – the sun was shining and the temperature wasn’t bone chilling.  This past Saturday was our winter Tweed ride  which was a fantastic success.  I’m guessing there were close to forty riders eagerly wanting to get back on their bikes.  Prior to the Tweed ride, I hadn’t ridden my bike in five days b/c of the ice still coating the side streets of where I live.

Beginning at Cup o’ Joe in the Short North we then hit off to Franklinton Cycle Works.  We hung out, I took more photos, and had coffee and fruit that was donated by Green Bean Delivery.  On to German Village we rode.  Every Tweed ride, we have a group photo at Schiller Park.  This group photo was one of my favorites taken b/c of the snow covered grounds.  It set a nice tone to our ride and of course, the picture.

Thanks to everyone who joined in on the ride.  I think everyone had a wonderful time.  One of the things I absolutely love about bikes and social bike rides is how it brings people together and how it creates friendships.  I notice that immediately and it puts a smile on my face.

Another Tweed ride will happen in the Spring so stay tuned.  Enjoy the photos

Be safe and keep riding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

2 Wheels & Heels Columbus Ladies Ride: Large and In-Charge

This past Wednesday, I believe around fifty ladies ended up riding together ( I keep forgetting to take a head count).  It was such a beautiful sight.  We rode passed a handful of parks that evening, praising public parks and green space and all its beauty.  A lot of the gals had not been over either of the Main St. Bridge or the Rich St. Bridge – they all loved it.

We had an interim rest stop at the ‘walk up’ Jeni’s in German Village where it was one of the evening’s highlights.  Lori at Caffe’ Apropos LOVED that we began at the Caffe’ and said we were welcome back, any time.  Ya see, bicyclists are a very big positive to a neighborhood and a business.  What is more visually appealing:  cars parked all along the sidewalk blocking the scenery of the patrons lingering at the cafe tables outside OR bicycles of all kinds and colors, locked up and PEOPLE filling the sidewalks with laughter and conversations?  Which one brings life to a neighborhood??

Here are some of the photos taken from Wednesday.  I look forward to next month’s ride which I believe will be a tour of Bexley and the beautiful streets and homes.  I hope the trees will have begun to change as this was my reasoning for waiting.

Be safe and keep riding!

 

 

Read Full Post »

Bike Month Fashion Project

So, most of us bicycle riders know May as National Bike Month.  If others are reading this and you didn’t know that, ‘Surprise!’

As most of you know, I’m very passionate about getting more women comfortable riding and navigating our city roads.  I am also passionate about wearing every day clothing while riding your bike.  One shouldn’t feel the need to wear one outfit while riding and then change into another when you’re finished.  Bicycling should be as easy and 123.  As we’ve been saying, ‘dress for your destination, not the journey.’

You look at other exploding bicycle cities like: D.C., San Fran, and Chicago and this is how they ride.  This blog is about that as well.  I snap photos of fellow bike riders wearing everyday clothes b/c we need to normalize it.  It’s still funny to me when people point at me as I’m rolling down the streets pedaling in a skirt and heels.

Women.  Women are a beautiful sight to see when dressed up and two-wheeling.  They always put a smile on my face.  I saw a gentleman the other day in a suit, biking to the courthouse.  That’s how we began and that’s how it should be.

So, back to the project.  For the month of May, I (or rather; neighbors, friends, and nice strangers) have been photographing myself and my outfits that I wear on my bicycle.  I’m going to post half now and then the other half at the end of the month.  Anything from my closest is wearable on my bicycle.  People always mention ‘sweating.’  If you take it easy and ride your bike at a leisurely pace instead of 22mph then chances are you’ll roll into work and not be sweaty.

Enjoy the dozen outfits below.  I’d also like to mention that beginning in June and once a month, I will be holding a ladies only – leisure bicycle ride.  It’s called ’2 Wheels & Heels.’  My friend in Cleveland began it up there and it was a smashing success.  I told her I would take it on here and not only is it beginning here in Columbus this summer, it is also happening in:  Chicago, Austin,  and Minneapolis.  We will all ride on the same day each month.  We are working to move this group across the Nation to empower more women to ride their bikes.  We need to move that gender needle and soften our streets.  If you’re interested in the ’2 Wheels & Heels’ rides, search it on Facebook at:  ’2 Wheels & Heels.’

Enjoy and keep riding!

Read Full Post »

Ready. Set. Tweed!

Sorry about my lack of recent blog posts.  I’m the Safe Routes to School Coordinator here in Columbus and I’ve been extremely busy walking/biking kids to school.  Setting up police presentations as well as end of the year bicycle rodeos in all the schools.  So, until the very end of May, if you haven’t heard from me… this is why

This Sunday is our Tweed Ride Columbus.  It will be our third tweed ride and people are stoked.  The weather looks to be glorious for us.  We will meet up at the corner of Goodale Park and we’ll begin our jaunt, doing a slow and leisure three mile ride.  We will pull over at Schiller Park for our usual group photo and the hop back on and end at The Jury Room for tweed appropriate cocktails.

Get those mustaches, knickers, and monocles ready!  If there are new folks joining which there are, here are some photos of other city Tweed Rides to show you how folks are dressing:

Keep Riding!

Read Full Post »

Slow Moves

I was sitting in the park the other day with my good friend Amanda.  We were enjoying in the 75+ degree March day we’ve been lucky to experience.  Tons of others were out, smiling just as big as we were.

I caught this fancy fellow riding along the park and had to have him stop for a pose:

As from his outfit totally rocking on this spring day, his tie was knit!  It was awesome.

The photo below I found on my fav:  copenhagencyclechic.  Funny thing about this photo, I was thinking of a photo project very similar to this.  Directing different, intimate groups of bike riders; having them dress up and I photo them from behind throughout our city.  I really just love the vision:

I hope you all enjoy your St. Patty’s / March Madness weekend and bike responsibly.  I will be glued to the tele on Sat. watching Syracuse hopefully beat Kansas St. and look a hell of a lot better than they did playing again Ashville.  I’m excited for my schedule to calm down here soon where I can focus a lot more of photo capturing and posting on here.

Keep Riding.

Read Full Post »

‘Safe Routes to Cool’

I ‘unofficially’ helped out and biked my friend and her stylish daughter to school for the first time this morning.  It was super fun.  Daughter ‘A’ was a bit nervous riding in the road which is to be expected but she kicked butt.  My friend told me that her daughter was so excited this morning when she woke up.  Her daughter said, ‘mom, today we ride to school!’  That is awesome.    On days where I’m not in early morning meetings or doing Safe Routes on the west side, I’m going to gladly offer my help to my friend and her daughter.  Lots of kids were staring as we rode to school which is great b/c my hope is to have my friend and her daughter bicycle as much as possible and be the ‘trendsetters,’ heading to and from this particular school where maybe another parent will want to join.  That’s the whole point, showing everyone that it CAN be done.  You gotta start from a seed.

Keep riding.

..and yes, that is a Barbie on a bike – mounted on her handlebars

Read Full Post »

Steppin Up..

A friend of mine sent me a photo of her new bicycle.  She went from a clunky, adorable, vintage Schwinn:

…to this:

Nice, eh?  She went from being scared of riding a bike and not feeling like she was confident enough to ride on the roads to upgrading her bike and riding on the roads  She also told me that she has put her car up for sale.  Stories like these make me incredibly happy.  People are figuring it out.  They are becoming more aware and taking the time to change their behaviors.  She also has a 6 yr old daughter.  If she can do it, anyone can.

Read Full Post »

Swanky yet Empowering.

Photo taken by Ulises Cruz from our most recent Tweed Ride.  This is what women look like on bicycles.    Imagine this photo with 30 more women on bicycles!  We ARE the influential factor of bicycling.  I want photos like these with more and more ladies and smiles.  It WILL happen.

 

Read Full Post »