The first ‘Ohio Women’s Bicycling Summit,’ was a success.

About eight months ago, I had my two friends Mimi Webb and Jeannie Martin join me for a beer so that I could present them with an idea.  I went to California the end of last summer for two separate Bicycle Conferences.  At both conferences, there were specific ‘women forums’ to continue to forward efforts of increasing women ridership here in the U.S.  Leaving California, I was both inspired and new what I had to do in Ohio.  Fast forward to the evening with Mimi and Jeannie.  I told them I planned to organize the first statewide ‘Ohio Women’s Bicycling Summit’ and would they be interested in joining me in this effort.  Immediately, they said ‘hell yes!”  So, for eight months, Jeannie, Mimi, and myself met and planned out this Summit.

Interest and excitement generated, immediately.  Our main sponsors, ROLL and Trek were absolutely incredible.  Then, Detroit’s ‘Autobike’ got in touch with us.  ARC Imaging donated printing costs for us.  And last but not least, food trucks!  OH! Burgers! and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams sponsored and killed it during lunch time  Green Bean Delivery covered all of the yummy fruits during the Summit.  Thank you to all the talented and incredible speakers:  Lisa Hinson, Tammy Krings, Marjorie Shavers, Lindsay Sherman, Lindsey Bower, Emily Burnett, Ohio’s First Lady Karen Kasich, Julie Walcoff, and Rep. Teresa Fedor.

72 women from around the state of Ohio and two women from Indiana.  The overwhelming positive responses from both the attendees and the presenters was absolutely amazing.  The Summit ran without any huge hiccups.  Women were learning, asking questions, laughing, meeting new women, and just enjoying themselves.

I’m grateful for such an amazing first Summit.  This will turn into an annual event.  My main focus is making our city inviting and safe to more modes of transportation.  Men, women, and children deserve ‘choice’ to be able to move about our cities and feel safe doing so.  Us advocates can provide the education; can organize bike rides to build confidence; but there are other components in making people feel that ‘choice,’ in moving around is priority:  political will and infrastructure.  Our wide, arterial streets need to be road dieted and designed with protected bike lanes.  The perception of safety is what I feel a lot of our engineers are missing.  I’ll say it until the light bulb goes off, ‘sharrows do not invite families to ride and feel safe on arterial streets that are four + lanes across and each lane 12+ wide.  Road diets, the narrowing of lanes, and an integrated bicycle network of green lanes, protected lanes, bike boxes, etc. will announce that our leaders are serious about inviting people of all ages to move around the city.  Our leaders making decisions need to be okay with hearing complaints instead of trying to please everyone.  When you create change, you’re gonna hear complaints but the only way to change behavior is to change the infrastructure.  You’re NOT changing the infrastructure when you lay down sharrows.

We have a long way to go and we’re doing better but…  we could be doing even MORE.  We can be building and piloting innovative and bold infrastructure that IS WORKING in other cities.  If we continue to remain status- quo as a city, we’ll continue to get left behind.

Some photos from the first ‘Ohio Women’s Bicycling Summit.’

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 »

2 Wheels & Heels Ladies Ride – Columbus. Parks de’ Jour

Ladies.  The details about the August have been set.  This month we’ll be celebrating ‘Parks.’ Parks de’ jour will be the theme of our ride.  Parks are so important and slowly but surely, more parks are popping up which is so important when creating and maintaining a sustainable city / community.  You gather in parks.  You spend time in parks.  You create friendships and conversations in parks.  Parks are community building and neighborhood building.

We will begin with our meet n greet at Caffe Apropos on the corner of 3rd and Michigan in Harrison West at 6p.  Close to seven, we’ll ride off and visit parks:  Goodale, The Columbus Commons, Genoa, Scioto Mile, and Fetch Park.  During the middle of our ride, we’ll be stopping at the awesome ‘walk up’ Jeni’s in German Village  Bring cash if you want Jeni’s.

Bring your moms, bring your kids, bring your girlfriends or just bring yourself.  This ride is about women empowerment on two wheels.  Women are the majority transportation with our kids so showing the kids at an early age that the bicycle can be just as reliable as the car is essential.

We had close to forty women join us for July’s ride.  Incredible.  Let’s expand!

We will also be supporting two local businesses as well.  Showing that bicycles stimulate the economy just as much as drivers is also important when it comes to future bicycle development, like taking away a parking spot and putting in an on-street bike corral that parks 12 bikes instead of one car.  People first!

If you have any questions about August’s ride, please email me.  My contact email is under the ‘About’ tab.  I look forward to seeing you all

 

Be safe and keep riding!

Read Full Post »

2 Wheels & Heels – Post Ride Report

The ride was SO. MUCH. FUN.  Sixteen women showed up looking fabulous!  We met up at Paradise Garage where they gave us ‘Heels & Deals’ discounts.  We then rode a route of a little more than eight miles, stopping at the Grandview Jeni’s for a scoop of heaven.  We ended the evening back where we started and all of the women just boasted about the ride. ‘I’ve been looking for a ride like this,’ was one of the kind comments told to me.  They are looking forward to July’s ride and other women who have seen the pics of the first ride are all ready excited and talking about riding the next ride.  This is the movement that I want.  The movement that we need in the bicycling culture.  Whomever reads this, if you have a mother/daughter who have been interested in finding a ‘slow movement’ type of ride with other ladies, have them join us.  Have them go on facebook and search ’2 Wheels & Heels’ and have them ‘like’ us.  Women of all ages, sizes, ethnic backgrounds – doesn’t matter.  Here are a few photos.  BTW – a lot of these photos were taken by the amazing and beautiful Megan Leigh Barnard!

I FINALLY received my camera in the mail so my blog will be getting back on track!  I apologize for the long delay.

Enjoy and keep riding!

 

Now, I didn’t de-cloth on this bike ride however, this was from the recent World Naked Bike Ride.  Felt this pic was appropriate for this particular post.  Helping women feel more confident on their bikes is kind of a big deal for me

 

Read Full Post »

Cicadas And Gulls

I’ve been listening to the new Feist album hence today’s post title.  I’m headed to see her here in June at the Wex Center – WOOT!

So, if any of you don’t know I work a few nights a week in the production kitchen of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams.  I’ve been working for this little powerhouse for about two years now.  I would say that I’m a walking Jeni’s advertisement.  I love what the company stands for.  I love how the employees are so passionate about the product and I’ll end it with, I love how Jeni’s is a bicycle enthused company.  So many workers ride bikes that most of the time (even during the winter months) the bike racks at the production kitchen are filled.  Now that Spring has begun those bike racks are beyond filled and folks are locking their bikes up to trees and anything else stationary.  We’ve ordered close to a dozen more bicycle racks and I’ll be excited once they are in and installed  In the meantime, I’ve recently been obsessed with spoke cards.  I feel like this is an un-tapped area where businesses (bicycle friendly) can market themselves on the cheap.  I made (4) of these spoke cards for my bikes and I love them:

How cute are they!

Here’s the Jeni’s spoke card in action.  Plus, do you see the other ‘Betty on a Bike’  in the background?  She’s one of my favs.

Now, on to the gents I captured yesterday evening.  I was heading into Barrel 44 from the production kitchen.  There were a crap ton of riders out but I was only able to catch these three:

This rider clearly looks like he just finished a workout.  He’s jamming to some band.

 

Yesterday, I stopped at the store and bought a few bunches of flowers and they were peeking out of my bookbag kinda like whatever was peeking out of this guys bag.

This rider was very focused on where ever he was headed.  Lovely bike and I’m sure he kept warm with that beard.

Happy Easter or Passover

Keep riding!

Read Full Post »

Lady Leaders Luncheon

So yesterday here in Columbus, Ohio was ‘Car Free’ Day.  I took over an on-stree t parking spot right in front of the Columbus Dispatch.  My main reason…. they are a huge company and can afford to lose a spot for a few hours  I invited a handful of other Lady Leaders that truly inspire me and make Columbus better, everyday.

I created a makeshift garden and invited:  Maryellen O’Shaughness, Jenny Brodie, Elizabeth Lessner and Jeni Britton Bauer.  They absolutely had a blast and were very thankful for the invite.  I couldn’t have thought of a better way to celebrate an event that needs to happen more than once as well as with amazing women on such an amazing, beautiful day.  We made the Dispatch.  Here are few other photos:

Read Full Post »

Rackin’ up to be one of Cbus’ first official ‘Bike Friendly Businesses.’

Here are a few of my favorite bike racks in Cbus.  Why are they my favorite??  Because they are the most unique and most visually appealing in my city.  For some reason, Cbus can’t seem to venture out of its ‘Conservative’ smaller bike racks like the boring, black, upside-down ‘U’ or the hitch.  For GOD sake people, make it fun!  Make it colorful!   We were recently voted #8 on the Creative Cities Vitality Index then let us SHOW our creative bike racks! ( I am working on this)  Cbus needs to stand out.

Here at the Production Kitchen of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, displays such a beautiful picture.  Colorful, fun, visual bike racks AND, they’re friggin FULL!  They are ALWAYS like this b/c so many of us ride to work whether we’re in the kitchen, making the best ice cream in the country or we’re at the shops.  Yes, I work to get people on bikes and at night I work here in the production kitchen, making the best ice cream that’ll ever hit your taste buds!

Jeni’s plans on putting in these bike racks at all of their locations… eventually.

Read Full Post »