Hot & Humid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep riding!

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Double the ladies. Double the FUN

This past Wednesday, our monthly ‘2 Wheels & Heels’ ride took place.  We met up at the fantastic Brother’s Drake Meadery where if you haven’t been – get your arse there and they just built a patio equipped with nicely, welded bike racks.  They are ‘everything’ bikes over there and some of the most amazing and inspiring people that I’m happy to call friends.

THIRTY women showed up, dressed in the everyday comforts from their closet.  I met so many new and lovely women that my heart was over-flowing.  We rode a little over seven miles and next months route, we’ll push to ten.  Olivera from Wholly Craft graciously donated a gift card to one lucky lady – ‘thank you, Olivera.’  I’m thinking Pattycake Bakery was a big highlight.  Three of the lady riders currently work for Pattycake and when we showed up, they had the most adorable ‘heels and wheels’ shaped and decorated cookies, EVER!  Once we got our sugar, we rode through the beautiful neighborhoods in Clintonville and eventually ended back at Brother’s Drake.

‘This ride gives me the confidence to get out on the roads more and ride.’  That was a quote from a woman who couldn’t stop thanking me.  It was humbled.  ‘I’ve been waiting for a group ride like this.’   That was another comment.  Aside from the amazing vision of bicycling ahead and then stopping, turning around and looking at thirty beautiful women riding behind me, the best part of the evening was the non-stop smiling.  As you’ll see from the pictures below, women were smiling and laughing and  giving high-fives the whole time.

This ride isn’t just about the clothing, although the continued reinforcement that clothing shouldn’t be such a barrier in the manner that it has become here in America does help.  If we continue to address that riding a bike can be as normal as getting in your car then the decision of ‘choosing’ to use your bike will become less and less of a thought out process and more of a growing habit.  This ride opens up conversations about proper and safe riding.  Being an LCI, I encourage these women to ask questions about their uncertainties when riding.  I plan on showing them basic mechanics of their bikes, certain information to obtain should an accident ever happen, commuting tips and techniques and much more.  Knowledge is power and that leads to confidence when riding.

Also, as of this passed week, this group has now expanded to seven cities total:  Cleveland, Columbus, Austin, Chicago, Minneapolis, Colorado Springs, and Victoria, B.C.

For anyone reading this who doesn’t have a Facebook account, I’ll keep you up to date with the upcoming ‘2 Wheels & Heels’ rides via this blog, or you can email me at the contact email I put in the ‘About’ section of my blog.

To all the ladies from this past Wednesdays ride – YOU ROCK!

Keep riding.

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Street Shark Trailer

My friend Andy sent this to me so I’m posting for anyone who  hasn’t seen.  Matt Locke put this together.  It’s pretty neat.

Keep riding!

Street Shark Trailer

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Street Shark Sprints. Summer Series – Part 3

Evenings like last night made me thankful I live in this city.  Well over sixty bikers ranging of all backgrounds and riding levels, met up at Paradise Garage to partake in a summer series of sprint races, started up by friend and fellow bike lover – Andy Willis.

When we all got to the destination, I just took a moment and looked all around at all the beautiful people, dusk moving over the city like it was our personal background for this event and the happiness that summer puts on people’s faces.

Brackets of men and women are randomly selected and it dwindles down to the fastest man and woman and holy hell – there were some ridiculously fast riders.  I happily lost immediately.  It was exhilarating to say the least.  You stay in one gear and pedal like holy hell.  I took up residence at the finish line and began to photo the evening.  I eventually stopped ‘trying’ to take motion shots w/ my camera b/c I kept missing the damn riders as they zoomed passed me at warp speed.

Keep riding!

A bit blurry but that’s Julian – the music man!

Emily – our ‘Vanna White’ of the evening 🙂

This is Cherie.  She kicked my ass 🙂

The night couldn’t have been better if I ordered it.

The crowd swelled at the finish line awaiting the final round.

Yep.

Andy and Lauren.  Lauren’s so fast that even at standstill she’s blurry ❤

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‘2 Wheels & Heels’ Ladies Ride – Columbus. It’s A Comin’

For all the non-facebook users, here are the details for the upcoming ‘2 Wheels’ Ride.  Hope you can join us.  We’ve all ready exceeded the number of ladies from last month and the RSVP’s continue to roll in (pun, intended :))

Read on:

It’s coming up on ‘our’ time to ride, ladies. We had a fantastic and fabulous time last month, let’s see how many more ladies will join us. Forward to this to potential lady friends interested in bike riding and meeting other like-minded women. I have a great ride / route picked out for us. Let’s hope the weather is as amazing as it was during our last ride. Remember, this is a slow ride, meant to attract and engage more women. Forward this to all your lady friends who enjoy the Slow Bike Movement 🙂

6 – 645 – The Brother’s Drake. The amazing Brother’s Drake has a brand new patio, just waiting for us. They’ll have happy hour specials awaiting our arrival.

645 –745(ish) –Hop on our bicycles and head towards the Clintonville area where we will end at Pattycake Bakery to indulge in some pretty fancy and special treats – JUST FOR US 🙂 I may even have a little something from Wholly Craft to raffle off to one lucky lady 🙂

800 – 9 We’ll make our way back towards the Brother’s Drake, weaving through some of the pretty Clintonville neighborhoods.
http://www.brothersdrake.com/

http://www.whollycraft.com/

http://www.pattycakebakery.com/index.html

Keep riding!

The photos above are from one of my favorite bike photography blogs:  downtownfrombehind.  AMAZE!

T

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Columbus Bike Fest

Hundreds and hundreds of bike riders gathered at Genoa Park on Friday to celebrate… bikes!  Such a perfect evening.  Wasn’t too hot.  Bike riders of all ages, all sizes, and all colors came out to support Consider biking and how awesome bikes are.  Talk about a vibrant and livable downtown on Friday.  With Bike Fest, Food Cart Fest, and Firewater happening, thousands of folks peppered the downtown streets.  Distances of 10-20 miles around all pockets of the city.  There’s nothing like exploring your own city or exploring  a new city, on a bike.

The ride ended back at Genoa Park where Waterfire took place which was really beautiful.  I did not ride this year as I was happy to stay back and ‘hold down the fort.’  I ran into a few friends and had the most splendid, spntaneous evening.  I mean, how can you beat:  bikes, summer, friends, waterfire, sunset, and laughter.  You can’t.

Enjoy the photos and keep riding.

Nothing helps like loads of volunteers to help keep an event running smoothly!  Thank you, volunteers!

What a guy he is!  Talk about super advocate!  Very lucky to know this man.

 

I can’t say anything more except:  I.  LOVE.  TREK.

I LOVE this photo!

Awesome friends I ran into!

WaterFire

The Mayor participated after finishing up the bike ride.

I love summer

 

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‘Step – through’s’ – For The Win!

Thursday afternoon commutes.  Love seeing more and more women riding.

classic cycle chic right here!

 

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Bike-Friendly Businesses Create ‘Staying’ Environments

I try to schedule a lot of my meetings at Cafe Brioso.  It’s central, the staff are stellar, and it’s such a bike hub.  If I want to see one of my biking friends, I usually just have to sit there for a bit until I see one of many of them – it’s a great thing.

For business owners who still sit on the fence about whether removing a parking space to accompany an in-street bike corral or some other bike-friendly treatment is too risky and ‘may’ take away from their business… it won’t.  It’ll only attract foot traffic and pedal traffic and keep people ‘staying’ at your business.  That’s essentially what you’re looking for, for people to ‘stay’ and spend money.  When you have these comforts and these accommodations that many, many people are looking for and desire – word WILL get around.  As a biker, my money is just as green as the car driver.  That’s what makes Cafe Brioso so special.  They don’t have an in-street bike corral… yet 🙂 but, they sure are the beacon and a prime example of a successful business when you create it around people.  You have to listen and observe what people want.

Keep riding

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Another Bike Rider Hit

I ‘try’ to remain as positive as I can be writing on this blog.  Sometimes, its difficult b/c if you knew me, you’d know that I’m cynical as all hell, especially when it comes to some of the stupid design infrastructure we’ve seen pop up around town not to mention the dumbass drivers whom I will continue to photo when I see them park themselves right in the middle of the pedestrian cross-walks.

This morning, I took great photos of bike riders which I will post another day.  Today, I am posting another bike rider being bit b/c it’s important for human eyes to see these photos.  Its important for people to know that not all of ‘us’ are assholes on bikes.  That the majority of us DO follow the laws.  I was right behind her.  I was actually trying to catch up to her b/c I wanted to take a photo of her.. for this blog.  I just wish the photos of her I currently have were under different circumstances.

The driver appeared to try to ‘beat’ her and turn left before she went through the light.  The driver was completely at fault.  The girl was pretty banged up, in a state of shock, etc.  A bunch of us stayed w/ her until police and a bus came.  I took these photos for her.  I also walked her bike down to Paradise Garage to have them hold onto it as oppose to her bike being tossed into some back room at a police station.

Bike Columbus Fest is this Fri and Sat.  After this festival, I’ll be organizing a project that I want as many people involved in as humanly possible.  Mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, best friends, old people, young people, black, hispanic, gay, straight.. everyone.  More details will come.  On my way home, after the woman being hit, I was almost side-swiped.  I caught up to the driver and told him to roll down his window to where I explained to him that he passed me too close.  I deserve at least three feet and held out my arm to describe to him.  He said, ‘I passed safely.’  I said, ‘both of your right side tires were still in my lane when you passed me, that is not safely passing me.’  He, of course rolled his window up and smirked.  I said, ‘yeah.. its funny.’  It’s instances like these where myself and many, many other bike riders try to educate and do the right thing – following the rules and drivers just don’t give a shit.  They’ve been driving for ‘so many years,’ they don’t need to be educated, they know all the rules.  My boiling point is about hit.  This project that I plan to do in the next 1.5 months will hopefully aid me and my anger and hopefully provide some catharsis for me.  If anyone knows the woman in the photos below, please let me know.  She told me her name, I gave her my card however, I can’t remember now.

 

Keep riding and ride safe.

The driver is behind her

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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 🙂

 

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