Loss and Gain...my Triathablog retrospective

My apologies for somehow completely missing my last day to blog! Things got pretty busy here and time slipped away.

There has been a sudden interest in my story of being a female bike commuter since Self Magazine named Birmingham as the unhealthiest commute with the lowest % of women bike commuters. Within 2 days, I was approached by a magazine, the local news station and The Birmingham News. Crazy, huh? I am just glad to be getting the word out.

On my last commute of 08, I spent most of the ride thinking about what Triathablog has done in my life. At that point, I assumed that I had lost, but I couldn’t feel less like a loser. My goal for Triathablog was to make cycling a part of my life, for fitness and community. In these 3 months, I have become comfortable commuting to work (in a dress!), riding with the boys, got the wheels moving to start a Non-Profit Bike Co-op and met tons of amazing people.

I have learned that riding your bike to work is more than a ride, it is a statement. I learned the politicians love the idea of bikes on the roads, but are reticent to actually make it a reality. I have learned the nearly all children want to ride bikes and think adults who do are cool. I have learned as well that adults who don’t ride live sedentary lives seem to really dislike my riding. I have learned the fixed gear bikes are more than just a hipster trend and am saving for one now!

Most of all I have learned that cyclists are a unique bunch, who will welcome a new rider with open arms, whether you are dressed in spandex or a skirt and boots.

I may have lost Triathablog, but I have gained a new community and a new way of life. And for that I am not ashamed.

Thanks to Carrie and Amanda for being supportive and just competitive enough to make me bust my ass for 3 months! You girls are awesome and I am excited about our next adventure (girl’s Fight Club anyone??). Thanks to Heath for being a kick ass mechanic who kept Mick in shape for all my triathadventures. Thanks to the Brocyclers for all the fun and for letting a girl into the club of Birmingham urban cyclists. Thanks to all our readers for your support and cheerleading, I truly couldn't have finished this only 1 point behind without you.


Keep up with me and my cycling adventures at my new blog: BikeSkirt. If you ever want to ride, give me a shout.
See you on the roads in 2009 and beyond.
-elisa

(special thanks to T.Scott Carlisle for the amazing photos. See them all here: www.t-photographic.com/tsc/elisa )

Why I Love my Commute, Part Two: The Weather

It seems that I would be a slave to the weather as a bike commuter, and I am. I am also, however, completely in love with the weather. Most people think of weather in their commute as something that they have to deal with getting into the car and then the office. Not I. For me, it is something I feel every minute of the ride. I am directly affected by every aspect of the day's weather. All day long. If the weather calls for possible storms in the afternoon, I have to be careful not to get stuck at work (not experienced enough to ride in the rain AND dark).

Windy days are both good and bad. A strong head wind is great when going downhill on a hot day but terrible when going uphill in the cold or spitting rain. The wind changes when it is about to rain. I can feel that. I can tell you if a storm is coming...the wind shift, the air smells differently (comes from a gas called petrichor) and the colors are particularly sharp.

Sunny days are sometimes worse than cloudy or windy days. I have awakened to a clear, sunny day and dreaded my ride. Sunny mornings mean less visibility and blinded driveron certain streets. It also means heat. Here in the southeast, even in the winter, sometimes it is too much heat for a vigorous ride. What I wear is dependent on the weather, and not just which umbrella to use or which jacket to throw on. Cold, sunny days mean layers and layers. Sunny summer days mean bringing an extra set of clothes.

The day (actually hours) after rain is wonderful. Clear and crisp and the fresh smell of trees and earth. Even in the city. However, I must remember that the roads also have extra grease and debris on them and ride accordingly.

Cars also act differently depending on the weather. Sunny days equal more speed and less patience for me. I get a lot of honks and yells on sunny mornings! Cloudy days people seem to be more tired and act more recklessly, cutting me off and swerving into my lane. Chilly mornings and everyone is so nice, feeling sorry for the poor little girl riding her bike to work in tights and a skirt (Ha! Jokes on them).

My favorite weather to commute in is a brisk (55-65 degrees), breezy, slightly cloudy day. You couldn't pay me to get into my car on days like those. Unless I have overslept, but that is for another day's post...

*side note: An alleycat race is taking place this Saturday, 4pm at Linn Park. Come out and be a part or just hang out (they could use some help manning stops). The proceeds benefit Bici Coop, a community bike shop that is in the works. Fun AND philanthropic, who can pass that up? Plus, you could win a Triathablog Tshirt!

LinkaPalooza!

Here are a bunch of links to all things cycling that I check regularly. Enjoy!

Cyclelicious-great site about cycling life in the US.

Copenhagen Cycling Chic- Streetstyle and Bike Advocacy in High Heels. My destination for cycling fashion help.

Copenhagenize-the Mecca of cycling cities. Sister (Brother) blog to Cycling Chic.

Ecovelo-one of my favorites. Great for urban cycling and commuters. Beautiful photos as well.

Commute By Bike-tips, news and techniques for bike commuters. From beginner to expert.

Urban Velo-great magazine/website about urban cycling. You can also download the magazine issues for free each month (although I think I am going to get a 'real' subscription so I can save them).

Great article in Urban Velo about city planning.

Brocycle and Tonight we Ride-cool guys in Birmingham. Friends of mine who are helping bring cycling back to the Magic City.

Two Five Fix-Fixed gear scene in Huntsville. Nice guys who are total badass riders.

Swobo-How to avoid the Bummer Life. Also great cycling merch and gear.

enjoy!

Why I love my commute, Part One: The City

This is the first in a series of posts describing my favorite things about my bike commute. Today I focus on the city.

The city is an active participant in my trip. The life of the city is not shut off from me by metal and glass, and I love it. When you are on a bike, you feel the city more. The roads, the animals, the garbage collectors...they are no longer something I feel or see out my window, they are something I interact with.

The way I see the city has changed. It may sound cheesy, but the city has different moods. In the morning, it is wide awake and excited. Afternoon is slower and gentler. Night is quiet and solemn, with an edginess to it that is indescribable. I get to see all the shadows that are missed at 30 miles per hour and the flowers growing up in the cracks (which I often narrowly miss).
I can tell you who had a baby recently and who gets packages that they leave on their porches all day. Wondering when most of the city gets home each day? I can tell you...around 5:25. Before that the driveways are mostly empty.

I smell the city when I ride. I can tell you who is eating bacon and what time the BBQ joint starts smoking the meat for the day (around 7). I smell when a truck has recently been on the road, and when a woman in a convertible has worn entirely too much perfume (yes, this happens more than you would think). I can also smell the morning, all dewy and fresh. Morning smells completely different from evening, when the shadows are longer and the smells are more industrial. Exhaust, tar, burned rubber, these are the evening smells...occasionally punctuated by the smell of someone cooking on the grill. The night smells change often and are harder to describe, but I get to smell each one and I consider myself lucky for that.

I hear the city. I hear children yelling inside houses before school and dogs barking (a LOT of dogs barking). I hear lawnmowers and car doors slamming. When a car hits a bump, I hear it and automatically move more to the side. Leaves crackling, branches falling, I hear all of it. I hear people cursing the traffic when their windows are open and kids talking about their day excitedly on the way home. I hear the music people listen to, which is often surprising. The city has a beat that I pedal to.

So many of our communities are full of strip malls and large roads. Every time I ride, it feels like I am reclaiming my city. Refusing to experience it from a distance. Loving it in new ways each and every time I ride. I live in the city.

So get out there and reclaim your city. You would be surprised at how different it is.

Image from BikeHugger.com

Cold weather and Downtown Hoedowns

Had my first 30 degree commute this morning. It was actually wonderful, with the only problem being that my feet were freezing. The new Pearl Izuma* cold weather gloves worked out perfectly, as did the Nike cold weather ear covering thingy. I think Winter commuting may turn out to be my favorite!



This weekend the Tonight We Ride guys are having a Hoedown! Triathablog is helping sponsor, so come out and say hello. Oh, and you will also see some awesome track bike tricks and BIKE POLO! I can't wait for that to go down. I am thinking Brocycle vs. Tonight we Ride...

so, grab a sixer and some burgers and come out for a lovely Sunday outing. We'll be the cute girls.

*available locally at Homewood Cycles

Corners like it's on rails

Today I faced my fears and commuted to work. Mick Jagger rose to the challenge. I decided last night that I would be riding today, so it felt a bit like Christmas Eve. I picked out my outfit, packed my lunch and went to bed early.

This morning I woke up before the sun (WAY before the sun), ate a nutritious breakfast, got dressed, packed up and left. Before you ask, let me tell you what I wore. Baby blue riding tights (capri length) under a Free People flowered dress. Added a blue scarf, cuddle-dud shirt and blue windbreaker. Pretty adorable, finished the look with my black Vans and homemade fingerless gloves (out of old wool socks!).

ANYWAY, I drove to a safe place, as I cannot ride yet from my house due to dangerous routes and set off. It was great. chilly but great. I arrived at work in one piece, red faced and feeling alive. Total time for commute was 20 minutes each way, the same amount of time it takes me to drive!

Now that I have done this, I don't understand why more people don't at least try it. It is a great feeling, not even taking into consideration the gas saved and carbon not burned. I was more alert all day and did not have my usual mid-day slump. One thing I will say is that I need to remember to pack a second breakfast because I was super hungry around 9am! The day went by faster and I was in a great mood. Such a great mood that I have not freaked out despite dropping my Macbook and cracking the front!

The ride home was a bit harder as it was 25 degrees warmer and I had been working all day, but it was still lovely. I inadvertently gave most of Mountain Brook a nice cleavage shot on the way home, which I realized later and regret (work dress with unzipped wind breaker...not a good idea. oops). Well, live and learn!

I am planning to keep commuting via bike. I was accepted into the GetGreen program with CommuteSmart today so the money is going to start rolling in, $2 a day! Ok-the money is just a bonus, a very nice bonus.

Plus, I felt like a total bad ass.

Pimpin may not be easy, but neither is riding

"It's as easy as riding bike"

How many times have I heard that? Some advice: never ride behind or beside these people. Riding in traffic (or anywhere besides a large, empty suburban road) is hard. Not necessarily in a physical way. It requires attention and skill that is only learned by concentration and practice.

Deciding that you are going to start say, commuting down Crestwood boulevard during rush hour a few weeks after riding, is not only stupid but dangerous. I am still not totally comfortable changing lanes and riding straight while glancing behind me, much less swerving onto gravel (there are no shoulders) or staying upright when grazed by the side mirror of some idiot who decides that 1 inch is plenty of room. These are skills that, while you may not use them for months, are the difference between a bit of road rash and a busted collarbone.

This is not to say that you shouldn't ride until you have it mastered. Far from it. I am simply trying to be smart. I love riding and would love to give up my car today! Doing that, however, would be dangerous for me, other riders and car drivers (even though I am pretty sure I am supposed to hate cars now). Taking Mick Jaggar to a coffee shop or Al's is one thing, taking it 10 miles down Highway 78 (which has NO shoulders...how on earth is this a good thing?!) to the suburbs is another thing completely.

So for now I am mapping out transit routes and learning how to secure my bike to the racks on the front of all the buses to get to work. Maybe I can give up the car after all.

One more thing: when you see those people riding in traffic smoothly and confidently, try not to assume they are another hipster slacker. It requires a level of concentration and skill that would astound you. Give them an extra foot or two of road space and remember that they are one less car you are fighting against for the primo parking space at the Summit.

Start your...cranks, running shoes and flippers....?

Day one and all I can think is "When on earth am I going to have time to ride for 30 minutes today?!" Not a great way to begin. I guess that is the point, to make time. To carve out a space to do something I love and, frankly need, to stay sane and healthy. With all the website talk and contest planning and rule making, it has been easy to get swept away in this before it even started. To forget that after it is all set up, I have to actually do it. Figure out a way to cycle 30 minutes, 4 times a week. My main goal in this project is to begin commuting to work via bike. 10 miles and many, many hills away. How to get started?

So, I am going to do the only thing I can think of right now. Bike to wherever I need to go. Tonight I have Community Group about 1.5 miles away. About 15 minutes there, 15 minutes home and Voila!, my 30 minutes. Plus not using any gas, putting miles on my car and enjoying the fall weather.

On days like today (my boss has been out for a while, the economy is wreaking havoc on business, lunch meeting, little sleep, achy head), it seems like sitting on the couch would be the best idea. If not for this project that is probably exactly what I would do. No more. Gone are the days of making excuses not to ride. Of driving because I just don't have the energy to climb on the seat and move a pedal. I know that riding will feel great; the crisp air, the feel of the road...not to mention the energy I'll have once I have ridden. The sense of accomplishment at knowing I have at least gotten in one day this week (thereby not letting Carrie and Amanda get a leg up on me!). Plus the eco-friendliness of not taking my car somewhere less than 5 miles away.

Do I want to sink onto the couch? yes. Am I going to? Nope.

Let's hope I can keep this feeling for 3 months.

And to Carrie and Amanda: Game ON.