camaraderie

I have a friend named Dylan (you may know him as internet sensation and A-list gay, Noodles and Beef. Yes, I know Noodles and Beef! Yes, I can get you on a date with him!) who drives a mini-cooper named Magnus. Magnus is pretty chill; he listens when you talk to him and practically drives himself. When Dylan & Magnus pass by other people driving mini-coopers, Dylan waves excitedly and is usually met with a happy wave back, like "Hey! I love my mini-cooper, too!"

The best is when Dylan waves to mini-cooper drivers when we aren't even in Magnus. We can be cruising in my Honda and then he just gets bewildered stares like, "Do I know this crazy person? Why is he flagging me down?" Their confused faces are pretty funny.

But my point is that there is a sense of camaraderie between Dylan and his fellow cooper-drivers. It's like finding out that someone went to the same college as you, or that they too enjoy... golfing... or something.

The camaraderie flows freely in bike commuting. When you're biking and another bicyclist passes by, there's about a 90% chance that they will positively acknowledge your similarities (aka smile at you). I love this! I haven't stopped to actually meet any of these people, but they all seem friendly enough for that fleeting second. And once you establish a routine, you'll notice the same riders day-in and day-out. You may never know their names, but it's good to know there are kindred spirits out there.

On that note, a very silly and easy game. No one will keep score but you. The goal is to be the first to smile when you pass a fellow cyclist. Scoff if you like, but I happen to know that smiling is very good for your health, so even if you lose a round, you still win in the long run...

give it a rest, ok?

I haven't been riding much the past week or two because work has been awful hectic. I just didn't have the time or energy to commit 2 hours a day to riding. BUT! Our huge project is just about complete and work is slowing down to a normal pace. So, back on the bike!

I think it's very important for people to listen to their bodies and their stress levels. If work is exhausting you too much to ride, save the ride for another day, if you can. On the other hand, exercise helps relieve stress, so perhaps you should in fact ride! What a puzzle. Anyway...

Cindy Godman of the Hartford Courant wrote a piece yesterday about balancing work, family, and exercise. You can read it on the Chicago Tribune site, but in short:

Start small, don't be overly ambitious.
Don't expect to be able to ride every day starting on day one. It's okay to take a day off from the commute here and there until you've built up your stamina.

Relax!
You're not going to feel like you are successfully balancing work, family, and exercise if you're all hopped up on stress. Luckily, bike commuting hits two birds with one stone - you're getting exercise and avoiding the stress of driving. Plus you have time to sort out the day's troubles in your mind. Riding can be a really meditative activity if you can chill out!

Get enough sleep
This was one of the problems keeping me off my bike. Work was taking up more of my day, so the rest of my responsibilities were creeping into my sleep-time. I couldn't face a 10 mile ride on too little sleep! Do yourself and your longevity a favor and get your 7 - 9 hours in each night. Maybe drink a glass of warm milk just before you hit the sack and do a bit of lucid dreaming to keep it interesting!

bike to work day: IN COLOR!

Pictures supplied by a lovely volunteer named Jamie, who was working at Verve that morning with her sister (pictured, at my immediate left). Jamie has yet another sister who organizes all the Bike to Work events! Very cool.

bike to work day

Another "what luck!" moment today--my camera battery died as I was trying to take a picture for Westi at Pictures From A Bike. (She inspired me to begin riding, and I don't think she is participating in Bike to Work Day this year, due to new twin bay-bays.)

Luckily the volunteers at the breakfast site in front of Verve Coffee Roasters on 41st were incredibly friendly (who'd have guessed!) and one will be emailing pictures soon.

I enjoyed the free coffee & breakfast and picked up a complimentary pack of strawberry Clif Bar Shot Bloks out of curiosity. The best part was.... Free Massage! Oh hell yeah, definitely worth being a few minutes late for that!

i see beautiful things

Riding past 7-11, I spotted a mallard with a bright green head just sittin' around in front of some apartments. "A duck!" I exclaimed aloud to no one but myself... as if I was two and had just learned the word, which I thought was funny. His female friend was sitting beside him just behind a tree.

Then passing by Twin Lakes, I was looking out on the water & sunrise as usual and I saw dolphins playing close to shore! I've heard people talk about seeing dolphins but had never seen them myself. They were coming up and out of the water in a pattern that reminded me of what Nessie must look like--you know, like in a serpentine fashion? So, I was enthralled and pedaling really slow and just watching. Then I realized I didn't see any dorsal fins. Turns out they were seals, but beautiful all the same! Guess I will have to keep my eyes open for dolphins.

off to a good start?

This morning was my first ride to work on my pretty new bicycle! 'Cept I didn't make it too far... Luckily I was helped by a kind soul in a truck with some free time on his hands.

What luck to get a flat my first day! Guess I will have to buy that mini-pump a little earlier than I expected. Andy and I are going to Bike Trip after work to see what they think & buy some new tubes!

I hope this isn't the start of Hitchhike to Work Week...

my new best friend

Many thanks to Emily at Bicycle Trip for the outstanding customer service! Not only did she know about everything I needed, she was super-friendly and a great teacher. She also coaches with the Dirt Series program! Very cool.

So, check out my new bike! It's a Giant FCR 3 W - built for ladies' geometry. It's so light I can hold it over my head! Great for living on the second floor. Also, it has these sweet trigger shifters--which I find are a lot cooler than the twist shifters that my old mountain bike had. I can't believe I'm riding something with skinny tires--I've always been anti-skinny tires but this bike felt right. Oh, and I'm also rockin' a helmet now--I figure the odds of me needing it rise with every day that I go out riding (fingers crossed of course).

Oh, and just in time for Bike to Work week, which starts tomorrow!

hilton knows what's up