I Wish I Had Ridden Today: Fall Riding is Possible

What do I write about now that I am not riding?

First, I wish I had ridden today.  It was stormy last night with rain and wind so I did not even consider riding this morning.  Although it is a crisp fall day there is no rain and it would have been nice to ride.  If it rains in the afternoon, I can leave my bike and bus home so I am not trapped.

Fall riding requires me to be checking the weather reports in the evenings.  It is possible to still catch good days for riding and I miss my rides.  According to the weather report, riding my bike is something I can do tomorrow.

I will be buying bike gloves today.

Bad Hair, Bad Outfit, Skinned Knees, But Nice Ride

The Tuesday after Labor Day Weekend was the day that my son started his new school. It was also the day that I was determined to get off my slippery slope and ride my bike.

Our morning started out OK. I had trouble finding a bike-to-work outfit so we left a bit later than I would have liked.

We had bought Parker a new lunchbox for school and it did not fit in the little bike bag I was using. I found my bungee cord and strapped the lunchbox on top of the bike bag. That took a little time and now I was leaving much later than I wanted. Still I was determined to ride the bike.

Initially, the ride was pretty nice. Nice morning, not too hot but looked like it would be a nice, sunny and warm day. I felt good about getting on the bike. My son seemed happy to ride.

Then the lunchbox fell off. At this point I'm thinking I should have taken the hint that it was not the right day to be on the bike.


I had wardrobe trouble, trouble with securing the lunchbox and we almost lost the lunch. (Special thanks to the lady who helped me pick up the box and get it back on the bike.)

Next, I overshot the turn for the new school and had to backtrack. I brushed that off too. It is a new routine and I need to create new habits. At the new school, I had trouble with my bike lock and it took me about 10 minutes to lock the bike up.

In retrospect, this ride was not meant to happen. I found that out for sure when I got to the new school and they were closed and having an in-service day.

My son was sad. He cried. That made me sad and I was frustrated.

I contacted my work and said I had childcare problems and would be late. I told my son we would play at the park, this made him less sad but he still was disappointed about not playing at the new school.

I had pushed through many setbacks, kept going and then this! I had trouble, again, with my bike lock and in the ten minutes that I fussed with the lock my son fell and skinned his knees. He cried, again.

I rode my bike home. We did stop at the park and my son played. I called grandma and she agreed to watch my son and by 11:30 I was back on my bike riding to work.

This was a tough morning. It still would have been tough if I had been in the car, but I have to admit I think it would have been considerably less tough.

By the time I got to work I was tired, mentally drained, in a bad outfit, my shirt had blood on it from the skinned knees and I had a halo of helmet hair. I had to work late to make up for the morning. It was a bad day.

I felt good about handling all the snafus. I never felt good about my outfit or helmet hair.

The next ride will be better.

Serafina Panini Window: Demystified

Ask the universe and it might just place an answer on your bike route.

A week or so ago, I rode by one of my favorite restaurants, Serafina. I was riding uphill -- OK, I was walking my bike uphill -- and for the first time I saw a sign for “Panini Window.” I love to eat at Serafina and I would like to eat more food from Serafina. I did not know what this Panini Window was, and then I was riding my bike and found this flyer on a post. It was like they had read this blog and stuck the answer on my route. Totally cool for me. Next on the list is to eat food from Panini Window.  I can’t wait. I’ll let you know.

Orginal Post: http://stylencycle.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-long-has-this-been-here.html

A Very Sobering and Very Sad Sign: Hit-and-Run

I saw this sign on a telephone pole on my way to work.  The police are looking for a hit-and-run driver who killed a cyclist.  The cyclist's name is Mike Wang and he had two children. It is very sad.

This has made me really think about what I am doing.  This happened one block up from where I ride. I do see a lot of drivers texting; they look one way to make a turn but not the other way to look for cyclists.  On a bike, I am very alert and I am conscious of everything around me.  Maybe driving should be the same experience.

My condolences to Mike Wang's family. Please drive consciously and bike carefully.

Serafina, How Long Has Panini Window Been Here?

Serafina is one of my favorite restaurants of all time.  LOVE LOVE LOVE everything about this place.  When I was pregnant I did not drink soda pop and it was hard to find an interesting drink to go with a good meal.  I don't like sweet drinks so the standard Shirley Temple is not for me. I told the bartender my trouble.

He asked me what I liked and mixed me up a special mocktail.  Actually, mocktail doesn't seem like the right word because although it was non-alcoholic, it was a wonderful drink, not a mock-anything.  I would even order one now!  It was a little savory, the perfect amount of spicy and a bit of citrus. This was the first time in seven months that I sipped my drink and did not feel left out when everyone had their pre-dinner cocktails.

Oh, I am off the subject, I have never noticed this Panini Window before.  I must learn more. This window has got to be a good thing because I love Serafina.  I love paninis.   This is an example of why I like my bike commute and it is one of the true joys of a bike commute.  I get to see my neighborhood from a different perspective.  I find new things that I don't see when I am on the freeway in my car.

Tomorrow, it is no more solo, back to me and my baby.

Riding Solo: Happy Hour?

I love being a mom but riding solo I thought it could be nice to stop and check out a place that looked fun.  I have been riding by the Venik Lounge.  Have never seen it before.  Maybe on my way home.....

A Word About Safety

Of course I worried about starting the bike commute. I had read the safety reviews and other parents' comments before I purchased the child seat. The one I have is made by iBert and it is called a t-seat.

I had bought the iBert the last summer and tried it out without the baby first. Then I rode with the baby for a few blocks to test the balance before I went on a longer ride.

When I ride I know I am not strong enough to go uphill and I don’t try and push myself. I have also mapped out routes that, although they take longer, have less traffic and official bike lanes.  I tested the route on my own before I rode with my baby.

Again, To Bike Or No?

This bike commute with a baby is full of choices. I will buckle the sleeping baby in the car seat, and then do I ride my bike home or put the bike in the truck and just go with the family?

Not So Far, Not So Good

The city workers hit a gas line and rather than deal with an evacuation, I took my baby out of daycare. I still need to finish a project for work and I have to do that using my home computer. The project needs to be emailed by the end of the day.  In other words, I need to ride from work to home with my baby and when I am home, I need to get back to work.

I almost took a bus home but thought the ride would be easier. To take the bus I have to load my bike on the front of the bus, which is impossible with a toddler. I am sure a kind stranger would help but that leaves me with the same problem getting off the bus. It seemed easier to ride my bike, but the little man fell asleep.

I did not like to see him looking like a bobble-head on my handle bars. He was still supported only by the chair with no support for his head and neck.  His head bobbed up and down and back and forth with the motion of the bike. It is freaky.  For me, I think he needs to be an active participant in the bike ride and if he is asleep, I need to be even more protective of him. I could feel the mommy protection instinct bubble up. I had to call for a rescue.

It feels like defeat as I wait for my husband to pick me up with a toddler sleeping in a bike helmet on my lap two blocks from work.

To Bike or Not?

It is gray and feels like rain. This is demotivating for a bike ride. My reasons for bike commuting are exercise, getting outside, enjoying the summer and spending time with my baby boy.

On my to-do list I have: touch up a project, work that I have complete on my home computer, buy gifts for a party tonight and be home, dressed and ready with wrapped gifts by six o'clock. All this could be done in a day using a car. Oh yeah, I also have to mail packages.

This day is a hard day to justify a bike ride. Guess I could babble on about air quality and sustainability and how my green ways are more important than blah blah blah. But that is not true for me, and that is not why I am riding. There are many great side effects to bike riding but these are not my primary concern. Bike riding is for me and all this stuff (mailing, projects, gift buying) is for others so you know what? I am going to ride!

At 6 PM we'll see how I feel about this decision.