BikeSkirt » bikes to bars

Even Pirates Get the Blues

Elisa — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:22:39 +0000

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A little late, but a post about the Pirate Alleycat that I raced in a few weekends ago. It was a stunning day for a race and I was really sad that I woke up sick. Ah well, racing anyway! Kelly and I dressed up and headed out. We were happily surprised to see a ton of people in Pirate’s Alley in the French Quarter. It was a Saints game day, so there were a lot of other people out there to watch us take off. Best part of this city: No one asked why we were all dressed up!

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After waiting and waiting, we finally got our manifests and took off. The race took us all over town, 14 miles total. We climbed jungle gyms, fought with paint covered swords and made pirate balloons for our bikes.

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After the peg leg challenge, Kelly got a flat. Unfortunately, we did not have a spare tube. We considered stopping at a nearby bike shop, but I felt too icky. We walked, grabbed a beer and hitched a ride home with a friend.

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All in all, the day was a blast. Can’t wait to race in the next one!

How to vacation the Bikeskirt way

Anna — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 02:00:08 +0000

Rossitron and I recently returned from a vacation for the ages. Wedding in Atlanta! Final beach visit of the season in Pensacola! ELISA TIME IN NEW ORLEANS!!

Our plan was this: beer.

Ok, we did ride our bikes a bit. We enjoyed an afternoon road ride from Pensacola Beach to Navarre and back with my dad, who recently got a road bike of his own and seems to have been bitten by the bike bug! The wind was great when it was at our backs on the way to Navarre, but the way back was pretty brutal.

Side note: Boys are good to have around in many cycling situations. For this ride, Rossitron made a great wind breaker. Thanks babe!
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Of course we rode around New Orleans with Elisa as well, mostly on the quest for food. If you find yourself in Nola in need of a good breakfast, get yoself to Slim Goodies and get the Creole Slammer – crawfish etouffee over hasbrowns with a fried egg on top. HEAVEN.

This time around we decided to enjoyed the glorious street car for a day as well, which made it much easier to view the beautiful city and drink Daiquiris.

But lest we forget the most important thing: beer. Drinking in the streets is the way to live (on vacation anyway)! Abita Fall Fest = delicious.

Superhero cyclists

Elisa — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 21:17:28 +0000

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Whenever I change from my sweaty ride to work clothes (on the days when I don’t wear my work clothes to ride…like when it is 100 degrees), I always feel like a superhero. Going into the bathroom (no more phone booths) and changing and coming out a different person: poof!

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By morning and night she is a hard core cyclist, weaving in and out of traffic, saving the earth and looking good doing it. By day she is a farmers market manager, wearing sundresses and being diplomatic and nice.

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Anyone else ever feel this way?

Joyride

Elisa — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:04:55 +0000

With the heat as insane as it is (not to mention the humidity), I don’t go on joyrides as much anymore. Mostly it is riding to and from places, which is nice in a new city, but not the same.

This Monday I had a meeting in the French Quarter, then another in the Marigny area. I decided to take advantage of my ride home to do some exploring and eating and joyriding. After riding a bit in the Marigny neighborhood. I stopped by Shiro’s Cafe to grab some lunch (after realizing that my go to, Cake, was closed). Great atmosphere, yummy lamb gyro and a beer later, I took off riding again.

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Through the French Quarter in areas that I rarely ride in, as most locals avoid the Quarter like the plague, I found some streets blocked to cars during day hours! I had no idea, and was glad to see how pedestrian friendly it is (Could also be that too many tourists, drunk from hand-grenades and walking around like it is Disneyland, led to this decision…).

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The CBD had some amazing graffiti that I have wanted to look at more closely, so of course I took a ride over.

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Got home just in time for a summer thunderstorm to lull me into a nap. Great day!

Bike Second Line

Elisa — Wed, 25 May 2011 03:04:38 +0000

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Sunday morning I rode out to mid-city for the 3rd Annual Bike Second Line, put on by Bike Easy (formerly the New Orleans Metro Bike Coalition), our bike advocacy group. I signed up to volunteer, so when we rolled out at 10am I was already dripping sweat. No problem, the brass band and group of 100′s perked me right up. Plus, everyone was sweaty and having a blast!

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We rode a 10 mile loop around the city with the Bone Tone Brass Band playing the whole time. We had police escort and took over the streets with bells ringing and arms waving. Tourists in the French Quarter loved us and residents all over the city came out to dance and wave. I love a group ride, feeling safe and protected from traffic, the only time I will ride sans-helmet (which feels AMAZING).

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Afterward there was a small party, for which I helped pour beer. After enjoying meeting new folks, including one bike blogger in particular, I headed over to the Bayou Boogaloo with my friend Emily. We wandered about, looked at beautiful t shirts, heard some music and sat on the Bayou. People came on foot, by bike and even by canoe. It was a beautiful sight!

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After stopping for a life changing alligator sausage po-boy at Parkway, I headed home. 6 hours later and sunburnt I was ready for a nap.

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I can’t wait for next years Bike Second Line! More photos here.

Bloggy Meet Up

Anna — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:26:01 +0000

While in Portland, I met up with Tammy and Logan from Rowdy Kittens. We rode bikes, we ate burritos, and we drank delicious beer at a dedicated beer and bikes bar. It was heavenly, a magical place!I loved meeting Logan and Tammy. They are great people who are doing what they love where they are most happy. We didn’t talk much about their simple living goals, more about Portland as a cycling city (they gave great advice on where to ride in town and even brought a map for me), but next time I’d love to hear more about their passions and the whole tiny house movement, which is a completely foreign concept to me. More power to them!
The bar was decorated with all sorts of bike stuff, and they had a big screen showing cycling movies, and some random surfing stuff. The beer we had was truly delicious stuff, especially that chocolate stout, of which brewery I cannot recall. Mmmmm chocolate stout…being that it’s 10:30 am I don’t think it’s quite beer time…yet ; )

This bike rack was specifically for the bar. Insane!

Good People

Elisa — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:32:44 +0000

photo from here.

A great weekend! Rode all over the place…to the top of a parking deck (and back down…motion sickness…), to a brewery for a special friends and family July 4th party, to church(es), the farmers market AND farm, Jazz in the Park, lunch, and just around town. I can’t remember the last time I rode this much just to ride.

How was your weekend?

Balmy Thursday

Elisa — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:50:20 +0000

A great end to a long, hot, stressful week. Jonathan and I took a quick ride (me on Freddy, him on Sweaty Betty) to Rojo for a quick beer before he leaves town for a week and I begin a long weekend.

Chicago Cocktail Party Ride!

Elisa — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:17:42 +0000

Hey Chicago readers, please join myself, Dottie and others for a lovely Friday night Cocktail Party Ride!

We’ll meet at a cocktail lounge in Wicker Park at 7 p.m. The ride will meander around the north side and stop at a few fine places for refreshments. Check back here for more details.

Dottie is so sweet to organize this to introduce me to the city and the awesome folks who live and ride there. I am very excited!

Alas, Ellen won't be there.

Now…what to wear? Must go shopping…

OH…and Saturday morning, Cyclin’ Missy and I will be celebrating Dottie’s birthday with a lovely ladies only brunch in Chicago. It is like a dream come true; lovely ladies, bikes rides, brunch, birthday and blogging! Please join us if you can. Details coming for that as well.

Hope to see many new and friendly faces. Boys, I want to see you in your best Friday night! Ladies, Saturday will be just lovely.

To bikes and (new) friends!

Nashville Magic

Anna — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:11:36 +0000

We both had a great time in Nashville this past weekend; bonfires and good people beer and pool parties and bike rides and arrested development marathons. I was amazed at how different the riding was in Nashville compared to Birmingham. I was joking with a friend here, saying that “we rode mostly on bike lanes and actually got somewhere”! I saw my first tall bike in real life, and a number of other riders and bikes out. We got a good amount of honks and waves as well, it seems that people just can’t get their heads around seeing a guy wearing a linen suit whilst riding a bike. It was magical. And the weather! Perfection itself.

It was pleasure to meet all the riders! I’m looking forward to seeing you all again soon at our next fancy dress ride.