1. My commute is about a mile of completely flat terrain – my building is freezing so when riding home I don’t break a sweat even though it’s 100 degrees. Amazing.
2. Very little traffic – my building is small and the only residential unit on the block in an area void of much life. I rarely worry about cars flying by or not giving me room. If they are there, it’s for a reason. I used to not like living in such a solitary area, but now I relish my time of solitude,and it’s still just a few blocks of easy road to my favorite places.
3. The industrial wasteland is strangely beautiful – I see photographers and videographers around my street all the time. I saw my friend Seth of Green Block Productions filming a guy walking down the street with a guitar yesterday!

With temps in the triple digits and a heat advisory looming, there is only one answer for me–”Why yes I am.”

As much I try not to and complain about it, I still find myself on the saddle, enjoying the ride day after day. Safely and adorably (ok, maybe safely and sweaty…)!

How are you making it in the heat?  It seems NY’ers are cooking naked.

Bike love to you all!

It was one of those drizzly rains where the sky is still wonderfully blue and the clouds are nice and fluffy. An afternoon ride home worth appreciating.

Part one is Social Cycling-from May 17-June 6

• Go on a group ride
• Leave a nice note on a bike, or say hi to a cyclist at a red light
• Schedule a bike date with a friend or partner — dress up!
• Recruit a non-biking friend for a ride
• Ride with your family

You must complete at least 2 events to be entered into the drawings.  Well, this week I did that and so much more.

Group Rides: Ride of Silence, check.  Bike to Work Day, check.  Tour de Cure (post coming), check.

Some photographic evidence supporting these.

Ride of Silence

Tour de Cure flat!

Bike to Work (from the Birmingham News)

I sure do hope I win.  These prizes are KICK ASS!  Check out the Flickr Pool as well.

The sun has been shining and the air warming.  To celebrate, I have been riding more.

1/2 way over a ride over Red Mountain!

HUGE house. ridiculously so.

Freddy enjoying the sun

Beauty in the ruins

The picture they put on the site is pretty goofy…capturing well my mild confusion!

It has been a cold, cold time here in Birmingham.  3 occasions of snow in the last week!  Oh, and I have had walking Pneumonia.  Good times.  I also moved successfully using panniers and friend’s trucks!  Here are some photos of our snow days. Enjoy.

But alas, the majority of voters decided that they preferred more of the same rather than progress.  William Bell, who’s been on and off the City Council since 1979, who has been continually involved in legal battles and investigations of corruption, and who was one of many who watched Larry Langford ruin our city while doing nothing, is our new mayor.  Ho hum.  To emphasize the general despondancy felt by my cohort, here’s some tweets from last night:

Welcome to Hell

This town is like a woman in an abusive relationship. wait….

I’m moving

Oh well. Time for another drink I guess

Eesh

At least it will be easy to change magic to tragic on all the signs

And a large amount of expletives better left to your imagination.

OK ENOUGH BEING ANGRY!  Sometimes you just gotta get that stuff out, ya know?  To relieve my depressed spirits, I rode by Forest Perk this morning on my way to work to grab a comforting cup o’ joe and shoot the shit with Elisa.

She was pretty happy to see me, I guess

Freddie and Whitey commiserated and encouraged each other

Riding makes everything better

Obviously, Elisa and I care about our city and truly believe that Birmingham has potential to be great.  It’s just discouraging when one is regularly reminded that you cannot depend on those who are charged with protecting your city and fostering growth.  As Elisa said, I intend to make my voice heard on issues pertaining to pedestrians and cyclists, regardless of who won.  My methods might just end up being more…guerilla…than I originally hoped.

Time for another drink I guess. and chocolate. and kitty cuddles.

Thanks Sylvia!

Joshua, a cycling badass

I digress…

So, they have DUTCH BIKES!  In alabama.  Startling and wonderful, I know.  Last weekend as I was serving up coffee, J pulled up on his Azor.  Being the pushy friend that I am, I told him I would take it for a spin while he shopped.  Which I did.  Of course I loved loved loved it.  Here are some photos documenting my wonderful experience, as well as some showing what a badass J is with all the groceries he carried up the hill.  This hill is not to be fucked with.  It is intense and would kill a lesser man.

A bicycle for 2? Maybe not!

on second thought, maybe we should borrow it for a date!

test riding in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot...classy

makes it look easy

coming up: Kristin’s Oma and the Bakfiets!  Richman’s FTW

The day he came home!

In addition to life being heavy, so has my new(old) bike! I recently acquired an old GT Slipstream hybrid (Thanks Bike Guy!) for my grocery and carrying needs. This bike is quite different from Freddy, being much more lumbering and upright. It took some getting used to, but I have been riding it every day for over a week (to my new job!). My legs are showing the difference. Turns out an upright bike uses completely different muscles than my racing bike (post coming about the hazards of cycling legs and bums and now ill fitting jeans!). Plus the extra weight…I am kicking ass! I think that when I get back on Freddy, he will feel so nimble hauling me up the hills.

phase 2: rack added

fully loaded...laptop bag and market bag filled!

enjoying the sunny day while I work