Lookie! It’s the Bici Coop 3rd Annual Ladies Alleycat! Per usual, men must wear skirts to race.

Event will start and end at Rushton Park. Registration starts at 1:30, race will roll out promptly at 2 pm.

Route around downtown Birmingham (not over the mountain), lots of great prizes for all sorts of things so everyone has a chance to win. After the race we’ll have a picnic in the park hosted by Green Central Station – lots of great food and lawn games will be provided.

We’ve got some AMAZING prizes from:

Cahaba Cycles - http://cahabacycles.com/
Church Street Coffee and Books - http://www.churchstreetshop.com/
Charm - http://www.charmonsecond.com/
Chrome Messenger Bags - http://www.chromebagsstore.com/
Naked Art - http://www.nakedartusa.com/
First Avenue Rocks - http://firstaverocks.com/
Piebird Design - http://piebirddesign.com/
Po Campo - http://www.pocampo.com/
Primavera Coffee Roasters - http://primaveracoffee.com/
Sarah Johnson, Massage Therapist - http://www.sarahjohnson.massagetherapy.com/
Urban Cookhouse - http://urbancookhouse.com/
Urban Standard - http://www.urbanstandard.net/
V Richards - http://www.vrichards.net/

A huge thanks to Green Central Station for partnering with us for the after party and providing the bulk of the food and beverages. Some food will also be provided by Urban Cookhouse.

Going to be the best thing ever! YAYAYAYA!!!

Yes, that would be the Rapha Silk Scarf, GoRide Iphone mount, bike keyholder and Boneshaker Almanac!

The Rapha scarf was actually won on Twitter, but I consider it a Christmas gift (I followed the folding guide and think it looks pretty hot) and the Boneshaker is my copy since I have a commuting diary included in it (Go read it…now, go!).  This silk scarf feels like…well, silk, on my neck and does a good job of keeping it just warm enough.  Plus it came with a note that said “A ‘gentle-lady’ on a bicycle needs a silk scarf” and was wrapped so beautifully that I nearly melted just opening it.  Then I put it on and was in love.  It really does class everything up just a bit.  I may or may not be planning outfits around it for this weekend.  Maybe…

Silk Scarf Fridays here I come!

oh, and did I mention that I got a new job?  Just before Christmas I found out that I will soon be the Project Coordinator for a local food non-profit.  This is exactly the sort of work I have wanted and hoped to do, so for my hard work to pay off in this way is so nice!  I am ready to start and hopeful that I can make a difference in Birmingham in a new and exciting way.

What exciting things did you get under your tree?  I hope it was a lovely holiday for all of you.

PieLab, an initiative of Project M, is focused on community development and engagement in Hale County, AL.

PieLab is a welcoming community space on Greensboro’s Main Street that provides delicious pie and coffee, as well as retail and hospitality job training for local youth through the YouthBuild Program. More than simply a pie shop, PieLab operates as a community design center focusing on community development projects and small business incubation in Greensboro and the surrounding five counties.

From their website, mmm.pielab.org

I walked in and noticed one thing: BIKES! They were all over the place. After talking a bit, they mentioned that they wanted to start a bike collective and needed some help. hurrah! We exchanged cards and ideas, ate some killer pie, visited a bit and then set out.

Dirt walls!

For the next hour we drove through Hale County to see the Rural Studio projects. It was inspiring, to say the least. Oh, did I mention that our tour guides were one past and one present Rural Studio students? Yeah, that was awesome.

Mason's bend Chapel project

After the car tour, we parked back at Pie Lab and 3 of us took our bikes and toured the buildings in Greensboro. It was a blast, seeing the inspiration and work of hope-filled, talented folks. If ever in Alabama, I highly suggest you check both out. A sweet, inspiring day spent with new and old friends. A good day.

Dash and Andrew in front of 2 of the 20K homes

Dog Pound Project

For the full set of photos, check it out here. Thanks to everyone at Pie Lab, Rural Studio and the awesome folks we let me tag along!

Oh, did I mention I crochet?  Well, I decided to crochet up a little top tube cover.  Isn’t it lovely?  The hardest part was crocheting it onto Freddy Mercury.  I have to say, it looks damn good!

Behold my masterpiece

before-top tube

after top tube

close up prettiness

So among many other things…I am a knitter!  It’s been a while since I’ve made anything, but for some reason I was inspired to create these rockin’ fingerless gloves.  If any of you, dear readers, are also a master of this hand craft and feel so inclined as to take on this formidable project, then you can find it at knitty.

Alternatively, I might be persuaded to make you some (for a large fee of course).  Note that these are gender neutral, made to your specific hand size, color preference, and can have any number of knuckle messages.  Why not get a few pairs – one for when you’re feeling nice (bike love), and one when you’re feeling mean (yall suck).

email me • anna@bicicoop.org

A crew of about 25-30 bikes rode to the Atlanta Library for a workshop on Grant acquisition. It was about 55 degrees and the sun decided to show up to help us along the way. We passed through a tunnel full of graffiti (one of my favorite things about urban living is graffiti…I love it all) and I thought ‘this can’t get any better’. THEN the red and yellow tandem fellow (who, I should add, is B.E.A.utiful) pulled out a harmonica and started playing. I was humming along and bobbing my head, a huge smile on my face. A mile or so up I started paying attention to the girls riding behind me, who were having a discussion about how to effectively collect and harness rainwater at their apartments and bike shops.

If that is not a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon, I don’t know what is.

oh, and I was telling someone about BikeSkirt and she said “oh, my husband and I just saw your site yesterday! We love it”.

I love my life right now. Bikes and skirts and friends and sunny days with harmonicas.