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photo by Alan Barton

The Bici Coop anniversary celebration was this past weekend and I was all bogged down with getting through that, but as most of you probably know, Alabama has been dealing with a serious weather disaster. I am very thankful that I, my family, and friends are alive and well, and most came through without property damage. However, many untold numbers are suffering tremendously, and I hope you will take a moment to consider helping with disaster relief in any way you can. Money, supplies (human and pet), time, blood, and more are all needed during this time. Here is just a small list of organizations working for the relief effort that you can donate to:

Red Cross

Christian Service Mission

Convoy of Hope

Greater Birmingham Humane Society

United Way of Central Alabama

Tuscaloosa Tornado Donations list

I’ve been asked about donating bicycles in particular, and right now I think the best place for that would be the Christian Service Mission. That is a few blocks away from where I live and where Bici is located – we can help attend to the bikes if needed and they’ll distribute.

If you want to send something down, call them first and let them know that you were told by me (Anna Carrigan, with the Bici Bicycle Cooperative) to send bikes to them. I don’t have any particular instructions from them yet other than a “yes we will take them”, so I don’t know when or how or what would be best.

Christian Service Mission

3600 3rd Avenue South

Birmingham, Alabama 35222

205.252.9906

Peace, hope, and bike love to you all!

edit: For bike donations, it might be best to just email me directly and I’ll keep a running list for when I know for sure that they are ready to take bikes – anna{at}bicicoop.org

My grandparents have cows. They stare at you very intensely.

The Long Leaf Trace is close by; my parents and I had planned to ride a few miles of it on Friday, but weather prevented us. We drove over to Sumrall and walked around for a bit before scurrying back into the warm dry car interior. My plan is to ride the thing some day soon, 80 miles there and back. Anyone want to join?

Thanksgiving day allowed a little bit of country road riding, but not nearly enough to counteract the 15 cookies and 5 pieces of cake and pie I ate. I did not race Sunday. Overall laziness ruled that week, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Hope everyone had a great holiday! Now it’s back to the grind.

my lovely office view

However, my little desk overlooks the street and I have seen a great many more people on bikes this week.  That is something to smile about!

Have you been riding more this week?  Has fall finally shown up for you?

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.

Bici had a few cans of Frame Saver that I bugged Heath to get for us months ago. When we got it I found out you had to strip it down to just a frame, spray it, let it sit for 12 hours, spray again and let sit again. Considering Freddy was my only mode of transport this was a challenge. So I did as I normally do…nothing. Until Tyree scolded me. “fine!” I thought, “geez, I’ll do it”.

Then it sat at the shop for 2 weeks due to random circumstances. damn. Last Monday I finally said to Heath “This must get done”. So we started…and immediately ran into trouble. The bottom bracket was stuck. Some pulling, cursing and a busted nose later, it was off. Everything else came of with no trouble, we sprayed it, plugged it up and I was happy. (btw-that shit is toxic…spray outdoors ONLY)

The week got away so the next chance I had to work was Thursday during open shop hours. No mechanic, no problem…I can do this.

Girls night at the shop!

Friday after work and a nose piercing outing (not mine), I went to work at the shop. 2 hours, tears, blood, cursing and a couple of phone consults, I had a completed bike. Turns out the expander plug for my handlebars was in my fork, and I scoured the floor thinking I had lost it. sigh. I was covered in grease (all over my face from wiping tears!) but feeling triumphant.

I called my mechanic friend and he said “you can’t ride that Elisa, it may not be safe”. “What?!”, I exclaimed “I have to ride it tomorrow morning!”. So I called Tyree and asked him to double check my work. 2 hours later he walks in with a bottle of wine and proceeds to tell me I did a great job and the bike was rideable!! I could have kissed him. SWEET! I had done it, all by myself (mostly).

Freddy is resurrected

A house in my 'hood (not mine!)

ready to roll out

A Christmas-time miracle.

I love to walk.  Walking with friends to our local bakery is, in my opinion, more enjoyable than biking because the bakery is up and over the mountain.  I much prefer chatting while walking up rather than huffing and puffing as we crank it (the most I can get out while biking is “can’t…talk”).  Walking with friends just because you need a visit is preferred as well – I haven’t really gotten down the biking and talking thing – traffic kind of gets in the way for me.  Traffic also makes me ride a lot faster and with much focus when I walk I have the chance to stop – to admire the changing season, to notice the individual playing with their dog in the park – it reminds me why I love my neighborhood.

Walking also allows me to listen to music or the much loved podcast.  Today while walking I listened to the most recent episode of This American Life, and laughed out loud (and then immediately looking around to make sure no one was around to hear me) at the scenario of a woman walking up behind her significant other, who must have thought that she was going to give him a hug, and inexplicably performing the Heimlich maneuver.  No, he was not choking.

So although this blog is about our love for biking, I gotta say that I love walking too.

Yet, I have only ridden once this week!! arg. Here are my stupid excuses:

Monday: was housesitting at a house that is actually closer to work, but farther from my safe route. So I drove to work instead of driving twice the distance to get somewhere safe enough to ride.
(I learned of a new route to work directly from my house that I plan to test run this weekend to make srue I know how to get there and the time it takes, etc)

Tuesday: RODE!!

Wednesday: Rain and storms predicted. Which did happen, but only in the middle of the day. So frustrating.

Thursday (today): woke up 10 minutes before i had to leave for work. Oops. So I had to drive like a bat out of hell only to get to work 10 minutes late. I also have to go somewhere immediately after work, which is when I really feel the pain of living in a cycling un-friendly city. There is no way to get to where I need to go on my bike. At all. All day today I have been sad that I didn’t ride.

Friday: I.AM.RIDING. no matter what.

The guilt and remorse has been too much! Do you feel this way, or have weeks like this? In the back of my mind I know that there is only a small window of time between freezing cold and stupidly hot and humid, so every day that I drive feels like a waste and a shame.

To sunny days and Spring Fever and getting back on the saddle!

(oh, are you coming to the Bici Prom??…I hope to see you there)