Adventures of Crazy Biker Chick

Greetings from Tofino!

2008-05-12T15:48:00.000-07:00

Devinci and I (and touring partner Dave) have reached Tofino despite my fears we would never make it here in one piece. First there was the summit to contend with before getting to Port Alberni (described as a hump) which to a flatland loving cyclist was quite hard to make my way up. And of course then I had to overcome my fear of descents. The road between Port Alberni and Tofino had been

How to get two bikes home

2008-04-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

For the non-straight armed inclined. And with weather much too nice to want to take transit instead of the bike for a single commute. Day 1. The new bike is ready! Walk to the shop from work leaving the beater in the underground garage at work overnight (the garage is locked in the evening) and ride the new lime green bikey home. Yay for lime green bikeys. Day 2. Ride Twenty to work (without its

First brevet of the year

2008-04-29T20:47:00.000-07:00

I was really excited about riding my first 200k brevet this year. I missed the first one on the schedule, my legs didn't feel ready for it, and I was still recovering from a nasty cough which I kept pushing through. But Sunday was going to be the Grand River brevet - a new route to me, and sounded lovely and scenic. Remembering my mistakes from the past I was determined to be organized and ready

Signs of Spring

2008-04-03T21:01:00.001-07:00

I'm having a little trouble telling that its actually supposed to be spring here as we're off to a pretty chilly start. But there's always some telltale signs: Changing tires: bye bye inefficient knobby tire, hello speedy slick tire. Or so I thought I'd get a spring burst of speed. But no, the beater is feeling as clunky as ever. Now that the salt appears to have vanished I can hunt down the

First ride of spring!

2008-03-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

Do not be fooled by the snow in the picture. Its a mere staging game by Old Man Winter to deceive you into thinking its not bike season yet. Do not be fooled by the balaclava. Its merely a fashion accessory, and not at all needed to keep my head and neck warm from the wicked wind and below freezing temperatures. Because it is spring! The air has changed, it has that spring smell about it. It

Score another one for Old Man Winter.

2008-03-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

I must have jinxed this winter by deciding who needs studded bike tires in downtown Toronto, we never get that much snow. This past weekend's big blizzard was just one more snowstorm on top of what seems like a neverending series. Over the years I've gotten less stubborn, and know when its best just to leave the bike at home and take transit instead. Of course days when its too bad out to bike

Dear Winter

2008-02-27T18:19:00.000-08:00

Dear Old Man Winter, We've had some good times over the past season. The other weekend I went to Ottawa for the Winterlude festival, and enjoyed a skate on your world's biggest outdoor skating rink with about 100,000 other folks that had the same idea. Now of course you had to subtly (or not so subtly) remind me that you, Winter, are more powerful than mere man-made plastic: You may be able to

Winter Cycling in the News

2008-02-21T22:09:00.000-08:00

(click for larger version) Full text (sans lovely photo) here.

Catching up!

2008-02-13T18:35:00.000-08:00

Did you miss me? I didn't intend to disappear for so long. Just haven't felt inspired to write. But always inspired to keep on riding. What's new? I have a new homemade cargo trailer that my friend Mark helped me build. Its perfect for bulk kitty litter and cat food shopping. And garden supply buying in the spring! (okay so I may be dreamin' of spring about now) I'll post some construction

Random Numbers and Tired Relationships

2007-11-14T19:25:00.000-08:00

After not feeling like blogging for a while, I seem to have a big backblog of things I wanted to blog. I'm a wee bit obsessive about numbers so here's some random ones: 2007 mileage so far: 6447 km 3413 km on the touring bike, 2844 km on the "beater" bike, 104 km on Raleigh Twenty (great for short rides on sunny days, picking up pansies and carting things like a big bowl of chili around in the

From the Peanut Gallery

2007-10-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

Maybe the extended summer weather is messing with people's moods (bring on the cool crispness of fall already!) but there seems to be a lot more commentary from the peanut gallery lately while riding. Today's ride, a driver leaning out of some sort of government van (it had an Ontario logo on it): "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to " Hecklers never stick around. He was off

Urban Jungle vs. Quiet Countryside

2007-10-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

Last week on my way to work a car and I collided. This is my first unintentional contact with a motor vehicle in 20,000 km of urban riding. Queen Street, car turns right unexpectedly from the middle lane, I see him doing this, I turn with him to avoid, I can't turn quickly enough, I bounce off the mirror (it was a minivan so higher mirrors), yada yada. I did not fall, and it did not seem to hurt

Good Bikey Karma

2007-09-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

Sunday was the most glorious sunshiney unseasonably mild day. The perfect day for hundreds of smiling cyclists of all ages to make their way along Bloor Street in a cacophony of bells. A very pleasant surprise to see the bicycle cops ride with us and stop traffic at intersections. That works much better on motorist nerves than random corking. (unless you happen to be Trumpet Guy. Who can get

The madness has to stop.

2007-09-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

My blood pressure cannot take it. Commuting by bike is making me edgy because of all the motorist road rage that's out there. Its a really small percentage of drivers that are bad - but because of the number of motorists you encounter in any given day even 1% is too much. Add in a much larger percentage that are not paying a great deal of attention to driving due to cell phones, passengers,

Comment Comebacks

2007-08-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning's commute. On the bridge on Queen Street just before River, approaching a light, middle of the curb lane. HONK. Check the rearview. Must distinguish homicidal honkers from mere irritated honkers. Looks harmless. I shrug. What am I supposed to do? I'm right behind the cars in front of me. The SUV driver changes lanes and winds down her window as she pulls up beside me. "Do you

Another 300K that got away

2007-07-24T19:16:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the blog hiatus, it never seems there is enough hours in the day, and I'd rather be on my bike than writing about it! Also all my old images are currently missing until I get some blog hosting issues sorted out. Two weekends ago, I decided to make another attempt at doing a 300K brevet. I don't think I was quite determined that I could ride that far in a day and that I wanted to ride

Heating up road rage

2007-06-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

The hot, humid and smoggy weather seems to be elevating everyone's level of road rage. I'll admit its not just drivers, I'm feeling a bit cranky myself, but I assure you crankybikerchick is much less harmful to your life expectancy than cranky motor vehicle operators. So its day 2 of the new commute. Forecast is about 35C, humid, smoggy. While the commute is short enough I should not sweat, this

Catchin' Up

2007-06-25T19:46:00.000-07:00

I haven't disappeared, I've just been having more fun riding than writing about it. I started a new full-time job today which I'm very excited about, and also very excited to have a regular bike commute again. Its a pretty short ride (about 6 km) but its great to get to work fast. When I want a long bike commute I can always head west (say to Port Credit) and then loop back to work. Funny when

A hot day's ride (or the 300k that never was)

2007-05-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, I successfully completed a 200 km brevet. (and plan to post a ride report!) While I struggled around the 150 km mark, I had a second wind after stopping for greasy pizza in Campbellville and finished with loads of energy left. Spurred on by this, I was thinking bigger and better things when signing up for a 300 km brevet yesterday. Visions of Paris danced in my head. To qualify for

Recipe for a Mood Booster

2007-05-22T21:13:00.001-07:00

Sorry folks for the lack of posting lately! I am having far too much fun enjoying the lovely spring weather and always on my bike to be writing about being on my bike. Some rainy day I will get around to the backlog like fun with recumbent bikes, and a ride report for my recent 200k brevet. Take one lovely sunshiney spring day. Bring one fun vintage bikey that has been languishing in the

I Bike T.O, You Bike T.O, We can all bike T.O.

2007-05-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

Check out the new website IBikeTO.ca - a resource for commuter cyclists and wannabes in Toronto. Its the brainwave of a group of enthusiastic cycling activists including myself, and we've just launched the site. The main feature is a group blog, but we also have discussion forums, profiles of commuting cyclists to inspire you to get started, and a still evolving guide. Want some fun things to

Never say I've never...

2007-04-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

I remember as a kid saying I've never been stung by a bee, and then presto - the next day I think I stepped on one barefoot. Today someone was telling me that they would like to bike in the city, but that everyone they know that does has been injured by a door prize. I've never been doored I mention, and then I knock on some wood. Better than knocking on wood of course is not riding within the

Sunshine

2007-04-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

What a glorious warm day! By the time I got out on the bike it was too late for any epic exercise rides, so I decided to follow a perennial favourite - westwards along the lake. I meant this to be a training ride but it really ended up as a very leisurely paced (and totally flat) 50k ride just to soak in the sunshine. My passion is really for urban cycling, as a practical way of getting around.

Soaking up Spring

2007-04-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

Finally after so many days of cold gloomy rainy April, one that really feels like spring. Where just being out on the bike is gleeful. Soaking up the sunshine. No having to put on gloves or balaclavas or rain pants. Not even a coat. Stopping to grab a slice of pizza I sit and watch all the other smiling people on bikeys going by Queen street. I love bike watching. Destination: Bike Pirates. A

Bikeable City - Are We Losing the Fight?

2007-04-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

Come on out tomorrow, Wednesday April 11 at 7 p.m. to this free town hall meeting hosted by NOW magazine, moderated by Mike Smith. I'll be one of the panelists, along with: Adam Giambrone, city councillor Dan Egan, Manager, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure Wayne Scott, Toronto Hoof and Cycle Courier Coalition Darren Stehr, Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists Hamish Wilson, Toronto Cycling