It’s Pedalpalooza time again!

Hello everyone!  It’s Pedalpalooza time here in Portland and I’ve been so busy out having fun that I forgot to bring it up.  You can go to the Pedalpalooza website to see the 200+ events or grab a current issue of the Portland Mercury for a printed copy.

There are a lot of options for all skill level and I’ll be leading the big girl ride during the last week of the event.

Anyway, I’m off to have more fun.  But Portland get your butt outside and ride and if your reading from anywhere  else maybe you can do some of these kinds or rides where you live.

Notes from the single life: The bike date

I don’t often write about my personal life but I thought some of my recent observations might be interesting. The bike date is a common sight here in Portland; especially since the weather has gotten so nice. What could be more wonderful than riding along with someone at a cadence that suggests you have not a care in the world. The sight of a bike date has always made me smile and I always loved going with my sweetheart up the Springwater or out for dinner and a beer.

I had grown so used to riding with my former sweetheart that I forgot how awkward a bike date can be. Spending years riding with the same person often even in the same gear like riding a tandem thats been cut in half. Riding with new people is fun but sometimes trying on the nerves.

The trick with a bike date is taking it easy. Take side street and spend lots of time side by side. If your riding with someone new you also want to make sure your communicate which way your turning and other simple things like that. Your getting to know each other. Unless otherwise stated a bike date is not a race this it is completely unacceptable to “drop” (leave them in the dust) your date.

With the basics out of the way I wanted to mention one of my recent experiences:

I am pretty much a daily rider. I ride to the store, to school, to work and just about anywhere else for business or pleasure. I am pretty open about that, when I meet people bikes usually comes up in the conversation.

I met a nice young man at a house show and we exchanged phone numbers. He called me later and asked me out on the classic bike adventure date. Ride somewhere you’ve never been together and see what happens on the way. He met me near my house and when and we headed to Fubonn riding up Clinton Street. It turns out his bike was in serious disrepair. His front tire pressure was so low he was nearly on the rim and he only had 2 working gears on his 10 speed. This was fine but as soon as I realized this all I wanted to do way go home and fix his bike since he was struggling needlessly. He didn’t want to take me up on my offer so we continued on. His communication skills where poor often taking a turn without warning (a couple times across busy streets) and we would become separated while I waited for cars. I knew he didn’t ride very often but his lack of consideration was a turn-off. So weather true or not I have decided that the way people ride on a bike date is a symbol of their general attitude. If a man is kind and considerate on a bike date he is most likely that way the rest of the time. If he is brash, stubborn and ill prepare he is most likely this way off a bike.

Food for thought during your next bike date.

Summer is on the way!

The days of cold are coming to an end.  It might be rainy but I can still sleep with the window open at night so I’d say we’re well on our way.  So if you’ve been avoiding it get our on your bike.  Take a ride around the neighborhood, go down by the river and check out the pirate ship docked near the Hawthorne bridge.  Look at the shift calender for some scheduled fun.  Remember pedalpalooza is just around the corner so be ready to have fun by having plenty of fun before hand.

Ride of Silence

I going to be at the ride of silence in Portland.  I decided to buck up and go.  It’s important in a larger context and if I loose my shit I can stop at any point.  It might feel better than last time because I wont be alone I’ll be with others.  So if your in meet me at NW Park and Everett maybe we can get a beer afterwards.

Above all be safe.

To ride or not to ride.

A classmate of mine was killed last October as some of you might know.  The driver was finally sited and I was content not to rehash it more that I needed to.  I had panic attacks leaving my house and a things where generally kind of a downer around school.  I went on the memorial ride for Tracey after she died and swung by school and wrote my thoughts about Tracey in the notebook for her parents and presided home.  I was a bit of a wreck and not really in riding condition resulting in a conflict with driver in the pearl right after I left PNCA.  Some of the conflict was be not being assertive and some of it was him.  I wanted to tell him why I got upset but his windows where up.

Okay, why am I bringing this up?  Portland is holding a ride of silents and I’m feeling conflicted on weather to go or not.  Is it necisary, can we teach motorists anything from this?  Will I be mentally competent to finish the ride after getting to Tracey’s bike?  Could my time be better served working with PNCA to get student bike trailers next year and possible covered bike parking.

It’s tomorrow, I have a little time to think this over but I’m getting ball in stomach just thinking about it.  Sorry for such a downed piece after such a long break.

More about the ride.

Looks like I can add the pedalpalooza ride whenever I want.  So ladies what do you think would be better a weekend ride or a weekday ride in the evening.  I would be inclined to make it a weekday evening but It’s not for me it’s for everyone.  Maybe I could do one of each.  Hum,  I’ll chat it up tonight and see but give me some feedback ladies.  Thank you so much for encouraging me.

Oh and should this be women only or co-ed?  I was thinking keeping it all girl would add to the comfort but it seems a little mean to tell the big guys they have to get their own ride.

Just an idea.

I was thinking it could be really fun to have a chubby/fat/curvy girl ride as part of pedalpolooza.  Easy ride share tips tricks etc.  Anyway to anyone who reads this send some feed back my way.  I already proposed it I would just like to know if there is interest for a ride or some sort of workshop.

A quick note for Portland.

Hello I am busy, busy, busy with school right now but wanted to repost this and do my part to get the word out. Feel free to do the same.

PORTLAND – Crimestoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for help in finding the
person who hit and seriously injured a bicyclist and drove off.

Jessica Osborne was bicycling on North Rosa Parks Way near the intersection
with North Albina Street the evening of April 3 when she was hit from behind by
a 1990’s silver or gray car, possibly a Buick or Oldsmobile. Reports say the
driver appeared to be a young black man, and another man was a passenger.

The vehicle turned into the parking lot of a convenience store and drove north
on North Albina Street.

Osborne was seriously injured and spent several days in Emanuel Hospital. She
was released April 10 and is recovering at home.

Investigators believe the car’s windshield was broken during the collision.
At the time of the crash, the passenger window was covered with plastic.

Anyone with information is asked to call Officer Chris Johnson at (503)
823-2213.

Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information
reported to Crime Stoppers, that leads to a resolution in this case. Callers
may remain anonymous. Call Crime Stoppers at (503) 823-HELP (4357).

Helpful videos about frame geometry

Brought to us by the lovely ladies at terry.  (note this is for a road bike but much of this is still very useful to any rider)

They are still adding videos about geometry but this could be pretty helpful, you can find them here.  The bikes they sell may not be what a novice want but they do make well live bikes as well as saddles. (plus size cloths too)

On choosing a bike: Part 2

Wheels can make quite a difference. The most important thing for a larger rider to consider is wheel strength. If your wheels aren’t strong enough they can go out of true. When a wheel is in true it is perfectly straight. If the wheel takes a hard hit it can get slightly bent or a spoke can break. Breaking a spoke will also affect the tension of the wheel making it go out of true.

The rim material is also important for braking. If you live somewhere rainy you want to avoid steel rims because you wont be able to break as easily. Aluminium is a much better stopping surface than steel and pretty common with newer bikes.

The wheel size will affect the durability. The smaller the diameter of the wheel the stronger it is. 26″ wheels are stronger than 700c wheels. The main problem with the smaller wheel is something called rolling resistance. See Sheldon Brown if you want to get technical. Rolling resistance isn’t much of a problem unless your aiming for speed. It’s also easier to get going from a dead stop with a smaller wheel than a larger ones. There are other wheel sizes but these are the most common you will see.

A slick 26inch tire is going to be much easier to use than knobby mountain bike tires. Unless your riding off road you don’t need need the knobby tires. secondly keep your tires properly inflated and you should be in good shape. As far as pumps go, if your not going to carry one with you don’t buy a travel pump buy a floor pump they are much easier to use.
Rims:

When looking for rims try to find a touring rim. These are often double walled are really strong. Again made for carrying a load. The rear wheel is the most important wheel to for strength since it carries most of your weight. I am a huge fan of Mavic A719 for a 700c rim. They are super strong.

A strong rim is especially important if your buying a 700c because they are more fragile. If you have 26″ rims they are stronger and you may not have to consider further action.

Spokes: The more spokes you have the more your weight is distributed. If your can find a wheel set with double butted spokes they will be even better because they disperse the load over the spoke better.

If your are buying a brand new bike you may not have control over some of these thing if you get a bike that’s already built up. Wheels with double butted spokes must be build by a person thus making it much more expensive. Make due with what you think you’ll and if it becomes problematic you can invest in a new wheel or wheel set.

next up saddles!