So after all the Pedalpalooza fun I’m off.  Hope your having a good summer, I’m leaving for a couple weeks so I wont be writing here for a while.

I had a great time meeting all of you and riding out to Sellwood.  It was the first ride I’ve lead and I think I’ve learned some things.  When I do it again maybe I’ll make the destination a little funner and try an alternate route for more of a loop than a back and forth.

The ride was even a Mercury pick for Monday:

• The Big Girls Ride
Not everyone is a vegan bike hipster with five percent body fat. If you are a lady who describes herself as “Rubenesque,” this is the ride for you.

So thanks again for coming out, I can’t wait to do it again next year.  (maybe sooner)

Hello everyone I just wanted to through out a reminder that The Big Girls ride is tomorrow at 6:30pm!

THE BIG GIRLS RIDE

Eastbank Esplanade , 5 SE Madison St, Portland (Next to Vera Katz statue)

6:30pm - 7:30pm

This is a ride for curvy/fat/zaftig/rubenesque women.  Big girls ride bikes too so let’s go for a ride together.  Easy route on the east side of the Willamette River.  Riders of all skill levels encouraged, nobody gets left behind.
Robin, phototrongmail

Confused, have questions what to give me some suggestions give me a haller!  Otherwise I’ll be seeing you tomorrow!

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.

If you hadn’t noticed I’m out of school for the summer which means I have more time to ride and blog.  I am trying to get the Large Riders Resource page up top full of previous post and other helpful things to make this blog more useful if that’s why your here.

I also wanted to get in gear and write a couple more large rider specific post as well as ride reports from here in Portland and parts beyond.  My only real trouble is which the ride reports since I’m a a bit archaic at times and still happen to use a film camera and feel like I need to include photos.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hello,

Just in case you’ve been wondering what I’ve been doing here is the awful truth. I’ve been studying and write paper. U have two weeks left so wish me luck but don’t expect to see me much till after that.