This morning early -- before the daily heat wave -- Bella, the bike, and I went along to Whole Foods for some provisions. This was my first time in the New Apartment taking the trip, and it was a huge success. Only the initial (and final) crossing of the road was nervy, with huge amounts of fast-moving traffic due to to monring commutes.
But overall, it was all good. And hey. by 9 am I was done with my "required" daily exercise. Pretty good!
Showing posts with label Bella. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bella. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Wednesday = Bike Day #2
Rode Bella in to work today... not so bad today I wanted to die. Now if my helmet didn't make me look dorky and my hair didn't end up "helmetty." Ah, vanity!
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| My morning ride, Bella |
Friday, November 26, 2010
Bella in the shop
Finally, I took Bella for her annual check-up to the new location of my bike shop, the same place I bought her from. They've moved south of DownTown Big D to a funkier, warehouse-y area that will probably all too soon be gentrified and bland.
I strapped her to the back of the car using the new bike rack and gendered-holding bar, and actually drove through the busy streets of Big D yesterday.
Bad news: the beautiful panniers I bought are disintegrating. The straps apparently cannot hold up to the sun, heat, and nasty water of the area, and literally fell off in my hands. Ugh.
Good news: Bike store is fully-functional in new space and funkier than ever. They are checking her tires (both flat!) and gears and springs, etc. Picking her up Saturday.
She needs a hosing down, too: lots of mud from the last couple of weeks.
I strapped her to the back of the car using the new bike rack and gendered-holding bar, and actually drove through the busy streets of Big D yesterday.
Bad news: the beautiful panniers I bought are disintegrating. The straps apparently cannot hold up to the sun, heat, and nasty water of the area, and literally fell off in my hands. Ugh.
Good news: Bike store is fully-functional in new space and funkier than ever. They are checking her tires (both flat!) and gears and springs, etc. Picking her up Saturday.
She needs a hosing down, too: lots of mud from the last couple of weeks.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Oxford Bikes, 2010
I just found a folder full of photos from this summer that I never uploaded. Bikes from Oxford's City Center.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Bella
My beautiful bike Bella has been having a hard time of it.
She spent the summer outdoors while I was away, and now is the beginning of the rainy season in our fair city. Unfortunately, when I was out back last, she also had a flat. The bike store where I bought her, which specializes in cruisers, has moved downtown, and there is no other place nearby.
Which means buying a bike rack for my Ford Escort, so I can transport Belle to the bike shop for her check-up and possibly a new tire (this is the third flat on the same tire). I found one online that carries only a single bike (rare!) and can be used on a hatchback as well as a sedan. It is even in a store near here. Since I bought a "girl bike" I also need to shell out $36 for a bar to carry my bike like a straight-bar bike. Once again, being a girl costs extra for accessories! $36! The rack costs $50!
But I want to get Bella up and running so I can stay a/ healthy and b/ cheap on gas. Want to become an all-weather rider, as well as expanding my bike route. Ideally, I will be using it to go to the grocery store, pharmacy, and coffee shop, as well as school. "Ideally."
Update: bought the rack Saturday, as well as the "girl bike" converter. And an ORANGE safety vest, which Ihad been wishing I had for some time, given the dark mornings and afternoons. This week, I hope to get the tire fixed as well as the check-up, and then we're off! Back to riding in to work.
She spent the summer outdoors while I was away, and now is the beginning of the rainy season in our fair city. Unfortunately, when I was out back last, she also had a flat. The bike store where I bought her, which specializes in cruisers, has moved downtown, and there is no other place nearby.
Which means buying a bike rack for my Ford Escort, so I can transport Belle to the bike shop for her check-up and possibly a new tire (this is the third flat on the same tire). I found one online that carries only a single bike (rare!) and can be used on a hatchback as well as a sedan. It is even in a store near here. Since I bought a "girl bike" I also need to shell out $36 for a bar to carry my bike like a straight-bar bike. Once again, being a girl costs extra for accessories! $36! The rack costs $50!
But I want to get Bella up and running so I can stay a/ healthy and b/ cheap on gas. Want to become an all-weather rider, as well as expanding my bike route. Ideally, I will be using it to go to the grocery store, pharmacy, and coffee shop, as well as school. "Ideally."
Update: bought the rack Saturday, as well as the "girl bike" converter. And an ORANGE safety vest, which Ihad been wishing I had for some time, given the dark mornings and afternoons. This week, I hope to get the tire fixed as well as the check-up, and then we're off! Back to riding in to work.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Day Eight,Week Two of the Commute
Thus far, everything is... going smoothly. I am finally getting a handle on the timing involved in getting everything papcked into the bike, commuting, and then unpacking and preparing me for class each day. I teach four days weekly, so there are two distinctly different commutes: one that is for an all-day, two course + meetings commute, and one that is a single class, then gym commute.
I am definitely getting braver and more assertive about cars. Drivers in my 'hood tend to want to rule the road--especially in their Lexus/Mercedes-Benz/range Rover/Hummer mentalities (Big Expensive Cars). They do not want to dawdle behind a bike, even one as spiffy as mine. Luckily, there is little traffic, and everyone has been courteous when push came to shove. At stop signs or lights, for example.
Ironically, by near-collision came as a result of a mother opening the road-side backseat door to load her toddler into the car seat from THAT SIDE. Huh? The road is one parking lane and two driving lanes wide, with either side parking. The mother has the door wide open--into the lane, while the toddler stands next to her. Cars coming both ways, me on the bike... looked like disaster. Mom wasn't exactly rushing to get toddler out of harm's way, either.
Fortunately, both cars and I slowed way down and let her finish whatever.
My panniers have come in handy, since I am loading up backpack and panniers. Laptop, textbooks, and lunchbox go in panniers, while everything else goes in backpack. I am already considering ways to lighten the load by duplicating items to store at my office. But I still want to carry lunch: cost of lunch on-campus is just short of $10 daily (all you can eat buffet with sandwiches, salads, omelettes, etc.--healthy options!) and I can carry lunch for 1/4 of that. Since saving is one of my goals...
And the big weight will be relieved when I get my new laptop next week--a smaller, lighter MacBook. I am also investigating ways to cheat by not bringing textbooks, but copied pages/chapters... which means I won't feel so guilty marking them up, either.
Slowly, slowly.
Pearl
I am definitely getting braver and more assertive about cars. Drivers in my 'hood tend to want to rule the road--especially in their Lexus/Mercedes-Benz/range Rover/Hummer mentalities (Big Expensive Cars). They do not want to dawdle behind a bike, even one as spiffy as mine. Luckily, there is little traffic, and everyone has been courteous when push came to shove. At stop signs or lights, for example.
Ironically, by near-collision came as a result of a mother opening the road-side backseat door to load her toddler into the car seat from THAT SIDE. Huh? The road is one parking lane and two driving lanes wide, with either side parking. The mother has the door wide open--into the lane, while the toddler stands next to her. Cars coming both ways, me on the bike... looked like disaster. Mom wasn't exactly rushing to get toddler out of harm's way, either.
Fortunately, both cars and I slowed way down and let her finish whatever.
My panniers have come in handy, since I am loading up backpack and panniers. Laptop, textbooks, and lunchbox go in panniers, while everything else goes in backpack. I am already considering ways to lighten the load by duplicating items to store at my office. But I still want to carry lunch: cost of lunch on-campus is just short of $10 daily (all you can eat buffet with sandwiches, salads, omelettes, etc.--healthy options!) and I can carry lunch for 1/4 of that. Since saving is one of my goals...
And the big weight will be relieved when I get my new laptop next week--a smaller, lighter MacBook. I am also investigating ways to cheat by not bringing textbooks, but copied pages/chapters... which means I won't feel so guilty marking them up, either.
Slowly, slowly.
Pearl
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Start Up
Yesterday, I rode Bella to My U for the Dean's meeting as a trial run.
Good News: while the ride took more time than the same car trip, it was a more pleasant ride all around. I had no trouble locking Bella up to one of the two bike racks--where I think several of the bikes are actually rejects left behind. They had flattened tires and looked as if they'd been on-site for several weeks, if not months. Sadly.
The ride to My U is all uphill (also a new discovery), which means that the ride home is all downhill. What a great discovery! Granted, none of it is a big grade up or down, but sweet that the ride home will be easier.
I think that making the trip at 8:30 am will be different than at 2:30 pm, however, will involve a lot more car traffic than I encountered, given my experience with driving in at that time regularly... which also suggests use of alternate routes. There are at least three.
I also made the ride with regular teaching clothes: heeled sandals, skirt, t-shirt, and over-the-shoulder purse. Very easy, and again good news. I was definitely sweaty and breathing hard once I arrived, but not as much as I thought. Yay! Keeping clean shirts in the office and an icy water bottle will probably solve the worst of this problem. Regular riding will do a lot more.
Today is another trial run, for a short meeting requiring nothing but keys, etc. Tomorrow will be the real test: a full day of classes, requiring laptop, folders, texts, etc. -- and my lunch.
Pearl
Good News: while the ride took more time than the same car trip, it was a more pleasant ride all around. I had no trouble locking Bella up to one of the two bike racks--where I think several of the bikes are actually rejects left behind. They had flattened tires and looked as if they'd been on-site for several weeks, if not months. Sadly.
The ride to My U is all uphill (also a new discovery), which means that the ride home is all downhill. What a great discovery! Granted, none of it is a big grade up or down, but sweet that the ride home will be easier.
I think that making the trip at 8:30 am will be different than at 2:30 pm, however, will involve a lot more car traffic than I encountered, given my experience with driving in at that time regularly... which also suggests use of alternate routes. There are at least three.
I also made the ride with regular teaching clothes: heeled sandals, skirt, t-shirt, and over-the-shoulder purse. Very easy, and again good news. I was definitely sweaty and breathing hard once I arrived, but not as much as I thought. Yay! Keeping clean shirts in the office and an icy water bottle will probably solve the worst of this problem. Regular riding will do a lot more.
Today is another trial run, for a short meeting requiring nothing but keys, etc. Tomorrow will be the real test: a full day of classes, requiring laptop, folders, texts, etc. -- and my lunch.
Pearl
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Bella, The Bike
Turns out my bike is a Bella Beach Cruiser Bike made by Firmstrong. I thought it was a Felt from my discussion with the person who sold me Bella, but having visited the Felt site for information on the recall and doodled around, nuh-uh.
Instead, my research led me around to the ABikeStore.com site, where my beauty resides. Since this was one of my favorites when I was (briefly) considering ordering a bike online, I am pleased about that.
Ironically or perhaps by the hand of fate, Isabelle is one of my favorite names.
Hmmm.
Synchronicity. Synergy. Syncopation.
Instead, my research led me around to the ABikeStore.com site, where my beauty resides. Since this was one of my favorites when I was (briefly) considering ordering a bike online, I am pleased about that.
Ironically or perhaps by the hand of fate, Isabelle is one of my favorite names.
Hmmm.
Synchronicity. Synergy. Syncopation.
Pearl
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