Posts tagged ‘Xtracycle’
utilitaire 5.12
After giving myself a few days off – no biking, swimming or much of anything else – I got back out today, thankfully feeling more like myself. I rarely get sick, or injured, and typically try to push through it if I can. But taking a few days to rest and lay back was a good thing, I think; I feel so much better than I did on Friday.
It was raining all morning, but the clouds began to break up shortly after noon, so I decided to make a grocery run – #5 on my Ultilitaire control card. Two bags of groceries, a gallon of milk, a quiet ride through dripping trees, cows in damp fields, and the smell of springtime in the air. Zig-zagging a route on back roads and out of traffic, feeling my legs again after several days off of the pedals. Mileage guestimate: 7 miles. Daffodils emerging: gazillions.
yin & yang storm clouds
back roads home
daffodils
utilitaire 2.12
We didn’t get rained on. Of course. Because we brought rain gear.
Number 2 in the Utilitaire Winter Cycling games … and I’m having a hard time deciding how to log this one, but will settle on #6: Any Store That Is Not A Grocery Store. Basically a run around town, from hardware store to bike shop (yes, again) to coffee, to groceries to cupcakes (!). Mileage: 21-ish. Rain: none.
It began with a trip to the hardware store, because we needed some new axe handles. We do a lot of chopping around here, you know. Well, maybe not me as in we … but still. Can’t have those ax heads flying off the handle.
hardware store
needing handles
mission accomplished
Then we got to head over the bike shop because I had forgotten a thing or two when I was there the other day. It was exciting. We got to witness a really amazing explosion … (Charles, my bike guy has a great sense of humor with these things; he made the video).
From the bike shop, we stopped and met Grant for coffee. He was killing some time before heading to work, and we were just … killing some time. And trying to test our fate with the rain gods.
We hopped on the Greenway and stopped for some groceries, and then headed over to Chattanooga Cupcakes for some desert for later on. And while I doubt that I burned enough calories to even eat the sprinkles off of one of these things, I just cannot resist …
Greenway
groceries
cupcakes
CUPCAKES!!!
We got home just as the first drops of rain arrived. Perfect timing.
When I thought about today’s ride, I often wonder what the bird’s-eye view of our route looks like. We wind our way on less-traffic’d roads, hopping on the Greenway whenever it works out, and taking what sometimes feels like a rather circuitous route. I know I could go on Google Maps or Map My Ride and officially map this thing out in an accurate way, but I decided to just doodle it. Obviously not really to scale or accurate, but close enough. Surprisingly, it doesn’t look as chaotic as I thought it might.
So two of twelve completed, ten remain. Bikes: 2. Rain: 0.
not in any way accurate or to scale
(un)remarkable
Even on a trip to the store, biking there always erases the “un” from unremarkable.
It’s been a rather dismal week, weather-wise – rain, thunderstorms, hail and and even a brief showing of snow. All of which make me want to hole up inside with books, knitting, tea and a fire, rather than riding around looking at cows. My (brief) trips out were basically camera-less this week; I just wanted to get where I needed to go and be done with it.
Today the sun appeared – which is a good thing, because I had run out of milk and orange juice, having put off riding to the store during the past few days. So we set off on a quick trip to the store, along with a couple of errands. It was nice to be out on together on dry roads with the sun shining. Unremarkable (minus the “un”).
my struggle with brevity
still waiting for winter to arrive
I tend to fall behind, as you know by now … On my bicycle, as well as in posting to this blog in a timely manner. I try and tell myself that I should just try to make a habit of “quick and simple” – make it brief – rather than trying to wait for a time when I feel I really have something to say, something to write. I should possibly (probably?) treat this more like my messy disjointed journal and be more spontaneous, simple, and concise.
So I tell myself. And of course I never listen.
This time of year tends to be slightly less than crazy with the holidays just around the corner. My boys have all come home (smiles), the music has returned, the boys and their friends gather around the table for epic games of Risk late into the night, the shopping and the wrapping are in progress, and the baking will hopefully begin soon. (And to my friend Myrna, I am sorry but I have yet to try the macaron recipes… sorry.)
Rather than try to write anything more, I’ll leave it to the iPhone pics to tell the story of recent ridings and other sights. Brief. I’m trying to be brief.
cars passing
... and cows
knees and knickers
love match
$0.00 per gallon (and $1.00 for the newspaper)
no snow ... only white fluffy stuff of a different kind
arachnophobik(e)
today's bike rack "friend"
So I had to make a quick bike run to Target today. I arrive, go to lock up my bike at the rack, and spot this lovely little arachnid along the building next to my bike. It looked suspiciously distinctive, and upon closer (but not too close) look … yep, a black widow. (And yes, she was fully alive and well.)
Now it’s not that I have any big case of arachnophobia; I happen to think spiders are kind of cool – as long as they are not crawling on me. But this one, being a little package of poison – I swear she was eyeing my bike and thinking how nice and cozy it might be to sneak into my panner while I was in the store. It looked like a mighty nice home, rather camouflaged, nice and dark, an easy place to hole up … and wait.
Yes. I’m an idiot. And my mind runs in ridiculous directions. Never the less, I moved my bike to the other side of the building. Just in case.
looking for a new home in my bike?
a color-coordinated house for your 8-legged "pets" (?)
rainy
It’s been strange weather. Very warm, pretty windy. Fronts coming through. Rain. It’s like the weather can’t commit to becoming winter-like. Sigh.
Days have been filled with errands, commuting, and not much else. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will return to cold and crisp and sunny over the next few days. Also hoping there will be some Thanksgiving break rides with my boys, home for the holidays.
Meanwhile, wishing everyone a peaceful time with friends and family – and a very happy Thanksgiving.
rain puddles & threatening clouds
foggy mornings
a window of "nice"
hat
#CyclingCapTuesday ... before the rains came
things we carry
Xtracycle: carries anything and everything ... and more
I’ve seen several other cyclists post pictures and discuss the stuff they carry by bike – especially among my commuter friends. It’s interesting to see. The stuff of daily work, laptops, cell phones, keys, locks, cycling caps, spare parts, cameras, snacks, books, Moleskines … It’s as varied as the bikes they ride.
And I’ve recently been following a couple of very visually interesting sites: What Do You Carry and Things Organized Neatly. They’ve made me think about the things I carry every day, and the ways I typically carry all of this stuff I cart around – especially when I’m on my bike. I always have some bike “emergency” items (multitool, spare tube, levers, etc.) stashed in a small saddle bag – but for my daily-use stuff of every day life, I typically use a Rickshaw bag, a Chrome messenger bag, an Ortleib Back-Roller pannier … or, of course, any bag/purse/tote on my Xtracycle. They all serve me extremely well, form and function.
my Rickshaw custom poppy bag
my Chrome messenger
the things I carry ... every day
While the contents are not always so neatly organized, I thought I’d lay things out just to see what I carry nearly every day. It was an interesting exercise. Here’s the (rather ridiculous) list of the inventory:
- a snack (today it’s an apple)
- sunglasses (usually on my head)
- camera (varies – but today, my 7D with 24-70mm f2.8L and 50mm f1.8)
- iPad
- “Wreck This Journal” by Keri Smith (an ongoing project … long story)
- wallet
- keys
- stylus
- eyeglass cleaning cloth
- lip balm
- iPhone
- reusable shopping bag
- three Lamy fountain pens (different nibs and ink colors)
- Moleskine journal/sketchbook
- journal pen/brush assortment
- headphones
- Flapper Girl coffee cozie
- watercolor field set
- green tea mints
Sorry, no bacon. Or beer. If you have any interesting photos of the things you carry by bike, I’d love to take a look and share them on my blog. Neatly organized or not. :-)
bicycles and fireworks
Best way ever to celebrate Independence Day … family, friends, and Xtracycles packed for a picnic, concert and fireworks along the river. :D
Happy July fourth!
Coolidge Park & the Walnut Street Pedestrian Bridge, Chattanooga ... at dusk
let the fireworks begin!
critterpalooza
lens cleaner
(You can thank me now – despite the initial scare, this is a 100% goat-less post). 
There has been a lot of rambling around lately … because I am obviously honing my non-productivity skills. And because the weather is beautiful, and I’d rather be out on my bike goofing off, rather than, well … cleaning out the attic or mowing grass.
I’ve been drawn to long rides on the Xtracycle lately. As someone once perfectly described – it’s not the lycra-clad fast and furious stuff (as if I ever do that), but more of a “long, slow boogie”. Typical me. Carry a picnic lunch, stop and talk to cows, linger in the fresh green of spring.
So … a few of the sights of recent days, because there’s not much more to be said.
exploring un-named roads
... and always finding more cows
things that haul...
... and things that haul "better"
the curious ones ...
and the not-so-curious ones
pink-ness
the "end"
