One woman. Many bicycles.

Fashion Weekend Edition: Kathy in Signature Teal

18 Jan

Add a little personal style and a mundane chore takes on a whole new attitude. For Kathy, that means rolling down to Ava’s Market in a cozy tunic sweater, slouch booties and a hat-style helmet, all in shades of teal. Her bike? A cruiser in teal of course. If you see a flash of teal ride by in Mountain View, it’s got to be Kathy.

Whether it’s for her three-bag weekly shopping or a quick stop on her way home from work, Kathy loves Ava’s Market for its custom service. It’s small enough to take requests for stocking items, and big enough to have a deli with a rotisserie. Her secret: call in the morning and they’ll have a roasted chicken ready for her at 6pm.

: Kathy’s helmet is incognito under a hat with a silky sash, both in shades of teal.

: Teal slouch boots are hard to come by. Wherever did she find them?

: Even her bike earrings are teal. Not shown: the teal wisp in her silvery hair.

About Fashion Friday: Inspired by a 2011 Bike to Work Day challenge sponsored by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, this series highlights the broad range of “dress for the destination” bicycling fashions.

5 Comments

Posted by ladyfleur on January 18, 2015 in Cycle Fashions

Bike Commute Diaries: Surprising Bump in Ridership

15 Jan

It’s January: cold, dark and hardly the peak of the bike commute season. Yet the once-empty Caltrain bike car has been brimming with riders bound for San Jose. New Years resolutions? More jobs in San Jose? Global warming? Your guess is as good as mine. Until I get bumped for lack of rack space, I’m not complaining.

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About the Bike Commute Diaries: Launched in May 2012 for National Bike Month, this series explores the unexpected and surprising things I’ve seen and learned about bicycling for transportation.

4 Comments

Posted by ladyfleur on January 15, 2015 in Commute Diaries

Barging in Europe: Living Without A Car

04 Jan

A couple of years ago my mountain biking friends Dave and Becky ran off to Europe for a life plying the canals and rivers on a custom-built barge they aptly named Wanderlust. While they adapted quickly to the boat’s tight quarters and living car-free, some things weren’t so easy. They saw photos of me shopping by bike, asked a few questions, and now have made space on board for something to take the hassle out of car-free shopping: a bike trailer. Here is the story of their trailer, re-blogged from their Wanderlust blog.

Wanderlust

Our Croozer in its cart configuration

Though some barges are designed to carry a car on board, Wanderlust does not have the capability. This means that when we cruise about the waterways, we are car-free. Surprisingly, we don’t miss having a car. In fact, we find the absence of a car to be liberating. But in truth, not having a car does make the practical day-to-day necessities more challenging. Life without a car requires more planning.

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Posted by ladyfleur on January 4, 2015 in Gear Talk, Travel

The Flood of the Decade on the Guadalupe River

19 Dec

We were barely halfway through December when the weather service declared it our wettest in 60 years. I wasn’t surprised. After two weeks of near-daily rain I don’t bother checking the weather forecast anymore. On my way out the door I put on my full-coverage raincoat and rain boots, double bagged my laptop and stow it in my hardiest Dutch panniers along with heels and a second pair of tights. Is this what it’s like to live in Portland?

While 7.43 inches in a month may not sound exceptional, in our semi-arid climate it’s about half our yearly total of 15 inches, and almost twice the meager 3.8 inches we got during last year’s drought. In a normal year, the Guadalupe’s trickle is more creek than river, but last week the Guadalupe lived up to its river name. Add a few bateaux or pirogues and it would look like a respectable bayou back home in Louisiana.

When the “storm of the decade” was forecast for last Thursday with 35 mph winds and heavy rain, there was a brief moment when I considered working from home or driving to work instead. Curiosity got the better of me, though, and I’m glad I went for it. The tailwind was 20 mph at best, the rain was steady, but not blinding, and I got to see the river go from normal to flooded to normal again within 24 hours. It was worth getting a little wet.

What’s your bad weather limit on the bike? At what point do you decide it’s not worth it and drive or take transit instead? How heavy a rain, how low a temperature or how much snow on the ground does it take?

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Posted by ladyfleur on December 19, 2014 in Around Town

Fashion Weekend Edition: Holiday Party Pizzazz

14 Dec

The little black dress wins again. Why search for a new party dress when you can gussy up an old favorite with festive accessories? A peacock blue cropped jacket, a multi-strand jewel necklace and lace stockings turn basic black into a holiday delight. While you’re at it, gussy up your bike with some festive colored lights too.

: Pointy-toe slingbacks in deep bronze are a fresh alternative to basic black.

: A large draped collar makes the perfect frame for a showcase necklace.

: A cross-body purse keeps essentials safely at hand at larger affairs.

About Fashion Friday: Inspired by a 2011 Bike to Work Day challenge sponsored by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, this series highlights the broad range of “dress for the destination” bicycling fashions.

3 Comments

Posted by ladyfleur on December 14, 2014 in Cycle Fashions

Bike Commute Diaries: An Up Close & Personal Look

12 Dec

For over two years I’m shared snippets of my everyday life in the Bike Commute Diaries series. Now, thanks to a local reporter writing a story on the future of bikes on Caltrain, you can follow me on a typical morning commute, hyperlapsed from about 60 minutes into four fast minutes. The video captures everything I love about my commute: relaxing on the train, popping into a coffee shop for a latte to go, cruising down the banks of the Guadalupe River, and chatting with friends I’ve met along the way. Thank you, Caltrain, for making it possible.

For more on the future of bikes on Caltrain, read the full story from the Peninsula Press.

About the Bike Commute Diaries: Launched in May 2012 for National Bike Month, this series explores the unexpected and surprising things I’ve seen and learned while bicycling for transportation.

5 Comments

Posted by ladyfleur on December 12, 2014 in Commute Diaries

Bike Commute Diaries: Soggy Gloves No More

10 Dec

My bike clothing for rain falls into two categories: ones that repel water and ones that stay warm even when soaked. My heavy-duty raincoat and knee-high boots do a stellar job keeping things dry underneath. But I couldn’t find any comfortable water-repelling gloves, so I settled for fleece-lined gloves with a synthetic shell.

How do I avoid putting on clammy, damp gloves at the end of the day? Newspaper. Good old newspaper.

If I cram wadded up balls of newspaper tightly into my gloves, shoes or anything else I want to dry out, within an hour the moisture is wicked away. Then my hands will be dry and warm for the ride home, at least until the rain comes down again. So when the rain starts coming down, I head for the newspaper rack.

About the Bike Commute Diaries: Launched in May 2012 for National Bike Month, this series explores the unexpected and surprising things I’ve seen and learned while bicycling for transportation.

6 Comments

Posted by ladyfleur on December 10, 2014 in Commute Diaries

One woman. Many bicycles.

Fashion Weekend Edition: Kathy in Signature Teal

Bike Commute Diaries: Surprising Bump in Ridership

Barging in Europe: Living Without A Car

The Flood of the Decade on the Guadalupe River

Fashion Weekend Edition: Holiday Party Pizzazz

Bike Commute Diaries: An Up Close & Personal Look

Bike Commute Diaries: Soggy Gloves No More

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