It's been a while since I posted a music video. This one has some serious cruisers, ape hangers and all.
Plus, it's catchy! And has public transportation. And rowboats. I like to put it on and dance around my apartment.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
easter ride
I visited my family in Victoria for Easter weekend and we celebrated Spring by going for a bicycle ride along the Galloping Goose trail starting at Luxton Fairgrounds and riding as far as Roche Cove. The weather surprised us by being perfect. The trail, being an old rail line, is probably one of the flattest you'll find in the Victoria area. (Islands. That whole mountains-rising-from-the-sea thing. Sheesh.) This section of the trail passes through a variety of areas, including some farm areas, some dark, damp forested areas, and some of those open, rocky areas where you can smell the Arbutus trees and dried grasses. Another nice surprise was when we stumbled upon O, who works with my family (my dad, mom, and sister all work together), on a ride with his partner E and their 1-year-old baby E in a chariot. Despite the fact that they're more athletic about their riding than the rest of us, they'd also come a farther distance (and E was pulling the chariot) so joined us for the last leg. At the far end, we stopped for a short lunch before turning around to ride back. Despite the fact that it was deep into the most stressful time of year for most of the group (they're all in accounting), everyone seemed to agree that this was pretty great way to spend a Saturday.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
spring weekend(s)
I haven't had either of my bicycles out since Thursday.
!!!
On Friday I bussed it, because I met up with Melanie after work for dinner at Nuba and a showing of Bill Cunningham New York. In some situations, walking+transit is the most appropriate mode of transportation.
On Saturday, it poured! And I mean poured. The kind of rain that is more common in other places but not here in drizzle-land. It was fantastic to be sitting at the window of a coffee shop when the sky let go, watching everyone on the street run for cover and the gutters fill up like mini rivers. I hadn't been wearing my gumboots so got a bit soggy on the way home, but-- meh. It's not January, so I don't really mind. I don't melt.
On Sunday (today), I went clothes shopping, which I do rarely because I usually find it such a chore. (I do enjoy fashion and the preparation of an outfit, but for some reason dislike the process of filling my closet in the first place.) Instead of riding, I -- again -- walked+bussed. In the circumstances, it just make sense.
So those pictures above?
Yeah, they're from last weekend.
It seems I'm getting lazy.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
piecycle races are coming your way
Piecycle!
Piecycle!
I want to ride my piecycle
I want to ride my...
Hm.
Friday is "treat day" in my department and yesterday it was my turn. I baked an apple pie and a mixed berry pie (only one with a from-scratch crust, though) and transported them to work the best way I know: by bicycle.
I took my older bike because it has the wider basket that was able to fit the containers. You can only see one of them in this photo; the second was in a flat box underneath that red towel.
The pies arrived at work completely unscathed. Mission accomplished.
Piecycle!
I want to ride my piecycle
I want to ride my...
Hm.
Friday is "treat day" in my department and yesterday it was my turn. I baked an apple pie and a mixed berry pie (only one with a from-scratch crust, though) and transported them to work the best way I know: by bicycle.
I took my older bike because it has the wider basket that was able to fit the containers. You can only see one of them in this photo; the second was in a flat box underneath that red towel.
The pies arrived at work completely unscathed. Mission accomplished.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
on two feet
One of my favourite things to do on a gently rainy day is to go for a walk.
The pace is always unashamedly slow, meandering in gumboots and raincoat. The smells of nature rise above the usual perfume of the city. I smell soaked cedar, soggy soil, and greenery disturbed by water.
Even at my slowest on a bicycle, I wouldn't get quite this much detail. I lean in with my camera, examining the individual droplets coating every leaf, petal, and stalk.
At the edge of Stanley Park, garden pathways invite, but there are still pockets of wild. Ferns unfurl in dark corners that rarely see sunlight. Moss creeps out across any available surface, glowing the bright green of new spring.
Love the rain. After all, if this wasn't city, it would be rainforest.
The pace is always unashamedly slow, meandering in gumboots and raincoat. The smells of nature rise above the usual perfume of the city. I smell soaked cedar, soggy soil, and greenery disturbed by water.
Even at my slowest on a bicycle, I wouldn't get quite this much detail. I lean in with my camera, examining the individual droplets coating every leaf, petal, and stalk.
At the edge of Stanley Park, garden pathways invite, but there are still pockets of wild. Ferns unfurl in dark corners that rarely see sunlight. Moss creeps out across any available surface, glowing the bright green of new spring.
Love the rain. After all, if this wasn't city, it would be rainforest.
Monday, April 11, 2011
a "spring" ride
On Saturday, Melanie and I took our bicycles for a spring ride.
I'd had a metal shard removed from my rear brake by the bike shop that morning, so was eager to get out for a ride, as I'd been using my other bike for most of the week until I could get to the shop.
Her bike is turquoise with a red seat and mine is red, so with much chromatic intention (read: none) we valiantly had an outdoor lunch on these appropriately-hued chairs. It was still a bit chilly, so our "picnic" was fairly short. Good thing we could continue to enjoy each others' company outdoors in another simple manner that kept us at a better temperature for this early spring day: riding.
There were many sights to be seen, including this weird but wonderful overgrown shed with... um, wooden banister-things nailed to the side of it? Sure.
Regretably, the sun didn't make an appearance, but it didn't dampen our enjoyment of the ride any less. (Not figuratively OR literally.)
It was still pretty fun anway.
I'd had a metal shard removed from my rear brake by the bike shop that morning, so was eager to get out for a ride, as I'd been using my other bike for most of the week until I could get to the shop.
Her bike is turquoise with a red seat and mine is red, so with much chromatic intention (read: none) we valiantly had an outdoor lunch on these appropriately-hued chairs. It was still a bit chilly, so our "picnic" was fairly short. Good thing we could continue to enjoy each others' company outdoors in another simple manner that kept us at a better temperature for this early spring day: riding.
There were many sights to be seen, including this weird but wonderful overgrown shed with... um, wooden banister-things nailed to the side of it? Sure.
Regretably, the sun didn't make an appearance, but it didn't dampen our enjoyment of the ride any less. (Not figuratively OR literally.)
It was still pretty fun anway.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
not just a passing phase
Now that I've been riding for 2 years and am quite confident that it's not just a passing phase...
...I've made an investment.
A leather saddle by Brooks, model B72.
When it rains, I cover it in this nice shower cap purchased for less than $5 at the drugstore.
I bought it at the Denman Bike Shop, whose staff/owners were friendly, helpful and informative. They reviewed my bike and installed it right then and there with no delay. The thing I love about their shop is that form and functionality are considered equally important. In much of the bike world, form is secondary, but here they seem to be big believers that you can have your cake it eat it too-- or have bicycles, parts and accessories that you love to look at and know that they're still doing their job.
The breaking-in period for the saddle is going fine so far. The first few rides were a tad less comfortable than usual, but I started to notice improvement quite quickly and it's only getting better. Looking forward to many, many more.
...I've made an investment.
A leather saddle by Brooks, model B72.
When it rains, I cover it in this nice shower cap purchased for less than $5 at the drugstore.
I bought it at the Denman Bike Shop, whose staff/owners were friendly, helpful and informative. They reviewed my bike and installed it right then and there with no delay. The thing I love about their shop is that form and functionality are considered equally important. In much of the bike world, form is secondary, but here they seem to be big believers that you can have your cake it eat it too-- or have bicycles, parts and accessories that you love to look at and know that they're still doing their job.
The breaking-in period for the saddle is going fine so far. The first few rides were a tad less comfortable than usual, but I started to notice improvement quite quickly and it's only getting better. Looking forward to many, many more.
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