That I really never post on this anymore. I've been running around a bit, sleeping and eating a lot... and I think it might be time to set myself on a path towards a monthly or every-other-week rides. It's stressful to organise these rides, because I'm not exactly great at enlisting help.
So, here are some ideas....
The Chili Ride: it's chilly out! (but the snow is... kind of gone?) and I'd love to ride around and grab a pitcher or two at a bar or two and then make it back to (my place? Ballard is flat-ish) somewhere with a couple of crock pots full of delicious chili and a bunch of beers/booze and warm-ness.
[This is modeled after the rides/ski-ing with my parent's group the "the mamas" and my buddy David's Thursday Night Rides. TNR does the -somebody buys a pitcher (or 2 if there's a bunch of people) and when the pitcher is gone, they leave to get to the next bar (which is usually a few miles away) and etc. A good way to make a night of drinking not just a stumble-fest up and down a street, and to make it a lot more fun!]
Every-other-week ride: every week is kinda tough. There is always something going on, birthdays, dinners, dates, drinking-alone-time (believe me, I'm the queen of that last one...), etc. Planning these weekly rides is hard for me to do on my own- the week usually slips by and I'm still sitting on my hands trying to remember what day it is... The days could rotate, depending on the crowd... and then possibly make it a weekly thing.
Of course it is still nasty out, and I know I'd be on my own if I tried to get this started this coming week. (and that's some sad-drinking-alone-time, going from bar to bar pitcher after pitcher... probably wouldn't make it past the 2nd bar...hah, maybe 3...)
On a different note, I've been riding my lowrider cruiser bike around lately- it's been snowy and gross- yesterday was great, the snow was packed down and easy enough to ride on. Today was awful and super slushy, the shop opened late and closed early and I braved the gnarly weather and rode for 35-40 minutes home on that childrens bike... my knees and legs are not too happy. I got off very easy compared to my friend David- he just built up a new cross bike, just last night, and got hit on the way to work this morning. He's okay, maybe a little emotionally bruised, and the bike is okay (just had a shifter knocked to the side) but, it's never fun to get hit. PLEASE BE CAREFUL OUT THERE! Wear a helmet, go slow in bad weather, use lights (no need to go overboard... but just have something that everyone can see), and try and remember- people are STUPID; even if you do everything perfect you are very likely to experience the gnarly car vs bicycle incident. Be aware of your surroundings and the big metal boxes that move very fast.
Hokay, bed time! I'm going to Portland tomorrow to ride bikes and drink a bunch, and hopefully make it to a strip club... I've never been. (not even ever to Portland! I know! It's weird!)
Stay safe out there!
looooooove and more to come <3
Annie
Friday, January 20, 2012
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Trippin'
Well, summer seems to have come and gone- only a few nice days and of course I was working at the shop for those... but after a recent visit back to Mt. Rainier with my parents- I'm really wanting to get on my bike and just ride for hours and hours. Last fall I went on a bike tour with my buddy Trav Trav- we rode down to and around Mt. Rainier. It was a really good trip- there were definitely some tough times; my cleat broke towards the top of the climb when it was pouring and we were freezing... lots of false flats... but it was an amazing ride. I haven't been feeling like climbing into my spandex lately, but seeing the mountain yesterday really drew me back to the stretchy-pants drawer. We'll see how it goes. Maybe I will actually get the show on the road and get some ladies together! It happened once, but now my schedule has changed again (of course...) I'll keep you posted!
In other news!
+I'm most likely going to Interbike again this year! Just have to see if my boss will give me the days off, and then this September I'll be able to show off my pearly white legs in Vegas! Hopefully it'll be a better time than 2 years ago... Velo Bike Shop is really NOT the shop to go with. I'd be going with Joe- not a shop- so it'll be probably a lot less structured and weird. (well, could be really weird... but, hey that's part of the fun right?)
-I may be getting sick. Extra lame. Maybe I need a hot toddy....
okay, time to go. I'll talk to you kids later!
-A
In other news!
+I'm most likely going to Interbike again this year! Just have to see if my boss will give me the days off, and then this September I'll be able to show off my pearly white legs in Vegas! Hopefully it'll be a better time than 2 years ago... Velo Bike Shop is really NOT the shop to go with. I'd be going with Joe- not a shop- so it'll be probably a lot less structured and weird. (well, could be really weird... but, hey that's part of the fun right?)
-I may be getting sick. Extra lame. Maybe I need a hot toddy....
okay, time to go. I'll talk to you kids later!
-A
Friday, June 3, 2011
TNR
Well, well...
It seems I am keeping up the tradition and starting up THURSDAY NIGHT RIDES! Just like my buddy David in Eau Claire... I'm pretty stoked! Tonight we went on a little ride- met up on Cap Hill at Cafe Vita and rode up to 15th, then down to Gas Works Park, and then back up the hill. Pretty good turn out for not a lot of notice- I think there were 6 of us! We added one to our numbers at Recycled and rode up to The Stumbling Monk and had a couple of drinks, it was a good time. Look for more information about next week sooooon.
lots of love kittens!
-A
It seems I am keeping up the tradition and starting up THURSDAY NIGHT RIDES! Just like my buddy David in Eau Claire... I'm pretty stoked! Tonight we went on a little ride- met up on Cap Hill at Cafe Vita and rode up to 15th, then down to Gas Works Park, and then back up the hill. Pretty good turn out for not a lot of notice- I think there were 6 of us! We added one to our numbers at Recycled and rode up to The Stumbling Monk and had a couple of drinks, it was a good time. Look for more information about next week sooooon.
lots of love kittens!
-A
Friday, May 6, 2011
some more terrible poetry!
It's getting to be nicer out, and I started writing a little sappy/shitty poetry again. Enjoy!
can I accurately describe
these summer nights on the hill?
riding on the gray pavement
to meet kids in the streets
to find trouble in the night
to seek safe couches far away?
feel the crisp night air on your neck
the tightness in your fingers-
as you light your last cigarette
the wind blows past your face
and you wonder how it got so cold so quick
yeah, you've had a few drinks
but you'll get home just the same,
over that beautiful bridge
onto that pitch black trail
and over and over again
you just wish you could stop
just long enough to take in
all those breathtaking lights
and what this city is all about
but under your feet
the pedals they fly
'round and 'round
you spin-
you can feel the freeness in your soul
you know that these wheels
are taking you exactly where you want to be
and all I've ever needed
is right here,
with a bike underneath me.
have fun kittens! go ride a bike!
-A
can I accurately describe
these summer nights on the hill?
riding on the gray pavement
to meet kids in the streets
to find trouble in the night
to seek safe couches far away?
feel the crisp night air on your neck
the tightness in your fingers-
as you light your last cigarette
the wind blows past your face
and you wonder how it got so cold so quick
yeah, you've had a few drinks
but you'll get home just the same,
over that beautiful bridge
onto that pitch black trail
and over and over again
you just wish you could stop
just long enough to take in
all those breathtaking lights
and what this city is all about
but under your feet
the pedals they fly
'round and 'round
you spin-
you can feel the freeness in your soul
you know that these wheels
are taking you exactly where you want to be
and all I've ever needed
is right here,
with a bike underneath me.
have fun kittens! go ride a bike!
-A
Thursday May 12
I'd like to go ahead and make some plans- so starting this coming Thursday MAY 12th- I'm re-starting the weekly ride.
When: 7pm
Where: Cal Anderson (by the courts)
Invite everyone you know who wants to join our little bike gang. When we meet up I am going to try and have a little route in mind, but we can determine where to ride by who shows up and what the mood is like. IF ITS RAINING/REALLY NASTY OUT WE WILL POSTPONE UNTIL NEXT WEEK. If you want to come and can't make it until later- let me know (leave me a message on my landline: 206-325-6350 or call Recycled Cycles 206-547-4491 and ask for me) and we can work something out. I want a big group if possible!
As usual, it'd be nice to know who can show up beforehand so I can plan it out a little... but, I'll just be happy if people show up!
Cheers Kittens!
-A
When: 7pm
Where: Cal Anderson (by the courts)
Invite everyone you know who wants to join our little bike gang. When we meet up I am going to try and have a little route in mind, but we can determine where to ride by who shows up and what the mood is like. IF ITS RAINING/REALLY NASTY OUT WE WILL POSTPONE UNTIL NEXT WEEK. If you want to come and can't make it until later- let me know (leave me a message on my landline: 206-325-6350 or call Recycled Cycles 206-547-4491 and ask for me) and we can work something out. I want a big group if possible!
As usual, it'd be nice to know who can show up beforehand so I can plan it out a little... but, I'll just be happy if people show up!
Cheers Kittens!
-A
Friday, March 18, 2011
Spring Cleaning
There are a many things that you can do that will make your bike happy... but hopefully it’s getting nicer out, and you’re going to ride more soon... but whoa! What are all those grinding and weird noises? Every so often (depending on how much you ride...) you should clean your bike. Maybe it won’t eliminate all those noises... but it’s going to help. Generally cleaning entails: some rags, you’re ex’s toothbrush (or roommate’s...), some rubbing alcohol, and some elbow grease. I usually clean my bikes in my kitchen, because I have carpet everywhere else, and I can sweep up my kitchen.
The Frame:
Grab a rag, wipe down your frame starting from the top down. Use the toothbrush to get into those little places your fingers can’t reach: hubs, behind the cranks, under the brake calipers, etc. It’s a good idea to take off the wheels to really get in there, but unless you have a stand, it’s kind of hard to deal with.
Wheels:
Grab another rag and wipe down your rims, making sure to note the condition of the braking surface. If it feels like an hourglass, your rims are worn, and may need to be replaced. If they are really worn and you inflate your tires or hit a big bump/pothole, the rim itself can explode. It’s not a firery kind of explosion, but it’s pretty scary. If you’re not sure how bad is really BAD, let me check them out. Usually the manufacturer puts a little “wear indicator” sticker on the rim so you know when to replace it. (None of this really applies to old steel rims. If you’ve got an old road bike- Schwinn, Peugeot, Motobacane, etc- you may have steel rims. They are usually very shiny, and when it’s raining or wet out, you may not be able to stop. These rims are heavy, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard of these wearing down.) Make sure to also wipe down your brake pads- they will pick up little bits of metal (from your rim...) and grind down the rim even more... sometimes you need to use a needle to get the chucks out, but once they’re out you’re golden!
Drivetrain:
And now the hard part: the most difficult thing to clean on your bike will be the drivetrain. The drivetrain is your crankset/chainrings (front sprockets), chain, freewheel/cassette/fixed cog (rear sprockets), and derailluers. (well, those may not technically be classified as part of the drivetrain, but the rear derailluer has little pulley wheels which engage the chain so I’m going to include it.) What you need: That toothbrush, rags, degreaser (if you’ve got it, simple green usually works well, and it’s not some gnarly chemical.) and chain lube for when you’re done. If you want to be really thorough, a 5mm allen key and a chainring bolt “spanner.” (this would be to take the chainrings off, so you can really scrub ‘em.) You can always grab a chaintool and pop the chain off, but this isn’t necessary.
Use a rag and the toothbrush to get all the grit and dirt off your chain, this is where the degreaser comes in handy. Soak the rag in the degreaser and with one hand- grab a pedal and back pedal (so the chain moves, but the bike doesn’t) with the other hand that has the rag- grab onto the chain and wipe away all the old chain lube and any other bullshit that’s on your chain. I usually do this for a minute or two, or until I feel like it’s “clean enough.” Grab a dry rag and make sure you get off all the degreaser. Now you need to lube your chain* and you’re done!
(*To lube your chain properly: place a drop or so of lube on the roller of the chain link [the middle of the chain link, if you’re looking from above] and continue doing this on most of the links. Or do the backpedal method and try not to get lube everywhere... no body likes that! haha! After that, wipe off all the excess lube- because an over lubed chain will only attract more grit and dust/dirt.)
To me, cleaning my bike(s) is very therapeutic and a clean bike just looks so nice! (though a nice dirty bike is pretty sexy sometimes too! I never clean my rainbike...) Whatever you do, do NOT use a pressure washer on your bike, do not hose it off... When water gets into where any bearings live, it washes away the grease and your bearings are left to grind away- metal on metal. This will cause some really nice noises... so like I said- rubbing alcohol and rags, maybe a toothbrush are all you really need. Go for it!
The Frame:
Grab a rag, wipe down your frame starting from the top down. Use the toothbrush to get into those little places your fingers can’t reach: hubs, behind the cranks, under the brake calipers, etc. It’s a good idea to take off the wheels to really get in there, but unless you have a stand, it’s kind of hard to deal with.
Wheels:
Grab another rag and wipe down your rims, making sure to note the condition of the braking surface. If it feels like an hourglass, your rims are worn, and may need to be replaced. If they are really worn and you inflate your tires or hit a big bump/pothole, the rim itself can explode. It’s not a firery kind of explosion, but it’s pretty scary. If you’re not sure how bad is really BAD, let me check them out. Usually the manufacturer puts a little “wear indicator” sticker on the rim so you know when to replace it. (None of this really applies to old steel rims. If you’ve got an old road bike- Schwinn, Peugeot, Motobacane, etc- you may have steel rims. They are usually very shiny, and when it’s raining or wet out, you may not be able to stop. These rims are heavy, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard of these wearing down.) Make sure to also wipe down your brake pads- they will pick up little bits of metal (from your rim...) and grind down the rim even more... sometimes you need to use a needle to get the chucks out, but once they’re out you’re golden!
Drivetrain:
And now the hard part: the most difficult thing to clean on your bike will be the drivetrain. The drivetrain is your crankset/chainrings (front sprockets), chain, freewheel/cassette/fixed cog (rear sprockets), and derailluers. (well, those may not technically be classified as part of the drivetrain, but the rear derailluer has little pulley wheels which engage the chain so I’m going to include it.) What you need: That toothbrush, rags, degreaser (if you’ve got it, simple green usually works well, and it’s not some gnarly chemical.) and chain lube for when you’re done. If you want to be really thorough, a 5mm allen key and a chainring bolt “spanner.” (this would be to take the chainrings off, so you can really scrub ‘em.) You can always grab a chaintool and pop the chain off, but this isn’t necessary.
Use a rag and the toothbrush to get all the grit and dirt off your chain, this is where the degreaser comes in handy. Soak the rag in the degreaser and with one hand- grab a pedal and back pedal (so the chain moves, but the bike doesn’t) with the other hand that has the rag- grab onto the chain and wipe away all the old chain lube and any other bullshit that’s on your chain. I usually do this for a minute or two, or until I feel like it’s “clean enough.” Grab a dry rag and make sure you get off all the degreaser. Now you need to lube your chain* and you’re done!
(*To lube your chain properly: place a drop or so of lube on the roller of the chain link [the middle of the chain link, if you’re looking from above] and continue doing this on most of the links. Or do the backpedal method and try not to get lube everywhere... no body likes that! haha! After that, wipe off all the excess lube- because an over lubed chain will only attract more grit and dust/dirt.)
To me, cleaning my bike(s) is very therapeutic and a clean bike just looks so nice! (though a nice dirty bike is pretty sexy sometimes too! I never clean my rainbike...) Whatever you do, do NOT use a pressure washer on your bike, do not hose it off... When water gets into where any bearings live, it washes away the grease and your bearings are left to grind away- metal on metal. This will cause some really nice noises... so like I said- rubbing alcohol and rags, maybe a toothbrush are all you really need. Go for it!
First Ride!
Well, it’s started- kind of. Ashley and I met up on Sunday Feb 20th, and rode out to Seward Park and back. We stopped down at the park and sat in the sun for a while, and I helped her wrap her handlebars. It was chilly, but otherwise beautiful! I need to grab a camera and take pictures... it’ll happen when I make some money!
Speaking of... I got a new job. Instead of Velo Bike Shop, now I’m at Recycled Cycles. I can’t tell you just how much I am already enjoying myself. Everyone is super chill, and the shop is really a positive environment. I don’t feel like these guys see me just as a woman, but also their coworker and potential friend who happens to be a girl. I’m stoked about this shop.
In other news! My twin sister just got a job in Minneapolis in a shop! My father is so proud that he has two really strong daughters that are doing what we love. It’s killer. I’m so proud of her, she was able to talk them up almost 2 dollars per hour more than what they were going to pay her. Now she can ride her bike to work, and stop driving so much! The planet will be happy :)
So, since I have a new job- my schedule is changing. As of right now, I have to work on sunday, but I have saturday off. This is going to change at the end of the month, as summer hours are starting. I’m thinking that as soon as I have my schedule figured out, and it’s actually decent out we could do some night rides. I have a feeling that a lot more people can attend! If it’s just Ashley and I, it’s a good time, but not quite a “group” ride and that was the whole point! I’ll keep you updated.
Speaking of... I got a new job. Instead of Velo Bike Shop, now I’m at Recycled Cycles. I can’t tell you just how much I am already enjoying myself. Everyone is super chill, and the shop is really a positive environment. I don’t feel like these guys see me just as a woman, but also their coworker and potential friend who happens to be a girl. I’m stoked about this shop.
In other news! My twin sister just got a job in Minneapolis in a shop! My father is so proud that he has two really strong daughters that are doing what we love. It’s killer. I’m so proud of her, she was able to talk them up almost 2 dollars per hour more than what they were going to pay her. Now she can ride her bike to work, and stop driving so much! The planet will be happy :)
So, since I have a new job- my schedule is changing. As of right now, I have to work on sunday, but I have saturday off. This is going to change at the end of the month, as summer hours are starting. I’m thinking that as soon as I have my schedule figured out, and it’s actually decent out we could do some night rides. I have a feeling that a lot more people can attend! If it’s just Ashley and I, it’s a good time, but not quite a “group” ride and that was the whole point! I’ll keep you updated.
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