Tall Tara

Now that it’s spring and I have a garage in which to work on my bikes (FINALLY), I’m all about biking. And these days, it is all about biking with Eli.

The nice weather and the proximity of bike paths make biking one of our favorite outings. I can ride my bike to the grocery, the library, a small trailhead and downtown Boulder. With the bike trailer comes great freedom and many adventures. Eli loves sitting in the back and I’m able to get a bit of exercise in…disguised as running errands.

After a few rides on the bike, however, I realized that my set-up was lacking. I decided to pimp my ride (as the kiddos say) in order to make biking with the babe a little easier. Fortunately there are some solid bike accessories on the market designed to help me accomplish just this. Read on for what I consider to be the bike accessories most necessary for smooth riding. Or at least, the smoothest riding you can do with a huge bike trailer attached to your back end.

• Kickstand. This one is clutch. See, with the trailer, it becomes a lot harder to find something to balance your bike up against if you need to do something like adjust your kid in the trailer or give him a bottle. I spent $10 and 10 minutes at my neighborhood bike shop and had myself a sweet solution. With every kick of the kickstand, I’m convinced this is the best money I’ve ever spent on my bike.

• Bell. I no longer care if I’m that annoying biker with a bell. I now care to let people know that they’re in my way or that they’re taking up too much space on the bike path…in a more polite manner than I used to. Gone are the days of growling at gapers. I’m happy to now just ring my bell and let it do the speaking for me. (Also, I saved money on the bell by taking this one off my kid’s bike…because he’s not using it yet. Shhhh….)

• Safety flag. I’ll take anything that makes me & the bike trailer more visible to cars. Plus, it apparently tastes good.

• An extra lock. It only took me a few glances at the homeless hanging out in Boulder to know that when you don’t lock up your bike trailer, there is someone only too happy to take it off your hands for you. Turns out the bike trailers make good places to store your things…if you don’t have a house. I feel bad about those suffering without a place to live but after having a few bikes stolen in my day, I know to lock my stuff up. Even if it’s a bike trailer.

• Rear view mirror. Very quickly into my very first ride of the season I realized that I needed to be able to check out how Eli was doing behind me without turning my body. (I’m not so good at just turning my neck apparently.) As you may know, when you turn your body on a bike, well…your bike follows. At least for me it does. Not an ideal situation for riding on a bike path that is shared by others. I figured I would get one of those geeky mirrors that I always see old people using on their cruisers. Instead, I found a slick solution made by CycleAware. I now can peek back to see how things are going behind me without causing any accidents.

Obviously, I’m only focusing on bike-specific gear here. Some accessories (like helmets, lights and a bike pump) are a given, while others (like cute shoes and pedal pushers) are the makings of an entirely different post.

If you’re a biking mom, let me know what I forgot on this list. And happy riding!

I’m itching to try something new.

Don’t worry, it’s not contagious.

Fortunately, when this happens, I know exactly what I need to do.

Sign up for a physical adventure that costs money.

Why? Well, because once you pay for something, it becomes real. I’ve said that about every race I’ve ever entered. You can talk about training all you want but if you haven’t actually paid money for a race entrance fee, then you’re not really doing the race.

Because you don’t have anything on the line.

Even if you tell yourself differently.

So here I am, in fantastic shape due to CrossFit three times a week, training for a half-marathon at altitude (Aspen, I’m looking at you) and STILL looking to try something new. Because I’m crazy like that. There’s just something in me that longs for the taste of something different.

And that, my friends, is why I’m going to give cyclocross a try.

(Breathe Mom…it’s not motorcross. You don’t have to pray that hard while I do it.)

What is cyclocross?

It’s kinda similar to mountain biking and done on a bike somewhat similar to a road bike, with an obstacle course thrown in for fun.  And some mud.

The Rumblings

I started hearing about the Boulder cyclocross scene when I worked with one of the sport’s *loudest*  and most enthusiastic evangelists, Greg Keller. His blog about cyclocross, Mud and Cowbells, does a great job of capturing and expressing his passion for the sport. I began to follow his blog, reading about the local cyclocross courses and checking out a few videos.

The sport certainly looked fun. That mud! Those cowbells! And, of course, all that “Hup Hup Buttercup”-hollering and noise-making, which certainly didn’t detract from the good times.

He also goes by Muddy Cowgirl.

But I wasn’t ready to buy a new bike.

Until I got my tax return from Uncle Sam…and heard news that my old friends had just bought a bike shop. Turns out I was ready to invest in a new bike.

The History

My old buddy Dewey hooked me up with a sweet cyclocross setup and it’s wonderful how things come full circle. Honestly, although Greg got me turned on to cyclocross in Boulder, Dewey was the first person to tell me about the sport way back when…in 1996. We used to live in the same neighborhood in Laramie and would ride bikes around town together.

One day, we were tooling around the university when we came to a huge concrete set of steps. Dewey hopped off his bike and gave me my first introduction to cyclocross. He showed me how to throw the bike over my shoulder and then instructed me to run up the steps. I thought he was crazy but I did it. Although slightly painful with my heavy mountain bike frame from the early 90’s, I definitely saw the potential in the sport.

After that little lesson, Dewey taught me how to do the cyclocross dismount. It’s a little more complicated than simply getting off your bike because you want to keep moving and not come to a standstill. Fortunately, I’ve had that move down pat for the past ten years or so. Even in cute flats.

Now what?

I’ve got my cyclocross bike, I’ve got my in-town coach (Thanks Greg!) and my out-of-state coach ready to help. This past Saturday, I made the challenge a reality, paid my dues and signed up with a local team. The team is affiliated with the Boulder Cycle Sport shop and comes highly recommended. (Thanks Greg!) One of the perks of the team is that they have a tent at local Boulder races where you can get your bike worked on before/after the race. For someone like me, that itself is worth the price of the team.

They mean the royal We, right?

Not to mention there are training rides, weekly coaching clinics and many muscular men in Spandex like-minded athletes. If nothing else, I’ll be motivated to cheer my teammates on (because I love obnoxious yelling more than the next person!) and will have the resources necessary to set myself up for success my first season of cyclocross.

And when I say success, I’m not talking podium success…simply surviving-the-season success.

(I leave the podiums to my friend Ingrid.)

Back to that whole jumping-in thing

Starting soon, I’ll be learning a new sport and it may end up being something else that I suck at. But it’s time to find out and to see how my core strength holds up on a cyclocross course, how I hold up on my bike and how my clavicle holds up during a race.

(I haven’t broken a bone yet and would hate to start with my first season of cyclocross…*cough* Greg Keller *cough*…)

And you know what, cyclocross might also turn out to be a sport and physical activity that I totally love. I mean, we are talking about a combination of bikes, running and mud here.

Yes, I’m scared. Yes, I’m a little nervous.

But what’s not to love about that?

Dewey and Jessica have known me since I was nineteen. Anyone that has known me that long, and still talks to me, is a true friend.

Suffice it to say, these two have a permanent place in my heart.

So a few months ago, when they realized one of their dreams and bought a bike shop, I knew that I had to support them…by purchasing a new bike.

(You might remember that my fancy bike was stolen last year.)

And beside my awesome new bike and my amazing old friends, there’s an even cooler piece to the bike story. Dewey and Jessica didn’t buy just any bike store. No, the bike store they bought, The Pedal House, is the same bike shop where I rediscovered my love of bikes in college. It was also where I bought my first-ever “grown-up” bike, of the Kona mountain variety, back when I was nineteen. I still have my Kona, with all the original Pedal House stickers.

The circle of life is complete. Especially if  life=bicycles + friends.

I’m off to ride my new Bianchi. She’s too pretty not to hop on.

The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart.”          -Iris Murdoch

Sometimes I can be stubborn. When the universe tries to teach me something, I believe that it keeps trying until that lesson sinks in.

I had something shiny, fast, fun and reliable taken from me today.

It sucks and it’s not even the first time I’ve had a bike stolen.

When I walked out of work to find my bike gone, I started reacting as I have in the past — getting angry, tears welling up, feeling sorry for myself, looking around suspiciously, and wanting answers to my many questions.

But what I didn’t expect was to feel something new.

Gratitude.

I have another bike to ride.

I have my health, good friends and an amazing husband.

I have a job and a family that loves me.

What I don’t have anymore is a road bike and while she will be missed (she was my first roadie, after all), I won’t forget her. I completed two triathlons with her and she helped me to realize that going fast could be fun. You can take away the bike, but you can’t take away the love I have for riding a bike.

Fortunately, I have research on my side with this one.

Lesson # 15,934:

You shouldn’t let your possessions possess you.

And, in happier biking news, check out a bicycle-sharing program that sounds awesome and will hopefully be coming to a town near you soon!

Imagine that…sharing bikes instead of stealing them.

[updated 4.26--I had to take that b-cycle video down because it automatically started without anyone pushing play. Sorry for the annoyance. But go check out the video on their site!]

Bike to Work Day was a few months ago.

While the sight of all those people on bicycles was one to behold, I didn’t really feel like celebrating. It made me a little sad that some people only got to do that once a year.

Riding my bike is something I do daily. It’s how I get to work and how I get home. Sometimes it’s how I get my groceries. Most often, it’s how I meet friends.

And I love it.

So, in true Letterman fashion and because lists are easy, I present you with the top ten reasons I adore bicycles.

Riding a bike…

1. reminds me how strong my body is, how much I love to move and how, in the grand scheme of things, my bike (and my life) are controlled by me.
2. is an easy way to get pumped up. Everything is better when approached via bike.
3. makes me feel younger. (As I overheard someone here in Boulder say, “Forget Botox, ride a bike”.) It takes me back to my childhood and forces me to smile. There’s just something about the wind in your hair (cheesy, I know) and the cruising wheels underneath you. (Look at me, posing on the big brown cruiser, kickstand engaged.)



4. reduces my carbon footprint. Since my car is a big ol’ SUV, I figure my daily bike-riding cancels out my once-a-week drive.



5. opens my eyes to details that I would miss in a car and allows me to go places you wouldn’t be able to in a car. Plus, it makes me more available for synchronicity to better find me. Not to mention shouting hello to the friends I pass on bikes.
6. has been a constant in all the different times of my life. I’ve been on a bike for twice the amount of time that I’ve been off it. No matter the situation, having my bike around has always been a good thing.
7. is an easy way to sort through ideas, issues, thoughts, and problems. And it’s much cheaper than therapy.



8. is good for all body shapes and types. It’s not about the speed or the destination, but really about the journey. (And if you can drink a glass of wine while riding, more power to you. Just don’t run into me on the bike trail…)
9. is the best way to get to know where you live. You begin to find shortcuts and special places that you wouldn’t be able to access via car. I’m lucky because I live in a town that is VERY bike friendly but I appreciate it because I used to live in a town that was VERY bike unfriendly.
10. forces you to be ready for anything. Especially if you’re bike commuting. You never know what you might run into and what you may need.

I agree with H.G. Wells who said, “When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race.”

Locally, I was inspired by Denver Mayor Hickenlooper’s bike-sharing program during the DNC. 1000 bicycles ridden over 8000 miles during the convention and there’s even a blog about it.

Globally, Kona (the maker of my beloved mountain bike) is involved in an amazing project called Bike Town Africa. This program aims to help health care workers in Africa deliver necessary medications to AIDS patients on a bike specially designed by Kona for just such a job. Making the world a better place yet again.

See? Now I’m just gushing…

Bikes are rad.

Love sonnet over.