Adventure Friday: Bicycle fever and indoor cycling

What's that feeling in the air? That intoxicating scent?

It's bicycle fever.

It's that time of year when even the slightest hint of rhythm conjures vivid daydreams of pedal strokes. Percussive Latin beats suddenly give way to hallucinations of a sprint down a long flat road. Slow bass-driven songs inspire deep longings for tough uphill climbs. Footsteps suddenly seem much too slow.

It's that time of year when 40 degrees feels balmy, and when the quiet trickling sounds of snow melt are mistaken for the arrival of spring.

As a (wimpy?) three-season cyclist, I get bad cases of bicycle fever every winter. This year, skiing and snowshoeing helped stave off the fever for quite some time. This week, finally, it hit me.

Andy has a set of rollers, so we set them up for my road bike. Thursday was my first time ever using rollers, believe it or not! He claims that that the front roller drum is a pain to adjust, so I'm only using the front fork stabilizer right now. Still, it felt like heaven. Once my legs started pedaling, it was hard to stop.

When I was a gym member in New York City, spin classes gave me my cycling fix. Now, I think I like rollers better. Feeling my own familiar bike underneath me—handlebars, seat, pedals, fit, and all—is ten times better than the hit-or-miss quality of gym spin machines.

Survival Monday: For Your Health

After spending eight years in cities that had great walking and public transit infrastructures, I have a hard time picturing myself in a residential suburb. I prefer being able to walk or bike or bus for work, errands, and fun.

Where we live in Salt Lake City, I can get away with doing most of my commuting and small errands on the bus. Even still, there are some nights when I find myself spitting and cursing because the bus only runs at 8 and 9 p.m. before stopping completely. 

The limited accessibility to public transportation is particularly frustrating on days like—well, any day last week. With the exception of a few weekend snow storms, Salt Lake City had been trapped under a layer of thick polluted haze since the beginning of January. 

The pollution stays in our bowl-shaped valley during a weather phenomenon called an inversion, as illustrated by the graphic below. 

Inversion Smog Episodes by Salt Lake Tribune

For two locations just 45 minutes from each other, you end up with a weather forecast that looks something like this:

(And really, the mountains were closer to 40 degrees by midday.) 

A significant portion of this pollution comes from vehicle emissions, from the things you and I do every day. 

The Utah Division of Air Quality offers a great list of "things you can do" to help, and I plan on adding a few to my own routine. However, many of the transportation suggestions are either truly unrealistic or psychologically daunting for the majority of the population. 

Kennecott Copper Mine recently donated 2,500 free transit passes to the public. That's an amazing start, but it just scratches the surface. Local businesses and local governments both need to focus on active infrastructure change and sustainable consumer incentives. Public transportation needs to be more convenient than driving. Industry needs to invest in longterm upgrades and cleaner technology. Most importantly, the public needs to demand change. 

The Utah Physicians for Healthy Environment highlight key issues. Are you on board?

Update 29 Jan. 2013: Governor Herbert and transportation officials met today to discuss the air quality issue. Read more. 

Survival by bicycle

Remember when A. moved to Salt Lake City and we weren't sure whether it would be long-term? Well, almost one year later, it's long-term.

The past year has been, for both of us, one of those periods in life that test you far beyond your comfort zone.

A. had moved across country in the hopes that an exciting but risky internship would jumpstart his non-existant career. I was balancing a full-time position with an intense search for a new job. My mother—who has forever been my rock and confidant—continued her two-year battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Months of hard work, sleepless nights, and emotional strain dragged on. 

Then, in one surreal week, my mom landed in the ICU in a Connecticut hospital and I received an amazing job offer in Utah. My life seemed to be screeching to a halt and just beginning at the same exact time. The months that followed faded into a blur.

I remember riding a lot. 

I remember taking the train to Connecticut a lot. My bike, of course, came with me.

I remember bursting into tears while biking to work one morning, and being unable to stop crying until I ordered and ate a side of bacon.

I remember packing boxes and moving furniture at all hours of the hot, humid night. I remember the friends and family who helped me.

Now, I live in Salt Lake City with A. I love my new job, and A's internship has turned into a full-time position. I still ride my bike to work, and we hike together on the weekends. I miss my family, and while my mom's struggle has continued along a roller coaster track, her doctors are working hard to move her out of the hospital and into a physical therapy rehab facility. 

Things aren't perfect. The journey is far from over. There are many times when I wonder, à la Monday Morning Mantra, "What the f**k have I done?" But this past year has taught me that determination can reap amazing rewards; that a loving and supportive family is an invaluable gift; and that a bicycle is one amazing piece of survival equipment. 

Blogspiration: Ride, Eat, Sleep, Repeat

 Found at Bike Commute News. Design by Karl Rosengarth: www.wearehold.com

I start my day on a bicycle and end my day on a bicycle, and that is an undying source of joy for me right now. 'Nuff said.

Blogspiration is a meme hosted jointly by GrowingUp YA and saz101.

Adventure Fridays: Experimenting with food

When eating for your adventures, experimentation is key. Everyone experiences different cravings — sweet treat or salty snack; cold drink or hot meal —as well as different levels of hunger. 

Lately, I've been experimenting with the amount of food I need to pack for a bicycle commute. Packing my own lunches and snacks is healthy, cheap, fun, and a lot easier than running out of the office every other hour to buy a granola bar. 

Planning your meals for a bicycle commute depends on the length of your commute and your body type. A relaxed 15-minute commute may not require a significant change in eating habits, but a fast-paced 45-minute commute may leave you feeling ravenous. While I am a fan of using instinct to tune into your body's needs, a basic calorie counter can help you identify your target range for losing, maintaining, or gaining weight while cycling.

The food I eat changes with the weather and seasons (lighter meals during a heat wave and more oatmeal on cold mornings), but I think I've nailed down a basic pattern that works for me.

Morning

• Before hopping on the bike, I eat a small bowl of oatmeal with honey and ground flaxseed, or homemade granola with plain yogurt.
• I drink water with breakfast, and water on my ride.
• Within 30 minutes of getting off my bike, I follow up with a snack: banana with peanut butter, or a hardboiled egg and a slice of toast with honey. Don't forget coffee! 

Afternoon

• For lunch, I bring a home-cooked meal to reheat in the office microwave. Hearty fibers and proteins keep me full. I drink water instead of soda or juice.
• To stave off my inevitable afternoon craving for chocolate, I finish off my lunch with sweet fruit like grapes or homemade applesauce. Or, I go straight for the chocolate.
• Later in the afternoon, I munch on homemade popcorn—not from a buttery microwave bag, but popped on the stovetop with some olive oil and sea salt.

Evening

• I always pack an emergency granola bar or energy gel for my ride home, just in case my body can't wait until dinner. 
• I'm still drinking water. Really, the only beverages I consume are water, coffee, and the occasional beer. 

What foods do you eat to fuel your outdoor fun? What's your favorite meal of the day?

Saddle discomfort in women's cycling

I am not someone who puts form before function.

In New York City, surrounded by women who can expertly walk for miles in high-heeled shoes, I pound the sidewalk with every part of my feet planted firmly on the ground. (With arch support, please.)

In New York City, surrounded by female cyclists who ride in dresses without breaking a sweat, I don sports clothes and pack a change of outfit. (I really like riding fast.)

And in New York City, where vintage road bikes and Brooks saddles are all the rage, I recently put my coolest-looking bike under the knife. (It isn't pretty.)

Meet Quickbeam, so named for his "woodgrain" paint job and my nerdy love for Tolkien:

Quickbeam is my cheap city bike: single speed, steel frame, few valuable parts to steal. Still, he's a handsome gent.

 To match the woodgrain pattern, Quickbeam came with a beautiful saddle.

Although the saddle isn't actually made from wood, it's pretty darn uncomfortable on lady parts. And unless you're experiencing muscle burn from a tough workout or the initial saddle sores of a long trip, there is absolutely no reason to feel pain while riding a bicycle.

No reason.

After two years of putting up with saddle discomfort (an unusually long period of time for me), I finally decided that the beautiful seat just had to go.

This thin road bike saddle—meant for an aggressive, forward-leaning posture—boasts a cutout for the female anatomy. Quickbeam may look a little awkward now, but the new saddle is so much kinder. I'm already dreaming of long, comfortable rides that won't do damage to my womanhood.

That's how it should be, ladies.

Not all female cycling problems are the same. For an in-depth discussion of women and saddle discomfort, and how to find the right solution for your ride, check out this post by Lovely Bicycle.

Blogspiration: Companionship of bicycles

The trouble with having an outdoor-themed blog is that the subject-at-hand too often serves as a convenient distraction from writing.

Encouraged in part by the sheer joy of exercising and in part by the recent and unfortunate loss of my 30-day subway card, I have been cycling a lot lately.

When I stumbled across this article in my Twitter feed, the following line caught my eye:

"Bicycles will refuse to do anything for you, but [they] will gladly do anything with you."

Oh, how wonderfully true.

Bicycling eases feelings of stress. It inspires some of my most productive and creative days. It carries me through my city and to new places. It sparks conversation with complete strangers. It encourages confidence, health, and joy.

It's not the bicycle, though, that causes these things to happen. It is I. The bicycle is just along for the ride.

Blogspiration is a meme hosted jointly by GrowingUp YA and saz101.

How to prevent knee pain when cycling

Ouch! www.scody.com.au

Recently, a friend triumphantly announced: "Biked 18 miles yesterday. Today my knees hurt a lot. Still think it's a win, though!"

Yes, girl, that is definitely a win. But your knees don't have to hurt. In fact, it's a good idea to avoid knee pain altogether. Try these five easy adjustments to keep your knees healthy when you ride.



1. Pedal in a lower gear. "High gears" use the large chainring at your pedals and the small cogs on your back wheel. These gears allow you to pedal slowly while covering more ground. They're ideal for pedaling downhill or riding with the wind at your back. However, because these gears put more resistance on the pedals, they also put more resistance on your knees. Try spinning a lower, easier gear. Experiment with different combinations. At first, it may feel awkward to pedal more quickly, but your knees will thank you.

2. Perfect your form. The next time you ride, take a look at the movement of your legs. Are your knees pointing in toward the bike? Are they pointing away from the bike? Both of these angles require sideways movements that irritate the cartilage in your knee socket. Focus on pedaling with your knees forward, so that your legs move straight up and down like pistons.

utilitycycling.com

3. Consider getting baskets or toe clips. Pedaling freely encourages one simple motion for your feet: down. Fastening your feet to the pedals with toe clips allows for a greater range of pedaling strength. Now you can move in a smooth, circular motion, pulling up as well as pushing down, and taking even more pressure off of your knees.

4. Decrease the weight in your bag. This follows from #2. Last summer, I rode my bike to and from work with a messenger bag that held my laptop, lunch, coffee, and clothes—among other things. The bag hung from my left shoulder. While I wasn't surprised by the pain that developed in my shoulder, it did take some time to recognize the connection to the pain in my left knee. When I rode with the bag, my body overcompensated for the weight by shifting my balance on the bike. Leaning just slightly to the left placed more pressure on my knee and altered the movements of my leg. Ride light, or put your load directly on your bike.

5. Adjust your seat height. A seat that's too low can also do damage to your knees. For an easy fix, visit your local bike shop and ask them to help you find the right fit. This method is not foolproof, however. I like Sheldon Brown's do-it-yourself approach:

"I suggest gradually raising your saddle, perhaps half an inch (1 cm) at a time. Each time you raise it, ride the bike. If it doesn't feel noticeably worse to ride, ride it for at least a couple of miles/km.

"If it had been too low before, your bike will feel lighter and faster with the new riding position. If raising the saddle improved things, raise it again, and ride some more. Keep doing this until the saddle is finally too high, then lower it just a bit."

Insatiably curious, like me? Check out SheldonBrown.com for an amazing encyclopedia of everything you wanted to know about cycling—and more.

Blogspiration: Women Ride for CycloFemme

Busy weekends have recently prevented me from writing my Sunday Blogspiration posts. Today, however, I'm typing this as I let my blood cool from an amazing CycloFemme ride. At 9:30 this morning, I joined 8 amazing women for a 22-mile bicycle ride through New York City (plus another 8 miles back to my apartment).

Just a temporary tattoo — for now!

I love the concept, I love the logo, but most of all I love the photos that are popping up on the Instagram #cyclofemme stream. It's incredibly inspiring to see so many women and girls (and a few men!) coming together over the simple love of riding.

Want to be inspired? Check out the CycloFemme photo stream here: http://cyclofemme.com/

Blogspiration is a new meme hosted jointly by GrowingUp YA and saz101.

Survival Mondays: Learning to love the rain

Sure, I've ridden my bicycle in the rain. Once.

Two summers ago, I signed up for the Discover Hudson Valley Ride sponsored by Bike New York.* After what seemed like an entire summer of brilliantly sunny weekends, it poured all day long during the 2010 Hudson Valley ride. We had paid good money to register for that tour, so we rode despite the rain. In fact, once we resigned ourselves to the reality of being absolutely soaked to the bone, we stopped caring. It was fun to speed through puddles and feel the rain on our faces. (Although, that was a day when I sincerely wished I owned contact lenses. Or windshield wipers for my glasses.)

Just a little damp.

When it comes to my commute to work, however, I haven't sucked up the courage to bike in the rain. My cat-like reaction to a few raindrops stems from a combination of many small annoyances: wet clothes, wet hair, no contacts. The biggest deterrent? I carry a laptop and cell phone when I commute.

Now that I've signed up for the National Bike Challenge—a free program that aims to get 50,000 people to bike a total of 10 million miles by August 31—I feel a little more pressure to take my cycling commute seriously. I rode my bike to work this morning under sunny skies, and I took my bike home on the subway under the threat of evening showers. All the way home, I found myself dreaming about waterproof commuting gear.

For small items, like a wallet or cellphone, a Ziplock bag should keep things dry. Cheap and easy rain protection!

For my laptop, and maybe even clothes, I have some research to do. Some potential options for waterproofing gear:

• SealLine computer sleeve looks professional and reliable, but perhaps too bulky (and expensive!) for my needs.
• ExPed or Sea to Summit dry bags work well for my camping gear. Why not for cycling, too?
• This website suggests getting creative and making your own weatherproof case out of a Tyvek envelope.

Do you bike in the rain? What do you do to protect your gear from getting wet? Leave a comment!

*Tip: If the 5 Boro Bike Tour isn't your thing, try the Hudson Valley Ride. It's beautiful, fun, and a lot less crowded than its New York City counterpart.

Adventure Friday: Go with a group

I have a confession.

All those amazing adventures I've been on? Backcountry camping trips? Epic bicycling trips? All those miles I've logged on the trail and on the road?

Two (or more!) are better than one.

I probably wouldn't have done half of them if it hadn't been for Andy. I'm a doer, but he's a planner. I get up on a sunny morning, hop on my bicycle, and happily combine playtime with weekend errands. He conceives an idea, researches the hell out of it, and creates amazing and well-thought trips. Together, we're a (sometimes bickering) tour de force that squeezes a lot of play into very short periods of time. 

Plus, he always has lots of handy gear.

If your friends are just as new to outdoor adventures as you, look up guided hikes or local clubs. A quick Google search turns up an almost overwhelming amount of options. Some clubs require annual dues or trip fees, while others target specific age groups or attachment status. (Singles only!)

If you're more interested in going hiking than doing research, sign up for a group on Meetup.com. While I've had varying levels of success with Meetup.com activities, I love these groups for one big reason: once you join a group, all the adventures come straight to your email inbox. 

No planning muss, no scheduling fuss — perfect for this get-up-and-go girl.

These people know — it's better with a group.

Local Wednesday: Women rule and women ride

My favorite month of the year is almost here!

May is National Bike Month. For me this usually means three things: I debate whether or not I want to ride in the Five Boro Bike Tour; I finally start commuting by bike on a regular basis; and I get free bagels on Friday mornings from the friendly folks at UWSSR.

As if that wasn't reason enough to love May, Girl Bike Love is now celebrating women, bicycles, and women on bicycles with CycloFemme.

Like the elegant simplicity of a bicycle itself, CycloFemme's mission is straightforward: "Inspire more women to ride, in their own femmetastic way." 

More specifically, CycloFemme provides a forum for women's bicycle love stories and calls women (and men!) to ride together (everywhere!) on May 13. Check out the ride list here.

Are you joining or hosting a CycleFemme ride? I'd love to hear about it!

NYC Bike Share: Spice up your routine

Yesterday I took advantage of some post-snowstorm sunshine and headed down to the NYC Bike Share demo on the Upper West Side. These educational and promotional sessions have been occurring regularly across the boroughs—each time at a different location—but this was my first opportunity to check one out.

The demo reiterated most of what I'd been reading. (You can find a good chunk of information here.) I was most excited to try out the locking station and test ride a bike.

The bikes are outfitted with all the key gear. Each has a small handlebar rack, with a fixed bungee cord for extra hold on the items you're toting. 

The back and front of the bikes have LED lights that flicker on when you start pedaling. The seat tube is securely attached to the frame of the bike, but there's a quick release that allows for some height adjustment.

Being a 40-pound cruiser, the bike handles much differently than what I'm used to. I was a little wobbly when I first hopped on for a test ride. A few blocks later, when I tried to signal and maneuver across two lanes of traffic for a left hand turn, I found that I didn't have quite enough control of the bike to do it quickly and safely. I resigned myself to staying on the right side of the road and making a box turn at the crosswalk.

Box turns are for cruisers.

If I don't want to spend all my precious bike share minutes looking like a fool on the sidewalk, I'll probably have to start strength training for my twig arms. The bike station requires quite a strong jerk to remove the unlocked bike, and the seat was difficult to adjust. However, I'm used to lugging my road bike up and down stairs, so I didn't find it hard to scoot the hunk of metal over the side of the curb and back to its station.

This system should work well for errands and quick trips, even for people who already have their own bicycles. I ride my road bike to work with a change of clothes in my bag. With this bike share system, if I have to run a quick errand from the office, I won't need to worry about changing back into my sport clothes or lugging my bike down 17 flights of stairs. I'd feel comfortable wearing work clothes on these bikes. Also, if I take the subway downtown on the weekend and I want to cover a bit more ground than walking would allow, I can supplement my public transit routes with these bikes.

Now, do we really have to wait until July?

TODAY: NYC Bike Share Demo on the Upper West Side

It snowed yesterday. Thick, heavy, tree-breaking snow. While I didn't mind the excuse to stay in and curl up with a movie, the snow also gave me a bit of a mental kick. Guess I need to start thinking about winter biking, eh?

One event that will get me moving today is the bike share demo on the Upper West Side. Folks from Alta Bicycle Share will be at 76th and Columbus, showing off the new bikes that will be used when the NYC bike share is officially up and running next summer. It'll be a great way to learn about the program details from real people, as well as to get a feel for how the stations work.

Stop by from noon to 4 p.m. to see for yourself!

Salt Lake City road trip & the secret society of women's cycling

I suppose I should have expected this. My preparation for outdoor adventures has been put on hold by the very thing that inspired me: A's move to Salt Lake City. The past few weekends have been filled with frenzied bouts of sorting, packing, selling, tossing, and donating. In a completely selfish maneuver, I also volunteered to drive out to Salt Lake City with A (and take a redeye back to New York). According to my reasoning, this would mean not only a few extra treasured hours with him. It would also be my first time out West. Wasatch Mountains, here I come!

I've always had romantic visions of road trips: winding roads, beautiful vistas, new people, and spontaneous stops. In reality, it always works out to involve a bit of grumpiness and misadventures, too. Since we're on a tight deadline for reaching our destination, the trip will probably feel a bit more like this (and at this speed):

Courtesy of Michael Bartolomeo

Or, it'll be a mind-numbing stretch of corn fields.

My research skills must be lagging from all of this packing frenzy. At least, I'm telling myself that, because I'm having a hard time believing that there aren't any women's cycling clubs in New York City.

I started researching groups to contact when I'm back from Salt Lake City, and I tried every search variation I could imagine:

• women's cycling clubs
• women's cycling groups
• bicycle clubs women
• girl cycling
• girl bikes
• cycling for chicks
• chicks on bikes
• chicas y bicicletas

Well, you get the picture. (I don't recommend looking up the last two.)

One group on Meetup.com with particularly pink fonts looked promising until I read this: "I started this group for the more leisurely paced rider who enjoys riding slower like I do." I found myself reassessing my strategy. Just why am I looking for a women's group? Am I afraid that I'd eat the dust of faster, dorkier bike dudes? (Maybe.) Am I looking for simple camaraderie in a male-dominated sport? (Yes.) Aren't there women who enjoy riding fast and breaking a sweat? (Definitely!)

It'll probably be more fun and productive if I try riding with a few diverse groups. Who do you ride with, and where do you ride?

Beer, bicycles, and E.T.

Mondays may have gotten just a little better. One of my favorite New York City advocacy groups, Transportation Alternatives, is hosting its second Brew and View event tonight!

Twice a month, TransAlt will set up shop at 61 Local in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. Sip on tasty beers, watch a bicycle-themed movie, and meet TransAlt staff and members! I can't go to tonight's Brew and View, but I hope to check in next month with an event review.

Just in case you're not yet convinced, tonight's movie is E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial. What could be better than that?

Three ways to get outdoors without the guys

In order to start tackling all the outdoor tricks I thought I already knew, I'm setting three basic goals for myself:

• Join a cycling group - I've been wanting to learn the fine art of the group ride. What better reason to start? I'll start doing research now, but I'll even be happy if I can set something up for the spring.
• Leave New York City for a day hike with a friend - Many of my best buds have an untapped appreciation for the great outdoors. Hear that, queridas amigas? Before winter descends upon us, I'm dragging you with me!
• Plan one winter camping trip - Last year, A. and I joined some coworkers for our first overnight in the snow. I was super nervous about freezing to death in my sleep, but everyone came out alive (and with all of their extremities intact). Most importantly, it was actually fun! Organizing a trip like this will be my biggest challenge, because I would need to brush up on a range of skills. 

Yikes. Enough talk about winter, though. Give me some October sunshine!

Are two bikes better than one?

Cycling can easily be a solitary sport. Imagine yourself riding on the open road, the wind at your back. It's easy to get lost in the rhythm of pedaling and the hum of tires on the road.

Still, there's something beautiful about two bicycles. Just look at them.

I'm a solitary cyclist when commuting to work or running errands. I have much more fun on the weekends when I'm riding with someone else. Plus, it's often safer to have a road buddy.

Who wants to go for a ride?