30 Days of Biking

I've biked everyday this month and it has made me very happy!

I've seen sunrises, sunsets, and cherry blossoms in full bloom. I've gotten close to really big dogs, ducks, geese, even a deer (which was pretty scary).  All of these things have left me smiling.

I think I will try to continue this trend even after my 30 day challenge ends.

Signed,

Biking Happy in DC!

Biking everyday!

April has started and thus begins my quest to bike for 30 days.  Yes, I'm committed to bike each and everyday during April. So far, so good. Of course, much better weather has made this challenge pretty easy.  Let's just hope the weather Gods continue to be kind.  (Monday update: RAIN = 1.25 mile ride, but a pledge is a pledge, and a mile is a ride)

I've ridden all three of my bikes this week, discovered some new routes and seen the beginnings of Spring along my way, which always makes me very happy!

This is great preparation for Bike to Work Day.  Biking to work is a great experience and can often save you both time and money, not to mention the extra calorie burn. If you haven't already done so, you should register for Bike to Work Day, then get out and ride!

On my Sunday ride, I met these two amazing puppies!

Spring has arrived .... Maybe?

Last Thursday was the first day of Spring! This should mean warmer weather and longer bike rides, right?

Well I was able to put in 50 miles on Saturday. I did the Halv Vasa with our local advocacy group. I rode to the start and quickly realized just how cold it would be but I finished with 35 miles including my commute to the start. I left the first ride, had a quick snack then joined a friend for an additional 16 sunny, warm miles. I understand we actually broke the 70 degree mark. My KoKo was quite pleased with her 2nd ride of the year.

Things were so successful Saturday, we immediately scheduled a Sunday morning ride. I knew it would be colder but found the unexpected wind a deterrent to taking KoKo out for back to back days. Thank goodness for multiple bikes. Kat, my trusty steel framed single speed, performed bravely in the wind and we got in a nice 30 mile recovery ride. I was joined by two friends and of course, Starbucks was a required stop.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we will get two good days next weekend, but if winter was any indication, this may be a tough spring. I'm already hearing about a chance for snow next week.  And to think, 30 Days of Biking begins in 9 days. Please weather gods, bless us with an amazing April.

We Continue to Ride!

We Bike to DC ended at the US Capitol two weeks ago today. But that didn't stop our quest to see more women on bikes.

In the past two weeks, I've completed several awesome rides with my favorite 7 yr old cyclist. While riding her beloved 'Lucy' (her 16" princess bike) she told me, "I love my bike so much, I'm pretty sure I could ride 100 miles". A lofty goal considering her current PR is less than 10 miles, but who am I to discourage a girl from biking. We ordered a 24" Fuji Absolute from Capitol Hill Bikes and we are planning to ride some longer distances in the very near, but warmer, future. She's already named her new bike 'Beautiful' and she's learning to use both the gears and hand brakes.

In addition to riding with my granddaughter, I took some time to get out of the city with Washington Women Outdoors. This awesome group has been around for 35 years and they welcome women of all levels for all sorts of outdoor activities including cycling. I got a chance to join them this weekend for a 30 mile ride in the Virginia suburbs. Plenty of rolling hills and beautiful scenery in Middleburg, VA. A chance to ride with women who not only enjoy cycling but are active in numerous outdoor activities. Check out www.washingtonwomenoutdoors.org

I've also completed two weekend rides that allowed me to see the sunrise over the Potomac River and I've pledged to ride my bike every day in April, with 30 Days of Biking. You should also consider pledging, as this year, they will provide a child's bike for every 30 pledges. Check out www.30daysofbiking.com

Ride on my friends, ride on..........

@DCxFitChic

We Bike To DC is Over!

Yesterday, we completed our ride into DC. An awesome group of riders, from our BikeDC community, met us in Greenbelt, MD, for the final segment of our journey.  This included a quick spin past Lake Artemesia, one of my favorite rides just outside the city limits.  We arrived at the US Capitol for photo opportunities and then a short ride to our host hotel.

We've finished the ride but our mission is far from over.

Today we attended the Women's Forum at the National Bike Summit. Four of our ten riders presented. I had no idea I had been surrounded by such awe inspiring women for the past four days. It was so cold (yes, I'm still talking about the weather) that social/professional chatter was not high on the list. Even when we did talk, it was so muffled by balaclava's and other cold weather gear that I'm not sure I heard anything clearly. I chalked that up to old age, but in reality I think we all had frozen ears. Even without lengthy conversations we bonded.

I have formed lifelong friendships with women more than half my age. It was exciting to have an opportunity to participate on this ride but I'm more excited about things to come. Not only will our organizations continue to advocate for Women's Cycling, I've been invited by my new friends for bike rides to the beach this summer and the NYC Century in the fall. I'll also be attending a women's day at a velodrome. Though I don't race, and at my age have no desire to start, I've always wanted to ride a fixie on a banked track!

Thank you to Liz, Kristina, Casey, Kaelin, Katie, Laura, Ayesha, Mary, Nelle and our very own journalist, Karen for putting up with the old lady who required a slower pace and shorter mileage during the frigid temps. Arthritic joints just don't like the cold, but it also isn't a reason not to ride.

On one hand, I want to say let's do it again next year but unless The League changes the dates or location (California, Arizona, Florida ... I'm sensing a pattern) of the National Bike Summit, I may have to find a replacement for my slot. Of course, she must be at least 50 :-) 

Does the blog end here.....NOT.....I already have multiple rides planned for this year and hope to share more on my advocacy work to get additional women on bikes.

@DCxFitChic

Day 4 - Strong Finish!

We made it!

I promise more details but for now, I need rest!

Day 3 is complete .... One word, no two words ..... Overcoming challenges!

Our group has bonded as true sisters in cycling. I have a new NYC BFF and I can't wait to head north this summer for biking to the beach!  Ok, enough about me..let's get to the ride.

Each day we have faced and overcome challenges. We know bike infrastructure isn't great across the US and this is one of the many reasons we ride. We also know that because of poor infrastructure and safety concerns, many women don't ride. For now, we are riding on their behalf. We are challenging the Polar Vortex type weather (by now, you know I can't stop talking about the cold) to show that cycling is a great source of transportation.

Day 1 - Icy snow covered bike paths, park trails and pedestrian paths, with some pretty interesting debris. Really, New Jersey....that's how you roll? We helped each other and made it to a safe road. (We also had an awesome two woman team from Woman Tours to provide SAG support when needed. THANKS!) However, we all arrived in Philly.

Day 2 - The cold continued its hold but the wind died down a bit and of course, the wonderful folks at Coffee Station (Morton, PA) were there to provide a warm place to relax and refuel (BACON stop) from those brutal PA hills. Both of their locations provided amazing service. Oh and I can't forget to thank Freddie (also a native Californian) at Burrito Bandido, in Wilmington, DE, for some amazing lunchtime grub. But, we all arrived in Newark, DE.

Day 3 - Another cold morning but by now, cold is relative. 20 is way better than 10, and the high for today is above the freezing mark. Unfortunately, we had a little issue with road rash (not sure about road rash?, I have plenty, just ask me sometime and I'll show you, fortunately today's was not mine) and had to cut our mileage short for the day, even before some of us started. Again, the wonderful ladies from Woman Tours were there to provide support. We are in Baltimore and ready to ride tomorrow to the US Capitol.

I've received two amazing messages on this trip. One was a woman who saw us in New Jersey and was so inspired by our 'purple' sisterhood (thank you Pearl Izumi for helping us stand out in a crowd!), she went out on her lunch break and bought a new bike. The other was a SoCal resident who was so motivated by our story, she rode in a rain storm. Trust me, I'm a native Californian, this is a big deal. They rarely get rain and generally park their bikes because they are certain tomorrow will be sunny!  RIDE ON ladies and thanks for sharing your thoughts.

We will end with a statement tomorrow (you know DC is all about the statement). Our little group will expand, in numbers, for the ride into Washington, DC. If you're in the area, meet us at the Silver Diner in Greenbelt, MD, (6040 Greenbelt Rd) and help us celebrate this great adventure. Meetup time is 1pm, we roll at 130pm. 

Hope to see you on the road soon!

@DCxFitChic

BTW....I've committed to 30 Days of Biking in April. Yes, that means biking every single day during the month of April, regardless of weather. This trip has taught me that any weather can be handled with the right apparel. JOIN ME, it will be fun!

 

Day 2 Philly to Newark, DE is done!

When I agreed to a winter ride to attend the National Bike Summit, I'm not sure why my first consideration wasn't weather. I really don't like cold! Below 70, I'm actually kind of grouchy. Yes, I use my bike for quick trips in winter but this is crazy. We left our NYC hotel, Thursday around 7am and the first time the temperature hit freezing (that's 32, in case you don't know) was at 2:48pm today!! (Yes, there's an app for that)

I really could have walked to the National Bike Summit. The host hotel is a few blocks from my house, but this ride is not about me. It's about showing women (and really everyone) that cycling can and should be your first choice for transportation.

It's better for our environment (even my 7 yr old granddaughter knows that), it's better for both our physical and mental health, also important to many of us, in the current economy, it's better for your bank account.

Yeah, yeah, I know we all have many excuses why we can't ride, but they are just that excuses. There are women centric bike groups in many cities. I'm representing Black Women Bike DC on this weeks ride, Nelle Pierson from WABA's Women and Bicycles is with me. That's two powerful groups in our nations capital, advocating for women and bikes. We are riding with women who represent advocacy groups in both NYC (WE Bike NYC) and Philly (Gearing Up, Women Bike PHL).  Find a group in your town and join the cause.

By the way, it was about 10 degrees when we left our Philadelphia hotel this morning but we were met at Love Park by a hearty group of Philly Cyclist. Liz (sorry I don't know your last name) from Neighborhood Bike Works, led us on a ride out of the city. I can't THANK them enough for their support. It was a great start and we had a great day.

Tomorrow we head to Baltimore.

@DCxFitChic

Day 1 Is Complete!

So, we made it to Philly!

There were some missteps, or should I say missed turns, but we had an amazing day.  The biking sisterhood is alive and well and these women truly represented.

The temperatures were frigid, resulting in some severe knee pain for me, so I skipped the final 25 miles. SAG support is awesome! The ladies from Woman Tours have gone above and beyond to ensure we have what we need. I, of course, being a diva (or maybe just old) also have personal SAG support from my good friend Beverly.

Doesn't look like tomorrow's leg from Philly to somewhere in DE, will be any warmer but we're ready. I think it's super important to continue to show other women what an awesome mode of transportation is available on the good old bicycle.

Well, I better get to sleep as we ride at 7am and it's already passed my bedtime.

@DCxFitChic

Finally time to ride!

Safely arrived in NYC yesterday to be greeted by 20 degree temperatures. Oh the joys of winter.  Had an opportunity to dine with our group and discuss today's ride.

Day 1 was planned for a 5am departure and 100 miles of riding. Based on the single digit wind chills, we've pushed that start to 7am and pretty sure we will decrease the mileage but will see once we get started. Lucky us!

Going to have coffee and breakfast before I hit the road. Hopefully it won't be too cold to get some pictures on our scenic ride through New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Thinking happy and warm thoughts (of course, I'm still in bed!).

@DCxFitChic

2 Days Before the Big Ride!

I'm leaving for NYC tomorrow.

Just finished packing my bags with full winter cycling gear which includes a rain suit, long winter pants, fleeced lined jackets, smart wool base layers and socks! I really hate socks but when the high temp is forecasted to be below freezing, than socks it is!

I'm also asking myself, why am I'm riding over 200 miles to reach a destination that is less than 6 blocks from my home, really? Obviously, I am committed to women and cycling and sharing with the masses that it really is easy to use your bike for transportation. 

So follow along for the next five days and lets see how it goes.

LeslyJ

@DCxFitChic

#WeBikeToDC

By the way.... This is what it looked like outside my window this morning. I can't believe that I'm actually going to ride my bike over 200 miles.

Worlds Worst Blogger!

I get so involved in what I'm doing that I totally forget to write about it.

Unfortunately, my ride training has been curtailed by cold weather. I expected this and of course, I have rollers but riding inside tends to be limited to 30 minutes or less. I just can't focus when I really want to be outside. Not really sure how that's going to translate to 50+ miles per day, for 4 days, in winter temps! I get cold just thinking about it. I am lifting 4-6 days per week, so that should count for something, even if it is indoors, right?

I did get outside today. A beautiful, sunny but cold ride through Rock Creek Park. Now I just need to build on that.  I keep reminding myself that I'll be the "old lady" in the group and thus have a built in reason to cry my way down the road.

Fun things are coming together and I hope to announce our upcoming fundraising event in the next few days, so stay posted. We need all the help we can get!

LeslyJ

Twitter:  @DCxFitChic

#WeBikeToDC