tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27970986559596079812024-03-17T02:24:25.188-05:00Madison Bike LifeAlyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.comBlogger182125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-288019350978821622015-05-20T10:05:00.000-05:002015-05-20T10:05:56.163-05:00What's in Your Panniers?!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysUe_TCN7j1Kk7DhmpgZwTIXPRHqzkHgYDs2rmcB-Haqjntggv8aKydjOkDM1chEdVfJLlHkBRAKwp7I0-_0-S03NM9bi5kyisjf3xrsoWIqg9tY3e0B8PhIIAITIbVxgzDyc7kZpBhcY/s1600/quaxing1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysUe_TCN7j1Kk7DhmpgZwTIXPRHqzkHgYDs2rmcB-Haqjntggv8aKydjOkDM1chEdVfJLlHkBRAKwp7I0-_0-S03NM9bi5kyisjf3xrsoWIqg9tY3e0B8PhIIAITIbVxgzDyc7kZpBhcY/s690/quaxing1.jpg" width="" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was waiting for the light to cross John Nolan Drive when two MAMILs pulled up next to me on their road bikes. What’s a MAMIL you ask? That would be a Middle-Aged Man In Lycra. I noticed the man closest to me was eyeballing my bike with a bit of intrigue. Since my Dutch bike is somewhat of a novelty around Madison, I’m used to this. I anticipated him to ask about the bike as others often do. However, it was something else that caught his interest in particular. He asked, “What have you got in your panniers?! Not ALL of your possessions I hope!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">This of course made me laugh. The light changed and we were on our respective ways. I pedaled along thinking about the stark differences between myself and the MAMIL, who passed me and sped away. He rode a bike manufactured to be as light as possible. Nothing superfluous was attached to it - no fenders, bags, or racks - not<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> an </span>ounce of extra weight. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSd7UtmBuZw6sMysTT7kDMmFe8LNxjwRo6H5Xh7TruYVZpeY1Itod8EBJJj6_mET4uW9BP-fNOVjZWzBV5_lafHAJa2WksZvMwh7u2a5c-p-FsEYB88F5qCffs_aLqff43-2BEE0ZX0nfe/s1600/quaxing3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSd7UtmBuZw6sMysTT7kDMmFe8LNxjwRo6H5Xh7TruYVZpeY1Itod8EBJJj6_mET4uW9BP-fNOVjZWzBV5_lafHAJa2WksZvMwh7u2a5c-p-FsEYB88F5qCffs_aLqff43-2BEE0ZX0nfe/s730/quaxing3.jpg" width="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carrying camera equipment by bike</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is my 45 lb steel bike. It has front and rear racks, large panniers, fenders, a chainguard, and skirt guards. The consideration here is every-day practicality, not lightness and speed, although I can keep up with the average cyclist on the paths. The bike is built for haulin’ and can <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">carry<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span>115 lbs on the racks. Even fully loaded, it still handles well and isn’t awkward. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8J7DtgHGnQTQbqDCNzmmWfxGfk_VDdcPxHkb5xOovf1uge0Y7DB6-UIRED8M4ftrC_KWg3VVE2E2gKQPJVh8NZeZr-J3QHj4aMfV5YMiZFjd2BtJr9orwC36lZyMp5l6oUTPa6IqR4Jd/s1600/quaxing2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8J7DtgHGnQTQbqDCNzmmWfxGfk_VDdcPxHkb5xOovf1uge0Y7DB6-UIRED8M4ftrC_KWg3VVE2E2gKQPJVh8NZeZr-J3QHj4aMfV5YMiZFjd2BtJr9orwC36lZyMp5l6oUTPa6IqR4Jd/s815/quaxing2.jpg" width="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Getting groceries by bike</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To answer his question, no, I didn’t have </span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">all</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> my possessions in my panniers, only those necessary for a regular weekday, and that happens to be a good bit of stuff! I had my work bag with my laptop, large planner, and writing supplies (which for me means pens in every color imaginable). I also have a gym bag with clothes, shoes, and toiletries. Then there’s my lunchbox, and the small, but essential items, such as my wallet, phone, lip balm, etc. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgks1TX2tGryKGqizBz54OmWuaOk9j9EvhGiKz1qRcD46lQqWvABpfr7yqoZdukcxrNcO4H2GCV3H5nqm9ARx4vlqsYXa4athMxa5nO4Nst8-JewxBbkglK3QphURxAYbHML2wYxJcNtOTK/s700/quaxing5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgks1TX2tGryKGqizBz54OmWuaOk9j9EvhGiKz1qRcD46lQqWvABpfr7yqoZdukcxrNcO4H2GCV3H5nqm9ARx4vlqsYXa4athMxa5nO4Nst8-JewxBbkglK3QphURxAYbHML2wYxJcNtOTK/s700/quaxing5.jpg" width="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Some days require enough gear that I use a large gym bag PLUS my panniers!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Perhaps it takes a little more planning and preparation to set out each day on my bike, but it won’t surprise you that I think it’s totally worth it. It also can be more of a hassle to make impromptu stops or an extra challenge to meet someone at a restaurant, when I have so much stuff in tow. This sometimes means leaving my used gym clothes in my panniers along with my lunchbox. I figure if someone steals that stuff, the joke’s on them.</span></span>Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-68539258124475862242015-02-12T20:08:00.000-06:002015-08-17T18:37:31.704-05:00WorkCycles Secret Service<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLJRyrg3efIsUKVTwxkj7x3-R7UZVlARoZsKZuQS0RI3D80F6ijciTyVfhbQ6cp560ux7jCAH-9QfsLsBgFL9Yal8G9Ft8nlzDLH2H2vC4V0ZAYExBjuMrkdTv9gd5gcvXKu3bRQhyJRz/s1600/Secret-Service2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLJRyrg3efIsUKVTwxkj7x3-R7UZVlARoZsKZuQS0RI3D80F6ijciTyVfhbQ6cp560ux7jCAH-9QfsLsBgFL9Yal8G9Ft8nlzDLH2H2vC4V0ZAYExBjuMrkdTv9gd5gcvXKu3bRQhyJRz/s675/Secret-Service2.jpg" width="" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">After several years of year-round use, my trusty old Dutch bike was becoming rusty and less trustworthy. The time had come to replace it with a nicer, more reliable ride. There was no question about it - I would definitely be getting another Dutch bike. As I’ve </span><a href="http://www.madisonbikelife.com/2012/02/why-i-love-my-dutch-bike.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">written about in the past</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">, I find Dutch bikes to be perfectly suited for everyday cycling. My older bike was very basic and I was looking forward to something a little fancier. Enter WorkCycles.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0x5QqSlIydsCQ8rATDeIw7gisGACfVtfTr4n0tTVCCY-m_hKPUIvb8JV7z_iLDaJZHCrRne4TQqcU2PeYXYXQCUFF0vIcpKRnA6GVlsgz6CAmNuNgiamZRdQLNIzLSG2t1bktRdyhQHE5/s1600/Secret-Service4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0x5QqSlIydsCQ8rATDeIw7gisGACfVtfTr4n0tTVCCY-m_hKPUIvb8JV7z_iLDaJZHCrRne4TQqcU2PeYXYXQCUFF0vIcpKRnA6GVlsgz6CAmNuNgiamZRdQLNIzLSG2t1bktRdyhQHE5/s1600/Secret-Service4.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">I rode a WorkCycles while visiting <a href="http://www.madisonbikelife.com/2012/04/week-with-workcycles-oma.html">Portland</a> and was immediately impressed by its luxurious feel, sturdy construction, and top-of-the-line components. Peter has been riding around on a WorkCycles for a couple years now and has been quite pleased with his bike. I’ve also read many good reviews. The only way to know for sure though was to test ride them myself.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjsL5UpLpqE1tyan-E3-V0x13LwvsiPm2nHXsDR7K1J1tHgqK4FmFiNr9iaUnZi7k9CU7wHOjXFSNJ8L5RFN7i0iuOS7MIDNxMPYwGEte_EqYbB0a1uY7UNdHzI9TWCMcvHoiWSGPqGEg/s1600/Secret-Service6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjsL5UpLpqE1tyan-E3-V0x13LwvsiPm2nHXsDR7K1J1tHgqK4FmFiNr9iaUnZi7k9CU7wHOjXFSNJ8L5RFN7i0iuOS7MIDNxMPYwGEte_EqYbB0a1uY7UNdHzI9TWCMcvHoiWSGPqGEg/s640/Secret-Service6.jpg" width="" /></span></a></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-4a6a0df0-80a5-7421-acd2-6c64122c33e3"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I headed down to Chicago to visit <a href="http://www.jclindbikes.com/">J.C. Lind Bike Co.</a>, which had the <a href="http://www.workcycles.com/home-products/handmade-city-bicycles/workcycles-omafiets-dutch-granny-bike">WorkCycles Oma</a> and <a href="http://www.workcycles.com/home-products/handmade-city-bicycles/workcycles-secret-service-ladies-bike">Secret Service</a> in stock, as well as a <a href="http://www.pilencykel.se/site/en/pilen-lyx/black">Pilen</a> that I was curious about. I took each bike out for a spin and they were all great, but I knew the Secret Service was the one. It’s more appropriate for the longer distances I ride than the traditional Oma, which is less lively in its handling.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMADwrFIA7HbAPxzQDLkPrVFhbJW0rfYZytTU8jzxQ2NUX65b4Sg2RpHvlCsDq1C0ORWK_ucLZt_r3mZKrWu1RdclMlzUBsVdLWVzWfP5X3cdIHWNfoHXvOkeM92BM4_PnHDyKNSV_QiU/s1600/Secret-Servce5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMADwrFIA7HbAPxzQDLkPrVFhbJW0rfYZytTU8jzxQ2NUX65b4Sg2RpHvlCsDq1C0ORWK_ucLZt_r3mZKrWu1RdclMlzUBsVdLWVzWfP5X3cdIHWNfoHXvOkeM92BM4_PnHDyKNSV_QiU/s640/Secret-Servce5.jpg" width="" /></span></a></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-4a6a0df0-80a9-8403-29bf-f6670a705ee0"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Secret Service offers a smooth ride that you have to experience to understand. I won’t go into all the specs, which you can find <a href="http://www.workcycles.com/home-products/handmade-city-bicycles/workcycles-secret-service-ladies-bike">here</a>, but a few of my favorite features include rollerbrakes, which are great in the snow. Also, whereas as my old Dutch bike has three gears, the Secret Service has eight, a noticeable advantage on hills. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmDwwQbY2J3QQNWDvGfC0sBG2UYQr00ZZ9LgZc-fLfJVi6nLW1415muugeExjKeyKO341i0Yb2cVxo7AWYuSi2wyw2N7kYK32-qxYHFseKJ04Rc7L2TPpRbLG6xd2MlN95abxy2dGzvAUg/s1600/Secret-Service1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmDwwQbY2J3QQNWDvGfC0sBG2UYQr00ZZ9LgZc-fLfJVi6nLW1415muugeExjKeyKO341i0Yb2cVxo7AWYuSi2wyw2N7kYK32-qxYHFseKJ04Rc7L2TPpRbLG6xd2MlN95abxy2dGzvAUg/s1600/Secret-Service1.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-4a6a0df0-80aa-17a2-b6fb-c7c0ba0fbb84"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Along with the heavy duty rear rack, I have a frame-mounted front rack as well. So far I’ve hauled my daily essentials, groceries, and even video equipment with the bike. I’ve been super impressed by how well it handles with the racks loaded and that I don’t really sense the extra weight.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmofMt3lQYTzLNdXrMn3Uy4UJKllQtUSq_7NmJ2jI4p-CaTyhAtxGoPgQrhaCrfasbjgwFOq4XzebpbdB3mZGbaE4LKP8ZCJ-miuuDmGDn7H964tHLbmXJvn0YIxQ4_MmAAjmRk9CZKQDn/s1600/Secret-Serviec3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmofMt3lQYTzLNdXrMn3Uy4UJKllQtUSq_7NmJ2jI4p-CaTyhAtxGoPgQrhaCrfasbjgwFOq4XzebpbdB3mZGbaE4LKP8ZCJ-miuuDmGDn7H964tHLbmXJvn0YIxQ4_MmAAjmRk9CZKQDn/s670/Secret-Serviec3.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-4a6a0df0-80aa-5ee1-ea12-a0937c6c5eaf"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The dynamo lighting is very convenient. However, because I set out before dawn and go through some areas without streetlights, I’ve also attached a USB rechargeable light to the handlebars.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9lDzh1Oog99XX9XrL2SyhEnkxU-mRf4QxnbxLl4pCxNN-j6bIFVpmRceWflZIey59To8PpsD6eN98PkoFhN5YC0KvcFlsYHo0tMt8sFyMky1IJRL9C4ZKuGoyX-Co2adCJ_QJ4XELGan/s1600/Secret-Service7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9lDzh1Oog99XX9XrL2SyhEnkxU-mRf4QxnbxLl4pCxNN-j6bIFVpmRceWflZIey59To8PpsD6eN98PkoFhN5YC0KvcFlsYHo0tMt8sFyMky1IJRL9C4ZKuGoyX-Co2adCJ_QJ4XELGan/s640/Secret-Service7.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Several years ago Peter purchased a bike from J.C. Lind Bike Co. and <a href="http://www.madisonbikelife.com/2012/01/how-i-got-my-new-dutch-bike-home-from.html">rode it back</a> to Madison. I opted to bring my new bike home an easier way. The bike rack wasn’t exactly designed for step-through bikes, but it worked with a little creativity. Once back in Madison, Peter and I immediately set out on a celebratory ride on our respective WorkCycles.</span></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-4a6a0df0-80ab-768e-0b57-912bf1ea8269"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Overall, I couldn’t be more pleased with my new bike!</span></span></span>Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-60475181238718586242015-01-26T09:41:00.000-06:002015-01-26T09:41:10.680-06:00She's Got Leggings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXWoIbbhWzdd4MGOVKuyG_dlsB9PHIjFMHMe2U3khQqTZZB12g2wlhYVKu5rpFwWKttPLgAZdvxJjndvaRpxhEiv8_VWhfXbESojx5Cn9GCBWlzSSV0ozqMMq9Sv_Ky6bBhkYRdN77rbK/s1600/leggings3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXWoIbbhWzdd4MGOVKuyG_dlsB9PHIjFMHMe2U3khQqTZZB12g2wlhYVKu5rpFwWKttPLgAZdvxJjndvaRpxhEiv8_VWhfXbESojx5Cn9GCBWlzSSV0ozqMMq9Sv_Ky6bBhkYRdN77rbK/s740/leggings3.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And she knows how to use them. Hey, my dad listened to a lot of ZZ Top when I was growing up - I couldn’t help myself! In my years of biking in cold weather, I’ve identified the best garments that work well with my style and the time I spend in the saddle. Today I’m giving a shout-out to leggings! </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpt7DCZxr_OptWs7HY-XR2rC00bboUnRmIEgkjGQ2NVqMXoZOrsRX0TwEYJblVnpbHOOvpEIreQ2oSRvnUKSznX0dHTkTK3XWpem-Cu93sDKe_XiAMtZm_I8NC9cPp6iafa1riyuD-iXg/s1600/leggings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpt7DCZxr_OptWs7HY-XR2rC00bboUnRmIEgkjGQ2NVqMXoZOrsRX0TwEYJblVnpbHOOvpEIreQ2oSRvnUKSznX0dHTkTK3XWpem-Cu93sDKe_XiAMtZm_I8NC9cPp6iafa1riyuD-iXg/s650/leggings.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have some cotton leggings that are great for the fall and spring. They are warm, have a tight knit that helps to block the wind, and are super comfy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">The ultimate in leggings for winter are fleece leggings, which look like typical leggings on the outside, but have plush, brushed fleece on the inside. These are warmer and better at blocking the winter wind than cotton leggings. Bonus - they are very quick drying and can handle a light rain or snowfall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">For freezing days - and you know we have plenty of those here in Wisconsin - I double them up. Yes, two luscious layers of fleece leggings. It’s like having your legs in a windproof, warm cloud!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9Qc4u7bMft3yJU5amqZymxUSOs0_a9LEcdX0DwWQzUcEcXyU2pJrGvH9y3cK21c7xd1fdYCUKT5t3ZSO5u_1-BpouxxTN-3rBeD-RTGZpdn6-CUQKWWr6Mkw-KDAc5bpYclbjGqU7Xav/s1600/leggings2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9Qc4u7bMft3yJU5amqZymxUSOs0_a9LEcdX0DwWQzUcEcXyU2pJrGvH9y3cK21c7xd1fdYCUKT5t3ZSO5u_1-BpouxxTN-3rBeD-RTGZpdn6-CUQKWWr6Mkw-KDAc5bpYclbjGqU7Xav/s970/leggings2.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wear skirts most days during the colder months because it’s hard to beat the warmth and comfort of fleece leggings. My pants aren’t nearly as warm and it’s not comfortable to squeeze my skinny jeans on over leggings or long janes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not only are fleece leggings perfect for cold-weather riding, they are also inexpensive to add to your wardrobe - I’ve found them at TJ Maxx for about $10 a pair. Don’t avoid the weather - avoid not dressing properly for it!</span>Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-27173718035748588412014-10-20T15:36:00.002-05:002014-10-20T15:36:42.271-05:00Microbrew Bike Ride<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNP4_Ok-7pceoI58s4QuHGiWQibJIrk4X3Wi93W6O3J_ltwdCSHqYUlfNKg40_UJjD2ae30cx9NoBHU-R32NLarEJD60p-emv9aNYjaFbVv31CbyRxrR4wnp6uFv8PKQnB-8e3mTgtF0Y/s1600/brew-ride5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNP4_Ok-7pceoI58s4QuHGiWQibJIrk4X3Wi93W6O3J_ltwdCSHqYUlfNKg40_UJjD2ae30cx9NoBHU-R32NLarEJD60p-emv9aNYjaFbVv31CbyRxrR4wnp6uFv8PKQnB-8e3mTgtF0Y/s1600/brew-ride5.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One of the perks of blogging is meeting new people with similar interests. Beth of </span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.brewcitybiker.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">brewcitybiker.com</span></a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and I have been “blogger friends” for months and decided to go on a ride together. When she rode up to my apartment, I felt like I already knew her, though it was the first time we met in real life!</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQV3GYPk2awe4TIk-78b-zdhFKHWlxoUXMX95b3jie08p8spx9x6oxoUSIX9akONDQAjBqD-t6ceYnpFAZah3b0M5tHa2aoImxwK98vjqlso09c0gI8rWkzecqtKIrrUqI9K-JO5X9juLN/s1600/brew-ride3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQV3GYPk2awe4TIk-78b-zdhFKHWlxoUXMX95b3jie08p8spx9x6oxoUSIX9akONDQAjBqD-t6ceYnpFAZah3b0M5tHa2aoImxwK98vjqlso09c0gI8rWkzecqtKIrrUqI9K-JO5X9juLN/s795/brew-ride3.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking advantage of the tandem when a tire went flat</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I suppose she had a pretty good idea of who I am too, since she was going to crash at my place the night before our ride. We geeked out about all things biking - gear, our rides, favorite winter riding get-up, you name it. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cY44KE2Ni_uYmjaUM1Wd2UtT-kWQ5bpiPkZFw872eUyi2SwQqkDNutETGVX3CPKbyOzN5d9alfJgnrH3-GI3xXsBu_IPJjyZnT-kgrJKzm1Aoxk7vwppG0w5eUUMEvfs_eF_zSqLUKbO/s1600/brew-ride1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cY44KE2Ni_uYmjaUM1Wd2UtT-kWQ5bpiPkZFw872eUyi2SwQqkDNutETGVX3CPKbyOzN5d9alfJgnrH3-GI3xXsBu_IPJjyZnT-kgrJKzm1Aoxk7vwppG0w5eUUMEvfs_eF_zSqLUKbO/s1600/brew-ride1.jpg" height="414" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Beth mapped out our ride </span><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Ale+Asylum,+2002+Pankratz+St,+Madison,+WI+53704/Karben4+Brewing,+3698+Kinsman+Blvd,+Madison,+WI+53704/One+Barrel+Brewing+Company,+2001+Atwood+Ave,+Madison,+WI+53704/The+Malt+House,+2609+E+Washington+Ave,+Madison,+WI+53704/Ale+Asylum,+2002+Pankratz+St,+Madison,+WI+53704/@43.1089549,-89.3587507,14z/data=!4m32!4m31!1m5!1m1!1s0x88065428f430998f:0xdb80ba775773984d!2m2!1d-89.354151!2d43.120465!1m5!1m1!1s0x88065428c3610837:0xfcdc6964a569efe3!2m2!1d-89.325671!2d43.126006!1m5!1m1!1s0x88065386c6e46f6b:0x83c835e9b5b0b621!2m2!1d-89.355012!2d43.091899!1m5!1m1!1s0x880654712cc8bc3d:0xdd256580eb36a899!2m2!1d-89.348394!2d43.100199!1m5!1m1!1s0x88065428f430998f:0xdb80ba775773984d!2m2!1d-89.354151!2d43.120465!3e1" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">route</span></a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> to include four stops for microbrews - Ale Asylum, Karben4, One Barrel, and The Malt House. I highly encourage you to gather your beer-loving friends and take this ride. </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LPi1BD_ddbEqZKPaaCowqjzgy8oM7mgsezE3kEtqTKAqxPNUNaISQcZ-YrP_s9A-FNxp4a9_eQZCTQYbHJKii5sG-TNa_ypdpH-h1_dCGPKBP6sCX7Sqd3R42P0JVM1WoIJphPEH2HgB/s1600/brew-ride2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LPi1BD_ddbEqZKPaaCowqjzgy8oM7mgsezE3kEtqTKAqxPNUNaISQcZ-YrP_s9A-FNxp4a9_eQZCTQYbHJKii5sG-TNa_ypdpH-h1_dCGPKBP6sCX7Sqd3R42P0JVM1WoIJphPEH2HgB/s640/brew-ride2.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Be sure to check out Beth’s thoughts on the ride </span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.brewcitybiker.com/madison-brewery-bike-tour/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">her</span></a></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">e<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.brewcitybiker.com/madison-brewery-bike-tour/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></a></span></span></span></div>
Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-62738031906625920402014-09-17T09:27:00.000-05:002014-09-17T09:32:59.044-05:00My First Century<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSraOh6Oq_uuMrkryJgtVt7aBEeAj7IDmsglxiB8qpiOrYFIoS8OVQsbU8ryXFOreuoGqvMSBMdhcEZnlP84Re1M_ESkt32b-s_7QZ6u_bAkOmbrJlMNMzSUR85DC6r2Q4Zdgv9bJcxnRs/s1600/Century2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSraOh6Oq_uuMrkryJgtVt7aBEeAj7IDmsglxiB8qpiOrYFIoS8OVQsbU8ryXFOreuoGqvMSBMdhcEZnlP84Re1M_ESkt32b-s_7QZ6u_bAkOmbrJlMNMzSUR85DC6r2Q4Zdgv9bJcxnRs/s640/Century2.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-4ab6735d-7f21-05c6-fac1-fc16e15caf41" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I bike to go places. When not biking for transportation, even my recreational riding has a destination - a park for a picnic, a campground for the night, a brunch spot - even if it may just seem like an excuse to bike somewhere. </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPMpHWf37wHxMR9W49pHDM0_jkhmn_RzS1YHMJK8pICBr6OX_ow3C9GUUIOlvhPh815G7Uc02Vq8lIu4Ij0hi7cbW6bRSZjoM06Pq65zpIjzBI6KKITRkMi_2VpMqvZsoW8oIHXuwJ-0l/s1600/Century4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPMpHWf37wHxMR9W49pHDM0_jkhmn_RzS1YHMJK8pICBr6OX_ow3C9GUUIOlvhPh815G7Uc02Vq8lIu4Ij0hi7cbW6bRSZjoM06Pq65zpIjzBI6KKITRkMi_2VpMqvZsoW8oIHXuwJ-0l/s1600/Century4.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After several years of touring, I finally had a reason to bike 100 miles in a day. In planning a bike trip from Madison to Rock Island State Park (off the tip of Door County), Peter and I decided to camp the first night north of Milwaukee.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQkJ8FUCHwVqCLUQEx-J_4gnI1KHDh_ZoChhA2xhCmY7PQC-Cx6wgK6ZA6fKfe_e2NrDIIMV8OOoqnNQW3wzE8TgrWQh4FRuuLMIWWNc2rLmYFTYzqdqzGAtOeGCyz373V5N56fkyaSYS/s1600/Century3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQkJ8FUCHwVqCLUQEx-J_4gnI1KHDh_ZoChhA2xhCmY7PQC-Cx6wgK6ZA6fKfe_e2NrDIIMV8OOoqnNQW3wzE8TgrWQh4FRuuLMIWWNc2rLmYFTYzqdqzGAtOeGCyz373V5N56fkyaSYS/s800/Century3.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On a fully loaded touring bike, with hands numb from gripping the handlebars and a big desire to get out of the saddle, I joined the Century Club sometime near midnight and somewhere just south of Cedarburg. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJ3oaVkbU9D904-jJA9KlQd6-BBPoPei79hV3O6saUJCBEz4YOEYnI_Rc-BZcjVWfTA_N4L23ch1s4oisfJUp__1_2ilENOm4x-mm2d-rdM_H0V4VbUVaYFuG7pOCW6QE6PeyYmxmXXRK/s1600/Century5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJ3oaVkbU9D904-jJA9KlQd6-BBPoPei79hV3O6saUJCBEz4YOEYnI_Rc-BZcjVWfTA_N4L23ch1s4oisfJUp__1_2ilENOm4x-mm2d-rdM_H0V4VbUVaYFuG7pOCW6QE6PeyYmxmXXRK/s1600/Century5.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Instead of staying up to celebrate, as soon as we got the tent set up and my sleeping bag unrolled, I went to bed. In the morning, we had coffee and a typical, yet delicious, breakfast at a main street cafe in Port Washington. Recharged, I was ready to complete the additional 80 miles up to Two Rivers, where we would rest for a day before continuing north along the Lake Michigan coastline. </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbuKnltIrkBJ6LH7nD7uqFSgt_aTJmq6LnJJf59xIf6A-i4z-VTSaFVXOgN-iN2ATm_shGWFc2iDmdVz__O3SaVP3sKnvBvpOjApMBakSLkkXnIdcUWl5M7HcfCLvVlaO73_QTIpZfuw1x/s1600/Century1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbuKnltIrkBJ6LH7nD7uqFSgt_aTJmq6LnJJf59xIf6A-i4z-VTSaFVXOgN-iN2ATm_shGWFc2iDmdVz__O3SaVP3sKnvBvpOjApMBakSLkkXnIdcUWl5M7HcfCLvVlaO73_QTIpZfuw1x/s1600/Century1.jpg" height="436" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guerrilla campsite off the bike trail</td></tr>
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Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-14255821088223877482014-08-12T16:38:00.000-05:002014-08-12T16:38:58.040-05:00Biking into the Future - DIY Electric Bike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-4f045ac2-cb9e-1f44-84db-b3c8a2112607" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Please welcome my friend Seth to the blog! He’s here to share how he added an electric assist to a couple of everyday bikes and how it’s helped him bike more often. - Alyson</span></span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg663IsqG1NaXiCHefgemugrZtTiQGqiN2E5Yi_z9qOG8eCNqUrTzeQGMGVHsfIRsS-u4sGMBU0LttPYkgQdp9eGqiVYx3P6aRj1JqDGDnLTez-nSSuDZlnl2FCKNkiRlGjno3P0fPzW80_/s1600/E-Bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg663IsqG1NaXiCHefgemugrZtTiQGqiN2E5Yi_z9qOG8eCNqUrTzeQGMGVHsfIRsS-u4sGMBU0LttPYkgQdp9eGqiVYx3P6aRj1JqDGDnLTez-nSSuDZlnl2FCKNkiRlGjno3P0fPzW80_/s1600/E-Bike.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I love to bike for the thrill of being outside with the wind on my face and feeling close to nature. Still, there are days when I wake up late and am pressed for time, or when it seems so easy to just hop in my car and drive that I forget why I like biking to work.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I wanted to avoid these kinds of mornings and make going by bike the easy decision. How could I get to work faster, but without the rush? How could I still get in some exercise, yet ride when I am dog-tired or unmotivated? Enter modern technology.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMu_2Li-lXOEJopEuoc_cFHrRRaQXGiErlri3gBkpHm-RRWxM90i41XUpJ5ZseOqztVEUHPW85RvO77JL9drLeWcWUYphx0DrMP5j1YJJphiiZTltpaViR-qfAPfKHd3gs4QAfmLaDWUcR/s1600/E-bike3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMu_2Li-lXOEJopEuoc_cFHrRRaQXGiErlri3gBkpHm-RRWxM90i41XUpJ5ZseOqztVEUHPW85RvO77JL9drLeWcWUYphx0DrMP5j1YJJphiiZTltpaViR-qfAPfKHd3gs4QAfmLaDWUcR/s770/E-bike3.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Prefabricated electric bikes can be bulky and expensive, but it’s possible to convert existing bikes at a fraction of the cost and with little extra weight (about 7lbs). This seemed like just the thing to get me and my girlfriend on our bikes on those days we might not otherwise ride.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1SBGBMOLK34uYpSoxpB9D2gP0p6VEj0lPAaXM6KpEcAbRNwrO_R7bxV2hIbSybJi93JTIBOL-UMsD-Bi_g2V3oytbHyOozn_lpAp8ypuES3gGUFFeFeAfOYyeY4EHmgY46r1Yz6fvahi/s1600/E-bike4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1SBGBMOLK34uYpSoxpB9D2gP0p6VEj0lPAaXM6KpEcAbRNwrO_R7bxV2hIbSybJi93JTIBOL-UMsD-Bi_g2V3oytbHyOozn_lpAp8ypuES3gGUFFeFeAfOYyeY4EHmgY46r1Yz6fvahi/s1600/E-bike4.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After about an afternoon’s worth of work, our bikes were sporting inconspicuous, lightweight, motorized hubs powered by rechargeable battery packs. The hubs are controlled by a handlebar-mounted throttle with a tiny display panel indicating power usage. It’s easy to use - engage the throttle for a boost or ride the old-fashioned way when it’s disengaged with no additional drag. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39iWzORDj4vI0F1A7rrV9U8viuLdamriHNp_7fDyw64GBcwmpTJ9h_UEaAjb92DPxSVx3Edtf_NQ8wEK0TjyeDcc0clvh7Jm4DAF1Z8W1yUz4icOmiadjcp45gpts2wmDaVeUAUY482W_/s1600/E-Bike2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39iWzORDj4vI0F1A7rrV9U8viuLdamriHNp_7fDyw64GBcwmpTJ9h_UEaAjb92DPxSVx3Edtf_NQ8wEK0TjyeDcc0clvh7Jm4DAF1Z8W1yUz4icOmiadjcp45gpts2wmDaVeUAUY482W_/s1600/E-Bike2.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How much the throttle is engaged + the amount of pedaling = how fast the bike will go, as well as how much juice is drained from the battery. With the throttle fully engaged and without any pedaling, our electric bikes go about 15 miles an hour, for 8-10 miles. With pedaling, we can reach 20 miles an hour and a much longer distance. </span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3owbjy4bQVhgHV9GAd1cEeq3wA7NBra3U8uCnd60syN2-Z57pFm9gesUdnMZ5cfAlpRenv8sFXM7nKCnZW5heGYWqEuoEyB6qkAdAMn_4ZcndGVK8OvA0U-1CAHBtPkNYuorhb-NfZy0c/s1600/E-bike6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3owbjy4bQVhgHV9GAd1cEeq3wA7NBra3U8uCnd60syN2-Z57pFm9gesUdnMZ5cfAlpRenv8sFXM7nKCnZW5heGYWqEuoEyB6qkAdAMn_4ZcndGVK8OvA0U-1CAHBtPkNYuorhb-NfZy0c/s1600/E-bike6.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Each charge of the battery costs only about $0.03 worth of electricity. I just need to remember to bring it in and charge it!</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUuyqUignPNz_NzAZbGxQemxTsRj4Ic1p8M7MugwdPLCOZzAt0eMfVB1DACal11-w59KetoJTvJZeMmEOTpiY_0_EGCb_BAnPialPKfeWaHC8GmhTkBf-scdFfbNwcLQRZr6DHUgm-DRLU/s1600/e-bike5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUuyqUignPNz_NzAZbGxQemxTsRj4Ic1p8M7MugwdPLCOZzAt0eMfVB1DACal11-w59KetoJTvJZeMmEOTpiY_0_EGCb_BAnPialPKfeWaHC8GmhTkBf-scdFfbNwcLQRZr6DHUgm-DRLU/s1600/e-bike5.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Our trips by bike have gone beyond simply getting to work. Now we’re running errands and heading out to see friends on our bikes. If you hear a slight whirring sound on the bike path and see a couple of smiling faces, it just might be us.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Contact</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You can send me email at lakowske at gmail dot com for any questions about the electric conversion. Feel free to stop by my website</span><a href="http://sethlakowske.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">sethlakowske.com</span></a></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> to learn more about what I am up to</span></span>.</span></div>
Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com148tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-28810229596898302202014-06-27T22:02:00.001-05:002014-06-27T22:02:59.812-05:00Where Ya Headed?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifptd8Rw74peMooPhMWTqupJnkV4Dt5hjWoksUTl5XW3ZljgtGcfG3rCSp6pGc09euqT19dxJT0dxwEKiqA8MesV2Sd8miaqVnVxxDTn_Hd3J_5-ZmBD__iKtj6PiCOstMjgtNGAF6bLYe/s1600/Devils-Lake-Bike-Touring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifptd8Rw74peMooPhMWTqupJnkV4Dt5hjWoksUTl5XW3ZljgtGcfG3rCSp6pGc09euqT19dxJT0dxwEKiqA8MesV2Sd8miaqVnVxxDTn_Hd3J_5-ZmBD__iKtj6PiCOstMjgtNGAF6bLYe/s1600/Devils-Lake-Bike-Touring.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-c259b72c-e029-9345-7c7b-061030be2dd7" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A pair of fully loaded touring bikes is a sight that makes people wonder, perhaps where we came from and where we’re headed. I think most people tend to imagine it’s Coast to Coast, while we may only be on our way to a Wisconsin state park. Nonetheless, a comradery of wanderlust is built on as little as a smile or a nod to two people on a bike camping adventure. </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xTkJa1OAdo5MOnOr78fb7z2BE2dP8qcQjGM4QGIcDPBRv-WSnwyW5aimwQNRAv37EusJKavHwh_ALu9GkQKT9NAyCYySqWjVjLcSjupOgKdQuUpYWjYpvZkf353cgXoDUXVQ32uftLeJ/s1600/Devils-Lake-Bike-Touring3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xTkJa1OAdo5MOnOr78fb7z2BE2dP8qcQjGM4QGIcDPBRv-WSnwyW5aimwQNRAv37EusJKavHwh_ALu9GkQKT9NAyCYySqWjVjLcSjupOgKdQuUpYWjYpvZkf353cgXoDUXVQ32uftLeJ/s769/Devils-Lake-Bike-Touring3.jpg" height="" width="" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtxT2BrM_bBtB8eE-n1-QLuOa0tyESgbeJM1gDwLbTFU5lJvDBhLGJrbBuMyIMpCZhtQkdpQzDixsOSdnL1oR04xmWB8UVerS7YMj1vsRLKtTpGoDyaQegPLcWLkzru0BLyQxGCLAh_Og/s1600/Devils-Lake-Bike-Touring5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtxT2BrM_bBtB8eE-n1-QLuOa0tyESgbeJM1gDwLbTFU5lJvDBhLGJrbBuMyIMpCZhtQkdpQzDixsOSdnL1oR04xmWB8UVerS7YMj1vsRLKtTpGoDyaQegPLcWLkzru0BLyQxGCLAh_Og/s1600/Devils-Lake-Bike-Touring5.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In any case, we’ve found people are more hospitable to bicyclists with panniers and camping equipment than without. For example, motorists tend to slow down and give more space. People we pass along the way, whether working on their yards or walking along the sidewalk, often smile and say “Hi.” Other cyclists really get a kick out of seeing us grinding up a hill, pulling the weight of everything stuffed into panniers or bungeed across the racks. As they pass by on sleek road bikes, they quite commonly give a cheer or a thumbs up. </span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVMBgT_sf3UcmXmcEqWZPHz8K4rK1eC-9amBH8AGDdkyvZQQziryGehlmWgCPRrWiZiWk5IkbjjPLoq0gpB0a5lBlXqDa-7__VJhNF3UKLlRaWD61f1E1AcPj868mu9_VPxdhxVixwEjg/s1600/Devils-Lake-Bike-Touring6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVMBgT_sf3UcmXmcEqWZPHz8K4rK1eC-9amBH8AGDdkyvZQQziryGehlmWgCPRrWiZiWk5IkbjjPLoq0gpB0a5lBlXqDa-7__VJhNF3UKLlRaWD61f1E1AcPj868mu9_VPxdhxVixwEjg/s842/Devils-Lake-Bike-Touring6.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-c259b72c-e029-9345-7c7b-061030be2dd7" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjILQNYWfPTaB5Q2F4cBmYHqPHwJ5VHcOtlVDb4zc8Ycn8p8hBX2wlksbFgyYSYWmsn_4QnHjLUUSH-gTIAgM27QZvaWaHELNARWi2IEKWZFX6EEmAG62siRTSeWBPkTmmNY6dWh9I55AGQ/s1600/Devils-Lake-Bike-Touring1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjILQNYWfPTaB5Q2F4cBmYHqPHwJ5VHcOtlVDb4zc8Ycn8p8hBX2wlksbFgyYSYWmsn_4QnHjLUUSH-gTIAgM27QZvaWaHELNARWi2IEKWZFX6EEmAG62siRTSeWBPkTmmNY6dWh9I55AGQ/s640/Devils-Lake-Bike-Touring1.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A fully loaded touring bike also invites a conversation. It seems like whenever we’re stopped, people come up to us to ask about touring, where we’re headed (and react with a bit of surprise to a destination in Wisconsin), or to share a story about their own cross-country trek.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsizrCbKVaTnEHoJwTxoTdm8CEHrY0xMwSCnWZwZ5xMPBwfSxsIKYu2opjizPjFaXwDS_0rLoPf9ECEDbRNb1aedZO5pJxXGL1fOfl1sJ1EF1tD16aXTUElEpbQHrYyQkWC3hXwxjzMst/s1600/Devils-Lake-Bike-Touring4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsizrCbKVaTnEHoJwTxoTdm8CEHrY0xMwSCnWZwZ5xMPBwfSxsIKYu2opjizPjFaXwDS_0rLoPf9ECEDbRNb1aedZO5pJxXGL1fOfl1sJ1EF1tD16aXTUElEpbQHrYyQkWC3hXwxjzMst/s760/Devils-Lake-Bike-Touring4.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></div>Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-71096629967640626272014-06-13T18:33:00.000-05:002014-06-13T18:33:45.055-05:00A Hot Mess<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-2f7c4b3d-f27f-e5cf-1093-8fac5cde6731" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDbuJGFpERoa3GIY-zK4yJ_J0YyVCZAU-tnpvR3_9obbwadNT_IzOBZF0_K272V1Z33qHexwULl6E6XWVaZKWRkiWg-etFMaBfZrX2mgcucw2T0bMC-HuZ6ogjHS3R2QXC6KbzjlmCJcm/s1600/Hot-Mess2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDbuJGFpERoa3GIY-zK4yJ_J0YyVCZAU-tnpvR3_9obbwadNT_IzOBZF0_K272V1Z33qHexwULl6E6XWVaZKWRkiWg-etFMaBfZrX2mgcucw2T0bMC-HuZ6ogjHS3R2QXC6KbzjlmCJcm/s1600/Hot-Mess2.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If my name wasn’t Alyson, it would be Betty. Sweaty Betty. Sweating can be a major concern for people considering biking for transportation. So let’s have a candid talk about it!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For many bike commuters, sweat won’t be a problem. Your ride will be short enough that you won’t have the time to work up much heat. Or maybe your ride is stop and go, so again, you’re not likely to get sweaty.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQUHrLtGNR2o2xy6599Wh6DEjPLLZNugHY8cZpIXL0SZDevP9npcrpIvH21DFKWD-Gockmyj-XIrDU_PvB2lRJU3VXB3sDzyPfKf329LpIyx2W_CC5eNyVTqZGfg5yUa1O3g8UNgyHouO/s1600/Hot-Mess3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQUHrLtGNR2o2xy6599Wh6DEjPLLZNugHY8cZpIXL0SZDevP9npcrpIvH21DFKWD-Gockmyj-XIrDU_PvB2lRJU3VXB3sDzyPfKf329LpIyx2W_CC5eNyVTqZGfg5yUa1O3g8UNgyHouO/s780/Hot-Mess3.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For some of us, this isn’t the case. I bike eight miles to work and there are several stretches where I can pick up the pace and go fast for miles at a time. I know the adage is, “bike slowly if you don’t want to sweat,” but I can’t help it. If I can go fast, I will - it’s part of the fun of biking!</span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvoNB1rFIvvfh6R0_2aZGBP9J9UkZb_Ly9h6nI4lDX_i15fCpkiXUM0rc_oZDV2Fi9gnV0wiL0i5vAM_ICXQOLHwkAmRIbQIIj3z_d1q5we9evbfPUa27xNPvf07Xvi0JJGr0xIDLYek2/s1600/Hot-Mess4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvoNB1rFIvvfh6R0_2aZGBP9J9UkZb_Ly9h6nI4lDX_i15fCpkiXUM0rc_oZDV2Fi9gnV0wiL0i5vAM_ICXQOLHwkAmRIbQIIj3z_d1q5we9evbfPUa27xNPvf07Xvi0JJGr0xIDLYek2/s1600/Hot-Mess4.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Over the years I’ve been biking for transportation, I’ve gotten comfortable in my own (sweaty) skin. I’ve found that sweating doesn't make you “dirty.” I can sweat a little in the morning and still feel fresh for the day. I’ve developed non-showering methods to freshen up and choose clothing that will keep me cool.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YQqD1R5WSsMHgPygt7FVvkFOcpQkq8Frp_wPfRW4CnhNIOgdtVsdf-yO6GI9QHwO3hgS3UBeUx2qnBzJyfcIIqkbaLE3z-0p_y0DMvLGOcpkDz6hLLkD-bNdvVogWJMAmr_Folw4QbZ4/s1600/Hot-Mess9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YQqD1R5WSsMHgPygt7FVvkFOcpQkq8Frp_wPfRW4CnhNIOgdtVsdf-yO6GI9QHwO3hgS3UBeUx2qnBzJyfcIIqkbaLE3z-0p_y0DMvLGOcpkDz6hLLkD-bNdvVogWJMAmr_Folw4QbZ4/s645/Hot-Mess9.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What doesn’t feel fresh and can lead to body odor is wearing sweaty synthetic fabrics. In the winter my go-tos are wool and cashmere because they are quick-drying and never smell. Tank tops are my favorite for hot summer days because of the great ventilation. Often I’ll bike in a tank top and throw on a light cardigan at work. If it’s a particularly hot and humid day, I may even bring a fresh shirt to change into at work.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Look - you might sweat, but that doesn't mean you </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">have </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">to shower. Get used to a little sweat, it’s ok. Really.</span></span></span>Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-75607768727336176062014-05-29T12:27:00.000-05:002014-05-29T12:27:14.757-05:005 Tips for Grocery Shopping by Bike<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-8a550efd-297f-3489-c444-680a38f7360f" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNxzEvXszthFNcRnXlPDgBf3mnWUGBOgxKOMVqwmvBeZj1bukpUHm2Te8nWRVxh-bTZUCBNnx7GNqiF01I0LLffYArYmFkDmjXMGLMRrQmiMsgD5STd54s4MGLaFwnW1oWhuNbUyGI6HN/s1600/Groceries-by-Bike5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNxzEvXszthFNcRnXlPDgBf3mnWUGBOgxKOMVqwmvBeZj1bukpUHm2Te8nWRVxh-bTZUCBNnx7GNqiF01I0LLffYArYmFkDmjXMGLMRrQmiMsgD5STd54s4MGLaFwnW1oWhuNbUyGI6HN/s710/Groceries-by-Bike5.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8a550efd-4904-b014-a88e-d74431c9bedf" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Find your go-to system</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There’s no wrong way to shop by bike. What kind of bike you have and how many people you’re shopping for will largely dictate how you go about grocery-getting.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If you’re only shopping for yourself, or just picking up a couple things, a single backpack may do the trick. Maybe your bike is set up with a rack and you have some nice panniers with room enough to carry home a week’s worth of groceries for two or more people.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Find the best way to carry things on your bike. You may need to invest in a rack and panniers - it’s worth it. </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDTxRX1yoSgQ6QLjXx5bkZ8j3haq97dk-Z3Ih9uZ6k9-G-hXxen-GzHW7iBC4oMcWUnhidOnJ_Aqqvb63HoPEC_OcgmF5-qs5LxoRKmSFO0oA3lqfQASJ2e2M3_1c73MC-KCW4JSzhLcB/s1600/groceries-by-bike1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDTxRX1yoSgQ6QLjXx5bkZ8j3haq97dk-Z3Ih9uZ6k9-G-hXxen-GzHW7iBC4oMcWUnhidOnJ_Aqqvb63HoPEC_OcgmF5-qs5LxoRKmSFO0oA3lqfQASJ2e2M3_1c73MC-KCW4JSzhLcB/s1600/groceries-by-bike1.jpg" height="452" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8a550efd-4904-643b-6c6e-242dc9baec17" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2. Make a shopping list</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You can only carry so much back with you, so know what you want and stick to the list. This takes some planning, but is worth the extra effort.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMHWnGDjar-XWarxurMp5l-4CjKjW6zNr4-kme6xurJBCFlTr7E7dSFbQ_GNT47shGReyR5XlhtXSlzldl9IU8vDgE6DZgEqty6HlT8fLS_pqg05h7Skc6xikdCBEQ0K5TXlrrr5KnxamX/s1600/Groceries-by-Bike4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMHWnGDjar-XWarxurMp5l-4CjKjW6zNr4-kme6xurJBCFlTr7E7dSFbQ_GNT47shGReyR5XlhtXSlzldl9IU8vDgE6DZgEqty6HlT8fLS_pqg05h7Skc6xikdCBEQ0K5TXlrrr5KnxamX/s852/Groceries-by-Bike4.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8a550efd-4904-1c43-d472-26bedb4a2ebd" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Be prepared for overflow</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Even with a list I’ll sometimes get a few more things than planned - often it’s some fruit that looks </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">so</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> good I can’t pass it up! To plan for this contingency, I always bring my empty backpack to hold any overflow from my panniers and basket.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LmQoilkkME82ZQUAAioIJQ8knLgGS7RYaoOJZbD36n-hNJ5zIleVUn3IukkpbQA117QEl7HyjmbQME5hzApbGU-vxH-WD74NplUm_cG6AVHLz4Miou4Ruv2LN3NefoK5oS06DFmFXCxE/s1600/Groceries-by-Bike3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LmQoilkkME82ZQUAAioIJQ8knLgGS7RYaoOJZbD36n-hNJ5zIleVUn3IukkpbQA117QEl7HyjmbQME5hzApbGU-vxH-WD74NplUm_cG6AVHLz4Miou4Ruv2LN3NefoK5oS06DFmFXCxE/s1600/Groceries-by-Bike3.jpg" height="464" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8a550efd-4903-b9f2-453c-1ab02c37c7ad" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">4. Shop in cycles</span> (no pun intended!)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Once a month I make a big haul from the grocery store which requires both my large panniers, my rear basket, and my backpack. On this trip I stock up on nonperishables I like to always have on hand, but don’t need to resupply every week - things like flour, oats, rice, beans, cartons of almond milk, frozen veggies, onions, and potatoes.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Keeping my pantry stocked with the above items reduces my other weekly shopping trips to simply replacing fresh foods we go through every week - greens, fruit, fresh veggies, and dairy.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCpSp8ALjXcJIahQ00s4illEWalSu8eVktUdV6d9-XcOLxxZlHRBDPWxGP_zFDTkvwk350Mp9enIa4QVwgkGJPLSSq5xcFwS2tXAXhQPgjRsSKCi4ayQtTtxY_isZs-we-jANYts03AS1/s1600/Groceries-by-Bike2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCpSp8ALjXcJIahQ00s4illEWalSu8eVktUdV6d9-XcOLxxZlHRBDPWxGP_zFDTkvwk350Mp9enIa4QVwgkGJPLSSq5xcFwS2tXAXhQPgjRsSKCi4ayQtTtxY_isZs-we-jANYts03AS1/s1600/Groceries-by-Bike2.jpg" height="504" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8a550efd-4902-fec2-1912-c014198911e2" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">5. Have a routine</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I go grocery shopping pretty much every Sunday. It’s my habit and makes it easier to plan meals for the week, make a list, and go. I’m never trying to think of when can I fit in in, instead I simply know it’s something I have to do on Sunday.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If you have the option of shopping by car, and you feel pressed for time, you probably won’t ride your bike. Don’t make a decision every time, instead make it a habit to go by bike.</span></span></span></div>
Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-37677161587196707342014-05-23T09:14:00.000-05:002014-05-23T09:14:15.731-05:00Bike into an Active Lifestyle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg25Kr5yQ3sEbRR5kqnb74gaqKxkkMN6CHjreAitw2LPzwn8pAmEx_tTtxvYP2cIPaGeOzVIBICZLxiKBB_lJE9wbsejkieClfz8jFyXJDTtKpqNGLD-Jnug7r9egVTvMDLanQ2HHC5zuPC/s1600/active11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg25Kr5yQ3sEbRR5kqnb74gaqKxkkMN6CHjreAitw2LPzwn8pAmEx_tTtxvYP2cIPaGeOzVIBICZLxiKBB_lJE9wbsejkieClfz8jFyXJDTtKpqNGLD-Jnug7r9egVTvMDLanQ2HHC5zuPC/s1600/active11.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Getting a significant amount of daily exercise used to be a challenge for me, but when I got a new job in 2010, I started biking about seven miles to work. As such, a sizable dose of daily exercise became the norm rather than the exception. On the recreational side, I was really getting into touring and bike camping, extending my rides tens of miles and hours in the saddle, getting a feel for what I was capable of.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgkNjiBNLnHhGEfwrfLFSHGcF9DXGL-G5BhWbjQHp13fYKg8SW_qLox_IsSB995hO1Bh2MmCuJc3oCmONrVNK_mXutRC7mCtlcvgQ90WO2MhECapuCu-toqQwH5-7yUx_SuqodKi9VF6aZ/s1600/Active6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgkNjiBNLnHhGEfwrfLFSHGcF9DXGL-G5BhWbjQHp13fYKg8SW_qLox_IsSB995hO1Bh2MmCuJc3oCmONrVNK_mXutRC7mCtlcvgQ90WO2MhECapuCu-toqQwH5-7yUx_SuqodKi9VF6aZ/s745/Active6.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Around this time, I started tracking my physical activity in a log I have faithfully kept to this day. It can be easy to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">feel</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> like you’ve been active when you’ve really been a couch potato. I know, I’ve been there. The log is not so easily fooled! </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgXeJYnJAjFjRv3FBxbai0QDtSINtFEDJcSdTmY1URy-i6wwO02gf-1VuVaA8zXS1GHJhH2L0GTkR3nlCWSeFi5Up4K4Yn98YQh7ECHxeeFo-mbnnv3Nba0vgVfO9OjMExH0O7i7Y08in/s1600/Active12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgXeJYnJAjFjRv3FBxbai0QDtSINtFEDJcSdTmY1URy-i6wwO02gf-1VuVaA8zXS1GHJhH2L0GTkR3nlCWSeFi5Up4K4Yn98YQh7ECHxeeFo-mbnnv3Nba0vgVfO9OjMExH0O7i7Y08in/s790/Active12.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Before the boost in activity from my longer bike commute, I struggled to meet my goal of averaging one hour of exercise a day. Days would go by with nothing to record in my log. Then when I felt motivated, I’d go to the UW-Madison rec center to pound out a few (boring) miles on the treadmill, journey on a long walk around town, do some yoga, or on occasion take my vintage Schwinn on what felt like an epic ride of 20 miles. Yet, I never created a habit out of any of it that amounted to much exercise - my log made that clear.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnm9BWQXep3IX6jZxr11v1knaHGvmiQ993-y1jaaA12ReVZAkiDq7TvECplRyljVmksiE1iu844eWBW8wctZMWzvUV3zSmPwd5Kdg-7-IJjxrx3CCZ_rVHht3Ugi3XMNf6Z3KqKa684YW/s1600/Active7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnm9BWQXep3IX6jZxr11v1knaHGvmiQ993-y1jaaA12ReVZAkiDq7TvECplRyljVmksiE1iu844eWBW8wctZMWzvUV3zSmPwd5Kdg-7-IJjxrx3CCZ_rVHht3Ugi3XMNf6Z3KqKa684YW/s1600/Active7.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Since then, my experiences with biking have given me confidence to try new fitness activities, like long-distance running, bouldering, and CrossFit. Having established the habit of daily exercise has made it easier to integrate these new activities into my lifestyle, maybe like learning a second foreign language. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4F9TCjz4wgc5w53q7znSHBEBEsKgAl_CXcM0ujR02WTHwRw0iIzLWhkJhbJ12-4VvO1zxbxSR1I7uLrjmCConFGNZQjMBu2QI03KDUKvxr8W_K_9yQ_Ba5CSGil8sTAMHn6EziWnEU9ko/s1600/Active3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4F9TCjz4wgc5w53q7znSHBEBEsKgAl_CXcM0ujR02WTHwRw0iIzLWhkJhbJ12-4VvO1zxbxSR1I7uLrjmCConFGNZQjMBu2QI03KDUKvxr8W_K_9yQ_Ba5CSGil8sTAMHn6EziWnEU9ko/s865/Active3.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now I have no problem surpassing what were once goals I struggled to achieve. My exercise log is documentation of how far I’ve come and a way for me to celebrate my success. </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEP9MXkp3JZKznAU5ozeKHoPbnn877hOPY7s82tSmrfG6aN28rSCFiTOPGA2T8mU7YMpNA3_lsS5YzzVCirKEcJTgOsoDRvoue_9lYHM77n9PzD_6sireSkLOBTTg1hvNQdrzB9Gg4JV4d/s1600/Active8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEP9MXkp3JZKznAU5ozeKHoPbnn877hOPY7s82tSmrfG6aN28rSCFiTOPGA2T8mU7YMpNA3_lsS5YzzVCirKEcJTgOsoDRvoue_9lYHM77n9PzD_6sireSkLOBTTg1hvNQdrzB9Gg4JV4d/s1600/Active8.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Try biking for transportation as the first step toward an active lifestyle. You don’t need to be in shape to get started, it’s easy to fit into your day, and it will make you feel good. Keep track of your progress. In the beginning, your bike may just get you to work - then see where else it takes you!</span></span></div>
Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-3527237331123863942014-05-15T09:46:00.001-05:002014-05-15T09:46:12.686-05:00A Stand of Trees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHTNqpx-UCDU63jn4X9TxkVEolWEZTQO_Lx8cJBOOn0LGc6g08O38mA5ebjabmiu6z6CQEIiMUsnP9C4fKmBxC-HFigDV1M9kzuAcqzzYYKFGRI6E6xxdZSc4DURUbKh058plXKOef8tWB/s1600/Derby1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHTNqpx-UCDU63jn4X9TxkVEolWEZTQO_Lx8cJBOOn0LGc6g08O38mA5ebjabmiu6z6CQEIiMUsnP9C4fKmBxC-HFigDV1M9kzuAcqzzYYKFGRI6E6xxdZSc4DURUbKh058plXKOef8tWB/s824/Derby1.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-983d268b-f291-5e3d-b90e-1e021619403d" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There’s something romantic about changing into your party clothes with only the cover of a few bare trees and your husband yelling, “car!” when you need to duck down. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWOKqS2oOwoc6lCcvq-KaA0dy1WefYNFJNj8Pq56R-n23T_kVG-8wd_r2zJeMmDHBTiW7ciGSYyAgafm3ed36sL43czW0QoNXtfQNU4cz8KD520Tz5-TFUwPgwSOXh6KD-V3NwnjI0zgh/s1600/Cross-Plaines4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWOKqS2oOwoc6lCcvq-KaA0dy1WefYNFJNj8Pq56R-n23T_kVG-8wd_r2zJeMmDHBTiW7ciGSYyAgafm3ed36sL43czW0QoNXtfQNU4cz8KD520Tz5-TFUwPgwSOXh6KD-V3NwnjI0zgh/s1600/Cross-Plaines4.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-983d268b-f292-c80c-1e59-345057bd1a3c" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Our friend’s annual Kentucky Derby party isn’t an event you want to miss - the company and mint juleps can’t be beat. So when our friends moved out to the country near Cross Plains a few years ago, we continued to bike to the party. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPKLZTSuiwuT3FQc52L0CgSI6fLsT9VddYqJUQ3altGxBMQHDOwbWM-bSpSwfZ5QleZaDBYmbdgsfGb5xF3Nf6gTJxW67yHF6gEVdEc_5aet8XOdfNq6ACY2Z7rwsDcxmapuSMLve6-94/s1600/Cross-Plaines1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPKLZTSuiwuT3FQc52L0CgSI6fLsT9VddYqJUQ3altGxBMQHDOwbWM-bSpSwfZ5QleZaDBYmbdgsfGb5xF3Nf6gTJxW67yHF6gEVdEc_5aet8XOdfNq6ACY2Z7rwsDcxmapuSMLve6-94/s1600/Cross-Plaines1.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-983d268b-f292-c80c-1e59-345057bd1a3c" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-983d268b-f293-3060-0889-77a671c4c964" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On account of a stiff headwind topping 20 mph, this year’s trip was slow going on the Military Ridge State Trail and became a real struggle when we turned off the trail onto hilly country roads. I had a couple heart-sinking moments while grinding up a hill into the wind and realizing I already was in my lowest gear. I groaned, yelled out, and spun my legs vehemently to make it to the top.</span></span></span> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsYOjFTrdIzLrP9L6FU69l1vmAcY_hvpm7HAX5heeKvWbU8NMYdhNLqmo5oIL3TdjktZuqK0azmKKFu5Esk5G5AtE2UU-P8NeRFK_QzGSIOz3HeoGHM468F5O6vzAKA0OZ6OOwNiNSmqBU/s1600/Cross-Plaines2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsYOjFTrdIzLrP9L6FU69l1vmAcY_hvpm7HAX5heeKvWbU8NMYdhNLqmo5oIL3TdjktZuqK0azmKKFu5Esk5G5AtE2UU-P8NeRFK_QzGSIOz3HeoGHM468F5O6vzAKA0OZ6OOwNiNSmqBU/s1600/Cross-Plaines2.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-983d268b-f293-6693-abcb-40a63cd9961c" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-983d268b-f293-6693-abcb-40a63cd9961c" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was happy when we could see our au naturel changing area off in the distance - it meant we had only about a mile left! We grabbed our panniers stuffed with our party clothes and headed down the ditch and into the trees. For the full story of packing and changing in this manner, check out this </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.madisonbikelife.com/2013/05/you-biked-20-miles-in-that-dress.html">video post</a> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I made last year.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbN7_bD8zvxnuaa14aMiZsThLNg5ED8n2GlHzROYSF49x5pVgD0L7zTQ0EY6e6wMZcz8kBlU-di_QizlbRSlLWYdPTs0WUJ6qgT584eBXZzKh1XbJyZ44z64TuoQhI5XWju5EURvjDeNV4/s1600/Derby2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbN7_bD8zvxnuaa14aMiZsThLNg5ED8n2GlHzROYSF49x5pVgD0L7zTQ0EY6e6wMZcz8kBlU-di_QizlbRSlLWYdPTs0WUJ6qgT584eBXZzKh1XbJyZ44z64TuoQhI5XWju5EURvjDeNV4/s865/Derby2.jpg" height="" width="" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-983d268b-f293-ce16-0d47-aff24c0de1d7" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After changing and freshening up, Peter and I rode off to the party, pulling up looking like we didn’t bike.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJicA-FIuTq-iYcYi9toJOaa6_ZdClDZakSNG3r4calrURcdR5pWJoQzAtYoTVJP2ZtHkKjwc3-hZBc_Nmu3C2wre10M84Ud2YeZZGa5ckBH7fxrFXYL3IN2b18UszGqCax0Gd3vndeJ9x/s1600/Cross-Plaines3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJicA-FIuTq-iYcYi9toJOaa6_ZdClDZakSNG3r4calrURcdR5pWJoQzAtYoTVJP2ZtHkKjwc3-hZBc_Nmu3C2wre10M84Ud2YeZZGa5ckBH7fxrFXYL3IN2b18UszGqCax0Gd3vndeJ9x/s1600/Cross-Plaines3.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-65621094769710968552014-05-13T12:01:00.001-05:002014-05-13T12:01:31.917-05:00Rainy Day Go-Bag<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-74c4aaad-ceab-6224-b024-e096cf043e5f" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s time for spring showers. Instead of groaning about the weather, I put together a rainy day go-bag. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmi0nndYhFWd0OY7Z7qsomb6OjgQmo8c-jZx5PB7HNMm2bvqwSIhNn9fEy5yPmQ7qj3zDjRTo8fHRYMJj-9DciL2xxvwFOnxqX5mlhi2dPPFLc7vhsZiEQ7iYuykJHjIfmKlVyU-uzjdwT/s1600/rain-go-bag1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmi0nndYhFWd0OY7Z7qsomb6OjgQmo8c-jZx5PB7HNMm2bvqwSIhNn9fEy5yPmQ7qj3zDjRTo8fHRYMJj-9DciL2xxvwFOnxqX5mlhi2dPPFLc7vhsZiEQ7iYuykJHjIfmKlVyU-uzjdwT/s1600/rain-go-bag1.jpg" height="640" width="636" /></a></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-74c4aaad-ceab-6224-b024-e096cf043e5f" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-74c4aaad-ceac-39dc-ae32-b095beb624b9" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-74c4aaad-ceab-6224-b024-e096cf043e5f" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-74c4aaad-ceac-39dc-ae32-b095beb624b9" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I already owned decent rain gear, so a little rain was not the problem, rather it was the hassle of getting all my stuff together. Rifling through my coat closet to find rain pants and searching a bin of camping gear for a dry sack, when I should have already been out the door and well on my way, was no fun. By the time I had found everything, it was difficult to retain a good attitude about riding through the rain - it was already an inconvenience.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8x3UP5pp9vSNmaciUtiw4-OKtjijjU1Y21cmeiQyS65KSYUpzEByMk2y7Fr4iEoN4KGvBuWodQYI6TkYi79Wi7iUiiqeLqq1dGog2EUMrKKqWFl5uBgYnvrYTeAI2Sh8FM3kaC8tQ9bf-/s1600/rain-go-bag2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8x3UP5pp9vSNmaciUtiw4-OKtjijjU1Y21cmeiQyS65KSYUpzEByMk2y7Fr4iEoN4KGvBuWodQYI6TkYi79Wi7iUiiqeLqq1dGog2EUMrKKqWFl5uBgYnvrYTeAI2Sh8FM3kaC8tQ9bf-/s1600/rain-go-bag2.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-74c4aaad-ceac-de09-244b-32de3c021e23" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-74c4aaad-ceac-7655-1dde-febc2aaed808" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So that rainy days no longer upset my morning routine, I put all my rain gear in a dry sack and keep it stashed somewhere easily accessible. Maybe the sky is clear on my way to work, but it’ll be raining when I’m heading home - I just grab my rainy day go-bag and well, go!</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-74c4aaad-ceac-de09-244b-32de3c021e23" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-74c4aaad-ceac-7655-1dde-febc2aaed808" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-74c4aaad-ceac-de09-244b-32de3c021e23" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Here’s what’s in my bag: rain pants, small dry sack, and lightweight rain jacket with a hood.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBDTepG67RxssEVBIPMSvXF9C3AxYkZSbOAfB6vxr33YGebd_GeApEnqhBYhd4YsBlLnogWje26AiTWRNZIxTBEatS4xrSKgmrRet6sIwO52cqHxFxpOWWEhAUZG2-rkfvTKR9qBk8dCU/s1600/rain-go-bag4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBDTepG67RxssEVBIPMSvXF9C3AxYkZSbOAfB6vxr33YGebd_GeApEnqhBYhd4YsBlLnogWje26AiTWRNZIxTBEatS4xrSKgmrRet6sIwO52cqHxFxpOWWEhAUZG2-rkfvTKR9qBk8dCU/s1600/rain-go-bag4.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-74c4aaad-cead-4502-8a81-1abcb49ef131" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My backpack is water-resistant and will keep its contents dry in a light shower, but in heavier rain I slide it into the large dry sack before putting it in my bike basket. Anything I want to easily access - phone, keys, wallet, - I put in the small dry sack, which also goes into my basket.</span></span></span><br />
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Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-66550905571872559662014-05-05T18:00:00.001-05:002014-05-07T09:15:52.395-05:00Easy Painted Bike Bell DIY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-j_GBm7I4LUQYVSinGP3lvbYaP9RuLxedWXCPBaze1xKdga7OIswDysIQIOcMFQ3rsiuqMgfBEujN_GGpXJOMbYNko9Wg9YkNd5TbIChQ3dHIpE_CRPctblndw97M_M9ymfTsJ97mF_i/s1600/DIY-Bike-Bell1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-j_GBm7I4LUQYVSinGP3lvbYaP9RuLxedWXCPBaze1xKdga7OIswDysIQIOcMFQ3rsiuqMgfBEujN_GGpXJOMbYNko9Wg9YkNd5TbIChQ3dHIpE_CRPctblndw97M_M9ymfTsJ97mF_i/s1600/DIY-Bike-Bell1.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A compass bike bell I had gotten as a souvenir from Berlin broke off my bike last winter and I didn't rush to replace it, but now that the bike paths are brimming with people, a bell comes in handy. Yeah, I could yell out, "On your left!" but have found this less effective than the ding of a <a href="http://www.madisonbikelife.com/2012/01/ring-your-bell.html">bell</a>.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipK50y-fRDK2qA06IJrrouXIIpqAB8Hqg_HXwBmn94F_UeMXb47DZnuceQfiVZpTFKF_ALx6MoWOxRodZsH0YjC6yW_YBwajxIxDMwfa2bpjIsVFMBbiVA3-CrMF9EycgNPgS1c2DI6w7G/s1600/DIY-Bike-Bell3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipK50y-fRDK2qA06IJrrouXIIpqAB8Hqg_HXwBmn94F_UeMXb47DZnuceQfiVZpTFKF_ALx6MoWOxRodZsH0YjC6yW_YBwajxIxDMwfa2bpjIsVFMBbiVA3-CrMF9EycgNPgS1c2DI6w7G/s1600/DIY-Bike-Bell3.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I made a couple of <a href="http://www.madisonbikelife.com/2014/01/personalize-bike-bell.html">personalized bells</a> as Christmas gifts and was happy with how they turned out (though I accidentally dropped one of them in the snow before the enamel dried). The process was a bit time-consuming. Then I got the idea to try using paint pens, which would be faster and easier for creating a design on a bell.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRs1OG0LRO_CZtxhLLSTJbldblvSqNPj1MhvSh9VKqXFf-VBR-pKPIrCcS2OlJBJn8tN7QSkMTQJzHpeKslMiOZrbEW_5QV91ozQ3-auU3IEwAipjqBmKsDAocdoX3ycvPyuKgQIQ1JWbQ/s1600/DIY-Bike-Bell4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRs1OG0LRO_CZtxhLLSTJbldblvSqNPj1MhvSh9VKqXFf-VBR-pKPIrCcS2OlJBJn8tN7QSkMTQJzHpeKslMiOZrbEW_5QV91ozQ3-auU3IEwAipjqBmKsDAocdoX3ycvPyuKgQIQ1JWbQ/s1600/DIY-Bike-Bell4.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I picked up some paint pens from the craft store, along with a shiny new bell from my neighborhood bike shop, and got to work.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzi3SIV5NG2ADk3_3PveaxxW3P2MjXawqEHXwszJJzUjCeeZbXgFDz5-CILCgwA3Jtvwm_fLfHuTe-HIrhR0T9bAvze2YI_B8hu82Qz0MbNrZp0kF3JV8Mq85rZlsa-ZhtYManobUZtxlz/s1600/DIY-Bike-Bell5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzi3SIV5NG2ADk3_3PveaxxW3P2MjXawqEHXwszJJzUjCeeZbXgFDz5-CILCgwA3Jtvwm_fLfHuTe-HIrhR0T9bAvze2YI_B8hu82Qz0MbNrZp0kF3JV8Mq85rZlsa-ZhtYManobUZtxlz/s1600/DIY-Bike-Bell5.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Again with the triangles! I'm obsessed!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtLbWqzVz4hGrpFH0uPtaLsJwhdsA9LMUKSXC7hE-HSWfEY2wkz6Aor4C-yeSflmvWasSJkZMWcvDoIiCrR5Z_2nc0zH0ua0HwPTiBuapxCClOn3xRr3FmnoVoWT1dfUfsf6AO-SNot1w/s1600/DIY-Bike-Bell8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtLbWqzVz4hGrpFH0uPtaLsJwhdsA9LMUKSXC7hE-HSWfEY2wkz6Aor4C-yeSflmvWasSJkZMWcvDoIiCrR5Z_2nc0zH0ua0HwPTiBuapxCClOn3xRr3FmnoVoWT1dfUfsf6AO-SNot1w/s1600/DIY-Bike-Bell8.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The fine-tipped paint pens worked great. The paint flowed evenly in a nice thin line.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqLTizIxKZoU5JplFDPTOZkbTG_aZBhEKYRyeCf0WdZbzZUlVlu1VAJdqdDqxMYKTyF61UzXu8KibUQdjC4glD0AnUueOavV7XCjh5vJwvV-nBYVrTNlGOmknmrH7tLaL-rQEuL4Z2mM4/s1600/DIY-Bike-Bell6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqLTizIxKZoU5JplFDPTOZkbTG_aZBhEKYRyeCf0WdZbzZUlVlu1VAJdqdDqxMYKTyF61UzXu8KibUQdjC4glD0AnUueOavV7XCjh5vJwvV-nBYVrTNlGOmknmrH7tLaL-rQEuL4Z2mM4/s1600/DIY-Bike-Bell6.jpg" height="388" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eDq0EK3LLU19xuTIxIn564qsn9CH2sz0HSASHxsp2cDKsMxCjmBQxonKmn2jTb7PZy9-6GrC7REr6bgVlsGljv504Hz6XDcF-6F25tCWqJ0M2gvNB7cgNQu_TY1K2ols22EwvJHCRi20/s1600/DIY-Bike-Bell7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eDq0EK3LLU19xuTIxIn564qsn9CH2sz0HSASHxsp2cDKsMxCjmBQxonKmn2jTb7PZy9-6GrC7REr6bgVlsGljv504Hz6XDcF-6F25tCWqJ0M2gvNB7cgNQu_TY1K2ols22EwvJHCRi20/s1600/DIY-Bike-Bell7.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I only wanted to apply the enamel to the dome of the bell, so I wrapped some paper around it and sprayed on the enamel per the instructions on the canister. Now the paint can't be scratched off (I tried).</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1JDf_ObhyhGV90EAixGLC8n4hqs-tyfo0-SJBWGW29mMLmGpIjLUL3GKP9zwRfkCcRQxzI1fxMM2VZMYVIMbmlWB9hGB0meZcCFw4ptqj47BywsGMV-3-96LTWYSa5Sz3D9IpA6HB73-/s1600/DIY-Bike-Bell9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1JDf_ObhyhGV90EAixGLC8n4hqs-tyfo0-SJBWGW29mMLmGpIjLUL3GKP9zwRfkCcRQxzI1fxMM2VZMYVIMbmlWB9hGB0meZcCFw4ptqj47BywsGMV-3-96LTWYSa5Sz3D9IpA6HB73-/s1600/DIY-Bike-Bell9.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I love the final bell from this quick and easy DIY!</span></span><br />
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Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-87994008021943233842014-05-02T16:18:00.001-05:002014-05-02T16:27:22.588-05:00Boulder, Bike, and Brew - Round Two<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-aefd2c6b-b4ea-9ab3-c51b-e4c9aa347e60" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMGi277_9E25MmQsbQedxO6Cjyh9Zzg4Bt2YNI4naJ3oUUyLgqxdduKkn5qNRqMq4wZR5zYDvu8C0rv3JKvxXuNbGJkMK-wFBi5lRQVSnOX8mp3_onQJFXY8iyAdU19RxaRhO_YHtHYRv/s1600/Boulder-Bike-and-Brew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMGi277_9E25MmQsbQedxO6Cjyh9Zzg4Bt2YNI4naJ3oUUyLgqxdduKkn5qNRqMq4wZR5zYDvu8C0rv3JKvxXuNbGJkMK-wFBi5lRQVSnOX8mp3_onQJFXY8iyAdU19RxaRhO_YHtHYRv/s1600/Boulder-Bike-and-Brew.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’d gotten used to always having the best bike parking place at Boulder’s Climbing Gym over the winter. Now when I pull up, it’s already taken. The main bike racks brimming with bikes is a clear sign that warm weather has arrived.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNenonMBt3MTLGiZ2CeuO1f29U_zP09AxXcKhp-omtKvNM6i2A2GaAm1ubyEd18gkMr3c4rK6k-Joi3S1Ft9A0obfcXpiJ6UChbOPHNY3tlXS8dBLvSwyL_Jx8OU-X0cIWikq4toK6buUW/s1600/Boulder-Bike-and-Brew3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNenonMBt3MTLGiZ2CeuO1f29U_zP09AxXcKhp-omtKvNM6i2A2GaAm1ubyEd18gkMr3c4rK6k-Joi3S1Ft9A0obfcXpiJ6UChbOPHNY3tlXS8dBLvSwyL_Jx8OU-X0cIWikq4toK6buUW/s1600/Boulder-Bike-and-Brew3.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Last Thursday night my primo parking spot was available - the rainy weather likely kept more people from riding. Still, the racks were quite full with the bikes of those who know the fun of a group ride outweighs getting a little wet. I headed in for a bouldering session with my fellow climbing and biking enthusiasts - it was the first <a href="http://www.madisonbikelife.com/2013/09/a-few-of-my-favorite-things-boulder.html">Boulder, Bike, and Brew</a> of the season! </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKDJMnc_AQDf39dWlpBLiieyRL3ESH9ndtPD8EpMU1bFXymMQtUU7eIGfZFfv7XS8LASx-VGoqtjyrHSzvTi5Eszv6iIpys9BbC8ZvYf0B-QMVv2xBnIkjVvAkE-7Z3RGSl9xponM0m-W/s1600/Boulder-Bike-and-Brew2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKDJMnc_AQDf39dWlpBLiieyRL3ESH9ndtPD8EpMU1bFXymMQtUU7eIGfZFfv7XS8LASx-VGoqtjyrHSzvTi5Eszv6iIpys9BbC8ZvYf0B-QMVv2xBnIkjVvAkE-7Z3RGSl9xponM0m-W/s1600/Boulder-Bike-and-Brew2.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Those of us participating in the ride were united by our red wrist bands, chalk-covered hands, and rain gear drip-drying on the coat rack. After a final attempt at our project routes, we geared up and assembled in the parking lot to ride in the rain to One Barrel Brewing Co. Some say that chocolate milk is the best post-workout beverage. Nope, I’m pretty sure it’s beer.</span></span></span>Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-10953703405316227522014-04-29T11:28:00.000-05:002014-04-29T11:38:49.069-05:00Third Annual Birthday Bike Ride<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SBZHpxjRF0T5g2UUrg8oEjFyke7mp_MdN0VhWxcKCZDCdZr9NbLgp5M4FkzsfAo5UziWd_ccCEfYhaxHqSHAaXAc1jsUUlulVwmsQd0Re5k7lI61hJNekNYIB-ujk_H4Vzcu8FlmMb2G/s1600/BDBR4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SBZHpxjRF0T5g2UUrg8oEjFyke7mp_MdN0VhWxcKCZDCdZr9NbLgp5M4FkzsfAo5UziWd_ccCEfYhaxHqSHAaXAc1jsUUlulVwmsQd0Re5k7lI61hJNekNYIB-ujk_H4Vzcu8FlmMb2G/s1600/BDBR4.jpg" height="464" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Like most, I enjoy celebrating my birthday with fun activities and good company, which is why I like to host a group bike and hike.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYUu6g9wuMtJdzDYKFOWtWLj8taUC5nYTg_CwXCZA9weEWNb6Nx8wF1PaUcBG27LUkVb-V_rK_nTMd1w1PF6GSkCuqTbMpuOItXPgFRB6orJir46KMqUCySy3et3MQ06_X3a0oHX50CWI/s1600/BDBR1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYUu6g9wuMtJdzDYKFOWtWLj8taUC5nYTg_CwXCZA9weEWNb6Nx8wF1PaUcBG27LUkVb-V_rK_nTMd1w1PF6GSkCuqTbMpuOItXPgFRB6orJir46KMqUCySy3et3MQ06_X3a0oHX50CWI/s1600/BDBR1.jpg" height="432" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I assembled a group of riders outside of Machinery Row and we headed out on the Capital City Trail to <a href="http://www.madisonbikelife.com/2012/03/featured-bike-ride-route-nine-springs-e.html">Lake Farm County Park</a>. We rode two-abreast, chatting along the way perched upon all manner of bikes - Dutch, road, fat, mountain, hybrid, and vintage.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67n909Ai4F-3eloYNhp0cldDdStavDUhmrgG4PQ1ZEheuAigoJpXirj9e7NPODJKx1nESYlxwcwPgkFG1c9swHpjdn2Ev5YBHv6-D59TqKW_XAJqOaEy2uduwEEEqQhaGJ6tXaVioERVf/s1600/BDBR3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67n909Ai4F-3eloYNhp0cldDdStavDUhmrgG4PQ1ZEheuAigoJpXirj9e7NPODJKx1nESYlxwcwPgkFG1c9swHpjdn2Ev5YBHv6-D59TqKW_XAJqOaEy2uduwEEEqQhaGJ6tXaVioERVf/s1600/BDBR3.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We easily filled the bike parking at Lake Farm before setting out on foot to Lake Waubesa and then a picnic table in the sun. Refreshments, gymnastics, and fun on the playground ensued.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DAAuIMV8rvBuKDESvTrX1mtr_nDhtqCFlJd2alFrnkb-qzP8dnCcC74meLJ8EH-Qssi0eoQYkbaeeMpPHAQ3Uc5J_IWImEvEoF3hyAxcN5ihRFpUlQZva5kU4yLgqoSivyv3IMmvkAFX/s1600/BDBR2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DAAuIMV8rvBuKDESvTrX1mtr_nDhtqCFlJd2alFrnkb-qzP8dnCcC74meLJ8EH-Qssi0eoQYkbaeeMpPHAQ3Uc5J_IWImEvEoF3hyAxcN5ihRFpUlQZva5kU4yLgqoSivyv3IMmvkAFX/s1600/BDBR2.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before heading back into town, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/163979339/vinyl-bike-decals-woodland-critters-peel?ref=shop_home_active_3">Tube Tats</a> (tattoos for your bike) were distributed and our bike gang, The Ladiezzzzzzzz, was founded. It was an eventful ride.</span></span><br />
<br />Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-47896592625501483252014-04-16T09:16:00.000-05:002014-04-16T09:16:51.480-05:00Spring Transformation of Bike Paths<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-b353ed0d-4769-eeb7-3d29-092931b830b3" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jt9Sjs6W4sVnaNfUtc2hrk9sVZpRRquFNreRg6KtjfMHopsYa-C40T6AHjA2XjHWQfXN7BkakvJupe6n-sZCuBl6Iw0bJp-2fTwmEFR8BG2I7ucjE6JOb4bP6Y8le_TLTxPw_Z5Jomro/s1600/Spring4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jt9Sjs6W4sVnaNfUtc2hrk9sVZpRRquFNreRg6KtjfMHopsYa-C40T6AHjA2XjHWQfXN7BkakvJupe6n-sZCuBl6Iw0bJp-2fTwmEFR8BG2I7ucjE6JOb4bP6Y8le_TLTxPw_Z5Jomro/s1600/Spring4.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The bell broke off my bike a couple of months ago and I hadn’t bothered to replace it, mainly because I didn’t have much use for it. During the winter, I have long stretches of empty path to myself. Now that it’s warming up, it’s a different story.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0p5sulqushEiAl7LyqVpMSoaqllMC7K0fPTtmclaUfD_35qujja5OHAcYbKLUhbk6lCQgIEGN79FC6e5c1pw8j2CvP4nI1SRCuRL_rPJGVYbd4sPqiY7Snhxd0Wq81smTFTvHOQHuXphX/s1600/Spring1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0p5sulqushEiAl7LyqVpMSoaqllMC7K0fPTtmclaUfD_35qujja5OHAcYbKLUhbk6lCQgIEGN79FC6e5c1pw8j2CvP4nI1SRCuRL_rPJGVYbd4sPqiY7Snhxd0Wq81smTFTvHOQHuXphX/s1600/Spring1.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Just like the migratory birds, all of the other path users are back with the warmer weather. Nice sunny days flood the paths with walkers, joggers, strollers, road cyclists, and the seasonal everyday cyclists, along with the occasional skateboarder. That’s when a bell comes in handy. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltczc4XOecpcvVpNNAISl7x98P_1Chk2cSg_odnpTiReHEBSSbgglduFqpzRSoeXz-Q8x4-IWY3jzW9gDOfhHojKesZaXVJs9X1wXMFUkB8UXLFOgnjZbluOO-KpA7aPyjpCNvlknMARY/s1600/Spring5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltczc4XOecpcvVpNNAISl7x98P_1Chk2cSg_odnpTiReHEBSSbgglduFqpzRSoeXz-Q8x4-IWY3jzW9gDOfhHojKesZaXVJs9X1wXMFUkB8UXLFOgnjZbluOO-KpA7aPyjpCNvlknMARY/s1600/Spring5.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I enjoy watching the transformation with every ride - I see another species of bird that’s returned, the shoots of daffodils, as well as Madisonians coming out to walk, run, or bike off their cabin fever. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzlOveXqN7sdgM8e9m-UThNp8x7-5cXE1dq84u0e4PGFbbrSQ-zWBVLDOo1sWIn57k3unDs-kEWoVNyBQ_QvgHkFDmM1SzPrIwRJlPRBfPAgAwSk89VsjUZD0iHX9HbAhDDbXXO-Kz4wV/s1600/Spring3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzlOveXqN7sdgM8e9m-UThNp8x7-5cXE1dq84u0e4PGFbbrSQ-zWBVLDOo1sWIn57k3unDs-kEWoVNyBQ_QvgHkFDmM1SzPrIwRJlPRBfPAgAwSk89VsjUZD0iHX9HbAhDDbXXO-Kz4wV/s1600/Spring3.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Welcome back!</span></span></span>Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-81483699783438028522014-04-13T16:45:00.002-05:002014-04-13T16:45:30.870-05:00DIY or Die?<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-36b5de8a-47ba-8b77-202a-e415d4846287" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91AZNbf-b720jCOJOWpjaniNI1iqGh3buvPO6BuJazPKcOLNOU03HDDlTb01hvkd5tSBE9Q1YkWk3J0AJuGxbHCBIsIopitNCCXaywKmdbHahbYhJQOEER3bbleVlFr9IfGYFxH7fZSvr/s1600/DIY-or-Die6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91AZNbf-b720jCOJOWpjaniNI1iqGh3buvPO6BuJazPKcOLNOU03HDDlTb01hvkd5tSBE9Q1YkWk3J0AJuGxbHCBIsIopitNCCXaywKmdbHahbYhJQOEER3bbleVlFr9IfGYFxH7fZSvr/s1600/DIY-or-Die6.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It can be rewarding to do bike maintenance yourself, but if you’re not into it, that’s cool. You can enjoy using a bike for transportation without caring about how to change a tire.</span></span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZh0KM3P0SE9Km6WdmlOqvumpyTLS-XE0v5UePF9hyphenhyphenAMm_dxVf1cvGYXfYNUL1fBwXcv16w58hZ1CUazoXGVZoiuQdR8DAWs8U3optjVpRDs-0W-FvBZR6aWhtyEkJcaLsmWdDCPowUs3K/s1600/DIY-or-Die4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZh0KM3P0SE9Km6WdmlOqvumpyTLS-XE0v5UePF9hyphenhyphenAMm_dxVf1cvGYXfYNUL1fBwXcv16w58hZ1CUazoXGVZoiuQdR8DAWs8U3optjVpRDs-0W-FvBZR6aWhtyEkJcaLsmWdDCPowUs3K/s1600/DIY-or-Die4.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Still, it’s empowering to have a base of knowledge of how your bike works. That way, if your bike starts making an odd sound or something feels off, you can do some troubleshooting and perhaps perform a quick fix. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4ww3lYQFt9sNtfJWBQ3AKXo-iO0cs4km4LFNdWWxnF2dFvhN8lC0c5ALdb4rtJf2t3P1WyENX55AkfU2HjjKDOP6DGNuz7iqT-xQegDPUDm0SYONrXe77HdNfyaygybRb1qLRCqE-II_/s1600/DIY-or-Die7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4ww3lYQFt9sNtfJWBQ3AKXo-iO0cs4km4LFNdWWxnF2dFvhN8lC0c5ALdb4rtJf2t3P1WyENX55AkfU2HjjKDOP6DGNuz7iqT-xQegDPUDm0SYONrXe77HdNfyaygybRb1qLRCqE-II_/s1600/DIY-or-Die7.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For me and many of my friends who bike, the desire to tinker with your bike grows the more time you spend on it. No doubt this is partly motivated by saving time and money. For example, I don’t have to worry about being without my bike while it’s in the shop getting a flat fixed. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvIId4gGXIyzq2-wM2CHurDQKRuNVjfMmFUquVmPeCFedF8uGNWOzPBKrzfTrY6EyBHMpG23juXk3xf3nthCgrwI0m5uf7-patzd8PuCspUqiOo6KUTHKXBpjtSCCS86rdoyFsTB3Ai11/s1600/DIYorDie1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvIId4gGXIyzq2-wM2CHurDQKRuNVjfMmFUquVmPeCFedF8uGNWOzPBKrzfTrY6EyBHMpG23juXk3xf3nthCgrwI0m5uf7-patzd8PuCspUqiOo6KUTHKXBpjtSCCS86rdoyFsTB3Ai11/s1600/DIYorDie1.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If you decide to try your hand at bicycle mechanics, set the right expectations and have a back-up plan. Don’t try to fix your first flat in the 30 minutes before you have to leave for work! Instead of having time to enjoy the learning process, anything that goes wrong will undoubtedly result in frustration. Plan to give it a try, but know that if your wheel doesn’t go back on quite right, you can then take your bike to the shop, where the mechanic will likely be happy to give you some pointers.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWsLh3dJEqazG7iwmXScfzO2gmH4CSwJQBURZiN23QANB7cO06z0tduboO5eB1ZHvjc8BOozBlIhrZDMrnSQ-IDyrbLX3oUHt3claGyDFchlj0jGx60djmBW5ClpHBUBSyXoS-tfKdP48/s1600/DIY-or-Die-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWsLh3dJEqazG7iwmXScfzO2gmH4CSwJQBURZiN23QANB7cO06z0tduboO5eB1ZHvjc8BOozBlIhrZDMrnSQ-IDyrbLX3oUHt3claGyDFchlj0jGx60djmBW5ClpHBUBSyXoS-tfKdP48/s1600/DIY-or-Die-7.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Investing in a bike stand will make working on your bike much easier. Before I had one, all my attempts to put my rear wheel back on my Dutch bike never worked out. It was just too difficult to align everything with the bike tipped upside down. With my bike stand, I can confidently remove my wheel to fix a flat.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIi3aRsu46rPeqTGPDWnRvqELnpVceOQHknbIgZWutw3krShpdtPas0-9rhK2j4Il94qJzjTjvvXmiuKdjm1VfvtzmeFKDcl-BI2HYHubPkzSg4bx85bP3Tz3OGs9nBpi4hXwmDoPcj-Lc/s1600/DIY-or-Die8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIi3aRsu46rPeqTGPDWnRvqELnpVceOQHknbIgZWutw3krShpdtPas0-9rhK2j4Il94qJzjTjvvXmiuKdjm1VfvtzmeFKDcl-BI2HYHubPkzSg4bx85bP3Tz3OGs9nBpi4hXwmDoPcj-Lc/s1600/DIY-or-Die8.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">While I’ll do some basic things myself, I still have plenty of work done at the shop - especially for my touring bike, which is more mechanically complex than my three-speed Dutch bike. I’m always working to acquire bike maintenance skills, but I’m a long way from doing a full tune-up.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgun-tXXi1llaho0eev5Lw9F2IdNz5S-yOJYVMkKue8FWybTLQHiC2xQXXlV_uRyyS9JL_foJiTU5UPGPzmOB6HT1PZbDbsDbM5hUzuBniEuSrCYPDMxEBjIawCaMToOSDSy-RmKhNQ2pRq/s1600/DIY-or-Die5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgun-tXXi1llaho0eev5Lw9F2IdNz5S-yOJYVMkKue8FWybTLQHiC2xQXXlV_uRyyS9JL_foJiTU5UPGPzmOB6HT1PZbDbsDbM5hUzuBniEuSrCYPDMxEBjIawCaMToOSDSy-RmKhNQ2pRq/s1600/DIY-or-Die5.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For the time being, I’m content getting my hands dirty every now and again to fix a flat or make an adjustment here or there. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pzqHbw9A5m6WUsBp1aelIk6shXHmm7rw8KEHwdRvf5TKNWQ2R9mbHgu-_SxNeNKzfbvegZss4SaYyc37rCRkB5CQ9gqcyTKfKjPsd3pR_FLB0JjFaerfzOCCn19YcuoVMNOUB3Yi512-/s1600/DIY-or-Die3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pzqHbw9A5m6WUsBp1aelIk6shXHmm7rw8KEHwdRvf5TKNWQ2R9mbHgu-_SxNeNKzfbvegZss4SaYyc37rCRkB5CQ9gqcyTKfKjPsd3pR_FLB0JjFaerfzOCCn19YcuoVMNOUB3Yi512-/s1600/DIY-or-Die3.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Do you perform your own maintenance? </span></span></span>Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-86018081521379720592014-04-01T12:34:00.000-05:002014-04-01T12:36:16.372-05:00Are You Crazy?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXm2r7L1gZHKL0alXK6f7zLa-LmDvQhGHqbpBrirZ61UWpsJkieJHL1S9Noprsl_vFuA64q70MvknRu2ZANSheY_49J1kZptEMp7wAmdtZQjRroaZjJqfOOSsIKwsMXSPmUoiHIfe-2nDK/s1600/crazy6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXm2r7L1gZHKL0alXK6f7zLa-LmDvQhGHqbpBrirZ61UWpsJkieJHL1S9Noprsl_vFuA64q70MvknRu2ZANSheY_49J1kZptEMp7wAmdtZQjRroaZjJqfOOSsIKwsMXSPmUoiHIfe-2nDK/s1600/crazy6.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-44f77e61-1dff-394f-6995-4f402e0cfbc6" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-44f77e61-1e01-e3a7-0423-cd1be1d88a86" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reflecting back on biking through this winter, it’s not the frigid winds I battled or the snow I plowed through that made the greatest impression. Rather, I can’t stop thinking about how often I arrived somewhere by bike and was asked, “Are you crazy?”</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLF5cCPXdcSci5Z0EPihGMdmnexL0QYvTRi2JcsCmjUk1MVf9xzANx_9OIYmM9pUjRuELR7XWgURy0J2ESMgj7siQRdAhqoGKibU91BWKrF-PjLZclrN6jhixc7QqaM3QrC18UTo4nkHuT/s1600/crazy3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-44f77e61-1dff-394f-6995-4f402e0cfbc6" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span></b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLF5cCPXdcSci5Z0EPihGMdmnexL0QYvTRi2JcsCmjUk1MVf9xzANx_9OIYmM9pUjRuELR7XWgURy0J2ESMgj7siQRdAhqoGKibU91BWKrF-PjLZclrN6jhixc7QqaM3QrC18UTo4nkHuT/s1600/crazy3.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-44f77e61-1e02-2630-bb53-f6ebedbe6bff" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I felt like I never had a good response to this question and it always seemed to catch me off guard. While it was never posed in a rude way, having your sanity questioned by others on a daily basis can make you wonder about yourself or just make you feel weird. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHf01XkCW9Pm_lPDH0r2tts7Vuu0NY2ZwNUfdXO4ApLaYPtSgmklnUkXTCXgO-6EQHtVtb2QXNI14Fpb_f-4NX9AutzqB17Gpc1rADfgOS7bDb-DIt3Hr7lZbJ_TieTN_0q_YMO5QXgelW/s1600/crazy4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHf01XkCW9Pm_lPDH0r2tts7Vuu0NY2ZwNUfdXO4ApLaYPtSgmklnUkXTCXgO-6EQHtVtb2QXNI14Fpb_f-4NX9AutzqB17Gpc1rADfgOS7bDb-DIt3Hr7lZbJ_TieTN_0q_YMO5QXgelW/s1600/crazy4.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-44f77e61-1e02-5318-5a29-8b845875b041" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-44f77e61-1e02-2630-bb53-f6ebedbe6bff" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Continuing to bike during the colder months makes sense to me for all of the reasons I have described in previous posts, so I tried to better understand the statement in the question. I think usually it's meant as a pat on the back rather than a personal jab, like I must be proud to be a “crazy, hardcore winter biker.” However, I would not describe myself that way.</span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-44f77e61-1e02-5318-5a29-8b845875b041" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-44f77e61-1e02-2630-bb53-f6ebedbe6bff" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-44f77e61-1e02-5318-5a29-8b845875b041" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfX-N_K-eX-dLmhHZ5jza1JQiGIE82SGklItLg4kegkt-s41oGpxUShD_5daUjUXIo1a3c21IeIITxhtYeA1E9ZoKraZ_rg8hFJByvBghee-6j6nbtUwBylIVyxMNVIVWXW42YGbu_ErQ/s1600/crazy5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfX-N_K-eX-dLmhHZ5jza1JQiGIE82SGklItLg4kegkt-s41oGpxUShD_5daUjUXIo1a3c21IeIITxhtYeA1E9ZoKraZ_rg8hFJByvBghee-6j6nbtUwBylIVyxMNVIVWXW42YGbu_ErQ/s1600/crazy5.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-44f77e61-1e02-5318-5a29-8b845875b041" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I thought about an appropriate way to respond. Because the question can seem to be committing the faux pas of judging someone else’s lifestyle choice to their face, it's sometimes tempting to give a snarky response. Probably just as off-putting would be to pontificate about the benefits of bicycling to the environment and one’s health. Too brief of a reply or just shrugging off the question wastes having someone else’s ear. Instead, I want to use the opportunity to advocate for biking year-round by letting them know that I don’t think I'm something special for doing so. For me, biking during the winter isn't some act of self-sacrifice on behalf of the planet. I actually find it personally rewarding.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnRXir7VuM-vQKOX21dmC4P4j5VKZQnLKE87jNsbxx8BOt27r8Q-ktBUGal85myvzRDWvMcsg8q_Qqt7MCVn28Pu172_R9MmbCi64PN6PvBoLTIPqEaVvl1dH9Vb-M1Lp3nkIW2wVlyVa/s1600/crazy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnRXir7VuM-vQKOX21dmC4P4j5VKZQnLKE87jNsbxx8BOt27r8Q-ktBUGal85myvzRDWvMcsg8q_Qqt7MCVn28Pu172_R9MmbCi64PN6PvBoLTIPqEaVvl1dH9Vb-M1Lp3nkIW2wVlyVa/s1600/crazy.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-44f77e61-1e03-e9e4-234b-4715d1c8e55e" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then one day, it just came out. I was greeted with the usual question by a stranger and I was able to answer in a way that I think describes why I continue my life by bike throughout the seasons:</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I get a lot out of the time I spend on my bike each day. It both relaxes and energizes me. It gives me time with my thoughts or to observe the world around me. It makes me feel good. It’s such a pleasant part of my day that cold weather isn’t enough to make me stop and it’s not something I can give up for months out of the year.”</span></span></span>Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-84799136770910393122014-03-24T13:31:00.000-05:002014-03-24T13:31:25.727-05:00Wintertime Bike Care<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-17280490-b6fc-dd14-29a3-1a03e7fc058f" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXjhpZaogdkvT3WPNbHpQLr8X4HpG95WrNLwGLpLbcyDHICoxkz8srNk_MpqkYe4bqdXmbxwyC4cVjdk1xtNkebaXcu8HVu9qe_kNKWD4s_lrdhp5YhN0ZRDGaHctiweujWDJgdpAD9tG/s1600/bike-care3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXjhpZaogdkvT3WPNbHpQLr8X4HpG95WrNLwGLpLbcyDHICoxkz8srNk_MpqkYe4bqdXmbxwyC4cVjdk1xtNkebaXcu8HVu9qe_kNKWD4s_lrdhp5YhN0ZRDGaHctiweujWDJgdpAD9tG/s1600/bike-care3.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Have you ever taken something you love for granted? When I look at my road-salt encrusted bike, I wonder, “How did I let it come to this?!” It’s easy to make excuses for my negligence, because it’s been such a cold winter. After arriving home, I’d rush inside to let my eyelash-cicles melt and leave my bike to rust in the garage, rather than ever taking some time to clean it off.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnXxoDsI4nf-7eiXtVG-drUCnjauiVdsiAoUSmIiCYmnZgJ9thQCjDHU75HQCwhUJ5ZSZh9mM5SxW-QmQMnl0jmaDEYyqKnz0VN3PAbxwxj1Q2ATFTQx5YPjyFQ9P8W8WfXZM-io6ryAe/s1600/bike-care4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnXxoDsI4nf-7eiXtVG-drUCnjauiVdsiAoUSmIiCYmnZgJ9thQCjDHU75HQCwhUJ5ZSZh9mM5SxW-QmQMnl0jmaDEYyqKnz0VN3PAbxwxj1Q2ATFTQx5YPjyFQ9P8W8WfXZM-io6ryAe/s1600/bike-care4.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">No excuses - my bike is slowly dying under that coat of sparkling salt. I got some great tips for caring for my bike throughout the winter </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">from Dan Sorger of </span></span></span><a href="http://www.dbccitybikedesign.com/">DBC City Bike Design</a>. I gathered up the supplies he suggested and got to work giving my bike, Madeline, the love a trusty steed deserves.</span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbCTwf4PZCtugAT8fTvHdQcxZtjelDMu_dy70ZCdFrMeaZbBPvwI9mbmYsy-SNwNEpq48GD1HRDpbpxWCKBYnPW56meXBfmba9c7Lr33ZZKg3IFOOUEEhk34jxjwzuZdu8bxi0Gqs8Iuq/s1600/bike-care2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbCTwf4PZCtugAT8fTvHdQcxZtjelDMu_dy70ZCdFrMeaZbBPvwI9mbmYsy-SNwNEpq48GD1HRDpbpxWCKBYnPW56meXBfmba9c7Lr33ZZKg3IFOOUEEhk34jxjwzuZdu8bxi0Gqs8Iuq/s1600/bike-care2.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the basement and ready for a bath</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I set up a work area in the basement where I could wipe down the bike with some dish soap and warm water. Dan suggests using a sponge, because you want to float the dirt and grit off the bike, not grind it into the paint.</span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYlRckMRw1655xDJWySsBusizf9aKlcikev3hbpF_aqOgUTTj7qaDGbfLwoe5Wh4UR9KcSjQ-HZg7HnLZg_fcKkJ43faGJj1eDYegKR8w0S66e3Fwd43v_P2hapKl3djxK5av5O8lif6y/s1600/bike-care1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYlRckMRw1655xDJWySsBusizf9aKlcikev3hbpF_aqOgUTTj7qaDGbfLwoe5Wh4UR9KcSjQ-HZg7HnLZg_fcKkJ43faGJj1eDYegKR8w0S66e3Fwd43v_P2hapKl3djxK5av5O8lif6y/s1600/bike-care1.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Look at the grit that accumulated inside the chain case! </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The next step is applying a layer of wax on all the metal to create a moisture barrier and to prevent the bike from rusting. I picked up some car wax from the hardware store and applied it per the instructions.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheN9MTfRQ4uK_bS8rWo7RBAeghtKccYjDUMePAY1jwwwPfuL9Sa1C3raFe5B8jWTQ9KvA1HqdNyGNUzhQPoZDhojLCYDJBlZGL9qoIx2NOvusifMHJYuShqcgjwecaGhyphenhyphenKoWYlifBfaAU0/s1600/bike-care5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheN9MTfRQ4uK_bS8rWo7RBAeghtKccYjDUMePAY1jwwwPfuL9Sa1C3raFe5B8jWTQ9KvA1HqdNyGNUzhQPoZDhojLCYDJBlZGL9qoIx2NOvusifMHJYuShqcgjwecaGhyphenhyphenKoWYlifBfaAU0/s1600/bike-care5.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Looking good! </span></span></span>Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-42510427488138314852014-03-17T16:13:00.001-05:002014-03-17T16:13:57.462-05:00Good-Bye Winter Uniform!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvk87rOLRmwpf6IpK5OW6_2MXuTyeUY2rPiKrCiMUJgP5xW_QqwdC-4HHvtcdJQtOF2Oj4XkeiHMlUiDd26hnbp-r8xtx582IMmCaRwCwfDxZ-irYhWWXoivguqLrbhFdIEB4LnVTabVa/s1600/winter-uniform.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvk87rOLRmwpf6IpK5OW6_2MXuTyeUY2rPiKrCiMUJgP5xW_QqwdC-4HHvtcdJQtOF2Oj4XkeiHMlUiDd26hnbp-r8xtx582IMmCaRwCwfDxZ-irYhWWXoivguqLrbhFdIEB4LnVTabVa/s1600/winter-uniform.jpg" height="458" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm not one to ditch my everyday clothes for anything special simply because I get around on a bike. Still, in the freezing Wisconsin winter, I pile on the necessary gear for warmth: thick mittens, wool coat, winter boots, and even ski goggles, when freezing winds would otherwise sting my cheeks and cloud my vision with tears.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Under this gear, I'll have on some variation of the following outfit: wool skirt, fleece leggings, and a wool or cashmere sweater. Pretty much everyday. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's been nice to break out some of my other clothes now that it's warming up some. I'm longing for the day I can trade in my winter boots for my Minnetonka moccasins. Soon!</span></span>Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-90033945148936549812014-03-11T19:08:00.001-05:002014-03-11T19:08:41.874-05:00Taking the Scenic Route<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-97970d56-93ac-455c-e495-114a949976b5" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nIOL_r1Hl4UX1X7uggAcACT6WUcUdCTJYEH7GMUn6_Jv1QDpCbUnw7HzaM_yoOBm-fCqipOt5mXlXQEBf3SYaMVbvhyphenhyphen94Ov4Z68FWls0gYEl5BElWBVnzZkQeufeznTCRM21jqdWpKHy/s1600/scenic-route.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nIOL_r1Hl4UX1X7uggAcACT6WUcUdCTJYEH7GMUn6_Jv1QDpCbUnw7HzaM_yoOBm-fCqipOt5mXlXQEBf3SYaMVbvhyphenhyphen94Ov4Z68FWls0gYEl5BElWBVnzZkQeufeznTCRM21jqdWpKHy/s1600/scenic-route.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along the Wingra Creek Bike Path</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I'm of the mindset that the shortest bike route isn’t necessarily the best route. I often go out of my way to take bike paths or low-traffic roads, but until recently, I never applied this to my commute to work. </span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-97970d56-93ac-455c-e495-114a949976b5" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrmJBkNKvV373yQhWPyJcvc0zKJhlbHifmUD4AOTUdp_fvkRepBQq68fZ_pJCfcbh7A3blp1LwN6XaK4F2iJenVynO5pZJN1XATJrgcoCJPQ33bQ5RRk9FE2yLiLUyi75RVtk1pbV9D5A/s1600/scenic-route3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrmJBkNKvV373yQhWPyJcvc0zKJhlbHifmUD4AOTUdp_fvkRepBQq68fZ_pJCfcbh7A3blp1LwN6XaK4F2iJenVynO5pZJN1XATJrgcoCJPQ33bQ5RRk9FE2yLiLUyi75RVtk1pbV9D5A/s1600/scenic-route3.jpg" /> </a></div> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The first half of my commute was comprised of Wingra Path, the Capital City Trail, and some calm residential streets. The second half was dominated by a two-mile section of West Broadway, a four-lane, 45 mph road through Monona. West Broadway does have a bike lane, or at least until it snows. Even with no snow, I rarely see another person on a bike, the lane is littered with debris, cars speed, and semis sweep past me.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNr0FA77kpsYgWnFaDXFR7GYNMrPigOPNZ_9EhyZUFXl1zdw_uorzOlkj5H-ahyphenhyphenk9-JAOmEXn7m14gRm4SSooQxYEfwYiY7ahiFl83rMcyQAALbeHq4sw-UwF4XopXGghQwvDhyphenhyphenpMaS53U/s1600/scenic-route-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNr0FA77kpsYgWnFaDXFR7GYNMrPigOPNZ_9EhyZUFXl1zdw_uorzOlkj5H-ahyphenhyphenk9-JAOmEXn7m14gRm4SSooQxYEfwYiY7ahiFl83rMcyQAALbeHq4sw-UwF4XopXGghQwvDhyphenhyphenpMaS53U/s1600/scenic-route-4.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow and ice in the West Broadway bike lane</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I didn’t feel like I had any good options for avoiding West Broadway, because the alternate route added two miles each way, included residential roads not well maintained in the winter, not to mention Pflaum Road, which I couldn’t believe would be any better than West Broadway. Still, about a month ago, I took the alternate route.</span></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBqvnyg4-rk56SaBxNAfc38vd09JRvZ_yH88u797s9Vc8CSTn2fJ1Ubuzj810FHbiME1A5T4wEWdXjZCdAqUxDbyGNw9t7O_-DoRKFrZMziTJcN3ZyVh_vY1aJh6VP393i0dxltE_oR6g/s1600/Scenic-route2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBqvnyg4-rk56SaBxNAfc38vd09JRvZ_yH88u797s9Vc8CSTn2fJ1Ubuzj810FHbiME1A5T4wEWdXjZCdAqUxDbyGNw9t7O_-DoRKFrZMziTJcN3ZyVh_vY1aJh6VP393i0dxltE_oR6g/s1600/Scenic-route2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">First, the extra distance is SO worth the reduction in traffic stress! Second, I don’t mind biking on the snowy, quiet residential streets. Third, I was surprised to find that Pflaum is much better than West Broadway! There are two lanes of traffic instead of four and speeds are reduced in part by schools along the way. </span></span></span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMCprKFjiCDjFj_QrrLU4Fw8iQ8n0Hy_qHG4ygZzI4mBsxOniez8pKzsv56eMJWBfGSaDtJrIZyYfBHyO1gSC_FsK8eaVfPXvvqzVBJ8p7eYC24GNaVjgsfxjlXE0K4Usl6sKYhab0nRY/s1600/scenic-route-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMCprKFjiCDjFj_QrrLU4Fw8iQ8n0Hy_qHG4ygZzI4mBsxOniez8pKzsv56eMJWBfGSaDtJrIZyYfBHyO1gSC_FsK8eaVfPXvvqzVBJ8p7eYC24GNaVjgsfxjlXE0K4Usl6sKYhab0nRY/s1600/scenic-route-5.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A scenic and snowy route</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m very happy with my new route and feel silly for waiting so long to try it out!</span></span></span>Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-63968915503835288692014-02-11T16:39:00.000-06:002014-04-22T13:59:51.463-05:00Don't Leave Home Without Them<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQZTW7wi4C_u01-6wF-u7IOWZSvMutXp_dzwmP2y1PJrTXD_7JtM8JZqnXTGb6awKBLTQIhPE29Xp3DOGu0xy41YQg_8b7FB3Bgypkhyphenhyphenf4zzNxzeSl-THGE8x8EOvgDlM8mv6eADS4uzh/s1600/Don't-Leave-Home1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQZTW7wi4C_u01-6wF-u7IOWZSvMutXp_dzwmP2y1PJrTXD_7JtM8JZqnXTGb6awKBLTQIhPE29Xp3DOGu0xy41YQg_8b7FB3Bgypkhyphenhyphenf4zzNxzeSl-THGE8x8EOvgDlM8mv6eADS4uzh/s1600/Don't-Leave-Home1.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My lip balm, sunglasses, and a hanky are three accessories I never leave home without during the winter.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've been accused of having a lip balm addition, which is likely true - I keep it by the side of my bed, there's a tube in the pockets of every coat I own, and I keep <i>at least</i> one spare in my bag. Hey, getting chapped lips is no fun and I like to protect mine from the freezing wind.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ski goggles can come in handy if there's a frigid headwind or blowing snow, but in most cases I'm happy with just my sunglasses. They provide cover for your eyes without the alpine look. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Winter and runny noses go hand in hand. Keep a hanky in your pocket and you won't need to sniffle and search for a box of Kleenex upon arriving at your destination.</span></span>Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-2327693607831084232014-02-05T16:53:00.000-06:002014-02-05T16:53:11.237-06:00Hand Warmers FTW!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjADxwbK8pcVEnGqVsFUStBgVR5eBVuvYYQlwSkDD1zZVAKFE-Lo7kT4Mh6e9D4Qj4qJWeCZBuG41-V9bvrdAoZfCKNXewIltIoi6Kv_Q34-1sRZwE3SHhq_HZYxX9nmSkSTYVnd34V9ZY0/s1600/Hand-warmers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjADxwbK8pcVEnGqVsFUStBgVR5eBVuvYYQlwSkDD1zZVAKFE-Lo7kT4Mh6e9D4Qj4qJWeCZBuG41-V9bvrdAoZfCKNXewIltIoi6Kv_Q34-1sRZwE3SHhq_HZYxX9nmSkSTYVnd34V9ZY0/s1600/Hand-warmers.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've got nice winter boots that keep my feet warm and dry while walking in them. On the other hand, after about four miles of biking in single digit temperatures, warm boots aren't enough to stop the cold from setting in, and I've got eight miles to bike from home to work. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'd been hesitant to put hand warmers in my boots, thinking that the discomfort of cramped toes would outweigh that of frozen ones. However, this winter's weather persuaded me to give them a try.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm happy to report that the warmers have helped keep my piggies warm and they still have enough room to wiggle.</span></span>Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-53407619511495975392014-01-29T09:29:00.001-06:002014-01-29T09:29:15.485-06:00Make a Bike Touring Journal<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_gI5dxzqycQyn4eN9TJsCYuWd8SFfvSKPiZQgNr0tWW9i4MvaPJX9-q6NGBknOkOdS0iobBShN2NCVU26lPsP1EyxPygUiQEqpV5QNTNDJXW4zpwfx921p2Byy3HiEScclXmZvYgFxhE/s1600/touring-journal-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_gI5dxzqycQyn4eN9TJsCYuWd8SFfvSKPiZQgNr0tWW9i4MvaPJX9-q6NGBknOkOdS0iobBShN2NCVU26lPsP1EyxPygUiQEqpV5QNTNDJXW4zpwfx921p2Byy3HiEScclXmZvYgFxhE/s1600/touring-journal-cover.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> <br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When out on a bike tour, it's nice to have a place for notes on your route, where you stop along the way, your pace, observations, and for a general record of your journey.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KPNSVqOMvcZK62DEK5I7wcujjrlDTKpQFirY66WqmTlHdKpNymlt7CKVbnfdrNCJ8cNkizPK9Szm6ZcC0_TeyhyALUzYZIp707O-bE8c28rwrrxn3BFEUbrUSee4bBIJ7bqtVRy8MC9z/s1600/back-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KPNSVqOMvcZK62DEK5I7wcujjrlDTKpQFirY66WqmTlHdKpNymlt7CKVbnfdrNCJ8cNkizPK9Szm6ZcC0_TeyhyALUzYZIp707O-bE8c28rwrrxn3BFEUbrUSee4bBIJ7bqtVRy8MC9z/s1600/back-cover.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Peter and I have gotten into the habit of keeping detailed journals while bike touring. It's fun to refer back to when taking the same route later, as well as simply to reflect back on a fun trip. Still, I never had a specific journal for this, rather, I'd just grab some small notebook I had lying around. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This year I decided to make a touring-specific journal. I chose a light, thin Moleskine notebook that would be easy to personalize.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zQgh-QZ8vmkZeNyIAG88E7NlosFkY8InvWU9TTv9UZYfQC2vp-ofydTKkfkjfP0zRqs3bNd9Odlq_pLZ_jHQq3C6pTxFDRfIKi5EeLK21A7gCH9VrBQgQOLgFEWx-unL0PMlLwATQpss/s1600/supplies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zQgh-QZ8vmkZeNyIAG88E7NlosFkY8InvWU9TTv9UZYfQC2vp-ofydTKkfkjfP0zRqs3bNd9Odlq_pLZ_jHQq3C6pTxFDRfIKi5EeLK21A7gCH9VrBQgQOLgFEWx-unL0PMlLwATQpss/s1600/supplies.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I used the photo scraps left over from an earlier <a href="http://www.madisonbikelife.com/2014/01/display-bike-photos-with-diy-banner.html">project</a>, letter stamps, a potato stamp, gel medium, and my trusty X-Acto knife to decorate the cover.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCNQHNkySOW_RvD0rAPMYdRz1a1SEq-wzVgKa1X9FnRMxjks3cL8R7CZU73kgX8s8i7AgQXI0lajM6d5lqVhlVOcr83gv0i6fCZcbemecEngY9KzB4Eg_ZhyphenhyphenufOV_4ODGWPtyk_oj6mjz/s1600/Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCNQHNkySOW_RvD0rAPMYdRz1a1SEq-wzVgKa1X9FnRMxjks3cL8R7CZU73kgX8s8i7AgQXI0lajM6d5lqVhlVOcr83gv0i6fCZcbemecEngY9KzB4Eg_ZhyphenhyphenufOV_4ODGWPtyk_oj6mjz/s1600/Collage.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now I just have to wait for spring to take my first tour of the year!</span></span>Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2797098655959607981.post-66621131360737183012014-01-27T09:37:00.000-06:002014-01-27T09:37:07.966-06:00Hot Drink & A Bike Book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbQKdeJtO91ufZmimqorQFknafVHsJKUKHvC7dN0XyO1XviwDA0qozxNqFXtlEwqcKJIRK7-Eg3bjp47rAUopSrNIJJIpRhgrb6REYXhZLzgOxtNEPjGh716uym-hklR_yU1xmVB4GiRq/s1600/bike-book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbQKdeJtO91ufZmimqorQFknafVHsJKUKHvC7dN0XyO1XviwDA0qozxNqFXtlEwqcKJIRK7-Eg3bjp47rAUopSrNIJJIpRhgrb6REYXhZLzgOxtNEPjGh716uym-hklR_yU1xmVB4GiRq/s1600/bike-book.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To quell the longing for bike tours and adventures that begins to pop up
about mid-winter, I enjoy a hot drink and a book. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I received the book,</span></span> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Places-Bike-Before-You/dp/1584799897/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390762061&sr=8-1&keywords=50+places+to+bike+before+you+die">Fifty Places to Bike Before You Die</a>, as a Christmas gift and it's been fun to flip through and muse about could-be journeys.</span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3RP6GwZKiV9AJbZP0fIqxauftu-ZZVxv9p9DIDTdHEhjcVEo79tkF9c_PuAQS34MuyUxadla6R8aQhmNeaKgaPTfsNpp1eW1woaX5MMPDS8y8K3DnKSqmKJs3QjjNDVqmTVlule2ZeG3-/s1600/bike-book2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3RP6GwZKiV9AJbZP0fIqxauftu-ZZVxv9p9DIDTdHEhjcVEo79tkF9c_PuAQS34MuyUxadla6R8aQhmNeaKgaPTfsNpp1eW1woaX5MMPDS8y8K3DnKSqmKJs3QjjNDVqmTVlule2ZeG3-/s1600/bike-book2.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Only a few more months until Peter and I take our first bike camping trip of the year to Devil's Lake State Park!</span></span>Alyson Herreidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07451516476570501838noreply@blogger.com0