Sue’s Blog of Xtracycle Happiness

Albina Press is a coffee shop on Hawthorne with a great window bar. Perfect for hanging my gear and watching Downtown Cupcake Brown.

Tyler and I rode about a mile and a half, mostly East on Clinton, this morning. Temp was 23F and the road was 2″ deep in snow. Tyler was super excited and ran (rather than her usual slow jog) the better part of the first mile. Not too shabby for an almost 14 year old Chocolate Lab!

I filled the 24″ Big Apple tires with 37psi and they performed flawlessly. Virtually no slippage and cornering was easy. The sound of snow crunching under bike tires is one of the world’s finest sounds!

Our Destination was Cafe Au Play on Division and about 56th. It’s a non profit community center trying to raise startup funds by selling Xmas trees. We met the fam there and hauled a big and little tree 3 blocks back to the house by balancing them on the snapdeck and walking the bike along. Go there if you want a cheap tree for a good cause.

Later in the afternoon, I convinced the kids it would be fun to go ride bikes up and down the street in the snow. And it was! We took Tyler and rode back and forth for half an hour or so, whooping and hollering the whole time. They were skeptical when I first pitched the snowcapade, but they soon realized that Suey knows things. Good things. Fun things. Magic things.

So the moral of this story is that Snowpocalypse 2008 completely rocks, and a bike makes it even better.

That’s all for tonight. Time to trim the tree, tend the fire and rock the Bailey’s. Merry Xmas eve eve eve eve eve to you and yours!

PS I’m posting this from my iPhone – a first for me.

Finally we have some snow to ride in!

I spent I don’t know how much time agonizing over what to wear on my winter commute, and I think I’ve got a pretty good system going now, so here it is:

Head: ski helmet & goggles OR hat under bike helmet
Torso: tshirt under sweatshirt under rain jacket
Legs: Taku pants from REI
Feet: waterproof Keens OR waterproof hiking boots
Pedals: Crank Brothers 50/50 XX Pedals (took off Time ATAC clipless pedals)
Dry Bag: Xtracycle Dry Bag

This system has kept me warm and dry so far. I keep ‘regular’ pants in my desk at work in case I don’t feel like wearing my Takus all day. Often I just wear the Takus all day, though, because they’re sexy.

Last night, on my way home from work, I happened upon a bunch of people with their bikes in the Ladd’s circle right by Palio. Palio has awesome bagels, by the way, and the owner is a helpful saint. Anyway, I stopped and asked somebody which ride they were about to embark on, and they told me it was the History Ride. I had read about it online earlier in the day, and it didn’t take much encouragement to get me to abandon the grocery shopping I had been planning and tag along. Thanks for the encouragement!

So we headed out, going in some direction, and I was so busy making new friends and reveling in my most excellent Big Dummy, that after 30 seconds I had no idea where we were. We stopped on some corner, scooched up tight and listened to some guy tell (I know, I’d make a great reporter, the way I remember all the details, right?) us about Dr. Hawthorne and his insane asylum which used to be where the Hawthorne & 39th Fred Meyer’s is now. Then we went down some more streets and ended up on the Eastbank Esplanade. At this point, I actually knew where I was. Another guy – or was it the same guy as the first guy? – told us about Mr. Benson and the bubblers and the flood of 90-something, and the art of the Esplanade. Next we rode North on the Esplanade and stopped just shy of the Steele Bridge. Do Hawthorne and Steele both end in e? I never know. Then we went up the ramp and North on Williams, which I know because we passed Pix. We kept going, and stopped at a park and then another park. We turned right on Rosa Parks, went around a little triangle, and ended the ride at Good Neighbor Pizzeria on the corner of Dekum and Durham. All the best rides end with pizza and beer, you know. I remember looking at the street signs and wondering, “Hmmm, I wonder where this corner of Dekum and Durham actually is?”

This ride was full of excellent friendly people and one excellent friendly dog. As is my habit, I can only remember the dog’s name: Kansas. Hi, Kansas! Some of the people kindly let me ride back to Southeast with them, since I was lost. They kind of were too, but one had a map. And the leaders (there were 3 of them) were incredibly well educated about Portland, the greatest city on Earth. Thanks to the leaders and the riders for yet another great ride!

Friday night we rode in Portland’s First Ever Kidical Mass. What a blast! Angela Koch was the ride leader, and with very little advertising, she managed to attract about 50 people to this event. We stormed through the North Park Blocks and all around the Pearl, blocking traffic and stopping Polar Bear Killers in their tracks. OK, ’stormed’ might be a bit strong for describing a ride where a good portion of the bikes had training wheels, but we were storming in spirit if not flesh.

After the storming, we all deserved a treat, so we headed over to Ben and Jerry’s. Then, right next to Ben and Jerry’s, what to my wandering eyes should appear? YES! CUPCAKE JONES! Oh. My. God. I had the best cupcake EVER – the Downtown Chocolate Brown. Not only was amazingly delicious, it was named after me. Sort of. And I’m thinking of naming my bike after it. Seriously. It was that good. My Big Dummy is the Downtown Chocolate Brown of bikes.

Now back to the topic at hand: Kidical Mass. Big ups to all the drivers who stopped and patiently waited for us to make it through intersections! And even to you Polar Bear Killer drivers who were forced to stop by the likes of Jonathon Maus (of BikePortland.org fame), some kid with blonde dreads, and myself. ‘Prec. And speaking of Jonathon Maus, did you see his write up of Kidical Mass? He has a ton of pictures and a movie. And guess who is featured prominently in said pictures and even interviewed in said movie? That’s right – me and my little squirrels and their sqirrely mom! Check it.

Here is my own video of the auspicious event and, coincidentally, my YouTube debut:

(Oh, and make sure your sound is turned on so you can hear the soundtrack.)

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Portland is the greatest city on earth. Where else can you ride your bike, naked, with 2000 of your closest friends? And if they weren’t your friends before, they certainly are now. Here’s how it all went down:

Girlfriend calls up, says, We are so doing the naked bike ride tomorrow. No, I say. What? It’ll be so much fun! No. I don’t want to be naked in public; no way, I am firmly standing my ground and cannot be convinced. Well, it’ll be dark, and you don’t even have to be completely naked if you don’t want. You don’t even have to be naked at all, in fact. Really? OK, then.

So we rode bikes all day long, mostly on a super cool tour of urban edible gardens, and then over to Col. Summers Park to watch the Stumptown Joustdown, got completely wore out and sun burnt. Then we took a nap. At 8:00 she woke me up because we had to go to REI to get her a bike light for the ride. At that point, I had a sunburn fever and was freezing to death. Noooooo, I don’t wanna go anymore! I’m freezing and sleepy! Leave me alone! Nope, get your ass out of bed and get dressed ’cause we’re going. <More whining, moaning, groaning, bitching from me.> But I slumped out of bed and bundled up like I was on my way to the Iditarod, and off we went.

By the time we got to REI, just before they closed, I was feeling slightly better but not much. After REI we went to Vivace to hang out and I had an iced latte (I know, why would I have that when I’m freezing?). Then I had a hot licorice tea (better). We left Vivace around 11 and headed out to the ride’s starting place in some warehouse on Industrial Ave. Wasn’t hard to find, since there was a steady stream of bikes going that way. I started perking up when I saw the hundreds if not thousands of bikes and people there, and heard the music pumping inside. We did a quick tour of the place, then got in line for beer. I only had one beer, but I think it was that one beer that helped me decide that since I was doing the ride, I might as well do it right. Yes, I would go all the way – fully naked! Thank you, Fat Tire. The high temperature inside probably helped a bit, too; it made me forget how cold it was outside. More of a willing suspension of belief than a forgetting, really.

Soon the call went out to gather at the starting line. We found our bikes, put our clothes in the Freeloaders, and headed off! Off to stand around with our bikes in the street for 10 or 15 minutes, that is. That’s when I learned how cold a top tube can get. It was 48° F outside, and the only way to keep warm was to ring my bell constantly. At least, I told myself that I was warmer when ringing the bell. And no, that’s not a euphemism for anything.

At long last we got moving. Yaaaaaaay! We hooped and hollered up the hill and down the other side. Little groups of people were gathered to watch on every corner. Cars happily honked at us and people cheered and whistled. The closer we got to downtown, the more people there were. By the time we hit Burnside and maybe 10th, the streets were totally lined with supporters. People were lining the streets and even the left turn lanes in some cases, holding out their hands to be slapped just like they do on the Tour de France. There was also the occasional moron in the middle of the street. I almost smashed a photographer who was crouched in the center lane – hello! Anyway, I felt like some kind of returning war hero from an old movie, and half expected ticker tape to rain down on us.

The ride crossed the Hawthorne Bridge, then looped back to the party warehouse in NW. L and I decided not to loop, and just rode home. This was a whole new adventure because then we were Independently Naked and riding in our own neighborhood! Woo, talk about feeling free! Cops saw us and didn’t say anything. People saw us and said, Holy Shit! One guy yelled Gay Pride Weekend! Well, yeah, but it’s just a coincidence.

So the moral of this story is this: if you think you don’t want to do this next year, do it.

Yep, I’m ashamed to admit it, but we rode the Polar Bear Killer to Canada, and carried the bikes on the back of it. You Know Who had a conference to attend, and I justified the drive by rationalizing that she was going to drive anyway, so my tagging along had minimal impact. Still…

I did ride my bike everywhere I could while there. I say “everywhere I could” because Sweetie had a nasty infection in her foot and couldn’t ride for the first couple days. I spent my days riding around exploring the city – more to come on that later and earlier.

One day last week, when I was in Vancouver, BC for vacation, I walked up to Benny’s Italian Market on the corner of Princess and Union, in the neighborhood of Strathcona. I think they should rename the place to “Benny’s on Princess,” but that’s beside the point. The point is that I sat outside on that corner for about an hour waiting for my beloved to come home (it’s only a half block from where we were staying, and I figured she’d ride her bike right by me if I sat there long enough), and ate some pistachios and kalamata olives. I noticed that tons of people were going by on bikes, so I thought it would be fun to take all their pictures with my iPhone. Click the picture to see the entire set at Flickr. If you want to. No pressure. Your life will be enriched if you do, though.

You may know it as Beltane, May Day, International Workers’ Day, RSS Awareness Day, or maybe even One Month Till Sue’s Birthday Day. But henceforth, May 1st shall be known as Biscuit & Lightning Memorial Ride Day.

Yes, I am sad to report that Biscuit & Lightning have left this earthly paradise and are now simultaneously swimming in the great cosmic wave of unconsciousness and taking a dirt nap in the front yard.

Since Biscuit & Lightning were so beloved of our family, it seemed only natural to take their dead little bodies on a Memorial Ride. So we strapped them onto the back of the X and headed off to a nearby Pizzacato for dinner, where we sat outside and feasted while they waited patiently in their casket on the bike. Our next stop was Dairy Queen, where we again kept a loving eye on them as we ingested copious amounts of ice cream that doesn’t melt when you put it in hot chocolate.

This ride was a first and a last for little Biscuit & Lightning. It was something they never got to do when they were alive, and a real treat for them after they were dead. In fact, they enjoyed it so much that I’m thinking about doing the same thing with my dogs if they ever die.

Now that Biscuit & Lightning are buried, we can’t unbury them, so they will not be joining us on future Biscuit & Lightning Memorial Rides. Rest assured though, Dear Reader, that future Biscuit & Lightning Memorial Rides will be taken. Every May 1st, for as long as we feel like it, we shall ride in memorium of Biscuit & Lightning. If you would like to join future Biscuit & Lightning Memorial Rides, let us know, as we may consider opening the rides to the public. The first Biscuit & Lightning Memorial Ride was kept private at the request of the family, but that may change next year.

Rest in Peace, Biscuit & Lightning.

That’s a new song I made up today on my way home from that place I go 4 days a week, give or take. You’ll have to figure out the tune for yourself – it’s jazz, and I wouldn’t begin to know the chords.

I’m totally pervious to the weather today.  Everything is beautiful (in its own way) and I could not be happier about it.  Even my impending weekend of work cannot divert my pleasure train today. Nope, I’m pervious to the sunshine, and impervious to cloud cover. If the clouds were made out of plants, we’d have cloud clover.

Riding in the snow
Riding in the snow
We shall come rejoicing
Riding in the snow!

Ah, snow glorious snow. It’s snowing today! In Portland! And I got to ride to work AND to Boot Camp in it! I’m so happy! Here’s a shot of my bike unceremoniously parked by the dumpster outside One With Heart waiting patiently for me to ride it to work. The iPhone couldn’t quite capture the snow, but trust me, it’s there.

And here’s another shot of  the view from ‘my’ window at work. Again, hard to see the snow, I know, but it’s very exciting in person. If you live here, you know what I mean. Unless you’re one of those people. You know, the big whiny babies who complain about the weather, and especially about the snow. Waaah! Get off yer ass and ride yer damn bike – you’ll be warmer that way.

You know, I really do. I get to ride my bike to work every day. Three times a week, that commute includes going to Boot Camp. Either way, the air is fresh, and the scenery beautiful. The ride beautifies my mind, body and soul.

And the people! Just about every time I get on my bike, somebody stops to talk to me about it. Yesterday, I got compliments from the guy who stands on the corner of Burnside, 12th and Sandy – you may know who I’m talking about – the one with the “My wife has MS” sign. He thought my bike was pretty cool and we had a little chat about it. Then on my way home, while I was stopped at the light at 12th & Lloyd, a hot chick stopped to chat with me. Seems she has been wanting an Xtracycle for awhile, and had never seen one in person. She stood really close to me while we chatted, and she even petted me a little (oooh!). The light changed a few times while we stood there, and we moved over to let cars to go around us.

And then there’s my bike itself. That thing was scheduled for the Good Will until I finally decided to Xtrafy it. (Of course, now I know that there are better places to donate a used bike.)

[[ an aside: I'm listening to Sledge Hammer by Peter Gabriel right now, and I'm pretty sure I heard a sound that has been adopted by Survivor. I should Google that. ]]

Where were we? Oh yeah, the bike. Yep, it’s a cheapy Trek 930 that I paid two hundred bucks for 10 years ago. I never really liked it. NOW, though, it rocks. It can haul tons of crap, key components have been upgraded (saddle, grips, seat post binder, pedals, cassette) and now it’s a pretty good little (huge) commuter. I don’t think there’s much more I need to do to it except to replace the brake pads, which I’ve already bought. I was thinking about going full XT, but I don’t really have the money, and now with the new cassette, it’s shifting much better.

So, in short (not), my life is good. I have a great bike or three, a good job or three, excellent family, friends and acquaintences. I live in Portland, which totally rocks. I get to ride my bike a LOT, and in doing so, I get to seriously enjoy the journey. The journey IS the destination – that’s so true.

The dogs and I rode over to the park for a little picnic today. And by rode, I mean I rode and they ran. And by picnic I mean I chuckered the ball and they ran. They’re tired. I’m saving my strength for a ride to Petco, home from which I will haul mass quantities of Organix dog food, which is not only organic, but made locally, and buying it makes me a good person.

PS This photo has been cropped to protect the innocent. And by cropped I mean I took it that way on purpose.

I decided to ride home for lunch today to eat some Amy’s Frozen Stuff, let the dogs out, and watch Gillian McKeith. That was a good decision because it was fun. Except for the ride home, which sucked moose balls in hell. bycycle.org recommended it; I hereby unrecommend it. There’s a stop sign at almost every block! Plus you have to cross Burnside, Morrison and Belmont without a light. Yuck. File that under “now you know.”

Am I the only entrant in the Find the Worst Route from 42nd & Hawthorne to 12th & Lloyd contest?  ‘Cause if so, I win.

This morning I loaded up my laptop and gym bag and headed out to my Sunrise Boot Camp class at One With Heart Tulen Center. After class, I remembered that I had forgotten to plan a route from there to work. Hmmm, I’ll just meander, I guess. Slowly, trying not to sweat. Somehow, I managed to ride on just about every busy non-bike-laned road between here and there. Stark, Sandy, 12th, you name it. WTF was I thinking?

Well, I was just complaining yesterday about how short my commute was, wasn’t I? The other up side was that I discovered Ecomotion – this place will definitely require further investigation!

Rode the X to work today, IN THE RAIN! That’s a first for me. Or, it would have been, had it actually been raining. But I THOUGHT it was raining. It sounded like rain from inside my apartment. So I donned my old crappy non-breathable snow pants (because I still can’t find my beloved Goretex XCR pants) and my spiffy new safety orange jacket that I got over the weekend at Clever Cycles, put the orange lenses in my sunglasses, and off I went into the fairly warm and not raining morning.

Riding is so much fun that I’m starting to want to move back to the other side of Mt. Tabor just so I can cross it on the way to work. My commute is too short now at 2.6 miles.

I’m also happy to report that today I had no pain in the lady parts. Yay – it only took a few days to get over the “I – haven’t – been – riding – in – many – months – diaper – rash.”

Here’s a picture of my jacket and helmet hanging on my cube. If you see anyone riding around dressed like this, wave – it might be me!

OK, why can’t I have any freaking paragraphs in WordPress? WTF? What looks like paragraphs in the WYSIWYG editor gets rendered inline, and if I try putting p or br tags in the code, they’re stripped out.  Grrrrrrr.

Took the kids for their first ride today. Damn it, why didn’t I think to get a picture? Der. Next time. They’re 8 and 5 and weigh 40-some pounds each. One held onto me, and the other held onto the one. Kinda wobbly! We went around the block, then across a busy street (yikes) to an elementry school, where we rode on the grass and on pavement, up and down hills. That’s hard work, riding uphill in the grass with two squirrels on the deck! We didn’t crash, though, and we all made it home safe and sound. The end.

Just got back from BikePortland’s social hour at The Roots Organic Brewing Company. Gawd, they make good stout and heather. Anyway, here’s a pic of some people who may wish to remain anonymous due to past issues with a certain local college coed. Sorry, I’m sworn to secrecy!

A good time was had by all, and by all I mean me. A lot of people showed up – maybe 50? A couple of politicians who are running for some office or other and claim to ride their bikes in polyester blend suits were there pumping us with propaganda but no free beer, so I probably wouldn’t vote for them even if I did remember their names. Evs, as that one dude from Rockstar INXS would say.

Another reason that this was an auspicious occasion was that it was my first night ride. I had lights on both ends, and I probably should invest in some type of reflective jacket. The bike got rained on while I was inside, but I did not, so that was a pleasant surprise.

Let’s do this again soon, BikePortlanders!

Got the bike last night, rode into work this morning. It’s 2.87 miles according to my bike computer. I carried my backpack containing 2 laptops in one saddle bag, and my U lock in the other. Not quite balanced, but whatchyagonnado. The backpack is pretty heavy, mostly due to my beloved 17″ Macbook Pro. On which I am typing to you right now!

The commute took 17 minutes, and that was with me forgetting to turn on 20th to cut through Ladd’s Addition. The drive takes 10 minutes, so the bike is almost just as fast, further proving some other theories I’ve read lately on the Shift List.

With that load, the front end felt light, and the rear end heavy, but neither was too far off from normal.

I really need to get clipless pedals for this bike. Riding without them is like trying to cut tomatoes with a hair brush.