Bike rack overload

Tags

beer, Bike racks, PDX

Last week someone commented to me that she thought it was odd that there were so many cyclists in Seattle, yet there was so little bike parking.

I thought, “What do you mean? We have tons of railings and street signs.”

Well, it turns out that in other cities, people install “racks,” which are secure metal structures whose sole purpose is so you can lock your bike to it. You can find them in Seattle, though rarely when you need one. In Portland, however, they roam freely on the sidewalks, and sometimes even – gasp! – colonize an entire car parking space!

This is of course in front of Hopworks Urban Brewery, who are known to be a bit bike obsessed, but even the dodgy convenience store down the street had three staples outside.

I don’t think I can be satisfied with chaining up to saplings and chain link fences anymore.

Bike crafting link love: gardening edition

Tags

bike craft, crafty roundup, DIY, gardening

It’s Memorial Day Weekend, and little green things are growing in the garden! I have a pretty slapdash relationship with gardening. I love the idea of it, and I love watching plants grow. I love my mother’s garden. I understand that plants need a good deal of Tender Loving Care, and truly, deeply I wish that I was the type of person who could give them what they need.

I am not that person.

I do best with hardy plants that can survive a certain amount of neglect, and were it not for the rainy climate of the northwest I can guarantee you that my porch containers would be a sad, sad graveyard.

I’m not the only person thinking about green and growing things–the day after I finished writing this post Dottie of Let’s Go Ride a Bike posted about her gardening by bike adventures.

So here’s to those green thumbsters with their abundant harvests and lush yards. This post is for you.

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From the Kirksville Permaculture Education Center, here’s a very neat idea for a trellis. Our neighbor has actually done something similar—I’ll try to snap some photos next time it’s sunny out.

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From Gardens and Planters, a homemade bird scarer made of a bicycle wheel and old CDs.

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I scoured the internets for a DIY on how you’d actually make this, but I suspect that if you have the skills and desire to do so, you’re also probably the type to figure it out on your own. (Let me know if you do.) Treehugger has a nice collection of bicycle lawnmower photos to inspire you on your merry way.

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From Mother Earth News, a garden stool made from bicycle inner tubes. That’s actually quite classy. Maybe I need to make Rob a stool for his workshop (aka “our living room”).

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And via Pacebutler, a full on bench made of inner tubes and an old bed frame, from Latvian designer Ivars Gansons.

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Of course, you can always just put plants on your bike. Colleen Jordan of Wearable Planter sells these mini planters for your bike which attach via a rubber-band system similar to a bike light.

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But why stop at attaching plants to your bike, when you could actually grow them on your frame, fenders and hubs? (From Momentum Magazine.)

Happy gardening!

Riding in Seattle: Mom gets rained on

Tags

fun, Mercer Island, Mom, rain, Seattle ride

Mostly I lean toward wordiness. It has been pointed out that people like to see photos, and not read long rambling posts. Mostly, I shrug and write long rambling posts.

(Relax. I’m gonna keep it short this time.)

My amazing mother, ready for a drizzly bike ride.

My mom came up to visit last weekend, and we decided to bike the loop around Mercer Island. We briefly considered doing the ride on Saturday when the weather was gorgeous, but in the end we decided to go on the drizzly Sunday morning, so that mom could be introduced to a real Seattle ride.

It was amazing.

We met up with Robin and her Kona, then departed on a rain-soaked but enchanting tour of Mercer Island. It’s one of the more popular loops in the area, clocking in at about 13 miles if you park on the island, though it’s way more fun to bike over from Seattle across the I-90 floating bridge. We’ll work up to that next time, mom.

Bikey ladies, now thoroughly soaked. Me, Robin, and Mom.

Complain all you want about the rain here, but there’s something truly amazing about being out in a wooded area during a drizzle (or even a rare downpour). I mean, sure the forest’s beautiful when the sun is filtering through the leaves and dappling the meadow, but the rain brings the forest to life. It just feels so right.

A magical fairy hut, with a gorilla. Yup.

Go, Robin, go!

Damp but happy.

You know, riding in the rain really isn’t so bad.

Cycling Sojourner book signing this Thursday

Tags

bike touring, books, events

Just a little shout out to a cool-sounding event this Thursday. Ellee Thalheimer will be in town reading from and signing copies of her new book Cycling Sojourner: A guide to the best multi-day tours in Oregon. I’m sad I’ll be missing it, but that doesn’t mean that you should!

What: Seattle book party for Cycling Sojourner: A guide to the best multi-day tours in Oregon by Ellee Thalheimer

When: Thursday, May 24, 6-7:30pm

Where: Gregg’s Cycles Bellevue, 105 Bellevue Way, NE

What’s up: The author will give a brief overview of why bicycle touring is becoming a new Pacific Northwest passion, and show photos of some of the spectacular scenery that awaits cycle tourists who seek adventure in Oregon. The event is suitable for beginners who want to learn about bike touring basics and experienced cycle tours seeking insider Oregon touring tips. Come buy a book, have it signed, and get inspired for your next pedal-powered vacation!

For more info check out:

The Facebook event page

The book website

And head over to BikePortland for a great review of the book.

Tutorial: adorable lunchbox pannier

Tags

adorableness, DIY, lunchbox pannier, sharks, tutorial

The inspiration

Working for a children’s clothing catalog company is incredibly inspiring if you’re crafty and happen to have access to a niece. I spent all of today editing our costume catalog, and oh my gosh! If you’re the sort of person who likes fun at all, then you should hie yourself over to Chasing Fireflies right now and sign up for a catalog. I know this sounds like a shameless plug for my company, but really it’s a shameless plug for everyone to have more adorableness in their lives. If you’re a crafty type looking to get inspired, you’ll love this.

One of my favorites!

Where was I?

Oh, right. Most of the time I get inspired for my niece, but every once in a while I get inspired to make something for myself.

When the merchandising team turned over the fall apparel, they included a handful of super cute back-to-school bags. I must have had biking on the brain, because each of them seemed to be calling out to me: “Jessie! Attach pannier hooks to us! Put us on your bike!”

I said no. The last thing I needed was yet another bag, yet another project. I put the last one down, proud of myself for resisting their siren call.

And then I picked up the lunchbox. It was soft-sided and well insulated, very well constructed, with a zipper compartment in the back that would make the addition of pannier hooks incredibly easy. One consistent problem I have with the size of the Po Campo Loop Pannier is that I can’t fit my lunch tupperwares in there very well. But if I had a little lunchbox to go along with it….

The shark. It was just too cute.

It had a little story that went with it.

My will melted away.

So today I’m going to turn my lapse of will into a teaching moment. Read on to learn how to add straps to a soft-sided lunchbox. It’s super easy, and I guarantee you’ll discover you’ve always needed one of these.

Bikey adventures are back on the menu

Tags

joy ride, Lapierre, public transportation

Almost three weeks after the crash, I’m back on the bike. I’ve taken a few short trips, ridden to work once, and I’m generally feeling very little pain unless I over-extend myself. Riding over a hard bump is still pretty rough on my hip and shoulder, but that’s just all the more incentive to aim for the smooth parts of the pavement.

I ran some errands via bicicleta on Monday. Rob’s got the Kona up in the stand for some well-deserved Spring Cleaning (she was starting to look pretty ratty with her broken fenders and ripped-up bar tape), so I took the Lapierre out for a spin.

My coworkers refer to the Lapierre as my “Ferrari.” I’ve never driven a Ferrari (and probably neither have any of them), so I can’t actually comment on that. But the Lapierre is a pretty awesome bike.

Most of the time I just feel totally outclassed by this bike. I really like it, but it’s fast and sleek, and I’m a clutz who can’t be bothered to match her water bottle to her bar tape. I hear you’re supposed to do that sort of thing if you ride a “Ferrari.”

Living in a city like Seattle, however, has given me a massive appreciation for this bike. I practically sing when I’m climbing hills on this thing. I mean, I can pick it up with one finger (said finger bends back and hurts, but I like to do it anyway just to prove that I can). She’s a rad bike, and now that the weather’s getting nicer I’m looking forward to letting her run.

(Disclaimer: My husband reps Lapierre. I didn’t just go out and buy a sweet carbon fiber bike so I could run to the grocery store wearing sneakers and take it for joy rides on the Light Rail. Although it’s really fun to do those things.)

I’m not sure that Lapierres are supposed to take public transportation. She definitely seemed a little, shall we say, embarrassed.

Anyway, I’m excited to join in the fun now that bike to work month is halfway over. I’ll be volunteering at a station on the Green River Trail Friday morning, so say hi if you happen to be in the Venn Diagram of folks that accidentally ran across my blog today and also commute via the GRT.

Happy Bike Adventures to all!

Tutorial: Cycling leggings

Tags

cycle chic, cycling leggings, DIY, knit jersey, tutorial

I’m going to share a secret with you. Leggings are incredibly easy to make.

After I took up precious time complaining about having too many projects on my plate, I actually got to work and tackled the leggings that night.

I cut out two pairs, one from the bamboo doubleknit (yum) and one from a light gray cotton jersey which I dyed a deep crimson once I was finished.

I measure projects in terms of TV episodes, because that’s generally what’s entertaining me when I’m sewing. From cutting them out to finishing them, these two leggings took me two episodes of Bones. Or, one pair per episode. Or, about 45 minutes each. What a cinch.

Want some? Here’s how.

Bike month video extravaganza

Tags

bike lanes, bike month, E. Marginal Way, Video

As part of Bike Month, Cascade Bicycle Club has put out a call for videos illustrating a point along your ride that could be improved with the help of better signage or infrastructure. They’re pinning the videos here, and they want you to come play, too.

From the original post on Cascade’s blog:

When you are out on the road or trail this May for Bike Month we want your help capturing areas of Seattle that need improvement in order to be better for bicycling. With the Seattle Bicycle Master Plan up for an overhaul this year, it’s essential that you be the eyes on the street. Show us what would make your bike ride all that much better and we’ll help get it in the plan.

Know a street that is in desperate need of a bike lane? Or what about a bike lane that already exists but is just too dangerous for you or your kids to ride in? How about an intersection that needs one of those green bike boxes?

Whatever it is that would make your ride better, we want to see it!

I submitted a video of the place on E. Marginal Way S. where the bike lane ends (which I blogged about here back in March).

What would make your ride better? Get out there and let the world know!

Golden Gardens on a golden afternoon

Tags

Burke Gilman Trail, Golden Gardens, joy, leisurely ride, Seattle ride

I’ve been staying off my bike until I’m more fully healed. It really wasn’t a big deal last week when the weather was nasty and dreary, but over the weekend the sun’s come out to play, and the weather has taken a marked turn for the better.

By yesterday I just couldn’t stand it anymore. A friend and I had been planning to join a Menstrual Monday ride for forever, and so we set a date for last night.

At least that was the plan. After going for a short walk at lunch, my hip announced that I still wasn’t quite up for the 30+ mile trip to Renton that the MM ladies had announced on Twitter. I was unwilling to stay off my bike on such a beautiful day, though, so Robin and I decided on a mellower jaunt from her Ballard house to Golden Gardens.

The evening was gorgeous, and we joined dozens of cyclists, joggers and stroller-pushing moms on the Burke Gilman Trail.

My Kona was excited for the exercise, and she always enjoys spending time with her shiny green Kona cousin. The girls snuggled up while we sat by the harbor, watching the sail boats come in against a backdrop of the sun setting over the Olympics.

Hot Kona on Kona action.

I’ve always been more of a words person, and in fact it’s only due to the prompting of my photographer husband that I remember to tote my point-and-shoot around with me at all, but lately I’ve found myself wanting to share with you all particular moments of beauty that words and point-and-shoot snapshots can’t quite capture.

The sunset at Golden Gardens is one of those moments.

The best camera in the world could probably capture the warmth of the day and the leisurely mood that Golden Gardens always puts me in. But I don’t think it could tell you just how much joy I felt being back on my bike. That’s something I’ll just have to tell you in words.

Bike crafting link love: knitting edition

Tags

bike craft, DIY, hand warmers, knit bike basket, u-lock cozy

It’s Friday, which means it’s time for some crafty inspiration for the weekend. It might be May, but here in the Great Northwest the weather has me craving cozy sweaters and warm scarves, and so I bring you an installment of the Bike Craft Roundup inspired by delicious fiber arts.

There are some downright spring-y projects in this mix, too, so be sure to check it out even if you live in a climate that gives you sunshine and warmth from time to time. You lucky bum.

Feel free to leave links to any other knit-bike-crafty projects in the comments, and happy crafting!

Knits for you

First up, we have the 8 Minute Commute Cowl from Amanda at The Knit Cycle. So maybe I’m being a little melodramatic to claim the weather’s cold enough for a cowl, but given how long it takes me to finish knitted projects it may well be winter again by the time I have a Commute Cowl of my own.

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Now, I’ll be making these hand warmers from The Purl Bee for sure. I’m a big fan of anything with superfluous zippers, and I’m a fan of warm hands. I think I’ll take mine all the way out to full arm-warmer length, though. With zippers the whole way? Zippers on both wrist and upper arm ends? A pair of arm warmers entirely made of zippers? Am I going too far?

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Here’s a cool cycling-inspired aran sweater from Hello Yarn. It’s designed to be close-fitting with extra length in the sleeves and torso to keep you toasty whilst riding your bike in this dreary May weather. The cable pattern looks like it’d be fun to tackle, too.

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Knits for your bike

Carina of Carina’s Craft Blog has taken the time to translate this pattern for a crocheted bicycle seat cover from the original Danish. I haven’t dabbled in hooking for quite a few years, but I’m tempted to take a stab at this pattern.

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This knit bike basket posted on Crafster.org has a cute basketweave pattern that would be fun to knit up in a color scheme that matched your bike. Line it with canvas or some such, and this would make a fun summer basket.

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Amanda of The Knit Cycle not only cozies herself in hand-knits, she also cozies her u-lock. I prefer to protect my Kona from u-lock dings by covering it in stickers, but the LaPierre warrants a bit more care. She doesn’t actually give a pattern for this, but it would be a super simple project to whip up. And plus side? It would keep Rob from stealing my u-lock. Perhaps I shall knit a cozy for my Mini Morph pump, as well.

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I have no particular use for skirt guards, given the bikes I currently own and the lengths of skirts I tend to ride in, but they are pretty. On Etsy, Bobbin and Sprocket sells a pattern for a crocheted skirt guard which is quite lovely.

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What other crafty tutorials have I missed? Comment away!