Blog du Wren

Off-season Biking

As we all know, I'm a huge fan of biking as a mode of transportation. In places that lend themselves to biking* during nice weather, it is a no-brainer. I bike places instead of driving because it is enjoyable as well as being good for the environment, etc. Well, when you take away the good weather and the bikability of a place, then what?

I'm currently housesitting in Bellingham, which, in itself is a pretty bike friendly town. I'm about 3.5 miles from downtown, so a quick jaunt is not as quick as in, say Anacortes, but there are bike lanes and off-road paths, so it's not so bad. Headed away from downtown, however, is a different matter. I've been riding out to Alger recently (10.5 miles one way) which is all on back [shoulderless] roads. It's a beautiful ride, though, and not much traffic.

But no matter where I ride, chances are that the weather is going to be against me. Rain and wind are autumn* trademarks of the northwest. A rider has got to be prepared to get wet, which, whether I was prepared for it or not, has happened a good number of times in the past 2 weeks.

All this is to say that even despite the less than ideal conditions, I'm still loving my chosen form of transportation. I feel good about what I'm doing for the environment* and about what I am doing for my body*. I share all this in hopes of conveying that whatever the obstacles to you not riding are, they can be overcome.

Tuesday October 27 2009

File under: transportation, environment

Toggle Comments (13)

comment?

on Tue 27th Oct, 2009 04:20 pm PDT soreyes said:
More than half my inclement weather related bike rain gear comes from value village. Hit the jacket and warmup pants rack for some real deals on hardly used waterproof breathable shells.
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on Tue 27th Oct, 2009 05:59 pm PDT Ryan said:
That is a GREAT photo! If you come to Pueblo, I'll teach you the double pump, if you teach me the leg behind trick.
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on Tue 27th Oct, 2009 06:55 pm PDT Root Mama said:
and where is your helmet??
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on Tue 27th Oct, 2009 09:48 pm PDT Mom said:
Thank you, Root Mama! I owe ya! That Doo Rag just doesn't cut it for the mamas.
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on Wed 28th Oct, 2009 07:00 am PDT Kat said:
GET A HELMET! (THAT'S WHAT I WOULD YELL AT YOU WHEN I PASSED YOU ON MY RODE BIKE)
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on Thu 29th Oct, 2009 01:04 am PDT Horge said:
I think everyone's making too big a fuss about this. Obviously Wren's beard would cushion any fall...
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on Thu 29th Oct, 2009 07:58 am PDT Saxtor said:
I'm sure I've brought it up in person before, too, but I've gotta jump on the "WTF, no helmet?!" bandwagon. Nothing like a good ol' fashioned blog call-out.
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on Thu 29th Oct, 2009 10:25 am PDT Wren said:
Thank you all for the gentle chiding re: wearing a helmet. It is something I try to do, but obviously not hard enough. Encouraging by everyone's, well, encouragement, I plan to make it my habit to wear a helmet from now on.

Habits are funny things; they take a large effort to start but once they are in place, one barely thinks twice about them. I'm consciously starting a helmet wearing habit. What positive habit would you like to adopt?
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on Thu 29th Oct, 2009 12:31 pm PDT steve said:
how about 2 new titanium knees as an obstacle?can we overcome that or i keep using my feet and maxi taxis.
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on Thu 29th Oct, 2009 12:32 pm PDT Wren said:
Titanium knees might be the best excuse I've heard yet. You're off the hook.
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on Fri 30th Oct, 2009 12:42 am PDT Horge said:
Is this helmet-wearing-habit limited to only while riding a bike? Cause if not, that's the habit I'd vote for.
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on Fri 30th Oct, 2009 08:18 pm PDT Sarah said:
i am so happy to see the helmet comments! i do beleive i have commented on this before, wren, after some picture of you snowboarding sans helmet! protect the brain. it sucks to have a head injury.
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on Mon 02nd Nov, 2009 08:05 am PST cardboard said:
I dont think its a matter of being ignorant to the possibility of major head injury, its a choice to not wear a "brain bucket", if you dont feel like you need one then people should be okay with that. After all this is America, peddle on old boy. I got a couple things to say about your riding footwear tho, those clodhoppers look sketchy.
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