[eminva]

Thanks very much, jrenaut.

Here is a photo of the bike:

http://mysite.verizon.net/tbrown59/jpg/whole_bike.jpg

The wooden box has been replaced by the gray plastic battery box described above.

Thanks all.

Liz

[eminva]

@dasgeh 12079 wrote:

And Girl Scouts looking for Gold Award projects. (This is a thread about women on bikes…)

Of course! I should have known the Girl Scouts would have a similar requirement (I don’t have any daughters and my own scouting days are so far back, I can’t remember if I had to do a service project).

Liz

[eminva]

When WABA held the local stakeholder meetings for the recent Bike Summit, I attended the Fairfax County meeting. I suggested a “Bike Rodeo” event but Greg Billing said that would be expensive. Bruce Wright pointed out that no municipality in Fairfax County holds a Fun Ride like Arlington did a few months ago. If local jurisdictions throughout the DC area held such events annually, combined with the sorts of equipment “expos” you are suggesting, it would be a way of getting the whole family involved via the kids.

I’m sure it is a lot of work to get a new event off the ground — there are boy scouts all over the region looking for Eagle Scout projects so that might be a source of volunteer labor . . .

Liz

[eminva]

One of the articles Zanna referred to mentioned the lack of mothers at the event, so I’ll focus on that, as a bicycle commuting mama.

This is a really complicated issue, but not impossible. I got almost no exercise in the first three years of my son’s life. I think the mothers and fathers on this board can appreciate the massive time management challenge that a little one presents. The way to market this is to make it a health issue as well as something that a mother can do for herself. Mothers need to take care of themselves and exercise is almost a form a pampering. For me, I was able to work physical activity into my schedule by commuting by bike. I was immediately amazed at the fringe benefit of having three whole hours per week to myself! My approach however, might not work for another mom, especially one who might not have a lot of confidence in her athleticism or sense of adventure, to say nothing of flexibility of schedule. The important thing is to encourage women to find some time for themselves and then present the bike as a way to combine exercise, refreshment, escape, camaraderie, mental health break and possibly even transportation into that wee bit of time. For one woman it might take the form of a bicycle commute, another might get a bike with a child seat that can transport the child for running errands and another might leave the kid with a babysitter for an hour every week and go on a women’s group ride sponsored by a LBS. There won’t be a one size fits all answer.

Many of the suggestions already mentioned on this thread and in the articles would help toward this end, including: making local bike shops more friendly for entry level cyclists (women in particular) and marketing portraits of “real cyclists.” I would add: a marketing campaign aimed at mothers with the theme “Escape on a Bike” and better publicity for any women’s cycling groups or entry-level group rides through cycling organizations and local bike shops.

As a side note, I was way ahead of all your kids getting hauled around by bike:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]524[/ATTACH]

-Liz

[eminva]

@KLizotte 12035 wrote:

Big Bear Cafe seems like a nice place with a cool vibe; odd part of town for it to be in though.

It’s an up and coming neighborhood with a lot of history. My sister-in-law owns a Wardman rowhouse there that has been in the family since 1928.

Thanks for the party reports, everyone — sorry I missed it. Sounds like fun!

Liz

[eminva]

@americancyclo 12021 wrote:

It’s not easy to find with popular search engine. here’s the link: http://www.rapha.cc/festive-500

Okay, now I’m really intrigued. Has anybody done this and how quickly do you have to get to 500km to get the patch?? What kind of proof do they require — would before and after photos of my odometer work? Don’t have a fancy Garmin system.

Liz

[eminva]

@americancyclo 12003 wrote:

the Rapha Holiday 500km Challenge.

I had to look this up but it looks intriguing. Especially because the gingerbread cookies are starting to take their toll. That’s a busy week at home and work, but I could probably muster at least half of that distance and anything is better than nothing, right?

@dasgeh 12007 wrote:

Since we’re headed out of town to see family next week, our little family (me, husband and one-year-old) were thinking of doing a mini-family-lights ride this Saturday starting around 5:30pm.

This is the route I have so far: http://g.co/maps/qzxg2 (the googlemaps loops starts/ends at Conte’s, but if others want to join, I’d suggest meeting at Clay Park, at 7th St and Highland, so our daughter can play as we gather). I’ve only gotten wind of 4 good houses/blocks to see, so this map basically connects those, while attempting to wind around a bit and avoid any mean up-hills. I think it clocks in at 6 miles. I’m completely open to suggestions.

If anyone wants to join, let me know. We’d love the company, but I know the late notice makes it difficult.

Happy Holidays, all!

This sounds like fun — I will check at home tonight to see if we can do it. My son woke up with a suspicious sore throat today, so who knows, but if we can join you it would be nice.

Also, if anyone else knows of amazing displays along that route, speak up!

Liz

[eminva]

There is quite the festive display on the house at the corner of Key Boulevard and Jackson Street in Arlington.

—
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=38.900762,-77.190373

[eminva]

Welcome aboard! Glad others answered your tire question.

In my experience calling passes, about 999 out of 1000 pedestrians understand “passing on your left” to mean, well, I’m passing you on your left. One out of 1000 understands it to mean “MOVE OVER TO YOUR LEFT!” Look at it as an opportunity to practice your advanced bike handling skills. Sorry about the tire, though.

Liz

[eminva]

Congrats! And here I was all impressed with myself for totaling 3000 miles on my bike this year.

Rough guess is that I bicycle commuted about 60% of the days I went to work this year. Which is pretty good considering I only had a road bike and was off the bike for several weeks early in the year when the ice age hit the Dunn Loring part of the W&OD. Hope to improve my percentage in 2012, as I am now the proud owner of studded tires on my mountain bike.

Liz

[eminva]

Sorry I missed it — family obligations intervened — and this one was right on my way home. My light supply is running low, but I am determined to save a set to catch the bike ninja I see every morning when I walk my dog before sun up. I’ll light him up one of these days.

Liz

[eminva]

Thank you Greenbelt and Proteus! Had a great time joining you for part of the day and finally getting to see the inside of Proteus. I also really enjoyed your trail network up that direction. Thanks again.

Liz

[eminva]

I’m at the Portrait Gallery holiday market hoping to meet the gang here. Unfortunately, not much in the way of bike racks that I have scouted out.

—
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=38.897527,-77.022954

[eminva]

Try this:

http://www.amazon.com/Topeak-MTX-Trunk-Side-Panniers/dp/B000FICAQ4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1323366881&sr=8-3

The top section, as you can see from some of the user photographs, is like an insulated lunch box. If you use it as such, you can unzip the panniers and put your spare clothes in there, completely separate. However, if you arrange stuff strategically in the top compartment, it stays upright. I can’t remember ever having a spill.

Either that, or one of those Hermione Granger charmed bags . . .

Liz

[eminva]

@Bruce Wright 11693 wrote:

The next NBPD count period is January 10-12, 2012. We may try to conduct another test count but ideally the county will eventually step up and start a counting program.

Let us know if you need help.

Thanks very much for the update, Bruce.

Liz

[Author]

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