[mamaonabike]

I’m an advocate for fun solutions so leg warmers…yes! Knee high boots…yes! I would also advocate for fun colorful knee high socks to add a touch of color to a drab winter wardrobe if you’re not wearing the boots that day.

Layering is an obvious solution, as is wool. There are really lovely light wool base layer shirts in most any boutique shop. When I need to, I layer those to add color, interest and warmth. The one sort of drab thing I do is use a pair of black wind resistant long-john style tights from my snowboarding days as a base layer under dress pants and skirts, too. I can even wear them over hose for an additional layer and then take the tights off once I arrive to work. Or, pack the hose and switch to them once you arrive.

For low cost solutions, if that’s an issue, I once bought a pack of 6 thick wool knee high socks from a military supply store for a couple bucks, cut the feet off and now I use them as ankle warmers (put them between your cuffed leg bottom and your shoe top), calf warmers (under my pants) or wrist warmers (extra layer between the end of my glove and my jacket). Basically anywhere that the layers tend to pull apart from each other and let wind in. I love taking the colorful knee socks I mentioned above, cutting the feet out and using them as sleeves to add color, too. And, all those feet you cut out? Save them and layer in your boots to keep your toes cozy!

I’ve found that very light material scarves work better on your neck and chin because they allow you to breathe and don’t cause you to sweat much. And, you guessed it, they add color! You can find them at accessory stores and they’re prettier and more fun than highly technical pieces. And you know those super cheap dollar gloves you see at the checkout stand of places like Walgreen’s? Perfect to layer under technical gloves. I keep those around my house the way I do lip balms. You can never have too many.

Finally, I have a thin boiled wool wrap jacket that I layer under my winter coat that adds just enough warmth without the bulk. It’s quite lovely so it also acts as my nicer looking coat once at work if I have to go anywhere and don’t need that extra (arguably uglier) layer.

Hope this helps!

[mamaonabike]

I won’t pretend to know the county codes that may speak to this, but I will say that just this past year in Portland a homeowner paid a $50,000 settlement to a cyclist who crashed into a dirt pile that was in front of their house in the street. The crash happened at night so the cyclist didn’t see it in time (he had lights) and the homeowners are cyclists themselves which likely led to the quick settlement rather than having the case go to court.

At any rate, my point is: anything obstructing or blocking the roadway is especially more dangerous at night and city code in Portland was pretty clear on this issue. If you find the code or statute that speaks to this, I would urge you to make friendly contact with the homeowner or whomever is responsible and let them know from the point of view of the danger to road users and their own safety and well-being. If there isn’t anything that speaks to this on the books, then, well, there should be so…go team advocacy!

[mamaonabike]

Hi all,

Due to parent/teacher conferences on Friday morning my daughter has been graciously flexible in allowing me to reschedule our Yay For Bike Riders Day for this Thursday, October 7, 7am – 9am.

We’ll be at the little covered picnic table at the intersection of the Custis and W&OD trails serving juice, muffins, breakfast bars and coffee if I can figure out a place to borrow a presspot from. The purpose is to simply thank all the cyclists who ride the trails each day that we pass on our way to school. If you have a free moment please stop and have some refreshments, or at least say hello – it will make my daughter’s day.

See you Thursday morning!

PS – tomorrow is International Walk and Bike to School Day so if you have kids, please participate!

Cheers,
Angela

[mamaonabike]

@Dirt 569 wrote:

They had successfully crossed the road…

The real question is, were they wearing their helmets?

[mamaonabike]

Let me know if you do the Conte’s ride with cargo bikes et al. I’ll show up with baby on the BoBike seat. We’ll blow bubbles, too.

[mamaonabike]

What route do you take? I’d love to know about that.

Oh, and I’ve got one to list: Whole Foods in Vienna is right off the W&OD and has a Sat/Sun morning omelette bar. It’s full of cyclists! Discovered this on my way to pick up a high chair I bought from someone on Craigslist. Nice score!

[mamaonabike]

Arlington rider: thanks for the tip re the Harris Teeter in Shirlington. We’ll have to give that a go and see how it works out.

Tim: I suppose I need to calendarize the Farmers’ Market list – that’s a lot! Is it safe to assume that bike parking is just the existing staple racks or are the farmer’s markets doing anything else to incentivise biking to their events. I would think there’s a good chance a lot of the people interested in local fresh goods are also interested in biking there. Since I haven’t been yet I’m just wondering if it’s bike friendly since lots of time ped/event type things actually kind of aren’t unless it’s made clear that bikes are welcome.

Love Northside Social! I definitely feel at home there; haven’t tried Java Shack. Will do!

And yes, department stores: haven’t found one yet with ample bike parking. One to three staples out front, nowhere near a front door is as good as it gets. Of course, I’m also not seeing much of anyone else hauling around a trailer filled with a week’s worth of groceries or a bunch of shopping bags filled with the day’s errand-running spoils.

[mamaonabike]

This is such a difficult topic, particularly for someone like me who bikes at all times of the day, frequently by myself, anywhere my work takes me. Typically, I’m pretty staunchly in favor of absolutely following the law for the purpose of safety and for modeling good behavior so that I’m part of the solution and not contributing to the problem of a negative perception of cyclists. However, there are absolutely times when I feel like my own personal safety would be enhanced if I didn’t follow the law. One situation in particular: at night, biking alone (I’m female), stopped at a red light with no traffic. In this situation I will absolutely get moving again before the light changes. While standing still, straddling my bike, I’m completely vulnerable. If there is traffic, that’s a different story. Also, when pulling my trailer behind me I’m way more likely to take the lane whether or not it’s technically legally allowed. The reason: the bigger I am and the more space I take up, the less likely I am to get hit. I’m willing to trade off the frustration of the motorist who perceives that I have slowed them down in order to protect my own safety and that of my child. And finally, if the bike lane is too narrow and I’m biking by a long line of cabs or cars parked in front of busy sidewalk cafes and bars I’m way more likely to leave the bike lane to avoid the door zone completely. Having just moved here from out of state I’m not entirely certain of the laws here but where I came from, if a bike lane existed you’re supposed to remain in the bike lane. Here, I’m going to go ahead and assume that more likely than not a bar customer or cab driver is not paying attention to their responsibility in following the law by looking to make sure it’s safe before they open the door. I see this as doing us both a favor but like I said, I’m pretty sure that’s also illegal. I’m curious to know how confident local police are in correctly interpreting and enforcing the nuances of these laws. I would love to hear from others.

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