Hatrack River Forum: It Rained and Now My Neighborhood Smells Like Fish (a Cyclist thread)

This is topic It Rained and Now My Neighborhood Smells Like Fish (a Cyclist thread) in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :

I have this lovely Bianchi Comfort bike The hubby gave me for my last birthday. A Lady Sparta, I think. In any case, I love it. I love toolin' around the neighborhood, feeling fast and free, and going on the bike trails with the fam (even though that usually means I have to hail a bike trailer or a wobbly kid on a Trail-A-Bike).

Thing is, Towne Lake is a small community, very suburban, and you don't see a lot of cyclists. You don't even see many cars, mostly enormous minivans and SUVs. My visiting niece noticed and said, "Why are all the cars here so big?"

Now, my kid's doctor's office is less than half a mile away, as is my grocery store, a local pharmacy and BOTH of my sons' schools. I would dearly love to bike them everywhere, now that the weather is so nice. The public Library is also just around the corner, and the gym I work out at, several fun restaurants, Blockbuster, etc.

However, I think I'd be taking my life, and those of my wee ones, in my hands if I did this. I still hope to do it, but I must make it safer first. I think I can do this on two fronts:

Make sure I can handle the hills, even with a load. The neighborhood is hilly. I have great blood oxygentation, and rarely get above my target heart rate when cycling, but I will need better practice before I'm willing to risk taking the routs with my children. Also, I will need clipless pedals, and probably knee and elbow pads, because I don't want to spread my lovely skin on the roadway if I can help it.
Raise community awareness of Cyclists. This I figure I can do by biking more frequently. Most of the cyclists in my community do it on the sidewalks. This is illegal, but in the current environment it is the safest place to be. I plan on talking to the community magazine people, to see if they would let me write an article about cycling in Towne Lake. Also, I thought about starting a cycling group (Cycle Mamas?). I think there are plenty of options here for that sort of thing.

So, what do you think? Any suggestions? Anyone here done anything similar?
P.S. The title came from my morning ride. Maybe it was because it was trash/recycling day, and all the old newspapers were wet. [Dont Know]

Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :

Olivia, what a great idea! It's wonderful that all the important things are so close. I do wish more communities had bike paths, but I like your action plan.

Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :

I think writing the article is a fantastic idea, you're the perfect person to do it.

As for starting the Cycle Mamas group, just make sure it's not the same membership as the babysitting co-op. "Don't drink and ride." [Razz]

Posted by Bob the Lawyer (Member # 3278) on :

Rather than elbow and knee pads you should get good cycling gloves. When you fall you have a natural tendancy to put your hands out to break the fall and you really don't want to know what skidding across pavement with all your weight on your palms feels like. Not as it happens or the weeks after it happens.

And if you're a cyclist who leaves home without a helmet I will personally come over to your place and beat you up. I've had my life saved by a good helmet and I'd rather break your kneecaps so you can't ride than let you go out on the road with a deathwish. That goes for all of Hatrack.

*glares at Hatrack*

Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :

LOL I use a helmet and I already have a good set of bike gloves and shoes. Also, nice, padded biking shorts and skorts, grippy sunglasses and lots of spray on sunscreen. [Big Grin]

I was a girl Scout. "Be Prepared".