Dear Santa ...

Do you remember your first bike? I think I remember mine. It was a hand-me-down from my brother. It was powder blue and it had an alligator on the chain guard. It was awesome. Until, the day my dad ran it over with his car. 

That Christmas, to replace my otherwise flattened bike, Santa brought me a brand new bike. It had a giant banana seat and it was rainbow colored. It even had rainbow streamers in the handle bars. In my opinion there is nothing better than getting a new bike.

Fast forward 30 years- Every year my husband and I sponsor children through the Precious Child program and the Boulder County Bar Association. https://apreciouschild.org/what-we-do/precious-gift/

The Precious Child program collects donated new toys, gift cards and gifts for children (babies through teenagers) in the most need in the community.  They make incredible efforts to assure that children do not wake up Christmas morning without a present. This year, one of the children we sponsored was an 8 year old boy. His Christmas list to Santa included new clothes, dinosaur toys and a BIKE.  My husband and I were thrilled to help Santa deliver a new bike to this little boy.

During our search for a new kid’s bike, we met a retired Auto Worker who now lives in Lafayette, Colorado. This incredible man spends his retirement fixing-up and donating gently used bikes to the community. He works out of his house and has bikes available for sale or donation- depending on your need.  You can drive past his house in Lafayette and see his display of available bikes. It’s amazing. He also donates bikes to Community Cycles, and is happy to donate bikes to charities in need. Check out Community Cycles- https://communitycycles.org/ Their focus is not just children’s bikes, but adult bikes as well.  Many individuals are dependent upon their bike as their primary mode of transportation.

We are lucky to live in Colorado where numerous organizations exist that donate bikes to both children and adults. Check out some of the bike donation programs in Colorado. A Bike can change a life and make things that were previously inaccessible, accessible. If you have any bikes collecting dust in your garage, consider donating them and giving the bike and its eventual recipient a new life.

https://projectrecycle.org/

http://bikestogether.org/donate-a-bike/

https://www.goodwilldenver.org/programs/peoplewithdisabilities/goodbikes.html

Happy Holidays!

Making Group Rides Great!

Long live group rides!  They are an opportunity to spend time with old and new friends, offer safety in numbers, and allow us to ride better, longer, and on new routes than we might on our own.

They can be even more fun if you follow these simple rules.


1. Keep the group to a reasonable size.  The size will vary based upon the type of ride, but for informal, social rides, 3-5 people is the perfect size. This size isn't that difficult for others (cars, other trail users) to navigate, and you won't develop a herd mentality that ignores the needs of others.  Finally, as a good friend says, for any group ride over three people, add 15 minutes to your total ride.  If time is of the essence, keep the group size small.

2. Know your skills and fitness.  As the ride is planned, have a realistic expectation of what you can do right now.  Most likely you will be fine, especially if you know and trust your riding partners. But it is good to know how long, how far, how much elevation gain, and how technical the ride is so you can map that back to what you've been doing.

3. Keep together.  Don't split up, unless you've planned ahead or have a communication plan to make sure everyone has made it home safely.  Regroup at natural places (trail heads, intersections), recognize that everyone has their own pace, and make sure you are never that far apart from one another.  This is for fun of course because why ride in a group if you don't spend time together, but also for safety.

4. Be situationally aware. Pay attention to the situations around you -- vehicles, trail users, etc -- and be respectful of them.  Groups can be intimidating to other folks and showing that you are paying attention to them goes along way.  Try not to impede traffic, repeatedly stop in front of other trail users, etc.  As for the group itself, use some judgement about how often and when you stop for snacking, changing wardrobe, etc. and try to coordinate that when others are doing it.  Being considerate can make the ride flow much more easily.


5. Car pool.  If you have to drive to ride, make it more fun by carpooling.  Drive together, ride together.  You are doing the environment a favor, saving money, and getting more out of your ride. 

Finally, many of us have ridden in the back of the pack and have had the faster riders wait for us.  It's really no big deal, and they most likely haven't been waiting long.  Don't apologize for 'being slow.'  Just say, 'Thanks for waiting.'  It's the nice thing to do.

I Love My E-Bike!

I admit, I felt a bit like a failure when I first got my e-bike. I have learned better though, because it has allowed me to #ridemoredriveless!

My day starts with my “commute” to work.  That involves me getting out of bed, walking outside of the house with several dogs, and then to the kitchen.  This is where I start the feeding process for my most demanding job which is boarding dogs. Then, I turn my computer on to start one of my other jobs. My day is a balancing act of getting everything done and never being away from the house for long.  My other jobs require me to travel to a couple of banks in Boulder and Louisville and to take care of random errands. This is where the e-bike comes in.

E-biking to the pet store

Panniers help me transport groceries

I thought that I would be cheating the system by riding a bike with a motor. However,  I have learned that I can get a ride/workout in rather than sitting behind the wheel of a car.  I used to think that the bike did all the work, but it is just like any other bike. You can work really hard or take it easy.  I just get to places much faster than before.

I have had my e-bike for about a year and a half now and I love it. I went to one of my favorite bike shops, tried it out and ended up getting a Specialized e-bike. I get a lot of questions about my e-bike. People ask me if it’s really easy. If I have to pedal?  How fast I can go?

Cheryl, a Bike Ambassador teammate, and I will sometimes commute together.  She, however, does not have an e-bike, so it is sort of fun to watch her really sweat as I climb the small hills much faster than before.  The tides do turn when it’s downhill. My motor stops at 28 mph, and now I am pushing the 45-pound bike (before the panniers are loaded) as hard as possible to keep up.  

Banking by e-bike

The e-bike has made me stronger, faster and allows me more ride time.

The only problem that I have had with the e-bike is that it sometimes goes missing.  I will want to run errands, but my e-bike is gone. Turns out Cheryl likes riding my e-bike, too. She must have been running late or just wanted more of an intense leg workout and decided to take the e-bike.  So, if you decide to go the e-bike route, just let everyone else believe you are being a wimp. Otherwise, you may find yourself in the same boat as me some days without a bike. - Rhonda W.

Grocery Gettin’ - By Bike!

I’ve had to park my car on the street lately, and living in downtown Denver, driving less than a mile to get groceries and having to find another parking spot (when I get home 20 minutes later) just does NOT make any sense. Luckily, I have an awesome commuter bike, complete with a rack on the back and a decent selection of bags and panniers that attach to it that allow me to get whatever I need home without too much issue. 

Sometimes, the little bag is all I need:

A small trunk bag, like this one from BiKASE, holds a few small items.

It holds a couple things, like a pound of coffee and a bunch of bananas...

I have a super convenient bag that has a zipper to extend the storage capacity:

This bag is from Banjo Brothers. LOVE the expandable compartment.

This is probably the bag I use the most, as I usually totally overestimate what will fit. 

If I know I need a bunch of stuff, I throw the panniers (or at least one of them) on the rack - just gotta be careful to load them somewhat evenly weight-wise - I’ve about fallen over trying to get on the bike times that I haven’t paid attention!

Pannier from Koki.

Now, try as I might, I do occasionally completely blow what will fit in my bag(s) and have to ride home with a bag in my hand!

All in all, riding to the grocery store is far more pleasant than driving!

Getting started Commuting - The Gear

It's been a couple of months since I wrote my first piece and really started committing to commuting (that sounds like a bumper sticker, except for your bike).

While I haven't been as successful as I was hoping, it still takes a very conscious effort to make commuting by bike possible. And what I've found is that the more you commute the more you find what you need to make this lifestyle change.

I think for a lot of people (myself included) there is just so much to pre-plan to commute and if you are like me, this takes time that I feel every day I have less and less of. But the thing to remember is that this is time for yourself, it's adding time to your life, and in many cases, if I hadn't chosen the bike over the car that would've been the only time that day I gave myself 30 minutes of physical activity. They say two birds one stone right!

One thing I figured out early on was gear. I'm extremely analytical so I think about details, like how am I going to carry my yoga mat and water bottle to class. Let's also be honest the ladies love bags and I'm no different. Not only was I in search of a functional bag but something fun, stylish and screams of my personality. I'm a fan of a company called Lolë. They make everything from puffy jackets, swimwear, athleisure pieces, and BAGS. And there she was the perfect match of function and style; the Lily Bag. It retails for about $140, but it was completely worth the spend. You can carry your yoga mat, two water bottles, computer, toiletries and it comes with a shoe bag.

 

Next was the lock. Again I like to go for both function and style and I had the perfect one already in my stash. The Knog Party Frank lock; it's flexible and can fit in a variety of places. They, of course, come in some of the most fun colors which are a bonus if you want to look stylish while commuting.

And finally, let's talk about the bike or bikes. As a committed cyclist, I happen to have a good arsenal of bikes. When I started commuting I focused on riding to the ride, which meant that I was riding my full suspension mountain bike most often. That doesn't translate well when riding to yoga, the grocery store and to meet friends. So I've switched things up a bit. If I ride to meet friends I'm typically with my husband so we grab the cruiser bikes. But when I'm on my own I've flipped between my hardtail mountain bike and my gravel bike. They are both really sturdy and especially my hardtail mountain bike puts me in a more upright position that I feel most comfortable with. I'll admit I'm not awesome at taking selfies while commuting so you'll have to excuse my bikes in the wild photos. But the point is, whatever you feel most comfortable on or have access to is the best bike to get started.

The other reason I have been choosing one of these two bikes is because when you see that opportunity to take the dirt on the way home, I'm prepared and while it might take me a bit longer to get home I can tap into a small portion of my happy place that I might not have otherwise had that day.

Hardtail MTB

My Gravel Grinding Queen

Happy Commuting!

Cheers,
Aimee

Commuting for summer Saturday Open water swims

Summer Saturdays have become my new favorite day of the week for one reason .....commuting by bike to my open water swims!

I have used my commuter bike which is a Salsa warbird, great bike with knobby tires and makes it easy to travel along the stable Road in Chatfield, specifically when Chatfield was under construction.

I have tried two modes of packing this summer, one with a salsa waterproof bike frame bag and the other a backpack. Although I like not having weight on my back, I found the salsa warbird bike packing frame to sag and rub my wheel. After doing some research, it turns out I did not have it packed down properly, and now that I have learned to do this correctly it is great to have the weight on the bike frame and not on my back and shoulders, specifically before and after swimming.

Below are a list of items that I pack for open water swims:
Wet suit  (Sleeveless currently, but started with full sleeve early season)
Swim cap (Insulated swim cap for temperatures less than 65° early season)
Goggles

Wax earplugs
Sunscreen
Body guide to prevent chafing on my neck
Snack
Bike helmet

Jacket (early season for chilly mornings)
Sunglasses
Socks

Cycling shoes 

Towel to dry off after swimming
Cycling gloves

Bike lock

Commuting by bike really paid off for me this year specifically, as Chatfield was under construction and driving my car around to the east entrance took an extra 25 minutes. By bike from my home I could get there in around the same time adding maybe 10 minutes and getting a 20 mile ride in round trip which was a bonus!  Not to mention the fresh air, seeing other cyclists, and enjoying the hot air balloons over Chatfield reservoir in the mornings. I’m always amazed at how much I can see and what I notice by bike that I would not if I were driving my car.  Parking can be a hassle as well, but parking my bike against the fence by the gravel pond sure isn’t! 😀. 

I am so grateful I am able to commute on these beautiful Colorado summer days, train for triathlons, chat with other cyclists, all because of the mode of transportation I have chosen. Another bonus is by the time I get home my wetsuit is virtually dry! 🚴‍♂️❤️😀

 

 

Commuting on Vacation

Bike commuting doesn’t have to be limited to riding to and from work, or running errands around town. In fact, I have professed, on numerous occasions, that my favorite method of exploring a new country, state, city or town - is on a bike.  

Many European cities are exceptionally bicycle friendly and make commuting by bicycle easy.  In fact, Amsterdam and Copenhagen are notorious for their bike friendly culture. But, to my surprise, urban metropolises like Tokyo and Chicago are also making efforts to encourage transportation by bike.

Although both Tokyo and Kyoto have mass transit systems, they also have designated and well respected bike lanes. In Tokyo, a technologically advanced and modern city with over 13 million residents, you can join the masses funneling into the city’s complex subway system, or you can hop on a rental bike at one of the many rental kiosks available around town. Like the popular cycle rental kiosks available in the United States, Japan, and many other countries, have a similar bike rental kiosk system. You can rent a bike from a kiosk for a few minutes, or several days. In addition, many large cities, like Tokyo, have a myriad of bike shops that cater to tourists and rent a variety of bikes, from electric bikes to road bikes, perfect for exploring the city.

Limiting your travel transportation to the subway or mass transit system when  in a new city can be confining. Last summer while in Kyoto, my husband selected a hotel because it had electric bikes available for its guests.  We checked the bikes out every morning and returned them, with dead batteries, in the evening. Each morning, the bikes were returned to us with charged batteries and ready for our next daily adventure. While in Kyoto, we never took the subway or a taxi. On bikes, we were able to explore the city in a depth that we would have missed in a taxi or on the subway. We found incredible bakeries on side streets that we surely would have missed in a taxi, and we discovered ancient shops on secluded side streets and alleyways that we would have passed right under on the subway.

Finding a hotel with bikes available has become a priority in our vacation travels. In Charleston, our hotel had cruiser bikes available for all guests. Pedaling to our dinner reservation was far more enjoyable than trudging the cobblestone streets in the city’s infamous humidity. In Charlotte, although our hotel did not provide its guests with bikes, but a bicycle rental kiosk was conveniently located right outside. 

It’s surprising how many hotels now make bikes available to their guests.  Just check online before you book your hotel and ask if bikes are available.  And, many cities both in the United States and abroad offer bicycle rental kiosks. Check out www.bcycle.com/top-nav-bar/bikes-stations for a list of cities in the Unites States with bike rental kiosks.

In addition, with so many hotels now offering bikes to their guests, there are now online directories for bike hotels. Check out http://www.bikabout.com/lodging/ before your next vacation.  Not only can you save yourself the hassle of navigating a new city by car or subway, you can also get your lungs, heart and legs pumping while exploring sites that would be otherwise overlooked in standard mass transportation.  

Getting started Commuting - Riding to the Ride!

Before I get started with Aimee's commuting experiences and my tips with getting started communicating, let me provide you some background context.

I have never considered myself a "bike commuter", a cyclist of varying disciplines, yes, but bike commuting seemed different or foreign to me. And when it all boils down I love riding in the dirt, whether it be on my mountain bike or my new found love for gravel grinding I just feel at home and happy when my two-wheels hit the natural surface.

Needless to say, I love cycling and I take a lot of pride and have the best experiences when I can help others drink the cycling kool-aid like I have. To help others see the amazing benefits that can come from a life on two-wheels is what makes me believe in the Bike Ambassadors mission.

Each year I set my sights on a goal that is both physically and mentally challenging for me and my bike. Over the years I've challenged myself to events like the Dirty Kanza (100 miler) and the Bailey Hundito, but in 2018 my focus is a bit different. And while I still plan on doing a couple long, physically challenging cycling events, I've challenged myself to a life of commuting by bike more often and practicing what I preach; #ridemoredriveless.

So how does one tackle a life of riding more and driving less? Finding ways to incorporate commuting that are consistent with me. This is where my journey starts and believe me I don't have all the answers and I'm stoked to share my progress, my tips and tricks that I learn this year with all of you.

It's all about one day at a time and staying consistent with who I am. I live in an area where we are fortunate to have double-digits worth of singletrack trail within a short commute from my back door.

Aimee's getting started commuting tip number one:

• Ride to the Ride - I love mountain biking (have I mentioned that?). When I started thinking about how to get myself accustomed to commuting by bike I really adapted the mantra of "commuting in ways that stay consistent with myself". I knew first hand that if I could connect commuting with something that was already really ingrained in me, I might be able to make it stick. So here is where I've started. Unless I've been invited on a group ride in a neighboring community I ride my mountain bike to every ride. Not only does it help me warm up so I can really enjoy the singletrack, it takes me back to being a kid, when times were simple and my bike was the only way I was going to get anywhere and every time I ride to my ride I feel that same empowerment I did 20 some odd years ago when my bike opened up a world of possibilities. 

This is a work in progress, so stay tuned to our blog for more tips and tricks as I embark on building a lifestyle focused on riding more and driving less.

Cheers,
Aimee

Route planning tips for bike commuting

Planning your bike commuting route can be challenging. When commuting, you want to get to work or home as fast as possible and you don’t necessarily want to spend a lot of time on a longer detour. Of course, you would like to be safe too. Fortunately, there are different tools and websites available to help you out.

Just like a car route, Google Maps is a great way to start: identify your home and your destination and GO! Make sure to look at the bicycle overlay, which will show green (or brown) lines as bike friendly streets and trails, and use the bike search option, versus the standard car search. Google bike routes are considered in beta version, but the data behind the maps are usually directly fed by municipalities and do give a great first approach of the route to tackle… After a first result, I often check the satellite images for bike lane signs or use streetview to get a lay of the land. It is always good to know if you are on the street, if there is a bike lane, or if you are directed to a poorly-maintained sidewalk that only in name has just been upgraded to bike route. Would you be better off in the street in that case, or should you reroute? Another great way to get an idea where others ride is via Strava heatmaps, which is free and can be accessed without an account. It is fun to see what other riders prefer, and maybe you can optimize your route.

Be aware and prepared, a bike lane or trail can unexpectedly end.

There is a personal touch to each bike route. Not everyone likes or is comfortable riding in the same streets. Some people wish to avoid bike lanes at all cost and are willing to take longer routes to be completely off street on a bike path. Some quirks, like unfriendly intersections, you will only find out by trying your route, which is done best when you are not in a hurry for a 9 am meeting. I usually keep optimizing my routes to be faster and safer for a long time after my first attempt. Bike infrastructure in Colorado keeps improving rapidly, and new bike lanes or trails show up all the time. I also like to ride with colleagues and friends, just to learn new ways. I even have different routes depending on the time of year. In winter, I will partly use a bike trail that is nicely plowed after each storm, has no cars, and is safer and off-street in the dark. In summer, I won't dwindle and go the shortest route, which is unfortunately along a busy highway. A bonus gravel trail along the way makes up for it and is a shortcut and quiet.

If you have the luxury, trails are a wonderful and safe way to commute off street.

Denver, as most other Front Range municipalities, has a network of designated bike trails across town. In Denver these are labelled as D-routes and they are a great way to start plotting your commute. It will be worth to check out what your own city or county has listed as bike trails and routes. Bicycle Colorado has a nice list to get you started for most communities (link below).

A GPS, your smartphone or just a plain old map can be handy to take a peak when you are lost, have an unexpected flat and need the nearest bus stop, etc. And.. rule number one when riding your route for the first few times is to give yourself enough room before your first morning meeting.

Happy pedaling!

Useful websites:

• Google Maps                   www.maps.google.com
• Strava heat maps              https://labs.strava.com/heatmap
• Bicycle Colorado statewide and local bike maps  https://www.bicyclecolorado.org/ride-colorado/colorado-bike-maps/
• Denver bike map            www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/bicycling-in-denver/resources/bike-maps.html

------------------------------------------------

My summer morning commute is unfortunately on the shoulder of a busy highway. It is very scenic and by far the quickest way to work, but I try not to ride here in the dark.

------------------------------------------------

Dressing for Winter Riding

Perfect clothes for a windy 25 degree gravel ride: skull cap, thick buff, fleece-lined coat,
thick gloves, windproof tights, and insulated boots. 

I've recently moved from Golden, CO to a different biking mecca: Harrisonburg, VA. As the temperature dropped, I was reminded that 30 degrees in Virginia feels like 20 degrees in Colorado.  This meant rethinking my usual wardrobe choices, and buying in some new riding boots.

Investing in a winter riding wardrobe can be expensive, and is best handled by adding a bit each year, especially as technology improves.  You'll figure out what you need pretty quick, and the local bike shop and riders will have good ideas for the particulars of your riding area.

The basics of a good wardrobe are: head cap, buff, winter jacket, wool under-garment, winter gloves, windproof pants, and good boots.  As temperatures drop, garment thickness increases as do layers.

Always err on too much gear and too thick of gear.  Being cold sucks.  You can always take things off or adjust as needed.

For the head and neck, a head cap and buff are critical.  A good fleece-lined jacket is perfect for cold temps, keeping out the wind and keeping in the heat. You can vary a t-shirt, light wool, or heavy wool under the jacket depending upon the temperatures.

Head & Neck: Upper left: thick buff. Upper right: thin buff.
Mid-left and right: Head caps, with and without brim
Mid-bottom: Balaclava
Very bottom: Helmet rain cap 

Upper garments: Top left: Mid-weight wool. Lower left: light-weight wool.
Upper right: Fleece jacket. Lower right: Long sleeve jersey.

There are a zillion options for keeping the hands warm.  Light gloves, light gloves with mitten covers, heavy gloves, over mitts, heavy-duty mittens, and finally, handle-bar mitts.  I prefer heavy gloves if the weather is below 40, and light gloves with mittens otherwise.

Handle-bet mitts. These are amazing in very cold weather.

Different assortments of gloves and mittens.

For the bottoms, there are windproof tights, leg-warmers, and 3/4 leg-warmers with high socks.  Or a combination if it is really cold.  And for feet, there are toe covers for shoes, full covers for shoes and insulated boots.  In my opinion, boots are the best investment one can make for winder riding; nothing else will keep your feet quite as warm.

Wind proof tights, full leg warmers,
and 3/4 leg warmers with tall socks.

Top: Toe booties. Middle: Shoe booties.
Bottom: Insulated boots

The now-departed Steve Tilford offered the following winter riding rule: 1 mile for every degree Farenheit.  He was professional bike racer, so I adjust to weekend warrior level and for sport. For mountain biking, I adjust this by .4 and for gravel, by .65, and for road, by .75.  Still, good advice.

Finally, keep the possibility of mechanicals in mind.  Unless you are super burly, stay reasonably close to safety with options for rescue.  Changing a flat in 20 degree weather gets you cold real fast, and is both a miserable and memorable experience.  And one not worth repeating.

Stay warm and happy riding!

Commuting in the dark...

Commuting in the dark is a whole different ballgame than commuting by day. You need a whole different set of gear and some forethought to get where you're going and back home again safely and comfortably.

First of all, the goal is to be seen. If cars can't see you, it won't be pleasant for you (or them!) A minimum of the following is necessary:

A bright headlight, especially if you're taking dark paths or streets;
A red tail light, the more blinking and obnoxious the better - you want the cars you encounter to be able to see you when they're coming up behind you.
Preferably a white helmet - the better to be seen with.
As much reflective gear as you can! 

If it's cold, as it tends to be when we need to ride in the dark, a warm jacket, hat, gloves, and warm shoes (hiking boots work well!) go a very long way to make you comfortable.
Here's my setup:

Another thing to keep in mind when commuting in the dark is the route you're going to take. I've found it helpful to ride it once or twice in daylight so I know where I need to turn, etc., as well as random things I might encounter that I may not see in the dark. When riding a bike path that goes under bridges, it's good to keep in mind that sometimes there are people sleeping under them! They're not always so visible in the dark...

At the end of the day, the views you see if you're willing to think things through a little bit can be beautiful. Sunset is one of my very favorite times to ride. Look at that sky!

Christmas lights can be kinda pretty, too:

With a little planning, you can get all the pretty views, too!

Health Benefits of Bike Commuting

Health Benefits of Bike Commuting

There are many reasons to bike to work, and it should be no shock that biking to work improves overall health.  There was one particular study done, involving over 200,000 people in 5 years.  It looked at those who only bike to work, people who bike and drive to work, biking and walking, walking alone and driving alone.  It was found that people who biked to work experienced a 41% decreased risk of dying than those who took public transport or drove.  People who solely biked to work had a 46% lower risk of developing and a 52% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who used public transport.  Bike commuters enjoy a 40% decreased risk of dying from cancer as well.  

People who biked and used public transport also retained a benefit of 24% decreased incidence of dying from any cause, as compared to those who used public transport.  The above benefits increased as the distance traveled to work increased as well.

Biking, which is known to be great exercise in of itself, will result in better cardiovascular health overall.  Even bike commuting short distances with improve baseline metabolic rate and cardiovascular output.  This improves cardiovascular health, decreases blood pressure, and leads to improved lean muscle mass and weight loss.  Additional benefits of bike commuting include improved digestion, better sleep, decreased anxiety and depression, and an boost overall sense of wellness.  Those who bike commute are less stressed overall,  and more productive  than their non bike-commuting counterparts.  These benefits are seen both at work, and in the household. 

 

Giving yourself the extra time to bike to and from work allows for some mental down time in between work and home.  One's ability to immediate focus at work is great, and to relax once home, and let work go, is enhanced.  Interactions with coworkers family members are more pleasant.  It is impossible to be in a bad mood after even just 5 minutes on a bicycle!  No matter how long or how short a commute is, making a least some of it on a bicycle is always worth it.

Commuting with your Dog! It's not only possible, it's so AWESOME!

Commuting is bliss.  Adding a dog to the mix well... that's heaven.  How awesome to get to where you're going, and for your pup to get a workout in at the same time.  It's the best.  

Tips: Start small at first.  Start with a traditional short, non-stretchy, non-retractable leash.  Ride slow on an open path or road where people, dogs, cars, bikes won't be an issue.  Ride with the dog to your right side, get them used to the bike and the spinning wheels.  Learn to ride the bike with one hand while the other (right hand) manages the leash and keeps the dog off to the right side.  Having them right next to you while learning is best.  This keeps them from taking out your front wheel or getting a paw in the spokes.  Keep the speed slow and if things go wonky on you just remember to let go of the leash and bring things to a stop.  

What I've learned, at least for my dogs, is when they are running alongside me on my bike, they consider it "time to work" and they aren't distracted by things like dogs, people, rabbits -as they usually would be on a regular walk.  Dogs really like this higher-speed exercise fix.  

I've talked to my vet about this practice and she advises to always let the dog set the pace and dictate breaks and water stops. Don't ever pull the dog behind you or drag them along (obvi!).  Check their paws often to be sure their paw pads are doing ok, and if it's hot, stop often and give them water.  (They will usually gladly drink from your water bottle when they get thirsty enough).  As with any exercise, build up and work into it slowly.  If you have a puppy, ask your vet about this -it may not be wise with a young dog until their joints are fully developed.  

Another key item to teach the dog is "stop" so they know what is happening when you come to a stop sign or red light or other hazard or obstacle.  

The next best step for my dog and me was to graduate to an extendable-leash clipped with a carabiner to my waist- either to a fanny pack or to my backpack.  This frees up both hands to focus on handlebars and brakes and allows the dog to run ahead, next to you, or slightly behind, while avoiding a slack leash that can get easily tangled up.  

Here's a video to show that to you in practice: 

More than Miles, Bike Commuting Delivers a Daily Dose of Joy

Just shy of two years ago, we decided to move from the trail mecca of Golden, Colo. (complete with across-the-street trail access) to Denver. While I loved having trail access out my front door, I found climbing in a car to go anywhere exhausting and tough on my carbon consciousness. We found a darling, yet woefully dated bungalow in West Highland that offered a #ridemoredriveless daily lifestyle, shaved my daily commute to 15 minutes by bicycle, and served up plenty of renovation projects to keep us busy.

Our first year was hard – city life was dramatically different than rural Golden. The parking hassles, the noise, pavement everywhere…despite my best intentions to ride everywhere, I found the adjustment to city life difficult and old car habits were hard to break. Add to that my work and travel schedule kept me off the saddle and behind a desk more than ever…the days of carefree riding, simply opening my garage door to roll out on canyon roads or dirt felt foreign and beyond distant.

Interestingly, I found a daily dose of sanity by reaching for my bike to make that 15-minute commute to work. I chose between bikes lanes, bike paths and neighborhoods roads to pedal out the day before and behind me. And despite traveling upwards of three weeks a month, I strapped on my helmet to commute 96 times. The simplicity of grabbing my bike to go to work, dinner or the grocery store is indescribable. My commute became my joy and the system of bike paths around Denver, my new stomping grounds. I finally invested in a cruiser bike, complete with rechargeable lights, a rear wheel lock, fenders, a basket and a grocery getter pannier. The neighborhood was an old friend now, and I knew it’s streets. It wasn’t the foothills of Golden, but it was pretty awesome.

When my second spring rolled around, the quiet streets of West Highland blossomed into an entirely new neighborhood. My morning commutes were fragrant with spring flowers, and train of commuters on my route home brought familiar comfort when my days ran into darkness. I was now going days without moving my car. I added Lyft, walking and begging rides from hubby to my commute mix.

Even bigger this year, my hubby and I took our first cycling vacation. Rather than rent a car, we explored Norway by bike for eight days. The experience of riding our bikes in a foreign country, along quiet roads and boarding ferries to cross a fjord was indescribable. Sitting in a fruit stand to have lunch before pedaling to the next town...pure joy.  

I also found peace with merging my professional job + commuting. I don’t have a shower at work, so the struggle with hair + sweat management + outfit selection is real. I embraced the side ponytail to make my new post-helmet hair manageable and slowed my pace to avoid glistening. I tested my “professional” wardrobe and found that most everything was bike-friendliness for the time/distance required for my commute.  Despite my crazy travel schedule, I managed 92 commutes and 331 rather stylish miles by bike, if I do say so!  

If 2017 taught me anything, it’s that a commuter mindset happens in small, every day actions, not just the bold ones. I'm so grateful for my commuter team..this team is comprised of women from all backgrounds...medical, executives, lawyers, nonprofit leaders, small business owners and mathematicians. Despite their full schedules, these ladies stay committed to the bike commuter lifestyles they want to lead and remind me of the possibilities, joy and experiences to be had by bike. It would be very hard to trade in this lifestyle, given the freedom and hours of car-free life I’ve taken back. 

So here's to 2018! I'm ready for the adventures you have in store!