It's Not a Date Unless Someone Wants to Throw Up

M sweetly suggested that we bike to Georgetown, have dinner at Tacklebox and bike home. I was really excited to show her the beauty of the Capital Crescent Trail and my favorite bridge. I was so touched that she wanted to try a hobby of mine. Molli-ism of the day. "I want a deluxe Jell-O pudding seat." We borrowed a bike from H&Z, got her a pair of padded cycling shorts and set off at around 5:30 PM. It was a little later than I had planned but I was late coming back from volunteering and was hoping we could get home just before it got dark.

The ride down was stunning. It was a cool, clear evening and we flew. It was shocking to enter the congestion and hubbub of Georgetown - the tourists, traffic, and people in red and white football jerseys cheering at each other. I was so glad we didn't drive or take the motorcycle in.

Tacklebox was perfect. It's a come as you are, sit wherever you want, food in a basket, fresh sustainable food kind of place. We got fried oysters, lobster rolls, fried green tomatoes and corn on the cob. It was beach vacation food without the sand and mosquitoes.

As we were finishing dinner, I started to notice all the cars turn on their lights. Night was falling and we still had to ride home. I got a little lost trying to find the path down to the trail but we were on the way. The vestiges of day glowed through the trees and with less people on the trail, we were able to ride side by side.

It got dark. I couldn't see and ended up falling off the trail. I noted that I needed a brighter light. M offered to ride upfront stating she had better night vision and so my light can reflect off of her. Every lone jogger and cyclist (many with no lights!) was a potential serial killer rapist. I really don't get these people that run/ cycle in the darkness. I remembered the scary stories camp counselors told of the two fingered psycho that hacked people to pieces in the woods. I was huffing and puffing and M was doing her best to keep things lighthearted and fun. We got to the last bridge and all the fried oysters were sitting at the top of my throat pushing to come out. "Honey, I'm going to throw up." Note: don't ride home uphill for an hour after you've stuffed your face with lobster and fried oysters.

We made it back to the car and home. I was so proud of us and eventually, my stomach settled. M is my hero. It wouldn't be a perfect date unless someone wanted to throw up.

And Then There Were Two

Bike to Work Day 3 was bittersweet. A fantastic ride and our last with our fearless convoy leader, Big R. He showed us the ropes, set a great pace, told us we could do it and most of all, first planted the seed in our minds that it was possible. I have biked to work one day each of the past three weeks and it wouldn't have happened without him.

So, while we won't be biking to work together or seeing each other in the office anymore, it's great to have made an amazing friend and am looking forward to more adventures! C, it's just you and me and the friggin Custis Trail. Cus-THIS!

On a side note, the biking thing has really opened up so much for me. I love the area I live in but it's a bit spread out and the drivers and traffic are terrible. Biking really lets me get around, enjoy going where I'm going, clears my mind, and helps me do something to reduce my carbon footprint (I'm so upset about the oil spill). Yoga has been amazing, as well, - it challenges me, makes me feel really really good and leaves me with a peaceful mind. It sounds crazy but I'm really going to miss them when I'm on vacation. I'm actually having a little separation anxiety.

Shopaholic Bikes to Work

The Goal: National Bike to Work Day 2010
The Challenge: I'm out of shape, haven't ridden a bike in 20 years, don't know the first thing about gears and these new-fangled bikes, am scared of riding in traffic, and work is 16 miles away in another state

So, does Shopaholic rent a bike? Perhaps try out other people's bikes? M says, just see if you're gonna like it or not before you buy. No. I'm obsessed with gear (see Shopaholic Snowboards, Rock Climbs, In-line skates, pole, etc.). Luckily, a little money came my way and off I went.

The Bike: This was a pain because I hate trying on clothes and one really has to go and take the time to ride a few bikes and see how they feel. I wasn't confident because I didn't know what a bike was supposed to feel like so I didn't know if the problem was me or the bike. I spoke to a few people in the office and H and A had Giant bikes so I picked out the Giant Sedona and Cypress DX W. Both are hybrid bikes which are a cross between mountain bikes and road bikes (speed, multiple terrains and more rugged). The Sedona didn't feel good, it wasn't smooth, hurt a bit (makes me question supporting one's weight on one's lady parts). The Cypress is a "comfort" bike, was very smooth with a big comfy seat and 24 speeds. I also liked the fuchsia color but searched for the silver one because M said that it would be harder to sell a pink bike than a silver bike (again, she's thinking about plan b). In the end, I could only find 1 xs Cypress, they only had it in pink and bought it from Hudson Trail Outfitters because they offer lifetime tune-ups and maintenance on the bike. They were also super nice, helpful and did not hard sell me on anything.

For safety, I got a Bell helmet with a visor for rain/ sun, yellow Navarro convertible jacket/ vest for visibility/ wind/ rain, Planet Bike lights for front and back, leg reflector/pant holder, sunglasses for dirt/ wind, Giant gel-pro gloves in case I fall, bell (although I prefer to say "passing left, thank you"), a Kryptonite U-lock AND cable lock. I keep a kit on the bike: extra tube, patch kit, levers, portable air, multi-tool, tri-flo lube.

For commuting, I got a back rack which was such a pain to attach because my bike's frame is bizarre. Chris at Hudson Trail Outfitters actually had to make special brackets to attach it. I loved my friend's panniers so I got the Ortlieb Classic Back-Rollers. I put the water bottle holder on the handle bar because again, my bike frame is so weird so there was no place to put it on the frame. I also got toe clips but I think that was a mistake and will look into clip-in pedals/ shoes. Most importantly, I got Gore 3/4 tights with mega padding and makes for a very comfortable ride.

Did I train? Not really (it's been raining a lot). I was scared of riding in the street and didn't know if I was allowed to ride on the sidewalks (vary by county). I ended up enrolling in an 8 hour Cycling Commuter Safety and Traffic Skills class at the local community college and am so glad I did. We went over laws, bike anatomy, sizing/ fit/ adjustments, gear, pre-ride check, shifting, riding, locking, maintenance, route selection, taking the bike on public transportation, etc. The other great thing about the class was we went on a ride and they pointed out things to be aware of, made bike adjustments and coached us. One of the instructors is on the board of an organization that collects, builds and sends bikes to third world countries. The other instructor is a huge bike advocate and set up many of the bike routes in the county. I was the first person to fix and patch a flat tire!

Finally the day came and my convoy showed up at my apartment at 6:30 AM. M says, "so, you're leaving for work 2 hours early, pedaling there, and you don't even have to be at the office that day." Yes. Again, my weird frame wouldn't fit on the bike rack so I threw it in the car so we could drive to the start of the trail. We decided to drive to the Capitol Crescent Trail because I was not confident about riding on roads.

The trail was amazing. It was a cool morning and because there's a slight decline, we were flying under a thick canopy of leaves. There were babbling brooks, squirrels, a gorgeous bridge, placid river. It's a gorgeous ride. We crossed the Key Bridge into Rosslyn and got our National Bike to Work Day t-shirts and swag at the pit stop. The ride to work was do-able with some good challenging parts that I'm eager to conquer.

While some believed I could bike to work, most doubted I could get home. I, too, was nervous about the mostly uphill ride. Our convoy leader set a good pace, I learned to look for inclines and stand up, switch gears in advance, and WE DID IT! WE MADE IT BACK IN ABOUT AN HOUR! I conquered National Bike to Work Day!

So, yes, I do plan on doing this regularly when the weather is nice. We have to get a rack for the car and I can't wait to explore Rock Creek Trail and all the other beautiful trails in the area. Got a bike? Let's ride!