biking & blogging

So, apparently I’m blogging again! A three month hiatus was just what the blog doctor ordered I’ve had a lot simmering in my mind as of late that I’ve wanted to write about, so I decided to give TW a bit of a tune-up and get it back online. It does occur to me that I’ve probably lost what few followers I had, but I’ve never been overly wrapped up in the numbers anyway. I’m not writing here for the multitude, or for sponsors. Just for me. And for you, if you choose to read.

Thanks to Sheryl’s timely heads up, I’m going to be participating in April’s 30 Days of Biking! I missed this last year, found out about it on about the 20th of the month, got momentarily excited, then allowed my all or nothing mentality to dim that excitement, then forgot about it all together. My cycling over the last year has become steadily more frequent (weather permitting), and I’m happy for that, but I’d like to take it to another level entirely. J? My husband? He rides everywhere. Every day. In any weather. I want to be that badass, too Granted, I’m a stay at home mom. I don’t have a daily commute like he does. But I have store errands, and trips to the library, and afternoons with the kids… if anything, I have more time to ride than he does.

This beauty is my Dutch bike. It’s a Gazelle Miss Grace, and I love her. She makes me feel like a character in an old French movie. Perfect for trips to the shops, commuting about town, and casual rides along the canals. This bike has been customised for me. And by customised I mean J took a hacksaw to the seat post and shortened it so that my child-sized legs could reach the pedals.

If the first bike is Miss Grace, this one’s name is Gert. Or maybe Gladys. Or perhaps, fittingly, Plain Jane. Practical, efficient, light weight. Nothing special at all, but this bike serves purposes that the green one cannot. It’s approximately half the weight of the first, and it has 21 gears (as opposed to 3 on the Dutch bike). Much easier for conquering that bastard of a hill if I want to go visit J at work. It’s also much easier to get on and off the roof rack for family bike trips. Thirdly, it can do this:

Because of the customisation of the green bike, there’s no way to attach a tagalong to it. And this? Makes H smile ear to ear. And giggle. And jump for joy. He is so happy that he can help. I am so happy to no longer be trying to balance a half-sized person in a seat on the back of my bike. We are all so happy that this means much, much more cycling for the whole family.

The start of 30 Days of Biking is this coming Sunday, and it runs for the month of April. Dust off your bike, find a trail or country lane, and join me!