I wore an old favourite skirt to today's suburban Critical Lass.
Since this ride wasn't anywhere near my usual radius of places to go, I had to plan ahead about how to get there. It was a 10ish minute ride on the train, then a bike ride on a multi-use trail for a while, then I finally reached the meeting point.
I rode the fast bike!
Once we gathered I took note of great floral prints.
Cute helmets adorned with stickers.
And I met Nicki for the first time. Hello!
Marilyn was a trooper and came with me on the train leg. She and I are core-dwellers and decided to tackle the freeway-ish streets together.
We got ready.
Snapped a group photo.
And mounted up.
No kickstand on my road bike.
The suburbs have a lot of roads. And although they're wide and mostly double-laned, some cars were obviously not accustomed to sharing the road.
But the suburbs do have multi-use trails.
It's actually not hard at all to bike around this suburb. The roads are wide enough and with the combined used of trails I don't see why regular grocery runs couldn't be done by bike. Same goes with play dates, dropping kids off to school, etc. One would just need the resolve to partake in active transportation instead of passive transportation.
I don't think people realize what a cumulative effect there could be if everybody worked on reducing some car trips. Pick and choose the things that are absolutely necessary via car and schedule things in good locations so there isn't a bunch of zig-zagging and extra trips in one outing. Stay in touch with friends and carpool. Teach your kids how to ride safely so they have the confidence to do it properly on their own when they're older. Planting the seeds for more sustainable living is a lot more achievable then turning into a full-on eco warrior.
Their shopping complexes have extensive parking lots. We locked up near the public library and went in search of refreshment.
Second Cup strawberry lemonade.
Then sadly, I had to leave the ride. The girls were planning on looping around the area and were going to end it all with a BBQ at Deb's.
I had dropped Dexter off at auntie Leanne's for afternoon babysitting and had to get back to pick up the little man.
We decided to take Dexter for a spin through the kid's fringe area.
Leanne treated us to some wood fire pizza!
Dexter loves eating pizza crust.
Apparently he likes hula hoops too.
And balls.
What a great mix of bikes, friends, the outdoors, and a fringe fest!
7 comments:
aaah so cool +colourful!! :D
friends and pizza and bikes, awesome!
xxo.meli
Everyone looks so pretty! I like Nikki's necklace. How long did it take to get there?
I look forward to CL3 in the Fall. I hope in September!
Thanks for coming! Gorgeous pictures of all the girls who came. We had such a lovely time, and the smaller group meant that we were able to have conversations while we rode and all sit at the same table in the cafe. After you & Marilyn headed home, we took a residential road to the MUPs and took those home to my place for the barbeque-slash-playdate (a couple of friends who had been unable to join the ride came just for the afterparty with their kids).
I'm glad you point out how doable everyday cycling would be in this neighborhood and others like it. We are really fortunate to have a well-planned system of multiuse trails in our city, and riding on residential roads here isn't too bad - it's only on the busiest collector roads that I have ever had problems with impatient drivers.
meli - these ladies are a fun time:)
Judy - It wasn't "no big deal". I'm really glad I didn't ride the Pashley because it would have been laborious. Marilyn was on the Brompton and I had to wait for her several times so I don't have an accurate gauge for how long it would take. The road bike made the longer excursion much more enjoyable!
Deb - I don't think riding on the roads by your place are bad at all. People drive fast, but if the cyclist is predictable (not weaving around like crazy) and very visible, it shouldn't be hard for a car to wait until there is room to pass. Also, cars in those residential neighbourhoods won't learn how to share the road unless they gain experience... sharing the road:)
Sometimes people take for granted the alternate options for getting around. Since most households out there have an average of 2 cars it just seems normal to hop in one for all the family's needs.
I don't think people place enough value on the need for people to learn to be active, appreciate the outdoors, and spend time with their friends and family doing something social and fun (like biking). Whatever happened to the days when you would just pedal over to your friend's place to see if they were free to play? I would hate to think that culture has shifted so much to become fearful of even the little things that bring energy and joy to every day life.
The ride was fun! I'm glad the BBQ was awesome too.
Great blog post and awesome pics!
It was absolutely lovely meeting you as well, you are just wonderful!
It was nice being around a group of people that made me feel comfortable about being on a bike for the first time in a while. Thanks for that!
Nicki - You were great too! I think your smile is infectious. So is your positive attitude about trying something old/new again! Biking is wonderful. It was just for fun when I first started, but now it's a full blown lifestyle.
I love how instead of having things in common with people like... a love for pizza, loving biking brings forth a whole bunch of common qualities. Activity, environmental consciousness, social values... it's great!
You ladies looked adorable! You make riding a bike such a fun and stylish affair.
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