.#realbikes.

the electric blue bianchi san remo and i just met a month ago but already she has taken be many a places and now she's going viral!! don't be prey just started a #realbikes series spotlighting bikes that are ridden (just as they are meant to be). check out the post on my bianchi san remo here! 

san remo and i.

in other exciting women's cycling news a women's cycling association has been formed!!! amazing.

AND as always, and thanks to dbp for all your bike-spiration.

.commuting.

do you ride a bike? do you use your bike for fun/exercise? do you use your bike as a way to get places (i.e. work/market/brewery/etc)? how do you use a bike? how would you like to use your bike?

i just got a new bike (IN LOVE) but i could talk about "her" (yet to be named) for a very long time...the point of all of this is that for a LONG time i didn't commute to work - i didn't really bike much. why? not because i don't like riding bikes, but i just didn't feel safe on a bike. i came across this article, bike commuting and really connected with the fact that my stresses/concerns are the same as other cyclists.

there's a lot of opportunity for bike acceptance/growth/advocacy to be fostered within u.s. transportation culture which may feel overwhelming but i guess the best way to start is to acknowledge the situation/culture where you live, be safe, and get on your bike.

.just ride.

I'm riding my bike to work this week. It's something new and challenging for me. I don't live far from work but before I just didn't feel comfortable to ride on the roads in my town. After a bike-a-thon weekend a few weeks ago I remembered how good it feels just to ride and wanted to ride more than just once or twice a week. On top of that there's a ton of road construction going on right now so with those motivations I decided to ride to work last week and it felt good. It was a challenge to change my habit of driving (i.e. leaving my house 10 minutes earlier) but I noticed I felt so much better (more awake - alert - happy) when I got to work. 

We all have different situations - some of us live near work - some of our are in better bike shape - some of us have more geared out bikes but what really matters is just riding. Find the balance that works for you. 

don't be prey, an avid cyclist and a personal bike role model of mine wrote a great bike week post! Check it out. 

What is your motivation to ride?

.nat'l bike month.

here she is, aguilita volando (the little flying eagle) in all of her early morning glory proudly sporting her newest adornment, don't be prey decal. 

did you know that may is national bike month? so get on a bike and celebrate!! are there cool events happening in your corner of the world? we have a bike swap this weekend and next week for "bike to work" week they are hosting a morning coffee/donuts station on my route to work! incentives to ride (beyond the incentives of looking flllly...)!?!?!? 

the bike is the most efficient machine ever made and yet in american we still aren't biking that much. Or maybe it would be better to say we have lost some (a lot) of our bike enthusiasm. so maybe it's time to remind YO SELF. go for a short ride. then do it again. then do it again. and see how it feels. i just starting riding my bike to work and it takes a few times to get use to not driving a car but i'm noticing that it helps me wake up - clear my mind - and start the day off with some dopamine (feel good stuff) pumping through my body.

fun facts: how many people are commuting in your state? check out here. in washington, only 28.6% of the commuters are women. that is ridiculous! ladies it's time for us to get on a bike.