Cycling Sisters

Jane organized a bike ride to the Indian Restauran on Devon Street, Chicago, IL., Oct 21, 2006

From the cyclesis listserve:
So what kind of gear do you suggest for cold/wet/snowy weather biking? (...) I get cold really easily--I'm pretty small and the chill just goes
right through me. Fingers always, always cold. OF course, I get real
sweaty, too, so I'm not sure about the heavy stuff I've already got. -stirfrybunny

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I've biked through two winters now. I have found that the key isn't to wear really warm stuff, but rather to make
sure that every piece of skin is covered by something. You generate a lot of heat biking, so you just need a layer that can keep this in and a way to keep the wind from stealing your heat. I run cold, and have Reynauds(over-reaction to cold) and still find this to be true.

Here is my typical riding gear:

We had a wonderful Cycle-Sis ride to Wolf Lake this past Saturday. Great group of eleven, great weather, great Chicago views, and some wonderful surprises.

At our meet-up spot, the 57th Street Beach house, Tracy and Elfie, who CTA'd all the way from Lincoln Square, and Robin, who just moved to Chicago, arrived a little early and enjoyed the quiet of the lake in the morning light.

At 8:15 we headed south on the lakefront trail into a slight headwind at an easy pace between 10 and 11mph, maneuvering around packs of CARA marathon trainers.

On the bike lane on 41, we wound through the varied neighborhoods of South Shore and South Chicago and along the huge fenced empty lots of US Steel.

Tracy, Jeff, and Jen listening to the Lake. It is this quiet.

On the way to New York, Toy joins the Cycling Sisters to Wolf Lake: Leslie, Cynthia, Elfie, Toy, Liz, Jeff, Jen behind Mary, and Margaret.

Nothing says "Please don't hit me!" quite like a festooned helmet. It increases visibility and improves the friendly wave to hostile honk ratio. It's easy to decorate vented helmets--twist ties and pipe cleaners can attach all kinds of doodads. Some tips: 1) Use waterproof materials (I once had some fake flowers melt during a heavy rain.) 2) Try on your masterpiece at different stages during construction, checking to see that it doesn't restrict visibility or weigh too much. 3) Think about the wind--make sure everything is secured well and oriented aerodynamically. (Not that there is anything aerodynamic about piling a bunch of stuff on your head.

Such a lady (First Lady of Cycling Sisters) Gin Kilgore, with Michael (oops, it is the Pickle!).

(R-L) Jennifer, Maya, Kathy, Cigdem, Corina, Hannah, Jade.
7 heads gathered at Kathy's beautiful backyard. Joey was inside the house.
Thank you Kathy for your hospitality! Thanks everyone for bringing munchables..
-Cigdem

The sand toys are hanging from a bungee cord. They are by far the most awkward thing I carry. I used to use a small metal pail that I would pack with sand shovels, etc. and then hang from a carabiner. This is lighter and doesn't swing back and forth (which ultimately cracked my daughter in the head a few times--eep, Bad mommy!).

The back of the trailer seat is angled to make it more comfortable for kids. This creates tons of space in the rear triangle area of the trailer. You would be amazed at how much you can stash back there. Despite the back looking crammed in this photo, there is more space in the bottom that could be used if necessary.

This is mostly packed (save for the sand toys). Note the carabiners used for hanging items. The silver "carabiner" is actually a small flashlight that I use as a trunk light for scrounging around the back of the trailer in the dark. The strange beige triangle to the left is sold in car stores as a way to carry dry cleaning--and that's exactly what I use it for! The grooves are perfect for keeping hangers separate. Long items get looped over the stroller handlebar to keep them clear of the rear wheels.