Bisque had the great idea to go to the Canadian gulf islands for a bike trip over the July 4th weekend and I was so in. I had two other friends that had gone the last year and had all come back sunkissed and blissed out from hanging out on beaches and eating pastries. I was so excited! The Canadian gulf islands are a series of islands off the north coast of Vancouver Island which are connected by a network of ferries.
Read MoreI think there are a lot of folks that are intimidated by cycling or commuting by bike in cold, rainy, snowy, or icy conditions – and with good reason! I put together a few recommendations on how to best approach cycling in less-than-ideal conditions that will hopefully help you stay pedaling year-round.
Read MoreTwo years ago I conducted a survey of trans, transgender, two-spirit, women, intersex, non-binary, femme, genderqueer, and gender nonconforming cyclists on Duwamish territory now known as Seattle to understand the cultural climate of bike shops. I chose to survey bike shops because they are discrete and are usually the place where many people begin their cycling journey.
Read MoreI have been a bit arrogant about not wearing chamois and not using chamois cream for a lot of my cycling career. But honestly, I haven’t needed it! However, the physical toll of nine days on the bike took me and my butt in a place we hadn’t been before. I am here to tell everyone that saddle sores are real and not to be taken lightly! So please heed my warnings, learn from my failures, and enjoy my guide to dealing with saddle sores.
Read MoreI felt to nourished by the rhythm of our days. It felt so natural to be moving on a bike all day with some of my best friends, helping one another make food, work through feelings, and tackle mechanical issues. It felt good to sleep under trees, pack up my bike bags every morning, and bathe in lakes and rivers. Eight days was all it took to adapt enough to a different type of life that I didn’t want it to change. Maybe I would get tired of this pace of life? If the weather was bad? If I couldn’t find good food? If it wasn’t as scenic? Whatever the case, I felt inspired to tour for longer, to keep going, to develop a new frame for cycling in the future.
Read MoreFour goofy friends decided in early July 2020 that they would circumnavigate the Olympic Peninsula at the end of July. We planned to go counter-clockwise and take the Olympic Discovery Trail for as long as we could. It was personal for two of the group since they had attempted the route a few years ago but mechanical issues and a serious rainstorm in South Beach made them call a ride.
Read MoreI knew about Corn Nuts, but I never knew Corn Nuts. My friend Danielle was snacking on Corn Nuts during our tour around the Olympic Peninsula, and I must thank her deeply for awakening me to this incredible snack.
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