Wooden Rack Box

Awesome rack-mounted box spotted on Mass Ave. I peeked inside it and the owner had a bike helmet in there at the time of these photos. I particularly liked the wide leather straps, this was clearly a DIY project.

Whoa there stranger!

I am sure there is a treasure trove out there on the internet, but a quick Google search did not turn it up...

So this morning I left Future Cyclist with his nanny and got on my bike to head to work. Very first stoplight a cyclist pulls in about 2 cm from my shoulder. YIKES! I startled, and all I could think to say was "oh, hi." Later he passed me at the next red light, and then I very loudly said "On your left!" as I dropped him on the bridge.

Always too late at this sort of thing I thought later that what I wished I'd said was something more like "I don't usually let a man get this close to me 'till I've got his phone number" or something like that.

Witty people, or people with better Googling skills, what could we be saying in these situations, something that indicates no-harm-done but next time say something!?

Coolest thing I saw today

Someone was moving their apartment via pedicab! Lots of boxes labeled "kitchen" and stuff. No photos though, my hands were full.

Stay safe out there, lots of inexperienced drivers at the wheel of very large moving trucks.

New Mixte on the Block

This mixte has moved into my neighborhood. I'm loving all the chrome, the VO double-hammered fenders in particular, and the stitched leather handgrips. I'm definitely doing that next time I re-wrap my bars.

The cloth tape protection is a nice touch!

I'm tempted to leave a note saying this bike is too sexy to spend the night outside. We've had a lot of bike thefts recently. My husband commented that he hopes it's not another of those "boyfriend builds his girlfriend the perfect bike but she doesn't fully appreciate the effort" stories. Hmmmm.

Family Cycling in Montreal

No, it wasn't us, though I wish it were! My friend J sent this inspiring photo from her vacation. I am working on a longer post in this vein, but everything takes so much LONGER now.

Hope you're all having a great cycling summer!

Lace Tights and Platforms

Submission from my friend J, this lady was spotted in the South End.

Advice Needed and Gratuitious Baby Photo

We've enjoyed my friend E's photo submissions here on the blog, but now she needs some advice and I'm not sure I can help her. She'll be visiting home again and bringing her European-biking boyfriend with her. He's bringing his bicycle and wants to bike from Boston to Woods Hole.

I know it can be done, my husband has done it, but his route is less than ideal. He uses the Boston Brevet 200km route to begin, then hacks together the Cape portion of it. Navigation is a major hassle, and the bike path over the bridge is almost impossible to find, with access hidden behind a strip mall.

There must be a better way!

I know some people who have biked from Boston to Plymouth. I found this Boston-Plymouth bike route online, but am dismayed to see there are 606 cues over 80km! That strikes me as extremely complicated.

Does anyone have experience/advice for how to bike from Boston to Woods Hole. Thank you!!!



And just because I'm a doting mother, here's a photo of Future Cyclist practicing his chant "Allez les cyclists!":

Success!

Now that Future Cyclist is strong enough we were able to get out for a short jaunt en famille yesterday. Our friends loaned us an old Burley trailer. We immobilized the car seat in it with a motorcycle tie-down cord (also on loan, I don't know what it's really called, but it's sure robust!) and off we went on a brand-new (and thus very smooth) rail trail.

FC prefers the bike trailer to riding in the car, and we had a few hours of bliss, but he also just doesn't like being by himself in a carseat away from his family so I can't claim that the whole afternoon was perfect. As far as we could tell his complaints were merely that he was lonely. Eventually Daddy rode alongside the baby and chatted with him until he fell asleep again.

My friend who loaned us the trailer said that once they got it life "went back to normal again". Even if it's imperfect, I know exactly what she means.

Weehoo Bicycle Trailer

Thanks to my sister visiting we had time for a grown-up bike date yesterday so where did we go? The bike store of course!

While I was there the saleslady told me about a new child trailer, the Weehoo. Upsides are said to include the enclosed chain, the adjustable seat position, the fact that it *is* a seat (not a saddle) so the Future Cyclist could nod off without falling off, and it even has pockets for water bottles.

She showed me the video on the website and I instantly said "Wow, that looks like Colorado!" I was specifically thinking Lafayette, where my sister lives, but I wasn't surprised at all when I got to their Facebook page and see that they're based just down the road in Golden, CO. Now that Coors doesn't give out unlimited free beer at the end of the tour I don't know many people who go out there (except on a bike ride) but when we're home for another family wedding later this summer I may have to check out a Weehoo - it will be a while before we can use one, but once we can it looks like just the tool to resume our bicycle adventures!

Photo from the Weehoo Facebook page

SoWa Bike

This bike was getting a lot of attention at the SoWa Open Market (Sundays in the South End). There was an Italian family touching it, I got to feeling a little bit uncomfortable with their enthusiastic appreciation - it seems that bike groping etiquette is different across cultures. Would you touch another person's bike? Most particularly, would you explore the firmness of their Brooks saddle?