The Masked Cyclist: a Halloween Tale

Sit down, dear reader, and grab a cup of hot apple cider. For in honor of this Hallow's Eve, I shall tell you a tale that is as true as it is chilling: the tale of the Masked Cyclist.It was a dark, crisp Autumn night many years ago and I was a mere high school girl, cycling home from piano lessons on my step-through mountain bike. The nonfunctional shifters and rusty chain emitted eerie creaking sounds as I rode through the nocturnal New England streets. My path was illuminated by moonlight, since my bicycle had no lights. Suddenly, I glimpsed something out of the corner of my eye - a moving...

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Happy Feet

Today was the first time I felt well enough to ride a roadbike since having gotten sick last month. It was only 26 miles, but it felt great to have my full lung capacity and energy back.Continuing with the Italian theme, I took Francesco - my fixed gear stallion. How happy he was, basking in the precious minutes of sunshine in between thunderstorms.Riding a fixed gear roadbike is an experience that fills me with a special kind of enjoyment - I think because it combines the sensations of walking and flying (fly-walking?).I was worried that I might be too out of shape to make it, but I...

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BSNYC Friday Fun Quiz!

At the risk of being what "back in the day" certain people used to call a "nudge," I will remind you one last time to come to my BRA (or "Book-Related Appearance") tomorrow at 2:00pm at the Philly Bike Expo. As you probably recall, yesterday I enumerated the reasons you should attend, but here's a quick recap just in case:SEE!My PowerPoint presentation.HEAR!Me narrate my PowerPoint presentation.SMELL!The sweet, transportive fragrance of Rapha unguents.WIN!Small quantities of fabulous crap.By the way, if you're wondering how I'll be getting to Philadelphia, I will of course be taking the Wagon...

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Lovely Bicycles on a Budget: Vintage vs Modern

[image via niniferrose]  In addition to the variety of comments posted on this website, I receive lots of questions from readers via email. And if I had to say what the one most frequently asked question is, it would be a variation of this one:I am looking for a nice bicycle for commuting around town and my budget is $500. I would love to get a new Dutch bike or a Pashley, but I just can't afford it. What would you recommend in my price range? Now, I do have a page on this website called Budget Options, and a link to it is prominently displayed in the upper lefthand corner. On that...

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Pressing Issues: Matters of Miner Importance

I didn't become a bike blogger in order to do "work;" instead, I did it because it seemed like a relaxing way to sit in front of a computer all morning in my underpants. However, even into the most pantsless life a little responsibility must fall, and it is now my responsibility to remind you that I will be giving a presentation at the Philly Bike Expo this Saturday, October 30th, at 2:00pm. That's right in between Yoga For Cyclists (which is much easier than Advanced Autofellatio) and Georgena Terry's presentation (Terry being the inventor of the road bike with the tiny wheel in the front that...

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