Baby, it's cold outside.

Thought I would make a return to the world o' blogging. I'm supposed to be writing about my bicycling adventures. It's damn cold out. Therefore, the bicycling adventures have been on hold. The cold is tricky, but the snow and ice are more difficult to navigate, when you have one bike, and it's not outfitted for such weather. I wish I were more well equipped for year round biking, but don't exactly have the income to make those investments at the moment. Someday...someday...

I commend those who have the cajones, will, and determination to take on the cold snowy Minnesota winter on two wheels. For now, I will stick to the bus and walking, and patiently wait for spring to arrive.

Speaking of spring, I may not be biking at the moment, but I am getting ready for my triumphant return. My gift from my employer this holiday season was a $50 gift certificate to Behind Bars. My local and most favoritest bicycle shop in Northeast. I stopped in a couple weekends ago and picked up my Planet Bike Freddy Fenders! Ooh. Ah. I haven't put them on yet, but I figure I have plenty of time.


Not sure what I will buy with my remaining balance. I'm thinking perhaps a pannier of some sort, or maybe another collapsible basket? We shall see what tickles my fancy. In other good news, an acquaintance suggested a potential solution for getting my bike on the bus. Apparently if I flip the front wheel/handlebars 180 degrees, so facing backwards, it should shorten the wheel base just enough that it will fit into the rack. I have yet to try this, but I'm crossing my fingers! If anyone reads this (fat chance) and happens to have a cruiser style bike and tries this trick, let me know how it goes!

Bicycle, Bicycle, BICYCLE!

"I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike. I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride it where I like." - Freddie Mercury

Is this week passing slowly or what? Uff-da. All of the grey and dreary weather definitely isn't making the time pass quickly.

Last week, however, was a great week for riding around! I'm now able to haul more junk (groceries, work things, etc) on my bike now too! Last week I decided I really needed to figure out a way to put my work bag on my bike, rather than having it strapped to my back, because it just isn't comfortable. That, and being female it looks weird to have a bag strap smashed between the girls.

That said, on Thursday I took some time to really sit down and figure out how to take the flat rack I had from a previous bike, and attach it to Lucky. Luckily enough, I realized the flat rack already had extenders on it. Woohoo! Mackenzie: 1 Bad Karma: 0. After some bending and tweaking I managed to get the flat rack put on, and it's pretty level too. Hurray!

Next I took the collapsible wire pannier style basket I bought and attached it to the flat rack. This wasn't too difficult. Though, in hindsight, it probably would have been easier to attach the flat rack and basket to one another before attaching them to the bike. Oh well. Live and learn.

Now, with all of those updates the only things I have left to purchase are:
1 - pair of Planet Bike Freddy Fenders
1 - new bracket to re-attach my six-pack rack
1 - and potentially another collapsible basket, for the other side
(this one can probably wait until spring)

The only issue I have with the basket is that when it's expanded, and I pedal, the heal of my foot hits the basket. This is assembly error on my part...oops. I think I'll just have to slide it back a bit, and that should take care of the issue. Too bad I didn't think of this before I went off on my jaunt to Girls' Night. My Achilles was fearing harm the whole ride. I was forced to place the pedal under the arch and heal of my foot, rather than the ball. Can we say awkward?

And the only other complaint I have about that evening is how paranoid I was to be biking home at 11:00 pm on a Thursday night from The North Loop/Warehouse District, up past the Quarry, and onto the top of the hill. I did take the opportunity to use the new Minneapolis Diagonal trail from Stinson and E Hennepin and up to New Brighton and Stinson by The Quarry. All of the people driving erratically downtown freaked me out a little. It being "Thirsty Thursday" and everything. I thought it best to take that bit of well lit off street path. It was lovely.

I should really update more often, rather than writing these ridiculously long posts...I'll learn soon enough.