Pondering Location and Home

I am currently on a last minute trip to provide assistance to relatives in California. The trip has mostly been about manual labor (something my body rebels against, yet I seem to always find myself involved in somehow), but there have been a few moments to slip away to find some reflection and recovery time. I've made trips to this location many times over the last several years and grew up not far from the area, but I've noticed on this particular visit that there are more cyclists on the roads than I've taken note of in the past.

The weather is cool here in this area (cooler than I remember for the time of year, if I'm honest), but still far warmer than it is presently at home in Colorado, so I can't help but wonder if this is a usual occurrence and I've just not noticed it in the past, or perhaps it's more to do with not being in the area often enough during this time of year.

I never seemed to have a camera handy when the cyclists went by, but I managed to catch this fellow riding a couple of days ago.

As I've found time to slip away, I've taken note of the large number of people on bicycles. At first, I was simply noticing commuters on the roads, likely using the bicycle as transportation. Then, I noticed what appeared to be individuals out on more of sport, group rides, and most recently I came in contact with several, separately traveling, touring cyclists with bicycles loaded up. Each were dressed a bit differently, but this is one of the few parts of the country where I don't find it odd seeing a cyclist in shorts and sleeveless shirt in December. It's making me dread my return home to below freezing temperatures and snow!

It's amazing to me how cycling infrastructure has changed in this small community as well. Each time I return, I notice more bicycle lanes or find new paved trails. As is the case in many areas, I did note that several of these paths or trails tend to end abruptly and without warning, causing me to wonder why the municipality didn't continue to pave the path for cyclists. Perhaps it is in the works and if I were to come back in a year's time, things would look different yet again.

This trail was fantastic, but ends just around the bend at a signal and forces riders out onto the busy road with motorized traffic.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll have that opportunity. My family that is living in this area is preparing for a move out of state in the spring, so I likely won't have reason to visit this small community again.

Between this trip and a recent e-mail conversation with a reader, I've been pondering the things that make a community "right" for an individual. I've always loved this area because of the mild climate, and seeing more cycling infrastructure come alive causes me to appreciate this community all the more. When I was growing up, it was a very small farm community and few people actually lived here, but it has grown and changed, and I appreciate the changes that have taken place. It makes me want to live here.

Of course, there is bad to consider here as well. For instance, this area has been particularly hard hit by the California drought and has seen little in the way of rain, even though both southern and northern California have had a bit of relief with some periodic rain. Additionally, it's an expensive place to live, particularly for a community that has little in the way of providing income. The people who survive seem to be 1) farmers, 2) entrepreneurs, 3) independently wealthy, or 4) retirees who moved to the area before it got outrageously costly. I can't help but wonder what people do to make a living when they don't fit into the above categories (and they do exist). I suppose living anywhere is possible, and there is always give and take.

If I were to pick out my ideal community to live in, I think about the qualities I would want it to possess. Things like cycling infrastructure/bicycle friendly businesses and access are high on the list, as is the ability to earn a living, cost of housing and cost of living in general, temperate climate, friendly and open residents, dog friendliness (I take my pooches just about everywhere with me), and the list could go on.

As each year passes, I also realize that I likely have limited time to share with older family members, and a part of me always wants to be closer so that visiting isn't so infrequent. So, I begin to ponder the idea of following those that leave and wonder if there is a happy point that meets somewhere between my idealized mental list and absolutely none of the items I would want in a city or community.

So, I find myself posing the questions to you, reader. How do you feel and what do you think about your chosen home location. Where do you live, and what do you like about your community? Is it small or large... or somewhere in between? Did you grow up in the area or move to your current home town in adulthood? What keeps you in your community? Have you visited other communities that you prefer over your own? What prevents you from moving? I would love to hear about other places around the country (and even outside of the country) and how you and/or your family arrived or chose your place of residence. Meanwhile, I'd better get back to work!

Bicycle Greetings Based on Gender?

Several months ago, I made a casual observation. I noted that when riding my bicycle, most of the females I passed going in the opposite direction gave no response to my nods, waves or 'good mornings.' My initial response was to think that I simply hadn't really been paying attention, and the odds of a person, regardless of gender, responding to my hellos had to be more equal. So, I started paying better attention to those I was greeting.

As it turns out, my initial response was fairly accurate (with some exceptions that I'll note in a bit). At the time of my original observation, the majority of my cycling was taking place on back roads, on a more standard road bike intended for longer distance training rides. As I started to pay closer attention, I realized that the majority of the time, women who were riding alone didn't even look in my direction. If there were multiple female riders in a small group (2-4), they often stared generally at me as they rode by (the sort of look that says: Why exactly are you waving to me?), but didn't offer up any sort of acknowledgement to my greeting either. No sooner did I start to think that this possibility was a bit strange when a single male rider or small group of males would ride by and nod or wave in my direction. What gives? I thought.

I should note, that not every male cyclist heading in the opposite direction acknowledged me either, but the percentage who made some kind of attempt to offer a reply - or even initiate a greeting - was far higher than the females.

Soon, I started paying attention to the cyclists I passed on roads in town. If I casually waved or smiled at a rider, regardless of gender, the person on a bike was far more likely to respond in some fashion. However, I also realized that many of the transportation cyclists I was passing were male, which may have skewed this as any sort of valid theory/test/observation (not that any of this has any real or accurate measurement, as it's simply one persons experience). But, overall I did come to realize that the females I did pass seemed far more likely to offer a greeting when cycling for transportation.

Why does any of this matter? You may be asking yourself. I asked it of myself too when I started obsessing over this idea that seemed ridiculous. In the grand scheme of life, perhaps it doesn't make much of a difference, but I couldn't help but wonder about the cause or the motivation for the females on two wheels to all but ignore other riders on the road.

Random thoughts regarding this theory I was making started to develop. Perhaps those on a bike in town were moving at a slower pace and simply more aware of those around them? They weren't necessarily focused on getting a certain speed or rhythm to their riding and perhaps this plays a larger role than I would think. Maybe the female cyclists who were in training mode get harassed by male cyclists and have made it a policy to pay strict attention to what is directly in front of them, rather than glancing around them? It is entirely possible that this is a matter of geography and other locations in the country and world don't experience this same phenomena, or it could be that it is entirely just luck of the draw and I seem to happen past riders who choose not to greet other cyclists on the roads.

Though somewhat a different issue with possibly different answers, I have found that if I'm stopped on the side of the road, most male cyclists will ask if I have everything I need or if I require assistance, whereas it is pretty rare that a female will ask the same question(s) when passing. This scenario is perhaps a bit trickier to get into based on gender, and pretty much any observation made for either greetings or break-downs would require a lot of assumption-based theory, but I do find it interesting.

Obviously, I don't have any accurate findings to make purely on cycling by another person, but I am curious if anyone has experienced something similar, or to the contrary, or if you have any thoughts on why this could be taking place? Perhaps this is all just happenstance? Although it is certainly no skin off my nose if a cyclist doesn't respond, I am curious as to why there appears to be such a vast difference in response based on a riders gender. Could it be that there are simply more male cyclists and it just appears that more of them respond because there are higher numbers? Even given the higher percentage of males, it still seems that there are very few females responding. I love to see other women out on the roads and I suppose I simply have found this situation a bit curious and am trying to make a bit of sense of it. If you have a moment to respond, I'd be curious to know if you personally greet other cyclists, respond to others' hellos, or if you've observed anything in regard to passing other riders?

A quick poll

I am in the process of writing up (with the aid, of course, of the racer himself) some thoughts on the Silver Rush 50 race that Sam just competed in over the weekend. But, until I find a solid chunk of time to sit and filter through things a bit, I thought I'd put up a quick hello to all. I hope you're able to be outdoors, enjoying some great bike rides. There's quite a bit going on here bicycle-wise, but finding the time to put together meaningful thoughts on all the various happenings has been challenging over the last couple of weeks, but they will come in due time.

Until then, I am in the process of ordering a few stickers for myself and wondered if anyone would have interest in some E.V.L. stickers? Above are some examples of what they might look like. Feel free to take the poll and/or offer your thoughts in the comments.

Would you have interest in 1 (or more) Endless Velo Love stickers?

Absolutely! I'd pay to have one of these.

I'm interested, but only if you're giving them away.

I might have interest, depending on color/design choices.

I'd like to see them as part of a bigger giveaway.

I have no interest in stickers.

Other (please add thoughts in comments).

Poll Maker

The rain has been falling here today, but it's a nice break from the summer heat. I don't even mind a bike ride in the rain, although sometimes the clean up afterwards can be a bit of work. Happy mid-week riding! :O)

The Perfect Bicycle Shop: A Daydream

Over the last several months, Sam and I have discussed the possibility of opening a bicycle shop locally. It's an idea we've tossed around for years actually, but it's a fairly big undertaking for people with no real money (and of course, we'd both want to retain our "regular" jobs until something was solidly in place). Although it's not uncommon to find us dreaming about this possibility in various forms, for some reason it has become a more frequent topic of conversation. I don't know how likely it is that we would actually be able to do this (probably extremely unlikely), but it did get me thinking about ideal bicycle shops.

This type of store front appeals to me personally, but I don't get the impression
that there's a mix of bikes available inside.
Image source here

The successful bike shops seem to have a specific niche that they lean toward, or they are mass/big box type of stores. It appears that many are specifically designed/intended for those seeking one of these categories: road bikes, city bikes, or mountain bikes. Rarely is there a lot of overlap (of course there are exceptions). Our idea for a shop is not what would be considered the "standard" bicycle stop, but I do think it could have its place, while not taking away from what is currently available. Success is obviously critical to a business, or it will end up closing up - everything from not renting/buying space that isn't affordable, is in a good or appropriate location, doing background/pre-business research, as well as getting the word out about the new location is imperative to creating a solid groundwork to build upon. While all of this remains true, I can't help but wonder what an "ideal" bike shop would look like, how it would function, or even if there is a shop that could meet the needs of most of the population?

- Would it be a bike shop/fill-in-the-blank shop (coffee/tea/computer repair/pastries/art, etc)?
- What type of bikes would it sell (every type, or a specialized select few)?
- Does it have only inexpensive bikes, only over "$X" bikes, or a combination?
- Does it feel small and cozy, or is it massive with lots of room to roam many isles?
- Do customers hang out and surf the web, or is it a get in and get out kind of place?

There are many possibilities I could throw out, but I know I have yet to find any bicycle shop that sold everything I was looking for at a given time. Perhaps this is because it isn't practical. While I realize the likelihood of having this type of all-encompassing store is extremely unreasonable, for arguments sake, let's say the sky is the limit. What would you want to see in an ideal bike shop, or is there such a thing? Perhaps you prefer the ability to shop around at different locations that specialize in something specific? Feel free to discuss... meanwhile, I'm enjoying living in my daydream.

Bicycling & Greetings

I'm not well-known for being a mary sunshine, particularly in the early morning hours. I like to warm my way into the day, and as Sam will attest, when I get up in the morning, even if it's later in the day, I tend to slowly move into things. That said, I try not to inflict my inability to immediately jump into the day on others, and as I pass people on my bike who are walking or riding their bicycles, I say good morning as I ride by, send out a quick hello, or offer a little nod in their direction. It could be that I was brought up in a small-ish city and was taught that it is impolite not to greet people, or maybe it's just the sheer glee of riding a bicycle, but any way around it, I find myself doing this 99% of the time. I will admit that the other 1% of the time I am spaced out in my own little world and sometimes simply am unaware of people around me.

This habit has now become a small game for me when riding, particularly on multi-use trails where one would think that nearly everyone there is either 1) transporting themselves using a less congested path, 2) exercising and releasing endorphins, or 3) letting off some steam by skating, walking the dog, riding, etc. I have noticed that about 75% of the time, I receive absolutely no response from a person when I greet them. No nod, no grunt, no "good morning" in reply. I'm even factoring out those wearing headphones, as I understand they're not going to hear me. The lack of response is causing me to think that I am the crazy person and perhaps I shouldn't be greeting people at all. Knowing that I'm not a morning person, maybe I am going out of my way, particularly in the early hours, to greet people? It's not as though I'm trying to stop them and carry on a 30 minute conversation (I do have places to go - usually), but I often get looks that seem to relay a message that I should absolutely not be greeting the individual.


The fact that the person looks at me causes me to believe that it's not that they are "spaced out," or that they haven't heard me, but rather that they are making a conscious effort not to respond. I also understand that sometimes the workout is intense and perhaps the person is simply focused, but I don't think this is the case for the majority of people I'm passing. So, what do you think? Does it bother you when someone says hello as you cross paths? Am I crazy for greeting people as I go by, or is this just the reality I need to get used to? Feel free to leave your thoughts, or take the poll.

Bikes... Unlocked

Having lived in a variety of cities from the quite large to the small farm towns, it never ceases to amaze me that so many people are comfortable leaving their bicycle unattended and unlocked. Even though I grew up in a somewhat small town, I think I've always had "city mentality," meaning that I don't leave anything unlocked (to this day, it drives family insane because they don't understand where my thought process comes from). Currently, we live in a fairly safe city where very little crime beyond tagging and the occasional theft take place, but I still hold firmly to the idea that doors should be locked at night, bikes should be put away, strangers shouldn't walk behind me suspiciously close at night, and anything I'd like to continue to hold in my possession should be out of sight of any passer-by.

You can imagine my surprise when I happened by this set of bicycles outside a coffee shop. I couldn't help but utter aloud, "They just left them there... unattended?" It's not the first time or only location I've noticed similar scenes. Several times I've been witness to non-locked bicycles outside local markets, sporting goods stores, and cafes. On one hand, I'm thrilled that people feel safe enough in our community to leave their bicycles in the open and unlocked, but on the other I cannot help but wonder if they've just never had anything stolen from them, so they don't have the fear of losing something they love or treasure. I have had bicycles stolen (and not even in big cities, but rather in fairly sleepy cities like the one I currently reside in), so perhaps I'm a bit on the paranoid side and not the person to ask about such things, but I would still think people would want to use some minimal type of lock.

I will admit that when I'm doing quick drops at the post office, I have, on occasion left my bike unlocked, but I can also see it through the window and I'm inside for less than 20 seconds. What do you think? Do you lock up your bicycle everywhere you go, or are there locations where you feel safe leaving your bike unlocked?

Save Me from Myself: Cut the Hair, or Let it Grow

With all that's going on in the world, I realize hair is the last thing I should be worried about, but I'm posting this anyway. I've been pondering cutting my hair (I know, not life altering, but it's on my mind). I cut it off quite short several years ago and then went back and forth with growing it out and cutting it off for a few years. About 2 years ago, I decided to just let it grow and it's been doing so with trimmings and couple inch off haircuts since then. I know it's just hair, and it always grows back, but I thought I'd get opinions. Should I let it keep growing, or should I cut it off again?

The 2nd and 3rd pictures aren't exactly fair, as I have no make up on in the "longer hair" shots

Here's where my dilemma comes into play. Having it longer I can easily pull it back (which I often do as illustrated above). The problem is, since I can pull it back, that is what I'll do 85% of the time. Then I look sloppy and unkempt, which is fine when I'm puttering around the house, but I do have to leave the abode. I like the versatility of long hair, but having curly hair (which isn't as curly in the pics as it actually can be) is a real pain in the rear, and having thick, curly hair - well, that's not so fabulous either. It can look better than it does in the pictures above, but it usually doesn't as I don't take the time with it. When it's shorter, I can get away with doing very little and still have it look okay... however, growing it out again is nothing short of torture, when I decide I've had enough of the shorter do. So, if you're willing, I'm looking for usable input. I'll even make it easy with a poll, or feel free to leave thoughts in comments. Thanks in advance!

Does the Color of Your Bike Matter?

My unofficial, official poll today asks the question, does the color of your bike matter?  I have known individuals who would never, ever purchase a bike if it was the wrong color (meaning one they didn't prefer, as I don't know that there can actually be a "wrong" color), and others who could care less. For those individuals, the bike could be nearly rusted away, but as long as it functioned, the color carries no weight in a decision for purchasing.

The Pacer didn't come in the color I wanted, but a paint job in the future is always a possibility.

Our household is slightly divided, but I think both of us fall somewhere in between the two extremes. While I would never buy a bicycle based solely on color, I have to admit that the aesthetics of a bike, including its color, definitely play a large role in whether or not I'll plunk down the dough. Somehow though, I never seem to actually get the color of bike I want on the bike I need (or want, depending how you view it). There are just certain colors that I find more appealing than others, and it's difficult for me to let go of it once it's in my head.

Sam's Bianchi Brava, rusting out - Love the Bianchi Celeste color though!

So, I'm curious about others. Is your bike the color you wanted, or did you take what you found because you liked the bike? Does color even matter to you? Did color or some other (relatively) easy to change item detour you from a certain bike? Feel free to discuss and/or take the poll.