Sunny Ride with my Baby Girl (Jane)

Updates to the Sunny Rides blog have been conspicuously absent for a few months, but not without good reason.

My main distraction:

Jane Anne, my new still-under-warranty baby girl burst on the scene in late October. Before she was even born, I purchased the Burley trailer and began practicing towing a sack of potatoes. I probably should have dressed up the sack of potatoes with a little hat and tiny sunglasses, but I digress.

I was nervous about taking little Jane more than a few minutes from the house... I mean, what if she started crying or something?? You new parents, you know what I'm talking about, while you parents of two or more just chuckle and roll your eyes. I know what you're thinking...

And this is where I force myself into "Mom of three small children" mode as a coping mechanism. See, a mother of one infant behaves a certain way. She jumps when her kid makes the slightest noise. But a mother of THREE, now, there's a rock. She can have one kid banging pots and pans with a spoon, another eating dirt, and the third screaming for a bottle, and all she'll do as she makes her way calmly to the kitchen is pick up the dirt-eating kid and tuck him under her arm, grab a dishrag to wrap around the spoon to muffle the noise, and sing louder than the crying kid while she prepares the bottle. Mom of one gets rattled when her infant sneezes once, while mom of three snickers and mutters under her breath, "Amateur."

I told myself that if Jane cries while in the Burley, and I know she's not in any real distress, I'll just make my way calmly to the nearest stopping point, address the issue, and continue the ride. I'll have to channel a mom of three small children to do this, but it won't be too much of a stretch. I've been channeling a ten-year-old boy since I started riding mountain bikes. What's one more person?

In preparation, Jane and I took a trip first around the neighborhood, which went very well.

In the infant snuggler inside the Burley bike trailer.

Laura and Jane riding around the neighborhood.

We went around the neighborhood for ten minutes on our first outing, then it was just a matter of making longer and longer trips.

On Sunday afternoon, we bundled up well and made our way to Donny's Cafe.

Cute happy kid.

By the time we arrived, despite a few bumps in the road, Janie was fast asleep.


It occurs to me as I write this, that many of these pictures of a kid in a Burley trailer look alike, but as a new mom, I think I'm bound by contract to show you every last one of them. Oh oh!! Here's another...



So TODAY was the big day of lots of errands. First, we went to Target to pick up some photo Christmas cards...

The folks at Target were great about letting me bring my bike and trailer into the store and park it while I picked up my photo cards. Thanks Target people :)

Then we went to Donny's Cafe where we both had snacks.


Refreshments...


After the cafe, we stopped at the bank...


Then we had one last stop to mail a CD to a friend.

Once we had all our errands done, we headed home, taking advantage of the bike path and the chance to get a little dirt under the tires.



It was a great day to be in San Diego.

The only problem we ran into was on the way home. There's this cactus called cholla that grows just about anywhere in the Southwest. This cactus is the reason that I carry pliers in my camelbak when I'm mountain biking. It tends to break off at the slightest perceived provocation and jump into your path, clinging to anything it touches, and breaking off into smaller pieces that stick to other parts of you and your bike.

This is what we came upon today, and before I knew it, I had rolled right over a small chunk that had strayed into the street. The tire of the Burley hit that bad boy and I knew immediately that I had to get it out and then get home before the tire went flat. Now I'll have to add pliers to my list of things I carry in the Burley.

We made it home with air to spare. Yay!! All in all, a great morning of work and play that I was able to share with my little girl.

Adventure in the Burley Trailer

One of the great things about San Diego is that in December (!), you can bundle up the baby, nestling the little cherub in the Burley "Baby Snuggler," and go for a bike ride around the neighborhood.

Here are a few pictures from Jane's first ride in the Burley trailer.

Snuggled up tight!

She was snoozing for most of the trip.

We only went about a mile and a half around the neighborhood. It was good for a first ride.

Here we are coming back from our ride.

Hopefully we'll have more adventures coming soon!

Adventure Tour to Noble Canyon

In addition to coaching would-be cyclists and new bike commuters, Sunny Rides is branching out with an Adventure Tours Division!

We arrange your bike rental and make sure you have all the necessary equipment, then arrange the mountain bike or road bike adventure based on the information you provide about your style and skill level.


Last week, I took Eirik from Noway on a trip to Noble Canyon for a mountain bike adventure. He was here for work, and managed to set aside a day to go mountain biking. I gathered a group of people, because it's always more fun with a group, and we all met in Pine Valley on a Saturday morning.

We all load up in two vehicles and shuttle to the top of the ridge - another 2200 feet vertical and 20 minutes away by car. It's a very brisk 38º outside at about 6000 feet elevation, and we all scramble for every piece of clothing we have brought. As I don a light jacket over the two jerseys and arm warmers I'm wearing, pull on my Buff and bandana, I comment to the boys that I feel like Heidi of the Alps, but none of them get the reference to the little Swiss orphan girl who was made to wear all her clothes for the trip up the mountain, and they probably think I'm just referring to my braids. Sigh. It's OK. I'm used to blank stares when I make obscure literary references anyway.


I had set up Eirik's bike down at the bottom of the hill, so all we have to do is make sure we all have the gear we want, lock up the cars, and hit the trail. While we're getting ready, Eirik gets a call from Norway and tells his friend he is on a bike ride in Southern California. He is suddenly a rock star.

Just before the ride.

We hit the trail, hardly taking note of the crisp air biting at our fingers and toes because the ground is tacky and the trail conditions are so good.

We get to the first of several technical sections, and I tell Eirik that it's a rocky technical section, but that if you keep to the right, it's not too bad. One of the guys cocks his head, "Are you talking about 'Widdowmaker'?" he asks.

I'd never heard that this section of the trail had any name and I shake my head, "I don't think so, it's really not that bad. You just have to keep your speed and keep your head up," I say.

I don't realize that I've just unwittingly laid down a challenge until one of the other guys (the one with pads on) says, "Well, since it's not so bad, you want to school us on how it's ridden?"

Oops. There's nothing I can do now but ride it. "Well, I don't know about schooling, but I'll show you the line I take," I tell him, and get on my bike to continue down the trail. As the trail winds back and forth and I gain speed, I pray that God will have mercy on me and that I'll be able to ride the slightly damp rocks without incident. I'm always nervous entering this section, but I usually do well, and today is no exception. I have a small bobble at the end when I look down at a root rather than at my exit, but otherwise, I ride the "Widdowmaker" clean. I stop at the end and look back at the guys, "Um, watch that root at the end."

Eirik riding down the rocky chute.

Noble Canyon is great because there is a little bit of everything - miles of singletrack, challenging rock gardens, beautiful wooded areas and open exposed areas. We chose to shuttle instead of climb because of the time required and the degree of difficulty it entails. It became clear that Eirik is a good enough rider that he would have been able to climb the Indian Creek Trail up to the Noble Canyon Trail and still have enough left over for the descent, but it's challenging (and fun) as a shuttled ride.

At the end of one particularly flowy section followed by a stream crossing, I look at Eirik's face, and he is positively beaming. "So," I comment, "it looks like you're enjoying your ride!"

Absolutely! Almost any day at Noble is a good day.


For more info on taking a bike adventure in San Diego County, please email me. We are still in the "ramp up" stages, but available for tours immediately. Whether you are here for business or pleasure, I'll work to arrange a cycling tour that fits your ability and riding style.

-Sunny
(Laura Drexler)

Not your typical commute - it's Midnight Madness!

Last year when a friend of mine asked if I were going to Midnight Madness, I had to ask what it was. Essentially, Midnight Madness is the annual opportunity for San Diego cyclists to come out and ride bikes in the streets, wear costumes, and generally be silly. It's like this ride was MADE for me.

So, here's a little recap of my fun midnight "commute."

Similar to last year, I got all dressed up for the midnight ride in my business suit and pumps. I figure if I go to the office in bike clothes most every day, it's only natural for me to go to the bike ride in office clothes.

And while I don't recommend these cycling shoes for your daily commute, I found the pumps with the Crank Brothers cleats to be really easy to get in and out of. Depending on which foot you put which cleat on, you can determine the ease with which you clip out.

For carrying stuff on my commute, I recently got this really cool Timbuk2 messenger bag that carries everything I need. You can design them yourself in whatever colors you like. I used mine for the Midnight Madness ride to carry a spare set of proper cycling shoes, in case the pumps got to be too painful.

Another thing that makes your commute easier is a good light. I prefer Light and Motion for a number of reasons. Most all of their lights are compatible with most all their chargers, so the charger you have from 6 years ago will still work with a new light if you get one (the plugs don't change from year to year), and the lights and connectors are really robust.

The HID lights are great for mountain biking, since they throw a really wide spot, and the LED lights are usually better for road commuters since they are so incredibly bright and battery charge lasts for up to 40 hours (yes, forty). Check them out at bikelights.com, and shoot me an email if you have any questions. Between my husband and me, we have 3 of their lights.

Another part of my commute equipment is the repair kit. You never know when you're going to get a flat tire, and you should be prepared to make the repairs.

As it happened, my friend Alison got a flat about 2 miles out. She had a slow leak from a thorn puncture. While we could have patched the tube and re-inflated the tire, in the interest of time, we chose to replace the tube with a spare and use CO2 to inflate the tire.


In the interest of efficiency and multi-tasking, you could include your child in both "Bike to Work Day" and "Take Your Child to Work Day," all at one time! I think this is one of the greatest photos I took all night.


Hopefully the start of your commute won't look like this...

And finally, when I can pull it off, I bring along my mechanic, dressed up as Cookie Monster. There are few things that will make you feel secure like a good mechanic riding with you, and few things to cheer you up on a cloudy day like Cookie Monster.

Armed with this knowledge of the gear and equipment you need, you are ready to tackle the midnight commute!

Steve (Cookie Monster) admiring my fancy cleated pumps.

(for the full Midnight Madness report with all the pictures, please see my other blog)

Ducking the Right Hook

"An accident so common it has a name..."

Another great commute to work this morning; clear weather, strong legs and no headwind. Unfortunately, my happy Monday morning mood was broken by a somnolent lady in a battleship-grey RAV4 who made a right turn into a driveway.

Directly toward me.

I've developed a paranoid, look-over-my-left-shoulder twitch that has kept me safe from quite a few situations like this. Due to my quick right turn (to parallel Ms. RAV4's direction of travel) and her slamming on the brakes, we both avoided an unpleasant discussion.

In today's traffic adventure, I was nowhere near an intersection. But the "Right Hook" seems to be most common at green lights. Portland, Washington has recognized this problem and taken action. My strategy at traffic lights is to get as far out in front as possible to make myself visible. And to get a head start on crossing in front of the impatient right-turners.

Be safe and friendly out there, ya'll.

Amateurs talk tactics, professionals study logistics

Any successful bicycle commuter has to carefully plan out his supply lines and sustainment plan. Like a sherpa working toward the summit, he has to establish a base camp, intermediate camps, and supply caches along the way, without overloading himself during the uphill climbs. He can't just pile stuff in the trunk of his car, so he needs to carefully think out in advance what items must be carried on the daily commute, what items can be stored at work, and how to adjust for unplanned contingencies. Since I work in the logistics field, I thought that I would share some of my success factors:

• Like the proprietress of Girl Cycling, I'm a big proponent of my camelbak. Hydration and cargo, all in one convenient, retroreflective package. Yay.
• I'm fortunate to live in sunny Southern California so that my clothing requirements are simple; no raingear, and minimal outerwear, even during the winter months.
• I stage multiple sets of work clothing at the office, and store extra underwear, socks etc. in my locker. Gotta have fresh undies.
• Cycling clothing gets aired out during the workday so that I have a comfortable, mostly dry ride home.
• I never carry a laptop back and forth to work. I'm fortunate enough to be able to synch my important data to a thumb drive.
• Finally, I rely on a solid, repeatable routine. Same stuff goes in the same pockets of the camelback. Same route to work so that I know when to leave and how long it will take. Same sequence of storing bike, helmet, shoes, gloves. Same files and folders synched to the thumb drive so that I can take work home.

I sure love commuting on the skinny tires, and I'm not the only one. I love the multi-tasking feeling of having gotten 17 miles of exercise before my work day starts, without a time-consuming side trip to the gym. But it does take some planning.

Introducing....Cheng

Here goes my first ever post on Sunny Rides.

I'm a 3-times-a-week commuter to beautiful Point Loma. When I'm not pedaling my road bike, I'm usually astride a Suzuki SV-650.

So, I've got a relatively unique viewpoint of traffic and commuting in San Diego, different from the claustrophobic view behind your average tinted windshield. Every day I see dazzling beauty as well as bland ugliness. I drive past sublime landscapes and pedestrian strip malls. I see young and old, rich and poor, fast and slowpoke.

But what I don't see is angry or rude drivers. In fact, I would guess that 80% of San Diego drivers are downright polite and patient. I think that we're blessed with a relaxed, take-it-as-it-comes culture that makes the daily commute much more bearable.

Even outside San Diego, the American roadway is relatively benign and welcoming. Compare Boston to Naples, or Cleveland to Cartagena.

So get out there and count your blessings. Here's hoping that you're not stuck behind a line of traffic, but even if you are, just remember that it could a LOT worse.

WOW! There's lots going on this month!

If you are looking for motivation to get on your bike, well here it is. August in San Diego is a great month to pump up the tires and go for a ride. Here are some of the events that are happening around town:

8/9/08 - Sat - Girls Road Ride
Meet at 8:15am, Spanish Landing, San Diego
Join the San Diego Team LUNA Chix on a road ride! We will be following the San Diego International Triathlon route up to Cabrillo Monument.


8/9/08 - Sat - Pirates and Ninjas on the trail in OC
No, really. Check out SoCalTrailRiders and scroll to the bottom of the page for ride listings.


8/10/08 - Sun - Free Bike Swap Meet, North County
Open 8am -12pm, El Camino Bike Shop rear parking lot (Trader Joe’s Shopping Center, Corner of Encinitas Blvd. and El Camino Real).
Swamis & Encinitas Grand Prix will be providing kids' bike and helmet safety checks FREE of charge from 10am to 12pm.
Come to buy or sell previously owned bikes and related bike parts at great prices! Sponsored by Swami's Cycling Club, Encinitas Grand Prix, El Camino Bike Shop


8/16/08 - Sat - Coached mountain bike ride
Meet at 8:00am, UC Cyclery, La Jolla (8715 Villa La Jolla Dr, 92037)
Join the San Diego Team LUNA Chix for a coached mountain bike ride! We will meet at UC Cyclery and ride over to the UCSD Campus. From beginner to intermediate, there will be something for everyone!


8/16/08 - Sat - Tri Newbies wanted!
Meet at 8:00 am, Panera Bread Cafe, Solana Beach (667 San Rodolfo Drive)
INITIAL MEETING: San Diego Team LUNA Chix and San Diego Velo Bellas have teamed up to put together a group of women who will train for and compete in the Women's Only Triathlon Series at Mission Bay on October 19th. All women welcome.


8/16/08 - Sat - MIDNIGHT MADNESS!!
Meet by 10pm, Admin Building near the Harbor
Midnight Madness is a fun night of cycling (20-mile fun ride), contests, prizes, and entertainment to support community youth programs. The start/finish staging area will be at the San Diego County Administration Building 1600 Pacific Highway San Diego 92101. The ride starts at midnight, but be sure to arrive by 10 pm if you want to participate in the Light the Bike and Costume Contest for your chance to win many fantastic prizes!


8/23/08 - Sat - Dancing the Night Away fund raiser
6pm - 11pm at the home of Tony & Sue Farrow in Carlsbad.
Please contact me or Rhonda for tickets and information.

Team LUNA CHix San Diego presents Dancing the Night Away '4', a fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Fund. 100% of the evening’s proceeds benefit the Breast Cancer Fund, fighting preventable causes of breast cancer which affects thousands of women and their loved ones each year. All donations to the Breast Cancer Fund and the auction are tax deductible.
Please join us and spread the word!

"Tour Around the World" cuisine provided by Papa C's Fresh Mexican Food
Salsa dancing by San Diego dance instructors David Vasquez and Ingrid Valdna of Start Dancin' San Diego.
Classic rock and R&B music provided by Coastal Eddy Band.
And the Silent Auction is back again by popular demand!


There are other rides and events going on that I simply don't know about. If you are looking for adventure, there are plenty of places to find it.

Now get outside and play!

Introduction

I swoop into the bike shop where I work part time and make a bee-line for my mechanic and good buddy Steve.

"Steve! Have I told you about my new business?" I ask excitedly.

"Um, no?" he timorously responds, hardly looking up from the tire he is changing.

"OK! So, it's called Sunny Rides, LLC, and the division I'm focusing on right now is Sunny Safe Commute. It's a bicycle commuter consultant and coaching business."

"Mmm-hmm," he says as he pops the tire onto the rim.

"So! If you don't have a bike, but want one for commuting," I pause just long enough to take a quick breath, "I'll help you choose your bike and make sure it does all the things you want to do with it besides commute. I'll teach you how to ride and make sure you're good with the shifting and everything. If you already have a bike, I can help you map out your route and teach you to change a flat tire. Oh, and I can also do all the homework that people hate to do, like locate bike lockers, or safe places to lock your bike, or find a gym that offers just a shower pass."

I pause, awaiting praise at my brilliance or, more realistically, some kind of grunt in the affirmative that tells me he's still listening.

"Uh-HUH," he says. I take this as my cue to continue.

"Yes! And I'll have a Ride with Confidence Class for people who want to feel safer on the bike, and also a Fix-a-Flat class. What do you think?"

He stands up from his work and looks at me, his face void of expression. He pauses and smiles a tight-lipped smile and says, "You need a website, and a commercial."

"What do you mean a commercial?" I ask.

"Exactly what you just did from the time you walked in. That needs to be your commercial," he says.

My eyes grow wide and I bounce just slightly on my toes, "Cool! So you think I can launch this business on my enthusiasm alone?"

He takes a deep breath and nods, "Yeah. That's exactly what I mean."

Well, it will be a while till I get the commercial, but in the mean time, I'm working on the website. We hope to be up and running soon.

Big shout out to the people who have brought me to this point, encouraged me to start my own business, and continue to inspire me to great heights.

-Laura (Sunny) Drexler