Well, we're movin' on up

Hello friends,
Bike Skirt now has a new home. www.bikeskirt.com. We are so excited to unveil our new look to everyone.

Head on over there to check it out. We think it looks incredible and are grateful to T. Scott Carlisle for his help with the site, logo AND the photos. We are lucky to have support from talented people. Thanks T!

*you will need to change your RSS feed to reflect the new site. OR you can cancel this one and subscribe to the new one. sorry for any inconvenience, but think you will agree that it is well worth it!

Bike Love!

DON'T break a leg

Anna and I are participating in our first alleycat this weekend, the No Brakes 2 Year Anniversary.

Needless to say, we are nervous as hell.

Wish us luck. We will report back soon.

Also-it looks like the new and improved Bike Skirt will be debuting on Monday if all goes well. will keep you updated!!

Have a good weekend and share the bike love!

Workin' for the weekend

So much bike fun this weekend!!

First we have the Atlanta crew, with a fun filled weekend! No Brakes is having their 2nd Anniversary Race & Party on Friday, July 10. Anna and I are for sure headed that way Friday night. (rumor: 50 cases of PBR donated!). Watch out ATL; Bike Skirt is about to invade!
On Saturday there's a pro velo race at the Dick Lane Velodrome, should be awesome to watch. Then on Sunday there's another velo race, this time for messengers and city bikers, with Cyclehawk's velocity. Winners get a free trip to Tokyo!

Pensacola Alley in Pensacola, Fl is also having a fun filled weekend, with their Blue Angels Alleycat. Looks like a whole lotta good times, and the beach too!

Finally, here in Birmingham we have a couple of things that you really should attend. If you haven't heard yet, our dear beloved Bottletree Cafe is in a financial pickle, and needs YOUR sweet lovin' to help them out! Saturday night they are having a free show to help business, so get yo booty over there and buy some drinks! Anna will be there rocking out (or something similar) with Andy's Tea Party.

Sunday night is the first of many events with The Sunday Night Skid! Every other Sunday our dear pals Matthew and John are going to be running the show with sprints and bike games. They are also doing some sort of point system, but you'll have to go to their site to get info on that.

Leave a comment if you'll be attending any of these events, or if you're looking to carpool!

A ride of epic proportions I would say!

So I've been visiting around over the past week, first to my family over in Pensacola (thanks wle for the ride suggestions; I ended up riding with my parents on a rails to trails route, the Blackwater Heritage State Trail!) and now I've landed in the lovely little coastal town of Fairhope, Alabama. It happens to be a place that Elisa and I both share; her sister lives here and my husband's family lives here too! This morning I decided to go on a good long ride, and looked up a route with mapmyride.com. Here's the one I chose:

The ride started off so beautifully; it was sprinkling on and off and humid as hell, but I grew up on the gulf coast (Ocean Springs, Mississippi to be exact) so I'm no stranger to the liquid sheen that appeared over my whole person after a few minutes. I got a fairly early start and hopped onto Scenic Highway 98. They don't call it scenic for nothing folks; beautiful million dollar homes situated perfectly on the bay, with intervals of water peeking through. As I got further along I could see more of the water, which was wonderfully choppy, and on the left side of the road it started to get nice and swampy. The highway ended at Weeks Bay, and I had a great view of the water, piers, and open air all around me. I rode around and took a few pictures (which I won't be able to upload until I get home) and then did a bit of back tracking to get to the turn off the bay. All the cars were very friendly, people were waving and giving me plenty of room when passing; it was heavenly really.

From there i was riding in a woodsy type area with nothing much going on - a few cows, an old guy on a bike that looked a tad too small for him, and crickets chirping their hearts out. I missed my turn somewhere but ended up where I needed to be, which was unfortunately a much busier highway. Thankfully there was enough of a shoulder so I wasn't in the road, but at one point I had to swerve around some large gravel from a driveway and got my first honk. I feel like this was understandable since I was right in front of the car when I swerved into the road, so I successfully fought back the urge to yell or give the driver the finger.

After passing over fish river I turned off of the highway onto a small street, and was greeted by two bulldogs! I squeaked and yelled an expletive while riding as hard as I could away from those beasts that were giving chase hard core. Thankfully I got away without harm! This road was shaded with wonderfully mossy live oaks, and I felt at home and at peace with the world.

Then it was time to get on county road 32 (you think a county road would be tame) and my ride went downhill real quick. 55 mph speed limit, no shoulder, big trucks hauling heavy equipment, and teeny bridges! I was hunkered down and trying my best not to have a breakdown. Then this sweet little fluff of a dog ran chasing after me, crossed the road a few feet from a car, started coming back (while I yelled "no little doggie stay where you are!") and got completely smashed by a huge truck flying by. I cried out, but was being closely followed by a cop and a few other cars so I rode on miserably holding back the tears. I was really depressed, people. Then a monsoon started; my shoes were immediately filled with water and I was almost blown off my bike, all while cars were passing by close and fast. I got off my bike and called my husband; "come get me!". I felt defeated, but thankfully wasn't too far from the end of the route. The road I was riding on was closed a few hundred feet up from where I stopped, so I would have freaked out at that point anyway - I am not at all familiar with the area and am sure to have gotten lost immediately.

It started off sooo beautifully...

Hello Beautiful

Meet Freddie Mercury, my new ride. Ever since I lost Mick, then got Betty Paige (who was a mite too small) I have been dreaming of a new ride. Well, about a month-ish ago, I got one.

Isn't he a beauty? A Bottechia, with Shimano 600 components and a color scheme that stops traffic.

I love everything about this bike. It was hard to get used to the down tube shifting and the higher (lower...harder) gearing, but now I am in love. Freddie is a steel bike, so the vibrations in the road feel miles away. I am steady, safe, secure and fast as hell. Seriously folks, I am a stronger, faster rider now.



click on photos to enlarge for more bike-y beauty

(photos courtesy of T-Photographic. T. Scott needed a model to help with location and lighting scouting, so we packed up bags and took off on our bikes, looking for prime locations. It is amazing how much more you see riding beside a photographer that you would never, ever see just driving in a car.)


check out the awesome shadow situation in this one!

Oh, Betty Paige is happily being ridden by our good friend, Dan. He is taking good care of her and they are quite the pair. Only Dan could make pink bar tape look sexy on a guys bike.

one more note: be on the lookout for a new look here at Bike Skirt! Our friend (and awesome photographer) T.Scott is hard at work on a new layout/look/logo for our little blog. Yay Bike Skirt 2.0!

Skirting around

Recently, Bikehugger asked me for a bit of advice dealing with a blog post here titled "I love cycling in a Summer Dress:how do you ride in a skirt and keep your poise". As the co-author of a blog called Bike Skirt, this was right up my alley!

I thought about it all day today as I pedaled around town in a skirt, running errands and meeting friends. Here is what I came up with...

How to ride in a Skirt : a tutorial


Riding in a skirt has its challenges, but is truly the way I prefer to ride year round. Summer you get a nice breeze, fall you can add tights if need be, but never get too hot. Winter is all about tights, over the knee socks and tall boots. Spring was made for riding in skirts. Going for a hard, epic ride in lycra…keep it classy and wear a little cotton skirt on top of the lycra. The skirt offers endless possibilities for riding fashion and function.

However, many women are scared to ride in a skirt. What if the wind blows wrong? What do you do when going fast downhill? What if your bike isn’t a step through (which, by the way, neither mine nor Anna’s are)? Here are the tips and tricks for maintaining your dignity whilst wearing the skirt and enjoying your ride.

1. Pick your skirt- pencil skirts are never a good idea on a bike with no step through. You are looking at it riding up and constantly pulling and tugging. A-lines, looser cotton skirts and mini skirts are best. Long skirts work if you have a skirt guard and chain guard (which I don’t). Dresses are also a great idea b/c you are not worrying about the back riding up too much and showing rear end cleavage (the worst kind of cleavage)

2. How to get on the bike-this is assuming you are riding a regular bike with no fancy step through. Step one: stand to the side of the bike. Step two: squeeze your knees together. Step three: lift your leg, keeping your knees as close together as you can. Standing on your tip toes is also a big help. You can give yourself extra protection by holding the center of the skirt down. Step four: at this point, you should be straddling the bike. In order to keep the skirt down it is best to put one foot up on a pedal. Tilt the bike a bit and you are good to go. Do this all in reverse to get off gracefully.

3. Riding in a skirt-ride as normal, keeping your legs close to the bike (something you should be doing anyway) and keeping one leg down while the other is up during coasting moments. For going downhill, I find that standing up keeps the wind from making you less than modest.

4. Leggings or shorts really help-I will wear a pair of leggings or cycling shorts if I am going a very long distance or am at all uncomfortable. This keeps you covered AND allows the fabric to slide up nicely as opposed to bunching up and riding up uncontrollably. Also-no thongs. This is just asking for trouble. Not to mention, unsanitary. Ick…

5. Have fun-sometimes you will flash. It is inevitable. When that happens, throw your head back and laugh. It really is quite funny! Also remember that with all the biking you are doing, your legs probably look amazing so flaunt them.

I hope this has helped. I am a firm believer in riding in skirts, both for the statement and the comfort. Ride on and feel the breeze in ways that the boys will never fully get to appreciate!!

Hello Pensacola, whatcha got?

I'm spending 4th of July weekend with my parents in Pensacola, Florida and brought my bike along for the first time. Does anyone know of any good trails or places to ride around here? HELP!

Our first visitor!

Tuesday Elisa and I were privileged to have our first blog visitor! Paul from pacificpedaling.com came through town on a cross country family trip, and we went for a nice morning ride together. After Paul set up his folding bike (a bike friday model) and I showed up late and groggy, we set off into morning traffic. We decided to take a route that went through some downtown Birmingham hotspots, including 5 points, UAB, and the business district. We even got to hop on our shortest bike lane (2 blocks long). We ended at our favorite coffee shop, Urban Standard. After some delicious coffee and baked goods, as well as great conversation, we had to head back home so Paul could get back to his family and onto their next adventure. Thanks for coming Paul, it was a pleasure meeting you!

Check out his blog chronicling their trip, The Epic Journey.

This is where we live

Today, I give you my commute. From my workplace to home, I tried to take photos of each street. Mainly hills, but it is actually a lovely ride.

Unfortunately I moved this weekend, so I will have to change the first (or last) part of my ride. Still trying to get that worked out. Will post it once I am settled!

Enjoy my ride.

Critical Mass...what's right?

Bici has taken over Critical Mass here in the magic city, and this past Friday we had a great turn out (for us that is).  Things got off to a pretty good start, but pretty soon some differences in opinion developed regarding how the group should behave.  It all started when a few of the riders were blocking cars so the group could ride through red lights, and at one light there happened to be a cop right there.  The popo didn't do much beside a quick siren and a yell of "quit blocking traffic!".  Some of the other riders got pretty upset at this point and started complaining about how the ride was being handled and how we could get "citations" for behaving badly and breaking laws.

So then we get into what might be called Critical Mass philosophy: one side thinks that Critical Mass should be a group that shows drivers that bikes and their riders are non-threatening.  The other side thinks that we should to raise awareness by raising hell. 

And I guess I'm in the middle: who cares?! lets just ride and certainly not tell each other what to do.

What's your take on the Critical Mass conundrum?

A case for clipless

(can you tell I enjoy taking on the saddle shots?)

Well, I have done it. I have gone clipless. Sold out, gone roady...say what you will. I can take it. Go ahead.

ok, done?

Cycling friends (and the local bike shop guys) have extolled the virtues of clipless riding since the beginning. I eschewed the very idea, saying that I didn't want to be a 'clippy person', clicking into shops and being forced to wear special shoes. I was perfectly happy with my Power Strips. I loved them actually, as much as I loved being able to hop on my bike in heels, or Vans, or flip flops. I was simply not ready to commit to being a 'roadie' (a term I hate, like fixie kid, or commuter...can't we all just be cyclists? I digress...).

Then I did a really, really hard ride. My feet kept slipping from my Power Grips, they broke off midway through an uphill climb, the soles of my feet were aching from soft soles and I knew I could get more power if only I could pull on the uphill. Not to mention the hiking I had to do in soft soled Vans (still my favorite shoes for riding, btw). Power Grips are incredible on normal hills, but major climbing is a bit of a strain for them.

A week went by and I talked to my 'clippy' friends. I visited the bike shop. Most importantly, I found out that I could get reversible pedals! Not forced to wear only clipless shoes?! This is getting better. Wait, there are shoes that I can wear that don't click?! All for under $200. Things were looking up. I was still nervous and, honestly, a bit worried about what friends would think. We have always said that we want cycling to be more accessible and scoff at the idea of full spandex kits, choosing a bike for it's weight and spending all of our money on accessories.

I was at a crossroads. Do I go clipless and increase my speed and make my climb over the mountain easier, or do I hold tight to my 'urban riding' pride? For a flat city, there would be no question-no clipless. However, with a mountain to traverse and rolling hills the entire way, a little help would be nice.

In the end, efficiency won out (hey, I do have a degree in Economics). I bought the pedals and shoes, had a quick lesson at Homewood Cycles and was ready.

I love it. I was really kind of hoping to hate it. Nope. My average speed increased 3.5 mph and my knees feel better. My climb each day is still hard, but not as hard as it used to be. Between the heat and the mountain, my commute is a bitch. However, now it is my bitch.


Shoes: Bontrager Race Mountain Shoes $89.99
Pedals: Shimano PD-M545 $89.99

If you decide to take the plunge, I highly recommend these for beginners who don't want to fully commit. I can take off for the bars in heels, or clip in for a serious ride. Best of both worlds.

Oh, and I have only fallen twice. I consider that a success.

Are you clipless? What do you think of it?

This is where we live

Birmingham has a plethora of amazing photographers, and Cary Norton is the best of the best.  So for the next installment of this is where we live, I thought this photo of Cary's was perfect.  This is most definitely where we live. ride. sleep. drink. eat. love. fight the good fight. be.

You can visit Cary at one of his many internet locales:

electric lion

the ordinary

poptpop

flickr

Huntsville Alleycat

Put on by our friends over at TwoFiveFix. Go spend this hot weekend up there where it is (a bit) cooler. Should be a good time. If I wasn't going out of town, I would so be there.

View from the saddle on a balmy Friday

Freddy Mercury chillin outside Rojo while I enjoy a beer and yumminess with friends

Scary from the saddle shot after leaving Rojo

Beautiful church directly in front of my little house. I love it.

On the side of the road shot

This is steeper than it looks. I have to climb this to get home, no matter which way I go!

Pulling up to the humble abode.

Wednesday Haiku

An ode to Anna:

Anna, what a gal
totally girly, kicks ass
She's a true bikeskirt

Anna, you are awesome!

This is where we live

Ok I am seriously slacking on documenting our Birmingham experience!  I forgot last week (personal stress will be my excuse), and although tonight Elisa and I had a fabulous time riding and eating and drunking, a lapse in memory forced me to not bring my camera.  Thus, the festivities were not documented.  It was a good time though, that's fo sho.

So, anyway, I will post a photo of Birmingham.  Admittedly, it's about five years old, but it looks exactly the same here.  This is close to where Sunday Night Sprints happened; which was a lot of fixed gear fun for the whole family.  Why don't we do that anymore??

Summer Lovin'

Only June and it is already 100 degrees out when I leave work. Seriously folks, it is HOT. When I leave at 7am, we are talking about 80 degree...that is hot for the wee hours.

Because of this extreme heat and the knowledge that it is only going to get hotter as the summer goes on, I have compiled some tips and tidbits about trying to ride out the heat

1. Leave early-you don't want to be in a rush in this heat. Add in some panic and 80 degrees suddenly feels like 100, 100 feels like...well, you get it

2. Action Wipes-I don't have a shower at work. So I have to use these puppies each day when I get to the office. I arrive sweaty and gross, but a quick wipe down with a large Action wipe does wonders. I really don't think I (or my coworkers) could survive the summer without it.

3. Don't bother with make-up or getting cute till you get there-it is a waste of time to put on make-up and cute clothes only to sweat it off. however, you MUST put on sunscreen.

4. Dress the part-cotton is my enemy. It gets so hot and sticky that it feels disgusting when you get to your destination. I use Icebreaker Wool shirts and cotton skirts (with cycling shorts underneath) for my rides. Anything else gets hot and gross. Bring your work clothes in a bag or keep some in the office. Shoes and all. I carry mine, but also keep a spare pair of shoes, panties (I have forgotten these and going commando OR wearing cycling shorts all day is awkward), and a dress in a file cabinet just in case.

5. Hair care-I had to cut my hair short. It was the only way to combat helmet head. I have thin hair that luckily looks good short. If not, bring a blowdryer to work at the beginning of the season, because you will need it. I have a great stylist so my hair actually looks better with helmet head (unbelievable, but true!). Little tip: bike to your stylist so he or she can see what they are working with, helmet head wise. Best decision I made regarding summer riding hair. Oh, and dry shampoo is incredible.

6. My bag full of essentials: deodorant, Action Wipes, Dry Shampoo, light natural perfume, dry towel, make-up (primer, cheek stain and powder especially), hair creme.

Other stuff: clean socks for your ride home. I can put on my shorts and shirt again, but the socks never quite feel right after a sweaty morning ride. Ick.

Your stuff will be a bit different, but these are the things I can't live without. That and my water bottle. Clearly

Garden Party Success!

We had so much fun this past weekend at the Bici Garden Party at Jones Valley Urban Farm!  Some friends from Atlanta came down and seriously rocked the race.  Before the race we did a seed bomb ride, and everyone had a great time throwing bombs all over the place.  While I was handing out the seed bombs, everyone was asking "what is this?" "will this blow up upon impact?" "this smells delicious, can we eat it?"  So I thought I would share with you all what the story is with seed bombs.  According to wikipedia:

Seed bombing, also known as "Seed Grenades" is a technique of introducing vegetation to arid soils or otherwise inhospitable terrains. A seed bomb is a compressed clod of soil containing live vegetation that may be thrown or dropped onto a terrain to be modified. The term "seed grenade" was first used by Liz Christy in 1973 when she started the "Green Guerillas". The first seed grenades were made from condoms^[1] filled with local wildflower seeds, water and fertilizer. The seed grenades were tossed over fences onto empty lots in New York City in order to make the neighborhoods look better. It was the start of the Guerrilla Gardening movement.

Isn't that cool?!?  We made ours out of red clay, used coffee grounds (hence the yummy smell), and the seeds of sunflowers, cosmos, black eyed susans, and daisies.  My fingers are crossed that in a few weeks there will flowers EVERYWHERE!!!

Now you all must go out and bomb some shit.

Garden Party!

Thanks to Paul Halupka for the awesome poster! See you Saturday. Come throw some seedbombs and hang out with us. Oh, and beer and food included. WHAT?!

Bike Love

Epic Bonk

Last weekend, I decided to organize a group ride. I always love riding and pushing myself, so I was trying to think of a fun but challenging route. Bump and Grind, a Mtn Bike Race, was in town so I thought "Why not ride out there and back?"

I asked a few friends for routes, and kept hearing "It is not a fun ride, Elisa. Bad roads and nothing but hills. Are you sure you want to do that?" Of course, this clearly made me want to do it all the more.

I sent out a mass email recruiting folks and 3 gentleman took me up on my offer. Three accomplished cyclists, might I add. Heath, Alan and Brett. I was nervous to put it mildly.

Started out a bit rough, due to lack of sleep and general icky feeling. But I kept going. heath and I met Brett and Alan at Primavera Coffee, which Brett had kindly opened for us, offering us coffee and pastries. A bit later we took off.

Uphill both ways. Seriously. And getting hotter by the second. The hills seemed endless and the suburbs treeless. We made it to Oak Mountain and then made our way up the mountain to our watch point.

Oh, did I mention that I was left behind repeatedly? I was slower than the fellas and kept losing them up ahead. At one point, one was way ahead, the others were behind, and I had no idea which way to go. So, I kept on pedaling. Up the mountain we went, having lost Heath miles back. At the top, we look around, and realize that we have clearly missed our turn.
Back down we go, only to have to shoulder our bikes down the trail for about a mile (in Vans!). By this time, my pedal had broken and I had run over a squirrel (but didn't fall!). Eventually we all met back up, fixed my pedal, rested for about 1/2 hour to watch a bit of the race, and headed home.

I had officially bonked. It was bad. I was walking up the steeper hills and barely pedaling up the longer ones. Luckily, Heath felt enough pity to stay back and ride with me (Alan and Brett went ahead as Brett's tire was quickly losing air!).

It look at least twice as long to get back, what with all the resting and the stop for ice cream and gatorade. But, 8 hours after we left that morning, we made it back. My hands were bleeding and my body had streaks of salt on it. But I was triumphant. I had done it. I was in over my head and made it. We had gone over 60 miles, crossed 2 mountains (twice) and arrived home alive.

I am realizing that is how I will become a stronger rider, by taking chances and doing things that I am not sure I can handle. I may have taken rest stops and ridden more slowly than I would have liked, but I did it.

I am pretty damn proud of myself. Was it Epic? You decide...but I think it was pretty damn incredible.

Here's to a summer of Epic rides, being in over my head, keeping up with the boys, and keeping the rubber side to the road.