Grease Rag Ride & Wrench

The much anticipated Babes in Bikeland is riiiight around the corner: September 19th!

Maybe you're a little rusty on your race skills?  Maybe you want to cut your teeth on a smaller alley cat with a great tradition that's friendly and open to WTFs?

Come out to the September No Name Alley Cat!

Sunday, September 5th

$5 entry, winner takes all
Meet up: 6:30 pm at the Father Hennepin Park bandshell (on the east side of the Stone Arch Bridge)
Manifests: 6:45
Race: 7pm sharp
Bring your bike, your map, a pen

If you are unfamiliar with the No Name Alleycat Races,it is a monthly race that takes place all year round.  The winner plans the next month's race, which always takes place on the first Sunday.  Last month's winner was the venerable Jana- all-around bad ass, race-conquering extraordinaire, so this race will be routed by her.  Expect a fun one!  If you haven't met Jana yet, she's a super nice lady, and if you haven't raced a No Name yet, it's a really accessible and friendly race.

See you there??

Bike Walk Ambassadors are hosting clinics on Tuesday nights, 8/31-9/28 and are followed by a short ride afterward.  Saturday brunch rides are 8/28-10/2.  It's a great opportunity for women to get more comfortable on and around their bikes.  Info is below, and registration is here:

https://bikewalktwincities.wufoo.com/forms/ladies-clinics-and-rides-fall-2010/

Ladies night clinics: Tuesdays 6 – 8 pm, Downtown Minneapolis YWCA (1130 Nicollet Mall). For each clinic, the first twenty registered participants will receive a related bike tool or accessory. Each clinic is followed by a short ride to build traffic skills.

Clinics:

• Fixing a flat tire (8/31)
• Bike fit and riding comfort (9/7)
• Cleaning and tuning up your bike (9/14)
• Route planning (9/21)
• Night and winter riding (9/28)

Saturday brunch rides:

9:30 am – 12:30 pm, meet at Downtown Minneapolis YWCA. Brunch rides are a series of fun, social rides to explore the parks, trails, and foods of Minneapolis and St. Paul:

• Minneapolis farmer’s market tour (8/28)
• Minneapolis bakery tour (9/4)
• Fort Snelling and Big Rivers Trail (9/11)
• Cedar Lake and Luce Line Trails (9/18)
• Mississippi Bridge Tour (9/25)
• Grand Rounds (10/2)

One of the blogs I follow is Revolution Bike Style Now!, written by Laura/ shecycles.  The blog is not updated all that frequently, but I really appreciate Laura's voice as she describes her experiences as a WTF cyclist.  With her permission, I am re-posting an excerpt that I found particularly moving.

Via: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrissylong/ / CC Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivative Works

...since I've started cycling my whole outlook on life has totally changed. I've always tried to be someone who lived by the D.I.Y ethic and I tried to keep active, live healthily and create as much as I can, but usually I'd just end up sitting at home on my laptop looking at things other people had done.

But then I bought a bike and started to cycle all the journeys I used to make by bus or tube. And I suddenly felt completely free, I wasn't paying extortionate amounts to sit on a crowed train and I could get there quicker. I could go wherever I wanted whenever I wanted. I really don't know how to describe the feeling of freedom that cycling gives you. I started to learn about the backstreets of London, see all the things you miss when you're stuck underground and I started to learn how to even fix my own bike.

I love stories of liberation via bicycle from WTFs just like you and me!  I think we can all identify with the feeling of freedom that riding a bicycle can bring.

This is Part II of my bike camping reflection.  Part I is here.

Becky, Greta, Kat and I chose the Lake Auburn campsites in Carver Park, just west of Excelsior along the southern shore of Lake Minnetonka.  I had heard these sites were easy to get to and secluded from car campers.  This is a map of the site, this is a map of the whole trip.

We got together and planned out what everyone would be responsible for bringing.  Our meeting was really painless and had me anticipating the upcoming trip!

Build your confidence in cycling and feel more comfortable in traffic!

"Bikes are Traffic", A Women's Course in Confident Cycling

Choose between Aug 4th or 11th from 6:30to 8pm
The Hub at 3020 Minnehaha Ave S
FREE

Learn intersection and lane positioning, pre-ride bike safety checks, gain experience riding in a small group, proper helmet fitting, navigating trails, women specific issues related to fit and saddles. Bring your own bicycle (BYOB)and helmet!

Please RSVP as soon as possible: nicole.waxmonsky(at)gmail.com