Help us make free warm items for our upcoming Winter Skill Share’s gear swap!  You are also welcome to make warm things for yourself. We have sewing patterns, fleece fabric, and some supplies to share. No crafting experience is needed.

When/Where:

Saturday, October 25 from 12:30-4:30pm. You can stay for part or all of the event.

Hosmer Library, Room L02. 347 E 36th St, Minneapolis

Please bring if you can:

A face mask, sewing machine, cutting mats, fabric scissors, rotary cutters, pins, needles, thread, extensions cords, etc.. 

We will provide some snacks. Food and covered beverages are allowed in this room of the library.

If you are on Discord, please send Sarah Francis a Discord message with any questions, or post in the Grease Rag events channel. If you are not on Discord, please send any questions to the Grease Rag email address (greaseragmpls@gmail.com).

HELP NEEDED:

We need 2 people to help set up and 2 people who can stay to help clean up. We need at least 3 people to bring sewing machines. Comment in the Grease Rag events channel if you can bring a sewing machine, or if you have one we could borrow for the day. If you are not on Discord, please send an email to us (greaseragmpls@gmail.com).

Masks are required. Spare N95 masks will be available. Please stay home if you have any flu or cold symptoms.

From Recovery Bike Shop’s Bike Law Workshop on 2/3/2020

Seriously. I’ve spent so much time researching this, and still I come back to issues on interpretation. When lawmakers start throwing around phrases like “reasonable amount of time” and “as close as practicable”, it makes it difficult for anyone who doesn’t regularly practice law to know what it really means, or what is defendable. I am personally of the opinion that I will do what is safest and best for me that I can put logic behind, and most of that falls into what I interpret as legal. That being said, I acknowledge my privilege as a white person, and that makes things like interacting with people in cars and cops easier, if it comes to that. Make the law work for you, and at least for me, knowing what’s written in the law books helps me to navigate how I choose to bike in the real world. 

Bikes are Vehicles 

In Minnesota, bikes are considered vehicles. That means that “bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as operators of any other vehicle on the road with certain exceptions” (City of Minneapolis Bicycle Laws and Ordinances). The big thing about this for me is to remember that you have the same rights as a car. You own the road as much as a driver, and riding like you do makes you safer and more visible. 

There are a few exceptions that makes bikes different: 

You have to travel “as close as practicable”– NOT as close as possible– to the right side of the road. This is already one of those weird interpretive ones, but I take this very liberally. I do not think it is practicable, for example, to ride where a parked car could open its door into me. That just isn’t safe, and unfortunately that’s where a lot of bike lanes are placed. You can always take the lane, even if there’s a bike lane– you are never required to use a bike lane. When you are riding in a traffic lane, it’s recommended to ride where the line of a car’s right tires would be. If you feel like people are passing you too close though, It makes more sense to get farther out into the lane, so that you are more easily seen, and so cars understand that they have to merge all the way into the next left lane instead of trying to squeeze past you. 

• If you are preparing to turn left, then you should not be to the far right lane. You have to yield to cars and signal as you merge, but there’s nothing written in the law about when you should start merging. Do what feels comfortable and safe for you, and give yourself lots of time and space. 
• You can merge over to pass slower traffic. Usually it’s another bike, but hey, if you’re haulin’ it past cars, good on you. 
• You can merge as necessary to avoid hazards. Ice, water, potholes, trash, opening car door, whatever you consider a hazard, it’s much better to move far away from it and get into the next lane over than squeeze yourself between it and a passing car. 
• If a bike lane isn’t on the far right, you don’t have to be on the far right. You are allowed to still be on the far right though regardless of where the bike lane is. 

You have to signal with your arms the direction you’re turning unless you need both arms to control the bike. Know yourself, know your bike, and though signaling is helpful to drivers, it’s going to be way more dangerous if you slide out in front of a car. 

You are allowed to ride two bikes side-by-side as long as it doesn’t “impede normal traffic”. My interpretation of this is that you’re definitely in the clear if there is more than one traffic lane and cars can merge around you, and if there’s only a single travel lane in your direction, just make sure to fall in line if a car can’t easily get around you. 

Riding on the sidewalk is super dangerous, even if you’re being careful, and there are a lot of places in Minneapolis where it’s illegal to bike on the sidewalk (areas of uptown, downtown, and on the U of M campus). Avoid it as much as you possibly can. If you are on the sidewalk, you have to yield to pedestrians, give an audible signal when passing, and go really slow through intersections. 

For lights that only change with the presence of a car (there are lots of them now), you can legally run the light if: 

• You come to a complete stop. 
• The signal stays red for an “unreasonable amount of time”. What does that mean? Who knows. I just go when I know the light isn’t going to change for me. 
• You believe the signal is triggered by cars. 
• There is no cross traffic. All of these have to happen before you run the light. How you interpret it is really up to you, but if you get stopped for running a red light, it’s good to know that it might have still been legal.

The Goods 

A front light and a rear light (or reflector) are required at night. It’s a pretty good idea, the brighter the better. You can’t have multiple people on a bike made with one person– no riding on bars or pegs. You need at least a rear brake on your bike, unless you can skid on your brakeless fixie, then that actually counts as a rear brake. It is totally legal to ride in Minneapolis without a helmet. 

Parking 

You are allowed to lock you bike to: 

• Bike racks 
• Signposts 
• Parking meter racks 

And not allowed to lock to: 

• Handrails 
• Trees 
• Streetlight poles 
• Traffic light poles 

If somewhere you go doesn’t have a bike rack, tell them to get one! 

What Cars are Supposed to be Doing 

It’s good to know what responsibilities are on the side of the motor vehicle drivers, even if they don’t do it that often. If a car does something illegal, it’s up to you whether filing a police report is worth it or not, because often nothing comes of it. Remember to try to get a license number, color and type of car, and a picture if you can.

• Cars have to give you at least 3 feet. I wish it was more, even though most drivers don’t even manage that. Be careful riding in the bike lane, because I think that’s actually when cars get the closest to me– the logic must be that I’m in a separate lane, so they can get as close as they want. It’s always safer to force cars to give you that room, so if I’m having issues with that, I always take up space in a large part of the lane so cars have to merge over to the other lane to get around me.
• Cars aren’t allowed to interrupt traffic flow with their open doors, and that includes bike lanes/ bike traffic. Make sure to be really aware of parked cars, and always give yourself enough space that when a door swings out quickly, it won’t be in your way– for me, this often means taking the lane instead of riding in the bike lane.
• Cars cannot go into/cross bike lanes unless they’re doing it to turn or park. Any car blocking the bike lane is doing so illegally, unless they have an obstruction permit (usually just city vehicles).
• Cars have to yield to cyclists and merge into the bike lane before turning, that way they have to (theoretically) pay attention to what’s happening with cyclists before merging/ turning into them.
• Cars are not allowed to go into a bike lane to pass a vehicle from the right side. I see this a lot on two-way streets when a car is taking an unprotected left turn.

If you are pulled over on your bike 

I am not an expert on this at all (I’m not an expert on any of this, but this part makes me especially anxious). Here are some guidelines that you can use in whatever way feels comfortable for you, and I hope this is something you never have to deal with. 

• Things you do or say can be used against you. 
• Police cannot arrest you for not answering questions, such as “Do you know why I stopped you?” or “Where are you heading tonight?” In Minnesota, however, you can be arrested for refusing to identify yourself if the police “reasonably suspect” you were involved with a crime. You do not need a license to ride a bike, so you do not need to carry or present an ID. 
• Police are allowed to do a pat-down over your clothes, in order to check for weapons “for their own safety”. You don’t have to consent to any further searches of your things or your bike. 

That’s pretty much what I’ve got! If you have any other questions or things to change/ add, please contact me. 

Alyssa Proudfoot
Community Outreach Coordinator
Recovery Bike Shop
(925) 784-5479
alyssaafoot@gmail.com

On November 10, 2019, dozens of participants of all skill levels attended and participated in Grease Rag’s 11th Annual Winter Skill Share!

At the Winter Skill Share, we tapped into the deep wisdom of our Twin Cities FTW biking community — and shared resources for riding through the Gear Swap — so that we can all have a safe, fun winter riding season.

Special thanks to our presenters Low, Liz, Patrick and France, along with volunteer reporters Kym, Noelle, France and Carolyn. And much gratitude to the incredible organizers and day-of volunteers who brought us together including Low, Patrick, Maddie, Genevieve, Lucy, Linda, JJ, Krista, Ames, Victoria, Margaret, Kat, Tina and others!

Click the links below for recaps from each of the sessions:

• Winter Self Care
• Winter Bike Maintenance
• What to Wear
• Routing and Handling
• Q&A and Group Share

If you have resources or take-aways to add to any of the posts, please email carolyn.szczepanskI@gmail.com and she can update!

White savior talking about gifting bikes to villages in Africa. A bike fashion show that was… beyond words. Even I cringed through half of the program.

Still, despite the fact that I invited them to be on an equity panel (Yep! Did that, too!), three young leaders from the Ovarian Psycos graciously accepted an invitation to speak. Representing their women of color led group ,which actively confronts injustice and builds radical community, they blew sh*t up with their rejection of the cartoonish but prevailing image of women in the bike advocacy community: compliant, skirt-wearing, white ladies riding Dutch bikes.

Just this month, I got schooled by the Ovas again, as founder Xela de la X came to Minneapolis for our screening of the Ovarian Psycos documentary. Not only did she make me consider my own role in perpetuating white supremacy as a communicator and cyclist — but she also addressed criticism that the Ovas’ language is unwelcoming to trans, non-binary and disabled folx.

Xela at the Grease Rag screening, photo by Monica Bryand

One of the most important moments for me came before the film, as Xela explained the deeply problematic nature of white filmmakers telling the stories of women of color. That had a special sting. I was a reporter for many years, telling stories of powerful people, like Xela, in ways that were likely tokenizing and superficial. In my current job, I do communications around an issue that disproportionately impacts communities of color — an issue I’ve never personally experienced.

It was uncomfortable, but necessary, to hear Xela talk about how that “white gaze” romanticizes and flattens fights against oppression, often leaving unexamined the role of white folx in creating and perpetuating the racist systems — and then discovering or “lifting up the stories” of people acting for their liberation. Not to mention minimizing or omiting community-driven solutions because they threaten the current paradigm.

Photo courtesy of filmmakers

As she spoke about the filmmakers doggedly pursuing the Ovas even after they said they weren’t interested in being the subject of a film, I reflected on my audacity to believe I have the right or ability to tell these stories at all, rather than using any power or privilege to pass on skills and resources to community members to create and share their own narrative.

And, maybe more than anything else, she made clear the imperative that the characters in the story have the right to review and determine how their story is told — a concept they definitely didn’t teach me in journalism school.

With that preface, I watched the documentary with a different lens. Yes, it’s deeply moving in telling the personal stories of several leaders who have endured unspeakable hardships, and the imagery of LA streets full of rowdy WTF riders taking up space and celebrating their power is f*cking awesome. But I could see a tinge of that white gaze.

After the film, Xela took a few questions and there was such a passion and urgency in her voice. When I had the privilege to ask her about the Ovarian Psycos’ work pushing back against gentrification, she described their efforts by saying, “This is war.” Rather than patiently waiting for their communities to be colonized and destroyed as elected officials or advocates bumble to come up with ivory tower policies to combat displacement, the Ovarian Psycos are taking direct action in defense of their families and neighbors.

That wasn’t in the documentary.

That reality, the life and death implications of our white supremacist, capitalist institutions, doesn’t show up in most of our bike spaces, either. And that silence — or worse, erasure — is violence, too.

And Xela owned that the Ovas have heard the concerns that they are complicit in erasing WTF identities, as well. As has been cited in other stories (h/t to Z’s comment in Low’s post this week), the language infused throughout the group’s work and identity is gender essentialist and trans-exclusive. Xela said they’re working to address those valid critiques and are in the process of changing some aspects of their group expression.

One of the goals of the documentary screening was to raise money for the Ovarian Pyscos healing space in LA and to support BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) leaders within Grease Rag. In just a few hours, we raised more than $1,100.

Local leaders and organizers
(Photos by Monica Bryand)

Xela and Grease Rag leader, Low
(Photos by Monica Bryand)

For me the screening was a warm reminder of the solidarity that has been and is constantly being created with Grease Rag. It reminded me that we need to vigilant in addressing oppresive behavior — and be eager to receive and act on that input.

So much gratitude to Xela and the Ovarian Psycos, as well as everyone who made the screening happen!

Photo by Lindsey Wallace, bikinginmpls.com

I am so honored that people see me as an accessible resource! I love to be helpful, and I want to work tirelessly toward safer and inclusive spaces. The most flattering thing about being asked for help is not that I feel proud of the expertise people perceive I hold. The most flattering thing is that people trust me and find me approachable enough to want to be vulnerable. And the fact that people are reaching out means they want to learn and grow, which makes the world a better place to live in.
How to ask for knowledge and perspective from someone who experiences oppression

By now, we should all know that just because you want to know more about the black experience, doesn’t mean you can approach a black person and demand they share their thoughts and experiences with you. If you want to know about what it is like to be a WTF, they don’t owe you “WTF 101.” But if you are genuine in your desire to learn, how do you ask someone for help with something outside of your understanding? Here are some steps to respectfully asking someone to be vulnerable with you, and share their time and energy with you.

1. Always remember to ask for consent! Nobody owes you anything, you aren’t entitled to anything. e.g. “Would you like to have coffee on Friday to discuss ____#8221; Be able to take no for an answer. “No? No problem! Thanks for being clear and honest with me. If you ever change your mind know that I am interested.”
2. Do some research. Either on your own, or you can ask for some homework before we talk. You don’t have to be an expert, but it helps if we have shared understandings of basic concepts, and if you have specific questions we can be extra productive. e.g. Google it first.
3. Set goals and expectations. What do you expect to get out of this conversation? e.g. “I’d like to share something I got called out on that I don’t understand. Could you help me get to the bottom of that#8221;
4. Accept my knowledge and experience. My experience is just mine. I can’t speak for anyone else. Telling me not to feel a certain way or that what I’ve experienced is not real is not cool. e.g. Don’t say, “You need to stop being angry.” Please say, “Thank you for your perspective!”
5. Drop the ‘ttude. Defensiveness is an understandable reaction when talking about difficult subjects, but that doesn’t mean it is welcome. No one is perfect and we all have to start somewhere, so try to stop defending yourself and avoid blame and really think about what’s being said. e.g. If you feel like saying “Not all…” just stop.
6. Compensate me for my work. Talking about the trauma and pain of my identity is emotional work. Discussing the nuances of how to do better is work. WTFs, POC, and other folks are expected to do this work for the benefit of the people who benefit from systems that oppress us, just beause they ask. It is fair to compensate people for their time and work that has value.
7. Thank me and appreciate my time and energy. Because I am thankful you asked, and I appreciate your time and energy.

My friend Nicole recently told me that having concrete examples is a good way to give people the tools to support you. Instead of “Be respectful,” I’m saying, “Don’t make ‘jokes’ about gay or trans people, because it is disrespectful.” I’m practicing this communication in this list.

I am over the moon that an event like Babes and all of the language that has been swirling around in preparation for, and during Babes has catalyzed these conversations! Humans have an amazing capacity for learning and for empathy. I love that the more we learn, the more we feel the pain and triumph of others. Never stop learning. Never stop feeling.

We are all in this together.

Grease Rag Friend Ninjarita O’Brien is one of the admins of the Facebook group, Twin Cities Stolen Bikes, and has done a great job documenting how to hang onto your bike, be able to identify your bike if it is stolen, and provide information on how to find your bike and reunite found bikes.

You can download these images here.

Keeping your bike secure

Here are some general tips on securing your bicycle:

• Use a u-lock and another type of lock
• Lock up in well-lit, well-trafficked areas
• Lock your wheels and frame to something immoveable that your bike can’t be lifted off of, like a sign pole without a sign on top
• At minimum lock your frame
• Store your bike indoors in a secure location as much as possible
• Make sure your mobile apps (Strava, MapMyRide, etc.) are not broadcasting your current location
• Watch a video on locking techniques
• Secure your bike to something immoveable even when it is in your garage or shed
• Use locking skewers on your wheels
• More tips from the Minneapolis PD: Preventing bicycle theft

Identifying your bike

Try these techniques to provide enough information if your bike is stolen, and to help other people spot it if it is riding around town without you.

• Store this data someplace where it can’t be easily deleted
• Take a picture of you and your bike periodically, showing the drive train side of the bike
• Write down the serial number on your bike, often under the bottom bracket shell
• Register your bike with bikeindex.org
• You can register your bicycle with the Minneapolis Police Department online, or call 311, or use 311’s phone app.
• Make a list of how to ID your bike, from color to brand to parts and any other details

What to do when your bike is stolen

From the Minneapolis PD website:

Be sure to report your lost or stolen bicycle with the Minneapolis Police Department. A lost or stolen bicycle report may be made by calling Mpls 311 or going to your respective precinct to make your report (reports may not be made by phone to your precinct).

Be sure to include in your report details about color, make, model, bicycle serial number, registration number, and other unique identifiers. These details not only aid in the identification and recovery of lost or stolen bicycles and return to their rightful owners, they assist investigators with developing useful suspect information.

You can visit the Minneapolis Police website for more information on the process. Obtain a copy of the police report & keep it on you.

Report stolen bicycles where appropriate

• Minneapolis Police Property Crimes 612-673-5715
• U of MN Police Dept. Sergeant Pete Reineke 612-624-8098
• Go to your precinct
• Call Mpls 311 (Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.)

After notifying the police, search the internet and post on social media. NEVER POST YOUR SERIAL NUMBER ANYWHERE PUBLIC!

Post on Twin Cities Stolen Bikes on Facebook

Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/TwinCitiesStolenBikes/, where bikes have been known to resurface.

• Post, “My bike was stolen.”
• Include a photo with descriptions that name bike brand, color, where and when it was stolen, any customizations
• If you have updated the bike with a new saddle, pedals or anything else make note of it so people can tell if they have truly located your bike
• Type in a lot of descriptive words, because they need to be searchable in the group if a bike is found!
• Hope for the best

Also, search the group using the search feature at the top of the page for key words that match your bike!

Other places to search, and post.

When posting, follow the same guidelines as above!

• http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/
• https://offerupnow.com
• https://instagram.com/bikeindex/
• http://www.localbiketrader.com/
• Pawn Shops

What to do if you find a bike

If you have a stolen bike in your possession

• Contact Property & Evidence Unit (612) 673-2932
• Or e-mail a description of your item to police@minneapolismn.gov
• Visit the Minneapolis Police Stolen Bike info page

Try to find the owner with Twin Cities Stolen Bikes on Facebook

Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/TwinCitiesStolenBikes/

• Take a photo of the suspect bike- Make sure you get the whole bike in the picture and the photo is clear
• Search the Twin Cities Stolen Bikes group using the search feature at the top of the page: bike brand + bike color
• If you find a matching “stolen” post, contact the owner! (Private message them, and if you share Facebook friends with them, have your mutual friends also message them.)
• If you do not find a matching “stolen” post, post a photo to the “found” album, including a wordy description, bike brand, and bike color

Please keep the abandoned bikes off the “Stolen” news feed.

Other places to search, and post.

When posting, follow the same guidelines as above!

• http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/
• https://offerupnow.com
• https://instagram.com/bikeindex/
• http://www.localbiketrader.com/

Found a STOLEN bike listed elsewhere online for sale?

• Take a screen capture of the entire posting. These posts sometimes “disappear” and are flagged for removal, which makes them really difficult to find
• Contact the person who posted the bike was stolen from them
• Send the info to the Police

Warning: This post contains descriptions of a dead animal, and processing an animal for consumption. I have included graphic photos of the animal and the process below.

Goodnight, Rabbit

Saturday night I was slowly rolling down the Greenway from Kinkos, with my panniers full of paper and things for Sunday’s 6th Annual Winter Biking Skill Share. It was 9pm, dark, quiet. I was on my way to my dear friend Melanie’s dinner party, and I was wearing a party dress and didn’t want to get sweaty on the way there so I was taking it easy, probably going all of 10mph. All of a sudden I felt something, heard something, and out of the corner of my eye, saw something. I say “something” because I’m still not exactly sure what happened, but my first thought was that something fell out of my pannier. I pulled over, clicked my helmet light on, and saw that I had hit/ a bunny had hit my bike.

Poor little thing!

I went over and prodded it to see if I had killed it, and it hopped into the “crouch” position. Oh good! I probably just knocked the lil’ guy out somehow. I petted the bunny while it seemed to be gathering its wits, and after a minute, picked it up to help it off the trail. It gave a shudder. It was a cold night, so I grabbed the plastic bag I keep stashed under my leather saddle to keep it dry when it rains, placed the bunny in there and put it in my jacket to see if that would help him along. (Wild animals have fleas and ticks and other things that I didn’t want in my jacket. I left his head out, I just loosely had his fur covered in the bag.) That’s when I realized the shudder was the bunny dying.

So I’m on the Greenway, in the dark, with a dead bunny in my hands, still warm, with his eyes open. I checked his body over, and there was no evidence that I had run over his body or that he had any sores or wounds. I think the bunny just hit his head so hard he wouldn’t be waking up in the morning. All things considered, not the worst way to go.

I always carry a plastic bag under my seat. I also always carry a sharp knife.

My first thought was to move the dead animal to the ditch and continue on. But… something about that didn’t really appeal to me. This rabbit died in my hands. I could still feel the warmth and energy in its body. Leaving something warm on the side of the road didn’t feel right to me, so I decided I would take the meat and eat the rabbit. If you’ve eaten fresh game, or fresh meat, you know that there is something special about it. The meat, dead, still contains some element of life, some trace of vibrating life energy. This is in contrast to the pieces of trimmed red protein presented on styrofoam trays and squished by plastic wrap you see at grocery stores.

Things I Know About Rabbits

They have a high internal temperature. If you are going to eat a dead rabbit, you need to skin and clean it ASAP, especially if the day is hot, because the meat will start to rot very quickly.

Their fur comes off very easily, especially if the body is still warm. If you were in a survival situation, you wouldn’t even need a knife. You could use a sharp rock or stick to get it started.

Rabbit skin is pretty thin, and if you get too rough you can rip the pelt as you roll it off the body. If you are interested in the pelt, be gently and maybe use a knife to help remove the membrane between skin and meat.

Skinning and Cleaning

If you ever need to skin and clean a rabbit, there are plenty of tutorials online. I found this one to be very thorough with lots of descriptions, tips, and helpful photographs. Here is another one. (I believe both are written by women.) I personally know two methods for skinning them. One is the quick method of making a small incision in the middle of the back (hold the fur away from the body), and removing it in two pieces, one piece working toward the tail, and the other piece working toward the head. You do this when you don’t want the pelt in one piece. The other method is to hold the rabbit by a rear foot, cut around the ankle joint to separate the fur from the foot, cut an “inseam”, and gently roll the pelt toward the head. This is good if you care about the pelt.

Well, I had a dinner party to get to, so I worked fast, and I worked efficient. I broke the neck of the rabbit first, just to doubly triply make sure this rabbit wouldn’t feel any pain in case he was only mostly dead (this was… overkill), removed the pelt in two pieces, leaving the tail, socks, and head for later, because I was in a rush. I pinched some skin away from the innards at the lower abdomen and made an incision the size of a quarter. I put two fingers of my left hand into the incision pulled the abdominal skin up and away from the body, carefully using my knife to cut a seam from the belly to the bottom of the rib cage.

(If you would like to see a photo of the pelt halfway off of the carcass, click here.)

Things I Know About Rabbits

Sick rabbits smell bad, have sores, have cloudy eyes, bright spots on their livers. I inspected this young buck and he got a clean bill of health.

DO NOT PUNCTURE THE GALL, POO SACK, or PEE SACK. If you do any of these things wash it off immediately. If gall, poo, or pee sits on the meat, discard the animal and wash your hands really well. Game over.

To remove the gall bladder or urine bladder, go to the part of the sack where it is connected, and pinch firmly without squeezing the bladder, and twist and pull to remove. Pitch them.

I always carry a plastic bag, and a sharp knife. On this evening I happened to have an empty mason jar from the day’s lunch.

I removed the kidney and liver (remove the gall bladder) and put them in the mason jar. I put my hand in along the spine and carefully scooped out the rest of the organs, taking care not to puncture the colon or bladder. Cut the pelvis and clean its butt. Between the rib cage and abdominal cavity there is a membrane you want to cut into to remove the heart, which I put in my jar. I removed the lungs and discarded them. I used my water bottle to rinse the carcass a little bit. I walked a block to the community garden to rinse my hands.

The moon was about three-quarters full that night. After field dressing the animal while I was wearing a party dress, I took a moment to appreciate the animal. Thank you, Rabbit.

It was 27 degrees, so I put the mason jar and rabbit in the plastic bag, secured it to my rear rack and went to the party. (First stop was the bathroom for some thorough soap and hot water hand-washing!) A few hours later I took the rabbit home with me, and finished the job in my basement, removing the head and feet with my same small knife. I put a strainer in the utility sink and thoroughly rinsed and cleaned the carcass with very cold water, and rinsed the organs. I put it in a ziplock bag, inside of a paper bag so it wouldn’t freak out my roommate, and went to bed.

Butchering

The next day, after the Skill Share, I decided to try my hand at butchering. I found this guide helpful. And this is a different approach. (Both have detailed photos.) I’ve never done this part before, and it wasn’t that difficult, but I definitely didn’t do the most clean and beautiful job. Sorry, Rabbit. I estimate the young buck yielded about 1.5-2 pounds of very lean meat.

Cooking

I personally do not eat chicken, but I enjoy rabbit meat. Some people say that rabbit tastes like chicken, but I can’t speak to that. I do know that you can use most chicken recipes for rabbit meat.

Braisés Lapin, with Lemon Miso Sauce

Brown the meat in oil on medium temperature.

Remove the rabbit from the pan, and add chopped onions. Sautee until tender.
Add chopped garlic and fresh thyme, and cook for a minute until fragrant.

Combine 1/4 cup stock (I was out so I used miso), some lemon juice, a couple tablespoons of water and 4-5 tablespoons of flour, whisk smooth.
Add rabbit and sauce back into the pan, bring to a boil, make sure meat reaches an internal temperature of 160F.

Remove rabbit, cook down until sauce thickens.
Serve.

Rabbit Cooked in Oil

I put the belly, back/loin, and breast in a pan with butter, on medium heat, and added a little salt and pepper, and at these while the front and hind limbs cooked with the onions and sauce, because I couldn’t wait and I like simple preparation.

I put the organs I had saved in the pan with some butter, on low/medium heat, and cooked them for a few minutes on each side. I sprinkled on some salt and pepper and savored these pieces.

Rabbit Liver Pate

I did not have enough liver to make pate, but if you feel so inclined, this is how I would do it.

1. Salt 1 or 2 livers on both sides.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a hot pan until it starts to bubble.
3. Add the liver, and after 30 seconds to a minute, flip it, then remove from the pan.
4. Add another tablespoon of butter and 3 tablespoons of minced shallot (or less onion if you don’t have shallots) and minced garlic while lowering the heat.
5. After everything starts to soften and come together add a couple splashes of cognac, sherry or port, and deglaze the pan.
6. Finely chop everything up together, and optionally smoosh it with the side of your knife to make a paste. (If you had a ton of liver you could use the food processor, but this has been such a hands-on process so far, why introduce a machine?)
7. Stick a sprig of thyme in it for pretties, and salt and pepper to taste.

Things I Learned

• Always carry a plastic bag under your seat.
• You can eat city rabbits.
• The front limbs are not connected with bone, only ligaments and muscle.
• I should have soaked the carcass after I finished dressing it, but I didn’t, and it was just fine.
• You can, after removing blood from the hide, put pelts in the freezer for tanning later. It doesn’t damage the pelt.
• To identify tapeworms, you want to look for cysts attached to the liver, intestines, gut or lungs.
  Thank You, Rabbit

In closing, I want to mention I didn’t write this to be shocking or disrespectful to the animal I killed. I love animals, and I felt sadness when the bunny died in my hands. Eating this animal was the way I chose to respect its life. I wrote this because I thought some people might be interested that you can eat city rabbit, and that it is very easy to field dress and prepare small game, if you chose to go that route. Thank you for reading. And thank you, Rabbit.

Technology. It’s something that I definitely like to step back from and remind myself that there’s a whole wide world out there beyond what’s on some tiny little screen. One of the reasons that I love being on a bike is that I have to pay attention to everything around me all the time, and there’s no way I can engage with my phone and stay safe and alert. So the phone stays securely tucked away, and I ride fully attuned to what’s around me. That’s not to say that there aren’t some sweet ways to utilize smartphones and other gadgets and websites. I’m going to expound a bit here on how I’ve utilized such modern wonders to enhance my life on a bike.

Dero Zap

An incentive to commute! A couple of years ago, my partner and I stumbled on a Dero Zap table while at an event at Freewheel Midtown. At the table, I chatted with a representative who explained that I could mount a tag on my wheel, and as I biked around town past one of their stations, I would be “zapped.” I could register my tag online, and there I could input the distance of my commute. From then on, the website will take care of recording my miles and adding up fun facts like how many miles I’ve commuted or how many gallons of gas I have saved by commuting. I enjoy the “zap.” I have been known to ride out of my way to find a zap station. (There are many by the U of M, but many parts of the metro don’t have them. Luckily, I have several on my commute from Northeast through downtown to Kenwood.) Note that this program is free, and you can get multiple bikes tagged, so no matter which one you’re riding, your commute will be recorded.Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 8.09.07 PM.png

Map My Ride

I know there are several GPS-related apps that are available and can be run on Android and iPhone. I happen to use MapMyRide. It’s free (although they like to remind you that you can pay for the MVP version and your life will be complete). It works well, and you can choose to either use the phone app and have it “live map” you while you ride, or you can go onto the website after you’ve done a ride and map it with the map feature. I don’t know why I’m so entertained by doing the latter, but I love to go in and map where I’ve been and then name the route. MapMyRide also syncs with your FitBit (yet another tech gadget, not so great with biking so I’m not going to discuss it here). You can “friend” people on MapMyRide, and then it will let you know when they’ve ridden, if they’ve won awards (usually based on their own Personal Records) and you can “like” what they’ve done and tell them they’re rad. I find this to be very inspiring and I love the simple little exercise of entering my rides after I’ve completed them. It tallies your miles so you can have a neat little total at the end of every week.

I feel a little silly about how much I can be inspired by these little details. But I like to know that I’ve logged some significant miles on my bike. It makes me feel really good to know that I’ve moved myself almost 3000 miles in commuting since I tagged my bike.

What moves you? Do you have favorite applications or technology that help inspire you to ride your bike? Share them in the comments section! Let’s inspire each other.

Grease Rag friend Melody H. writes about biking to a professional interview. Great tips, and a helpful checklist at the end. Thank you, Melody!

Last week, I biked to a professional interview. I chose this method of transportation over driving or taking mass transit. Despite some wardrobe challenges, the predictability of biking to my destination was worth the trade-off of not arriving in my interview outfit. On my bike I did not have to worry about traffic, finding parking, or being stressed out about a potentially slow and behind-schedule light rail. I chose not to bike in my interview outfit because it was a tight-fitted dress and a bit too warm for the lovely sunny summer day. In the end, I am happy with my decision to bike and even with some unique logistics, I arrived with plenty of time to change and relax before my interview. Here is how I did it.

Getting There

I planned to leave my house 5 minutes earlier than I normally would to bike to my destination (about 4 miles away). Planning to arrive 30 minutes before my interview I knew that even if my bike broke down it would leave me plenty of time to hop a bus or walk the remaining way to the location. I had no problems riding over and arrived, as planned, 30 minutes early. Before I left for the interview, I went online and scouted out the building the interview was in and found a near-by building to change and relax. I chose not to change in the building my interview was in because I did not want to, on the off-chance, run into the interviewers. If there was not a near-by building I would have opted to change on a different floor than the interview.

My biking outfit and “changing room”

What to Bring

To bike over, I wore a baggy t-shirt, padded capri pants, and canvas shoes. I tied my hair back to minimize sweating. I knew cooling down after the ride would be my biggest challenge and dressed for that challenge. I brought a pannier bag filled with the following:

• My interview “purse” (I had to buy this a year ago because all my bags are meant for biking. Whoops!)
• Interview clothes (I packed the dress last, folding it loosely and carefully over all the other items and in a thick plastic bag)
• Lint brush
• Hair brush
• Small water bottle (to fit in my purse)
• Trail mix (I get hungry after I ride and did not want to feel drained from a lack of calories!)
• A bandana

The bandana proved to be the best thing I brought. After biking in the sun I went into a stuffy bathroom to change. I had to cover up my tattoos (my choice) so I had a hard time cooling down in tights and a dress. I used the bandana to wipe off sweat and put cold water on it in a continued effort cool me down after I changed. Next time I think I will sit and cool down before I put on my interview outfit. I was so anxious about being ready in time that I wanted to just get the change over with. I was able to shower right before I left for the interview which made me feel fresh and clean despite some sweating. You are not supposed to wear perfumes to interviews, so I put trust in my soap and deodorant to carry me through. After I changed, I sat in that building’s lobby and drank water, patted off sweat, and chewed on some cashews. I was changed in less than 10 minutes and took 15 minutes to center myself. I do not wear make-up, but if I did, a few minutes before the interview would be when I’d apply it. Sweat + make-up = no bueno.

Tada! Interview time! (cardigan left off to cool down)

Ditching My Bike Stuff

The other logistical question I pondered was what to do with my pannier bag and bike clothes during the interview. I chose to leave the bag, with my clothes and helmet inside, on my bike. I did not want to be lugging two bags, especially because I had my fancy interview purse. It did not seem entirely professional to be dragging my bike gear into an interview. So I had to put trust in my fellow humans to not mess with my bag or its contents during my hour-long interview. With that said, biking is seen as “cool” in many professional circles around here and I doubt the interviewers would have looked down upon me for bringing my bike gear in. In fact, it probably would have been an interesting ice breaker. I am extra lucky because a lot of my professional work is based in bicycling so I would not be surprised if people assumed I would be biking and bringing in my helmet. But, this was not a “bike job” so I tried to be as professional as possible. Which meant leaving the sweaty clothes and bag on my bike.

The interview went well. By the time the interview started I was cooled-off and no one would have guessed I had biked over in padded pants and a baggy shirt. After the interview I went back to the near-by building and quickly changed into my comfy bike outfit. I was slightly concerned an interviewer would see me biking away in my casual attire, but perhaps my Superman-esque disguise made me blend in with the rest of the people in the area as I biked home.

If your interview or professional meeting is in biking distance I highly recommend biking. This is mostly because it is a low-stress mode of transportation. People are rarely late from biking but often late due to traffic, parking headaches, or a missed bus. Depending on what you want to wear and the weather, you may need to plan some time to change. But it is worth calmly changing in a bathroom stall rather than frantically staring at the clock watching the minutes tick by and the rows of cars not moving or the parking lot flash its “Full” sign.

Biking to an Interview Check List

1. Find the location of your interview and map a bike-friendly route. If you are unfamiliar with the location, ride to the location at least once before you interview. Scope out near-by buildings to change (perhaps a café?) and a place to lock up your bike. Make sure the building will be open at the time of your interview.

2. Figure out if you can ride in your outfit. Can you wear half the outfit there to minimize changing? Some people like to change their top when they arrive. If you need to do a full change, make sure you remember all parts of your outfit and wear something comfortable for your ride.

3. What are you going to do with your bike related gear when you get to your interview? Can you leave it on your bike? Is it in a location with lockers? Do you feel comfortable bringing it with you? Perhaps you can leave it with the office assistant. Remember, people are often impressed with bike commuters so do not feel ashamed of your transportation choice! The interviewers may be impressed with such a “daring” choice (although we know it isn’t all that daring).

4. Give yourself PLENTY of time to change, regulate your body temperature, and relax. This is good advice no matter what form of transit you take, but you are already choosing the low-stress mode of biking so no need to add stress by being late. You may also want to see if there are bus routes along your route in case you get a flat. Bring the interviewer’s phone number in the rare case of a bike malfunction or accident.

5. Feel proud and happy that you rode to your interview! How lucky are you that you get to enjoy a ride before and after a pretty stressful event?! Reward yourself with an iced tea or coffee when you are done. You deserve it!

My messy desk

The biggest thing that I do to make my commute easier is I take multiple outfits into work at a time. This means that I don’t have to carry clothes into work every day, freeing up some cargo room for groceries, or baked goods for my coworkers, or maybe I feel like commuting on my road bike and don’t want to carry a big bag full of clothing!

I always keep baselayers (Bike shorts and top in the summer, thin wool top and tights in the winter.), underwear/ bra, and socks at work. I do this so I will always have a dry pair of clothing to bike home in. Warm, dry baselayers are essential to survival and comfort!

I also keep a pair of “emergency pants” at work. For emergencies! Blow out the butt of your jeans on the way to work? Spill tomato soup on yourself right before a big meeting? Too breezy for the skirt you were planning to wear? Emergency pants to the rescue! All of the the other pants and skirts in this photo I bring in a few at a time and rotate them out.

For versatility, I keep a neutral gray cardigan that I can throw on over anything, and a big black sweater that keeps me warm and matches most things. The other tops I bring in a few at a time and rotate around.

I keep a few pairs of shoes under my desk. I don’t want to have to walk around in my clipless shoes or snow boots all day!

This photo shows some of my “cleaning supplies.” I could not live without a toothbrush at work!

My commute is 8 miles, and I always get sweaty. I don’t mind a little sweat, but I do prefer to change my clothes when I get to work, which is why I store some clothes in my office.

I have the added bonus of having a locker room and shower facilities where I work, although I only really use the shower during the really hot hot sweaty months, and those months where a hot shower literally thaws my blood and reanimates me. I don’t consider a shower at work a necessity, but it is a welcome luxury. If you need a shower at work and your employer doesn’t provide facilities, see if they will subsidize a gym or health club membership where you could shower up.

What do you do to make your bike commute work for you? What is keeping you from commuting to work by bike?