use the front brake

for my commuter bike. the only disadvantage of my new neighborhood is that it is 8 miles from home, and during traffic times (which is when I need to get around) I have to take surface streets. so, my goal is to ride my tricked out commuter bike.
today I bought a cool mesh basket for the front of the bike. the shopping bag thingie that I bought ages ago never really worked..flopped around and occasionally would fly off the side rail. usually at very inconvenient times, like when a car was driving by or when I was crossing an intersection.
I am going to try it tomorrow and let you know how it goes.

valley of the north..finally. it was beautiful. 72 miles, and thankfully, very little wind.

“unknown valley of the south”. supposed to be 100 miles, but through a series of misadventures (including me driving to the unknown valley of the north, an extra hour and a half loop of a drive), a flat tire (took us 2 tubes and 5 co2 cartridges to fix..doh), getting lost on course and 30-40 mile per hour headwind. we rode 3 hours into that wind…blasted my eyes and karen had to drive my car home because i couldn’t see.
that valley is still unknown.

2 hour class and now my butt hurts.
_yay!

was great, the weather is unreal here right now. but the bike seat was meant for boy parts, not girl parts, and by the time i got home…
_ouch

riding as the newest member of “team bitch”...we won the iron okale award for our division.

the prize was fitting…10 tubes of “century riding cream” _{(bum cream)}

clipped in, fell.
_{before i left the driveway}

claremont hotel to tunnel, skyline, redwood road, pinehurst, back to skyline, then down the hill.

we got caught in the thick fog and the dark at the end. not too smart, but surreal, and a solid ride.

bought a road bike!

“Fast, fun and fantastic, Fuji’s Finest 1.0 is just the bike you need to enjoy your road riding more than ever. It sports Fuji’s light and lively Altair 2 aluminum frame with carbon seatstays and Fuji’s carbon fork for effortless acceleration, quick climbing and precision cornering. Complementing the superb ride is an Alex A-Class aero wheelset with Continental tires, and a TruVativ/Shimano compact 20-speed drivetrain with the perfect gearing for all types of riding. Best of all, this bicycle offers a women’s-specific fit, too.”

perfect starter bike. first ride: up tunnel road, to skyline, down claremont, then home.
_{i like the uphills}