Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Some serious hills
...at least for someone towing 70 pounds of kid and trailer! Today I tried to ride from the Sanchos - Emerald Market area up Oak Knoll to Five Corners. I was ok for a little while, then had to get off and push the rig for a bit, then got back on, and turned around after just a few more tenths of a mile. If I had consulted my map (I always keep a copy of the San Mateo County Bike Map, a great resource and usually available at local bike shops like Chain Reaction), I would have realized I had just a fifth of a mile to go before reaching my goal. Next time.
This is a really tough ride, as you can imagine! Give it a try if you are wondering if you can commute by bike in the hills, but make sure your brakes are in excellent working order first! Check out my Bikely map of the of the route.
This is a really tough ride, as you can imagine! Give it a try if you are wondering if you can commute by bike in the hills, but make sure your brakes are in excellent working order first! Check out my Bikely map of the of the route.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Routes around the RC
Planning routes can be challenging when you're concerned about the best way to go towing a trailer. If you want to plan your own routes, try the streets early on a weekend or holiday morning when you won't have to worry about too much traffic. Or, get some help from Biking Moms and Bikely, a great resource where cyclists help each other out.
So far I've only created a couple routes on Bikely, one of which is for getting to Whole Foods. This can be tricky because Jefferson can be a barrier for cyclists and because of some dead-end streets. (The other is just a mile long but shows you how to avoid the big hill at Alameda and McGarvey.)
Specifically, the way to deal with Jefferson is to take Hudson. There's a traffic signal there. Actually riding on Jefferson is not recommended -- even if you aren't towing a trailer -- because it's two lanes of fast traffic with no bike lane and parked cars on both sides.
So far I've only created a couple routes on Bikely, one of which is for getting to Whole Foods. This can be tricky because Jefferson can be a barrier for cyclists and because of some dead-end streets. (The other is just a mile long but shows you how to avoid the big hill at Alameda and McGarvey.)
Specifically, the way to deal with Jefferson is to take Hudson. There's a traffic signal there. Actually riding on Jefferson is not recommended -- even if you aren't towing a trailer -- because it's two lanes of fast traffic with no bike lane and parked cars on both sides.
I looove stuff like this
Monday, May 19, 2008
Q&A
Thanks to Astrid for today's Q&A!
Q. I'm looking to buy a hybrid bike and a child seat for my almost 3-year old. Any recommendations of bike brands and places to buy a bike?
The bike shop to go to in Redwood City is Chain Reaction on El Camino between Jefferson and Woodside. The staff is really knowledgeable and helpful and they have a big selection of bikes. I think REI is also a good place to buy a bike. And my favorite all-time bike shop is Menlo Velo on El Camino in Menlo Park, near the new Safeway. I bought a bike there shortly after we moved to Menlo Park from the Midwest nine years ago. I still have the bike and they still remember me and give excellent service for good prices. They have a good selection of commuter-type bikes. They have a good service plan, too.Q. I'm looking to buy a hybrid bike and a child seat for my almost 3-year old. Any recommendations of bike brands and places to buy a bike?
As for brands of bikes, I haven't been in the market for a new bike in over five years. But if I were going to buy a new bike now, I'd probably look at Bianchis, since I have a Bianchi road bike that I love and a couple of my friends do, too. I also like the Breezer bikes they have at Menlo Velo and some of the "town" and other bikes at Talbots in San Mateo.
Q. Do you know if the downtown has bike parking? I haven't really noticed.
A. There are bike racks scattered around downtown that look kind of like this, but aren't nearly as cool because they don't have the bicycle in the middle :-)
Labels: bike shops, bikes, parking, QnA
Saturday, May 17, 2008
The perfect commuting capris
Sometimes the right gear can make a big difference. I've been looking for the perfect bottoms for commuting all spring (who wants to wear spandex all the time?) and I found them at Lucy. And they're on sale! I also am a fan of Lucy because they carry their pants in lengths, and at 5'2" that's kind of a big deal.
Friday, May 16, 2008
100
Turnout for Bike to Work Day was high, despite the high temps. I had to be too many different places to bike anywhere yesterday. Were any of you out there braving the heat? How did you cope?
Labels: Bike to Work Day, weather
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Happy Bike to Work Day!
Thursday is Bike to Work Day. If you're out and about on your bike check out the "energizer station" at the Redwood City Caltrain station. I'm sure they'll give you a banana even if you're biking to the store or school and not work :-)
Labels: Bike to Work Day
The new Biking RC
I've just revamped this blog to aim it towards moms towing trailers in Redwood City, mostly. Hopefully I can get some other parents to contribute, sharing stories, tips, etc.
