Category: Interviews

Bicycling Events, Freezing Saddles, Interviews, Winter Cycling & Freezing Saddles

Kidical Riding All Year Long: Freezing Saddles with Justin and Kid-D

I love showing KidD the sights, sounds, smells, and richness of the city by bike – and winter is no different. We see the huge Christmas wreaths at Union Station, we watch the daffodils come up by the Senate Park, and we see the water freeze “into ice!” at the Capitol Grounds. We learn to love tailwinds on the way home. We sing songs.

As we watch the world cruise by at 8 mph, KidD is a constant stream of vocabulary, naming colors, kinds of trucks, “doggies wearing coats,” and birds. Most importantly, we always arrive at our destination more awake and energized than when we left.
–Justin

Bicycling is for everyone, from kids to grownups, and the final installment of the Freezing Saddles series features the family bike riding duo of Justin and his two-and-a-half year old son, KidD. Continue reading “Kidical Riding All Year Long: Freezing Saddles with Justin and Kid-D”

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Bicycling Events, Commuting & Transpo, Freezing Saddles, Interviews, Winter Cycling & Freezing Saddles

On Beer Can Koozie Ear Warmers and Other Freezing Saddles Secrets: Winter Cycling with Kate

It is our secret that riding is so much more fun, and probably faster and less stressful than the alternatives! And that doesn’t even account for all the great winter days, when the sun is shining on the sparkly snow, or there is a fabulous sunset over the river, or a big moon rises as you pedal uphill to home. You don’t get to see … Continue reading On Beer Can Koozie Ear Warmers and Other Freezing Saddles Secrets: Winter Cycling with Kate

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Bicycling Events, Freezing Saddles, Interviews, Winter Cycling & Freezing Saddles

Peaceful, Meditative, Beautiful: Freezing Saddles with Ian

The colder it gets means fewer people are out on the paths and it can be incredibly peaceful. Imagine riding an empty bike trail on a cold morning as the sun rises right behind you. How can you have a bad day, when your days starts out like that?
–Ian

Freezing Saddles rider and fellow year-round commuter, Ian, captures one of my favorite aspects of winter riding – the personal space gained, if only for a brief window of time. Continue reading “Peaceful, Meditative, Beautiful: Freezing Saddles with Ian”

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Bicycling Events, Freezing Saddles, Interviews, Winter Cycling & Freezing Saddles

Ready for Spring, But In the Meantime: A Freezing Saddles Chat With Lisa S.

Snow falls outside my window, coinciding perfectly with another Freezing Saddles & Winter Cycling talk with my friend Lisa S.

I met Lisa many years ago now, through randonneuring. We also used to be neighbors in the city for a time, but Lisa relocated so that she could have a longer commute. Okay, not for that, but as a result of moving, her commute IS longer!

Thanks so much, Lisa, for talking Freezing Saddles and winter cycling with me today. Tell me a little about your riding.

Continue reading “Ready for Spring, But In the Meantime: A Freezing Saddles Chat With Lisa S.”

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Bicycling Events, Freezing Saddles, Interviews, Winter Cycling & Freezing Saddles

From BikeDC to Missoula, MT: Freezing Saddles with Emma W.

One of the reasons I became interested in Freezing Saddles was thanks to all the posts of support made by Emma W. – who I interviewed this summer for my Women BikeDC series – on the Women & Bicycles Facebook group. She first exposed me to the idea that Freezing Saddles might embrace a larger group of riders than I initially thought.

Emma has since moved away from BikeDC, but she continues to participate in the Freezing Saddles challenge from her new home in Missoula. That’s right. The Missoula in Montana, a place that delivers winters distinct to those we usually experience in D.C. Continue reading “From BikeDC to Missoula, MT: Freezing Saddles with Emma W.”

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Bicycling Events, Freezing Saddles, Interviews, Winter Cycling & Freezing Saddles

Easier Than You Think! Freezing Saddles & Winter Cycling with Eric B.

The Freezing Saddles series rolls on with Eric – an astrophysicist, creator of 3-D-printer prosthetic hands, and of course, cyclist.

A fellow teammate of mine in the Bike Arlington Freezing Saddles competition, Eric says one of the keys to winter riding success is in keeping the hands and toes toasty. (He’s still working on a system for the toes so feel free to offer suggestions!)  Continue reading “Easier Than You Think! Freezing Saddles & Winter Cycling with Eric B.”

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Coffeeneuring, Coffeeneuring Rewind, Interviews, We Love Coffeeneuring

The Juxtaposition of Movement and Pause: Talking Bikes and Coffee With Sarah

Even though the official Coffeeneuring Challenge won’t be back until the fall, for many, coffeeneuring never stops.  And for some of us, bicycles and coffee are a way of life.

Sarah – a barista, bike rider, and member of BikeDC – completed the challenge for the third time this past October. Given the unique place that bikes and coffee occupy in her sphere, I asked Sarah if she’d be interested in a guest post. 

Sarah offers an eye-opening and insightful exploration of people’s continued interest in blending coffee and bikes, the growth of coffee outside (including the setups she uses), and the resurgence of independent coffee shops in Washington, D.C.  Continue reading “The Juxtaposition of Movement and Pause: Talking Bikes and Coffee With Sarah”

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Bicycling Events, Freezing Saddles, Interviews, Winter Cycling & Freezing Saddles

Winter Riding? Just Do It! A Freezing Saddles Talk with Caleb

As roads in the area continue to clear and forecasts indicate even more melting in the coming days, we’re back with another Freezing Saddles talk. Today’s edition features Caleb, a Friday Coffee Club regular who lives in Maryland and rides daily into the District– all year round.

Caleb is a proponent of the Keep It Simple Stupid principle for riding through the winter and, like Carol, includes helpful gear and bike tips for making winter it all work. Continue reading “Winter Riding? Just Do It! A Freezing Saddles Talk with Caleb”

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Bicycling Events, Freezing Saddles, Interviews, Winter Cycling & Freezing Saddles

What’s Stopping You? A Freezing Saddles Talk with Carol C.

As Washington, D.C. continues its major dig out from the weekend Snowzilla/MakeWinterGreatAgain storm (yeah, I know it’s not like this other places, believe me I know), I’m kicking off a new interview series about winter riding and the D.C.-area’s Freezing Saddles competition. I’m participating for the first time, and I wrote about that here.

My first interview is with Carol, who is also my Freezing Saddles teammate (Team 4: The Fourth Awakens!). Carol is a long-time transportation cyclist who rides year round and is participating in the Freezing Saddles competition for the third time. Thank you so much, Carol, for sharing your knowledge with us, and for starting us off. Continue reading “What’s Stopping You? A Freezing Saddles Talk with Carol C.”

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Interviews, Women BikeDC

Women BikeDC: The Complete Interviews

What motivates women to ride? Why don’t more women take up cycling? How can the metropolitan area be improved for cyclists? What role does cycling play in our lives? These are but a few of the themes explored over the last 18 interviews with the women of Women BikeDC. Yes, 18. I finally counted them all. I created this page as a sort of “table of … Continue reading Women BikeDC: The Complete Interviews

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DC Randonneurs, Interviews, Paris Brest Paris, Randonneuring

From Randonneur Rookie to PBP 2015: An Interview with Eric Williams

This brevet season Felkerino and I had the great pleasure of getting to know Eric Williams, member of #BikeDC and the D.C. Randonneurs.

In Eric’s first year of randonneuring, he completed a Super Randonneur series, a 1000K brevet, and Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP). And he just keeps on riding. He has the rando fever! Continue reading “From Randonneur Rookie to PBP 2015: An Interview with Eric Williams”

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Interviews, Women BikeDC

Paris of Women BikeDC: On Coffee Clubs, Bike Shops, and Testing Boundaries

​My mind is generally moving 100 miles per hour. The squirrels in there never seem to stop spinning. Being on my bike quiets the squirrels and allows my mind to focus on one or two things– avoiding pot holes or other riders, usually. I’ve found that the more I ride, the saner I am. When I have something to work out, I’ll go on a bike ride and allow my brain to quiet down a bit.
—Paris

Continue reading “Paris of Women BikeDC: On Coffee Clubs, Bike Shops, and Testing Boundaries”

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Interviews, Women BikeDC

Seeing Yourself Through Cycling: Natasha of Women BikeDC

On a bike you fully experience everything around you. You catch the small details that you would never notice zooming by in a car. All your senses are heightened. You feel the ground and the weather. You see landscapes. You see people. And you also see yourself. I’ve done some of my best thinking atop a bicycle!
–Natasha

Continue reading “Seeing Yourself Through Cycling: Natasha of Women BikeDC”

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Interviews, Women BikeDC

Trying to Stay Balanced: Carolyn of Women BikeDC

Once I moved to D.C., I began to regularly cycle around town. This city is nice and small, pretty flat, and the public transportation is just good enough to tolerate using, but bad enough that it is frustrating to use every single day. Plus, cycling is so cost effective and efficient. It saves money and is faster than public transportation and cabbing. So, of all the forms of transportation, I prefer cycling.
—Carolyn

Continue reading “Trying to Stay Balanced: Carolyn of Women BikeDC”

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Interviews, Women BikeDC

Becoming an Advocate through Bicycling, for Bicycling: Kelley W. of Women BikeDC

I’m over 50, and getting back into biking as a significant part of my lifestyle has led me into a whole new area of serving my community and region as an advocate. I’ve learned about infrastructure, Safe Routes to School, bike master plans, and I’ve met a whole new group of people in each arena of interaction that have enriched my life.

Even when I run into a bike-hater, I’m challenged to be the advocate– to win his/her heart and mind– or at least try to defuse the anger. This volunteer advocacy recently turn into a paying job. It’s something I never thought I’d be doing at this point in life, but I’m doing it because it’s fun.
—Kelley W.

Continue reading “Becoming an Advocate through Bicycling, for Bicycling: Kelley W. of Women BikeDC”

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