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October 30, 2006
chilly! 
Nothing like the time change to bring it home. Summer is over. It's done.
Last night, as we drove home from an early dinner, it was pitch-dark outside. Tonight, that's what I'll be riding home in.
This morning, it was in the 30s. Whoa. So I am back in my winter outfit. Long underwear, top and bottom. Thrifted cashmere sweater. Wool scarf. Windbreaker. Wool cycling cap under my helmet. Wool skirt. Wool socks.
It's always a little daunting, the first really cold ride of the season. Am I going to be warm enough, or too warm? I was actually warm enough, though my face was pretty cold. I think it's probably balaclava time.
I have my poncho in my pannier, so I'm ready for the rain too. Last time I wore it, I had a huge puddle between my arms that never leaked through to the inside.
...
thanks to everyone who wrote me expressing concern. I don't know what to tell you, but I'm feeling a bit more positive, and hoping that will stick around for awhile. I really appreciate your concern.
I am going to try to get a little more exercise, without an expectation that it should be achieving anything, and I'm going to try to remember why I exercise in the first place: it's fun. So I need to just remember to keep it fun.
With this thought in mind, I rode home from work Friday, and I realized if I just didn't try to get home as quickly as possible, it was a lot more fun. I stopped for cars, I slowly inched up hills and I decided I was going to go slow because it's more fun, rather than feeling like I go slow because of my weight and fitness level. Keep my head up. Fun. Gotta keep it. fun.
...
Over the weekend, I went to the Film Celebration of Portland Transportation at the Bagdad. It was rather bike heavy, in spite of a very nice intro by Chris Smith of Portland Transport about Portland's original streetcar system, and how it influenced the shape of Portland. Clarence of BikeTV was there showing his films, including several that aren't on his web site. Dan Kaufmann of Crank my Chain also had one. There was one scooter flick, which someone I know, catcalled. Tacky.
Anyways, I really like Clarence's work and it was great to see it on the big screen. He filmed a great interview with Enrique Penalosa, the former mayor of Bogota, Colombia, who talks at length about deciding what you are supporting on a city level. It really got me all revved up.
It's interesting. Here, when you have a discussion about transportation, at least at the level I'm at, you are talking about bike commuting, and public transportation. Pedestrians are mentioned, but the radical pedestrianism that was here in the early nineties seems to have entirely dissipated. Or maybe there are so few radical pedestrians these days that we don't know how to organize our voices?
And, why isn't the motorcycle and scooter communities interested in this in a huge way? I mean, if parking is an issue, motorcycles take up much less space. If pollutants are an issue, modern motorcycles are cleaner than cars.
I saw my first bakfiets cargobike there, and I talked to its owner, who is going to open a dutch bike shop in town. I for one can't wait. Hurry!
Posted at October 30, 2006
Comments
Speaking from the tourist perspective, I loved the public transport system in Portland. If I lived there I would happily forego a car. And I'm utterly enamored of the fact that a term like 'radical pedestrianism' even exists!
Posted by: Lara at October 30, 2006 2:08 PM
I hope it continues to be a source of fun for you!
Posted by: neca at October 31, 2006 7:55 AM
I for one would like to see my specialized parking for scooters and motorcycles. I've fallen in love with a breed called, I believe, "stella".
I've been out of the blogosphere for a while (yeah, I hate that term, too) but now I'm in off season. My next big non-racing project is to get Sweet Baboo to trade the subaru for a scooter. Wish me luck!
Posted by: Misty at October 31, 2006 4:33 PM