Four Around the Fourth

The president of my running club has a race timing business, and every so often I'll work a race with him - getting runners into the database and entering bib numbers in to match up with places. Northampton has a race near the 4th of July called "Four Around the Fourth." It's a 4-mile race through downtown Northampton, where you're much more likely to see people on bikes than in my town, even though it's only about 8 miles away. Saw this woman with a pile of leafy greens in her panniers and on her back rack:

Go runners! Finish strong!

Spotted this woman with her adorable daughter and her adorable dog in the basket! I had to snap a picture.

Turns out she was there to cheer on her husband, who was running the four-miler! They chatted with other runners at the finish (where there was also a delicious pancake breakfast.) I was so thrilled to see such a happy bikey family. Plus look at all the cargo on the husband's bike - possibly an Xtracycle? But it also had a second set of handlebars behind the seat, I'm assuming for a kid to hang on?

And I forced myself to get up at 5:30 am to give myself enough time to bike the 9.5 miles from my house to the race. The weather for it was perfect.

See you next time!

New Basket

Sorry for my long absence, blog, it's been winter! But now the weather is warming up and I've biked to the grocery store twice and to my classes once.

I finally attached my new basket to Marin! It was a little harder than I imagined it would be since the metal parts meant to attach to my rack were a little small and I had to bend them out of shape to get them to work. But eventually, success!

The main basket covers up the side one a little, so I have to take it off to put full bags into the side and then put it back on, but it works. My mom and Brian have asked if I felt off-balance having a basket only on one side now, but I actually feel much more balanced than when I used to carry heavy things just on my 1 rear basket! I think because this is lower to the ground it gives me a lower center of gravity?

Anyway, with the warmer weather I can wear shoes like this:

and my feet weren't even cold! This Sunday when I went grocery shopping I regretted taking a coat.
The side basket folds up. It's nice that when I'm not using it I don't have to have it in the way. Here's what I can carry now with my additional cargo space. This is what went into the rear basket:

• 3 fresh beets
• gallon of milk
• full-size orange juice
• family-size Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal
• large container of arugula
• carton of vegetable stock

And here's what went into my side basket:

• 5 small yogurts
• 1 jar of pickles
• small bunch bananas
• 5 cans of cat food
• 1 can corn
• bottle of white wine vinegar
• 1 orange
• 1 onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 pears
• 2 pickling cucumbers

So if the weather is nice where you are - get out there and bike or walk or do something outdoors. I can't wait for sundresses!