Tag: biking

I Biked In London!!!!

My flight to Amsterdam was at 3-30 PM on Thursday, so I had time in the morning to visit my colleague in our London office. It was an unofficial visit, but we had things to discuss, and so he booked a room, and we talked for several hours straight. When we were done, there was still time until lunch, and my co-worker asked me whether I would like to go for a bike ride. He told me later I looked completely startled, and rightly so! I do not bike in Downtown Chicago, because I do not feel it safe (except if I venture there early in the morning on a weekend). But in London?!… However, I knew that he was a biker and he biked to work, and he reminded me that he had a foldable bike, and he said we could rent a city bike and that he could give me his helmet, so I decided to get out of my comfort zone.

I am extremely thankful to him for making this suggestion. Also, since I didn’t feel comfortable on a city e-bike, he suggested I take his bike, and he took a city one. Obviously, I was following him closely, but he was great in waiting for me and showing directions, especially because going on the wrong side of the road added to my discomfort.

The pictures below are the ones I took during this bike ride and the ones he took, including the one from atop his shoulder.

If somebody had told me two hours earlier I was about to do this, I would never have believed them!

Bike The Drive

For the second year in a row, I did a full course of Bike the Drive! The weather was perfect except for heavy winds after 8 AM, which slowed down the last portion of my ride. Other than that – just perfect. This time, I didn’t pay for breakfast because, for two years in a row, I found it expensive and not good. I much preferred the snacks at the rest stops: bananas, apples, dried fruits and nuts packs. Also, Urban Remedy was giving away small bottles of coffee and cookies.

I checked my bike and attached the number the night before
At the event starting point
At the turning point – the rest stop by the Museum of Science and Industry
Stopping on the overpass on the way back
30 miles challenge medal
Urban Remedy goodies. I checked their website – their products are very expensive, so I don’t think I will buy any, but it was great to try.

Morning Biking

The days are becoming shorter, and I see the sunrise only by the time I reach Montrose Harbor.

Before Sunrise

Tandem Disaster

We (Boris, Anna, and I) have been talking about getting a tandem bike for Boris and I for a while. According to Anna, the major challenge with all regular tandems would be that they all are built with the presumption that the bigger person is sitting in the front seat.

We knew that if we were going to get a tandem, there war going to be a custom build, but we still wanted to try on some “regular” tandem, just to have an idea. One of Anna’s friends owns a tandem, and she arranged us to try it out.

It ended up being a total disaster. I was scared to death because I didn’t feel I could maintain the balance with a bigger weight behind me. Apparently it is different from when I have a shopping bag in the rear!

I tried several times, and I was unable to go for more than five feet. Anna said, she would try to be i n the front instead of me, and she managed to make a circle that way

Still, with this particular one, Boris could not pedal, because his knees were touching the handle bars.

I still want to try and to come up with some solution which would work for us, but looks like it has to be a totally crazy design.

A Little Bit Foggy Sunrise

It was not even a fog, just a mist, and the morning was balm.

It was not exactly like this IRL, but it was very close!

Another Chicago Weekend – 2

Sunday was equally amazing. As it became our tradition, when Lena comes in summer, we do Loop activities on Saturday and Rogers Park activities on Sunday. And once again, it’s great that she enjoys the same activities as me.

We started the day with a bike ride. In the past, Lena was way slower than me, and she said she didn’t do much biking this season either, but somehow, this time she kept pace with me without any issues. If I only knew, I would suggest her to wake up earlier, and we could bike all the way to the Field Museum. But even a relatively short (15 miles) ride was great!

A spectacular sunrise!
Continue reading “Another Chicago Weekend – 2” →

The World IT Crisis And Departure

Of course, it had to be on my friend’s departure day! On Thursday evening, their return flight was canceled, and new tickets were issued. We wondered why, and then, in the morning, I heard the news! Only then we realized how lucky they were to get an alternative flight!

Other than that, it was a perfect last vacation day for them. The weather was ideal; they went to the beach in the morning while I worked my half-day, then I went on a bike ride with Roma, and then we all went for ice cream across the street at Charmer’s.

And at the last moment, I remembered to make some hot chocolate for them to sample before departure!

Morning Biking

Saturday Early Morning – it’s foggy!

A Long Bike Trip

We went on a long (3-hour) bike trip on Sunday. The weather continued to be perfect, and the sightseeing was gorgeous as usual. I couldn’t take any pictures during the ride because we kept going :), so you just have to trust me! These ones were at made at our turning point.

Biking In Helsinki

We biked to Ikea yesterday, using a new route that Boris found instead of the one that is half in an under-construction zone. As usual, biking in Finland is amazing, and I can’t stop admiring its convenience and safety. The big portion of the route was through the forest and meadows, with the smell of the blooming flowers and the sounds of the birds chirping following us.

Ikea was just a destination, not like we needed anything specific (although I got some non-essential things, can you avoid it?). And we had lunch there. I do not know anything about other Ikea stores in their native territory, but this particular Ikea in Espoo never spoke any language other than Finnish, so I always struggled to communicate with the staff, including the restaurant. Boris had to utilize his Finnish 🙂