Friday, June 10, 2011

The Spokespeople Weekly Wednesday Ride

Wednesday night I managed to make a Spokespeople ride for the first time, and it was just as fun as I thought it would be!

Around 20 of us started the ride at Seawall Food & Spirits, hauling our bikes down the seawall to the cafe and enjoying the breeze and minimal shade. We made introductions over giant (and apparently delicious) sandwiches and icy beverages, and banded together in keeping the seagulls from stealing each others' food. I had an ice pop in deference to the heat, folding and unfolding my Dahon for interested parties while in turn admiring their cutely painted cruisers.

The Spokespeople Wednesday crew
We then had a nice, leisurely ride down the bayfront (we paused at the loading dock for the group photograph seen here), around the museums, and through the Watergardens to one of the Spokespeoples' gracious sponsors, Brewster Street Ice House. We sat out on the patio eating, drinking, talking, and laughing as the sun went down and it finally started to cool off. We also picked up a couple of latecomers, including the gal with shirts; of course I had to buy one to fit in!

The lights came on for our after-dark ride from Brewster's back across downtown. Our motley crew of well-lit cruisers, road, mountain, and BMX bikes wound its way to the House of Rock, where they even let us bring our bikes inside! We got free water and sodas to sip on while we chatted, and listened to a drum competition being held that evening before finally heading back out.

Since our next (and final) destination was just down the street, we took a much longer route: back through downtown, back along the bayfront, out on to the T-Head, and finally to Cassidy's Irish Pub.

By this time it was 10:30 so I headed home, but I'll probably become a fixture on at least the Wednesday rides. It is a fun, different kind of ride...more social than a lot of group rides are. And it definitely helps remind people in Corpus Christi that cyclists are here, which is always a good thing. PLUS it brings attention to downtown and is helping encourage activity there, too.

I expect the group will grow, and I hope it does! Everyone involved is so enthusiastic! Maybe one day we can take over downtown a la Sunday Streets!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Car Free Weekend

Had a lovely weekend by bike, despite the absurd heat.

Friday night I took a spin around the neighborhood, simply because I haven't yet since my move. I can bike straight down the main road to the bay, cruise along the parkway for a few miles, then turn around and come back. Part of the ride is even on a nice little hike & bike trail which (bless them) has water fountains here and there.

Saturday morning I slept late, then got up and biked to the bank. I also shopped a bit, but didn't find anything I couldn't live without (I'm searching for a dress for the upcoming trip to Europe), so headed home. I was then supposed to head out with the SpokesPeople at 2pm, but I (to my eternal shame) fell asleep in front of the TV. What a waste of a Saturday! I made up for it by biking to Target and Camille's for an ice cream bar, dropped by Lowe's for a bike mount, then home again to wrestle with getting the bike mount installed.

Sunday morning I biked to lunch with my mom & sister, went BACK to Lowe's for a longer drill bit, and finally got that darned bike mount installed! It definitely frees up a bit of floor space in the garage, which I'm slowly but surely getting organized.

According to MyTracks on my phone, I biked 25 miles this weekend. AND I didn't even get a sunburn!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Paris, London, San Antonio...

A few years ago I went to Paris with my grandmother, and fell in love with the Velib idea: bikes available to borrow at locations all over the city, an easy ride from one to the next. I was also dismayed to find out that my American credit cards wouldn't work in the automated kiosks (you can now purchase a ticket online, however, which makes me want to go back even more).

It's spread both internationally and domestically, and has now spread to a city quite close to me: San Antonio.

This is a FANTASTIC idea. For one, San Antonio's downtown area is fairly condensed. The Alamo, the Riverwalk, La Villita, Hemisfair Park & the Tower of the Americas, are all pretty close to one another...though perhaps far enough apart that you wouldn't want to walk.

Nor would you want to give up your drove-around-the-block-three-times-trying-to-find-an-empty-parking-space steps from the Riverwalk.

So a bike share is PERFECT.

My last trip to San Antonio I was surprised by how many cyclists were whizzing around downtown. They continued steadily even after dark, as tourists stumbled back to their hotels, a stream of lights bouncing along on two wheels in front of the Alamo.

I can't wait to join them!