Beautiful Bicycles

If I were to have a significant influx of disposable income, I would have a hard time stopping myself from hopping in a car and driving right to Chicago to pick up these beauties:

Abici Sveltina Donna

image from vogue.com

Perfect for the days when I just want to race along. I love the mixte frame, the angle of the handlebars, the color blue and the gorgeous pattern of the wheel spokes.

Abici Grandturismo Donna

image from Let's Go Ride a Bike

Perfectly impractical where I live because she only has one speed, but isn't she lovely? She makes me long for summers and sun dresses. Plus, she comes in an assortment of wonderful colors.

Azor Oma

image from Dutch Bike Seattle

My absolute favorite. Someday, I will have an Oma. Not only is she beautiful, but her features make her extremely practical. I load some groceries onto a front rack and give a friend a ride on the back. She has the potential to be a true car replacement. I look at this bicycle and my heart aches a little bit.

Many people will scoff at the prices of these bicycles, especially in a country that sees bikes as recreation or sport, not transportation, and that defines "value" as "costing as little as possible," with little regard for quality, ethics, or even aesthetics.

These bicycles are all made out of steel, are lugged (no ugly welds here), have strong wheels and durable tires, and comfortable leather saddles. Not to mention all of the practical extras on the Oma, like a full chaincase, skirt guard, wheel lock, dynamo lighting, and strong rear rack. They're classics, look beautiful, and will last a lifetime. They stand up against our throwaway culture.

I remember one of my dear friends telling me that she would buy a cheap backpack every year, because the amount of books she carried ruined them so quickly. She never seemed to consider that perhaps her backpacks only lasted one season because their cheap quality could not handle the stress she put them through. I've had the same good-quality backpack for about 10 years now, and while it's never had to carry a load of organic chemistry textbooks, it has survived high school, college, and trips abroad. Yes, the backpack cost more upfront, but I'm fairly certain that that price was less than what my friend spent on backpacks during the last 10 years.

My point is, quality costs more, and particularly for things you use everyday, the extra cost is usually worth it.

I know that many people cannot afford these bicycles. I can't either, right now, but if I start tucking away a little money each month, I could one day. Many people could, if having a beautiful, functional bicycle was a priority for them (Lovely Bicycle wrote an excellent post about affording beautiful bicycles - read about it here). What bothers me more is when people who could, with a little creative thinking, live car-lite or even car free, complain about the prices of a quality city bicycle. I would ask them to consider that they are paying for their cars in terms of car payments, repairs, gas, insurance, etc. Compared to that, the Oma is a steal!

I live in a rural area and so I depend on a car for many things. But in the summer, I try to minimize car trips by riding my bike to work or the grocery store (Aaron and I already have a date planned for next summer - ride our bikes to the movie theater!). It takes longer but I enjoy the time more and I spend less money on gas, feel better physically and emotionally, and hopefully contribute a little more beauty to the world.

Bird Dreams

Tuesday was beautiful and sunny, and it hit me suddenly that our days are becoming much longer. It's an intoxicating feeling to look out a window at 5:00 in the evening and see the sun, or to leave the house in the morning under a sky that's the same lilac color as the snow. In January I feel like winter will never end. I try to remember summer nights when it felt too hot to sleep, and they seem so far away and foreign. On Tuesday I began to really feel that spring was returning in a small way.

I celebrated this week by ordering my chicks for the year. My family used to have chickens when I was in high school, and I enjoyed them. My sister showed Black Australorps in 4-H and did extremely well. At one time we had a wild assortment of breeds, including several bantams, and many of our hens raised babies. My favorite was a White Cochin bantam. She looked like a feathery snowball and was very gentle, but was also fiercely protective of her chicks - I remember her attempts to attack a hawk that was perched on the roof of our coop.

Eventually, all of our chickens were killed by predators. When we ordered a batch of chicks a couple of years ago to replace them, my dog broke into their pen and ultimately only one survived. We still have her, and she's a real character - she used to tap on our living room window until we opened it for her, and she would sleep on our grandfather clock at night. Now, in the summer, she sleeps in a makeshift shelter below our window. After a snowfall she usually stays in the barn until spring.

Ordering my first flock this year is exciting on many levels. Like the lengthening days, it makes me feel like warmer weather is around the corner. I also know what to expect in terms of responsibilities, and of course pleasure (chickens are fun).

Instead of ordering from a large hatchery this year, I mailed my order to Sand Hill Preservation Center in Iowa. They specialized in heritage and heirloom varieties of poultry and vegetables. I'm hoping my babies will arrive in late March or early April, but I wrote that I would accept their shipment through mid June if certain breeds I chose end up not being available on those hatch dates.

I love to research things I am interested in, so I had a great deal of fun choosing which breeds to order. It was also incredibly challenging because there are so many beautiful chickens with wonderful qualities. I ended up choosing five breeds, for a total of 25 chicks. I listed a few substitutes in case one becomes unavailable, but here are my top picks (and, of course, why):

Black Australorp

Quiet and gentle, and one of the best egg layers of the heavy breeds. They also have plump bodies that dress out nicely (important since I am getting straight run chicks this year). Their black feathers have a blue-green sheen that is quite beautiful.Buckeye

This is the only American breed that was developed solely by a woman (from Ohio, did you hear that Erin?). Friendly, cold hardy, and active, they do well under free-range conditions and are even said to pursue mice. The breed is listed as Critical by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, meaning that there are fewer than 500 breeding birds in North America.

Buff Orpington

Quiet and docile. Their heavy feathering makes them wonderful winter layers. They are also said to be an excellent table bird. I think their soft golden color is just beautiful.

Speckled Sussex

Curious and easily handled. They used to be a famous table bird in England before the Cornish gained popularity. They are also wonderful layers, laying right through cold weather. They forage well and are economical eaters. Their speckled plumage offers them some camouflage, plus it's very pretty.

Blue Cochin Bantam

Just for fun! Cochins are extremely gentle and highly recommended for first-time chicken handlers. They are also excellent setters and mothers. I thought our little White Cochin bantam was so lovely, I had to order some more.

I tried to pick breeds that combine beauty with utility, that would be easy to handle, and that would serve well as both layers and meat birds, as I will be sent a mix of boys and girls. Of the five, I only have direct experience with Australorps and Cochin bantams (both of which I would highly recommend for homestead flocks). I'd love to hear from someone who has experience with the others.

And yes, I will make sure the coop is shut tight at night!

images from My Pet Chicken, Goatfeathers Point Farm, Harmony Poultry, The Phoenix Falls, and flickr

Bike to School

In December, Angie of 4onaQuarter posted the following video, which follows a group of students from an Orlando high school where her husband teaches as they ride their bikes to school. This "bike bus" is one of the most inspiring things I have watched recently.

For many teenagers, the car is the epitome of a new independence and autonomy. It is also a symbol of sex and power. Our car culture is deep and widespread - it's in films, magazines, advertisements, the local drive-thru.

Yes, a car will get a teenager where he or she wants to go, but in a small town like mine, couldn't a bike do just as well for students living within city limits? I think of the jobs students take on to fill up their gas tank - that money could be spent on other things, or more wisely, saved. I think of the congested streets leading to the schools in the morning, and the newly expanded parking lot. And I think of all the youth that have died on our roads.

Certainly, cars have their place, and they are a necessity for families living in rural areas. But what about kids living a mile or two from school?

I obtained my driver's license a few years later than most of my classmates, and I remember getting many rides to school from my parents. I wish now that I'd ridden my bike to school - maybe I could have even inspired a few friends to join me.

It's a little dream of mine that instead of a large parking lot at the school, there was a line of bike racks. Not hidden by a side door, but at the front entrance. Bike racks full of cruisers and 10-speeds, bmx, hybrid, and mountain bikes, in all colors, with racks and baskets ready to carry home backpacks and other odd and ends. And maybe, instead of tearing out of the parking lot every afternoon, students would chat with each other while they unlocked their bikes. Hang out for a few minutes. Ride home with a friend.

If these high school students in Orlando can begin to take back their streets, I think it's possible almost everywhere.

High School Bike Bus from Keri Caffrey on Vimeo.

Read more about it here.

Little Wonders

At 7:00 this morning, there was a little bit of light.
Right now, at 5:00, there is quite a bit of light.
When I walked out of the door this morning it was already 20 degrees. It felt like heaven.
The sun shone all day.

Snow Riding

November was incredibly mild, but over the last few days the temperature has dropped and we've had a dusting of snow, so it's beginning to feel like winter. I'm trying to get in as much riding as I can before the snow starts to fly and the trail is groomed for cross-county skiers.

After weeks in the shop awaiting her new tires, Turtle finally came home yesterday. The cream Delta Cruisers look amazing, and I'm so happy I held out for them. I also added a new brass bell, and gave the Brooks saddle a deep conditioning. She looks wonderful.
Aaron and I decided to take advantage of the sunshine and go for a short ride this afternoon. I let him ride Turtle, as we're still looking for a bike for him and I think he's getting a little tired of riding my sister's Trek. I think they make a very handsome pair.

I rode my new Raleigh Grand Prix. I've been admiring mixte frames and couldn't resist when this one popped up on Craigslist. I named her Juno, because of the little red road bike the title character rides in the film Juno (one of my favorite movies).
I've never ridden a bike so late in the year. I love riding through the light, dry snow over of the trail and seeing the variety of animal and tire tracks. It gives me the sense that even though the river valley seems so quiet and still, it is full of life and activity. In a car, we miss these little details.
If you look closely, there is nothing barren about a winter landscape.

Fall Collage

Tree reflections.

It was beautiful, sunny, and mild. There can't be very many days this nice left in the year.

For her birthday, she asked for a bicycle

Last month I began riding my bike to work as a way to be more environmentally friendly, active, and neighborly while saving a little money. In the process, I've discovered a new passion for cycling and the cycle chic movement. I also became enamored with the idea of owning a vintage English 3-speed. Just a few days later, a gorgeous Raleigh Superbe showed up on our local Craigslist. I think we were meant to be together.

She still has her original Brooks leather saddle, air pump and DynoHub lighting. She was ridden so infrequently that she also still has an original Raleigh tire on the front. I'll replace her tires soon (as well as send her in for a tune-up), but as the old ones still hold air I took a chance on taking her for a ride into work yesterday. Aaron borrowed my sister's Trek so he could ride along, and he waited patiently while I took a few photos.

A lovely commute.

Snow! (You'll have to excuse the slight blurriness - I was pedaling one-handed.)