This is the first of many musings about my bike and I. It's only just the beginning. It was a week ago yesterday that I put new tires on her. I've been wanting to do that for 3 years now.Since Orange Cycle was open on a Sunday for holiday hours I was able to do it. Every time I'm ready to get new tires it's Sunday when the shop is closed. Does that mean that every Saturday has been filled with tasks and activities? Yes, time to get my bike ready to ride and slow down the pace of my life. I was elated to get the new tires on. As soon as I took her home I rode. I rode for two hours. I went to my friends and borrowed her son, Noah, because I just love being with him put the trailer on the back and rode some more. The Christmas lights were up and I played holiday music on my phone while bumping along the brick streets. It was exhilarating and I knew in one quick moment, I was hooked. I found myself willingly wrapped into the bicycle world.
I began researching. . .what type of bike do I have? What should I know about bikes? So on and so forth. I realized I'm not a typical bicyclist which meshes perfectly well with the fact that I'm not a typical girl. My newly found friend has a wonderful blog about her bicycling family life and she suggested I would be a perfect subject to represent a small population of non typical bicyclists. There are many communities of bicyclists in Orlando but non of which I feel I fit quite well with. I don't own a pair of spandex anything, I don't use plastic sports bottles, I couldn't out bicycle a 6 year old and I don't claim to be bicyclist. So what am I? I'm a vintage type girl. I'm attracted to the old and the simple. I'm also many other things that aren't as nostalgic. I'm an eco girl, a vegetarian, a Feng Shui consultant, a teacher, a single girl and I really couldn't fit any type of mold besides feeling a bit of the aged cheddar kind.
After my friend Angie, the cool bicyclist girl, I now have more than one Angie in my life now, introduced me to other blogs I became more and more aware of chic bicycling. What is this? There are others? I felt like I found my peeps, my answer, my idea of bicycling. Chic bicycling is the focus on aesthetics, nostalgia and simpleness. Oh thank heavens, I felt like I could be included in the bicycling phenomenon and still wear my stockings and cute hats. With a little motivation and now an absolute obsession I've decided to begin my own blog, properly titling it, Chicyle. The blog is hoped to be a local motivation and source of information.
Since I consider myself a bit of a positive deconstructionist and a lover of names I wanted to specify the "chic" in Chicyle. After practicing such ideas, I am quite aware of Chi, the Chi or Qi rooted in Chinese philosophies, the Chi in "Chicycle" is about movement, life, the universal flow, the never ending force that drives all of us. The Chic in "Chicycle" is just like it's French derivation; smart, beautiful and a bit ornate, in a pretty way.
So my bicycling adventure begins...I named my bicycle Chloe. She is a foresty green, she's from the 70s (like me), she's a bit rusty, quite pretty, rides well and will hopefully teach and excite you and I just a little.
Can't wait to write and ride more soon....till then,
Me
