Prairie Girls in The Big Smoke

We were very extravagant and went to Toronto for the weekend to visit friends and do some shopping.

It was wonderful to see the many options people have for using their bicycles to access public transit.
This covered bike shelter was at a GO-train stop outside of the Greater Toronto area.
And these bike were locked up at Union Station.

We stopped at Curbside Cycle to look at a few things. They had a very cute tricycle.

Maple handlebars. Not recommended for winter riding as maple supposedly shatters in cold temperatures.
Of the hundreds of cyclists and their bicycles, these were the most obviously modified.

And we are now the happy owners of Brooks saddles.

One Worn-out Back Wheel

The Geek is rather pleased that she has used her bicycle so much the the rear wheel shows signs of metal fatigue.
The rim has cracks and related deformation in two places.

Of course this means she will have to buy a new rim, but she thinks it is worth it.

A Very Colourful Bike

This morning we saw this bike in the weight room at Winnipeg Rowing Club.

I don't know which one of the fellows there rides this bike, (and I say fellow since, as far as I could tell, Semantique, The Geek and I were the only women there, and it is quite a big bike) but he must be very confident since most men in this city would not ride a bike that colour.

Stiletto Sprint

The "Glamour Stiletto Run", a 100 m sprint wearing high heel shoes in Berlin on July 11, 2009. The heel of the shoes must be at least 7cm high and at most 1.5cm wide.
I can't even walk in heels that high so sprinting is pretty amazing.

But I guess it goes to show, if you can cycle in high heels, why not sprint in them as well.

A Matter of Degrees

As mentioned earlier, riding the Specialized hurts my knees. The Geek and I had measured the seat-angle difference between the Specialized (rear)and the Giant and found it to be only about three degrees.

Now we have a photograph of the difference between the Giant (front) and the Batavus.I find it amazing how the difference of a few degrees can affect the comfort of a bicycle.

That is NOT What I Meant

When I said I want to encourage people to use their bicycles more often for day-to-day activities, I meant legitimate, healthy ones.

Drive-by shootings target 2 homes in Winnipeg's north end
Last Updated: Monday, June 8, 2009 9:52 AM CT
CBC News
Nobody was injured during two drive-by shootings in Winnipeg's north end neighbourhood Sunday night.
The first happened in the 300 block of Alfred Avenue at around 10 p.m., where six people were in the home when as many as six shots were fired at the residence, said police, who believe there were two suspects and that both were on bicycles at the time.
The second incident occurred just after midnight when two shots were fired at a home on Redwood Avenue.
Police did not say how many suspects are believed to have been involved, or whether they were also on bicycles.
Investigators are still looking into whether the shootings are connected.

A Mechanical Puzzle

When I dropped one pannier yesterday, I was initially relieved that the other one hooked it so it didn't hit the ground and crush the contents.Today tho', when I went to leave for work, I couldn't get them apart. The Brainy Geek just twisted them and they came apart. I'm not surprised; that is generally how these things work.

Either way, they can be used tomorrow.