Mid-April through July, I pedaled 500 miles* 
around Corvallis, and yesterday my odometer ticked past 600. Now, this little 500 isn’t a great distance to travel, geographically speaking, for that stretch of time (three-and-a-half months to do the equivalent of Corvallis–Berkeley** is hardly impressive by contemporary standards), but psychically speaking, it means I’ve come a long way, baby, as a car-free bicycle commuter for peace.
*Really wish I’d gone 804 kilometers instead.
**Really wish I’d actually traveled Corvallis–Berkeley instead of just back and forth to work.
Impressive. Same goes to too all those who bike a few miles to and from work everyday. No one has ever quantified it like that for me ’til meow.
You are so awesome.
I am jealous; my retro beach cruiser is outta commission with a flat right now. Brother Dave was to deliver my replacement tube, compliments of Dad, but with the first week of U. of San Fran, I think he’s been thrown into more than usual spacey-ness. Perhaps I should walk over to campus and pound on the dormitory door. For heaven sakes, I haven’t had a chance to try out my spiffin’ new wicker pannier baskets! Can’t wait to indulge my enviro-geek with those sweet babies! I envision them full of produce or dance gear, however the situation requires…
Anyway, I was stuck with the choice of Mr. T’s bicycles for our family ride last Sunday: mountain bike or road bike, both equipped with icky toe clips and pewy boy-bike top tubes on which even the ladies can crush their groin if great care isn’t taken. It was hard not to frown all the way down the River Greenway in bitterness; I could’a been cruisin’, ’stead of gorping up my khakis in an unguarded juicy boy-bike chain – some smelly boy is the reason my tire was blown in the first place! Then I had the lovely additional chore to look forward to on the return home: scrubbing out bike grease…which, by the way, in case any of you bike nerds would like to know, comes out rather well in the concentrated orange cleaner available at my co-op!
My sweet orange Peugot hangs forlornly in Grandpa’s basement, waiting for me to rescue it and put it on the Monon Trail. Unless – egads! – the rats have devoured it as winter snack. Note to self -check on Peugot when return home tomorrow. Nother note to self – pump up tires before loading the ultra double weight on it. Another reason to get up to walk and back away from the table (like I needed another reason.) Thanks, biking queen, for the inspiration. Can’t bike to work, but can bike to the PO and the grocery and the drugstore and the bank. Note to self: bike to the bank. Keep truckin’ oh velo queen!
Of course what the Veloqueen doesn’t mention are those hundreds of miles that have accumulated on the tandem bike’s odometer. Half of these are hers:
26 miles on the Kiger Island / Corvallis airport / Bellfountain / Cherry Pie loop.
60 miles to and from Brownsville for the Stand By Me festival for outdoor cinema and berry pie.
15 miles to and from Anderson’s Blueberry farm to pick 20-some pounds of blueberries, some of which made their way into pie. (Are we seeing a theme here yet?)
20 some miles to and from an amazing Sunday breakfast at Gathering Together Farm.
90 miles to and from Eugene to see the Ditty Bops. I think a small pie was acquired at the Menonite bakery.
55 miles around and back from King’s Valley and Airlie Winery.
100+ miles with many goodies conquered during last year’s Northwest Tandem Ralley weekend.
Several 20+ mile trips to and from various Philomath outskirts.
All-in-all, this Veloqueen has much to proud of!
Can’t wait to get a bike, and then I might give the biking-to-work thing a shot. Need to figure out a better way to transport all my papers, etc. than the briefcase though.