Candy Cranks

i ride two bikes for my respective cycling needs.

first is my fuji track pro aka my commuting/good times riding/bombing in traffic/lackadaisically learning tricks on bike.

second, newest addition, a zeus orbea aka the most formidable machine EVER.

(this is before it was 100% finished - it's now complete with yellow tires and bottle cages)

my olivia orbea was generously built up for me by my amazing dad - a man 20 yrs into the new england cycling world - with the help of open bicycles (http://openbicycle.com/) in somerville, mass. the sheer beauty of my new souped up machine is what motivated me, and cemented my decision, to begin road racing this spring.

dilemma? i live in nyc, and it’s febuary; we’re dead in the middle of winter’s slippery tracks. add that to my irrational, inexplicable, yet all-consuming fear of riding clipless, as well as physical inabilities to rise at 5:45am for scheduled group club rides, and it’s safe to say i’m in poor preparation for the spring season.

so! i wanted to pose a question to you fellow nyc-ers and riders alike: what are some good training routes you frequent? i live a couple avenues away from both central park and the west side bike path, so i’m already all over those. any advice on some out of manhattan spots i can go ride to my little heart’s content? also, what do you guys do to get out of a winter-time-too-cold-to-ride funk? honestly, what works for me is coming to CC and seeing what everyone else is up to and deriving motivation/inspiration from the consistently awesome content. awwww!

xoxo

Come out and race on Saturday! It’s great to see so many local efforts to support Haiti. Hope to see you there!

hello!

my name is olivia, i live in nyc, and i’m new to candy cranks. i’m super stoked on joining this kick-ass team of international female cyclists. candy cranks is the absolute embodiment of the trinity of important/awesome things in my life - writing, feminism and cycling!

this writing opportunity came at the perfect time amidst a mid-january riding slump. it’s been crazy cold in new york recently, and i’ve been seriously lacking motivation to ride. getting the good news last night inspired me to get back on the bike, and it couldn’t have come on a better day. today was the warmest day we’ve had recently, with highs at a sweltering 44 degrees. knowing it was going to be beautiful outside, i decided to ride down to the brooklyn bridge - the only borough to borough bridge i never got around to riding.

semi-unfortunately, everyone else ever had the same idea. the bridge was packed, which made it pr-etty unpleasant to ride on. however, all wasn’t lost. since it’s so amazingly picturesque there (caught the sunset, awww!), walking allowed me to soak in the scene more than if i had been zipping by on my bike… which actually brings me to a mini-tangent…

a fair number of people WERE riding their bikes on the bridge. a small percentage of those people were riding cautiously, and ergo, respectfully. however, the larger percentage was going unnecessarily fast, cutting quickly in-between large groups of tourists, and yelling obscenities at couples who didn’t just *feel* them coming (okay, this last one was only one lady who really seemed to be having a tough time, but come on!) obvs i’m completely pro-bikes, pro-riders, pro-cyclist rights, but it’s really frustrating to see fellow riders treating pedestrians so blatantly like the “enemy.” also, as a disclaimer, i know speed can sometimes get the best of us. you’re in the moment, you luckily caught a tail-wind, you’re liberated, the world is yours!! it’s great. and sometimes speed is necessary, crucial to the mission. going to work, rushing home, making a delivery, whatever. i just think that as cyclists, especially in nyc, we’re used to dealing with jerks who feel completely entitled to every inch of the road (i.e, taxis, SUVs from jersey), and it would be a shame to present ourselves as just another species of self-entitled prickitude. ESPECIALLY when we need more recognition in the law! we need more bike lanes! we need drivers to treat us like people, not nuisances! let’s not alienate pedestrians, as well! right!?

but i digress. i’m SO happy to be writing here in a network of rad-ness. i look forward to continue posting and to talking with you all! safe riding,

xo!