Pretty in Pink Mrs. Clause

Mrs Clause's Underthingeys

It never fails to amaze me what imagination can spring wild from our local residents. The last bastion of decency has been eroded from the Santa Clause household with this display of tender undergarments[Santa probably wears bright red underwear so its only fitting the Mrs wears pink] Either this woman thinks she is Mrs Clause or that this is a relative of Mrs Clause, possibly a sister or a cousin. In any event I just had to take a picture for posterity for she might move next year to the North Pole being how the way economic conditions are. I just hope her Frilleys dry in time for the Annual Visit from her Uncle, Brother or Cousin St. Nick on Christmas Day. Im dying to know what will be put in that Stocking.  This is Jimio saying *Ride Safe-Ride Warm-Watch for Sleighs*

A Few Things about Leaves

Betty Lou meets a new Friend!

Now that Fall is in full swing, I need to mention a few things about leaves. Sure they smell nice and look pretty but when they are piled up on the sidewalks , streets or bike paths they can be very dangerous to us Pedalers. For one thing dont try plowing through a pile of leaves because you never know what may be under them. A rake or some kids toys they have buried under the pile of leaves can cause a flat tire or bent rims or worse a sprained or broken ankle. Ride slowly if you must ride over any amount or thickness of leaves [especially wet leaves] and dont make a sharp turn on them unless you like diving towards the ground [very useful for stunt bicycler practice] And be careful also about riding in rural roads during hunting season. Bullets can and do fly across roads! This is Jimio saying *Ride Safe* *Ride Fun* *Ride for Health*

Love Meeting Other Bikers

Two Dedicated Pedallers

As I was cruising around town on Betty Lou, I happened to notice two guys taking a break. At first I thought the black bike was a tandem but low and behold it is a 2-wheel recumbent. The owner says the shield on the front helps cut through the wind and it also helps keep cold air off of him. The shield is made of a soft plastic and will "give" in the event of a spill or crash so is less likely to break or shatter. I lifted up the other guy's trek bike and it was like holding up a feather compared to the tank weight of my bike Betty Lou. If you look closely under the top bar of the recumbent bike, there is a hand -pump to inflate a new inner tube in the case of a flat. A necessity on 100 mile tours! This is Jimio saying *Ride Happy* *Ride Safe*

The Pedaling Army Grows

A Tree makes an excellent Bike-Rack

I saw this bicycle while pedaling around today. A nice cheap efficient mode of transportation. It appears to be a Huffy Bike. Has the basket on the handelbars to carry milk, groceries, and booze. Don't drink the booze till you get home! There are even 2 tie-down stretchy cords to secure the packages in place. I noticed the the chain is extremely rusty. I'm surprised it doesnt snap off. I like to oil my chain regularly which makes it very quiet. Easy to sneek up on wild animals like deer and groundhogs. I see the bike also has shocks on the front fork. That must give smoother rides over bumps and cracks but I wonder how long the shocks really work before they wear out? I also see the bike has big knobs on the tires which can help during winter riding. I am seeing more bikes on the roads these days. It maybe due to people not being able to afford a car or more people are getting their license revoked for drunk driving. You still can get arrested for drunk bicycling so dont think that you can still get away with drinking and driving or drinking and pedalling. I can't stress this enough: Pedalers are no match vs an Automobile, so we must be as careful and as defensive as we can be and in a sober state of healthy alertness. If you think the car does not see you then stop. Give the car the right of way if you must. Your life may be saved by it. If at all possible yell, or wave your arms to get a drivers attention. It beats getting run over. This is Jimio saying - Ride Safe, Ride Defensive, Ride Free and above all Ride Happy [To Paradise]

Update on Bike Union

Here is a small story  http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2011/08/more_than_120_bikes_donated_fo.html and some pics on our towns Bike Union that helps people fix their bikes and also give bikes to those in need.  http://photos.mlive.com/citizenpatriot/2011/08/armory_bike_union_bike_roundup_12.html

Neat Little Safety Tip

This bike is ready for anything

This is the bike that the Boss of the Bike Union rides to work. I told him I ride my bike all year around and he said he did also. I can tell this bike does not have all its orginal parts. He must have taken a few old bikes that didnt run and put all the best equipment on one bike. Notice that he has 2 locks. One is a Kryptonite Lock and the other is a wire cable with a master lock. I suppose the U-Lock is for hooking up fast at a bike rack, while the cable is used for wrapping it around signs or poles or trees where no access to bike racks exist. The real interesting part of this bike is the red tape wrapped around the tubing. Im guessing that is reflective tape, and when a car approaches from a 90 degree angle on a side street, the car can see this tape very well. The spoke reflectors are suppose to warn cars of a bike just up ahead but they are not seen too well in dawn or dusk situations. This tape resolves that issue. Pedal Fun ** Pedal Safe -Jimio

Do-It-Yourself Bicycle Repair

Inside the Free Bike Repair Shop

As I was Pedaling to Paradise I found a little bit of Self-Help Heaven in the form of a Bike Union. It is located next to the Art 634 Center for the Creative Spirit. The guy who runs it says anyone can come in to repair their bike for free or help others repair their bikes or donate bikes and parts. They fix up donated bikes, then give them to agencies like Goodwill Industries and St Vincent DePaul. They have nice evening hours also: Mon 4:30-8:30  Wed 4:30-8:30 and Sat 10:00am-2:00pm. It's comforting to know there is a place I can give Betty Lou a tune-up or a major overhaul. This is Jimmio saying: Ride-Safe, Ride Fun. Seek your own little bit of Paradise while on two-wheels.