Tennessee Mom Threatened With Arrest For Letting Daughter Bike to School

Many years ago, in a small town in Kansas, I biked everywhere--school, swimming pool, dad's station, downtown drugstore, I guess the world's no longer safe from a 10-year old on a bike.

Tennessee Mom Threatened With Arrest For Letting Daughter Bike to School

Tallahassee Road Trip

I took a 1200 mile road trip to visit friends in Tallahassee over the weekend. I stayed with Amy, a fellow Technical Services librarian that now works at Florida State, and visited with Laura and Barry, two friends with the shared interests of international education, motorcycles, and bicycles. I made the trip on my BMW F650GS. It took about twelve and a half hours each way, traveling on secondary roads through small towns. The scenery in Georgia was not at all what I suspected, it was beautiful large pine trees and rolling hills. I saw very few cars and few people in the towns I passed through, kind of pleasant in a post-apocalyptic kind of way.

Saturday morning Amy gave me the grand tour of the Technical Services building at Florida State. Technical  Services is housed in a building apart from the main campus library, one big main room with a lot of desks and a few private offices for faculty librarians.

Made me very appreciative of my office in Belk Library with its fabulous big window. Also makes me wonder if there has ever existed a Public Services department in a library that had the same set up. Doubt it.

A lot of construction happening on campus. The quad was very pretty, I especially liked the central fountain with statues of female students through the years (Florida State was all-female until the 40s). The main library, the Robert Manning Strozier Library, is in the center of campus.

After the campus tour Amy took me to Lichgate cottage, an adorable house by a huge oak tree. The weather was heating up so we took refuge in an art cinema, the Miracle 5 Cinema. Saddest thing, the cinema closed later that same week, leaving Tallahassee to the mercy of commercial Hollywood.

Sunday morning I visited with Laura and Barry, two friends that lived in Boone. Laura works in the field of international education and Barry spent time working in a library in Nigeria (where Laura was working in Admissions). They both ride motorcycles and Barry has a large collection of vintage bikes (BMW motorcycles and bicycles). They had a new addition to their family, Olive the Beautiful.

It was great talking about international education, travel, bikes, and life. Dinner was fabulous, much of it was grown by Barry and Laura. Plus the homemade key lime pie Laura made was wonderful! I really miss all of these friends and it was a great weekend adventure. (Note: The F650GS averaged 61.1 miles per gallon)

Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Traveller's Meeting, USA East, August 2011

I've been hanging out a lot with men in their 50's and 60's recently. Seems to be the crowd that shares my interests: endurance cyclists and motorcycle tourists. This weekend I travelled to Robbinsville, NC to attend the USA Eastern Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Traveller's Meeting, held at the Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge and Campground (about a three and a half hour trip from Boone).

Above, Susan and Grant Johnson, speaking at Horizons Unlimited US East meeting.

Horizons Unlimited is comprised of Susan and Grant Johnson (along with volunteers), "Consultant Bikers." After having completed a round the world motorcycle trip, they have share their experience and knowledge with others through their web site, forums, and a DVD set entitled: The Achievable Dream.



I arrived Saturday morning and spent the day in informative sessions including a women's discussion where we talked about motorcycle clothes, boots, bikes, and commiserated about loved ones that don't understand our love of riding. There were sessions about fixing flat tires, using a Garmin GPS, and travel presentations for Alaska, Costa Rica,  Mexico, Europe, Bosnia, and around-the-world

I had a great time. I never stopped talking to people. I got the chance to see a lot of bikes decked out for long distance travel, to ask people about Mexico border crossings, and  to learn a little about riding a dual-sport off-road.

The best part of the weekend was getting the chance to talk to other people that were interested in motorcycle travel past the US borders. More importantly-- people that KNOW it is possible because they have done it themselves.

And to think, I almost let my best friend talk me out of that motorcycle trip to Central America.

Tour de Gordy, Adirondacks

For the past seven years, Paul Gordy has planned a bike tour in the month of May. This year, for the first time, Paul planned TWO bike tours, one in May (Blue Ridge Parkway) and one during the first week of August through the Adirondack Mountains in New York State. For more information, visit Paul Gordy's Bicycling the Blue Ridge Parkway website.

Above, the 2011 Adirondack gang, Chris, Dean, Paul, John, Beth, Carol, and Tom.

John and I have ridden with Paul in 2006, 2009 2010, and 2011. He does a fabulous job of creating cue sheets, reserving campgrounds, finding restaurants in advance. And all for free.

Right, Beth and Carol on race day at the Saratoga Racetrack.


John and I rode the first half of the 8 day tour, from Albany to Lake Placid, about 200 miles. We carry all our gear on our trusty Surly Long Haul Truckers.

Left, the gang on back roads between Lake George and Crown Point.

Right, pop-tarts (giver of delicious super-powers) at Rockwell Falls.

The area was gorgeous, with fresh air, no shortage of restaurants, tourist sights, and low traffic. We did follow sections of the Adventure Cycling Adirondacks route.

More photos of the trip can be seen on my flickr set, Cycling Adirondacks.

Left, John and his loaded Surly LHT at Rockwell Falls.

After we finished riding, we spent three more days in the area hiking and touristing with Emma and Ian, a wonderful time had by all.

Cycling for Libraries: Copenhagen-Berlin, 1st Cycling Unconference for Librarians

Cycling for Libraries: Copenhagen-Berlin, 1st Cycling Unconference for Librarians May-June, 2011

 I think that I was switched at birth with a Danish baby. Throughout my life my values have been more in-line with Northern Europe than my beloved United States: exercise, eating small portions of quality food, simplicity in clothing and makeup, riding bicycles/motorcycles instead of cars, and minimal living in small spaces.

 When I heard about the Cycling for Libraries Unconference taking place this summer, I literally felt my heart reach out of my chest. I wanted to attend so very much. But fiscal reality kept me from flying to Europe with bike in tow.

   I would love to be involved with the European unconference in the future or help to organize something similar in the United States. For a long time I have fantasized about organizing a bike ride to raise awareness about health and sustainability issues as they relate to librarians and libraries. The bike ride would begin in Chicago (at the ALA offices) and end at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference.  

Family and Motorcycles

Motorcycles and family. Many considerations.

My family back in Kansas doesn't know I have a motorcycle. Three years ago I had a motorcycle accident that left me with 20+ broken bones and four months in recovery. My mother and five siblings would rather not know that I purchased a 2009 BMW F650GS one month ago.

And now... my partner and two young adult children have just obtained their motorcycle endorsements and I'm not sure I like it.Emma, Ian, and John all succesfully completed the Motorcycle Safety course at Caldwell Community College and obtained motorcycle endorsements on their NC licenses.

And truthfully, I am nervous about my loved ones riding. But to forbid them to ride would mean an end to my riding as well. And chances are, they would ride anyway.

So here is to family togetherness, allowing loved ones to make their own decisions, and offering my beautiful BMW650GS as a sacrifical lamb to the beginning riders in my family.

RUSA, Bicycle for Life, 300K 7/2/2011

Yesterday John and I attempted our first 300K after successfully finishing three 200K events. The ride was sponsored by Tony Goodnight/ Bicycle for Life. About 40 riders, riding 200K, 300K, 400K, and 600K. The ride started at midnight, our first taste of night riding. It was fun riding in the dark with only self-provided light. Except for the barking dogs, lots of barking dogs.

Sad to say, we were DNF. My bike chain broke at about mile 86, right before the first control. Tony and his super repair-powers fixed the chain and derailleur but it put us more than an hour behind. And frankly, I am silly slow to begin with. Later, we missed a turn, due to missing street sign and following what we thought was a detour. We missed the second control and decided to stop.

Our lovely children, Ian and Emma came to our rescue while we relaxed at the local Dairy Queen. 125 miles = 5,000 calories.

After this attempt, I had a few realizations. I either need to get faster or John needs to ride at his own, faster pace. I also need to ride a different bike, the Surly LHT with Schwalbe marathon Supreme tires makes slow me even slower. Switching to my rejuvenated 1985 Bridgstone T-700 touring bike.