Intro

[Summer23]

Hey all. I wanted to say hi and introduce myself - I looked for an intro thread so I wouldn't garble up the forums needlessly, but didn't see one, so please be forgiving if this is in the wrong spot.

My name's Summer, and I'm from the Mat-Su Valley in Alaska. I recently got a bike to try as transportation, since I don't drive, and I'm having lots of fun roaming around my neighborhood with it. I haven't gotten a lock yet (tomorrow, maybe) so mostly I've just been exploring a little and not actually running any errands on it. I did ride down to the bike shop one day to have my seat raised a little, does that count?

My bike's a Breezer Uptown 8 (a very unexpected offer of purchase from my dad) and I've named her Gloria. I love her all to pieces, and I'm pretty sure my family and friends are getting sick of hearing about it quite so very often. She's really fun and comfy to ride. After a lock, my next thing is to get some sort of baskets or something to carry stuff in, as inexpensively as possible.

I ride with my dog, Radar. He's my service dog, so he goes everywhere I do. He thinks this bicycling thing is a blast. I'm trying to be careful with not wearing out his feet; we've just been taking little half hour jaunts. We went a little farther today, though, and when I was putting some stuff on his feet later I could see where the pavement had started to wear through one of his pads just a little bit. I'll have to be careful. Might try getting him some boots to save his feet.

Like I said, I think my friends/family were getting a little sick of my eager bike newbie babble, so I made a bike blog. Now I can safely babble all I want without annoying the heck out of loved ones. If you want to check it out, it's at http://bicycle.vox.com

Anyway, I just wanted to say hello. I've been lurking for a week or so, and I really like the atmosphere you all seem to have around here. So I think I might stick around, and since I might, I thought I'd better register and say hi! Hee.

Hello to all!

Summer

[Haudlady]

Welcome Summer!!!

I would say that riding to the LBS (Local Bike Shop) counts! Enjoy the bike.

You are lucky to have a dog who knows how to handle being near a bike... my dog loves to go out with me, but also loves to run in front of the wheel - makes for a challenging ride; at least I get experience with quick stops!

Have fun!

[Summer23]

Welcome Summer!!!

I would say that riding to the LBS (Local Bike Shop) counts! Enjoy the bike.

You are lucky to have a dog who knows how to handle being near a bike... my dog loves to go out with me, but also loves to run in front of the wheel - makes for a challenging ride; at least I get experience with quick stops!

Have fun!

Thanks, Haudlady! I was nervous to find out how Radar would be around the bike - EVeryone seemed to have a horror story about how impossible it was to ride a bike with their dog - but he took to it just fine. I just walked him next to it at first and gave him treats when he was in the right spot, and he picked it up pretty quickly. He's used to having to stay in position to my right, anyway, so I think that helped, along with being used to watching for things he has to make adjustments for while working, so he mostly remembers to keep an eye out for the front wheel. ...mostly.

So far I've just been riding holding his leash, but I'm thinking about getting a WalkyDog. I'm undecided, and for the moment the price tag and the laundry list of items I want for my bike are keeping me from deciding.

[Adventure Girl]

I looked for an intro thread so I wouldn't garble up the forums needlessly, but didn't see one, so please be forgiving if this is in the wrong spot.

Welcome. The "Getting to Know You" thread is the first sticky in the General Discussion / Open Topic (cycling related) section.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=2001

[Bad JuJu]

Welcome aboard, Summer! I read your blog--very upbeat and cool.

Thanks for posting the link to the WalkyDog. I used to have the Springer, but it, with the bike it was attached to, was lost in a hurricane a couple of years ago and I've been thinking about getting another, since my dog, Cocoa (my avatar), loves to go with me on short rides around the neighborhood. If you're taking Radar on longer rides, I would definitely recommend getting booties for his poor feet.

[Summer23]

Eek, thanks Adventure Girl. I see it now. I seem to have a knack for missing stickies. Sorry about that. :/

JuJu, Cocoa's a cutie! And aptly named. What is it about chocolate colored dogs that make them especially "awww" inducing?

Summer

[Bikingmomof3]

Welcome to TE SUmmer.

[dakay]

So far I've just been riding holding his leash, but I'm thinking about getting a WalkyDog.

My dog is pretty good with the bike while I am holding the leash as he is used to heeling but after he decided to stop and pee one time and the leash caught on my finger I decided that I needed an attachment. I got the Walky Dog. I attach him to the Walky dog with a harness which moves his position forward enough that I can see him out of the corner of my eye. I still keep a leash on his collar and hold it so that I have control when we stop but there is enough slack that he can't pull on it. He tried to go after a squirrel once and all I felt was a slight bump and stayed totally under control. I watch my speed and keep him at a trot and we work on packed gravel and stay off the pavement.

[mimitabby]

Hey all. I wanted to say hi and introduce myself - I looked for an intro thread so I wouldn't garble up the forums needlessly, but didn't see one, so please be forgiving if this is in the wrong spot.
I ride with my dog, Radar. He's my service dog, so he goes everywhere I do. He thinks this bicycling thing is a blast. I'm trying to be careful with not wearing out his feet; we've just been taking little half hour jaunts. We went a little farther today, though, and when I was putting some stuff on his feet later I could see where the pavement had started to wear through one of his pads just a little bit. I'll have to be careful. Might try getting him some boots to save his feet.
Anyway, I just wanted to say hello. I've been lurking for a week or so, and I really like the atmosphere you all seem to have around here. So I think I might stick around, and since I might, I thought I'd better register and say hi! Hee.

Hello to all!

Summer

Welcome to TE! I hope it works out that you can ride with your dog.
His feet ought to toughen up with time but, how come you have a service dog?
Where you live, are there plenty of roads? will you have light in the winter to ride?

[KnottedYet]

I get a big kick out of seeing folks towing their dogs in trailers behind their bikes.

Welcome to TE, Summer. Post some dog and bike pics!

[Cassandra_Cain]

Hi Summer (and Gloria and Radar :P )

Welcome to the forums, glad you decided to say hello and introduce yourself.

You are riding in Alaska you say? Woah, you are made of stern stuff there lady

Anyway, I hope you enjoy chit-chatting and trading stories with us here.

Best wishes

[Denise223]

Happy to have you here, Summer (also, Gloria & Radar ),

Welcome to TE -- I know you're going to love it !

Have a great day!

Denise

[Summer23]

Thank you for all the nice "welcome"s!

Dakay - it's nice to hear a real-person account of the WalkyDog working well in real life. Maybe I will get one before too long.

Mimitabby - I have a seizure disorder, and he helps me with some of the stuff that goes along with it. I live in a relatively big town (well, for Alaska), so there are plenty of roads. The lights are mostly on the higher traffic ones that I'm planning on avoiding, though. But I'm a scaredycat and probably won't be cycling in the dark on purpose for a while. I do have lights on my bike though; it came with generator lights, front and back, so they're there if I need 'em! I think my big obstacle is going to be the weather when it starts getting icky around here.

KnottedYet - hee, my family keeps asking if I'm going to get Radar a sidecar!

Cassandra_Cain - not such stern stuff yet, but I am hoping to ride my bike as far into winter as I can (no matter how crazy my family and friends think I am), so I have every intention of getting sterner.

And Denise223 and Bikingmomof3, thanks for the welcomes!