New member intro

[darkemeralds]

I hope it's okay for me to introduce myself as a new member of the community. If not, please let me know. executrix just pointed me here. Dreamwidth keeps surprising me with its wealth.

I'm darkemeralds and I commute four miles each way to work and home 100% of the time on my cruiser style bike here in Portland, Oregon USA.



My bike is a very large-framed Specialized Globe Carmel model. I call him Clyde, short for Clydesdale, because he is a draught-horse of a bike. Suitable, since I am a large person.



Until last August, I hadn't been on a bike since I was 14 years old. I'm the walking (or rather rolling), talking living proof that an out of shape 54 year old woman with a sedentary job CAN take up bike riding; and also that it's possible to commute every day, even in rainy, gray old Portland, wearing presentable office clothes.

I use Clyde for grocery shopping and other errands around town, and haven't fueled my car since January. My interests in bike riding range along the "cycle chic" (if that's possible at my age and size) and "slow bike" axis, with sustainable urban living as a key factor.

My own DW cycling entries are tagged "riding clyde". I look forward to reading and participating in this community.

Comments

[sara]

I think introducing yourself and your bike is excellent! Hi, Clyde!

[darkemeralds]

Thank you! Clyde flashes his lights at you, too.

[copracat]

Hi! That does look like an inclement day in your photo. Clyde is quite the handsome ride.

[darkemeralds]

Hi!

That was just a cloudy day with a few raindrops. It's been soaking for the last few. But I ride anyway.

[uhhuhlex]

Hello to Clyde and darkemeralds from uhhuhlex and Doolittle!

[darkemeralds]

*waves* Hello! I love your username--I'm guessing theres's a Smallville fandom connection back there somewhere? (It took me a minute to figure out how I might pronounce it) and I love Doolittle for a bike name!

[uhhuhlex]

Nah, my username comes from a band (Uh Huh Her), or from a PJ Harvey album that gave that band their name... And I'm called Lex, hence the ending.

Doolittle is named after the poet, H.D. She has bags of personality (the bike, not the poet).

[foxfirefey]

You should make a post some time about how you work with commute biking in a rainy area!

[darkemeralds]

Hah! That's easy--I get wet a lot.

But this is a great subject and I'll see if I can come up with anything to say about it that's slightly less lame than the above.

[foxfirefey]

Haha, I guess I'm interested in that because I'm in Seattle, and at some point I might want to start bike commuting!

[darkemeralds]

Okay, I wrote a whole post and I can't post to this comm! I thought it was just a thing yesterday, but I still can't post. Mystifying. Any thoughts?