cycle stories with adam turman : your bike, your story

happy monday!

did you have a good weekend? 

lets talk about biking + art!!

for the past few years, we have been purchasing local art from adam turman. we have two large art prints hanging up and have tons of small postcards.

here

most of his work is bikes, babes & minneapolis.

his work is ALL over the city. in bike shops, pizza places & local events. this spring, blake & i met adam and was SO pumped when he agreed to be my june cycle story.

here we go : 

1) Who are you? 
Adam Turman - Illustrator and screen printer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. I'm almost 37, married, 2 daughters, 1 dog, 2 SUVs (one's a hybrid, but really... come on), a fenced in yard, and approx. 23 bikes for the family. Yes, I like bikes.

2) Where do you bike?
Pretty much all over the metro area. I commute 12.5 miles each business day, and throughout most of the winter. I may take a little break during Jan/Feb if it's just simply too cold and the trails/streets are too treacherous. 

Plus I have a great group of riding buddies that go out pretty much every Sunday morning during the spring/summer/fall months. We usually get in about 30-60 miles on our rides. A typical ride will take up on a huge loop or an out and back with a small loop around the cities. We'll go anywhere and are always up for exploring.

here

Is it bike friendly? 
Yes. We're in Minneapolis. For the most part, my rides are very bike-friendly. I ride in areas that most of the other traffic is aware of bikes. Plus, most importantly I try and act like I'd like a cyclist to act if I were in a car/walking. Signal, be predictable, and friendly. You get more beer with honey... I mean bees.

Are their trails, bike lanes, ect? 
My commute is has approx 8+ miles of dedicated bike/ped trails.

here

How often do you ride? 
Every day that I can. There's some days when I have commitments that keep me in a car, but I have a Surly Big Dummy [its a tag-a-long bike trailer], and that allows me to haul some pretty bulky/heavy stuff. Plus, we have bike racks on each of our vehicles... so I like to try and meet my wife by bike if we have commitments that occur during my rides, and throw the bike on the back of the car.

3) What tips do you have for bikers? 
Don't be a jerk!... A coworker once told me to just bring along some wipes, deodorant, a towel, and keep your shoes at your desk and clean off in the bathroom stall, and you're good to go. For me it's 

ideal, but I know this doesn't work for everyone's work situation. 

here

I also recommend taking all the weight off your body and put it on your bike. I switched from a mess bag to panniers about 4 years ago, and it's so much nicer. I feel much better after a long ride, and my back doesn't hurt as much.

Get a good, comfortable saddle. Adjust your bike's components to fit your body. Make sure your seat height is comfortable in relationship to your hands on the bars, etc. The more comfortable your bike for your body, the more you're going to want to ride. The faster and easier it is to ride a bike, the more fun it will be to ride it, and the more fun it is to ride it the more you will want to. Also remember, you get what you pay for. Bikes can be very expensive.

Where did you get your bike? 
I've got a ton of them. I've bought bikes all locally from places like Cycle Goods (out of biz), Erik's, The Hub, Nokomis Cycle, Hiawatha Cyclery, Freewheel, Penn Cycle, The Alt, the old U of M bike swap. I've done a few trades with bike shops for custom illustration/print/logo work as well.

here

What bikes do you own?'85 Trek 520Handsome Devil
Surly Big Dummy
Surly Pugsley NecromancerRaleigh Sojourn
Bianchi San Jose
Standard STA'91 GT Tequesta'79 Stingray
Reissued '90s Schwinn Orange Krate
etc, etc...

Do you love it?
I love them all for different reasons.

4) Anything else fun to share? 
Aren't you tired of reading about me yet?

5) Show us a photo of your sweet ride.

fun, right?

i think adam is a great guy & is SUCH a talented artist!

follow him on twitter, facebook, check out his test prints on etsy AND his print gallery here.

would YOU like to be the july cycle story?! id love to hear from you.

if you bike, you are a biker!

: cycle stories : your bike, your story : with allison from crafted love :

happy weekend!

this time last year, i started the 'cycle stories' series. i put it on hold for the fall // winter, but its baaaack!

what are cycle stories?!

its a feature where i showcase different folks that bike. if you have a bike, YOU are a biker.

i want people to see that no matter where you ride, what you ride or how you ride, biking is for everybody.

you can see my first three interviews here [my grandma!], here [my cute man friend] & here [cristie]

today, i am introducing you to allison from crafted love. her & her cute partner are moving here this fall & i am *super* excited. 

[fun tip : allison was one of the first bloggers i ever met in REAL life!!]

here we go : 

1. Who are you?
My name is Allison Kaye. I'm a recent graduate from Architecture School but decided to pursue my love of Graphic Design as a career. I run a crafty little blog called Crafted Love and adore anything and everything handmade. My fiancé and I are very active and some-what of tree huggers so when it comes to our main method of transportation, we always choose biking as long as it's practical and safe.

2.) Where do you bike?
We currently live in Dayton, Ohio which isn't the most bike friendly place in the country. However, we do actually live about a 10 minute bike ride away from a 36+ mile bike trail that stretches from Cincinnati to north Dayton. So I foresee Ohio becoming more bike friendly in the future.

3.) What tips do you have for bikers? Where did you get your bike?
My biggest tip for bikers, especially aspiring bikers, is don't go cheap with your first bike. I was told by countless people not to let the excitement of getting a bike allow me to sell out when it came to purchasing time. But alas, I caved and couldn't wait to save up the rest of the money and ended up getting a Walmart bike. For the amount of biking I did on campus, it served its purpose, but within a year and a half it was falling apart. That's $300 I've lost and could have saved if I just waited and got a good brand.



4.) Anything else fun to share?
We will be moving near Diana in Minneapolis in the coming months and we are so very excited to live in the #1 bike friendly city in America! Right now, we only bike for recreation, but in Minneapolis we plan for it to be our main method of commuting around the city and to work each day.

5.) Show us a photo of you and your sweet ride.
Like I said before, I originally had a Walmart bike. Other than my few photos of riding it around Minneapolis, I have nothing much to show for it. My fiancé and I are currently saving up to get new bikes so I'll just show off a photo of what mine will look like. I can't wait for it to come in because I'm going through a little bit of biking withdraw.

fun!
connect with allison here : 
blog // twitter // shop // facebook

also, this week i posted my top 6 tips for bikers [and drivers!]. 

if you are interested in getting a bike, or need a little refresher course ; these tips are for you.

do you bike? want to be the next 'cycle story'? send me an email! [i'd love to have you!!]

: cycle stories : week 3 : cristie from city birds nest! :

happy saturday!
i hope you are lovin' cycle stories as much as i am.
[read week 1 and week 2]


today, we have cb from city birds nest! i have got to say ; the colors on her blog [and her clothes] are so fun!


take it away girl! : 
__________________________________________________________________________________
1) Who are you? 

hi! i'm cb from city birds nest ;  the lady behind the pictures and the lady on my two wheeled mixte. i'm 28 and living a great creative life with my best friend and husband.

2) Where do you bike? Is it bike friendly? Are their trails, bike lanes, ect? How often do you ride? 

Where do you go?

we live in the bay area of california. the bay area is a super bike friendly place! tons and tons of places to ride to! we can go somewhere urban or out in the sticks or up a huge mountain. i ride everyday ;  i am a commuter but you will also find me on the back of our tandem gilbert ;  going on longer rides or camping.

3) What tips do you have for bikers? Where did you get your bike? What gear do you use? 

if you are new to the biking world, take it easy. start small and build confidence, and then go out and conquer that pavement. don't let other people make you feel intimidated ;  you are out there and that is all that matters! whether you ride a cruiser, a road, mountain or fixed gear bike, you should be proud of the steps you have taken to get on two wheels and do what's good for you, your body and our planet! i have had many bikes but my newest is a soma buena vista. we bought the frame off of craigslist and tom put it all together for me. love my man! he knows how to make his lady happy :D currently, i just have a rack and an oil cloth pannier that hooks onto my rack. since i ride rain or shine, this bag works great for 

me!

4) Anything else fun to share? 

if you can, get active in your bike community! tom and i go on group rides and have also participated in brevets, which are self supported recreational rides that are timed. they are fun, challenging but also extremely rewarding. we are also really lucky to have two bike parties here in the bay area. every month a HUGE group of all types of bikes and riders come out and we enjoy a night bike ride around the different parts of the city

5) Show us a photo of you and your sweet ride. 

here is me and my sweet love, kiki!

thanks diana for having me here on your sweet blog and letting me share a bit here!

xo, cb

___________________________________________________________________

isnt she cute?! i love all those outfits!

thanks girl!

be sure to check out her blog AND her cute etsy shop!

: cycle stories : week 2 : my super-cute man-friend! :

happy weekend!
week two of cycle stories comin' atcha!
new here?
what is cycle stories?
its a feature where i highlight someone, somewhere in the universe that rides a bike.
they could be fast. or slow. bike everyday. or once a week.
wear spandex or high heels.

this week?
my cute partner, blake.
take it away!
____________________________________________________________________________________________

1) Who are you? 
My name is Blake Ward and I live in Minneapolis MN. 

2) Where do you bike? Is it bike friendly? Are their trails, bike lanes, ect? How often do you ride? Where do you go?
As a child, I can remember the feeling of ultimate freedom and endless possibilities as I rode my bicycle with my brothers and the neighborhood kids through the streets of my hometown.  As a child, my bicycle was my transport; it allowed my friends and I to navigate to each others houses, and our favorite neighborhood spots. Although in my teens and early twenties, I thought having a car was the best thing ever, as an adult I still feel that childhood sense of freedom each day when I hop on my bike and ride to work. I am lucky enough to live in one of the most bike friendly cities in America, Minneapolis MN, and I take full advantage of all this city has to offer for cycling.

We have an amazing trail system with hundreds of miles of dedicated bike trails, allowing me to go hours on my bike without ever having to ride with car traffic. I ride to commute to work, and to run errands around town, but it is also a great way for my partner Diana and I to spend time together. We both enjoy going on long weekend rides to city events, bike dates, and riding around exploring our wonderful city.

3) What tips do you have for bikers? Where did you get your bike? Do you love it?

I would say one of the best things about cycling is that anyone can do it, at any level. The bike I commuted with for several years cost me only a hundred dollars used. I have collected lots of gear and equipment over the years, buying one or two cycling items a year. I also look for really good deals, I’ve found cycling clothes at thrift stores and garage sales for a couple bucks instead of paying the hundreds of dollars they would be new. I would always advocate for having a good helmet and staying well lit above anything else. Good bike lights can be expensive, but not as expensive as hospital bills if you end up in an accident.

 

My current bike is a trek, purchased at Bike Gallery in Portland Oregon, and I love it! I would recommend Treks to anyone who is looking into a bike.

4) Anything else fun to share? 

Here is a run down of what I wear when I ride in the summer months…

 *Pearl Izumi cycling shoes

 *Old navy running socks

 *Moisture wicking shorts

 *Cycling jersey or moisture wicking running shirt

 *Timbuck2 cycling backpack

5) Show us a photo of you and your sweet ride. 

 _______________________________________________________________________

*thanks blake [you are cute!] if anybody has any questions on getting rid of your car and biking year round, email blake at ballenward [at] gmail [dot] com. blake hasnt had a car for years, and bikes year round. hes an incredible resource for biking, gear and info*

also, if you ride a bike and want to be featured, send me an email [take.a.picture[at]live[dot]com

: NEW FEATURE! : cycle stories : week 1 :

happy sunday, everybody!
as you are reading this, blake and i are on a 50+ mile bike ride around st paul!
[wish us luck!]

so, if you have been here for a while, you know that blake and i love riding.
we ride to work. to the library. to the farmers markets. around the city. and we take long, weekend rides.

a while back i was thinking 'how i can bring biking to more folks?'


so, cycle stories was born! 
every two weeks [weekly?], i will be sharing someone, somewhere in the universe that rides a bike.
why?
because i believe in biking.
i think its an incredible way to see your surroundings.
its great for every body.
it saves the planet [and your heart, annnd your butt!]
and its fun ;)

you can bike anywhere.
in ballet flats. or spandex. you can go 23203809 miles an hour [thats really fast]. or take it slow.

i want you to read these stories and think a) thats so cool and b) i should really get back on my bike.

are you ready for week 1?!?!?


its my grandma!!!!
[so fun, right?!?]

[she drew this for us!]

1) Who are you? 
*my name is grandma LaVonne  and i have the best granddaughter in the universe

2) Where do you bike? [city, state] Is it bike friendly? Are their trails, bike lanes, ect? How often do you ride? Where do you go?*i live in a small town in northwest iowa [1,500 people] and i think my town is pretty safe ; there are no trails OR bike lanes, but the community is really aware of bikers. a lot of people both bike and drive.
i ride a couple times a week. i ride to the library across town [its uphill ;)] and around the outside of town ; towards the country.



3) What tips do you have for bikers? Where did you get your bike? Do you love it?*my number one tip ; BE SAFE! know the biking signals and USE them!
i bought my bike 25+ years ago at the local hardware store. it was the first bike i ever owned in my whole life [i grew up with two older brothers and always had to use theirs!]
i do love my bike ; its wonderful to be able to ride! theres just something about riding a bike... ;)


4) Anything else fun to share? 
* the first week i bought the bike, the kickstand got stuck, the biked tipped over and the seat got punctured! the little hole is still there today!


5) Show us a photo of you and your sweet ride. 

YAY! 
shes so great!


writing this up gave me goosebumps and tugged at my lil' heart.
i love my grandma so much. her and i are super close ; we talk all the time and share so much stuff.
last august, my grandpa passed away and it was so stinkin' hard.
the funeral was on my grandparents 60th anniversary ; and i think of him every day.
my grandparents [along with my mama] raised me, and ive gotta tell you; i feel so blessed to have a grandma that rides her bike and is so active!


thanks for reading all of this!
if you are interested in sharing your story, send me an email [take.a.picture [at]live[dot]com]