In which PhysicsGirl rides a bike and eats cupcakes...

I don't intend for this to become a blog about me and my bike (because so many others do it better), but I'm a little obsessed right now. The Opus is so very pretty and such a lovely ride after the Tank; I think that if I had to get back on the Tank right now, I might cry.

I want to recap my first week with the Opus in my usual rambling style. Scroll down to see some pictures of the Cupcake Ride if you bore easily. Or even not-so-easily.

It turns out, after all that rejoicing in the built-in rack, that the tubes on it are too large to take my pannier. There is a briefcase clip, but it won't work with an overfull bag of marking. Fortunately I now have a nice large basket in front. It's shallow, so items tend to bounce out a wee bit more easily, but that's what bungee cords are for. Also, MEC sells oversize pannier clips, so I'll be good to go once I buy and install some.

I used to leave the Tank locked in the bike racks outside school, despite the kids who hung out there after school and played with the gears and bell (and stole my MEC turtle lights). I wasn't particularly worried about theft, because as a friend once said, the Tank already looks like an abandoned bike and anyone who stole it would really be doing me a favour. The Opus is a different matter. I have finally seen the underground garage at school. I figured out which key would open the door, but didn't realise there was a code to get into the school, so I had to wait around for someone to show up and let me in. In hindsight, I probably could have figured it out from the wear patterns on the buttons. Sadly, I cannot trigger the sensor to open the garage door on the way out of the garage, and either have to hope that a car leaves right before me or battle with the pedestrian door. Going around to the garage and dealing with the extra locks in the morning add about five minutes to my morning commute, but I think not cycling as hard more than makes up for it, so I'm good with that.

Monday night I went to see Jane Eyre and spent a not a small portion of the time worrying someone would make off with my bike. She was still there when I came out. I realize I'm being a trifle paranoid, but until the new bike smell wears off I'm afraid she'll be very attractive to thieves.

Wednesday we got hit with Mother Nature's last (one hopes) gasp at winter. I didn't ride Wednesday or Thursday, but rode on Friday. The Opus handled the not-cleared bits fairly well.

As an aside, why do we have a not-terribly-politically-correct term for the week or two of summer-like weather we have in October, but nothing for the spring snow that inevitably hits? It's not like it doesn't happen every. single. year. Anyway.

So the first week with the new bike was great, and I book-ended it with macarons, for yesterday was the first Cupcake Ride of 2011. Hyedie Hashimoto started them last year as a way to encourage women to get on their bikes. And eat cupcakes. I'm all for that.

It was really cold, but it was sunny. I need to remember to ride along the Martin Goodman trail more often. Plus? There were macarons at Bobette & Belle.

We started the ride at OMG Baked Goodness in Little Portugal.

We rode down Dufferin, through the CNE grounds to a footbridge (stairs!) over the Gardiner...

...down to the Martin Goodman trail...

...along windy, cold, sunless Queen's Quay...

...waited for about 20 minutes to cross 3 three-lane highways to get from the SE corner of Parliament and Lakeshore to the NE corner (pedestrian and bike friendly, that corner ain't), before passing some urban art (see pic at top) on the way to Bobbette & Belle in Leslieville. Where there were more cupcakes. And macarons. And hot chocolate.

You can see the rest of the pictures from the ride here (click on the title to go to the album):

From Rambling Through Toronto

It was a lovely outing. The Opus and I were very happy, as you can see in this picture taken entirely for insurance purposes and in no way because I wanted a picture with me and my pretty, pretty bike.