Girls' Night

Friday night was more fun than I expected. This was the "Heels on Wheels" ride put on by Atlanta Bicycle Coalition.

It was a small, manageable group, about 9 people. I was definitely wearing the highest heels! My precious copper maryjanes with slightly tapered 3" heels and grippy rubber soles. It was dark out by the time we met up, so most of my photos turned out completely inscrutable.

We rode for about an hour, which was plenty for me. I spend at least 40 minutes a day in the saddle anyway, just commuting, not to mention errands, meetings, etc. But there were some women who only get to cycle for leisure or social time, so it was particularly enjoyable for them. It was a little weird for me since I ride alone a lot. There are apparently a bunch of group ride habits that have evolved, such as yelling out your turns rather than signalling them, or telling people that there is a car behind you. Isn't there always a car behind you? Being Friday night, there was a lot of traffic, mostly cars and trucks. We got stuck in a traffic jam at one point. Oddly enough, being in a group felt more isolated than riding alone - it seemed to make it more obvious how few bicyclists there were on the road. After a while we stopped for some drinks and a bite to eat at TAP, which has a very good beer list.

A couple of my friends were there, and some of the folks I met for the first time turned out to be wicked cool. Here's the whole group - thanks to Rebecca. Some of the participants were very shiny. PS - can someone please teach me how to pose gracefully!?