How is Summer Half Over?

Summer 2020. Hard to believe it’s already almost August.

I’m leaving tomorrow for my first big bike trip of the season, which is definitely a bit strange for me. Normally by this point, I’ve got 3 or 4 camping trips under my belt, my packing routine is down pat and I’ve got a decent glove tan.

Thanks to COVID, I’ve been keeping it very local and not going on many big trips. Sure, I’ve gone on a couple of very close overnighters but most of my riding lately has been day rides in and around Seattle. And all of it has been with a face mask on.

Tomorrow I’m heading out for a bit of an adventure though! I’m teaming up with Kailey for a bikepacking trip from Corvallis, Oregon to the Oregon Coast. We’ll be joined by a film crew who will be helping us tell our story and share the joy we find in being fat women on bikes!

Shimano is providing the funding for the project, which means we got equipped with all new bike components, Pearl Izumi clothing, and Lazer helmets! I scored the sweetheart deal of the century and got a Velo Orange Piolet fork + frame, plus a bunch of rad Velo Orange components gifted to me as well, so I’ve got a brand new bike for this trip!!

For once I’m going to have a bike that is built for the intended trip I’m going on! Holy shit!

New Bike Day at Free Range Cycles!

Huge thanks to all those who came together to build up this bike, including my favorite local bike shop, Free Range Cycles in Seattle.

So, cool. More details to come on the trip, the film, and of course I’ll let you all know once it’s ready to be screened!

Until then, be safe, wear your masks and be safe!

Join us for a Body Size Inclusivity Online Workshop!

Update: One more session added for our friends in other time zones!! Details at the bottom!

Mark your calendars and please join us for a 1-hour online workshop “Fat Bikers: Creating a Size Inclusive Bike Community” offered on 04/21 at 7pm PST and 04/29 at 4 pm PST via Zoom. This is the same talk we were planning to give at the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC (but are now doing online #stayhomestayhealthy)

In this workshop Kailey Kornhauser and I will discuss  body size diversity in cycling and how we can all play a role in making our spaces more size inclusive.

Attendees will be challenged to explore their own relationship to their own body (regardless of size) and movement, and critically examine how traditional cultural narratives in the American cycling world are often exclusionary to people in larger bodies. Together we will explore our experiences through personal reflection and conversation about best practices for creating size inclusivity.

This session will also include real-world advice about equipment considerations for fat people when biking, gear recommendations, and fun stories about adventure cycling mishaps from the facilitators. Finally, the workshop will close with a discussion about existing size inclusive groups and ways in which we can develop a similar sense of allyship and community in cycling.

Zoom Meeting for 04/21 at 7pm PST

Zoom Meeting Link for 4/29 at 4pm PST

Password for both: fatbiker

GoToWebinar Link for 4/30 9am Pacific

Upcoming Speaking Gigs!

That’s right! You can come see me live and in person! Kailey and I are taking our show on the road to the East Coast for three speaking engagements in the next few weeks! Here’s where you can catch us. No guarantees we’ll be in crop tops…but we’ll see.

Bicycling for Everybody: A Facilitated Discussion on Size Inclusivity

Washington Area Bicyclist Association, Washington, DC, March 14th, 7:30pm

The workshop will be held at Highline RxR (2010 Crystal Dr. Arlington, VA 22202) from 7:30PM to 9:30PM on Saturday, March 14th. Highline RxR is a short (.03 miles) walk from the Crystal City Metro Station, there is limited bike parking directly in front of Highline RxR and along Crystal Drive, and there is car parking along Crystal Drive and nearby streets. This event is taking place on Piscataway land.  Register here.

Fat Bikers: Creating Space for Body Size Diversity in our Bike Communities

2020 National Bike Summit, Arlington Virginia, March 15, 3:45pm Register Here

The average clothing size of a woman in the US is now between a 16 and 18, and men average close to 200lbs. But do our bike clubs, transportation systems, and cycling communities reflect our size diverse populations? Fat cyclists Marley and Kailey ride bikes for transportation, adventure, and fun. And they're determined to get more fat people riding bikes too.Join Kailey and Marley for this workshop session on body size diversity in cycling and how we can all play a role in making our spaces more size inclusive.Attendees will be challenged to explore their own relationship to their body (regardless of size) and movement, and critically discuss how traditional cultural narratives in the American cycling world are often exclusionary to people in larger bodies. Together we will explore our experiences through guided writing, facilitated discussions, and a conversation about best practices for creating size inclusive bike communities.This session will also include real-world advice about equipment considerations for fat people when biking, gear recommendations, and fun stories about adventure cycling mishaps from the facilitators. Finally, the workshop will close with a discussion about existing size inclusive groups and the creation of an action plan to create size inclusivity in our own communities.*Important note: This session is not just for people in larger bodies. This is about connecting people with their body, and empathizing with people in different bodies as they share a common love of riding a bike. A big part of this work is done by people in thin bodies who create space for body size diversity.

We Bike NYC Workshop - Fat Bikers

We Bike NY, Transportation Alternatives, March 19, 7pm New York , Register Here

Join WE Bike NYC for a FREE all-gender workshop on body size diversity in cycling led by fat cyclists Kailey Kornhauser and Marley Blonsky

p.s. We’ll also be hanging out in NYC and DC for a few days and are always up for cute hangs, good food, and fun bike rides!

p.p.s We’re also partnering up with Rad Power Bikes while we’re in DC who’s giving us Rad City Bikes to ride while we’re in town. Check out our (Marley and Kailey) for all the action!

Washington DC, Working Out, and a Wedding!

Blogging has a taken a back seat this winter, as JR and I have been settling into cohabitation life. I really can’t complain - it’s quite boring but nice to just be at home most of the time. We grocery shop on Sundays (most of the time by bike), go to work during the week, and hang out with our friends occasionally. Both our jobs take us on overseas travel occasionally (he leaves on Tuesday for Australia) but most of my spring trips have been indefinitely postponed while the corona virus mess happens.

This boring, but stable life home life has been a really great counterweight to the slightly frenetic happenings elsewhere in my life. Everything is good - really good - but there are a lot of spinning plates up in the air right now and I’m honestly waiting for them all to come crashing down in a horrific, beautiful mess. 3 of the biggest updates for now:

1. Washington DC! Kailey Kornhauser and I submitted a proposal to the National Bike Summit for a session that was accepted! We’re heading to DC March 14-20!

As many of you read or heard, Kailey and I had a great feature article written about us in the Washington Post. This stemmed from our upcoming presentation at the League of American Bicyclist National Bike Summit about Creating Inclusive Communities for all who bike, but especially those in larger bodies (fat people!) From that article, we ran a hugely successful crowdfunding campaign and will be able to attend the summit in DC! While we’re on the East Coast, we’ll be giving the presentation for 2 additional audiences - Washington Area Bicyclists Association in DC and We Bike NYC! We’re super excited for both presentations and the opportunity to spread our message to further communities!

Snowballing off of this has also been numerous interviews for podcasts, articles, and possibly even in a documentary! I know you’re all waiting with baited breath to hear about that one :)

Perhaps most exciting of all, Kailey was featured on the cover of BICYCLING MAGAZINE!! Go get a copy if you haven’t yet!

2. Working Out. I started working out with a badass personal trainer again and I’m really excited about it!

I’ve been an athlete almost my entire life - from swim team as a kid to softball and volleyball in highschool to CrossFit in my 20s. Recent years have been focused on biking and I realized that I miss feeling strong.

I’ve been working with Kris, who is a body positive fitness trainer and I love it! I forgot how good it feels to move heavy things, move my body in a functional way, and to get really sweaty. I’m hoping these gym sessions will translate to feeling stronger on the bike too and injury prevention as my miles ramp back up as the weather gets nicer.

3. We’re getting married! I proposed to JR early this year and we’re really excited about our future together! Wedding planning is coming along - I’m sure more details will come soon, but for now we’re relishing in calling each other Fiance and playing with our rings. Love is fun. I highly recommend falling in love.