Discover the best size-inclusive cycling gear for plus size riders, from SHREDLY bibs to Osprey packs, Cleverhood rain gear, and more!
We’ve rounded up the five best saddles for plus size riders. From casual riding to touring to gravel racing, we’ve got a saddle for your needs!
I can’t ride my bike currently (thanks knee surgery) so I’m revisiting some of my favorite rides. First up is my solo trip in 2015 around Puget Sound.
Join me tomorrow, August 12 for an Instagram Live Q&A Session! I’ll be taking all your questions and doing my best to answer them!
Feel free to send in your questions in advance - either here on the blog, into my email, or via Instagram
Looking forward to talking with everyone and if it goes well, we can consider doing one in a better timezone for folks in Europe too!
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!
Yes, I got an ebike.
No, I didn’t get rid of any other bikes.
Yes, I still ride my non-electric bike.
No, it’s not cheating.
Let me back up a little bit and explain. I didn’t intend to get an ebike. I was contacted by the good folks at Rad Power Bikes in January, as Kailey and I were gearing up to go to Washington DC for the National Bike Summit. With a bold statement that “We design and build electric bikes that are built for everything, and priced for everyone” I was excited to partner with this company.
As a frequent bike commuter in Seattle, I’ve looked with envy as increasing crowds of folks joined bike commuting with a Rad Bike and was excited to ride a Rad bike for the time we were in DC. When our travel plans got cancelled thanks to COVID-19, we kept up communication and they generously shipped a bike to my house!
I’ve had my ebike for three weeks and to say I love it is an understatement. I’m honestly super impressed with so many things about it - the setup, customer support, and thoughtful details on the bike.
Prior to the bike arriving, the team at Rad sends you a number of emails, which serve to a) get you really excited about your new bike b)educate you on what to expect and c)obsessive tracking on the FedEx website.
As a disclaimer, I have some mechanical experience, so putting together the bike was pretty simple It comes nearly fully installed, only requiring mounting the handlebars, front wheel, light and fender. They kindly send you a cute little toolkit as well, with just about everything you need to put it together (except a torque & pedal wrench.)
In less than an hour after unboxing, I was ready to take it on my first test ride. (Quick note: Rad encourages you to have a professional mechanic inspect your bike before riding - I had a friend help me check it out who worked as a shop mechanic for many years.)
To be fair, this bike isn’t a replacement for my current Surly. I’ve found myself riding it for errands - I no longer feel daunted by trips up to Phinney Ridge or across town to the Central District. These are all routes I would do on my non-electric bike, but it’d be a sweaty, kind of hard ride and to be honest, I’d usually opt for my car. Since getting this bike though, it really has become a car replacement. I still ride my regular bike for fun, exercise, and when I want to go on a really long ride.
In short - different bikes, different purposes.
I quickly realized I needed a front basket and ordered the large basket and platform from Rad. One thing in life I don’t love is details - confirming compatibility with eyelets, disc brakes, all that jazz. Rad has made it super easy and painless and manufactured nearly all of their accessories to fit all of their bikes. They clearly state on their website which accessories work with which bikes and installation is pretty painless as well.
I’m really excited to continue to put this bike through the paces and see what its really capable of. I’m looking forward to commuting to work on it once we’re allowed back in the office. I think this bike will enable me to commute by bike more and enjoy the process again.
If you’re on the fence about getting an electric bike, I seriously recommend testing them out. There are all sorts of models out there and price points ranging from $1200 to much higher, and hopefully they’ll continue to contribute a more sustainable future for all.
Social Distance Bike ride through my favorite road, Interlaken Drive
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
