Critical Lass!

I had a plan for last weekend. The idea was to work all day Saturday to finish planting my garden, then head to EBC in the evening for the 24 hour Repair-A-Thon (details coming up in a future post), where I’d help people fix up their bikes and then, once things had quieted down, work on doing the final repairs to the 1950′s loop-frame CCM I had been previously working on (and blogging about). This plan, if executed properly, would allow me enough time to sleep & get dressed up for the first ever Critical Lass ride on Sunday.

Critical Lass riders roll through Old Strathcona

In reality, things never really quieted down overnight at EBC, and I didn’t get out of there until 8:30 Sunday morning.  Still enough time for a nap, shower & change of clothes before heading back to EBC for the ride, right? I sure don’t recover from allnighters like I used to (hence a 3 day late blog post). Pure stokedness (Is that a word? It should be a word, a three syllable word.)  kept me lucid & chipper throughout the afternoon.

Megan tries out the newly rideable CCM.

Critical Lass was conceived by the ladies of Loop Frame Love as a sort of girls-ride-out: pretty bikes, stylish clothes, and leave the machismo at home, please.

Hot midday sun = skirt weather! Note that there are pics of Megan riding three different bikes in this post.

It was also an opportunity to meet some of the other writers whose bike blogs I’ve been following, and as it turns out a few who’ve been reading mine.

Bringing the cool into the summer heat. Shooting from the hip while riding, I failed to capture Selene's equally cool vintage bike.

The best parts of the ride were just hanging out and getting to know so many different women who were all interested in important things like bikes and cupcakes and kids and having a laugh on a gorgeous summer afternoon.

Stylin' at a stoplight.

Our first stop was to pop by bike polo to check out a special Bike Month match (though it was slow to get started so early on a Sunday afternoon).

Polo grrrlz! Megan plays in a skirt, blouse & sandals, while Micah rocks the court in more typical polo style.

Our next stop was a short, relaxed ride through tree-lined boulevards and bike paths away. We’d get coffee before finding somewhere shady to hang out some more & take pictures.

Walking our bikes across Whyte Avenue en mass. Oh, yeah, we stop traffic.

Sweet ride + cool summer outfit = made in the shade.

Bike pile near the cafe.

Note to self: construct pretty tool roll to affix under saddle so I don't feel compelled to lug around the "utility purse" on future fashion rides.

I loved how everyone brought their own unique styles but the real beauties of the day were the conversations, the supportive atmosphere and the all-round-warm-fuzzy-confidence-enhancing-goodness of being your fabulous self rolling with a group of different, but equally fabulous ladies.

Final stop - cupcakes!

Loop frames all in a row! I love the colours of these bikes, they kinda even remind me of cupcakes.

Kudos to the organizers for getting us all together for a fantastic day! I had such a wonderful time I hardly noticed the sleep deprivation (though I do blame sleep dep for nearly escalating the little incident with the dude who moved my bike in front of Fuss). When the majority of riders on the road are dudes focused on speed and performance, it’s a huge breath of fresh air to be with folks who take style over speed, and companionship over competition.

Edit:  Check out more Critical Lass photos at Loop-Frame Love and Girls and Bicycles. If anyone else has pics they’d like me to link to (or if I spelled your name wrong or you rather I hadn’t put your name up at all, etc.) let me know!

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