best bicycle mechanic

My man, Ian Crawford, is the best bicycle mechanic in Ventura. Maybe the world.

He's the star (and only) mechanic at a beautiful shop here in town called Non Stop Ciclismo. They specialize in all things Italian and will even make you shots of espresso while you shop.

Mr. C also looks pretty fantastic with is bike.

in the mood

Mr. C is in the mood. That's what we used to say when some one sported new shoes. And those red bad boys are definitely new. They went for their maiden ride yesterday morn.

homeward bound, I wish I was

The sun is slowly peeking through the fog on this May gray Saturday, and I'm longing for our downtown bungalow. I would so love to cruise to the farmer's market for fresh berries and tamales. But alas, it'll be at least another month until we move back home. Sigh.

I hope that your Saturday includes some two wheeled cruising and adventures of all kinds. For now, I'll be living vicariously through the bicycle rides of others.

{photo from Edward Olive's photostream}

Object of Desire

It's been 1 year, 8 months and 15 days since Ian was run over by Anne Riona and left unconscious on the sidewalk. His vintage 1969 Gitane track bike was totaled, right down to the Brooks saddle. Only recently has he wanted to ride again and he's set his sights on this All City frame. I think it's pretty sweet, although it would look better in white with drop bars.

I'm so excited to have my bike man back, with his cycling cap and rolled up pant leg.

beautiful bicicletas

Doesn't it look like these bikes are in love? When I took this photo a few years back my old blue Nishiki (built for me by Ian) almost never left home without Mr. C's black beauty, the 1969 Gitane track bike. Oh, what a dream couple they were.

as the dust settles

Now that my grades for CSUN have been posted (there were some really great student sites this semester) I have a little breathing room and can finally tell you about this weekend's activities.

oh, the races!

The bike races were so amazing. I couldn't stop talking about how much fun I had. Sunday was especially fantastic because I got to be a course marshal. I helped to make sure that cars and bikes steered clear of one another on the open course and that the cyclists turned right at the intersection. I wore a reflective vest and a straw sunhat and felt very official.

While Saturday in Ventura was much gloomier than the Sunday event in Ojai, Chris Jensen got some wonderful action shots (including the photos above) and Ian and I had an adventure...

adventure at the corner cafe

After cheering from a curbside at the bottom of a hill for a few races, we decided to find a spot where we could watch the riders climb. The patio at Bernadette's was the perfect spot to spectate and refresh. Ian went inside to order drinks and I found a table with a view. It wasn't Ian that came out to join me though—it was Bernadette. She already knew my first name, even though we'd never been introduced, and she told me she was in a pinch. Her server hadn't shown up and she needed to run her daughter to a play date. With that, she handed over the keys to the cafe and was off. So Ian was behind the counter filling in, and while he tended bar I took photos of us in the mirror.

bike love

Just got back from the downtown bike race... ooh I just love bikes. And today was so wonderfully unpredictable that I will have to show you all the photos and tell you the tales.

If I had not been just a few blocks away from my house and in such  familiar territory, I would've sworn we were in a little Italian beach town, watching the racers while we sipped Perronis from an outdoor cafe. Why don't we do this every Saturday?

Wondering about the lovely lady in the photo? She is one of my favorite people and here she is modeling a shirt of my own design.