So how did that go? “That” being my attempt to lift some spirits by nudging folks to take on a doable challenge to finish off a strange bike month, the second year in a row that our month of May was overshadowed by a pandemic. The doable challenge is described in this prior post. In short, the Challenge involves 5 different ways to incorporate an activity that lifts the spirits into a bike ride, which bike ride, of course, is enough to lift one’s spirits by itself. Sometimes, though, we need an extra nudge to get out there and ride. The 5 ways: 1. Dress up Fancy; 2. Go Social; 3. Be of Service; 4. Try something new; and 5. Bike to Beauty.
I was most excited about #1. There’s something about riding a bike in style that feels so fantabulous. To feel the breezy freedom that I always feel while riding a bike, and to do so while dressed up, especially in a skirt or dress, well, that brings on a nirvana all its own. I love also how clearly it proves that a simple bike ride does not require a pair of padded shorts and a pocketed jersey. Not every bike ride is the Tour de France (not that there’s anything wrong with the Tour de France, except for the exclusion of women). I also love the romantic imagery of a Tweed Ride, or that elegance depicted in those old timey pictures of women in full-length skirts, high collars, and bloomers flouting convention as they rode through the late 1800’s.
In the pursuit of elegance for our fancy bike ride, I invited my husband to join me for a ride to Beverly Hills. It’s just a few miles from our home, and offers over-the-top mansions and beautifully manicured gardens worth gawking at, on streets that are wide and quiet. I pulled up Google maps and started scanning for good streets and places to explore. A few key spots caught my eye, and I proceeded to plan a little loop for our tour de Beverly Hills.
It was easy to choose my outfit, as I had purchased a pair of dresses in anticipation of a local Tweed Ride a few years ago, one being my first choice dress (adorable, but I was nervous about the somewhat mermaid-style shape), and the second a backup in case the first choice dress didn’t allow enough room for pedaling. I’d assumed the backup dress could be saved for the following year’s Tweed Ride. But there hadn’t been a second Tweed Ride, so that backup dress was still waiting its turn. The bright red of that yet-to-be-worn dress, and it’s 40’s era vintage styling, meant the perfect choice of matching Bloomers was obvious: the Red Hot Aqua Dot Bloomers. I completed the look with some red earrings and a matching necklace I’d inherited from my mother, and a comfy yet cute pair of red Jambu Mary Janes. Oh, and the brightest red lipstick I could find.
We rode past the architecturally notable Beverly Hills City Hall, making our way to the Virginia Robinson Gardens. The Gardens were closed that Sunday, but it was fun to get a glimpse and see enough to know it would be worth a return trip when it’s open. From there, I wanted to check out the “Hillhaven Lodge” that Google maps indicated was just a little ways farther up Benedict Canyon, but alas, it’s one of those things on the map that isn’t really a place you can visit. Our next stop was the Spadena House, also known as the “witch house”. We rounded out the tour with a pass by the Wave House. And since I’d never before biked to these Beverly Hills sites, I decided this ride also ticked the box for #4.
Oh, did you think the Challenge required 5 separate bike rides? Ah, don’t read anything more into the rules than necessary! (Forgive me, I’m a lawyer.)
Rolling home. 
We both wore red shoes. Because we’re classy like that.
#5 was super easy, as biking to beauty can be done just about anywhere, especially if you are on the lookout for nature’s treasures and/or public art. One street I use frequently to traverse the mid-city area of Los Angeles is 6th Street, as it passes along the back side of the La Brea Tar Pits and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). It’s the less stressful alternative to busy Wilshire Blvd to the south and hectic 3rd Street to the north (despite Google maps always suggesting 3rd Street instead — don’t do it!). I’ve ridden 6th Street so many times, it’s easy to forget to take in the treasures. One fine day, riding home after a medical appointment, I noticed lots of colorful flowers peeking through the wrought iron fencing that surrounds the La Brea Tar Pits.
In between these rides, I did work in a bonus ride, that could be stretched to fit a few categories. I rode to my favorite bike shop to get some new tires for my commuter/adventure bike. This Bianchi Volpe had come equipped with 28mm tires that served me well for the last 2+ years, but those tires had worn down quite a bit, and after a bad wipe out on slick pavement one March morning that left me with a fractured pelvis, I had decided it was time for not just new tires, but something wider and grippier. Especially now that I have a newer, fancier Bianchi for road riding, it makes sense to turn my trusty steel Volpe into a gravel bike. I figure visiting my local bike shop counts as a social experience that helps someone, and I’ve never bought 35mm tires before, so there’s 3 categories right there! But since it’s a bit of a stretch, I’m treating this as a bonus ride.
On the last day of May, I got in #2 and #3 by inviting a friend who had no quarantine buddy for the whole 15 months of pandemic restrictions out for a ride and to treat her to a goodie. Riding a bike is fun, and socializing is fun, but social riding is even better, especially with a friend who can appreciate a leisurely pace. Enjoying goodies together is all the more fun, which is what we did as we swung by California Donuts. I love this place because, in addition to good donuts, they serve from a window you can roll your bike up to — no locking up required. Having just watched The Donut King, I was eager for some local donuts, so I bought a box of 6: horchata, cinnamon crumb, M&M’s, Reese’s, chocolate glazed, and a cronut. Jennifer and I sampled a bit of the horchata donut, and I took the rest home to share with my hubby. Jennifer was more interested in a Thai Iced Coffee than a donut, so that was her treat. Over the next few days, my husband and I sampled the donuts. In my opinion, the cronut was the best.
Blue Denim Bloomers 
Donuts & Thai Iced Tea 
Social Hang with Jennifer
I gave folks who opted to take the BikieGirl Bike Month Challenge until June 15th to turn in their ride reports, but so far, I’ve only seen one. Joni shared her 5 dares completed on the Club BikieGirl Facebook page: hooray for Joni! Some others indicated that they’d done a few, or had thought about it, so I’m thinking maybe we don’t have to limit this to Bike Month. If you’re still toying with the idea, well, it’s not that hard, and I will give you the summer to finish it up. We’ll leave the Challenge open through the end of August. Now, I double-dog-dare you!
WeLove2Bike! 