Single Speed Stella

This is Stella and this is Stella's story...well, parts of it are, anyway...
Stella is a bike, A single-speed cyclecross bike that is my preferred form of transportation and really, just a great bike. Part of the reason that Stella is now going to exist on her own little slice of the internet is twofold - first: to share that riding a bike is good times, and second: um...to let people know that riding a bike is good times. And cheaper than driving a car. And more fun than sitting in traffic.

Here's Stella;

Here's some background about her; Stella lives in Mt. View, Ca. and is a trusty commute bike. The reason she's such a great bike is that she's not complicated...one speed, two brakes, a seat, and two wheels. A year ago, I got fed up with driving everywhere, with paying for gas (way before it hit $4 a gallon) and I was tired all the time. So I decided to start riding to work. Now, background on me...I'm a 30-ish female, married, not all that athletic, a little bit lazy, who works in an office-ish environment. Not a jock, not a hippie, not a revolutionary...just fed up with driving and feeling sluggish and irritable.

So, I started riding the six miles to work...from Mountain View to Sunnyvale. The first week sucked ass...hard. My legs hurt, my lungs hurt, I hated sweating, there are A LOT of people who ARE jocks that ride their bike to work in their spandex and scoff at the plebes in jeans...

The second week was better, but still sucked...my legs still hurt, but I was sweating a little less...I got heckled by a couple motorists, but whatever...

The third week was even better, I started to notice the trees and the squirrels, and I was a little bit faster...and I had more energy. Really, a lot more....

After my first month of riding to work everyday, I felt really good. My skin was clear, I was always in a good mood, and my legs starting looking...better. I got up in the morning and really looked forward to getting out and riding my bike...it began a whole new perspective.

There's a lot more to be told, but this is Stella's first time getting introduced, she likes to start off slow...I talk to a lot of 20-ish and 30-ish ladies who are afraid to ride a bike, or have a dozen excuses as to why they can'tride a bike anywhere for transportation, and I believe that as California feels more of this recession, and higher gas prices, food prices, entertainment costs...you name it, i'll hear a lot more about how they can't afford not to ride more often...