I've gone bike INSANE y'all. Right now it seems like it's all that I can think about, and I'm so excited to start on this new journey.

It's been a good decade or so since I've been on a bike regularly, and for the past couple of years I've been wanting to get back in the saddle. I thought last spring was going to be it - the time I actually moved forward and picked up something - but I never did. However, things have changed. This year is the year of the bike!

I'm very short, so I knew that I wanted a smaller frame to accommodate my height. After doing some research online for companies that offered frames for petite heights, I came across Brooklyn Bicycle Company, who not only make super stylish rides, but also offer all of their bike frames in a Small/Medium size for those of us who are...ahem...height challenged.

So this past weekend I went to one of the local independent bike shops that BBC works with - Everyday Cycles and Motion - to look at the Willow 3, the model I had pretty much decided on from the website. Thankfully, I took my friend Katie with me. She's been riding and bike commuting for ages and asked a ton of questions that I never would have even THOUGHT to ask. Liz, the owner, was super nice and patient. She took lots of time to talk to me about my needs, and answer any questions or concerns I had. She also RAVED about BBC as a company and the quality of the bike, saying that it was an absolute joy to ride and that it had actually become her preferred ride, despite the fact that the style of bike wasn't her typical choice.

The Willow was just as lovely in person as it is online, and I was immediately smitten. Liz put together a quote for me with all of the little additions and changes I want to make, and that was that! Now I just have to order the bike online. Brooklyn Bicycle will send the bike to Everyday Cycles and Motion, who will do the actual build with my little changes, then notify me when it's all ready!

I have a few goals in mind for my riding. My first goal is to have everything set up and ready to go in time for Bike the Drive, which takes place Memorial Day weekend. And my second, more ambitious goal, is to become a semi-regular bike commuter. I live quite a distance from work (roughly 9 miles), so this will take some time. But even if I could ride into work a couple of times a week, I'd be thrilled!

And her name? Octavia. After Octavia Butler. Because both the bike, and Butler's works, transport me! You'll be hearing a lot more about Octavia and my venture into this whole new thing on the blog.