Heading down east as they say. #gobybike #trek520 #maine #chefhiking #bikelife (at Freeport, Maine) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTft4yhLT3J/?utm_medium=tumblr

It was so nice! #gobybike #trek #trek520 #portlandmaine #buglighthouse #mainelighthouse #lighthousesofmaine #chefhiking (at Bug Light Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CLpHT2jr_i7/?igshid=9ol313s79yg4

Willard Beach Saturday morning. #portlandmaine #willardbeach #gobybike #treck520 #trek520 #trekbikes #trekusa #cyclinglife #cyclinglifestyle #mainesky #chefhiking (at Willard Beach) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIyBsJ7rtb0/?igshid=uzqglwrh87zn

In Maine we measure our bike rides by how many lighthouses not miles. #gobybike #trek520 #trekbikes #trekbicycles #maine #mymaine #mainelife #mainelighthouses #mainelighthouse #mainelighthouseride #lighthouse #lighthouses #lighthousesofmaine #portlandheadlight #ramledgelighthouse #twolights #woodislandlighthouse #halfwaylight #buglight #springpointlighthouse (at Portland, Maine) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEZ1lTJAPPt/?igshid=1xycrpnjxgchf

Made some wrong turns and ended up at Willard Beach. #gobybike #trekbikes #trek520 #portlandmaine #maine #willardbeach #mainelife #maineliving #cyclinglifestyle #cyclingphotos #cyclinglife #sunrise #mainesky (at Willard Beach City of South Portland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDenkRbMHp4/?igshid=eknpzr26g442

My stew of touring, commuting, and fixed gear. Meet Cheri 2.0. #bikelife #bike #trek520 #kovachi #brooks #fujifilm #x100f (at American Tobacco Campus)

Learning, growing, pushing. Softly, gently, with compassion. Setting my own sails and being my own wind; gusting, unpredictable, and occasionally in the wrong direction... #badatmaps #sheexplores #optoutside #womenwhobike #bikewander #bicycletouring #explorecanada #trek520 #arkelpanniers #goodtimesoutside

This week I learned to ride in "clipless" shoes (which is a total misnomer because they clip you into the pedals on a bike??). Everything I read about them said "Everyone WILL fall over while learning to use them". So, of course I thought, "Everyone except ME". I took them out for a spin on the trail, which crosses a busy road at one point. I was killin' it - looking way more pro than I felt in my head but enjoying the moment of breezy confidence. I rolled up to the stop sign to check for cars and went to put my foot down. But my feet wouldn't budge. My feet were in shoes, that were clipped to the pedals, which were attached to the bike, which, at a standstill, slowly but surely began to tilt sideways. I leaned my body hard to one side, trying to counteract gravity and my own stupidity, but it was hopeless. I was like Wiley Coyote meets Jim from The Office - I looked up with a gulp and a shrug, then fell fast and hard onto the pavement in a jumbly mess. I scrambled back up only to see an elderly lady in a red sedan rolling her eyes at me like she'd written the book on learning to ride in clipless shoes. She probably did. And I should have listened to her. #fallingatastandstill #laughitoff #bicycletouring #bikewander #learningeveryday #bikelife #optoutside #goodtimesoutside #trek520 #onwardandinward #blttrail #chainoflakes