Women on Bikes Series: Rachel Dingfelder

In Rachel's own words: "I've been commuting for around 9 years in Pittsburgh, I helped run a volunteer bicycle co-op a few years ago (where I learned mechanics, learned a lot of the skills I use at my current job like volunteer coordination, conflict resolution, nonprofit management.)
I also volunteer with BikePGH and have been involved in women/trans cycling events. For my job I do development for a nonprofit birth center (prenatal, GYN care, and out-of-hospital birth with midwives)
It really matters to me to do most things by bicycle so I ride to work, the store, and just about anything happening in the city. Panniers and lobster gloves are my best friends. It's very important to me in a political sense to be present on the street riding a bike, and help advocate for better bike infrastructure in Pittsburgh."
Find Rachel on Twitter!
The first time I
rode a bike was when I was a kid. I lived in Suburban/Rural New Jersey and
would ride around my yard, to the park, and my friends' houses within a two
mile radius. As an adult in Pittsburgh, I started riding about 10 years ago, in
college.
What
motivated you to ride as much as you have over the years?
At first, it was
for social reasons. My friends started riding bikes to classes and parties, so
if I wanted to keep up with them I needed a bike.
It was, and still is often thrilling to go places by bike, so that was some good motivation! I think social reasons are still a big part of it - most of my friends ride bikes, and half the fun is getting from point A to point B with them. I also love not worrying about parking, love feeling alert when I get to work, and want to be a part of making my city better and safer by being on the street and advocating for things that benefit people who bike and walk.
It was, and still is often thrilling to go places by bike, so that was some good motivation! I think social reasons are still a big part of it - most of my friends ride bikes, and half the fun is getting from point A to point B with them. I also love not worrying about parking, love feeling alert when I get to work, and want to be a part of making my city better and safer by being on the street and advocating for things that benefit people who bike and walk.
What
kind of riding is your favorite? (paved, gravel, mountain, etc.)
I like riding in
the city, so mostly pavement and urban trails.
Do you
remember how you felt on your first commuter ride? How did it go and how did
you feel?
I remember the
first few rides, though it's all a little hazy. I had a clunky old bike that a
friend pulled out from behind a bus stop. It definitely had things wrong with
it and I had no idea what, so I just prayed it wouldn't fall apart while I was
riding it. I remember that my shoulder bag kept falling forward and that was really annoying,
I was tricky getting used to starting and stopping.
I didn't think
about the ride as a commute in the way that I do now, and I don't remember
thinking about what would happen if I got hit by a car - it just didn't cross
my mind. I was trying to get used to just being on the bike, and figuring all
these little things out, like how some purses and bags just don't stay put
while riding.
If you
had nervousness at all, what do you do or think to overcome it?
Pittsburgh is
hilly, so I was nervous about getting up hills and didn't think about the fact
that if I kept riding, the hills would start to come easy. I just thought,
"wow, I can't do this," and I would walk up the hills, which is
perfectly fine but kind of discouraging. I didn't think about shifting, and
then my next bike was a single-speed so it wasn't an option. I found that
riding with other people pushed me up those hills the first few times I did
them. Riding with other people also pushed me to go faster and get my
"Pittsburgh Legs." I often had no choice but to hustle along behind
them. I think this was ultimately a good thing. It gave me lots of confidence.
Do you
use clipless pedals?
If yes, what are some tips/suggestions for beginners that you would share? If
no, are you thinking of trying it out at all?
I used clipless
pedals for less than a year, about six years ago. The pedals and the shoes were
comfortable, but I didn't like always having to carry my street shoes with me.
I know some people just rock the clipless shoes once they get off the bike,
especially now that styles are a lot nicer now than even six years ago... but I
like being able to wear all my cute boots and shoes on and off the bike. I use
velcro Hold Fast straps, which are kinder to my leather shoes (than metal
clips), and super comfortable with any shoe I wear.
If you
are a commuter what are some of the challenges you face and how do you overcome
them?
Poorly designed,
fast roads are a problem. I look at our city bike map or Google maps and plan
out a chiller route, even if it takes a little longer. Luckily, Pittsburgh is
an old city with lots of narrow, neighborhood roads so there is usually a good
way to get somewhere. Scary drivers are also a problem, so I try to ride as
predictably as possible while at the same time riding as if no one can see me.
I trust my "spidey-sense" a lot - that feeling you get when you just
know the person coming up behind you is going to right-turn you, or whatever
stupid thing they are about to do.
Do you
commute even if the weather isn’t ideal? Why or why not? If yes, what do you do
to make it more tolerable?
Yes, I usually
commute in the rain and in the wet, cold, dirty winters of Pittsburgh. To deal
with the cold and snow I wear lobster gloves and warm, waterproof hiking sneakers.
I have these amazing "Winter Leggings" from American Apparel which
are good for 30+ degree days, look cute for work, and I can layer tights under
them for colder days. I could go on and on about layering and winter bicycle
fashion! When it rains I have waterproof pants and a rain jacket that I just
throw on over whatever I'm wearing. I used to ride on those really bad, scary,
icy winter days... but nowadays I am a little more risk-adverse so I let myself
walk or take the bus on those days.
Have you
had a bike accident? If so, how did you recover on a physical/mental/emotional
level?
Yes, I was hit by
a car in 2009, in broad daylight. They were coming towards me and hit me as
they were turning left onto a side street. It took me six weeks to heal from my
injuries (and over a year for some of the pain to fully go away), and I'm
thankful it wasn't worse. Luckily, everyone involved had insurance so I didn't
have financial stress like many others do when they get hit. For a few months
after the accident I felt really jumpy whenever I was in an intersection or
passing a side street. Mentally, I recovered by continuing to ride every day.
What
do you love about riding your bike?
I love not having
to think about making time to exercise. I love everything cliche about riding
in the city at night - warm nights, city lights, the reflections on the river
(we have three in Pittsburgh!), blinky lights blinking against street signs,
smelling flowers while riding by them. I love not having to worry about parking.
I love feeling energized when I get somewhere. I love trying to figure out how
to carry things on my bike... and I LOVE my panniers and I love packing them
full of groceries.
Tell
us about your bike(s), what they are like and why did you choose them?
I am short, so
both my bikes are tiny. Both have fenders, a rack, and colorful top-tube pads
made by a lovely friend who likes to sew. I have a Salsa Casseroll which is set
up as a single-speed right now. Everything on it is gold and red, and it has
riser bars which I love. I chose it after my other single-speed bike got ruined
in my crash. For any short people out there who are interested in bikes
under 51cm, I'm pretty sure Salsa stopped making the Casseroll in small sizes,
which is a bummer.
My other bike is a
Surly LHT. With some help, I built it myself and got everything exactly how I
wanted it, or at least close enough. I chose it because it's sturdy and
practical, it was a good value, and it comes in tiny sizes.
What
are some tips/suggestions you would give to someone new to commuting?
Don't
automatically bike the same route you would use while driving. Take some time
and plan out a calmer route beforehand. Realize that it takes time to
reconfigure your mental map of the city. Find a confident, experienced,
patient, and somewhat safety-oriented friend who you can ride along with, and
follow their lead. Contact your local bike advocacy group and see if they have
bike-to-work pools or group rides. Get some fenders for when it
rains. Also, it's OK to arrive at work a little early to change your shoes
or into your work clothes. No one will think you're weird, and if they do,
they'll get used to it.
What
clothing/bike accessories do you love? What would you recommend to your
friends?
Winter: Like I
mentioned before, winter lobster gloves (I have the Pearl Izumi ones) and heavy
leggings are awesome. Warm, waterproof shoes or boots and a hat for winter are
essential.Once you got the extremities down, everything else is up to you. I
invested in a nice Patagonia soft shell jacket a few years ago, but before that
I just wore two scrappy hoodies with two thermals all winter and that worked
great, too.
Summer: Wear
whatever you want. Get some little shorts/bloomers to wear under skirts and
dresses. That's about it.
Bike Accessories:
I could not live without my waterproof panniers or my waterproof backpack,
which is essentially my "purse". The panniers are made by Axiom -
they are huge and totally worth the price, and the backpack
was made by a skilled friend -www.jkilburg.com. I have a
Knog Blinder front blinky - it's bright, it rocks, and it's USB-rechargeable.
The back blinky is a Planet Bike USB-rechargeable light. It also rocks! Don't
use a cable lock - use a U-Lock or something even burlier.
Tell us about when
you helped run a volunteer bike co-op-what was it like, what did the co-op do?
In 2008-2012, I
volunteered with Free Ride, which is an all volunteer-run community bike shop.
It's been around for 13 or so years. It runs an earn-a-bike program, classes,
youth programs, bike build-a-thons for kids who need bikes, has fundraisers and
other parties, and is there as a resource so people can learn bicycle
mechanics. It has endless bike parts and bikes available in return for a
donation or volunteer time trade. I helped staff the shop, was on the
collective council (which is sort of like a working board of directors) and was
the Treasurer for a while.
The shop helped me
learn about collective/volunteer-run spaces. No one got paid (except when
independent contractors taught classes), decisions were made by consensus, and
the philosophy behind it all was to put the tools in the hands of the person
learning, instead of doing the work for them. It strived to be a non-hierarchical,
radical space where theoretically anyone could walk in and volunteer time to
trade for parts or even and entire bicycle, even if they didn't have mechanical
skills. The shop itself was organized chaos, with bikes and parts as far as the
eye could see - you were literally up to your knees in bike parts sometimes. I
was full of amazing people who became my core social group. The people who are
there now are awesome, too!
Being an organizer
of the shop gave me the opportunity to learn and hone skills that I use in my
current job and other endeavors - managing other volunteers, dealing with
conflict and hard decisions, setting up processes to make things work smoothly,
and managing financials and donations. It also, of course, gave me the opportunity
to collaboratively learn with and from people who came into the shop. I am
extremely grateful for the experience, and am really happy Free Ride still
exists and works it's magic.
Tell us about
BikePGH and what you do when you volunteer for them
BikePGH is
Pittsburgh's bike advocacy non-profit. They work with the city, community
groups, planners and others to make the streets safer for people who bike and
walk. They are extremely effective and do a lot. I'm a member,
and I've helped with parties, mailings, bike valet and bike counts. They
recently hosted Pittsburgh's first Women's Bike Forum. I attended and also
facilitated a discussion for it. The discussion was about safety issues while
cycling - crazy drivers, street harassment, etc.
In October, I did
the PGH to DC trip on the Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Towpath. I
went with my gentleman friend and took my Surly and my panniers full of stuff.
Most of the planning entailed figuring out how many miles to do per day,
booking B&B's and strategizing which snacks to get from Trader
Joe's. I also got my first pair of padded shorts. Next time I'll get the
butt cream. I would have liked to have had the butt cream!
The trip overall
was amazing! It only rained once, for about 45 miles before we got to
Cumberland. I didn't have any mechanical problems until I was two miles away
from the end of the trail in Georgetown. I got a flat. Doh!
What would you like
people to think about when they make the decision to ride a bike?
Please get some
front and rear blinkys so people can see you at night, and take a bike
maintenance class so you can make sure your bike is safe before riding it.
What would you
like to see happen with your city in terms of bike safety
and infrastructure?
We're hiring for
our second bike/ped coordinator now, so I'd like to see someone amazing get
that position. I want all engineering and public safety efforts to go towards
eliminating crashes for everyone using every mode of transport. Some people
would say that's unrealistic, but we need to have this as a goal. I
would like to see more street trees, because they help slow down traffic and do
a ton of other wonderful things. I'd like to see more bike racks and corrals in
places that need them, and I can't wait for the bike share to be implemented.
We're getting our first separated bike lane this summer, so I can't wait for
that. I want to see Pittsburgh do something like the famous Ciclovia in Bogota
- like an open streets event. I want people who won't bike in the city now to
feel safe enough to try.
How do you
advocate for a better biking infrastructure? What tips or suggestions
would you give to someone who doesn't know where to start?
Find your local
advocacy group, see what they are working on, and get involved by volunteering
or responding to action alerts. When you want to make change in your
neighborhood, contact your local politicians like your city councilperson,
neighborhood organizations, etc. If your city has a way to report things like
unsafe road conditions, bad lighting, and other dangerous situations - use it,
especially if it relates to bikes. Find group rides - chances are, some people
on the group ride will be involved somehow in the bike scene.
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