Heels on Wheels, Cycling for All Occasions by Elizabeth Williams

I first blogged about "Heels on Wheels" on my personal blog, Adventures of the Lovely Traveler.blogspot.com, last year on October 3, 2010.  It’s funny how a movement can start to become engrained in your lifestyle.  A little over a week ago, on October 15, 2011, I attended the NAAAP Awards reception & dinner at the Westin downtown Long Beach.  It’s 10 blocks from my house, and again I didn’t see the point in paying for parking when I could ride my bike and pay nothing.  So I rode bike again in a black strap less cocktail dress and stilettos.  This time I rode in on my about town bike, my vintage Schwinn.  I don’t have a picture of me riding my bike to the event this year, but do have a photo of me right after the event above.

From "Gold Heels on Wheels" Oct. 3rd, 2010

What a fun Sunday afternoon! I volunteered to help with registration for the 15th Annual Dress to Impress Gala put on by the nonprofit Close The Deal.  They provide business attire for low income people looking for jobs.  This was my first interaction with the organization and I have to say I was impressed. They had 231 registered guests!  There were lots of vendors who were donating a portion of their sales and lots of productive volunteers.  

The gala was held at the Hilton downtown Long Beach, which is close to me, so I decided to ride my bike instead of paying $9 for parking.  It may be about 3 miles from my house, if that.  So I put on my strap less black cocktail dress and gold stilettos and rolled out to the gala on my bike.  Since this was my first time riding in heels, I packed my cycling shoes in my backpack just in case they didn't work out. LOL!  Well they worked out, even with my lollipop cycling pedals!  I had a ball being all dolled up and riding my bike to a fancy gala!  Now I just need to get an about town bike which will probably be a beach cruiser with a hot paint job and a bell.

I got excited and inspired last week when I read an article in the New York Times about women riding all over town on their bikes, even to fancy affairs.  So why not bring that type of green thinking to the LBC? Well, it's already here as of today! LOL!

Enjoy the journey!

Elizabeth Williams is the president of Cali Bike Tours, which is the first bicycling tour company of its kind in Long Beach offering a variety of fun & exciting guided tour options for those interested in discovering Long Beach by bike.  As a businesswoman, bike advocate, avid cyclist, and long time resident, Elizabeth supports the city’s bike initiative to make Long Beach the most bike-friendly city in the nation.  She is passionate about helping others enhance their quality of life by developing healthier, greener lifestyles.