2.27.2013

The Spinster Trailer

The Spinster Trailer from Kristin Tieche on Vimeo.

Here's a peek at The Spinster's trailer! On Friday, March 1st at The Spinster Kickoff Party at Huckleberry Bicycles, we'll be showing exclusive clips from the film, not seen anywhere else until the film is released end of summer 2013. In addition, you'll also get to munch on yummy goodies from Localist SF and bid on some silent auction prizes from bikey favorites like Chrome, Po Campo, Cycle SF and more! Finally, I'm super-excited about launching our Kickstarter campaign on Friday, so stay tuned for more details about how to contribute to The Spinster!

2.22.2013

The Spinster Rides

Announcing my new film - The Spinster - a psychological thriller that follows a cycle vixen in search of true love into the dark, shadowy depths of romance. The film also celebrates the bicycle community, on and behind the camera. We filmed in San Francisco throughout November and December, and now the film is finally in post-production! So we are launching a fundraising campaign. Please come to The Spinster Kickoff Party at Huckleberry Bicycles in San Francisco on March 1st!

THE SPINSTER KICKOFF PARTY INVITE

SAVE THE DATE: FRIDAY MARCH 1ST, FROM 7 PM TO 10 PM

Come see exclusive clips from the film!
Meet the cast and crew!
Food by The Localist SF
Music by DJ Jonathan Parra
Sound by DJ Seven
Drinks from Comrades Brewing and Numi Tea
Silent Auction includes Chrome Bags, Cycle SF, Hotel Rex, Radio Africa & Kitchen, Wine Tasting on the Bay and more!
Free Valet Bike Parking by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

Our Kickstarter page will go live on March 1st, and sliding scale donations taken at the door for your rewards, which might include a signed headshot from The Spinster herself...

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or a limited edition poster of the film designed by the talented Meli Burgueño.

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We will show exclusive clips from the film to those who come to the event. These clips will not be shared anywhere else on the web, only live and in person for our supporters. :-)

Here's a glimpse of what you might see:

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Zack and Keven from Huckleberry love The Spinster, and we think you will too.

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SO PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR and "like" The Spinster's Facebook page to receive updates!

2.21.2013

VV Profile: Lygia de Luca

Name: Lygia de Luca

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Occupation: Movimento Conviva Blogger and social media content and strategy freelancer

Hometown: São Paulo, Brasil

Current city/Neighborhood: I live in a neighborhood called Saúde in the south of São Paulo.

Raison d'être: I try to make utopias become a reality. If I ever consider something is far from reality - mine, per se - I do everything I can to make what seems utopic come true. It can work for anything in my life... anything.

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Favorite city to ride a bike in in the world: So far, the best memories I have sit in Brugge, Belgium; though I had a really good time in San Francisco!

Helmet or no helmet: No helmet for commuting in the city, but surely when I start doing bike trips I will wear one. :)

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Type of bike: I have a urban step-through bike. Since I am quite new to commuting by bike, this is my only one - and he's called Bob! And... I confess I do fancy getting a fixie in a near future. :)

Describe what you like best about your bike: It fits all my riding necessities right now, besides looking like the dutch bikes I fell in love with while I was abroad - though my bike is made in Brazil. Besides the design, I love how practical it is to ride it, whether I am wearing pants or a dress, and also the space to carry all the stuff I need - either on the back, inside my retro box, or using my basket up front.

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But actually what I love the most about it is the freedom I feel since I started to ride it. :)

Describe your personal style: Most of the time, I want to dress comfortable. Basically I love dresses and skirts - I love high waist style the most. I don't wear super high heels but I do like the mid-term "girly but still possible to run" heels. Besides that, it all depends on my mood - I can go very classic and look nearly as an old lady or just as fun as a colorful teenager. Who knows how I'll feel when I wake up?

Favorite accessory when riding: Bob always wears a scarf around his handlebar and, for the night, a bunch of colorful lights. As for me, nothing but a happiness feeling inside.

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Favorite time and/or place to ride: Of course it's much more fun to ride around parks and during weekends, but I love commuting - it's when I ride the most, actually early in the morning and just when the day turns night.

Tell me about how you started to ride in São Paulo: It all started when I came back from a backpacking trip around the world. I spent 9 months on the road and I saw much more cyclists around the city. I asked some friends if it was just me or if there were really more bikes on the streets - they told me it wasn't only me. So once I was delighted to ride a bike as a transport, even in a tourist way, while abroad, and got SO impressed on how the bikers could own their space and the others could respect it, I started thinking about riding a bike here. Also I got a job working for the CicloFaixa, which made me get involved with the movement of cyclist in my city - it was so exciting!

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But then I unfortunately fell down - while walking, not biking - and hurt my foot. It took me nearly 1 year to recover. Right after that I started riding short distances during weekends only to find out I was too scared to do it by myself. That's when I called a volunteer from Bike Anjo and tried commuting by bike. We became friends and he showed me, day by day, how fun it is to ride the bike, giving me safety tips and making me feel free.

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Tell me about your Bike Anjo (Lygia's volunteer bike companion, pictured above): I asked for a volunteer, as I said above, and got the perfect match: Tiago lives nearby my place and also works quite close to where I work. So our first ride practice happened on a lovely sunny Sunday, using the CicloFaixa, and it was cool and peaceful. He also came for my first official commute day, on Monday, and was very supportive all the time. Every day he would teach me something new and calm me down when I got scared - because it does happen. Even though I love riding in my city, the traffic is bad, without infrastructure for cyclists. We quickly became friends and it's much because of him that I felt so motivated to start cycling - having someone you trust around, to chat on the way and help you when you need make everything feel lighter. As the song said, "with a little help from my friends" - and that's what Bike Anjo means for me. :)

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Tell me about your involvement with Movimento Conviva, the blog and your message: "Conviva" means "coexist", and it's about stimulating a peaceful existence between pedestrians, drivers and cyclists. It surged after CicloFaixa - and both go together. Since I worked for CicloFaixa after coming back from my trip, I had already been bitten by the little "biker mosquito". It had total influence over my decision of riding a bike to go to work. I do believe we should ride more, being a mass of people on their bikes to change the city scenario, to soften the traffic, to change the way people see and look at the landscape - and, surely, make a safer commute.

Writing for Conviva only inspires me to open my eyes more wildly, to realize little details in between the lines - and write about them; being curious is a part of me, but while I commute, I have much more to be curious about. Conviva expanded not only my curiosity, but my consciousness about the ways we should work for São Paulo to become a more human city. As little as it may seem, being inspired to ride a bike and doing it everyday to go to work can inspire other people - especially women, who often feel much more insecure to try it. I can't remember how many talks I've had in the past months about people who want to ride a bike but have so many "buts". It's great to let them know there are Bike Anjos around, there are people who were scared like me, and that there is a group of cyclists and active people who are willing to help others to get their asses on their bikes and ride on!

Vélo Vogue tip of the day: If you ride in a big city like me, don't put your guard down - but smile as much as you can while riding your bike (I try to do so!). People need to know it's so much fun to cycle so they'll be jealous and, who knows, one day ride by your side. \o/

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Please check out Movimento Conviva today for Lygia's interview with Vélo Vogue's editor, Kristin Tieche.

2.20.2013

I Cycle SF!

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The calitexican and I were invited to participate in a photoshoot for the brand new bike event Cycle SF, a fun ride around the perimeter of San Francisco - with options of a 24-mile route or a 13-mile route - benefitting San Francisco Rec & Park, and ultimately all of us who live here in this magnificent city.

Early Bird Registration is now open! IMG_8310

Take advantage of this opportunity to see some of SF's best views from the vantage point of the two-wheeled.

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And keep an eye out on SF streets for Cycle SF's advertisements. You might see some familiar faces. :-)

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Dogs ride for free!

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And you can dress up in costume and ride in a team!

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Sign up NOW to take advantage of the early bird registration rate. This is going to be a very fun ride!

2.18.2013

j'suis snob

Ze bike gang headed out to ze windmill to meet ze one and only Bike Snob to participate in his film shoot promoting his new book (something about Europe!).

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Hence the reference to my fave Man of Saint Germain, Boris Vian:



I brought ze chien avec, thereby already fulfilling my 2013 goals!

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He is getting accustomed to ze basket.

We look Euro, non?

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My new pal Braxton arrived fashionably late with his fancy Euro bike, the Velorbis. Oh là là!

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Ian scored some gluten!

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Jenn suffered a bit of ennui.

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On ze ride home, we saw ze buffalo.

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C'était le fun!

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2.15.2013

enjoying the California winter

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It feels like summer here in San Francisco, so the calitexican and I have been playing hooky lately, enjoying the sunshine while we can.

Come back next week for more updates from my trip to Brazil, some of my sunny SF adventures with Cycle SF, the Bike Snob and (drumroll, please!) my new film, The Spinster.

Enjoy the weekend!

2.11.2013

2.07.2013

Conviva & CicloFaixa roll out more love!

When I visited São Paulo in 2010, it was a city screaming out for more love.

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We all need more love, don't we?

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And it seems like the love has finally arrived. Positive changes are afloat in South America's megalopolis! Enter Movimento Conviva and CicloFaixa - whose hope is to promote more harmony in São Paulo's streets, where cars still rule. CicloFaixa has made it possible for Paulistas who bike to own part of these streets, at least on Sundays and holidays, from 7 am to 4 pm, when people can cycle around a total of 149 km, with designated bike routes that pass through parks and nearby museums.

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Bring your own bike...

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or borrow one of theirs!

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Conviva is the movement for pedestrians, drivers and bikers to coexist harmoniously. After all, all we really want is to get to our destinations safe and sound, so we can enjoy our lives.

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But of course, on a bike it's not just about the destination, but the journey. Please enjoy this little video I made about CicloFaixa & Conviva, put the music of Chico Science & Nação Zumbi.



Happiness and harmony abound! Ding ding!

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2.06.2013

Sampa Style!

São Paulo is like Los Angeles, New York and Berlin combined into one.
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So is she.

2.01.2013

I'm On a Bike Party World Tour!

To kick off my reportage of my trip to Brazil, I'll start with Bike Party! Why? Because if it wasn't for all their Facebook invites to this monthly bike get-together & ride-around, I may not have gone all the way down there for my vacay!

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This time, the theme was reggae. Time to adorn ourselves and our bikes in red, gold & green and feel Irie!

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What's more, Bike Party São Paulo was inspired by our very own San Francisco Bike Party, which is happening tonight (wear red).

So when we finally found the starting point...

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it was instant camraderie!

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It was a long distance to travel for a party, but the cast of characters was worth the jetlag.

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Meet the Bike Party São Paulo organizers!

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Eduardo Grigoletto

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Me & Daniel Spinelli

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and Marco, the Sweeper!

And really, how could a girl resist hanging out with such fun and cute bike dudes? ;-)

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And for every hot dude, there's a hot chick!

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Thanks to Edu, Daniel & Marco for hosting such a great party, and for making your crazy city seem a little less intimidating, and little more inviting! IMG_7981

It was so fun to meet and ride with all of you, and to expand my global bike family!

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Come party with us in SF! BIKE PARTY!!!