why i ride a bike - reason # 2 - it's fun!

Whether you are taking part in a group social ride, like last weekend's Clitoral Mass...





or simply going from point A to point B...



or out taking a joy ride...



taking your bike there proves that getting there is half the fun!





You see, when you choose to ride a bike for transportation or recreation, you can ride with your friends...





or you might just run into pals in the bike lane...



or make new friends!



And thanks to social media, you connect with friends around the world who love their bikes as much as you do.



What's more, riding your bike is not just a great way to have fun with friends.



The exhilaration you feel also transports you back to being a kid again.



So what are you waiting for? It's time to enjoy your summer!



And if you're not convinced yet, here are some more reasons to ride your bike, from Iva Jean.

Eye on the Bike

If you aren't in the Bay Area, maybe you never got the chance to check out the Bay Area Biking episode on Eye On The Bay. I had the pleasure of co-hosting the first segment with Liam Mayclem and got to take him on a bike-friendly tour of San Francisco. I also co-produced and edited this segment. Hope you enjoy.


I produced, directed and edited the second segment on the illustrious Scraper Bike team from Oakland, CA. They are some pretty awesome dudes. Check them out.


This originally aired on October 25, 2010 but is now in replay, and yesterday I finally picked up the clips so I could upload them here. Thanks for watching!

Scraper Bikes - On The Scene (pt. 2)

Check out the Scraper Bike Team on the recent Eye On The Bay Bike Episode!

The ladies know that bikes are where it's at!


These polite gents respectfully wait for green lights!


And riding in single file is all part of their style!


Sometimes the trike goes on two wheels...


but they always cast long shadows! Keep your eye on the Scraper Bike Team!


And keep an ear out for their sweet tunage: On The Scene

Scraper Bikes - On The Scene (pt. 1)

The Scraper Bike Team is on the scene! I had the pleasure of filming these Oaktown gents on wheels a few weeks ago for the Eye On The Bay bike episode which airs TONIGHT at 7 pm.


At the helm is Tyrone Stevenson, a.k.a. Baybe Champ The Scraper Bike King. Champ has been inspiring Oakland youth for years to stay in school, keep out of trouble and do something positive for their community by keeping kids on their bikes - riding them and fixing them up! Here's a sneak preview of what you'll see tonight!


Awesome trike.


Hawaiian Punch bike.


Air Jordan bike.


Oakland A's bike.


And Bad Baby - the youngest member of the team!

Scrapertown

Scrapertown from California is a place. on Vimeo.

Some local inspiration about why a bicycle is so significant in global change. Think local, act global.

Or as my friends like to say, Change Your Life, Ride a Bike!

VV Profile: Jon Snydal

Name: Jon Snydal

Occupation: Principal Designer, Frog Design


Hometown: San Jose

Current city/Neighborhood: Oakland/Maxwell Park

Favorite city to ride a bike in in the world: Bangalore

Helmet or no helmet: Helmet!

Describe your personal style: thrifted up, with lots of belt buckles and colorful shirts.

Type of bike: Atlas Goldline single speed


Tell us the story about how you found/acquired your bike: I was working in India and was tired of riding around in taxis all the time. So I got a bike and started riding it to work. I kept seeing other dudes riding around with cool, tricked out roadsters, so I made a game out of tracking down accessories like the front shocks and bull hood ornament.

I found that biking around Bangalore instantly broke down all sorts of cultural barriers and opened up all kinds of conversations with locals. After tricking out my bike, I couldn’t leave it in India, so I brought it back on the plane with me.


Describe what you like best about your bike: I love that the design of this bike seems “old school” but it is that way for practical reasons, not for style. It’s built from affordable materials (not carbon fiber!) that are extremely heavy duty and easy to fix, thanks to its simple mechanical design. All you need is a few wrenches, a standard screwdriver and a hammer and you can take care of just about any problem. My favorite parts are the cantilevered brakes, motorcycle kickstand and glowing bull hood ornament.




Tell us about your daily bike commute from Oakland to SF: I ride to the bus stop near MacArthur Blvd in Oakland and jump on the NX3, loading my bike on the front. I get off at the Transbay Terminal and head down Embarcadero along the waterfront to my studio near the Ball Park.

Favorite time and/or place to ride:
Family biking - Calistoga to St. Helena on the backroads or Point Isabel bike trail in Richmond
Mountain biking - Miwok trail & China Camp (Marin), Chabot Park (Oakland)

What's the connection between bikes and design and daily life?
The design problem connected to daily life and bikes has less to do with bikes and more to do with the design of cities. Cities still do not embrace bikes as well as they should. There are some positive developments like bike lanes, dedicated bike paths and buses with bike racks. What about BART? Why isn’t there a BART wagon just for bikes like they have on Cal Train? Why doesn’t Oakland create some bike friendly pathways from the neighborhoods to the waterfront? Why is it that our bazillion dollar Bay Bridge redesign does not include a bike lane from Oakland to SF? Improving the design of transportation systems and infrastructure will have the biggest impact on our daily, bike-commuting lives.

Vélo Vogue tip of the day: Always bring a spare tube and know how to fix your own flat!

Oakland Rider

It's Rider Nation in Oaktown!



He's even got a skull and crossbones on his t-shirt.


SF used to have a freeway next to its Embarcadero, too. Now I wonder if the 880 was torn down, and Oakland was given back its shoreline, if more pirates would appear.

Tweeding in Oaktown

Photo by Rubin 110 from our VV Flickr pool.

I'm looking forward to the next SF Tweed Ride on September 16th!

Bike Lane DIY

Bike lanes guerrilla style! Way to go WOBO!

The Rainbow I saw on BART

I couldn't zoom out far enough to capture this look on BART the other day. Orange skirt with hot pink tights? Right on, girlfriend.

It was only after I tried to capture her striped socks that I noticed the colored beads on her spokes.

[brian] Temescal, Oakland

Brian submitted this photo without commentary. He's also the one who first suggested we post about the scrapper bikes. Go Oak-town.
Left to Right: Jahmaal, Ayana, and Ross making the scene in the hip Temescal neighborhood, Oakland, CA

Oakland Infill

Years ago, my friend Brian and I took photos of a parking garage being torn down in Oakland. I met him for lunch a few weeks back, and he wanted to show me what they'd done with the lot.

But first, this woman in full summer gear biked past us. I love stripes... and red, but I loved her "salt water flats" even more -- I had a pair of those sandals as a kid. Where do you buy them in adult sizes?


In the background of this photo, you can see the Uptown, the infill development they put on the lot of that parking garage. We got a tour, and it is awesome.

another fine use for thighs

Lilia here. When I first got back from France last month, we were amid a heat wave that would put any European to shame. While Paris was cold and overcast, San Francisco (the-coldest-winter-you-ever-spent summer) was ablaze. So, shooting chycks in their summer dresses biking around became easy.

While I would love bike share at train stations, poor accomodation of bicycles on our transit systems irks me. This woman was forced to prop her bike between her thighs to keep it still during her BART ride. Yowza.

Here she is leaving the train:

World Movement Outta Oakland: Scraper Bikes

This Sunday, July 13th, bikes from all over (and of all types) are meeting at Lake Merritt to ride for peace, a gun truce, and BBQ in an event called Ride for Life.

Ride 2 PM
BBQ 3 PM
Lakeside Park Playground, 468 Perkins St., Oakland CA
Sponsorship opportunities still available

If Everybody Rode a Scraper Bike, Gas Would Go From Like $4.50 a Gallon to $2.50... For Real.

Voguin' for realz.

VV couple: Brian and Susan

I know Brian from the carfree movement. Then he hooked up with this totally awesome chick, Susan. Brian is a Press Secretary for a large environmental non-profit. Susan teaches chaplains at a large hospital. I've heard Brian say that her job is to love people on the worst day of their lives (when loved ones are in the hospital, for example). They live in Oakland, carfree by choice. Here they are leaving the WOBO party:

As you can see, they are both rather dapper, coming from work. Susan is in a snazzy professional purple skirt, heels and carrying a briefcase. Brian sports a button-down shirt even on a Friday. I know they spend all the money they save not owning a car on fabulous vacations, tho, not clothes. You'd never know.