Adieu Vélo Vogue, Bonjour Velo Visionaries!

When I launched Vélo Vogue in 2008, I was incredibly inspired by the Cycle Chic movement. It was a brand new way of not only perceiving how a person chooses to get from point A to point B, but more importantly, it was a way to connect with kindred two-wheeled spirits all over the world, from Canada to Brazil, to England to South Africa and more. Vélo Vogue has opened many doors and showed me new paths, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

But now in 2015, our bike culture has evolved. We've entered into a new dialogue. We talk less about what we wear while we're biking, and more about a new world order, where our very existence on this planet is challenged by climate change, where capitalism has prioritized profit over people, and all other life forms become collateral damage. Where women and people of color still cannot feel safe in public places. We live in a world that is unacceptable.

The bicycle, as someone I know once said, is quite literally a vehicle of change. So it's up to us bike people to help create a new world. And by us, I mean YOU and ME. So here's what I'm doing.

Thanks to Vélo Vogue, I have been inspired by people worldwide whom I've met through our online global bicycle community. And since I'm a filmmaker, I decided the best way that I can contribute to the shift towards livable cities--and a livable planet--was to use film to tell the stories of the people I've met: exceptional individuals who made a choice to opt out of fossil fuels and opt in to pedal power.

So from here forward, my gift to you is Velo Visionaries.

Episode 1: Chris Carlsson is one of the original co-founders of San Francisco's Critical Mass. He also co-founded Shaping San Francisco, a participatory community history project documenting and archiving overlooked stories and memories of San Francisco. Chris is the author of three books, "Nowtopia," "Vanished Waters: A History of San Francisco's Mission Bay," and "After the Deluge."



Episode 2: Morgan Fitzgibbons is the co-founder the Wigg Party, [freespace], the Urban Eating League and the NOW! Festival. He is also an adjunct professor of Environmental Studies at the University of San Francisco and he holds a Masters degree in Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness from the California Institute of Integral Studies.



Through this ongoing series, you can perceive the world through the eyes of some very inspirational people through a fresh, new lens, and ride along with them on their favorite paths in San Francisco and beyond.

I won't be posting on the blog anymore, but if you want to continue to follow my work, please subscribe to the Velo Visionaries Vimeo Channel or YouTube Channel.

You can also still find me in the same old place on Facebook and Twitter where I post about issues concerning bike culture.

So that's what I am doing to change the world for the better. What about YOU?

Be inspired. Be the change. Ride on.

Outsmarting the Bicycle Thief - a short film by Laura Lukitsch

My friend and "fellow" female film director/bike gal Laura Lukitsch has published a new webisode of her ongoing bike tips series on Youtube. This one is called "Outsmarting the Bicycle Thief." The film runs down all the do's and don'ts of locking up your bike, on the streets and in your garage.

I see a lot of bikes that are locked up carelessly in San Francisco, and I hope everyone watches this fun short film to gain some valuable insight to keep your valuable ride safe and sound.



Here's what Laura has to say:

Last week I launched the latest of my Tips for Urban Biking Series where I am covering ten questions or roadblocks for people new to urban cycling.  

I started the series because five years ago, when I was first contemplating but fearing urban cycling, the majority of the cycling videos on YouTube were either of bikers doing stunts, riding messenger style, or talking about something technical.

I didn’t intentionally set out to create my series for women, but looking at viewership statistics now, I’m surprised that upwards of 90% of the audience is men. I thought being a woman director and casting a wide variety of non-technical riders, I’d get a larger female audience. I would love for my web series to reach more women who have chosen the bicycle as their main form of transportation.

The latest episode looks at tips and techniques for keeping your bike safe in the urban environment.  Although this topic has been covered in numerous videos, Outsmarting the Bicycle Thief features a diverse cast of characters, including an Asian actress in the role of "The Thief." I hope you enjoy my perspective on this issue.  

Also, I’ve included tips on a frequently overlooked aspect of parking: where you park and lock your bike. More and more bikes are being stolen from garages and back yards, and we need to be aware of how to ensure our bikes remain safe.

Please share Outsmarting the Bicycle Thief with your friends - bike gals and bike dudes alike!

Let It Be a Year of Velo Visionaries

Happy 2015!

I can't believe we've gone back to the future already. At this time of year, we often reflect upon where we are, how far we've come and where we're going next.


KT on that famous bridge in Copenhagen, November 2014.

As you know, I've been taking a break from blogging on Vélo Vogue. This blog was an exciting project for me when I began in 2008. Because of this blog, over the years, I've met so many inspiring bike people around the globe.


With Renata Falzoni, cicloactivista in São Paulo, Brazil

Participation in this group has opened doors for me and shown me so many new paths.


En route to bike camping in Calistoga

I'm truly blessed to belong to the bike community.



I've also enjoyed blending my calling in life (filmmaking) with one of my greatest passions (biking) through my feminist bicycle horror film, The Spinster.



Making films by bicycle inspires me as a person, and pushes my creative limits. It's helped me learn how to capture the thrill of riding a bike and conveying that to the world in a fun and exciting way. It's allowed me to share with the world that we bike people are real people too, not just helmet/lycra clad weekend warriors, but real humans with emotions and feelings.



Which brings me to January of 2015.

I have begun a new bike-film project called Velo Visionaries, a series of interviews with great thinkers of today's global bicycle culture from the point of view of the person behind the handlebars.



You don't need me to tell you that traveling by bicycle provides a unique perspective on your surroundings, often inspiring moments of insight and creating a profound connection to your community. Have a look at the first episode, and subscribe to the Velo Visionaries YouTube Channel, and let these visionaries tell you what thoughts swirl around in their minds while they're on the streets and in the saddle.

I will be publishing more of these interviews/rides from here on out. Please enjoy, let me know your thoughts, and most importantly, RIDE ON!

on the day after Bike To Work Day

I am thinking of this film by Streetfilms that gives us a real-world example of what life in the city could be like.

Groningen: The World's Cycling City from STREETFILMS on Vimeo.

The film gives us all (unless we already live in Groningen), something to strive for!

Dream on and ride on!

Bike Movie Mashup

In the past couple weeks, I've attended a couple fabulous bike film festivals. As you know, my film, The Spinster, world premiered at one of them, Filmed By Bike in Portland, helmed by the talented Ayleen Crotty (give it up for women festival directors!!!). When I told people about the festival, I often got the odd reaction, "I didn't even realize that bike films were even a genre."

YES. They are. [DUH!]



Film directors throughout history and across cultures have used the bicycle as a storytelling convention. Why? Because the bicycle inspires! The bicycle inspires emotion, memories, love, independence, exhilaration and so much more.



That's why a number of inspired people like Ms. Crotty have organized bike-themed film festivals that bring together a bike-friendly community around the type of films that inspire us!

The Spinster was the first runner-up for the Audience Award at Filmed By Bike. The winner was Dust in the Chain - a bike circus film by Norbi Whitney.



But my personal favorite was the unicycle animated film from Greece - Eight Minute Deadline!

Eight-minute Deadline from ovalimage on Vimeo.

I also really loved this short film out of LA, Bicycle and a Way of Life. Not such a great title, but I enjoyed the storyline, the message and also the acting by Fernanda Rohd, who played the lead.

And then, on the heels of one bike film festival, I come back to SF and Brendt Barbur's popular Bicycle Film Festival is in full swing. I got to attend the Cinematic Shorts Program, and by far, my favorite was a very sweet and touching film without dialogue called Boy.

Click here to watch online.

And if you need a good laugh, then take seven and a half minutes out of your day to watch the crowd-pleaser, El Diablo (a short from the feature film The Last Kilometer):

EL DIABLO / short film from feature length documentary "L'ULTIMO CHILOMETRO" from Stuffilm on Vimeo.

Finally, we were all treated to this heart-warming story of a young man seeking a solo adventure, just him and is bicycle trekking across... Kyrgyzstan, the "Switzerland of Central Asia" (or is Switzerland the Kyrgyzstan of Europe?).

The Road From Karakol from Outdoor Research on Vimeo.

You can't not fall a little bit in love with the young and ambitious Kyle Dempster, his sense of humor, unshakable positive attitude and his pure enjoyment of life.

The same can be said of Brendt Barbur himself, who also has quite a story, of turning adversity into positive social movement.

Thanks again to Ayleen and Brendt for supporting bicycle film and sharing all these inspiring cinematic gems with us! Ride on!

The Spinster World Premiere at Filmed By Bike in Portland

The Spinster official poster designed by Jessica Meek.

I'm off to Portlandia tomorrow morning to attend Filmed By Bike film festival. My indie short horror film on bikes, The Spinster, will have its World Premiere in the City That Knows How to Bike. I couldn't have asked for a better premiere.

When: World Premiere, Sunday 4/20 @ 5 pm

Where: Clinton Street Theater

Second screening on 4/22 at 8 pm

If you're in P-town, grab some tickets and come root for The Spinster, and stick around for a Q&A avec moi, yours truly, Ms. Director. And come meet cast and crew, Gabriela Sosa (lead actress) and judy b. (co-producer and supporting actress).

P-Town or BUST! It's red carpet time!

Protected Intersections - an animated video demo

In the words of Lauryn Hill, "It could all be so simple, but you'd rather make it hard." This fantastic animation by Nick Falbo shows how some simple bike infrastructure could demystify how we could all pass through intersections in harmony, bicycles, automobiles and pedestrians alike, each with their own infrastructure.

Protected Intersections For Bicyclists from Nick Falbo on Vimeo.

Biking in urban areas doesn't have to be hard. But we need help from our city governments to give this idea for coexisting a fair chance.

Oppressed Majority - Everyday Sexism

I have a lot of friends who feel threatened and annoyed by catcalls from random men in the street while riding their bikes.

This film from France should resonate with all women, whether cyclist or pedestrian, or just in life, period.



There is a criticism of the Cycle Chic movement that when men photograph beautiful women on their bicycles and post these photos online, it is the cyber-equivalent of ogling and catcalling. As a woman who photographs and blogs about bicycle street fashion, I do it because I respect the men and women who feel confident in themselves enough to wear whatever they want when they are on their bicycles transporting themselves to their destinations. I also believe that most of the bloggers I've met and communicated with share this same respect for fashionable cyclists, both men and women. However, as a someone who frequents Flickr, I often see photos from the same people who contribute to Vélo Vogue's Flickr pool post photos of women wearing skirts on their bicycles. The photo is composed in a way that the viewers eyes are drawn to the women's sexuality, their heads are framed out of the photo, and therefore their identity is reduced to the mere fact that these women have a vagina.

At 2:48, the man in this film is subjected to the same type of everyday catcalling and objectification that we women have dealt with our entire lives, and are asked to grin and bear it, are asked to appreciate the fact that a man finds us attractive. And at 3:56, he experiences the type of humiliation and abuse that most women have endured at least once in our lives.

The sad part about this film in relation to the bicycle community is that the bicycle industry is largely at fault for not only objectifying women, but also ostracizing us. This is why rides like Clitoral Mass and groups like the Ovarian Psycos are so important.

SO THAT ONE DAY WE WILL BE TREATED WITH RESPECT.

Period.

Bike bloggers of the world unite and stand with us.

Cycle Chic Films at Huckleberry Bicycles on December 21st

Earlier this year, Vancouver Cycle Chic produced a series of short films to highlight the diversity, creativity, and humanity of two-wheeled transportation, and inspire others to consider giving it a try. Producer Chris Bruntlett is in town for an exclusive screening and party at Huckleberry Bicycles, and to talk briefly about how and why they were made. Please join us for a drink, a bite, and a chat.

Saturday, December 21st. Doors are at 5pm. Films start at 6pm.

Huckleberry Bicycles is located at 1073 Market Street, San Francisco

RSVP on Facebook!

See you there!

VV Profile: Chris Bruntlett of Vancouver Cycle Chic

Name: Chris Bruntlett

Occupation: Residential Designer

Raison d'être: Documenting the mainstreaming of bicycle culture through words, photos, and film

Hometown: Vancouver, BC

Neighborhood: Commercial Drive

Favorite city to ride a bike in in the world: Montreal. On a BIXI. In the summertime. Je t'adore!

Helmet or no helmet: I feel fortunate enough to live in a city where I can get almost anywhere via traffic-calmed bikeway, designated cycle track, or separated seawall. So I feel perfectly safe riding without a helmet.

Type of bike: Linus Dutchi 3

Describe what you like best about your bike: The Dutch-style frame allows me to ride in an upright position, with a straight back, and very little weight on my forearms, wrists, and hands. It's an incredibly comfortable, practical, and enjoyable way to make my slow travels around town.

Describe your personal style: I ride in whatever I happen to be wearing that day: for work, it's typically a dress shirt and slacks. I'll throw on a wool coat in the winter, along with a flat cap, scarf, and gloves. My morning routine and wardrobe selection do not depend on the mode of transport I happen to be choosing that day; whether it be foot, bicycle, bus, train or automobile.

Favorite accessory when riding: I have a small, battery powered speaker that attaches to my iPhone and straps onto my handlebars for longer rides. You can't beat cruising the seawall with the kids in the summertime, music blasting, and the four of us singing along!

Favorite time and/or place to ride: The seawall in the early morning or late evening. At over 30 kilometres of car-free, waterfront goodness, it really is the gem of Vancouver. At that time of day, it's essentially deserted, with the mountains, ocean, and glass towers on display for us to soak up.

Tell me about riding around with your kids/family: We sold our car almost four years ago, and our family now makes the majority of our trips via walking, cycling, bus or train. We have evolved from a double-wide trailer, to a trail-a-bike, to a point now where both of the kids (ages four and seven) are able to ride on their own two wheels from one side of the city to the other. It has been amazing to watch the sense of joy, achievement, and independence as their skill levels increase, and they begin to learn the streets, neighbourhoods and landmarks of Vancouver like the backs of their hands! 

Tell me a funny story that happened to you when you were riding your bike: I have the funniest conversations while riding side-by-side with my children. Whether it's their innocent and unfiltered observations of the buildings and streets around them, or whatever strange idea happens to pop into their head that day, they never cease to amaze and entertain me. In the last couple of weeks, for example, my son has told me that "Cars are stupid", "Riding a bike makes his brain feel good", and people on the Skytrain should be called "Track pedestrians".

Tell me about how you got involved with Vancouver Cycle Chic and your message: Despite a reasonably safe and connected bike network, the culture in Vancouver is still quite militant: with high-viz vests, gore-tex, and helmets very visible on the streets. Even our local government and bike advocacy groups are guilty of dangerizing, politicizing, and overcomplicating the act of citizen cycling. I got involved with Vancouver Cycle Chic because very few people were presenting an alternate vision: that cycling is stylish, safe, simple, and incredibly fun.

Tell me about Cycle Chic Films and the speaking tour you've been doing: David and I decided to expand the photo blog into the world of film after seeing the "Cycling With" film series out of Dublin. After a couple of (failed) attempts, we managed to get our method, style, crew and equipment together in a suitable manner. We completed four short films in the summer, and will have two new ones ready before Christmas. Our intention was to highlight the diversity, creativity, and humanity of two-wheeled transport in Vancouver, and inspire others to consider giving it a try. I have also been presenting the films to city officials, advocacy groups, and film festivals across North America, and talking about promoting cycling more effectively. One of the films: ‘Heart and Soul’, was recently awarded ‘Best Bicycle Short Film’ at the New Urbanism Film Festival in Los Angeles.

Vélo Vogue tip of the day: Dress for the destination. Not the journey.

If you're in San Francisco on December 21st, come meet Chris at Huckleberry Bicycles, have a drink and check out some of his short films.

Photos courtesy of Chris Bruntlett.

From San Francisco Bike Party With Love

SF Bike Party July 2013 from Kristin Tieche on Vimeo.

Here's a mini-film composed of a few shots I took at the last SF Bike Party.

Music: Nelly - Ride With Me

More good times comin' your way this Friday, August 2nd.

the BIKE effect

My friend Tamra in LA sent me this short film about one man's experience about how biking changed his life. Though he's building an electric bike, I think his sentiment of reconnecting with our surroundings is something we as cyclists all relate to, no matter what type of bike we ride and no matter where we ride it.

Enjoy and ride on.

VV Profile: Karla O'Connor

Name: Karla O'Connor

Occupation: Marketing manager for a small fashion company

Raison d'être: Make people look good and feel good, starting with myself

Current city/Neighborhood: SF/Lower Haight

Favorite city to ride a bike in in the world: I love biking in Paris. My best friend Phoebe and I went there a few summers ago and had a blast with the Vélib rentals. So easy and fun. I love Paris for everything. Except I guess vegetarian food.

Helmet or no helmet: Riding around town, I wear a hat with a brim to hold my hair in check and keep the sun out of my eyes.

Type of bike: Civia Twin City

Describe what you like best about your bike: I love the step-through frame: so easy to hop on and off in a skirt. I also love the smooth ride and easy handling. Civia makes solid bikes that look great too.

Describe your personal style: I find that if I wear what I like, people like what I wear.

Favorite accessory when riding: Po Campo purses because they strap right onto the bike - don't have to carry it, don't worry about losing it or someone swiping it.

Favorite time and/or place to ride: I like riding to dinner in the evening, after work, with my husband, Todd.

Tell us a funny story that happened to you on your bike: I met my husband, Todd, online, and our first date was a Critical Mass ride. I was sporting a super cute Nooworks dress with a very flouncy skirt. So flowy in fact that as we were riding along the ridge above Fort Mason a breeze blew it up in my face. Todd still thinks I did it on purpose.

Vélo Vogue tip of the day: Always wear cute unders when biking in a skirt. You never know who might see you -- or what they might see!

Please bring Karla to life by pledging The Spinster today! You could take home the very same Civia Twin City bicycle that she is raving about, plus the satisfaction of supporting an independent bicycle film!

Event in Oakland TONIGHT - Bicycle Art Salon

I will be presenting tonight at the Bicycle Art Salon in Oakland.



We'll show some exclusive clips (scenes from the bike shop) from the film and have a Q & A avec moi, the director.

Location:
1600 E. 31st Street
Oakland, CA 94602
For more information, please visit (pledge & share) The Spinster's Kickstarter Campaign!

Please RSVP if you are in town and interested in attending. Or share with a friend!

Bike!

One word says it all.

BIKE! from Trevor Adam Gill on Vimeo.

Ride on!

On Women, Singlehood, Bikes & Horror

Scene from The Spinster

[Thank you readers for taking the time to read about my other passion, filmmaking. My new film unites my passions of bikes, film and women in the media/women on bikes. Let me know what you think and I'd love your help and support.]

I’m writing my director’s statement for my new film on International Women’s Day in the year 2013. President Obama just re-signed into law the Violence Against Women Act. It seems odd to me that in the 21st century we need a law to remind us that violence is wrong. Regardless, I am glad that this law exists in my country. As an American woman, I continue to enjoy legal protections and freedoms that don't exist in other parts of the world.

And yet, my new film, The Spinster – a horror film – is violent. I know the adage – an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. But taking revenge upon men is not the reason I decided to make a horror film about a woman with a dark side.

When I first started telling people about the film, there was some immediate backlash regarding the title. Some women said that, based on the title, they already knew they would hate it. They wondered why a woman director would want to make a film that might portray women in a negative light. When I asked my long-time friend to play Phoebe, the lead character in the film, and then told her the title, she was apprehensive. Why would any woman at our age, especially a single woman, want to be associated with a term that Webster defines as “an unmarried woman past the common age for marrying”?

Why? Because all the unmarried women in my life defy the insinuation that they are somehow lacking. Today, a woman's worth isn’t tethered to her age or to her marital status. You don’t need me to tell you that unmarried women are smart, ambitious, healthy and outgoing. We seek deep meaning in our lives. We refuse to be taken for a ride. We set high goals for ourselves. We won’t settle for less than what we know we deserve. So the old implications no longer hold water. It’s time to give the spinster a fresh new look.

I wish I could say that I decided to make this film as a feminist statement – that as a woman director, I wanted to provide more complex portrayals of women in film, especially in horror films, in which women are usually the victim. But that’s not really the truth. To be honest, I wanted to make The Spinster because I thought it would be a fun film to make, plain and simple.

Since I was a girl, I’ve always liked horror films, and in my 20s I was a huge fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The horror genre has always appealed to me, especially as a filmmaker, because it is intensely dramatic and imaginative. It’s a genre that pushes metaphor to the extreme. Your lover sucks your blood and all the life out of you. The dead burst from their graves and walk again. That shadow behind you could be your maker. Fear of the dark leads to your untimely death.

As humans, we cycle through extreme emotions that take us to dark places. I often let my imagination deal with my dark moods. That I am a woman and a filmmaker is what lead me to write The Spinster. My female perspective inspired a screenplay that flips the horror genre on its head.

In this film, The Spinster is no victim. She is strong. She is athletic. She is capable. She is independent. She is fun and funny. She is fierce. She is at once the protagonist and the antagonist. You love her and you fear her.

She is single, and she rides a bike, hence the title. In this film, being unmarried and riding a bicycle are normal lifestyle choices for smart, urban women, just as they are normal lifestyle choices for real women in real life.

Ultimately, The Spinster is a fantasy, as all horror films are. As the filmmaker, my hope is not to make you fear women or cyclists. My hope, simply, is that you enjoy Phoebe’s wild ride to the dark side.

Oh yeah, and if you’re a dude, you’d better get your butt on a bike.

Kicking off The Spinster Kickstarter Campaign!

Here it is, everyone... the day we've all been looking forward to! Our Kickstarter campaign is live and tonight is the our big Kickoff Party at Huckleberry Bicycles! Please share this link with all of your friends and please make a donation for one of our fabulous rewards today!

And don't miss watching the video (above) so you can laugh at me huffing and puffing all the way to the top of Twin Peaks!

THANK YOU!

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!

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!



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...



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



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:







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



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

Conviva & CicloFaixa roll out more love!

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



We all need more love, don't we?



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.





Bring your own bike...



or borrow one of theirs!



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.



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!