Staying together

I ran into this little family. She asked me: "Are you going to the Tour de Fat"?
"Why yes," I replied. "You must be too?"

"No," she said (earnestly). "We dress up like this every day."

It bears repeating:
Families that dress up in clown outfits and ride their bikes together, stay together.
How do I make sure I will be like you when I grow up?

If this isn't Velo Vogue...

...I don't know what would be.

mapping SF

I love seeing tourists braving the hills of SF on bicycle, especially during our "summer" months. Just goes to shozw that if they can do it, so can you. Simply don a warm jacket, scarf, socks, and off you go! It's that easy! Unless you need to consult your bicycle map.

STREET MURAL PARTY, Sept 27

"Mona Caron, the creator of the San Francisco bike mural, will be launching her newest mural in San Francisco, amid much fanfare, on
September 27th, between 2 and 5:30 pm. The Mural is located at Noe Valley and 24th Street, at the scene of a farmer's market, to which the mural is dedicated. This section will be carfree in the future. Live music, a puppet show and more will be on offer. For more information contact Joel at noemural[at]earthlink.net or call
415-505-8255."

I'm hoping for a more pro-urban bike mural.

SF cycle moment: Panhandle Hoop

Lately I've been thinking that vogue doesn't always refer to the way we dress, but the way we live our lives. So many times when I'm riding around SF, I feel moved by the way people are simply living. The way they shop for groceries. The way they go out on a Friday night. And of course the morning commute.

So I'd like to start sharing some of these sweet moments with you. For example, here's a group of friends who convened on bicycle in the Panhandle to play some hoop while squeezing a little homework in between.

folie à vélib

We've been cycling circles around Paris on the famous Vélib. It's really so easy and practical and fun that I don't understand why city governments hadn't already approved of this program years ago.

Here we are subscribing at the Marché St. Germain location.



And here's a glimpse of how FUN Vélibing can be!

[richardmasoner] Silicon Valley Cycle Chic

Heading to work in Palo Alto, CA
From the Palo Alto Caltrain station

CYCLELICIOUS

[richardmasoner] Aaron on his Masi

Seen at San Jose Diridon Station

The owner of this bike, Aaron, reads Masiguy's blog. I do to.

I'm at www.cyclelicio.us/.

no dice

Ah, shirts are way overrated!

More from David Byrne

NYT: David Byrne, Cultural Omnivore, Raises Cycling Rack to an Art Form, By ARIEL KAMINER, August 8, 2008

"David Byrne is an installation artist, author, blogger, recording executive, photographer, film director and PowerPoint enthusiast. He’s even been known to dabble in music. But in certain New York neighborhoods he may be most visible as a bicycle rider, a lanky figure pedaling around the Lower East Side, or from Bay Ridge out to Coney Island in Brooklyn or up to the Bronx Museum of the Arts.
..."

between Moscone and Rainbow

I couldn't figure it out. Wearing a badge around his neck, he was perhaps riding home from a convention at Moscone Center or one of the other convention centers in SOMA. But he was turning the corner right in front of Rainbow Grocery, so I couldn't tell if he was coming or going. I guess it doesn't matter so much when you're dressed as he is, in a red button down shirt, multicolored tie, and snazzy dress shoes.

fancy footwear

Women in SF have no fear wearing their finest footwear while cycling to and from work.

Like these sleek below-the-knee black boots.

Or these gorgeous peach kitten heels (that match her pale peach bicycle).

So I decided to take my Miu Miu's out for a test ride.
Eat your heart out Louboutin.

train + vegetables

If this blog has a third subject after bikes and street fashion, it would be food. We talk a lot about groceries and local produce. I don't know what she's carrying--sporting a sparkly scarf, skirt and cute earrings, but it doesn't look like it came from a big box.

the art of waiting at a red light

Zackaliciousness often writes about the art of waiting at a red light in Copenhagen. So does Léah from Paris.

So now, we offer you San Francisco's twist on this art. I often see cyclists balancing on their tippy toes, their bottoms resting gently on their saddles, arms casually leaning on handlebars, not in any big hurry, deep in thought, while watching the cars whiz by.

Sometimes they do the one-foot balancing act.


And sometimes they aren't waiting for a light to change at all, but a Muni train to pass by.
By the way, I'll be travelling in Europe until the 15th of this month, but you can track me on twitter (I'm ktieche).

red bike

I get the feeling this girl saw this bike in a shop and fell in love so hard she had to start commuting by bike in order to be near it all the time.

My love for bikes is more selfish. I love what they can do for me: travel quickly, easily and efficiently. I love the way they make me feel. I'm still waiting to fall in love with one bike more than all the others. I envy her for that.