VV goes to Portland! [pt. 1]

Yours truly in my fish dress from Barcelona riding along the Esplanade. [Not as good as these self portraits as Dave and Meli.]


Summer in PDX is actually hot! This cyclist stops in the center of downtown to take an important phone call.


Flip flops are the tell-tale sign of summer.


This pic was the first one that I snapped when I got off the light rail in downtown. Fantastic green cruiser displaying that casual Pacific NW style!


Portland ladies carry a certain casual elegance.

wiggle me this!

Here's an ode to one of the best strips of runway in SF:

Cyclists criss-cross streets
Cars and busses stop for us
Wiggle is the way

[Alicia Kreutzkampf]: A Terrific Threesome!

After celebrating their accésit with an excess of pink bubbly, the three 2nd runners-up to the Hollywood Outdoor Cinema Pretty in Pink screening costume contest, Gabe, Gabi & Leah floated away in their helium powered triocycle.

Photo by Alicia Kreutzkampf, caption by Gabriela Sosa.

[Funny Cyclist]: London Critical Mass

Outside Buckingham Palace.


Glamour ride.


We arrive at Tower Hill.

From our Velo Vogue Flickr Group.

Squeaky Bright

She was very young, very cute and very colourful. Her bike... let's just say I wanted to soak the whole thing in chain lube.

[Chantal Buard] Homme Cro-Magnon à vélo

Apparently there's a Cro-Magnon man riding around town on a Peugeot. Thanks to Chantal for sending over this evidence.

coming and going

A woman stylishly gets off the train...


and goes on her merry way!

Guest Photo: Ramona Wheelright: Vélos Jumeaux?

Ramona seems to think that this stylish hipster has my bike's twin - another rouge et noir Motobécane!

What do you think? A little red handlebar tape and we'd have to start singing some Peaches and Herb!

I must admit, I prefer her saddle to mine. And bikes aside, this cyclist's shorts over blue tights with fitted plaid top look totally rocks.

VV Profile: Laura Husdpeth of Portland!

Occupation: Design and sales for the online sock company, Sock Dreams
Hometown: Portland
Portland neighborhood: Inner Southeast
Helmet or no helmet: Helmet, though I slack a lot in the summer…
Type of bike: It's an SE frame, fixed gear.
Describe what you like best about your bike: I love how quick and light my bike is, and also that I bought her as my college graduation present to myself.
Describe your cycling experience in Portland: Really great overall, minus a few nicks and bruises here and there:). I feel lucky to live in a place where I can quickly and safely get anywhere I need to go by bike.
Favorite time or place to ride: There’s nothing quite like riding in the middle of the night over the bridges here in Portland, when no one’s on the road and everything is so still and peaceful.
Favorite color: Is it weird to say brown? I love love love brown with light blue.
Artist most commonly played on iPod at the moment: There's been a lot of Wire, Gun Club, and Charles Mingus in the last few days.
Describe your personal style: I pretty much wear shorts and ballet flats every day, and a vest or cardigan. Pretty basic, always black, brown, or gray. I wear newsboy caps a lot, too--actually, one of my coworkers says I dress like a newsboy.
Vélo Vogue tip of the day: When it comes to riding, I've noticed that I'm happiest with less accessories, less gears, less mapped-out directions if I'm just joy riding, and so on. Simplify.

i like boys on bikes

Even though summer in SF means pea soup fog, I still have the fever.

Bachelor #2 deserves the spotlight.

Tone on tone in Palo Alto.

The teal frame and white tires look turns heads [mine].

Hello, houndstooth!

Ben Is Back!

Extra! Extra! Bike Man Ben is back in the Panhandle!

What's he doing? Fixing bikes... with love, of course! Some words from the man, the myth, the legend himself:

Tell your friends and bring your bikes to the Panhandle for some love. I will be wrenching in the park and raising funds to attend the North American Hardcourt Bicycle Polo Championships.

Please let everyone you know who has a bike to come on out. I will do minor tweaks and full tune ups—Bianchi to burning bikes.


If it is something that I cannot handle in the park, I will be setting appointments for this week and next.

So what is this guy doing?

Hardcourt Bike Polo

[btw - nice dimple you got there!]

Fresh off my first place victory at the Oakland BFF Polo Tournament, I am being encouraged to join the ranks at the North American Hardcourt Bicycle Polo Championships. This time around I have teamed up with one of the most experienced players out of Seattle and a player from LA.

So bring out your bikes. A little from many can get me there.

If you can’t make it and would like to donate, I have a paypal account set up at bikemanben[at]gmail[dot]com.

Long Lines

One of the reasons I like bicycles is geometry. I love long lines and circles, and bicycles have plenty of both. When I see people riding, I am amazed at how people take on these attributes, themselves. This can only be because the rider and the bicycle become one- the machine can not perform without the rider, the rider can not fly without the machine. A nice, tidy package.

name that sharrow!

OK, SFers, do you know where this odd bit of graffiti is?

Nice usage of text speak.

middle of market

Two girlfriends make evening plans in the middle of Market Street. One waits for Muni. The other swiftly hops on her blue vintage bike. Who do you think arrives first?

VV Profile: Kelly Murdock

Occupation: Massage therapist/drink slinger
Hometown: Chicago
SF neighborhood: Hayes Valley
Helmet or no helmet: No helmet
Type of bike: Norco from British Columbia
Describe what you like best about your bike: Vintage
Describe your cycling experience in SF: Windy, dewy, sometimes sunny, always unpredictable
Favorite time or place to ride: My favorite time to ride is when the day is not the day and the night is not the night... somewhere in between
Favorite color: Red
Artist most commonly played on iPod at the moment: Papa Wemba
Describe your personal style: Ethnic
Vélo Vogue tip of the day: "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain."