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.

The Spinster Rides to Success!

We've met our minimum goal, but The Spinster campaign is not over yet, so let's make the MOST of the next few days.

We are aiming to meet our second goal - DVD production before the holidays. Let's keep on riding towards success and hit the $10,000 mark before Sunday morning.



Please come one and all and celebrate with us at our Kickstarter Wrap Party on Friday 3/29 at Nooworks!

395 Valencia St/15th, SF

7 - 10 pm
Come see exclusive clips from the film (the famous BAR SCENE)
Meet cast & crew
Music by DJ Precious Cargo
Photography by Jillian Betterly
Food by MamakSF
Drinks from Lagunitas Brewing Co, Cerruti Cellars and Numi Tea
Silent Auction includes Nooworks, Po Campo, Hotel Carlton, Animal House SF and more!

https://www.facebook.com/events/119897938197703/

Check out this little teaser for you all:



Try on some clothes, eat, drink and be merry and support independent, local, bicycle film! Invite friends and keep sharing The Spinster!

See you there! Ding Ding!

VV Profile: La Phoebe

Name: La Phoebe

Occupation: Bike Mechanic at Huckleberry & Martial Arts Instructor



Raison d'être: Ass-Kicking

Current city/Neighborhood: SF/Alamo Square

Favorite city to ride a bike in in the world: Budapest - especially the Pest side. Along the Danube is cool too.

Type of bike: Surly Cross Check

Describe what you like best about your bike: The flipped mustache bars with bar-end shifters!

Describe your personal style: Practical yet stylish - think prêt-à-porter/work & social combined into one.

Favorite accessory when riding: Brass-knuckles come in handy, as does my cozy Chrome hoodie when it's cold in SF.

Favorite time and/or place to ride: Midnight on a moonless night.

Tell us a funny story that happened to you on your bike: When I was training for the Olympics (Tae Kwon Do) in Korea, I was biking along a bridge and couldn't understand the warning sign. I kept speeding along & before I knew it, I flew off the bridge ( it had collapsed in the middle). Luckily, it wasn't too high & I landed in a deep part of a river below. Unfortunately, it ruined my competition but I survived.

Vélo Vogue tip of the day: Don't be a douche!

Bring La Phoebe to life by pledging The Spinster today!

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!

café à la meli

Café con Seabiscuit, @ Rapha Cycle Club in Cow Hollow

Here's a little ode to my pal Meli of Bikes and the City. Anytime I drink a cafecito, I think of you, amiga!

xoxo!

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.

Happy International Women's Day!

Women feeling confident and independent on a bicycle is nothing new. Since its invention, women have known the bicycle's many benefits. So today, International Women's Day, I've seen a few posts about our predecessors - grandmothers, great grandmothers and great great grandmothers - that serve as a reminder that we're following in the tire-tracks of some trailblazing two-wheeled womenfolk of yore, like Louise Armaindo, Frances Willard, Dorothy Lawrence and Kittie Knox.



If you're like me, you'll want to read more about the history of women and biking. If you haven't already, please get yourself a copy of April Streeter's wonderful book, Women on Wheels. The historical anecdotes of our wheeled women predecessors show that we have a long line of bike heroines who believed in and tested the unlimited potential of the bicycle then as much as we do today.



April is clearly another trailblazing woman on wheels for writing this book. I've read a few other bikey books lately, but perhaps none as pertinent to who I am and sensitive to the issues that I face as a cyclist as Women on Wheels. Pick yourself up a copy, and pick one up for your bikey gal pal. Happy reading and riding!

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!

VV Profile: Lygia de Luca

Name: Lygia de Luca



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.



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. :)



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.



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.



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!



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.



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. :)



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/



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

I Cycle SF!

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!

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



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



Dogs ride for free!





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



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

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!).



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



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



He is getting accustomed to ze basket.

We look Euro, non?



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



Ian scored some gluten!



Jenn suffered a bit of ennui.



On ze ride home, we saw ze buffalo.



C'était le fun!