first shoot for new project Vélo Visionaries with Chris Carlsson

On Friday, I had the honor of interviewing and filming with Chris Carlsson for a new web series I'm producing called Vélo Visionaries.



Many of you know that Chris has always been at the forefront of the urban bicycle movement. Some of you might have read one of his books.



Or maybe you've listened to his Ted Talk. Or attended one of his historical bike tours around San Francisco.



In a month or so, when I've edited the footage, my hope is that you'll be able to see the world through the eyes of one of the great visionaries of our time.

All photos by judy b.

the long shadows of daylight savings

this means I can go out for a bike ride at 7 pm and still catch the sunset.



so I did.

SF from the ground up

If you live your life on top of the world,



you might overlook the grassroots.



Get to know your surroundings and have a fantastic weekend.

SF Bike Style

SF is nothing if not for its wonderfully diverse community, and this feature entitled My Bike, My Style on SFGate is a true representation of this diversity.


Photo by Russell Yip

Have a look for some familiar faces (yours truly, BikePretty and LadyFleur included, but please excuse their typos - not mine!) You'll also see a close up of Meli Burgueño's Spinster spoke card!

If you're in the Bay Area, make sure to pick up the Sunday Chron and see an edited version of this same spread.

Two shots I took in Manhattan last year when I was in a taxi

And that's all I'm gonna say about it.

1)


2)


Draw your own conclusions. Add your own commentaries.

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.

Vogue Around the Globe: Year of the Horse

Since I named my bike after a famous horse, I give you a world of horses!


photo by Rolling Spoke


photo by Franz-Michael S. Mellbin


photo by Bart Omeu


photo by Velocipedinarian


photo by Cameron Adams


photo by Claudio Olivares Medina


photo by a.pic.a.day

I vow to make a blogging comeback in 2014.



Thanks to all of you who have been following Vélo Vogue's activity on Twitter and Facebook.

Ride on!

Ride on, my sweet little friend!

In early May of 2011, this little friend came into my life.



I named him Rookie, and he became one of my best friends.



He came with me to work and to play.



We hung out on the sofa at home and watched movies together. zzzzzzzzzz



He gave me unconditional love and affection. And in return I loved him back.



As Rookie's companion and guardian, I tried to give him a safe home, and a healthy, happy life with lots of loving friends.



On December 27, 2013, Rookie made his journey over what is sometimes referred to as the Rainbow Bridge.



The night after he passed on, I woke up with the lyrics to this song, Warm Love by Van Morrison running through my head. It felt like Rookie was singing these words to me to remind me that love is everywhere, surrounding us all the time. We just have to take the time to see it, hear it, feel it, TRUST IT, and give love back. Once you open yourself to love, you will find it everywhere, unconditionally.



I miss Rookie so much, my little baby doggie. See you in the afterlife, my dear, warm, sweet, cuddly friend.

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.

Morgan's Magical History Tour

Professor Morgan Fitzgibbons, founder of SF's Wigg Party, took a group of us on a magical history tour today from the Mission to the Haight, the neighborhoods adjoined by the bike route that San Franciscans adoringly call The Wiggle.



Morgan's community activism is centered around the idea that we all must be resilient in building more sustainable communities, much like his predecessors, the Diggers, about whose legacy we learned on his tour today.



Even those of us who ride The Wiggle every day learned a thing or two about the history of this famous zig-zag that makes mountains into molehills.



We also learned about some of the plans for improvement on The Wiggle, potentially including a roundabout at this very intersection at Scott & Page.



It's people like Morgan who preserve San Francisco's integrity, connecting the high-tech city of today to its roots in creative community activism of the 60s and 70s.



So thanks for getting us all together again for an enlightening and empowering day, Morgan! Ride on!

wise words from a good samaritan

For all you newbies to securing your bike, some words of advice:



Not all cyclists know how to properly secure their bikes, even if you're keeping it in your garage. Your bike is especially unsafe when left overnight on the street. Protect your property, folks. Most stolen bike stories do not have happy endings.

Vancouver Bike People

I just visited my other favorite city in North America, Vancouver, B.C., where I met the dudes behind Vancouver Cycle Chic and worked on my short film, The Spinster.

David Phu, founder of Vancouver Cycle Chic and composer of The Spinster's original score



Chris Bruntlett, Vancouver Cycle Chic editor with his beautiful daughter

Thanks for the bike tour + brews, guys!



Chris also writes about bike culture for HUSH, and recently expressed that he prefers not to be called the "C" word, so from now on, you're The Bike Man from The Great White North to me!

So here's a few pics of some two-wheeled Canadians I caught while riding around!



















Such a great city for *ahem* cycling! ;-)





Except they have one funky law...



But you can still roll the dice and have a good time (the fine is $29 CAD).

parker

unlike amsterdam, there aren't many places in the gritty city of san francisco where you can leave a bike parked outside overnight, night after night, without a reasonable expectation that it will be exploited by thieving vermin.  the parker, however, is theft proof, we hope.  who would steal a little girl's bike locked to the railing on her front stoop?   no one ever better touch the parker.