Seen on the street

I followed this woman down Broadway yesterday. See those "X"s on her fender? Of course you did, you can't miss them. Isn't that brilliant? What an easy way to gain visibility without having to remember anything or do anything special (once you've taped your fenders with reflective tape).

It could be done nicely with these vine stickers too, at least for night. I think the vines would look best as a stripe down the center, perhaps on a green bike, while these flat Xs look a little corset-like and are perfect on this black bike.

Smart Bikes - Washington, DC

Our nation's capital has led the charge into public bike rentals. I don't say it very often so I'll be sure to say it now - Hurray Washington!

Smart Bike DC offers Velib-style bike rentals throughout the central business district. The geek in me really likes that the docking stations are all networked and submitting status information to the system monitors. Someday perhaps we'll be able to tap into that status information by mobile phone.

An annual subscription will cost $40. There are currently ten locations.

The service is provided by Clear Channel, which created the very first bicycle sharing service in Rennes in 1998. Hopefully these 10 years of experience will help guide this project to success. The site in Rennes does not report statistics across the last 10 years, but they do say that use during the month of January is up 40% this year over last year. America, let's see if we can top that!

Photo at the top from the Washington Area Bicyclist Association featuring Pepco President Thomas Graham with a DC Smart Bike. The land Pepco donated to the city for the Met Branch Trail was valued at $3.3 million!

Product Review: Test Rode a Velorbis

There's been some talk lately about Velorbis.

During Bike Week here in Boston I was lucky enough to get to test ride a Velorbis Scrap Deluxe. I confess that I was so tantalized by the shiny bike and the smooth lines that all thoughts of attribution fled my mind and I cannot recall who provided my test ride. A google search turns up The Dutch Bicycle Company as my likely hosts.

The bike is beautifully made. The cables are all routed through the frame and sealed, which seems great for longevity. The parts are all of remarkable quality (Brooks saddle and grips, nice hubs with internal gearing and dynamo lighting, etc). The rear rack is rated to 75 pounds which could be essential if carrying both food and a child. I'm not sure about the bolt-together rear triangle, I have an email out to a materials scientist friend about that one, but semi-official channels say it is better than a weld. My unscientific general perception weight-wise is that it's less than my old Raleigh Sport but more than my current townie. Everything works together so well that weight seems less an issue.

However the tires were the most astonishing. What total fun! I felt like a kid on a bouncy ball toy.

The only colors I got to see were black and just clear-coated (showing up as grey metal). Obviously I gravitated to the bare metal look, but now there are colors available and that will be exciting.

Perhaps after our elections the dollar will rebound a little and make these lovely bikes more accessible to Americans. Here's hoping! It's a lovely bike.

Update: my friend was not a fan of the bolted together triangle, but it seems this is becoming a trend with modern bikes, you can see it on non-Velorbis bikes as well. I understand that weld is difficult. I'll be interested in watching how the technique plays out.

Patterned Bicycle Tires

A company called Sweetskins offers patterned tires to complement your bike's overall look. Camo, flowers, flames; they have a lot of options for the dedicated fashionista.

Just watch the tire sizes - they have nothing sized for my bike (27" tires).

Ring my bell...

You are going to encounter pedestrians. A lot, a few, I can't know. I do know that a bell is the best way to alert them to your presence. Here are a few cute ones, please leave a comment if you know of others:

A classic from Rivendell:


Electrabike has many options including this cheery yellow:




Perhaps a ladybug for good luck? From WishingFish:




Blingarific from Abbey Hill Creations:




A very popular choice available in my LBS (local bike store) is this Jelly Bell (more colors are available):




And finally, my simple silver and black bell is perhaps the simplest of the many bells offered by Mirrycle:

Yesterday I volunteered with Bikes Not Bombs

A nicer and more generous group of people I have never met. After a warm welcome they gave me concrete projects I could do and enjoy. The volunteer evening is loosely organized chaos, which makes it that much more fun.

For 23 years Bikes Not Bombs has been recycling thousands of bicycles in a community supported program to send bicycles to places that need them. The shipment we were preparing will be going to Ghana. I worked with people 20 years older than me, and 20 years younger. I wrenched with folks I'd probably never cross paths with in "real" life. The local community aspect felt as good as our global purpose.

During the day program children are trained in bike repair and earn their very own bike. The children train the staff very well for dealing with us volunteers. Some volunteers had never worked on a bicycle before. The staff was great at showing them what to do. They were happy to educate me too - I got to bend their ears about all my bike's ailments (well, actually my husband's, he doesn't know it yet but he may have a cracked crank arm). I learned the difference between a cassette and a free wheel while holding used examples of each. Most exciting to me was learning how the cassette's races work to facilitate shifting. When I go back I'll see if they can show me how a three-speed shifts. I've seen a diagram but it isn't enough.

As if the community (local and global), and the educational aspects weren't already enough, my volunteer time counts for credits towards used gear in the bike shop. I don't know what my six credits from this evening would get me but I'm saving up my credits for a front rack. I want one large enough to carry a pie.

All told this is a rewarding way to spend a Wednesday evening. I look forward to going back.

A Dream Bike

I purposefully do not write here much about new bikes. There are so many beautiful vintage bikes which serve perfectly and fulfill all three tenets of this blog, they look good, they feel good, and by riding a vintage bike you're doing good.

But a girl's got a right to dream, and an ANT bike, bespoke crafted here in Massachusetts, is the pinnacle of bicycle dreams, the handmade wedding dress of bicycles. But you definitely need background and for that I lift the story (with attribution!) from Cris:

Perhaps you've heard the cliché that only 1000 people bought the first Velvet Underground, but all of them decided to form bands. In that spirit, the bike builder's equivalent to the Velvet Underground is Chris Chance and Fat City Cycles.

Fat City was founded in the 1980s (in Somerville, MA), in the early age of the mountain bike, and developed bikes that had an early reputation for legendary construction and handling. However, Fat City wasn't big enough to compete with the like of Specialized or Trek and so, in 1994 the company was sold to Serotta, a high-end bike builder in upstate New York. The Boston factory was shut down and most of its employees laid off. There were never a lot of folks who worked at Fat City, but all of them went on to create new bike companies. The list of companies started by ex-Fat City employees reads like a who's who of elite builders: Merlin, Seven, Independent Fabrication. Each of them builds bikes that are universally hailed as the finest rides produced in America.

Theirs are not bikes that you'll find in a shop, prebuilt, fresh from an assembly and pret-a-porter. They're custom built, created after a dialogue between you and a company, parsing out your dreams, desires and limitations. They will build a bike that is one of a kind, and they will build it only for you.

Independent Fabrication and Seven are sort of the BMW and Mercedes of the American bike world, with IF being the hipper, more aggressive BMW and Seven being the more studied and luxurious Benz. Randonneurs, who want a bike that will perform well under any circumstances and with several hundreds of miles, go to IF for their Club Racer, a bike built to carry fenders and support wider tires.

The Club Racer was designed by Mike Flanigan, one of IF's co-founders. Mike left IF some time ago, when the company was shifting its product focus to cater to the racer and performance market, and he was more interested in building bikes for commuters and everyday users. When that gap got to be too large, Mike left Independent Fabrication and started ANT.

For the very best in the everyday Dutch/French/Euro city-bike tradition, custom tailored just for you - this is it - and it's right here in Boston. There's even the more affordable and aptly named Boston Roadster. My husband has promised me, someday... I didn't buy a new wedding dress, so I'll get an ANT instead.

Miss Massachusetts Avenue

A girl as lovely as this, enjoying one of the first warm days of summer? That's cycle chic!

Where to store your bicycle?

New York Times, Wednesday, March 13, 1898

A Cabinet for the Bicycle
A Combination Bookcase-Bicycle Arrangement with a Strip of Carpet to Wheel Over.

It has every mark of Yankee ingenuity, but there isn't a bit of it in it. It is a bicycle cabinet warranted not to reveal its secret nature to the closest observer, and it is an English invention. The cabinet part of it is ingenious, but the should-be Yankee part is a strip of carpet which can be pulled out at one side and then wound up again with a crank, and when the carpet is out full length the bicycle can be rolled into the room - best parlor, if need be - upon it without injury to the most delicate floor covering.

The cabinet is a bookcase as long and as high as the bicycle. The three lower shelves are bona fide and books can be placed upon them, though they are narrow, but the upper, with the exception of where the carpet crank is, is a sham. Back of it the handlebars go when the bicycle is rolled in at the end, through a door which opens at the side of the cabinet and behind the book shelves.

Where the upper shelf would be in the bookcase there is a long piece of beveled class mirror set in with two short curtains hanging as if over books on either side. At the right side, the end where the wheel goes into the cabinet, the curtain hides a sham shelf, but there is a genuine one at the other end, and in the compartment is the carpet winding crank.

The cabinet is a good thing for the bicycle, which is kept out of the dust, but as for appearances the ordinary bicyclist has usually no objection to having a wheel in plain sight, whether it is in parlor, dining room, or hall.

Things haven't changed much since 1898. I'm an ordinary bicyclist and I have no objection to a wheel in plain sight, even in my best parlor. However I don't have anywhere near the number of bikes stored at the home above!

I find it fun to see what other people do in the Flickr Bike House pool.

Where do you store your bicycle(s)?

Cute socks!

It is clear I don't pay enough attention to my socks.

CNN Breaking News!

CNN reports today that more people are turning to cycling to offset our elevated fuel prices. I personally know of many women looking to change aspects of their lifestyles to integrate bikes; yet as reflected in the comments following that article, many don't know how to get started, what's most important, etc.

I'm happy to be a sounding board and help in any way I can, just email chiccyclist (at) yahoo (dot) com to chat. Or you are welcome to post a comment here and we'll all help if we can through the comments feature.

Little Black Bike

Who says black is basic? This is a well thought out town bike I'd love to take for a joyride!

More photos at Cyclofiend

Why hello there!

This lady does not need to wave to get noticed. She's remarkable, and it's all done with a sense of humor. It gives me hope to see older women on bicycles. If they're out riding then there's no reason the rest of us can't do it too.

A Very Handsome Gentleman

This was his Casual Friday ensemble! He commutes every day by bicycle, every day in his suit.

Anonymous Beauty

Why do I oddly love this photo?

Because she's not extraordinary. She's not a super model, she's not young or old, she's not wearing anything astounding, her bike is not special... There is nothing remarkable, yet it ends up lovely. There is something about riding a bike that transcends the details.

A classy lady
on a bike.
A tender breeze
flutters her jacket
in spring.

She's having fun. I am too.

Sunglasses and handbag

This Dutch medical student caught my eye with her super-cute sunglasses and handbag slung over her arm.

I was charmed, while we were chatting about cycling she turns to me and says "I'm Dutch, so you know I can not live without a bike..."
Having visited the Netherlands I do know that, and even as an American I know how she feels!

Sunglasses on the Sidewalk

We've finally got some sun here in Boston, just in time for the long weekend. It's making us all euphoric!

Give drivers the opportunity not to hit you

I've mentioned before that I come to cycling from the equestrian sports. When I'd give riding lessons one of the big fears we'd address with new riders was the fear that the horse would step on them. I had to explain, patiently, that horses really don't like to step on anything that feels squishy and you are, all of you, squishy to a horse. Give the horse the option and he will consciously avoid stepping on you.

Turns out cars are much like horses - they really don't want to hit you. In talking to people who don't like bikes in the street, most have finally confessed that their actual objection is a fear that they might accidentally hurt a cyclist. So let's all pay attention and give drivers the cues they need to not run over anything 'squishy'.

Given the Opportunity, they really don’t want to hit me
Written by Jeffrey Ferris
published for free in the Boston Bicycle Reflector

I have counseled numerous cyclists and would-be cyclists with this statement over the years. It is an important belief to have for cycling in traffic. It doesn’t mean you can just go out and be oblivious to traffic, but just the opposite! You must actively give drivers the opportunity to not hit you.

The cyclist must be constantly aware of what is going on around him/her and of what is coming. This allows you to be visible and predictable - not invisible or erratic. If a driver doesn’t see me or know what I am going to do, I am at risk. Being seen can mean wearing bright clothes, lights and reflectors at night. It also means not weaving in and out of traffic and the parking lane. A cyclist riding a clear predictable line lets drivers know both where you are and where you are going. Safe biking is not just passively following the rules, but actively using the three C’s: Courtesy, Cooperation, and Communication. Knowing where the cars are is good for your safety, but drivers knowing that you know where they are is important too.

Courtesy means realizing just because you’re righteously saving the earth in a non-motorized vehicle doesn’t mean car drivers aren’t humans trying to get somewhere too. Respect right-of-way, both yours and the drivers. Understand and respect rules-of-the-road, even when you don’t follow them.

Cooperation – Traffic has a certain flow. When you can work with the flow instead of fighting it, everyone is better off.

Communication is much more than arm signals. Turning your head and looking to make eye contact is essential to establishing understanding with drivers. Sometimes its your turn, sometimes theirs. Also body language - I mean indicating your position on the road, not giving the finger.

Follow the 3 C’s and you will be a safer and more respected cyclist with the majority of drivers. It will also make you more prepared to deal with the distracted drivers and the few jerks who don’t want to deal.

More and Safe Cycling,
Jeffrey Ferris

Pretty Green Saluki

This looks like a comfortable and classy commuter. Just the right sort of bike to really put the miles on. The color feels really fresh to me, now when the leaves are emerging and the grass is greening up. Bicycles are inherently green, and this one reminds us of that explicitly. I like it for that.

"Bicycling is human scale- a living, breathing alternative to the city's domination by motor vehicles. There is magic in blending with traffic, feeling the wind in one's face, the sheer fact of traversing the city under one's own power."
- Charles Komanoff, cycling advocate

Photo from Cyclofiend.

Sweet and Sporty

The photo doesn't show it, but she has the prettiest pleating all around the collar of her dress. I love the dichotomy of how her handbag does, very correctly, match her shoes, but she's such a sport. She explained to me that she has had two road bikes stolen from her, so now she's got to ride her mountain bike. This worries her because she competes with the mountain bike - it CAN'T get stolen! I've got my fingers crossed for her.

Docking Lock-Rack Combo

Ooooh, this is clever! It's an aluminum rack with a U-Lock that docks under the rack. What a great way to keep your lock accessible (even when your rack is loaded) and not having it clunking around in a bag, or on your handlebars. Those folks at Topeak get points for this one!

Starched but not formal

This lady was leaving work at noon, I like to think she was off for a mid-day joyride. She looks like she's having fun!

Rain Predicted, Trench is Ready

Such a grey day!

She looked lovely in her trench, I wish I had gotten the photo more from the front to show her lapels and her blue and white dress. So far the rain has held off...

The bike was a gift from her boyfriend's father. She loves the basket on the back for hauling home the groceries.

Gentleman's Pinstriped Fabric Helmet

This gentleman cyclist was leaving work in his blue oxford and nice trousers. The novel touch was his charcoal fabric helmet from Bell. He got his from Santa Claus.

He then took off happily in our new bike lane:


...which ends suddenly at the intersection. Too bad we're not in Copenhagen! (or Helsinki or the Netherlands or any place with established bike infrastructure) Cycling is inherently very different here.

Summer White

For my friends at Vélo Vogue, a white-hot summer look, complete with sailboats. White helmet, shirt, shorts, shoes, and bike. I'd wear it!

Continuing today's pink theme

Custom-made tiny bike with pink ano componentry.
She is 5'2" so finding a small enough bike is a challenge. She told me that the daughter of the Iro builder complained to dad "You never make bikes small enough for me!" He immediately made the Heidi, designed for women under 5'3". Hurray!

(I like the blue tights and the raw turquoise necklace too)

Of course I'm a feminist!

CNN has just published an article on how women's liberation arrived on bicycles.

Much of the content I'd already learned - that "proper" women finally got to leave the house, that Bloomers were created for bicycle riding. I didn't know that Victorians wore more than seven pounds of underwear! The residual terms in our language were also new to me:

"This attire was not only intended to restrict women physically, but morally, too. In a society where the accidental exposure of an ankle took on the pornographic stature of a lap dance, such dress was required to protect a lady's virtue. In fact, the term "loose" originated to describe a woman who went uncorseted, while "straight-laced" women obeyed societal dictates."

I was also amused by "The Cyclist's Chaperon Association". It is a good article and worth a read, ladies. Then go enjoy your bike! You've come a long way baby.

"As the bicycle continues to lend itself to causes of all kinds, it is important to remember its first battle. Liberating is a word easily associated with cycling. Flying down a tree-lined road with the wind in your face is certainly a liberating experience, but for early female cyclists, a simple bike ride was liberating in a much more significant way."

Pink Travels

Even though she flew by me and was halfway down the block before I could get her photo, you can still see the pink peeking from her Velocity deep V rims, her handlebars, and her messenger bag. Well coordinated!

Back Bay Elegance

There is something timeless about blondes wearing black. Her shining hair was the first thing I saw, I didn't notice her classy wedge ankle boots until I was uploading the photo.

Stowing her bag in the basket keeps her look sleek and unencumbered.

Helmet Advice

I can't tell you whether to wear one or not - that's up to you. I've already said that my position is that I don't want the regret of not wearing one, should the unthinkable happen and I survive, but barely. So I wear a helmet.

In choosing a helmet it's important to know that ALL helmets in the USA must comply with the same safety standards. The only difference between a $20 and a $100 helmet is things like the air vent design, the harness materials, the aesthetics, etc. Functionally it is required by law to work the same.

So buy the cheapest helmet that you like.

I am so impressed!

For all of you who are concerned about navigating a city on a bike - this tiny attorney does it every day in four inch heels! I caught her on a casual Friday in her Coach raincoat and casual jeans, but she tells me I can find the 'pearls on a bike' contingent every month at Critical Mass. This is something I would like to see!

Until then I remain impressed by her skills, which she downplays. She points out that you really pedal with the balls of your feet, so why not wear heels? Indeed biking in heels is easier than walking in heels...

She makes it sound easy!

A Gentleman and his Raleigh

How very civilized he looks with his classic bicycle, displaying true masculine cycle chic.

We discussed what a shame it is that the mayor did not use the opportunity of his ceremonial bike ride to show that a bike can be ridden in whatever he had one before the ceremony. However, we're lucky to have a pro-bike mayor, no one is complaining!

Some Bicycle Thoughts for Bike Week

The Plain Dealer reported this week:

When you have to stuff three $20 bills into your gas tank to fill it, riding your bike becomes good for your wallet. You don't have to shell out for a car payment, a license, insurance, gasoline, oil changes, or roadside assistance. And a new set of tires doesn't cost $500.

It's good for your body. Cycling makes you healthier and younger. Cycling as little as 20 miles a week can cut your risk of heart disease by more than half. On average, a regular cyclist has a fitness level equal to that of a person 10 years younger.

It's good for the environment. Bicycles produce no exhaust, damage no roads and can last decades, instead of just years. In addition, about 100 bicycles can be built with the same energy and resources it takes to build one medium-size car.

1. Twelve bicycles can be parked in a typical automobile parking spot.
2. 15% of Japanese workers commute by bicycle, 1.67% of Americans commute by bicycle
3. $29,299: The average cost, including finance charges, of a new vehicle (car or SUV) in the USA, $385 average cost of a new bicycle.
4. 2 to 1: The ratio of bicycles to cars on Earth.
5. 100 calories: The amount a person uses to bicycle 3 miles.
6. 833 -- Bicyclist deaths in the United States in 1995, 773 - Bicyclist deaths in the United States in 2006.

Jolly Bike sighted in Cambridge!

The name is apt - when you see a jolly bike you can't help but smile. I can now report that the owners club must be the most jovial group of people ever, they all chose to share their lives with Jolly Bikes!

This lady loves hers. She says it is an ideal Cambridge bike because the area is flat and you don't need a zippy bike, but the roads are terrible. This bike is sturdy enough, with hefty enough tires, she feels confident taking on anything Cambridge can throw at her. She then pointed out to me that with a Jolly Bike she can ride in white trousers, no problems! (Hasn't she got great shoes too?)

Study in Fuschia and Red

She was riding across the MIT campus, I was taken with her colors.

She doesn't look it from my camera angle but she is TINY so it could be hard for her to find a high quality bike small enough. This bike was custom made for her by a friend in Washington DC out of recycled parts, like they do here in Boston at Bikes Not Bombs.

She acknowledged that there was no better gift - she knows she is a lucky girl.

Signalling your turn

How do you signal a turn?

There are two schools of thought on this. One is the canonical form with a right turn signaled by the left arm extended and the forearm pointing up. The more modern method of signaling has the cyclist pointing in the direction she intends to go.

The benefit of the second system is immediately apparent - it is unambiguous to both cars around and the cyclist who has to remember what signal to make when.

I just came to realize that the signals were developed for old fashioned cars (Model Ts and the like) which weren't as reliable as our cars. If your lights broke in an old car you'd have to use the old-fashioned right turn signal, as the modern one could not be seen.

Now that I understand the reason for the system it all makes more sense, I'm more comfortable in the world, and I'll continue to use the modern hand signals.

Graphic from the Frankenmuth Police Department.

Aqua Schwinn in East Cambridge

All this talk recently of Schwinns reminds me of a Schwinn I see a lot in East Cambridge. The old paint has a gleam to it that I don't see on new bikes. A bike store employee told me the shimmer is a property of old enamel paint. At any rate, I just love the color of this old bike.

I once saw the girl riding this bike. I ran to catch her but she was too fast for me. I'd love to hear the story of her bike.

Pros and Cons

Something about a crisp shirt and sport coat paired with converse tennies is eternally appealing. It says "I'm smart and professional" on one hand and "I've got a great sense of humor and respect for comfort" on the other. I heartily approve.

Acidulé - Lemon Lime

Punchy colors say "spring!", and we're all ready for that! I think the green with yellow is just what we all need right now.

This lovely lady chose her Schwinn Suburban because it is so cute, and because the price was very near the price of a cup of coffee. We don't see deals like that in Boston, she bought hers in Holyoke. It was the steal of the century, as she now describes it as her "around town Cadillac", getting her comfortably to her destination in style.

--------

Comment from a reader:

Yes ma'am, the SUBURBANs do ride like a Cadillac. For over a year now my favorite rider Schwinn has been my Chestnut colored 1980 ladies Suburban. Since my first ride on it a year ago in April, I have been calling it my Cadillac Bike. I like it so much I invested in a BROOKS "Glenbrook" saddle bag for it. Even built a new set of wheels for it using a pair of the Schwinn lusciously graceful high-flange QR hubs laced with new DT D/Butted SS spokes into the original rims.
This SUBURBAN being my personal favorite bike was the reason I was able to invest so much heart and soul into building up Eliza Doolittle, another SUBURBAN.

Riding the T with your bike

Let's clear up a misconception - Bikes ARE allowed on the Boston subway. There is no additional fare charge for bikes, just enter through the extra-wide gate.

There are rules though:

• Folded bikes can be transported any time. Regular bikes are allowed during non-peak hours (before 7AM, between 10AM and 4PM, after 7PM, and all day all weekend)
• Regular bikes are only allowed on Blue, Red, and Orange lines. I wouldn't want to take my bike on the Green line anyway, those train cars are so tight as it is.
• Don't hit anyone with your bicycle, and don't let it damage the train. Basic stuff. Also, they don't want you to ride inside the subway stations or taking your bike on an escalator.
• Due to safety considerations and congestion, cyclists with bikes may not enter or exit the following stations: Park Street, Downtown Crossing, and Government Center

There is a flyer available for download here.

Photo by smchevrette

Using bikes to move the merchandise

The photo at right was taken on Charles Street, advertising for Koo de Kir.

The photo below was taken in front of a South End boutique so hip it didn't even have a name.

I'm not alone in noting the increased use of bikes to sell in little boutiques and larger "hip" retailers. Nice to know that if you want to be seen as chic you have to have a bike!