Vu à Amsterdam

My French friend J was just at a conference in Amsterdam and sent this photo for our enjoyment. This is certainly a decked-out and cheerful bike!

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Here's hoping you have a wonderful holiday filled with friends, delicious food, and bicycles!

Wisteria Lane

I can report with authority that the Wisteria Lane bicycle now has a white flower garland. It looks fresh and lovely.

Exuberant Flowers in Davis Square

Hope you all have a fun-filled and safe holiday weekend! Happy riding!

Single Rose

Spotted parked in the South End, you know I smiled when I saw this racy-looking chromed red singlespeed, with a rose on the handlebars.

I imagine the person who rides this bike - probably someone who is usually a speedster, but was given this rose-ring by someone dear to them and so s/he abandoned the minimalist aesthetic to keep it close, there on the handlebars.

Or maybe it's a conscious reminder to 'stop and smell the flowers'?

Whatever the story, I love flowers on bikes in general, and the dichotomy of this mental image in particular.

Bikes and Flowers at Anthropologie

Vintage bikes and a garden of recycled plastic flowers have transformed the windows at the Anthropologie on Boyleston Street. Anthropologie's look is less sleek than that used by Jacob, or Club Monaco, in keeping with their fuzzy, crocheted, new-vintage vibe.












I admit the bikes and the bright flowers did cheer me up!

Another sort of Flower Bike

I don't generally go for the decorative bike. I think functional bikes are beautiful enough, I prefer those. This one, spotted outside an independent bookstore on Cape Cod this weekend, made me smile so I wanted to share it. Perhaps I like it because it never was a real bike, never could have been ridden, so being a planter is not degradation. I can't wait 'till it can be filled with real flowers - just a few more months!

A Historical Chic Cycling Treat

I am lucky enough to have a brother-in-law who is a historian. He sent this wonderful gift for all of us. What amazes me while reading this is how very similar Ethel's journal entries are to the entries and comments in modern chic cycling blogs. The more things change...!

Today I came across a journal of a chic cyclist from 1897, and wanted to share some of it with your blog. In her day a bike was referred to simply as “a wheel”. Attached are two scans from the journal as well.

Selected entries from the journal of Ethel Starr Mack of Benton County, Oregon, 1897:



April 8: I worked today on a wheeling suit which I am making of my old blue dress. I am making a sleeveless Eton jacket with a sailor collar trimmed in white braid. I think I shall like it quite well…. We have heard that our wheels came to Lebanon [Oregon] today, by stage.

April 12: Our wheels came today. Mine is a beauty! The prettiest wheel in town, so everyone says. It is dark green with dark red and black lacings. I can ride already. I learned in the College hall – after practicing half an hour I could ride across the Hall. After three-quarters of an hour I could go around the hall. After school tonight Effie Holt and I went up to the Hall with our wheels but so many were riding I could not try mine, so Herschel, Effie and I went down to the college track. Soon the whole crowd followed. There were nine wheels on the track! I rode around it several times but I did not have strength to ride more than once and a half around the baseball diamond without resting. Herschel looks the best of the boys on his wheel. They all said I learned remarkably fast. Herschel took supper with me and Ali, Wayne and George and Amy were there besides spectators. We had a nice time and I rode five miles and was not much tired. Herschel and I came back together and went to the spring for a drink.

April 20: I sewed some on my machine today and it works nicely. I am making a shirtwaist of my old blue chambray skirt to wear with my wheel suit….

April 21: Herschel took me down to the track and we rode together. I rode seven miles and at once I rode a mile and a half without stopping. Herschel and Gilbert went to Albany today and got them new wheel suits. Herschel looks so handsome in his. He has gray pants and a red sweater and stockings….His wheel cost him $22.50.

May 1: This being May Day I made a May basket of green and white crepe paper lined with pink, and filled it with flowers.

May 2: Mama told me to take my wheel and go to the track. I did so and Allie and I rode four miles without stopping.

May 7: Herschel came down and we started out for a ride. It was my first attempt to ride on the road. I wore my new wheel suit for the first time. We found the first mile too rough for riding but after that it was nice. Coming back we sat down under a tree to rest, and Herschel graded an examination paper. I was not much tired when I reached home and Herschel praised my riding. It was altogether the happiest ride I have taken.



As an aside, when I googled "Ethel Starr Mack" I was happy to see that she's buried alongside her husband Herschel. Long live bike romances!

Happy Thanksgiving!

For your Thanksgiving viewing pleasure, I have some fall foliage bike flower photos sent in by folks who took my request for photos to the next level. Aren't these fun?

Friday Freebie: Autumn Bike Flowers

To celebrate that it's FRIDAY I'm giving away a bike corsage made with the rest of the flowers from my helmet spray. It's not terribly well-made, it just ties on with a red ribbon, but it's free to the first person who emails me with the understanding that you'll send a photo of the flowers on your bike to be published here on the blog. Please, responders located in North America only.

Today was a fun bike ride because Obama is coming to town to give a talk on energy. MIT is in a flurry of excited preparations, I even saw people wearing suits today! I'm gratified to report that while they have barricades up everywhere, they are NOT impeding the bike lanes.

If you're interested in Obama's address, more information is available on the MIT website.

My Trinket

Inspired by Dottie's post, and in agreement with her Emily citation:

The morns are meeker than they were,
The nuts are getting brown;
The berry’s cheek is plumper,
The rose is out of town.

The maple wears a gayer scarf,
The field a scarlet gown.
Lest I should be old-fashioned,
I’ll put a trinket on.

-Emily Dickinson

I have switched out my pink flower, and am now wearing a spray of mums and leaves.

Sporty Bike Flowers

This humble bike is certainly more fun with the addition of some basket flowers. Hurray for personal touches, they really do bring a smile to more than just one person.

Accessorize!

Since returning from my vacation I've noticed more and more bikes decked out with accessories. Take this bike, for instance, which appears to be wearing its own scarf:



This bike has a head tube wrapped in ferns:


The chainstays are sporting their own teddy bear (or perhaps that's a little dog?):


And for those who just don't do fake flowers, this bike on Newbury Street has flower pots and real flowers:

South End Knitters Strike Again

This time the street artists chose to leave beautiful handmade flowers festooning the bike racks next to some Community Gardens on the Southwest Corridor Park.


The flowers are all handmade to represent identifiable plants, and I particularly love the bee with the huge grin on his face:


I can only imagine what fun the South End Knitters had as they planned and executed this art installation. I wish I were a knitter, this group looks like a lot of fun!


I will have to put the flowers on my bike and return to take a photo of everyone bedecked in flowers!

Bike Flowers

The second set of bike flowers went north of my border, to add more cheer to Canada. Don't they look happy? Best wishes for happy riding Jennifer!

The first set can be seen here.

Beautiful Bike Flowers

Happy May Day!


Xue was the first to respond to the free Friday bike flowers, and here they are on her bike. I think they look better on hers than mine! Helps that her bike is so cute.

It adds a nice touch of springtime, and when she's ready to move on the flowers come right off.

This photo of the bikes in the grass may be my favorite, just because it reminds me of lounging on a warm summer day. Happy bikes, happy day.

Lilacs on a Lilac Bike

From my friend E, it's a lilac seller in Toulouse who was transporting the flowers with a lilac-colored bike. How perfect is that?

I love the white fenders-grips-saddle with the lilac.

Not-so-perfect is that skirt guard, though it does inspire me to consider making one of my own, particularly now that I'm wearing more skirts.

New Season, New Flower

I saw this bike again, now with a new flower (and fender). Happy springtime riding!

Freebie Friday: Bike Flowers

Maybe you're like me? You enjoy seeing flowers on a bike, but you don't want to commit to attaching them there for all time. Spring may be a state of mind, but sometimes I was to travel light and sleek. And sometimes I want lots of flowers! Heck, I don't even wear my engagement ring all the time, but when I do I enjoy it.

Anyway, to get flowers on my bike sometimes I've just made a flower garland wrapped in pipecleaners which attaches to a handlebar or front basket with small velcro tabs (see photo below). It's easy-on, easy-off, as the mood suits. I suppose that it is thus subject to theft, but if someone needs my bike flowers badly enough to steal them, then they should have my bike flowers... I can say that since adding the flowers I've had many more conversations with drivers waiting next to me. Maybe they take it as an indication I'm an affable cyclist?

OK, so the freebie part. Feeling so cheerful with the sun and good weather, I'd like to share the happiness. I have two of these garlands to ship free to the first two North American responders who publicly agree to send in photos of their bike sporting these flowers. Flowers will be mailed out today, digital photos should be sent on or before Mother's Day (May 10). To win free bike flowers, just respond in the comments section, which has time stamps. I'll check them and the first two will then need to email me privately with a mailing address at chiccyclist@yahoo.com.

Happy Easter!

Thought you might like to see my "Easter bonnet" in action! I get a lot of comments on my helmet flower.