High Fashion Safety Vest

This submission from my dear friend E reminds me a bit of Karl Lagerfeld's safety campaign from 2008, though this lady is in Iceland, not France.

Isn't she fun? I love the reflective sash accent on her high-visibility top, but the bustier treatment and halter neckline are just perfect. Yes it's overtly safety gear but it's so much fun that I have to love it.

You turkey!

A reader sent in this photo, taken this morning, of wild turkeys availing themselves of bicycle roosts at Longwood.

It seems the one in the basket looked as if s/he was settling in for a long stay.

San Francisco Bicycle Parking

Sent in by a friend, this image was taken outside Public Cycles in San Francisco. I think this may be the most elegant outdoor bike parking I've ever seen. It's almost as if they're surfing bikes, paddling out to the break.

What do you think? Parking or sculpture?

UPDATE: Thanks to D in the comments I now know this is called a Bike Arc.

Chic Cyclists in Bologna, Italy

My globe-trotting friend E sent these in for your viewing pleasure.

This image certainly fits my idea of a contemporary Italian woman.


This lady looks content as she quickly gets wherever she's going. It must be nice to be on the plaza and avoiding traffic!


Love this blonde's bi-color bike, do you suppose she's an artist or an architect? What else might those rolls of paper be used for?


E was right, the use of green here is clearly a personal statement. I love the man in the skinny jeans in the background, giving my friend a curious look.

Stylish Safe Simplicity

After I posted South End Simplicity, a reader submitted a beautiful bike that is clearly a friend to that one, also with cloth-taped handlebars, but this one features a brake lever (and brake!):


I love the cloth tape on my handlebars. The natural feel in my hand is particularly nice for a city commuter on which I do not generally wear gloves (weather permitting). With my inverse levers I never had to wrap around a brake lever, however this bike looks great! I particularly like how the curve of the cable housing is integrated with that of the handlebar. It all looks so graceful.


The final classy touch is, of course, the wooden end caps. They make me think of a wine bottle stopper, or a child's toy, both much nicer than the plastic-y things that come in the box with handlebar tape. C - did you make these? Is there any place a person can buy a set?



A beautiful, simple, bike.

Sweet Summertime

The owner of the Singlespeed Basket Bike contacted me to share this photo of his other bike - an Al Vitus frame with some mixed 9 speed components, put it together for a summer commuter.

As if summertime wasn't already sweet enough! Beautiful.

Cycling in San Diego

My dad got the cycling bug big time while he was here in Boston. Last week he was in San Diego for work and has this San Diego cycling report to share:

Cycling in downtown San Diego is a little like Boston except with no separate bike lane. It was cool for San Diego and intermittent rain. Hardly any bikers. Didn't see any bike commuters. Rode around using roadway and sidewalk when available. Cars gave me room. There is a wide promenade along the shoreline which is good for sightseeing, including the aircraft carrier Midway. Rode out to airport to pick up my rental car saving the $12 cab fare... Picked up a bike map put out by the County, but didn't get chance to use it. The bike rental shop was right downtown, two blocks from my hotel. Closed on Sunday so big problem for weekend rental. My car rental was $13/day. The mountain bike was $25/day, $10/hour.

Bicycle Fixation Classic Wool Knickers & John Fluevog Westerly Shoes

Gentlemen cyclists this one's for you, courtesy of my friend Cris:

For the last few weeks, I have been commuting to work with a pair of knickers from Bicycle Fixation as my main leg garment. Normally I've ridden with standard lycra bike tights or shorts and just changed when I arrived in my office, but lately I've come to miss having pockets. I'd ride with pants, but have never been fully happy with ankle straps and, before you ask, I am not in the market for a chainguard.

To this end, the Classic Wool Knickers from Bicycle Fixation have been a welcome addition to the wardrobe. Made of grey wool gabardine, they blend well into a downtown office setting and the burgundy satin gussets add a welcome bit of visual flair along with some practical benefits. The gussets allow the wearer to pedal a full stroke without feeling like the clothing is binding or restricting, and this makes them more comfortable than a pair of pants that have just been cut to 3/4 length.

I've owned these pants since November, and have worn them through a wet, cold and windy December. Like most wool garments, they are not waterproof and will retain some water if rained on, but they do dry relatively quickly and cleanly. The garment blocks wind rather well, but I have had to swap my knee high socks for tights over the last couple of freezing winter weeks since these knickers lack any sort of insulation aside from the thin wool fabric.

The only complaints that I have about these pants are the back patch pockets, which aren't quite as elegant as ones that are set in, but that's a relatively minor quibble. I suspect that filled set in pockets might tend to be uncomfortable while pedaling, anyway. With all that said, I love these knickers and they've rapidly become one of my standbys.

I was wearing these knickers when I had stopped by the John Fluevog store earlier this month. The staff at the store were intrigued by the pants and when I was rhapsodizing on their utility for bike commuting, one of the salesperson pointed me to one of their shoes, known as the Westerly.

The Westerly, they explained to me, was a shoe designed by Mr. Fluevog during one of his bike commutes. Like a standard bike shoe, the Westerly has a very stiff, hard sole for optimal power transfer on the downstroke, but unlike a bike shoe, it has no fittings for cleats to let your foot pull on the upstroke -- which is all just as well. Eventhough I have bike shoes with SPD cleats, which are very walkable, I've never been particularly fond of the way cleats scrape against concrete or wooden surfaces. If I expect to do a lot of walking, I'll just ride in regular shoes.

To that end, for regular dress shoes that perform well on a bike; the Westerlys are a good start, but they aren't perfect. They do have some nice features for the fashionable cyclist. The upturned toe naturally places the ball of one's foot on the pedal spindle for optimal pedaling position. The softer leather between the lace and cap is also well suited to work with toe straps on the pedal. As walking shoes they also perform as well as any dress shoe might, especially since the stiff sole is augmented by a strategic use of rubber in the heel and base of the foot.

Still, for life on a bike, I would prefer a monk strap buckle to laces; if only because a strap and buckle are less likely to come undone or get caught in the drivetrain while pedaling. I would also like to see a little more stiffness or reinforcement at the cap and toebox. Cyclists spend an extraordinary amount of time standing on their tiptoes while waiting at a light, and a reinforced cap makes such waits a little more comfortable. Overall, though, while the Westerlys are not a must have by any means, they are a nice selection if one is in the market for dress shoes.



(Can I just add how much I LOVE that the color scheme of the knickers matches his beautiful ANT bike? -Charlotte)

Berlin Post Bike

I've seen lots of photos of the yellow bikes for the French Post, but I haven't seen any German ones like my friend E has sent us here. Apparently for this one they have extended the frame specially for Berlin and the high-volume routes there. The wheels for the extended frame flipped up so they could bike without them, they can also bike or walk with the wheels down too.

E's boyfriend had one of the regular indestructible German post bikes in his student days.

The internal gearing has to be nice in foul weather, and look at that huge front and rear basket! The chainguard is utilitarian, but still a nice addition.

I wish the USPS used bikes.

Schwinn Jenny

I was so happy to get this submission from a chic Boston cyclist. I love it all, but perhaps the coat the most (that's my favorite color). Looking good is its own reward, but I still want to say WELL DONE!

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!

Trondheim Bicycle Lift

OK, this thing is pretty cool. My world-traveling friend E took these photos for all of you. The Trondheim Bicycle Lift is a bit like the bunny slope at a ski resort, but instead of getting little kids up a snowy hill "Trampe" gets big people on bikes up the hill (probably in the snow too).

You can buy/rent the a key card for 100 kr from a bicycle repair shop, a kiosk, the Dromedar Coffee Bar, or at the tourist office.



The sign says

"The bicycle life TRAMPE was intstalled in 1993 as an important part of our program to encourage cycling in Tronheim.

This is the first bicycle lift in the world.

You need to be at least 10 years of age to use the lift. Only cyclists are allowed to use the lift.

The Public Roads Administration advises you to wear a helmet whenever cycling.

In the event of any technical problems with the lift, please ring ..."

"He's got a ticket to ride..."


Up, up, and away!
E tells me that his right foot was resting on a little metal "starting block" type thing that was powering him up the hill.

This hill doesn't look terribly steep to me, but I know that hills don't ever photograph as steep as they are. The lady walking certainly looks like she's going down a steep hill. Additionally, the road is clear now but I could imagine that riding up it in the snow would be a challenge, a bit like the hills of Somerville. Indeed it sounds from their website like their community is a bit like ours.

Trondheim is a hilly city, the third largest city of Norway, yet it has the highest share of cycling in all of Norway. Trondheim is a university city with 30,000 students, 90% of whom using their bicycles as their main transport tool

In a user survey, 41% of the lift users claim they're using the bicycle more often due to the installation of Trampe, which has pushed 220,000 cyclists up that hill.

I'd love to try it someday.

Trondheim Skirt Guard

This lovely submission comes from my world-traveling friend E, who noted the charm of what appears to be a home-made skirt guard on this folding bike in Trondheim.

Ever since I examined the skirt guard of that Pinarello in Washington I've been taken with the idea of giving it a try. Could be fun!

Boston Cycle Chic

Submitted by reader S., here are some Boston Cycle Chic photos taken near the Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge in Boston. Makes a stunning backdrop for cute images!

Getting Excited!

Merci mille fois again to my friend E who sent in these photos a while ago. I'm certainly getting excited to visit France and go out adventuring. I don't plan to use the Velibs since I'll have my own bike with me, but I'll be excited to see how they've changed the city since we lived there.

There's something about all the Velibs in a row that reminds me of Easter Island.

I just love the scarf on the man in the background!

Leather jacket, ballet flats, sweet ladies' frame vélo de ville - this lady has it going on! I like the tonality of her look.

As E points out, a chic cyclist in training. Love her little fenders!

Check out the lugs on this swoopy mixte. It also has great racks and I love that little light on the front fender. Someday I will have one like it.

Sporty Chic

I have been spending some time recently thinking about what the Chic Cyclist who rides long distances might wear. My husband and I are going on vacation in France, riding our bikes from little town to little town. I want to hop off and look chic, but we'll be riding too far for "normal" clothes. This lady (submitted by dotbike) has a nice balance between chic and performance, I particularly like her aubergine knickers.

Anyone have any suggestions for chic sporty gear?

Daisy Bell

This submission comes from a couple engaged to be married, shown here riding their tandem from the Jamaica Plain Arnold Arboretum. I can't help but think of the song we all learned as children, apparently titled "Daisy Bell".

There is a flower within my heart

Daisy, Daisy

Planted one day by a glancing dart

Planted by Daisy Bell

Whether she loves me or loves me not

Sometimes it's hard to tell

But there are those that would share the lot

Of beautiful Daisy Bell

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do

I'm half crazy all for the love of you

It won't be a stylish marriage

I can't afford a carriage

But you'll look sweet upon the seat

Of a bicycle built for two

We will go tandem as man and wife

Daisy, Daisy

Wheeling away down the road of life

I and my Daisy Bell

Poised, in blue

She does look elegant with her summer trousers and her blue mixte.

Thanks for the submission from Lovely Bicycle!

Cape & Islands Photo Submission

From reader P, a bike report from his trip to the Cape and Islands:

Went to Nantucket for a day and here's what I saw.

1. Cool Cape Bike (notice the nice basket and the fishing pole holders on the back)



2. Free waterfront parking. Compared to $17 on the spot for a day, parking elsewhere in Hyannis (for free) and riding a bike nets big savings (is that chic or not?)



3. Cool rentals



4. Abandoned cruiser (This has been there for over a month and I'd love to know its story)



Charlotte would like to ask that, if possible, the comments to this post be written in the form of a limerick.
"There once was a bike in Nantucket..."

Royal Ascot Bike

Sent in by reader P, here's a mystery bike for you. P tells me:

The head tube badge says it's a 'Royal Ascot', but I haven't been able to find anything about them. Most searches turn up stories of people who bike to Royal Ascot, and while they're interesting, it's not the information I'm looking for. Perhaps one of your knowledgeable readers will know something about the brand.

The bike was in good condition, Sturmey-Archer 3 speed, classic English frame, braze-ons for a frame pump. It looks mostly original.


Does anyone know anything more about this bicycle maker?