> August 2010 | CITY GIRL RIDES

eva on the tour de chic

8/31/2010


for many of you fashionable cyclists out there, if you haven't heard about my girl eva at eva-lu.com, you need to pedal to her blog asap. starting september 2, she'll be touring some of the most bike friendly cities in Europe and visiting the mother land of cycle chic in Copenhagen. i'm totally excited for her and can't wait to see what she has to share. i'll be following with her in spirit and checking for blog updates constantly. good luck eva!

adventurous weekends.

8/29/2010

photo by jackie rueda
i hope everyone had a lovely weekend thus far. i found myself spending lot's of time on the bike and it made me extremely happy whether i was treasure hunting at thrift stores, grabbing coffee with friends, hanging out in the park, or riding out to shows. the weather was perfect this weekend and riding around the city on two wheels is always adventurous. how did everyone spend their weekend? what's your favorite activities to do whilst on bike?

to health

8/26/2010


it's good to be healthy again! i didn't think i'd have such a hard time getting back on my bike though! it's like trying to retrain your body to get used to riding all over again. for what it's worth, i'm loving it and happy to be riding! to health! ring ring ring!

summer riding

8/25/2010


it is incredibly hot in sf this week. perhaps a little too hot for riding comfortably and healthy. there are plenty of ways of keeping yourself summer healthy on the road. through my experience thus far i've learned to keep super hydrated, wear sunblock, wear light clothing, carry work wear in a bag or basket and change there, ride early while it's cool, wearing a hat comes in handy to keep the sun out of my face (even if i have to ditch the helmet), and wearing sunglasses to keep me from squinting and aware of the road all adds up to having a safe and comfortable ride in the heat.

do any ladies out their have any tips or advice on keeping healthy and safe on the summer hot roads? how do you spend your hot summer days on your bike?

timeout

8/24/2010

so sorry i've been m.i.a. lately. i've been sick with the flu this last week and had to take time out to allow myself to recover. i'm never sick but at least once a year i get a terrible cold, but this time the flu. it was really awful not being able to explore and partake in the activities of the city and all the rides that have been going on in sf. i'm just happy to say that i am 95% better and will be ready to share new and exciting events coming up. i haven't had the chance to ride around either since i've been recovering. i hope everyone has had lovely days of riding!

Bicycle Inspiration

8/20/2010


When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking. ~ Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

sf events to ride to


there are lots of exciting happenings this weekend in SF starting with this Saturdays SF Street Food Festival and this Sundays Sf Sundays Streets at the Great Highway where there will be many vendors for great food, activities, and bike repair booths. invite your friends and family for a ride out and enjoy the good events. happy weekend sf riders!

bicycle inspiration: a riders story

8/17/2010


I grew up riding bikes. Whether biking around our subdivision with friends or by myself, I could spend entire days going round & round. Hopping on my bike was always a simple form of entertainment, a wonderful way to enjoy the sun and spend time with friends.
In the spring of 2007 I had visions of summer skirts, wire baskets, farmers’ markets, and me on a creme cruiser 3-speed with camel colored leather details, riding around in the sun. I also knew that I wanted to commute to work and get around town via bike; after much convincing I realized that I needed a bike with more speeds that was a little lighter than a cruiser. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and began the hunt for my perfect bike: vintage or simply used, cruiser handles & hybrid tires.
One gorgeous, sunny day that summer a friend called me to say that he found the bike I was searching for. I walked into my neighborhood bike shop and snapped up the $100 Motobecane (from the early 1980s). It fit the bill – cruiser handles and all.
Since then I’ve realized that Seattle is filled with avid riders, both for sport and transportation. I was intimidated my first month or so on the bike; I got destroyed by spandex covered men and women with rear view mirrors attached to the aerodynamic helmets. I felt the breeze on my left most days from messengers laden by skinny jeans and monstrous waterproof packs. Not much has changed, aside from my confidence and passion. Today, I ride my bike in everyday clothes, taking my time to get from one place to another.
I love riding my bike. We are asking for, deserve, and require a bike culture that encourages all to ride at whatever pace, on whatever bike, and in whatever clothes. We have to break the barriers to casual biking, proving that you don’t have to be an aggressive biker to get out there.

sfbc ice cream ride

8/15/2010

yesterday, friends and i got to participate in SFBC's 2nd annual ice cream ride! we were incredibly lucky to have sunshine for the time of bicycling to five different ice cream shop locations throughout the city. altogether the ride was about 8 miles, 60 plus members, and fun. there has to be something said about group riding activities when many people are having a grand time eating ice cream and meeting other cyclists. you get to share those interesting and fun moments on the road and get a good ride in under the sun. yay for ice cream!

bicycle video inspiration


au revoir simone "summerlines" and bicycles.

Bicycle Inspiration


photo unknown

The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets.
Christopher Morley

bicycle photo journal

8/14/2010


photo: gingerlily
love this journal.

ice cream ride


It's back! The 2nd Annual SF Bicycle Coalition Ice Cream Ride.
Bring a lock, cash for ice cream and your appetite! We'll roll to 5 ice cream shops all across the city. Order as you arrive at Xanath!
The ride will be a very casual 8 miles between stops, and riders should feel confident riding in mixed traffic. Keep an eye on our destinations at
www.twitter.com/sfbc if you are running late!
SF Bicycle Coalition recreational rides are free for SFBC members (a $5 donation from non-members is appreciated); rain cancels rides.

hope to see you there!

diary of a bike

8/12/2010

Bicycle Inspiration

8/11/2010

photo: andrew hem
"City riding is a continual lesson in feminine principle, in particular the art of being vulnerable. A confrontational, macho aesthetic spells calamity. You must learn to yeild, to dodge, to seek harmony. You are obliged to mind the web of interrelations, that complicated mesh of conflict, interests, intentions."

- Chip Brown "A Bike and a Prayer"

bicycle rant

8/09/2010


today i came across an interesting blog post titled "Four Annoying Cycling Trends." annoyingly, i find that there is a common trend amongst cyclists to put each other down and the fact that divisions within the cycling community exist is just harmful to it's growth. regardless of complaints, arguments, and divisions within the cycling community, there is nothing more vulnerable than making a daily choice to ride your bike, the danger one places themselves between lanes on a daily basis is not a trend i see people complaining about. if we want to build our cities into bicycle friendly communities we need to shut out the sense of entitlement because of the type of clothes or bike one rides and start writing letters to our state government about fixing annoying pot holes or annoying dangerous intersections or how annoying it is that there aren't enough bikes lanes to make cycling safe for the community. i dare the author of the blog post above to do a statistical research about four annoying cycling safety issues, perhaps do a little background educational check up on these "annoying cycling trends" and state how and why they started. complaining just to complain does nothing for the cycling community, everyone of us rides to each their own.

Helmet Hair Styles

8/08/2010

Aside from the towering hills (which we avoid at all costs), San Francisco is pretty much a cyclist's dream city. With a solid biking community, progressive laws, and streamlined routes, you're bound to see almost as many bikes as cars on the road on your way to work. The only pitfall to pedaling as your main mode of transportation? Arriving at your desk a sweaty mess with hair that looks dirty and tangled — or like you've been hanging out in a wind tunnel. 

For many of us ladies who ride and have bangs or long hair, it can be difficult to manage our tresses under certain weather circumstances. For instance, when I'm riding, my bangs seem to move around a lot, or my long curly hair seems to flap around everywhere or frizz. One lady who rides at eva-lu has offered some tips to help tame those bangs. I recommend a read as she has offered many ways to manage bangs. For myself, I have learned to manage my tresses with scarves under any weather circumstance a la Audrey Hepburn. A great website that I have learned to wear headscarves can be found here...  http://www.texeresilk.com/cms-tying_head.html.

Brit and Co has also shared some great hairstyles for wearing under your helmet. You can see more here. How do you wear your hair under a helmet?


wishing for sunny days

8/06/2010

there is nothing like riding through san francisco in the summer with your winter coat and leggings on.

music to ride to


corinne baily rae singing "girl put your records on" and riding bicycles looking chic.

i bike sf: august features north beach

8/04/2010


this August, I Bike SF features neighborhood North Beach and participating businesses in offering great discounts to cyclist who bring in their helmet or bike lock. North Beach just happens to be one of my favorite neighborhoods in the city. it's known for it famous Italian culture, cafe's, and restaurants as well as the historical bohemian famous bookstore City Lights. i have frequented it so much, my particular favorite cafe's and restaurants know me by name! knowing that there are great discounts this month, I'll probably be visiting more often since I work near the district. Yay!

the beatles and bicycles


i'm a huge beatles fan and can't think of any other reason to not post these photos of the dashing boys on their bicycles. from what i've read, they used to flirt while riding their bicycles. how could a woman with any love for bicycles and dashing men resist?

Bicycle Inspiration

8/01/2010


"using your own power riding bicycles is symbolic not only of a need to have power over her body , but also of her ability to possess that power."

-Andrea Rose Askowitz

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