> September 2010 | CITY GIRL RIDES

guest post for: the city birds nest

9/30/2010


it was an honor to share my bicycle love as a guest poster for the city birds nest blog. my friend christie of cbn is also a bicycle enthusiasts and asked me to share a little love on her blog while she and her husband are away on their honeymoon in Mexico. every wednesday she posts bike chick tips from shopping for a bike to fixing your bikes tire, good stuff every rider should know. the post is a little more of an inspirational story on my behalf and experience of riding in the city. you can read it here Guest Post: Riding in SF, hope you enjoy it!

thank you christie for letting me share!
peace, love, and bicycle grease.

reasons to bicycle

9/28/2010


todays reason to bicycle:god bless this indian summer, keep it cool,
ride it slow, make a breeze.

bicycle festivities weekend recap

9/27/2010

tour de fat

mission bicycle festival

all i can say about this weekend was that it was hot, exciting, and way too much fun! so many bicycle festivities i had to end my night with cleaning my bike as she gathered so much dirt from all the riding we did. tour de fat was a blast, i remember eating so much good food, one in particular Juicy Lucy's, watching the live acts/activities, and hearing the amazing eccentric marching band, Mucca Pazza. for the mission bicycle festival, i remember the adorable amounts of cyclists, papel picado, games, Bike Basket Pies, dance performances by The Bay Area Derailleurs, a Pedal Savvy fashion show, free coffee by  Bicycle Coffee, and many talented and adorable vendors! 

thank you SFBC and Mission Bicycle Company for making my weekend full of bicycle adventures!

wendy's makeover

9/24/2010


wendy's makover is complete! new handlebars, brake levers, and a front basket, everything i need for an easy and swift daily commute. i say this is a week vacation well spent and although it required a lot of patience and research i'm happy to have the experience. as we finally finished her up this morning, i took her for a ride and it felt good to be reunited. i can't wait to take her out to all the weekend events and ride her around. we hope to see you there!

sf events to ride to: tour de fat (tire) & mission biycle festival


The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s annual Tour de Fat event hits Golden Gate Park this Saturday from 11am until 5pm at Lindley Meadow (map). It’s called that because it’s sponsored by New Belgium Brewing Company, the makers of Fat Tire beer.
It’s a raucous, family-friendly celebration of all things fun and cyclical. Hop on your two-wheeler and join the Tour de Fat Bike Parade at 11am. Dress up in costume or outfit your bike for the grand display. Sort of like a kinder, much gentler critical mass for all ages.
You’ll also have a chance to get your bike repaired (or at least tinkered with), your face painted, eat some good food, have a beer and join their “cycling circus of sensory splendor”. Bring an item of clothing and you can silkscreen it with bikes at the DIY booth.
Tour de Fat is a free event and all proceeds from beer sales ($5 for 16 oz.) will benefit the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and The Bay Area Ridge Trail Council.
If you do bring your bike, free valet parking is available. But even if you’re without your own set of wheels, you can still come out to enjoy the cycling fun. 


The first Mission Bicycle Festival will take place Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th. 
Events for the weekend include
Group Ride to the Tour de Fat Festival
Bike Tour - 10 Mission Secrets
Mercado - local vendors and artisans selling accessories & gear.
Block Party - Competitions, displays, community.
Fashion Show - Fresh from the runway at Interbike in Las Vegas.
Art Exhibition - PaperGirlSF will display hundreds of pieces
Click here for locations, a full schedule of events and complete listing of participating organizations.

bicycling into fall

9/23/2010


i love fall and i love Marianne from esme and the lane way , this photo is the perfect sight for myself in regards to fall cycle wear. a beautiful reflective cape, leggings, gloves, etc. 

things i look forward to fall in...
bicycling in the cool crisp air
golden leaves
pumpkin patches and pie
pumpkin spice lattes
wool sweaters, gloves, and scarves (yet, i wear those year around in sf)
dia de los muertos (and again, i'm going all out with Wendy for this year too).
Halloween! (already have my costume planned).
northern california's colorful autumn change, a sight to behold via cyclotour 

what are your favorite things about autumn?

Bike Talk: Bike Shops. A Boys Only Club?

9/22/2010

Rarely will I ever complain about my daily frustrations on bike but I seriously think that I need to start a section on the blog to rant about something issues every woman face when they get into cycling, hence Bike Talk. On thing I wanted to talk about today is that dreaded feeling you get when you walk into a bike shop: invisible. I won't be mentioning any bike shop names today as I'm sure bike shop employee's reputations for being know-it-alls are well known already...

reasons to bicycle


todays reason to bicycle: ride like a girl.

reasons to bicycle

9/21/2010

todays reason to bicycle: new brass bell is like a siren singing...

wendy's getting a makeover


a long awaited bike makeover for wendy has been due. i mentioned in a previous post (bicycle makover) that i had wanted to change out her drop bars to cruiser bars. well, since i have extra time on my hands this week i'm getting started on her. last night the boyfriend and i struggled to take her handlebars, brakes, and cables off to fit in her new Nitto cruiser bars, and boy we were so happy we accomplished that step. she feels like a champ already but we still have much work to do, we should be done very soon. 

sweet vacation

9/20/2010


a whole week vacation welcomes me with sunshine, coffee, bicycle adventures, and treasure finds.

reasons to bicycle


todays reason to bicycle: riding in the sun hunting for bicycle treasures and eating ice cream with friends.

sf events to ride to

9/18/2010


it's that time for Sunday Streets again! this time it takes place in Western Addition, from the panhandle to Japan town September 19th from 10am-3pm.they call this event The Greatest Day in the History of the Neighborhood. be sure to check it out and maybe i'll see you there!

happy friday!

9/17/2010



all i can say is TGIF! 
weekend list:
 birthday tea party at Samovar tea lounge
anniversary bike ride and picnic in gg park
these are the things i'm excited for.

happy friday!
xoxo

feliz dia de la independencia: fe y la bicicleta

9/16/2010

photo: fe
feliz dia de la independencia Mexico!
gracias to my ancestors and familia who have fought to save the land on which our people loved.
recently i had the blessing of meeting one of my greatest inspirations, Fe, xicana artist, activist, organizer, educator etc. this womyn is who i want to be when i grow up. a few weeks ago Fe asked me to help her in finding a bike. without hesitating i gave her some advice to find the perfect bicicleta for her. when she found her match she sent me this photo from a performance art/drum ceremony riding her new wheels. don't you just love the doll on the handle bars?! i was thrilled to share it with you because honestly, i believe in the power of her work and the power of the bicicleta too. 
just to see how amazing and talented this mujer is, i share her video and poetry "indepedence day"



fe, felicidades on your new bicicleta.
xoxo

reasons to bicycle

9/14/2010



photo: etsy

over the last 3 months i started to find daily reasons to bicycle. i call them "todays reason to bicycle." these reasons are sort of like a ritual in which i have to find something wonderful about my daily experience on bicycle. i haven't shared them on this blog and i didn't only because it was a type of spur of the moment experience which i was allowed to easily share on twitter or facebook via phone. yay for spontaneity! but i'm going to get into the habit of sharing them here only because i feel like readers would be able to share a little of their reasons to bicycle too. 
here are a few old posts of my favorite reasons to bicycle, cause there's a reason everyday: 


todays reason to bicycle:
waking up to an early morning ride with all green lights while breaking your speed record.
life is too important to waste in a bus, car, or train, there is always an adventure to have along the bike path.
the wind on yourface when you ride you 30lb bike up a hill never felt so good.
so much to explore in any weather condition, anytime, anywhere.
riding with friends makes the road so much more fun, especially when the little mermaid becomes a musical on bikes.
bicycling is like coffee, you feel like crap without it, you can't wake up without it.
being at 98% better in health is as good as 100%, let's ride!
make your own breeze and ride like the wind!
make friends on the road, tell them you like their sweet ride.
*ring ring ring* everywhere!
and todays reason to bicycle: find inspiration around you.
find reasons everyday and don't hesitate to adopt this ritual as long as you share.
xoxo

weekend ride recap.


what an eventful weekend and i'm just barely blogging about it! so i decided for the bonfire that i would just take a good ride out to ocean beach and boy was it good. there was heavy fog and eerie darkness everywhere! i was well prepared with warm clothing, lighting, coffee, and food. i was just extremely tired since i had been up since 4am. come to think of it, i use my legs a lot and needless to say i was feeling the good 16 mile ride post run the following sunday. i loved every moment of it as i had the entire road to myself. the heavy mist upon my face and the will power of endurance on the road. i hope to organize a nice ride with friends soon since it's something i hope to share with you all. ah, the thrill!

happy friday!

9/11/2010


happy friday friends! it's been a long week for myself and i'm ready for some adventure. what's everyone up to? as far as my plans go, i'm going to a bonfire saturday night at ocean beach, probably going to get some biking and sun in before since we have such beautiful weather here in sf. sunday, my boyfriend and i are going on a nice long bike ride through golden gate park along the great highway. i'm really excited to just get out and get some recreational riding in, finally! i hope everyone has a fun and safe riding weekend. happy weekend adventures!

Bike Tool Kit

9/05/2010

bike cozy
When it comes to bicycle maintenance ladies, it's good to know the basics of fixing a flat, adjusting your seat, replacing break pads, cleaning and lubricating your chains and derailluer. I know the vocabulary is intimidating but it's good to know how to maintain your bike components. Since i have a boyfriend who is just as passionate about cycling as I am, I have him show me and teach me what I need to know about components and maintenance. I strongly advise on investing in a tool kit, one in which is small and easy to carry around on your bike trips. 

inspiring bicycle tours

9/02/2010


i must say that i am inspired by so many stylish riding ladies out there who have and are doing bike tours this summer. i was recommended by rider and blogger of City Birds Nest to check out Calivintage, where blogger Erin just completed her summer California coast bike tour and has shared some amazing adventures that are inspiring, check them out...cycle chic. it seriously inspires me to get on that wagon and i hope it also inspires more ladies out there to do the same. ride on sisters!

i bike sf september features clements st.

9/01/2010


while I Bike SF has rolled onto Clement Street for this month some businesses would like to reward cyclist year around. you could see participating business on I Bike SF's link above. just bring your bike lock key or helmet and receive great discounts. while clements st. is well known for it's amazing selection of restaurants they also have some pretty amazing shops. i hope to make it out there this month as one of my favorite book stores (Green Apple) is calling my name. 

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