> November 2010 | CITY GIRL RIDES

pedal power

11/29/2010

hope you all had a lovely thanksgiving. so happy to be back in the city riding my bike, seriously it's crazy how much more energized i feel when i'm here pedaling around with the bay breeze in my face (i love my bike!). now that i'm back from thanksgiving family visits i have so many wonderful things to update you guys on but i told myself one post at a time. here's to a happy monday everyone!

mantra

11/23/2010

riding mantra of the week. what's yours?

riding with the rain.

it's been cold and wet in sf but this past weekend i had the pleasure of watching HP7 (Harry Potter) and riding to the Metreon in the rain for it. i've come to a point that no matter what weather condition, rain, shine, windy, chilly, hot, etc., i cannot peel myself away from my bike. seriously, i may be somewhat concerned about riding in the rain and safety on the road but a day without it is torture so i've devised a comfortable level of riding to avoid muni and the crazies that animate it. it has been an utterly busy weekend and perhaps i'll sleep in another lifetime but here's to a week ahead of thanksgiving, riding, food, familia, and health.

sf/bay area events to ride to

11/19/2010

 Nov. 21st from 9am until 3pm
Napredak Hall
770 Montague Expressway
San Jose, CA 95131
Holiday Ice Skating
Justine Herman Plaza, Embarcadero Center 
Open 10am-10pm, Sunday - Thursday
Open 10am-11:30pm, Friday& Saturday

 
November 20, 2010   12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Meet at CounterPULSE, 1310 Mission at 9th
This is an entirely different look, during a 4-hour bike tour, at San Francisco labor history. From the pre-urban history of Indian Slavery to the earliest 8-hour day movement in the U.S., the ebb and flow of class war is traced.
Harry Potter!
Showtimes for SF
check out your local theaters cause it's going to be good!
LUNADA - Literary Lounge Spoken Word ~ Musica ~ Open Mic, Sunday, November 21, 2010 | 7:30pm "Beyond the Bay ~ Fresno & L.A." TIM Z. HERNANDEZ & FELICIA MONTES

hope everyone has a super awesome weekend! i have one busy weekend with birthdays, hosting friends, and partaking in festivities like ice skating, poetry readings, and Harry Potter! with the holidays creeping up i'm preparing my home with ornaments and holiday cheer! I love the holidays and the time for craft making fun! i encourage everyone to have fun and ride adventurously as it's starting to get colder in sf and whenever you have a chance for fun, take it before the rain comes! happy weekend everyone.
peace, love, and bicycle grease.

Mission Community Market








i love food, especially seasonal freshly picked veggies and fruits. again i bring you the Mission Community Market held every Thurs from 4-8pm. since the cold seasons are starting to roll in and certain produce is going out of season i thought i'd do a little stock shopping on honey's, jams, fruits etc. i got to see a few cyclist out their doing their biddings, hear some music, eat some organic produce made pupusas, and meet local vendors and learn about their products. do any of you have a local farmers market you like to visit? 

happy friday!

happy friday riders! i'm super stoked for today! for the 5th time I get to see the amazingly sexy band Blonde Redhead play tonight at the Warfield. i never miss a show, they are my third favorite band behind Radiohead and Bjork. it's going to be saucy. can't wait, i'll be sure to take photos of this outing as it is a ladies night out!
hope everyone has a fantastic friday!
xoxo

bonjour Paris!

11/18/2010


a little bicycle ride through Paris featuring the lovely Valentine!
 I'm going abroad in the summer to Paris to study architecture and business, politics, and ethics of food. I started making my connections in Paris because I think it's important to build communities overseas and at home plus I'm in dire need of finding out how to get a bike for my commute to and from school. also, has anyone ever cycle toured in France?  if so please share your experiences and any advice, much appreciated!
xoxo

morning rituals

peets cofee 3rd & market

most of my days i commute downtown in sf where i work in a coffee shop (as an english/urban studies double major/student i cannot function without my fix), i have my habits about me when i have to work before the sun rises. some days i work at 4:30 am, 5am, 6am, etc so riding to work when it's dark outside can pose some issues when i'm feeling sleepy (although i'm always aware when the freaks come out at night). i love rituals before working so... brightly dressing up, riding my bike, flashing lights, shooting down a double espresso and blueberry scone makes my dark mornings rides bright and sunny.

biking and the shack

11/17/2010

one of my favorite neighborhood restaurants is Emmy Spaghetti Shack, the best spaghetti with GIANT meatballs, seriously i can only eat half a plate with a helper. i'm always down for some spaghetti nom noms after a long bike ride. i love their artistic sense of bright colors and objects of art, plus, Wendy just likes to take pictures whenever she stands out.

charlotte adventures

i've been keeping Charlotte in the dark for some time now only because we have not been able to partake in any adventures together. this past weekend we did have adventures and i got in some really great photos with her but i broke my camera's usb chord so i'm having to use the pics from my blackberry phone. i forgot what a beast she is. this 30lb beauty is a monster on the road compared to my 12lb road bike Wendy. Charlotte is a show stopper, whenever i'm riding through the Mission lot's of cyclist will tell me nice bike at the pass me up or throw me a little whistle. she is my classic beauty and i love riding her. i don't recommend old cruisers for city riding cause they are meant for cruising but i do enjoy a nice scenic route on her every now and then and for a good work out on these legs of steel.

p.s. do you see a little bird on the blazer? like most object i own i call it Birdie.

d.i.y. u-lock cozy

11/16/2010


this weekend i did a little thrift shopping and crafting. for a while i've been wanting to make a u-lock cozy because it's been chipping the paint off my beautiful wendy. while at thrift town there was a box full of colorful sequenced belts that i thought useful for making a cozy. i found a dark green beaded belt (i love green) and with little effort all i had to do was open the ends of the belt and follow through with the lock. it fitted perfectly, functions usefully, and looks cute. against wendy it looks holiday festive and i like it! yay for d.i.y. craftiness, ding ding! 

cute and reflective

11/15/2010


while at the sf bike expo i found these adorable reflective bird pins by po campo and feel in love. I LOVE BIRDS so myself along with a few other friends bought some and wear them constantly (pics to come soon), they look good on the lapel of a blazer, trench, messenger bag, etc. functionaly cute and great for night cycling. my only complaint is that the actual pin itself can easily break off but if your crafty you can replace it with a sturdy safety pin. i constantly get compliments about it and find it fun to actually share with people that it's possible to look absolutely adorable and ride safely, an investment well worth my praise.

building dreams on bridges

bike view of the bay bridge.

i spent most of my time this weekend riding around the city to grasp a good look of her. daily am i inspired by the scenic views and people of the city, i'm sure many of you can identify with this. in so many ways has sf been nurturing to my personal, academic, and career goals. it's in this city that i have blossomed and learned the reality about life. you cannot avoid it, in a city it's in your face constantly, the good and the bad. there is a secret spot i like to visit around the embarcadero every now and then to write, think, and plan. while there i got to thinking about the future, and i like to think ahead of myself because i'm constantly dreaming (side affects of a chronic reader). every time i go back to this spot i'm reminded of who i was when i first moved here from l.a. and why i love dreaming in this city so much. does anyone else feel this way too? it's like falling in love with the city again, again, and again.

happy friday!

11/12/2010

photo booth fun from the SF Bike Expo

happy friday everyone! my boyfriend is out on tour and shooting a music video down south so i plan on having major girl time and major bike adventures, perhaps some thrift shopping, farmers market, coffee and tea time dates, most likely with these girls too. what's everyone up to this weekend? any bicycle adventures? 

have fun, play, and ride hard
xoxo  

Win a new PUBLIC Bike

PUBLIC Bikes is holding a contest for their new PUBLIC J7 and PUBLIC A7 models, here's the details:

Be the first to win and ride a new PUBLIC Bike
Win a Public - PUBLIC Contest
We are introducing two new PUBLIC bike models this fall. These bikes will be available for sale in mid-November 2010. But before we make these new bikes available to the general public, we will offer two people a chance to win one of our new PUBLIC bikes by inspiring us with your vision of how our world will look from the seat of a PUBLIC bike.
What you need to do to enter: Tell us in ~200 words or less where you would take us and what we would do on a 90 minute bicycle trip in your hometown. 
The contest deadline is November 14 at 11:59 pm.

i strongly advise to enter. i've been in love with these bikes for a year now and i became more in love with them when i got to see and touch them! they're wonders for city riding, i hope i win!

enter now before it's too late! PUBLIC Contest.

sf events to ride to


WTF Nights at The Bike Kitchen 11/12
650H Florida
6pm-9pm, 
WTF is open to all women, transfolks, genderqueer folk, femmes, and other people who've had gender bias, homophobia, or transphobia keep them away from the wrenches! Regular drop-in BK hours. Check out their blog (http://bikekitchenwtf.blogspot.com/)
Meets at 7pm at San Leandro Bart Station

Bicycle Film Festival
November 10-14, Locations vary
The Bicycle Film Festival, touring 37 cities world wide, celebrates 10 years of bicycle art, film, & culture with five days of events in San Francisco.
events take place in various venues, click on link above for more info.


Seeing Orange: Dutch Design Bike Tour
Sunday November 14 at My Dutch Bike, 575 Market St
12pm-4pm
must register for tour, click on link above

Sun., Nov. 14, 12pm
Meet at CounterPULSE, 1310 Mission at 9th
A sliding scale donation of $15-50 is requested to benefit Shaping SF, but pay what you can/will.This 4-hour trip through San Francisco’s lost sand dunes, ponds, creeks and coastline will focus on the city from downtown north, covering the heart of the city, the waterfront and Yerba Buena cove, Telegraph Hill, Black Point, and Crissy Field in the Presidio.

happy riding!

home sweet home

11/11/2010

some days i have the most wonderful experiences on bike and most days I have life daunting experiences. I don't know what's with today or this past week but I have witnessed a slew of accidents and bad behavior on the road from both cyclist, pedestrians, and motorist. i fear for my life as i see drivers cut me off, or honk and such with each other, and i freak out when a cyclist is not careful enough to warn me when they're stopping or  passing me, and i have a tendency to scream out to pedestrians to stop when they start to walk out in the street when they don't see me or another cyclist. on my commute to work and home there were too many crazy incidents that could  have cost me my life to write here but i slowed down, became more aware of my surroundings and got to wondering what bicycle etiquette has taught me. well, it has taught me a lot, and because of it i may be an over-communicating signals cyclist, a compulsive bell ringer (ding ding!), and perhaps a raging "share the road" & "turn on your signals" bad mouth but i'm alive. i am always respectful, i value life and humanity, so i'll wait behind the ped-line, i'll let you pass first, ride slow behind you as you take the entire bike lane, tell you "on your left, thank you" as i pass you, stop for a cab to pick up a customer, i'll move to let you pass and turn right, emergency stop to let you cross the street to hurry to catch your bus or cab, wait 5 mins for the cab/bus to get riders, maybe i'll walk you across the street if i see you need help (which i have done for the few old people in my neighborhood, bikes could be used as walkers) but it's rare to received a kind gesture from a cab, driver, bus, or pedestrian, i don't expect it. all i want is to safely get to and from point a, b, c, etc and home in one piece. thus all i can say is... though today was a hot mess on the road, i'm happy to be alive and well.

biking to the library

11/10/2010


i love the library. i can't tell you the many times i've stepped out of the library leaving with more books than i intended on getting. i can't help it though, i'm an english major, books are my thing. lately i've been reading books about Paris on my free time, a little pre-departure education, hence the two "new" books on French country, food, and history. the tote i have in my basket is from Paris too, a Shakespeare and Company book shop memory. i carry that thing with me everywhere, that tote is my mary poppins bag. one thing i love about riding to the library is the vast amounts of bike racks, each and every single bike locked up is prepped with baskets or something to carry books, smart bikes i say. i like to call the library the happiest place on earth, in each book there's a world to discover, a good brain exercise is using your imagination. like san francisco, there's always a new neighborhood to pedal to and discover.

bicycles and fashioni.st

11/09/2010

photo: mai lee
just before the sf bike expo, i was caffinating and stuffing up on bread pudding at Tartine's. when i was getting ready for my long ride out, i was flagged down by Mai of Fashioni.st  to strike a pose for her adorable blog. i'm a huge admirer of Mai, innovative fashionista and entrepedaler of Banh Mai, she makes sandwiches and delivers them on her bike! hardcore! thank you Mai! i was so happy to meet you, let's ride next time.

thank you.

11/08/2010

my riding ladies of choice are my long time good friends Jessica and Kasey. i'm sure many of you have seen them with me at events, on the blog, or riding the hills of SF. we often are called a bike gang, noticeably since we look fashionable on bike while riding together but we just see biking as adventurous and convenient for fun and commuting. i love bonding with my friends by bike just like most of us online bond through our blogs or businesses. this past weekend at the sf bike expo has taught me a little something about building community through bikes and although it seems nerdy to say i love my bike, let's ride, and bikes are cool and fun etc, i think it means a lot more when your able to share a passion or ride with others. often times i am shy to approach the big names out there but they are my inspirations where i'm able to inspire others such as these ladies... so, thank you for all you have given to our community.

the little bluebottle



i'm a huge fan of blue bottle coffee. the love they give in a cup of coffee, it really get's me going. for a short time now, noe valley (my hood) has opened up a small blue bottle kiosk in Spin City Launderette on 26th and Sanchez. i frequent this place by bike a lot whenever i hit up Whole Foods, Noe Valley farmers market, or a little 24th St shopping. the barista's there are wonderful and always up for a good chat with their customers. this small wonder is the closest Blue Bottle to Castro, Mission/Dolores, and Noe Valley that serves these communities. it's very rare i ever meet barista's who are knowledgeable and passionate about coffee but they have something special and charming that makes my long study/writing nights a ride through the park.

happy friday!

11/05/2010



here's a little photo love of dia de los muertos and bikes. there are really so many photos i would love to share but these are the one's i love the most. what are you all up to this weeked? whatever you do be safe... happy friday and happy riding!

sf events to ride to



SF GREEN FESTIVAL

for more info click on links below banners, all events this weekend have bike valet/parking provided by SFBC. i anticipate to see a lot of friends pedaling to the sf bike expo. i look foward to meeting a lot of you bloggy bike ladies out their and chatting it up about fashion, life,and bikes! see you there. 

bikes and sf fresh produce

i'll admit that i'm all about local farmers market's and i'm obsessed with fresh produce. i love seasonal produce that was just picked and contains an abundance of ripe flavors, juices, and vitamins. not only that, most produce sold those days are organic and freshly picked that morning and only traveled from 2 hours away, i love that especially. i may sound a bit off my rocker but living a sustainable lifestyle doesn't require me to just commute by bike but it also calls for eating, dressing, and grooming sustainable. yesterday's sf gate published a little article about biking to "Mission Community Market: Bike to fresh produce"  one of my favorite farmers markets on 22nd and Bartlett Thursdays 4-8pm. Another favorite of mine is Noe Valley's farmers market which is close to home that meets every Saturday 8am-1pm.
other sf farmers markets are Castro Farmers' Market 3-7 p.m. Wed., Market and Noe streets, Alemany 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sat., Fillmore Farmers' Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sat., Fillmore and O'Farrell streets, the Divisadero Farmers' Market 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sun., Divisadero and Grove streets, or the famous Ferry Building 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tues., Thurs.; 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat which has bike parking provided by SFBC.
 if you bike there, make sure to have panniers, a back pack, a basket etc. they can get heavy carrying uphill too. have fun biking and fooding sf local style!

dia de los muertos and spirits

11/03/2010


yesterday when i was making my way to vote and gather things for my dia de los muertos bike altar, i made a stop to a local shop to buy sage and candles. the owner and i got to talking about my altar that led to my family history: a curandera grandmother and native Chumash Indian great grandmother. she told me at the end of our conversation that i had something great in me that i was blessed with, she felt it. i'm not a spiritual or religious person but i am superstitious as a result in growing up in a catholic family, and when i saw this photo posted i noticed a shadow in the shape of a heart above the basket. i thought maybe it's just the road but maybe this is my grandmother's way of visiting me? i don't know but perhaps the shop lady is saying the truth, maybe there is something with me.

i have a lot of pictures i want to share from the dia de los muertos procession but those will come later.

GIANTS PARADE


today is the giants world series championship parade. i work downtown and yesterday on my way out work i spotted this giants fan car, very cool. todays going to be insane downtown and i work exactly one block down from the parade start, leaving to work even just two hours early is going to really suck but at least i'll get in a good hour for the parade! woo GIANTS!

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