Kate Hudson - Looking Adorable on a Vintage Schwinn Bicycle

(photo credit: unknown)

So Simple & Fresh...What more to say? Kate is wearing a look so reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn. Take note of this classic, beautiful Vintage Schwinn bicycle she is riding. She looks so casual yet playfully elegant

Dream Bicycle List - Let's Go Shopping!

This is my dream bicycle wish list. These are bicycles I have dearly coveted for one reason or another. This list of mine was kept on Stylehive and was started Jan 2008. The location of this list became a little too user unfriendly for you the reader to see because it required you to join Stylehive first. This made it all way too buried and cumbersome for you to find and use it. So, I'd been wanting to simplify and bring the list to live here...just never got around to it until now. I've also added my newer finds too. So Voila!

Pashley Princess Sovereign
Recommended & Ridden by Girls and Bicycles
Update: Pashley direct link

Jorg & Olif the Scout
(the only model still being offered)

Velorbis
available via The Dutch Bicycle Company (Velobris is currently being phased out, limited stock)
update: Copenhagen Cyclery in Chicago is the new US dealer
Recommended & Ridden by Drunk and In Charge of a Bicycle

ABICI Women's
available through pedlars

Bakfiets
(I like the cargo pick up model)

Breezer UpTown 8

Calfe Ghana
(the greenest, eco conscious bike on the planet, supports Ghana village bike builders)

Henry Work Cycles- City Bikes

Elecktra Amsterdam
Ridden by Super Model Agyness Deyn

Flying Pigeon
Recommended & Ridden by Righteous Metal Broad

Azor
available through CleverCycles
Azor Oma -Recommended & Ridden by ChangeYourLife.RideABike
update: also available through Dutch Bike Chicago

Retrovelo
available through CleverCycles

Comptoir des Cotonniers
picture & info via Harper's Bazarre Editorial (very hard to find bicycle)

DiamondBack Kalamar Women's Hybrid
(I'm not so excited anymore, but the price is outstanding!)

Atala Città - Women's
(my most recent discovery)

Batavus
Recommended & Ridden by ChangeYourLife.RideABike
Recommended & Ridden by LetsGoRideABike
Recommended & Ridden by Stylocycle

Gazelle

Dutchie

Biria

Violet Crown Cycles
(can you custom order a ladies, step through frame?)
UpDate: You can indeed order the step through frame, the Ma Ferguson!

Bobbin Bicycle
(my fave is the Bronx Vintage)

Kronan

Simple City

Giant

A.N.T. Bikes
(the Boston Roadster via reader suggestion!)

Rivendell
(the Betty Foy via reader suggestion!)
Recommended & Ridden by LetsGoRideABike
Recommended & Ridden by Gentleman's Bike


** This list is alive and open for revisions and additional notes and comments!

***** As a final note:
Try buying local first. Buying local supports your local economy and your Local Bike Shop will appreciate your business! Also that way you can personally test ride a bicycle first. If you know for a fact the bike you want is not stocked locally and can not be ordered through your LBS, then you will have to go through a distributor and/or purchase online. I have no personal experience buying a bicycle this way. I would feel far more certain about making the right bicycle decision by test riding the bicycle first! More about this later.

********* If you know of anyone who rides any of the bicycles off this list and who is willing to recommend their bicycle, then I'd love to include that info and link back to the happy owner.

Too much info, too fast, don't know where to start? You may find this post 'Tips - Buying a Fashionable and Stylish Bicycle' relevant and helpful.

Update Aug 25th: A New Post you may find helpful - The Top Chic, Most Stylish Bicycles from Designers & Retailers.

Listen To Music Riding Your Bike...Beach Cruiser Bum

(music balloon via LikeCool)

What a great way to listen to your ipod while riding your bike! I just have to get one of these Music Balloons.

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Off Being a Beach Bum...

(cut off's are heavily seed-beaded & thrifted Calvin Kleins, cuffed gladiator sandals UO, T-shirt just begging to be shredded, tiedyed or artfully painted to cover up the ancient old stains on it, my Murray beach cruiser 'freebie')

Sometimes you just wake up, don't bother brushing your hair, throw on some cut offs and the first clean t-shirt you can find and head off to the beach on a super low profile, rusty beach cruiser. Nothing could be simpler. 'Louche' Chic.

My sweet kitty, Lazslo who meowed to get into this shot, AND who has never agreed to get in my bicycle basket.

Have a Great Friday everyone!

Babe on Bicycle -- Babes in Bicycle 'Chic'ville Land

(photo of Ellie by her Mom Emma)

According to Emma, her daughter Ellie is emphatic about choosing all her own 'riding attire' and does this entirely without any input from Mom... so here we have Ellie off for a bicycle ride. Quite the little cycle chic miss! Ah, and did you spot the matching pink fingerless riding gloves Ellie is wearing !!!!!
Thanks Emma for sending in this Darling photo!!

Also quite amazing are all the new Babes in Bicycle 'Chic'ville Land who all have very recently launched blogs. Listed below in no particular order or sequence... Let's go to each and every one and pay a visit!


Change Your Life. Ride a Bike
Bikes By The Sea
Charleston Cycle Chic

If you know of any other Bicycle 'Chic'ville blogs that are newly launched, please let me know! I want to help welcome everyone! Let's help bring to the world a uniquely feminine and dare I say non athletic, whimsical, perchance bohemian, and certainly enjoyable and softly pleasingly aesthetic to the existing Bike Culture as we know it.

The Heron and The Heron

The Heron and The Heron....

(My DL-1 Raleigh vintage bicycle)

Until I can purchase a proper upright commuter bike like the very popular Batavus... (You know THE ‘must have’ bicycle as ridden by several of the cycle chic cognoscenti), well until then I ride my beloved 'PrettyBritty'. I've never seen another ladies 1960's Raleigh step through like mine around town. And by around town I mean Berkeley, San Francisco and now Santa Cruz my latest hometown. My bicycle is unique and a head turner, and so very recognizable. The artisanal helmet cover prototypes which I am always testing out always get heads turning as well!

I am a lollygag rider. I have no bike to work commute to speak of. I mainly work out of my home studio. Occasionally I work with a hi-tech start-up. Either way I have an indecently short bike to work commute.

So where do I go when I do ride my bike? I go for leisure rides to enjoy the beauty of the place I live in. I go downtown to partake in my favorite activity which is to frequent the excellent thrift stores in pursuit of recyclables for use in the making of my helmet covers. I also primarily dress from vintage and thrift store finds so I’m always on the hunt for a new vintage frock to wear! I go downtown to shop the art stores for supplies, downtown for café outings, downtown for Farmer’s Market, and so forth.

I am still in recovery from the ‘nervous nellies’ after several close encounters with near death while city bicycle riding some years back, PLUS caring for a friend after a head injury sustained from a bike accident with a car. So to cope, I began to seek out walk-able and bike friendly communities as a priority as to where I would be living ultimately. Now when planning all of my bicycle routes, what I do is to take the LONG way. I chose the quiet back roads. Here in Santa Cruz there are beautiful dedicated bicycle path ways. That’s what I am sharing with you in the pictures you’re seeing today. The bicycle path you see in the photo goes along the San Lorenzo River. It takes you downtown, though from the photo you'd never guess you were a just few short blocks away from the heart of downtown!

*****
Update: An anon reader over at Thom's Old Bike Blog suspected my bicycle was circa 1970's.

Anon...I bumbled back here and found your comment last night. Becoming OCD driven I researched and researched. Oh my gosh, you're right!

I purchased this bike off SFCraigslist. In the ad it was advertised & listed as circa 1968. I totally trusted the previous owner's word...he worked his entire life in bike shops and had a major collection of various bikes going back 30 plus years. He himself bought the bike from American Cyclery in SF in the early 90's, at least that's what he said anyway.

So What is the telltale identifier? It's the Raleigh lettering. Slanted (like what's on my bicycle) means it's from the 1970's and later and upright lettering means it's from the 1960's or earlier. So there you have it.

For about 2 hours I was really upset and thought about recontacting the person I bought it from. I decided against it. I like my bicycle, so that's that.

Thom... I guess if you want you can change the title of this post to reflect the correct age of this bicycle.

Mathilda's Bicycle -- Bike Riding Fashion from Sweden

(via thejuicydetails)

Thanks Mathilda. This is just an incredible photo of you on your bicycle.
Mathilda has a very fun blog, all about her life in Sweden...and being the very stylish vixen that she is.

Art Bicycles - Wheelie Art

Sharing these photos I snapped from the Kinetic Art Ride in Santa Cruz....

Art Bicycles - Kinetic Art Ride

Sharing these photos I snapped from the Kinetic Art Ride in Santa Cruz....

on a spiritual trip -- Buddha Bike!!

Bike to Work Day 2009

thrifted Paolo Santini silk jacket, 
ribbed tank & skirt are items I've had forever, H&M leggings, 
wedgie shoes are DIY +  thrifted,
 RidingPretty helmet cover and my vintage DL-1 Raleigh bicycle

Here's what I was wearing today for Bike2Work Day. I admit I did spruce myself up a bit extra today since I knew I'd be encountering/meeting all sorts of people out and about enjoying all the events and fun that Bike2Work day brings with it. This picture is after the morning ride. Hey, I love helmet hair because in my case it flattens down my bangs in a way I actually like.

What a surprise, someone actually turned the tables on me and wanted to take my picture for a change... But wait!! I'm the one always going up to people asking for their photo! Well lets see if the mobile phone picture ever really gets emailed to me. In the meantime I coerced my BF into take this photo of me.

Hope everyone is having a really great Bike To Work Week!!!!!

Bike2Work Day !

This morning' s late breakfast club (the 9am to 9:30 arrivers) seen here at the Energizer station Downtown Santa Cruz...

Cute legging look

Fresh!...stripes t-shirt, aqua collotes, black leggings

Totally loving the pink 'candy cane' stripped romper jumpsuit. She is the first rider I've spotted in a romper this year so far.



The little guy wants to know if his bike ride is okay... bike mechanics were on hand to check out your ride

Checking in...and wearing a great plaid skirt

Roll on in

Free juice!

Time to relax and read the Santa Cruz Sentinel

Hot Bicycle Panniers -- European Style

(photo via Cycle Chic Belgium)

Fresh discovery... and of course I just had to share. Have you ever seen such eye popping, catchy graphics on panniers? Smile + Bike. Just Love it. So hop over to Cycle Chic Belgium for the full story behind this photo shot.

Bikey This and That

This posting is long over due...so today here it is.

I wanted to share with you some of the wonderful finds that have come to me via my email.

First, a wonderful source for any and every Bicycle song you've never heard of and those you have. I use to keep a list of favs here on RidingPretty but RockandBike blew me away with the depth and yes wild obscurity of some of the finest Bicycle inspired music ever.

(Caroline is the Artist, 'Bicycle' is the Song via RockandBike)

I can't remember your face
But I remember your bicycle
How it took my breath away
How it took my breath away

Artist: Caroline
Song: Bicycle

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Gruppo Bici Bicycle, a new Italian Bicycle distributor located in a Boulder, Colorado has a bicycle I've been eyeing...

(Atala via gruppobici.com)

If you are as charmed as I am by this bicycle let the good folks at Gruppo Bici (Michael Marsilio) know RidingPretty sent you. Perhaps one day I will actually be the owner of a NEW bicycle, which would be a first time event for me. I've been a 'second- hand Rose' and have only ever owned vintage, except for the brand new Schwinn I received for Christmas in the third grade.


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(Betty Bicycle Basket Liner via Betty Basket Liners)

Betty Basket Liners...only wish I had a larger picture. This one will have to do which means you just have to go visit BettyBicycleBasketLiners for a real fine, FULL sized photo! Cute, cute I think and by all appearances very well made. Let Tara know RidingPretty sent you!

Riding Along

(photo: RidingPretty bicycle helmet cover prototype, my 1970's Motobecane bicycle, DIY'd tie dye shirt)

This photo is fairly recent. A totally gorgeous spring day riding along a beautiful little path next to a pretty little stream, EXCEPT for the beer bottles and ciggies that were dumped in it...and that's why I have that look on my face!

Anyway, the crawdaddy denizens of this little stream are way down from prior years I've been told... So, after a little clean up I was on my way enjoying the rest of the day.

Happy Mother's Day !

Happy Mother's Day to all of you beautiful, wonderful Mothers, Mommies, Mums, ...

(photo credit: ex magician)

(photo credit: Jeff Moser)

A special thanks to Jeff Moser and Ex_Magician for sharing these inspiring photos of Mom's simply doing what they do best!... In this case bringing up their babies with bicycles as a way of life.