Portland, Oregon 1st Annual Tweed Ride!

(photo credit: William200549)

Yes, photos are starting to appear from the Portland Oregon 1st Annual Tweed Ride!
This photo by William200549 (on Flickr) was my immediate first choice because I just love pedicabs! Really there were quite a number of excellent photos but you'll just have to go see for yourself. You can see the rest of his photos here.

From what I can gather at this early stage (the ride just happened earlier today) is while the streets were wet with the weather on the damp side, the Tweed Ride was a great success!

Get a Bike Job - Work with Kids

Green Ways to School in Santa Cruz, CA is hiring a bike educator/advocate to help kids understand the connections between transportation, environment, health, and the community. We are looking for a cyclist with an education background to run this innovative and inspiring program and build the youth bike movement. Check out the job posting here, and email asap to get application materials. Due feb 5th!

(photo credit: peoplepowered and green ways to school)

Carolyn is leaving her position. She thought someone in Santa Cruz perhaps would see this posting and be the perfect fit so she asked me the do this post for her. Carolyn also says:

"... people need to apply by Feb 5th, and part of the process is some pretty lengthy questions that they can get from me if they email. They wouldn't fit in the posting!"

So I'm hyperlinking to Carolyn's email if you're that special person and want to contact her.

Hi Heels Bicycle Chic - Farmers Market

(photos by RidingPretty)

Yesterday I was all enamored of Paris...that fabulous photo depicting a very glamorous lady wearing incredible green hi heels - on her bicycle winding her way through the streets.

Ha, look at these pretty 'cinderella glass slipper' shoes worn here on a bicycle shopping trip to the local Farmers Market! It just proves bicycling and what you wear is in the mind of the beholder. When I met both these charming ladies they were just getting ready to park their bicycles and then go off and shop the market. Each one expressing individual styles of dressing to be sure.

Quite often I am apt to 'overdress' compared to the style choices my friends make especially as to what to wear when to comes to riding a bicycle. I always follow my own beat. My mother who was a Fashion Professional having worked her entire life career in Fashion was no shy flower herself. Her motto "always better to be stylishly overdressed than to be utterly forgettable". I also had a very eccentric English great grandmother known for her scandalous bohemian ensembles...so I guess it runs in the blood.

Do you dress as you choose? Co-Consult with girlfriends first? Does it even matter why or what you wear when you bicycle?

Paris Hi Heels and Bicycle Chic !

(photo by Fred/Easy Fashion Paris)

....beautiful chic green hi heels, fantastic bicycle with such practical panniers, sigh...

This photo was taken on the Avenue Montaigne -Paris. It is shot by the Paris street photographer Fred. Visit his blog Easy Fashion in Paris.

Enjoy!

Art Bike Alert- Artist on the Road - Wants Your Story

If you see this bike with a strange object like this on the road...

Headed up the coast towards San Francisco...

(all images by Maria Micaelson /wesharethesamestomach)

You've encountered Maria Michaelson and a chance to tell your story.

"I am biking across California, and onward, with a recorder embedded into a sculptural bicycle cart."

Maria Michaelson is blogging about her journey here. She hasn't been on this journey long, but does have several days worth of stories to share.

Odd coincidence. I discovered her randomly on the interwebs via local nomade while looking for local wild food foragers (I've blogged about foraging by bicycle) ... Then my BF comes bursting through the door telling me about this crazy artist and her bike he'd encountered earlier in his day and sigh.. naturally he'd had no camera with him to prove it. Ha, you mean this woman's blog I happen to be looking at this moment?!! Strange- so I knew I was meant to share her story!

She reminds me a bit of the two heroines in the story of the "Lure of the Open Road", which I shared last summer with you if you remember that post.

Let me know if you see Maria on the road!

Bicycle Dress - Lycra Cycing Jersey ...Say WHAT!

(dress by Hotvelociti)

I am definitely not a fan of lycra cycling jerseys- however this is a cycle jersey dress!
You take your basic fit cycle jersey, extend the length to mid thigh - a hot, but respectable mini dress length. Wear it with your cycling shorts underneath (or not) and you have a look that takes you off the bike to the chic cafe in one fell swoop. No one at the cafe will ever guess you are wearing a cycling jersey of all things...

Here is another bicycle dress with bold graphics that got me thinking about bicycle dresses this week. Made me want to look for newer versions of bicycle dresses. So voila!

And yes, I do like the Pucci inspired prints...(mmmmh still pining after my 60's mint original Pucci silk jacket I sold off a few years back). Verdict is that I like Pucci 'esque cycle chic. Dress is by Hotvelociti and runs $150.00 to $200.00.

Required is a fit body, this dress is skin tight.

Bicycle Crema

(via smartmouthkillerhand)

Hey there is a bicycle floating in my coffee. This can only bring to mind that other coffee loving bicycle riding blogger!

Have a great Friday everyone!

1968 Bicycle Dress

(photographer-unknown)

Bicycle Dress circa 1968 - Mexico City, the Summer Olympics?
Old style is new style again. I'd wear this dress in a heartbeat! The graphics are so now- if you look on etsy there are loads and loads of bicycle themed T-shirts for sale....

PedX Girl

(photo by Mike M.)

PedX Girl doing her delivery thing via bicycle! And looking so cute in her practical but quite cute outfit. Her skirt had a little dog motif on it...

Stars on her Bicycle Spokes

(photo by ridingpretty)

If you look closely you will see stars on her bicycle spokes. She is about to taste something scrumptious being offered her at the local Farmers market. . .

Loving the soft gray 'over the knee socks', same coziness as her sweater. Her shoes too - black suede pumps with a short little heel to them. Oh, and her bicycle is a vintage Schwinn mixte. For a photo of a mixte see here and here.

Laundry Night and the Bicycle

(photo by ridingpretty)

Caught this on laundry night. She and her trusty bicycle waiting for the laundry to finish.

***

more detail of her bicycle....

(photo by ridingpretty)

I really like the polka dot seat cover (for the rain) and that front rack on this bicycle is outstanding. Very practical for carrying the big laundry basket on!

Stella McCarthney - Bicycles and Kites

This was released last year. It's Stella McCartney for summer 2009...
While this may not be a fashion forward forecast, no instead it's more like a wonderful re-visit.
Yes, so lyrically poetic and magical that I thought it might just help lift the winter doldrums a bit.

Enjoy!

Butterfly Bicycle - Winged Prayers for Haiti

(via chevalfineart)

Thoughts and prayers for the People of Haiti
***

****Update: An answer to prayers coming so heartfelt from several of my favorite bicycle companies to help the People of Haiti...

Rivendale
VO Orange

Clever Cycles

Bazaar Magazine - Bicycle Chic!

( photocredit:Alexi Lubomirski for bazaar magazine via design scene)

This in the new upcoming issue of February 2010 Harper's Bazaar Magazine!
Spring is around the corner (sooner or later anyway)....
At any rate I do like all of it. This is so because of the interesting choice to put the lovely model Arlenis Sosa with a diamond frame/"man" bike frame instead of the more lady like step through frame. Step through frame examples as seen in the fashion pages here and shown as a street shot here.

What I think I love most about the top photo are the cream colored, big tires on her bike. I'm not sure what bikes she is riding - so anyone out there with a clue - would love to hear from you! I can sincerely say in advance a certain number of my readers will be highly appreciative of that information.

Inaugural Austin Tweed Ride - Fine Ride !

I spy three fine lasses at the Dapper Dan Dash / Shannon Tweed Ride...

(photo by Jimmyhere via Dapper Dan Dash /Shannon - Austin Tweed Ride photo pool)

Austin Texas just had a Tweed Ride! According to reports (thanks to Pat W.) between some 60 and 80 hardy souls participated!

There are plenty more photos from the ride to peruse over here. I'm sure you will find your own favorites. For just a small sampling take a look... some really interesting chaps here here, here and here. Some beautiful bicycles too. Note: Not all photos have gone up yet from the ride so you may want to check back for any newly added photos at the photo pool.

Also I must say that as far as Tweed Rides go the very amusing and fun blog - The Dapper Dan Dash put up to support and inform it's readers - it's just fantastic. Well worth a read.

More Cold Weather Inspiration - Cafe & Bicycle

Still so cold outside - and so very much missing Spring?....

d a c e Spring 2010 videolook from André Pinces on Vimeo.

May be this will help cheer you up! I discovered this little gem over at nadinoo. Lovely bicycle cafe day, part of the Dace's SS10 collection lookbook. This little pretty movie reminds me a bit of the one last year that Sophia Coppola created for Miss Dior Cherie - - Paris, bicycles.....

Opening Ceremony & Pendleton - Spring Look - Nice Bike!

(via Frolic)

I'm loving the bicycle first....then of course the very cute outfit. It's from the new spring/summer 2010 Opening Ceremony & Pendleton lookbook. What wonderful things to dream of and pine away for!! So much more so during the terribly freezing cold winter temps that two thirds of the USA is going through this weekend...

Winter Cure- Natalia Vodianova - Summer Bicycle

(photo via carmelb)

Winter blues got you down? Super Model Natalia Vodianova is on one of the most beautiful customized bicycles I think I have ever seen. This is thoroughly inspiring! It should help get anyone started and thinking about summer with just enough time to get a project bicycle going....

View of my World - Bicycle Path

Click on picture for detail

Where I've chosen to live is highly walkable and ride-able. So many times I opt to walk instead of riding my bicycle - it all depends...

Everyday this is the view I see from my writing desk window. It overlooks a bicycle path. I see bicyclists (along with walkers) on the path all day long - first thing in the morning - last thing at night.

I marked up the top photo. If you click on it you can see it tremendously enlarged. The first bridge takes me in the direction to my favorite coffee house Caffe Pergolesi that I've mentioned before.

The second bridge takes me to the heart of downtown. It literally drops me off at TJ's plus caty corner is my favorite thrift store. Of course downtown (with lots of links/posts to look at) has my favorite movie theaters, all kinds of shopping and cafes & restaurants galore.

The third bridge (which you cannot see in the photo) takes me to the Post Office and other favorite thrift stores, bookstores, the library and more favorite cafes.

The fourth bridge (which you also cannot see in the photo) takes me to a area where I can go shopping at several major retailers.

Now go back to the starting point if go I along the path I end up at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk/Beach. Look across other San Lorenzo river and you see another path going along the river as well!

When I look out my window I see a bicycle path! How good is that! Fortunately looking out my window also gives me a heads up on how to dress for the day. Ah, I dream about getting a big high powered camera & lens so I can zoom in on the bicyclists on the path. Now wouldn't that be fun...

Snowball - Winter Bicycling at the Beach - New Year Greetings!

(photo by Daniel He)

Happy New Year one and all!

*the above photo was taken by Daniel He. He is a young man attending his last year of high school at Harbor High of Santa Cruz, California. He hopes to pursue a BFA degree and double major in graphic design/photography. Taylor is wearing the "snowball'' - one of my bicycle helmet covers. Both Daniel and Taylor are amazing!