Coastal Bohemian Blues

Is this not the perfect bicycle for me, at least for today anyway....

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Quiet times and a wonderful meal at the sea shore.....

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Seriously I've been quite distressed over the oil spill - with no way to come to terms with expressing just what it is I feel about it all - let alone how to do it on my little bicycle lifestyle/fashiony blog.

I look at photos of my day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and I feel this warrior earth goddess well up in myself. I love these sea creatures great and small. I must have been a selkie in a prior life.

Now excuse me while I share some of my favorite friends....

(all photos by ridingpretty)

Finito to the Train Day Story + Comfy Romper, So Perfect for Bicycle Rides

(My super comfy romper worn over *gasp* padded bicycle shorts)

Finally sharing with you the end of my fabulous Train Day Bicycle Story....The above photo is what I wore that day and it ended up being perfect. Next meet Reef...

Reef is four and one half years old! He was my direct lead as I followed in behind him winding along the road. You see, I purposely chose to be as close to the last rider - bringing up the caboose as it were out of the four hundred and fifty plus riders. I emphatically enjoy going ever so leisurely and sort of lolly gag along, all the better to really take in the sights and listen for distinct song bird songs of the rarer birds in our local. So back to Reef - he inspired me! I had my 3 speed to help power me along and he had no speeds, yet he kept well ahead of me- dare I say sportingly out doing me!

Train and Bicycle Day - Part II

(all photos by ridingpretty)

Four hundred and fifty people boarded the train... add that number in again and that's just about how many bicycles also went on board the train.

Just what is the Trail and Rail Day all about? It's about riding your bicycle to the train - then take a train ride to Roaring Camp/Henry Cowell Redwoods - then ride your bicycle nine glorious miles (down Highway 9) through the Santa Cruz Mountains on a beautiful mountain road that you've just about got all to yourself, meaning sans cars. This miracle ride happens once a year, and it's five years running now. A CHP escort secures the right of passage keeping traffic at bay during the course of the ride, sorta like what they do for the Amgen Tour.

Now there is a bit of an agenda behind all this. Come on folks, just do this ride once and you will want to see Rails and Trail get the funding and implementation it so deserves. Sincerely, I hope this idea continues to spread wide and far! For more info - Santa Cruz (local) or for National (in scope).

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Anyway. Sheer joy! This day was so much fun, and yes I do have a few more photos from the day to share, so stay tuned...

Train and Bicycle Day - Part I

(all photos - ridingpretty)

Much more to share with you! This is just Part I of an incredibly fun day- the Santa Cruz to Felton 'Rail and Trail Day'.

SteamPunk Bicycle

Gasp! - A SteamPunk bicycle rolled through the village of The Makers Faire. Entranced, I followed along behind...

Lo and behold a really amazing SteamPunk girl sat upon her velvet throne....

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I spied some SteamPunk goggles I coveted ♥ ( the second ones from the top)...

(all photos by ridingpretty)

The 'Win a Bicycle' Contest List !

Pretty amazing list of bicycle giveaways and contests going on right now - so act fast. Some bike contests end soon!

Win a handcrafted bike - details at Atayne + Dornbox

Win a Dahon - details at Bike Hugger

Win a Bowery Lane bike - details at MagnificentBastards (it’s a mens lifestyle magazine)

Win a Breezer or Trek bike by pledging at People for Bikes.org

Win a bike by tweeting you & your bike photo details at Martha Stewart Whole Living


Win a Breezer - details at Sierra Club

"All you need is a clean and crisp bike or bike-related photo and a thoughtful haiku (that's three lines of five, seven, and five syllables each). For example: Bicycle rider / Coasting without burning oil/ No tailpipe, no fumes."

This list was compiled out of emails that landed in my in-box. I listed them alphabetically. Well almost, I really like the Haiku contest from Sierra Club! If you look way down at the bottom of my side bar you will see a link I've had on my blog for more than two years - It's called "How Green is my Ride" - check it out :)

Trust me, you can win. I won a bicycle last year!

p.s. There are a lot more regional bike giveaways...I just concentrated on the national ones.
You're welcome to leave any word of any other good bicycle giveaways / contests in the comments field!

Rita Hayworth on a Bicycle

Rita Hayworth on a bicycle ...

AND bathing suit time is here. Yeah for summer!
Anyone out there ride their bicycle in your bikini, swim suit?!??

After the Race

After the Race...

Santa Cruz was host to Amgen Stage 3 :)

Unicycle! Plus Amgen Stage 3...Coming to Town!

too cool - downtown santa cruz

Tomorrow Amgen Stage 3 is coming to town which is pretty exciting and pretty crazy at the same time! Yes, I will be out there in the masses of crowds, with my camera looking for something interesting to share with you....

"Teens Leaving for Prom Night" - Take the Challenge

Enjoy! a little video from the carfreechallenge !

(via carfreechallenge - take the challenge it runs June 1 to June 7)

Sweet little video, I wish I'd gone to my prom in such style!!

Stephanie Baker - Bicycle Portraits South Africa

(Stephanie Baker - photo via kickstarter)

Beautiful photos aplenty over at Bicycle Portraits - simply every day people riding their bicycles in South Africa. A book is forthcoming, but you can learn more about this project by visiting.

Anyway back to Stephanie Baker, who is utterly amazing! She is in her 80's, has ridden a bicycle for many years and has quite the stylish flair about her! She very much reminds me of another lovely lady who so inspired me and whom I mused about not so very long ago....

Bike to Work Day Santa Cruz - Morning

I had a great morning at the downtown Santa Cruz energizer station on Bike To Work Day before I headed up to SF for the Bike to Work Day goings on in the City.

So anyway here's to keeping up with 'what I wore' type photo documenting. Here's my last year's. While looking for more 'what I wore' kinds of fashion looks I came across this Nora Ephron - Off Broadway play NYC... I'm laughing already :)

Hope everyone is having a FABulous Weekend!!!

p.s. anyone else have any Bike to Work Day - 'what I wore' photos to link to?

Bike Day - Bike Away From Work Party

(photos : from the San Francisco Bike Away From Work Party ...then collaged onto the nice canvas bag from BIKE to WORK DAY)

Hey it was fun! I rarely get up to SF, but when I do what a way to go! Nice party :) I met up with KT, Adrienne, Calitexan, and Meli.

How did you spend your Bike to Work Day besides Biking to Work? Party?

Wharf - A Favorite Bicycle Ride

Santa Cruz Wharf is one of my favorite rides - yes that's a another panda shot and I'm wearing one of my custom bicycle helmets...

Big smile on my face, I know.... it's 'cause I'm getting the panda shot thing down, that and wearing my new bright red custom helmet - and getting all the tourists curious about what I'm doing waving this camera up in the air for.

A pit stop at the picnic tables on the wharf.

Is this bicycle abandoned? No she'll be right back, she just stopping off at Andy's (see above photo) to pick something up.

Being ever conscious of getting the WHOLE outfit in the shot - a requirement if you want to do a post of 'what you wore' to Chictopia, LookBook.nu and VV's Bike Wardrobe Remix (hmm which I haven't submitted anything yet but plan on it :) So anyway I did this 'after the ride' documentation photo.

One last wharf shot from the day... A sea gull wonders if I'll be sharing any of the seafood I'm purchasing from Stagnaro's Bros. outdoor Fish Market.

Baguette Ride!

(Baguette Ride by Benjamin Donadieu via Prolly)

Oui Oui! Perchance you've tired of Tweed Rides? -- Wine, berets and a baguette being more your style?...then Enjoy!

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The Beret Baguette! So worth checking out. Oh, if I'd been able to go this ride I'd be all ready with my beret :)

A Look at the Ladies of April's Tweed Rides

April was another beautiful month for Tweed Rides - Auckland NZ to start with....

(photo credit via Frocks on Bikes)

On over to the Minneapolis Tweed Ride, this time featuring photos from wild bird vintage's blog - decidedly giving more feminine attention to some charming details of the Lady Tweed Riders...

(photo credit: wild bird vintage)

Now on to the Cleveland Tweed Ride, hmmh, yes again with more of an eye towards what some of the the Ladies were wearing ....

(photo by Russell Lee)

April Tweed Ride Roundup -- coming soon

I've been working on the April Tweed Ride Roundup and it's almost ready.

I'm been on the road recently and my laptop is acting up, so what I would normally whip out pronto has become a bit of a challenge. Bear with me.

XX
Shelly@RidingPretty

Art Bike Exitement

(photo via The DeadlyNightShades)

First off I have to say how much I admire this photo I swiped from my cool friends over at The Deadly NightShades. Now that's an Art Bike, not to mention the fabulous flirty rider!

Hey! Slimm Buick is up to it again. Look for another Santa Cruz 1st Friday Art Bike Ride this Friday. It's part of the Santa Cruz Bike Month festivities.

First Friday Art Ride – 5:30pm

Dedicated to inspiring others to have a love of art, bicycling and a creating a world with fewer cars on the road! All ages, bicycles, kinetic art welcome …

Start: Rite Aid Parking Lot – Santa Cruz, CA (901 Soquel Avenue x Branciforte Ave. 95062)

First Stop: Subrosa/Bike Church

Questions: Slimm Buick 440-7699

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I do have a thing for art bikes...a favorite one is here.
There are other Art Bike goings on too, so check out what the Art Predator's Art Bike Ride Calendar is all about. Also Joey's photos of the Houston Art Bike Show....thanks Joey for sharing your photos :)