Grow A Beard, Ride A Bike

Beards have been making a comeback for the last year or so. They seem to have a special place in the bicycling community.

First up is our friend Esteban. He writes a San Diego based blog, Vélo Flâneur, and recently wrote a piece for Flow in which CYLRAB was mentioned (I am very pleased to be in a paper with footnotes : ) Esteban rides with a beard (he rode the Butter Lap with us last week).

Then there is our friend Deep, King Of The Trike (my title for him). Deep rides with a beard. And a sound system. On three wheels.

I shot this picture of what I have come to think of as "the beard cousins" last year. They seem to have tried to co-ordinate their beards.

I took this picture last year, too. He was just starting the beard odyssey. Maybe it has filled in since then.

This whole post (one that will go down in the annals of bicycle advocacy history as the post that changed the world for the better) was inspired by the wonderful man with the fantastic smile I took a picture of last Saturday.

Ride on all you bearded men!

Not into Spandex?

I love how often than not, in the States, most people relate cycling to fast speed-tight clothing-and all things fastfastfast and bloody like Lance. I personally have nothing against lycra, nor nothing against Lance - I think he is great. Say, I just don't wear it because it really is possible wearing your normal clothes and trolling around town. Getting from home to work, school Etc.
The times that I have not 'liked' people in lycra is wen they think I'm cutting 2 seconds off their time training or they probably think I don't know what I'm doing. Shoot, I dodge doors, skip monster potholes, master the art of going over train rails and climb our beloved San Francisco hills, everyday – not just on weekends to train for some race, or show off my expensive bike. And I am very happy most of my bikey friends feel that way.
However, I must also say that I have met some really really nice people in their whole complete lycra outfits. So there.

That said, mostyl, if you are reading this blog, then you know what I mean, I just wanted to share this article I came across today in the NBC Area Blog-Local News:

Not into Spandex? Cycling Can Still Be Your Thing
by Kirs Sanchez
"...Hildebrand says an added bonus to taking up cycling rather than other sports, is that it is an activity you're likely to be able to enjoy longer in life than running, tennis or other higher-impact sports."

I live, ride and am part of a community that knows how to be "being normal" and how to dress the way you would, if you went to go buy milk at the corner store. I consider that cycling, and even thought the article makes me want to explore more foresty trails, mountains and dirt paths, I am a happy person in my city. It is a jungle of its own.
Here are some recent cycling photos from our Flickr pool:

San Jose Via Velo by richardmasoner


Our friend Kate with her Mercian. by AngloMex




Per a totes les edats by Bart Omeu


Ella pedalea con distinción by Quiltro Elemento

Lance & Tony

Here it is. Lance Armstrong and Tony Kornheiser. I will leave it to you to decide what it means to you. I am not surprised that Mr. K hasn't been on a bike since he was a child. I was surprised that he has a daughter who bicycle commutes to work. Props to Lance for taking up the cause of the 40 yo mothers!