Once I Had A Bike Blog In Africa

Back when I first started reading bicycle blogs, I found the Mozambique Bike Culture Blog. I know little about the pair that create this site, but it is still just about my favorite bike blog. The simple pictures and stories they share are always lovely. Seeing people living with their bikes on the other side of the world is always wonderful.

A little cycle chic can be found.

This is one of my favorite shots on the whole blog-

This beautiful, and somewhat sporadic, blog is simply wonderful. It shows us all that there is really very little difference in people, no matter where they are from. Children love to ride their bikes with their friends. People ride their bikes to church. We all love to ride in groups down big open roads.

Go take a look around. Half the blog is in Portuguese, but the images are universal!

Monkey In The Mail

A reader contribution for your enjoyment! This installment from Charley Hopkins who writes "Screaming Monkey Bike" (great title!).

I like most people started riding bicycles in my youth. To this day,
some 35 years later I can still smell the exact same smell when riding
at night that I used to smell all those years ago while flying down deserted city streets at midnight with my friends. This was and still
is a very good feeling. I didn't ride again on a normal basis until
about 5 years ago. Then while riding a cheap cruiser bike my wife
bought me it just clicked. I was hooked on the simplicity of the
"noblest invention" the bicycle. Part of the thing that appealed to me
was getting out of my 500 horse power Volvo eighteen wheeler at the
end of a long day and onto a completely silent machine. It's Zen like.
Since those early days of my enlightenment I've invested in a better
bicycle.Thankfully. Last year I also took the leap into the world of
commuting to work by bike. This endeavor was made a little more
difficult by the fact that I get out of bed at 2:30am and need to be
at work at 3:30am. I work 12 to 14 hours then ride the 10 miles back
home. It's definitely a challenge but very rewarding in a sadistic
sort of way... About a year ago I started Screaming Monkey Bike blog
and have taken my passion "world wide." Literally. I've also dropped
from my original 288lbs to my now 228lbs and have also been able to
drop my blood pressure to a normal level.


I love your blog... It seems like a very happy place...

Thanks, Charlie @ screamingmonkeybike.blogspot.com

Thanks for sending us your story, Charlie! It is so much fun to hear stories from around the world and see we all have such a positive thing in common.

We love contributions! Send us yours so we can share it with the world (we have readers from Bahrain to Brooklyn!).

scenes from the bikey lane: is it friday happy hour yet...edition

1.) a sleepy hollow type fog kissing the streets of san francisco.

2.) plenty of red cheeked commuters blowing cotton puff balls out of their mouths.

3.) my fingers…FREEZING. Why did I forget to put on my gloves when I left my apartment? Either way, it was remedied at the intersection of highway and my way. Pronto.

4.) no ichabod crane, but another commuter on a trusty steed singing country tunes. Loudly.

5.) not less than a minute later, dixie chicks blaring from someone's car windows.

6.) a passive aggressive blue prius trying to block bikes at the interection at 8th and market where cars must turn right. i think i heard a bike run into him while it was trying to pass him on the left.

7.) one of my bike basket's florecitas flying into the street. i littered. i feel bad that i could not stop to pick it back up, but it was lost in a mound of traffic behind me. my flower or my ass. you decide.

8.) leather gloves on the ground. i wish i had gotten a pic of it for ade's sake. and why?! it pretty chilly up in these parts right now. perhaps they are being reused as we speak.

9.) as I was parking my bike in its usual spot, I noticed someone taking a picture of me with his cell phone from inside the coffee shop. Real subtle buddy. I was parking next to his bike perhaps? last time i checked bike racks were two bikes per one rack ratio. OR maybe he likeded my bici's flowers? either way...so yah, I saw you. Oh hai.

Happy (hour) Friday everyone!

Trial Parking. Is That Like A Training Bra?

This is a trial of on-street parking that the City has put in. It will be taken down on December 4th. My question is, why? Just drill those puppies in there! I am sure it has something to do with our stupid injunction, but I have had enough. If I had enough money, I think I would just start buying bike racks and installing them around the City myself- Johnny Bikerack!

I wonder if I could have one of these placed in front of my home?

Next Time, Ikea

Like we have said before, all you need to ride a bike is a bike. Apparently the same holds true if you need to move a chair.

New Bike Lane!!!!

San Francisco painted its first new bike lane in over 3 years!!!! It is only a block long (Scott st. between Oak and Fell), but it was a spot that needed it and we will take it! I think I may be the first of us here at the blog to ride on it, although Cali could have beat me to it.

SF has been under this stupid injunction that prevents any infrastructure to be created in the City for the last 3 years. I could rant about the stupidity of it, and the utter selfishness of the person behind it, but instead I will share pictures!

Paint the lane!!! photo by SFBike

Andy Thornley Is The First To Ride (lucky!) photo by SFBike

These are my shots. I was so happy to be able to take them!

Here is to what comes next! San Francisco cycling has increased 53% since 2006 without any changes to our bicycling infrastructure. Despite legal battles and increased car traffic in the City, the number of people who have chosen to ride in SF goes up every day. We will prevail. We will gain our rightful spot in the street. It is already happening!

Black & White

Growing up I was told so many times that nothing is black & white. Perhaps that is true, but sometimes, when you strip out the colour you have a better chance of seeing what is truly important.