You know that moment when you are riding along and suddenly, no matter what the surroundings, everything is perfect? Somehow the cadence is just right and the amount of effort is perfect and your balance is effortless. Moving feels so natural you just want to keep going because there is no doubt that this is what your body was meant to do. The wind touches your skin in just that way that turns your mind on to how amazing this moment is and you heart chimes in with "Yes!".
Today that moment occurred on Valencia between 24th and 25th streets. Where were you when that moment came to you?
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
It Is All A Rainbow
This weekend was Pride weekend in San Francisco (many other places, too). Like myself, the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade is 41 this year. I like to think we both are looking pretty good. And in both cases, bicycles have become a part of the celebration.
There was, of course, the leather boy biker. It wouldn't be Pride without the leather boy (or the naked biker guy, but I didn't get a good shot of him).
Jill brought her bubble machine to ensure that proper SF bicycle event etiquette was observed. She was not only with the SFBC contingent (didn't get any good shots of them, either. I was in a bad spot), she seemed to just ride along the sides of the route and keep spirits up. Not a bad gig.
For the last few years, the Parade has been changing. What was a call to keep people alive back in the 90's is now a call to just let people get on with the perfectly normal parts of life we all think we will participate in when we grow up- get married, have kids, have jobs... This year there were many groups marching to show that being gay does not mean you look that much different than anyone else.
Of course, we all look better on a bike! No matter how many Moms we have! Or Dads. We don't discriminate around here.
People showed up to watch the spectacle on their bikes. Some decided to ride in threes.
Others watched alone.
Úna and Declan got silly in the closed off street,
and Cameron marched with the Assemblywoman he is working for this summer!
Not a bad Pride Parade, in my book. I love my City.
There was, of course, the leather boy biker. It wouldn't be Pride without the leather boy (or the naked biker guy, but I didn't get a good shot of him).
Jill brought her bubble machine to ensure that proper SF bicycle event etiquette was observed. She was not only with the SFBC contingent (didn't get any good shots of them, either. I was in a bad spot), she seemed to just ride along the sides of the route and keep spirits up. Not a bad gig.
For the last few years, the Parade has been changing. What was a call to keep people alive back in the 90's is now a call to just let people get on with the perfectly normal parts of life we all think we will participate in when we grow up- get married, have kids, have jobs... This year there were many groups marching to show that being gay does not mean you look that much different than anyone else.
Of course, we all look better on a bike! No matter how many Moms we have! Or Dads. We don't discriminate around here.
People showed up to watch the spectacle on their bikes. Some decided to ride in threes.
Others watched alone.
Úna and Declan got silly in the closed off street,
and Cameron marched with the Assemblywoman he is working for this summer!
Not a bad Pride Parade, in my book. I love my City.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday Mail
From time to time, my friend Tony sends me things to put out there for your entertainment. He will be in Mexico for quite awhile, coming up soon, and I can't wait to see what he sends our way!
This is Tony most recently-
While adventuring closer to home, Tony came upon an image he felt was evocative of someone close to our hearts, here at the blog, and sent us a little email and some pictures... and here we are!
the other day (umm two weeks ago) I was visiting my friend in Oakland
and we had planned on heading on over to Brown Sugar Kitchen for some
yummy breakfast foods...but on Mondays apparently they are closed
(insert sad face here) and so now we were left to scramble for another
place to eat. But it just happens that my friend has a smarty pants
phone...so he whips it out and does a quick search for other near by
places with yummy eats...wait for it, done. And off we went.
Straight here, a right up there, whoops got lost, turn around, stop,
getting bearing straight again, got it, cross street and there we
were, in Lois The Pie Queens Restaurant. Great food and people by the
way. But the point of this story/email is to let you know that on the
way there I saw an awesome mural and I just wanted to share with you.
Thank you, Tony! Hope the pie was good! We all love a little reminder that life on a bicycle brings so much more to our eye than we ever expect.
This is Tony most recently-
While adventuring closer to home, Tony came upon an image he felt was evocative of someone close to our hearts, here at the blog, and sent us a little email and some pictures... and here we are!
the other day (umm two weeks ago) I was visiting my friend in Oakland
and we had planned on heading on over to Brown Sugar Kitchen for some
yummy breakfast foods...but on Mondays apparently they are closed
(insert sad face here) and so now we were left to scramble for another
place to eat. But it just happens that my friend has a smarty pants
phone...so he whips it out and does a quick search for other near by
places with yummy eats...wait for it, done. And off we went.
Straight here, a right up there, whoops got lost, turn around, stop,
getting bearing straight again, got it, cross street and there we
were, in Lois The Pie Queens Restaurant. Great food and people by the
way. But the point of this story/email is to let you know that on the
way there I saw an awesome mural and I just wanted to share with you.
Thank you, Tony! Hope the pie was good! We all love a little reminder that life on a bicycle brings so much more to our eye than we ever expect.
Friday, June 24, 2011
friday fun times: wheeee
i hope you all will be doing a lot of the below this upcoming weekend!! this was taken on one of the three days of summer we have before september/october (thus the shorts/tee).
happy friday y'all!!
peetchur by prawnpie
happy friday y'all!!
peetchur by prawnpie
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
The SF Stand
A truly San Francisco kind of posture- bag on back, one foot down. San Franciscans like to keep their stuff with them and be ready to jump. This combination is so ubiquitous I have to actively not shoot it.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Things Overheard ( With Limited Commentary)
No pictures, just some things I have overheard while riding with my family.
James to Una- This is no intersection to dally in.
Una in response to her father- I did not dally, nor did I frolic.
Me to Declan- There is a gas station. Should we stop and get some?
Declan- Mom! We don't need gas for bicycles.
Me- Oh, that's right. We can use apples and bananas. I forgot.
Declan- Or mangos! Or pineapples. Or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Me- Or soup.
Declan- Or stew! Or hamburgers.....
30 minutes later we had covered escargot and asparagus and pumpkin pie and many other things. It was decided that people on bicycles had better options for fuel sources than the cars did.
Two people passing me in the bike lane
Person #1- I never know where to ride. In the door zone or next to traffic.
Person#2- Depends on how much time you have to heal.
It is a shame that those who ride in San Francisco have to think this way, but there it is.
Another pair in the bike lane
Person #1- You want to head to (some club I have never heard of)?
Person#2- No. My ass is on fire from this f'ing seat. Let's just go to Amnesia.
Perhaps she wanted to forget her ass?
Have you heard anything interesting as your fellow travelers pass you in the bike lane?
James to Una- This is no intersection to dally in.
Una in response to her father- I did not dally, nor did I frolic.
Me to Declan- There is a gas station. Should we stop and get some?
Declan- Mom! We don't need gas for bicycles.
Me- Oh, that's right. We can use apples and bananas. I forgot.
Declan- Or mangos! Or pineapples. Or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Me- Or soup.
Declan- Or stew! Or hamburgers.....
30 minutes later we had covered escargot and asparagus and pumpkin pie and many other things. It was decided that people on bicycles had better options for fuel sources than the cars did.
Two people passing me in the bike lane
Person #1- I never know where to ride. In the door zone or next to traffic.
Person#2- Depends on how much time you have to heal.
It is a shame that those who ride in San Francisco have to think this way, but there it is.
Another pair in the bike lane
Person #1- You want to head to (some club I have never heard of)?
Person#2- No. My ass is on fire from this f'ing seat. Let's just go to Amnesia.
Perhaps she wanted to forget her ass?
Have you heard anything interesting as your fellow travelers pass you in the bike lane?
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
video: CYLRAB survived the cutting room floor!
take a look for yourself (UPDATED: to specify "SF CYLRAB...." we love our LA peep!)
Thursday, June 16, 2011
"pick up a bike...
and let's ride..."
two bikey people on muni. and we still have bike pride. i was on muni the other day....long story.... and i saw this younger bikey dude getting off the bus.
me likes. also hard to read cause it was black on black, but i think you get the point. i hope he got on his bike right after getting off of the bus and went to where ever he was going.
ride on my friend!!
meanwhile, am enjoying this san francisco "heat wave!" i biked in a t-shirt yesterday morning, which was a good sign for later in the evening as i parked bikes at the SFBC'S golden wheel awards. more on that soon. yours truly and adrienne are in a video that is still being edited. let's see if we make it past the cutting room floor! :)
two bikey people on muni. and we still have bike pride. i was on muni the other day....long story.... and i saw this younger bikey dude getting off the bus.
me likes. also hard to read cause it was black on black, but i think you get the point. i hope he got on his bike right after getting off of the bus and went to where ever he was going.
ride on my friend!!
meanwhile, am enjoying this san francisco "heat wave!" i biked in a t-shirt yesterday morning, which was a good sign for later in the evening as i parked bikes at the SFBC'S golden wheel awards. more on that soon. yours truly and adrienne are in a video that is still being edited. let's see if we make it past the cutting room floor! :)
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
bikes, rainbows and unicorns
happy pride month everyone :)
extra set of wheelz!!
fine. no unicorns on film/camera but, I have this...
THIS. you guys!Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Mission Accomplished
I have now accomplished it all. If this were the internet, I would have reached the end! A panda, with cat in basket!
This is my kitten, Betty, on her way to the vet for a check-up. Goooooaaaaaallllll!!! : ) The couch-on-a-folding-bike people have nothing on me.
This is my kitten, Betty, on her way to the vet for a check-up. Goooooaaaaaallllll!!! : ) The couch-on-a-folding-bike people have nothing on me.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Sing Along
Blogging can take a lot of energy! Sometimes, it just isn't there. Today I publish something I found in the "drafts that never made it" stash.
This looks like a truly excellent way to spend a Sunday afternoon. What song would you sing to your bike?
This looks like a truly excellent way to spend a Sunday afternoon. What song would you sing to your bike?
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
video: nyc biker getting a ticket while riding NOT in the bike lane
one of my favorite actual human internet spiderweb search box people types (i think he finds the end of the internet each day, no easy task), sent in this video this morning. looks like this guy got a ticket for riding a bike NOT in the bike lane. um, er?
i lived in nyc for 8 years, but that was before all the awesome bike infrastructure went down. as far as i know, i biked plenty not in the bike lane, but never got a ticket. i musta felt lucky, punk.
he tackles this serious issue (i mean really, cops not knowing that bikes can ride outside the bike lane is serious to me...) with some seriously funny humor. his defense is hey, sometimes riding not in the bike lane is safer because there are obstacles in the way. like police cars.
ok, is this guy awesome or what? and what does he do? stunts? mountain biking? he falls off his bike with such grace!
i lived in nyc for 8 years, but that was before all the awesome bike infrastructure went down. as far as i know, i biked plenty not in the bike lane, but never got a ticket. i musta felt lucky, punk.
he tackles this serious issue (i mean really, cops not knowing that bikes can ride outside the bike lane is serious to me...) with some seriously funny humor. his defense is hey, sometimes riding not in the bike lane is safer because there are obstacles in the way. like police cars.
ok, is this guy awesome or what? and what does he do? stunts? mountain biking? he falls off his bike with such grace!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
The Ethics Of Stealing A Bike (Not Appropriate For Work)
Is it ever OK to steal a bike?
I have to admit, I think bikes left long enough to go flat and rusty become part of the public realm. Not sure I would cut a chain to get one, but...
Thanks to my friend Phil for bringing this to my attention!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!!!
Once again, Sunday Streets is coming our way!
Streets closed to cars are streets open to people!
Sometimes there is competition in the rickshaw category.
Sometimes there is just pure joy that brings you to your feet.
Got a bunch of kids to bring? Throw on the back, just make sure they understand how to maintain personal space.
Make sure to borrow other people's bicycles to get a new perspective.
Mostly, just come out and have some fun. I take pictures of the bicyclists because that is what I do, but there is something for everyone! Don't live near by? Maybe it is time to come visit! Hope to see you there!
Streets closed to cars are streets open to people!
Sometimes there is competition in the rickshaw category.
Sometimes there is just pure joy that brings you to your feet.
Got a bunch of kids to bring? Throw on the back, just make sure they understand how to maintain personal space.
Make sure to borrow other people's bicycles to get a new perspective.
Mostly, just come out and have some fun. I take pictures of the bicyclists because that is what I do, but there is something for everyone! Don't live near by? Maybe it is time to come visit! Hope to see you there!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
Raleigh Love Child
While my Batavus is turning Asian, my S.A.M. is most certainly looking a little hippie these days.
Funny how bicycles end up with personalities. A man I know talks about bicycles as less personal objects, but I have never been so sure that American's are ready for that step. We like to anthropomorphize just about everything, much like the Japanese seem to really enjoy making sure everything has really great packaging.
Funny how bicycles end up with personalities. A man I know talks about bicycles as less personal objects, but I have never been so sure that American's are ready for that step. We like to anthropomorphize just about everything, much like the Japanese seem to really enjoy making sure everything has really great packaging.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Aids LifeCycle Series!! Third up is....
MING!!
ming is a friend of mine from school. we both were into bikes-ish during school, him more so than me, but after school was ovah, we got more into those bike things. go figure. here is his story!
1. This is your first time riding Aids LifeCycle. Why did you want to do
this ride?
Several reasons. The first is about an eerie coincidence - I was born on the very day that the first cases of AIDS were reported. I have never known a world without AIDS, and I would really love to see that happen in my lifetime. I believe it is absolutely possible. Any small part I can play in making that happen is totally worth it. The second is that AIDS is a social justice issue. If you look at the communities most affected by AIDS, it's those people who have been marginalized because of race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and poverty. This is intimately connected to all social justice work - I do not want to live in a world where some people's health and lives are just worth less or not as important as others. Finally, the ride starts on my 30th birthday, and I could not imagine a more meaningful and fun birthday activity than spending a week biking with thousands of other people through this beautiful state that I am completely in love with.
2. Before you started training, did you consider yourself a long-distance
cyclist? Why or why not? If no, what prompted you to start training?
Hah no. I was intimidated by butterlap! In a way, doing butterlap for the first time (with you, dear journalista!) made me realize that all my years of commuter biking had actually already built a good base for me to train for longer distances, which was cool.
3. How is your training going? Do you train by yourself, with friends or
with trainings provided by LifeCycle?
Training is going good. I train with the Lifecycle trainings, but I also occasionally go for rides by myself on the hill behind my house, or on longer errand rides (which I might otherwise BART or rent a car for) during the week. And of course, there's always BIKE PARTY!
4. $3,000 seems like a lot of money to raise in this economy. How has it
been fundraising? Any special events?
No special events so far, but I'm planning a vegan/veggie dinner with k-law for the future! I've raised money so far being the most persistent friend/family member ever. One of my friends who is a kind of struggling musician surprised me by making a really large donation - $150, which I felt like he could barely afford. That was pretty inspiring.
5. Have you met any fun or interesting characters in the course of your
fundraising?
Not really, since I just ask my friends. I do love meeting all the people at training rides, though! It's great to see many generations riding - especially meeting a lot of middle age and older cyclists that might not necessarily come to bike party type events or commute to work on a bike, and that I might not meet otherwise. Makes me rethink using the term "granny gears"! And of course, I met k-law through doing this, and could not be more pleased!
ming has already met his fundraising minimum, but not his goal! go check out his ALC page!
this is the end of our little ALC series. i hope you liked each of the stories and hopefully they provided some inspiration to you as they have each given to me!
ming is a friend of mine from school. we both were into bikes-ish during school, him more so than me, but after school was ovah, we got more into those bike things. go figure. here is his story!
1. This is your first time riding Aids LifeCycle. Why did you want to do
this ride?
Several reasons. The first is about an eerie coincidence - I was born on the very day that the first cases of AIDS were reported. I have never known a world without AIDS, and I would really love to see that happen in my lifetime. I believe it is absolutely possible. Any small part I can play in making that happen is totally worth it. The second is that AIDS is a social justice issue. If you look at the communities most affected by AIDS, it's those people who have been marginalized because of race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and poverty. This is intimately connected to all social justice work - I do not want to live in a world where some people's health and lives are just worth less or not as important as others. Finally, the ride starts on my 30th birthday, and I could not imagine a more meaningful and fun birthday activity than spending a week biking with thousands of other people through this beautiful state that I am completely in love with.
2. Before you started training, did you consider yourself a long-distance
cyclist? Why or why not? If no, what prompted you to start training?
Hah no. I was intimidated by butterlap! In a way, doing butterlap for the first time (with you, dear journalista!) made me realize that all my years of commuter biking had actually already built a good base for me to train for longer distances, which was cool.
3. How is your training going? Do you train by yourself, with friends or
with trainings provided by LifeCycle?
Training is going good. I train with the Lifecycle trainings, but I also occasionally go for rides by myself on the hill behind my house, or on longer errand rides (which I might otherwise BART or rent a car for) during the week. And of course, there's always BIKE PARTY!
4. $3,000 seems like a lot of money to raise in this economy. How has it
been fundraising? Any special events?
No special events so far, but I'm planning a vegan/veggie dinner with k-law for the future! I've raised money so far being the most persistent friend/family member ever. One of my friends who is a kind of struggling musician surprised me by making a really large donation - $150, which I felt like he could barely afford. That was pretty inspiring.
5. Have you met any fun or interesting characters in the course of your
fundraising?
Not really, since I just ask my friends. I do love meeting all the people at training rides, though! It's great to see many generations riding - especially meeting a lot of middle age and older cyclists that might not necessarily come to bike party type events or commute to work on a bike, and that I might not meet otherwise. Makes me rethink using the term "granny gears"! And of course, I met k-law through doing this, and could not be more pleased!
ming has already met his fundraising minimum, but not his goal! go check out his ALC page!
this is the end of our little ALC series. i hope you liked each of the stories and hopefully they provided some inspiration to you as they have each given to me!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Hint O' Kid
You don't have to see the kids to know they are there. There are clues.
Go ride with your kids.
image by Fullhands
image by Simply Bike
image by somervillebikes
Go ride with your kids.
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