posted by: susi

Have you noticed? Current design pop-ups, temporary and permanent (I’ll explain), online and in-store, all seem to include bikes or cycling accessories or bike-themed objects. Coincidence? Nah. Beyond bike-besotted customers, two-wheelers seem to evoke, even in people who don’t ride them, the happy and carefree spirit with which purveyors of high-style goods presumably want to associate themselves. In addition, the bicycle’s role as a platform for design innovation itself adds logic to the association.

With color, capital C, the leitmotif of the moment, shoppers will find hi-viz Bookman Lights and Pure Fix bicycles with vibrant rims at Fab.com’s color-inspired online promotion. At Story on Tenth Avenue, where theme, decor and merchandise change every six weeks or so — making it something like a permanent pop-up, with pauses — goods for women, men, kids and home are currently arranged by hue. Bicycle clips (above, 4 for $6) are paired with colorful desk appointments in both the blue and orange sections of the store. And finally, this weekend’s Model Citizens exhibition offers, among handcrafted furniture and tabletop items, cycling accessories by makers such as Dargelos and Wearable Planter. It’s all good(s).

The blue section at Story, where merchandise is currently displayed by color. photos: velojoy

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A temporary tattoo awaits a CycloFemme participant at a Manhattan coffee bar. photos: velojoy

posted by: susi

Last Sunday, women in 14 countries gathered for 164 rides to celebrate cycling under the unifying banner of the inaugural CycloFemme. Among the events, organized to “honor the past, celebrate the present and empower the future of women’s cycling” on Mother’s Day, were three here in NYC, including a social ride organized by design firm Language Dept. Beginning at a downtown cafe on a perfect spring morning, and wearing CycloFemme temporary tattoos on arms and calves, they pedaled at a (mostly) mellow pace up the Westside Greenway to Central Park for a few rounds of the loop, followed by a rest stop — and Instagram photo op — at Strawberry Fields and then brunch at an open-air spot on the Hudson River.

Jenn Cash (right) and fellow riders enter Central Park last Sunday on the CycloFemme NYC ride.

Click in for more photos of the ride, plus thoughts from participants on cycling in NYC:

Read more: nyc women join in global cyclofemme celebration

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Reflective helmet bows by Inbar Kishoni promote nighttime visibility with flair. photos: velojoy

 posted by: susi

Inbar Kishoni (photos below), an urban planner in New York City, learned to sew in high school home ec, and has been putting her craftiness with needle and thread to good use ever since. On the day we met, the self-described “girlie girl” wore a slip dress that she had customized with lace, and a tiny bow at the base of her ponytail.

In 2010, Kishoni turned the focus of her creativity to cycling, making pretty reflective bows to improve safety after dark and to add a hint of style to ordinary bicycle helmets. She said she was inspired by a moment of improvisation when she threaded a reflective trouser strap through the vent holes of her bicycle helmet to make herself more visible on a night ride. Thus was born One Two Three Speed, her Etsy shop. The 29-year-old, who hand-makes the bows of grosgrain ribbon, reflective fabric tape and Velcro — one of many spare-time pursuits that also includes playing keyboards in a band — has since expanded to wholesale distribution. Her bows are sold locally at Adeline Adeline and were recently featured at our Little Bike Shop pop-up at the New Amsterdam Bicycle Show.

Both sides now: A helmeted Kishoni (left); bows are retro-reflective when light hits them (right).

Read more: bike helmet bows reflect their maker’s passions

©velojoy, 2012. | Permalink

photo: theknifeandsaw.com

posted by: genevieve

Having acquired her new bicycle, Genia Blaser, the subject of our Bike Month series for beginning cyclists, zeroed in immediately on a key question: When space is limited — as it is in the majority of NYC dwellings — where does a bicycle fit in?

It’s the sweeping views, the staggeringly tall buildings, the overwhelming rivers of people that define New York City’s landscape. But as inhabitants of the city, we are probably even more familiar with the opposite of its epic attributes: tiny living spaces.  Like the weather, talking about space is one of those conversations we bond over.

There are elevators to cram into, subway stairs to navigate, lines in the grocery that require shopping while waiting. Though it is often taken for granted, or goes unacknowledged, cyclists are the beneficiaries of a brief reprieve from this space constraint as we enjoy the singular freedom of navigating the streets on two wheels.

But bikes pose their own space problems: How do you store something around five feet long and about three feet high, that is potentially dirty and definitely greasy? It makes this wonderful piece of machinery sound like a horrible house guest. But we’re just reducing it to the facts for effect.

Luckily, there are many solutions to the bike storage quandary ––often pretty, maybe even fun, and potentially elegant for the contemporary apartment.

Above: We’ve pinned a collection of bike storage options at velojoy’s Pinterest. Follow us!

Read more: bicycle storage options for the space-challenged

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photo: velojoy

In recognition of the first National Bike to School Day today, we asked Lee Uehara, principal of City Bike Coach, an NYC-based bicycle riding school and coaching service that also offers free, family-friendly weekend rides, to share tips for parents.

If you are a parent who wants to explore the possibilities and pleasures of riding a bicycle with your children, here is some basic information to get you started:

Different Ways to Ride with Young Children

Today, options to suit a variety of budgets and needs are available to help you transport young children around town and to introduce them to the joys of cycling. The simplest and most economical, under $100, is with a rear or front child seat that attaches to your bicycle (photo above).  Next, in the $100-$300 range, there are trailers and trailer-bikes. Trailers attach to the rear of your bicycle, usually on the rear wheel. Trail-a-bikes, which attach to your seat post, turn regular bikes into tandems, allowing your child to pedal. Just make sure these options are compatible with your bicycle. Finally, front/rear cargo bikes, stroller-bikes and longtails – bikes with “benches” — are priced in the $1,000 to $4,000 range: Just check that your ride meets safety standards and is lawful for the age of children you plan to transport. 

Two Things Parents Should Ask Themselves Before Riding with Children

Asking yourself these two questions could save your child’s life. Remember, be honest: Read more: city cycling with kids: what parents should know

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Cyclists in New York City are a part of the flow of traffic that moves people through a dense urban center. Thus, it’s essential for riders to understand their roles and their rights, especially in relationship to motor vehicles, and to abide by the rules of the road. In our Commuting 101 class, I tell new cyclists to “Ride like you’re a car.” Here’s why.

• In New York City and across the country, bikes are considered vehicles. Bicyclists enjoy the same rights to the road as motorists (don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!), and are subject to the same set of responsibilities (and heavy fines) as drivers.  Adult bicyclists must ride on the street, not the sidewalk, with the flow of traffic.

• Traffic rules and our entire traffic system are designed to maximize predictability on busy, congested streets. When bicyclists ride predictably and visibly, according to the rules of the road, they can avoid conflicts with motorists, other bicyclists, and pedestrians, making for a more pleasant and less stressful ride.  And that’s when riding a bike becomes fun!

Photo above: Congratulations to Genia, who completed the the 40-mile 5 Boro Bike Tour presented by Bike New York last Sunday with her brother Daniel. Says Genia: It was so fun to ride on the bridges and on the streets without cars. The hardest part for me was actually the ascent on the BQE as it was steep and never-ending. But I made it!”

Genia’s questions about safety are frequently asked by new cyclists who participate in road skills and commuter classes:

1. If there is no bike lane marked, what side of the street should I ride on?
For starters, even if a bike lane IS marked on a street, bicyclists are allowed to decide for themselves whether to ride within or outside those white lines, depending on how safe and usable they consider the bike lane to be. For example, if there’s a big pothole in the lane, if it’s blocked by a parked car, if there are pedestrians milling about in it, you are welcome to leave the bike lane and merge into a full traffic lane.  If the bike lane is free of hazards, though, you should stay in it (until you approach the next hazard). Now that that’s clear…

If no bike lane is marked on a one-way street that’s at least 40’ wide (Fifth Ave., for example), bicyclists are allowed to ride on either side. Be sure to watch out for bus lanes on these wide avenues, though. Bus drivers are bold and on a tight schedule! You don’t want to be in their way, and you shouldn’t block buses in their express lanes.

On two-way roads, cyclists should stay in the middle of the right-most lane that serves their destination. Read more: 8 questions frequently asked by new cyclists

©velojoy, 2012. | Permalink

The bicycles of the NYC bike sharing system, sponsored by Citibank, were unveiled on Monday.

posted by: susi

With the announcement yesterday of Citigroup’s lead sponsorship — to the tune of $41 million over 5 years — bike sharing in NYC is on the map. Mayor Michael Bloomberg laid out the details of the much-anticipated plan as the blue-painted ‘Citi Bikes,’ soon to be a fixture on New York City streets, made their debut. The secondary sponsor, investing $6.5 million, is Mastercard.

The privately funded system, which will be managed by Alta Bike Share of Portland, OR, will give users access to 10,000 bicycles that can be checked out 24/7  from a network of 600 stations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. When launched this summer, bike sharing will give New Yorkers and visitors a fast, efficient and economical, not to mention fun, option for traveling around the city, either directly from point to point, or as an extension of public transit routes. Think: Arrive at Grand Central Station, check out a bike, and ride it down to Wall Street. Or, use a bike to zip across town during rush hour.

At the announcement, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg holds the membership key for NYC bike share.

Read more: true blue: citibank will be nyc bike share sponsor

©velojoy, 2012. | Permalink

This is one of those ideas that’s so great it’s a wonder nobody thought of it sooner. So credit Sarai Snyder of GirBikeLove for launching Cyclofemme. Coming up this Sunday, May 13, Cyclofemme is a crowd-sourced global women’s cycling day, honoring the past, celebrating the present and empowering the future of women’s cycling.

Join in this opportunity to gather with family (it’s Mother’s Day!), friends and colleagues for a women’s bike ride of any type and distance, anywhere in the world, by organizing your own ride and registering it on the Cyclofemme website, or participating in one of more than 190 events already planned. Read more: celebrate the joys of women’s cycling on may 13

©velojoy, 2012. | Permalink

Genia Blaser uses a U-lock to secure the frame and rear wheel of her new bike to a rack. photos: velojoy

posted by: susan

In the 5ith of our 8-part series for beginning cyclists, velojoy contributor Susan Lindell, manager of Recycle-a-Bicycle in Brooklyn, shares tips and techniques for locking up a bicycle on NYC streets.

Here in NYC we love to boast about having the best of many things. Unfortunately, our bike thieves fall into that “best of” category. So, as a city cyclist it is essential to learn how to effectively lock your bike. Here are some pointers to get your bike as secure as it can be.

Bicycle Lock Types

There are many types of locks. U-locks, chains, and cables are the most popular. It is important to note that within each type of lock there may be several models that offer varying degrees of security. Ask your local bike shop what the differences are and do some research to see what seems best for you. Generally buying the best one you can afford is a good idea. You will never regret being too safe. Here’s a guide to styles and some pros and cons of each. Read more: how to lock up your bicycle on nyc streets

©velojoy, 2012. | Permalink

Genia tries on bicycle helmets at Adeline Adeline in Manhattan. photo: genevieve walker

posted by: genevieve

In the fourth of our 8-part series for beginning cyclists, Genia Blaser, who recently bought her first city bicycle, shops for a helmet, as well as key safety gear.

Bicycle shops offer an ever-growing array of accessories for city cyclists, but some of these are more than options — lights and bells, for example, are required by New York State law. Before Genia enters the bike lanes, it’s time to assure that her ride is street-legal. Genia also is committed to wearing a bicycle helmet for safety on New York City streets, so her shopping trip includes selecting a helmet that fits properly and looks great.

Big City, Bright Lights

New York State law requires a white headlight and a red taillight. Bright city streets provide a fair amount of overhead light, but cars and other cyclists need to see you coming. So, it is just as important to be visible to cars as it is to light the way. Common light choices include:

• Lights that come with a mount for your bike. The light can remain mounted when you leave the bike locked up. Or it can be removed from its mount and dropped in your bag to prevent theft.
• Some compact lights are designed to wrap around a handlebar or other part of the bike frame with a flexible strap or cord. Again, these are easy to carry with you.
• Bike lights offer different types of of illumination — LED and halogen — and use different power sources — battery power versus dynamo. Your bike shop salesperson can help you select the types that are best suited to your riding needs.

Genia’s pick:  She’ll be using her bicycle primarily for recreational cycling during daylight hours, so Genia chose a set of battery-powered Bookman LED lights. They’re simple to put on and take off, and they fit easily in Genia’s bag. For a list of additional lighting products, click here.

From this array, Genia chose an Origin 8 (black bells, front right). photo: velojoy

Read more: how to choose essential gear for cycling safety

©velojoy, 2012. | Permalink