22 February 2010

Early Winter Light

lady on a bikeBundled up and still looking good as she rides her bike in Boston in February. The light is getting warmer though!

19 February 2010

Pink Headscarf, Head Tube

matching her bike in winter

It's as if she looked to her bike for fashion inspiration this morning!

17 February 2010

Blue Pinstriped Bike

blue bikeThis blue singlespeed with the enormous basket and matching rack was cute enough to get me to cross the street to check it out, but it was the blue pinstripe on the fenders that really won my heart. Small detail with a big impact.

blue pinstriped bike fenders

16 February 2010

Sparkles!

sparkly lady on a bikeIt's hard to see in this 'on the fly' photo, but this pretty lady has both sparkles in her coat and in the streamers on her bike. Add her cool boots and helmet, and I was smiling as I followed her over the Mass Ave bridge.

Have fun and be seen out there!

12 February 2010

Heeled Boots and Cargo

chic cyclist Cambridge MAThis chic cyclist, spotted in Cambridge, isn't letting February get her down. It was a beautiful crisp morning for a ride.

11 February 2010

A Symbol

Washington DC commuter bicycle
In the five days I just spent in Washington DC, this was the only bicycle that appeared to have moved anywhere in the snow. The experience of snow in DC was a terrible disappointment, and I will try to move the bitterness of my wasted time aside and just say that I think there should be some sort of metric that measures the number of bikes out in adverse conditions and awards power and responsibility to the people with the resourcefulness and initiative to use it.

Washinton DC commuter bike
Anyway, this is clearly a well-loved bike in the Jeep-aesthetic that I noticed last year in DC. The mountain bike is king there, despite very few big hills. This one is playful with the yellow polka dots and yellow fenders. I'm not sure what the water bottle is used for, but I'm 99% sure no person is drinking from it.

I wish I had more DC bikes to share this year.

05 February 2010

Chic Geek

Geekhouse bike on Newbury StreetThere are many details to love on this bike. It's clear that someone put a lot of thought into a personal and custom build and you all know that one of a kind's my favorite kind of bike.

frog light mounted flush with the deep V rims
I admit to being charmed by the light mounted flush to the level of the rims, creating the appearance of an unbroken circle. The effect is more remarkable in the total bike photo, but here's how it was done.

segmented fork
While I was reeled in by the light, my husband was admiring the segmented fork, an aesthetic nod to Fat City Cycles.

Geekhouse Bikes headbadge
I took this photo for the pretty headbadge, but this bike is so shiny that if you look closely you can see me and my husband reflected in the headset (twice!).

internal gearing and drum brake
Perfect for Boston, this bike has both internal gearing and internal braking. A bike-crush worthy bike!

04 February 2010

Bikes and Flowers at Anthropologie

Bicycles and flowers at Anthropologie

Vintage bikes and a garden of recycled plastic flowers have transformed the windows at the Anthropologie on Boyleston Street. Anthropologie's look is less sleek than that used by Jacob, or Club Monaco, in keeping with their fuzzy, crocheted, new-vintage vibe.

bicycle window display Anthropologie


window display Anthropologie


bicycle wheels and plastic bottle flowers


bicycle wheels and plastic flowers

I admit the bikes and the bright flowers did cheer me up!

recycled plastic bottle flower light

03 February 2010

Winter Blues, Good News

You can tell by the lack of posts here that I've got the winter blues. I've been riding, I just haven't had anything fun to share.

We got news today that my employer will be providing tax-free reimbursement of certain bicycle commuting expenses to the full $20/month IRS limit. Yippeee! That's $240 a year of work-sponsored bike upgrades!!! There's nothing like finding money to put some spring back in your step/pedal stroke.

UPDATE:
When I first heard about this benefit, it was ill defined but part of the bailout (3 October 2008). Now it's defined and law! Hurray!

More links are here, listed in decreasing technical detail:
IRS Qualified Transportation Fringe Benefits
League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Commuter Tax Provision: FAQ
About.com Summary Article