Vanmoof City Bike

We spotted an interesting bike down by the Louvre. I should have gotten full-bike photos, but you can see some of those at the Vanmoof website. 

It looked to me like the headlight was integrated into the top tube, but we can't find a power source, or a switch. 

Taken to remember the manufacturer, you can also see their welds.

I would have expected a red tail light.

From the manufacturer's website they explain:

These LEDS not only charge themselves by sunlight, but in addition you can charge these LED lights with the micro USB cable of your phone. You simply turn the lights on by pushing the small black button on the side of the LED. They only work in the dark so they can never waste energy! These indestructible bulbs are also used for airport landing strips. They are strong and hater-proof. 

OK, that's admittedly pretty cool...

It looks like this bike became available in the States just three days ago, but the price is much better in Europe.

FYI, these are the same folks who make the Strida bikes!

DIY French Porteur

 Spotted in the 10ème, this bike amused me with its custom front and rear racks. I'm not certain how either of them are used, but there's no doubt they're custom made for SOMETHING!

The general view of the bike

Do the pushpins say ART.CASS?

 Here's how the rear rack attaches to the seat stays. The blue bungies are just on one side.

Steering Wheel?

Here's a funny bike we spotted in London. I think the steering wheel came off a child's toy. I was staring at the bike and my father didn't even notice the steering wheel, he was so impressed by the lock!

Do you think this person is from New York?

London Bike Share

How excited was I to see the Barclay's bikes all lined up by our hotel in London! I couldn't ride as much as I wanted because of the baby, but I did get two lovely rides in - one with my husband and one with my dad. I found riding on the left easier than driving on the left, perhaps because we were lane splitting and like a good dancer I just followed the car's lead.

The London system is identical to Boston's with the exception that the stations are installed to be year-round. I had my Hubway key with me, it was too bad I couldn't activate that to access the Barclay's bikes.

The only difference - look out for the LEFT hook!

Double Decker Bike Rack at King's Cross Station, London

This isn't remarkable, we have these in Boston. What struck me though was how ordinary it is. The one I know of, at Alewife, has a cage with a locked door and an application and instructions. Here you just throw the bike up there.

What a month!

I have to apologize for being so out of touch. I confess I've hardly even been thinking about bikes even!

Let's see, in the last month I've worked full-time while caring for a baby. That's normal, but I did it without my husband, who had started his new job. I also did it while couch-surfing, because we gave up our apartment but I still needed to work. I coordinated a domestic move, putting our things in storage, and an international move. Then in the midst of all this my sister lost her little girl.

So I haven't been missing without a good reason!

I owe you all a review of a Burley child trailer, which was wonderful and Burley has been beyond patient and understanding about all this. I also have to work out a direction for this blog. There is already a chic cycling blog in Paris... what would you all like to see here?

Missing you all....
-Charlotte

Waterproof Cycling Backpack Recommendation?

Dear Readers,

Take pity on my poor husband who has not been on a bike in over a month(!) as he recovers from a big shoulder re-construction surgery.

His armchair cycling has got him shopping for a waterproof laptop-carrying backpack. I am particularly concerned with sight lines as he looks back, and he with it being a backpack because he really does need to keep his shoulders aligned for some time to come. He doesn't need a big bag, as he's actually carrying a very small netbook. It is too bad it doesn't have a solid-state drive.

He's considering this Chrome and this Ortleib, but we're somewhat overwhelmed with all the options out there. A few friends have weighed in with suggestions, PAC Designs looks actually really cool but I understand the messenger-style is a deal breaker in the context of his surgery. Readers, are there any others we should consider? Any comments for or against the two backpacks in contention?

Thank you ever so much!
-Charlotte

Little Green Shopper

I saw this shopper of ambiguous vintage in the South End and thought of you Velouria: Green frame, cream tires... It would be cuter if the fenders were green too, don't you think?  :)

Sometimes you just need a car?

I have a new commute. My friend watches Future Cyclist two days a week. She's in Arlington just off the Minuteman. At first I drove to her and then rode my bike to work, because that's what we knew. I quickly realized how miserable it is to have my baby in the backseat while I'm stuck driving, so now we take the subway to Alewife, walk a ways to my friend's house, and then I bike to work... Some people make think we just need a car but these mornings together are the highlight of my day.

All this leadup to explain why I was on the subway and saw this Zipcar advertisement:

OK, I agree, sometimes you might just need a car. That's true. But the example given in the photo? That's just not the case there. Sometime you just need SOME BIKE RACKS people! For the $60 annual Zipcar subscription you could get a decent set of front and rear racks, solving the problem posed in the photo for more than just one year.

My HandleBar

I finally have half a moment to post a photo from my brother's wedding this summer. We were enjoying a sunny afternoon in downtown Boulder when MyHandleBar rolled into town. This thing looked like so much fun I went running over with my niece and her grandpa (my sister's father-in-law, is there a name for our relationship?) Here they are for scale as we checked this thing out:

It is a mobile bicycle bar, with one driver and everyone else literally saddled up to the bar.

The geometry of the cockpit is "relaxed", to say the least. They need 3 people minimum, if I remember correctly, and can take on more than will have pedals. The slope of your hill can't exceed 5 or 6%, but given those constraints it looked like a blast. Maybe someday Harpoon will have one of these and we won't have to ride Brewery to Brewery, we can just bring the beer along!