Pinarello City Bike

I saw it in Washington as I was passing by the window:


What a gorgeous bike! And a Pinarello? Has anyone ever heard of a Pinarello Townie? I have provided lots of photos, does anyone know anything about this bike?

Cambridge, MA or Paris, FR?

It's hard to tell!

New Boots!

OK my fashion friends, I turn to you to share my excitement for my new boots. Hurray new boots!
I've wanted boots for years now, and finally found a pair that meet all my exceedingly strict requirements. They're Balenciaga(!), and the leather used is just incredible. These cows must be another breed from the ones I normally encounter. I didn't want a boot with an elastic gusset - these boots fit perfectly from the foot (Euro 39.5 for this tallish girl, no larger, no smaller) to my sporty calf. I couldn't get a better fit bespoke. I also got them in a complicated second-hand arrangement, I would feel guilty buying boots this nice brand-new but these are guilt-free and it makes the perfect fit a miracle. I like to think that Nicolas Ghesquière would be happy to see them on a bike.



Those of you more into the bicycle accessories will notice that I have a new front rack. I'm very excited about this as now I can carry my famous French chocolate cake on my bike when you ask me over for dinner. The rack is made in the USA by Blackburn. I'm now looking for a silver rear rack to replace the black one. Not an urgent search, it's a fashion whim only, and I waited years to get the boots...

Reflective Tires

I was pretty happy a year ago when I got my Schwalbe Marathon reflective tires.

Now I would guess that they're not at all reflective. Age and road grime have worn away the strips on the side. I'll get a photo to show you how they look now, but I look at this old photo and wonder if there's anything (other than moving to a gentler climate) I can do for them?

Go Crimson!

Spotted on a mild Saturday in Back Bay, it has a Harvard University sticker on the rear fender.

But I think we already knew that the owner of this bike is smart, cheerful, and conscientious, don't you think? Go Crimson!

White Raleigh

Good looking bike parked outside the subway station. The lock seems particularly efficient.

Chic Cyclist Winter Photos

I am happy to unveil the wonderful submissions from intrepid winter cyclists from around the country.

I think you'll have to agree that there is no clear winner here. Everyone is so wonderful in such personal ways. I know that I'm inspired by these photos, and as I mentioned before I'm going to have to get help to choose just one winner. I think that task is impossible - aren't they all so great? It's considerably below freezing today, with a killer headwind, but I'm inspired to go ride my bike.

See you on the road, watch out for ice!



Update: I'm going to declare this one the winner. It was hard to choose, but I had to pick one. In this she's both chic in the snow and also in the act of transporting something (bonus! It's a cute dog!) so there's the criteria used to pick a winner out of a pool of awesome photos. Thank you everyone!

Washington Report: Lady Cyclists of the Capitol

Finally, the lady cyclists of Washington. Again, they were all ages, riding all sorts of bikes, wearing all sorts of clothes. The one thing that brought them all together was riding their bikes to get someplace. It was beautiful.

Raleigh 3-speed, sunglasses, and boots - what's not to like? She sure looks All-American in her denim in "America's Front Yard" (the National Mall):

You can't see it, but this lady in Georgetown looked like she was approaching 60. Doing so with youthful style, if you ask me:

The pink bike with the pink baby helmet makes me think that mom and her daughter enjoy their trips by bicycle down Pennsylvania Avenue:


Little red riding boots reprised. I don't think she saw the man on the Smartbike going the other direction:A blurry photo of a lady on a Dutch bike near the White House:


This is perhaps the most common look on the Mall - sporty, on a hybrid:


Having a soft spot for Raleigh 3-speeds and red shoes, I was excited to see this lady on the Mall:


She was watching traffic as she left the White House area.


This lady was radiant in how much fun she was having on her blue Dutch bike heading towards the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue:


This lady was stoic as she waited to make a left-hand turn against traffic:


This is my husband's favorite DC photo. Granny nearly mowed us down as she flew down the path that parallels the Potomac. Ding ding!


I loved the shiny helmet and the matching phone sported by the lady among the Embassies:


Singlespeed girl in the Foggy Bottom area:


This lady had clearly been out with her partner and the two of them were bringing home groceries in their panniers. Note that her waterbottle matches the pannier!


These two ladies had rented bikes to come down to the National Mall and chat on this bench. They have probably done this before, the lady on the right has a trouser cuff:


I love this lady's basket! There must be a picnic in there, to enjoy on the Mall:


A lady Smartbike rider on the Mall:

Washington Report: Gentlemen Cyclists of the Capitol

The men were certainly out while I was visiting. Getting themselves around town on their own power, they didn't need any stimulus. One thing we noticed was that there were fewer people wearing helmets in Washington. After being x-rayed for the upteenth time I decided that, in a culture of living so safely, they were ready to live a little dangerously. I am sure I'm wrong, I just know that I was ready for risky behavior.

This guy was cool on his cruiser heading down the Mall:

I saw this guy several times all over town. This image was captured just across the street from the White House:

This man is my idea of a Washington man - khakis and a navy blue blazer as he whizzed through Georgetown:
This guy with his shark messenger bag gave me a smile, he was in among the Embassies:

I saw this guy ride by but was too slow to shoot his image. I then got to see him with his buddy enjoying the wonderful February weather, they'd both ridden their bikes to meet in Georgetown:

He's an office worker with his badge on his waistband as he rode along the Mall. I think that makes the plastic giraffe bell all the more charming!

They were out for a stroll down the Mall on the most lovely afternoon imaginable:

Vintage 10-speeds were a popular choice for all the right reasons, this guy was rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue:

This guy was leaving the White House area at 5:30 PM. I wonder what he's bringing home?