We interrupt our official Fall season...

To bring our unofficial Summer, just a few months late.  Yes,  Summer was surprisingly mild...could it be that this year we got Fall first and now Summer is finally here??  Who knows!

I said let's celebrate!  Here is Happy music to celebrate our week of Summer.  

Stop and listen to the sound of sunshine!  Happy Week!!

Cycle Chic love to you!

Eye Candy

A fellow Cycle Chic blogger, Saskia, who blogs at Sydney Cycle Chic posted two amazing pictures this week that I love.

image by: New Brol Order

Biketopia!!

Designed by: David Byrne

The bike rack would be awesome to have in Sac!!  So cool!

Saskia love your blog!!

From the mailbox: Goodies from readers

Below pictures are from Andrea during her recent visit to NYC. Both picture were taken in the West Village

I wish I thought about being this protective with Sophia.  She would still be among us!  ;(

Meli from Bikes and the City sporting a gift from yours truly.   Sac Cycle Chic pin never looked so good!!

Meligrosa

The fabulous Bella from The Citizen Rosebud recently did a photo shoot with her bike and was kind enough to forward it to me.  Thanks!! ;)

Keep them coming!  Cycle Chic ♥ to you!!

The 19th Century and the Bicycle

Row of Dancers from the Fox-Senator Theater on bikes in front of Theater during a Pacific Coast Fire Chief Convention. Photographer Frederick-Burkett - 1928
Courtesy of the Center for Sacramento History 

I received this beauty and had to share.  Today the San Francisco Streetsblog posted an amazing article with pictures and quotes from the 19th Century.

Here is one of my favorites quotes from the article:

"If the increase continues, the time is not very distant when not to own and ride a bicycle will be a confession that one is not able-bodied, is exceptionally awkward, or is hopelessly belated."  

          -"The Bicycle Festival," July 13, 1895 New York Times

And my favorite photo:

Cycling in Golden Gate Park in the 1890s

For more quotes and pictures.  Read 19th Century Bicycling: Rubber was the Dark Secret.

Art, Lights and Bikes - Cycle Chic in your Home

A Mexican-Brazilian artist, Carolina Fontoura Algaza, has created these amazing chandeliers made of recycled bike parts.  Love her chandeliers collection!

Cycle Chic Sundays! Sacramento in October - Save the Date

Our Cycle Chic Sundays! continues with friends learning about the cultural roots of Sacramento.

The next ride will take us through 150 years of history.  We will have a docent-guided walking tour of the Historic City Cemetery grounds.  We will learn about some of the historic tenants in this prime example of Victorian Garden style cemetery.

Save the date!!

Meet: Sunday October 17th at 10:45 am.  We will depart promptly at 11:00 am to ride over to the Historic City Cemetery on 1000 Broadway St.  Our Docent guided tour starts at 11:30 am.

Where: At the Fountain in Fremont Park

From the Historic City Cemetery we will ride over to Pangaea Cafe for some coffee and food.

Route details to follow as we get closer to the day.  Please RSVP

September Cycle Chic Sundays!! in pictures

We had another amazing Sunday morning with new and old friends.  Friends gather at McKinley Park Rose Garden early on Sunday even though the weather looked very gloomy.

McKinley Park Rose Garden

Some friends we met along the way.  Like lovely Erin from 1girl+2wheels

Erin & Tricia

Below is my attempt at taken a pic behind me with my camera on my shoulder facing backwards.

As always Ed in his Highwheeler

Love her!

Erin's new amazing bag from Rickshaw ♥ 

We were rained on shortly after this pic.  We all survived and made it to Hot Italian with our spirits up.  

And off to Bungalow row we go...

My first panda picture...

We arrived at Winn Park to get a special tour of a 1937 Emergency Relay Station, that once served as a  24hr dispatch center for the Sacramento Fire Department.  An Art Deco style building.  Beautiful!

And music

The Boyfriend, David and Me - taken by Erin

Me and my new beautiful Rickshaw Bag- taken by boyfriend 

Thanks again to all those who participated in Cycle Chic Sundays! Sacramento 

Cycle Chic ♥ to all!  

What a pleasant surprise! ♥ ♫ ♥ ♪ ♫ ♥

I have just received my first award.  It means the world to me because it was given by a peer.  The lovely Natale from Evelesco.  The honor comes with some responsibility:  I am to summarize my blogging philosophy, motivation and experience in 5 words and then pass the award to 10 bloggers.  Wow!

The words that come to mind are:  Stylish, Opinionated, Authentic, Honest and Inspired

Tough to award this to 10 bloggers.  Frankly there are so many great bloggers and some of them have been awarded already.  Here is to my favorites!  my every day read...  Drum roll..and the award goes to...

Kari of Juniper James  shop local, shop thrift

Meligrosa of Bikes and the City what can I say, a lady after my own heart

Erin of 1 girl 2 wheels She is the most amazing writer!  Very intelligent and articulate bicycle and bicycle advocate writer with a twist.  Great pictures too.

Dottie of Dream Camera a photo blog I fell in love with and later found out that she is also a bicycle blogger, go figure, and her bike blog is outstanding too Let's go ride a bike.

Cycle Chic ♥ to you!

Barclays Cycle Superhigways

Clearly London cares about it's cyclist.  In an effort to increase cycling and commuting by bike, the city has set out to addressed most of the difficulty around cycling in a big metropolitan city.

I'm hopeful that we will be start to implement some of these measures.  Sure we're encouraged to commute to work, yet sometimes the environment is not conducive to create a safe route to get there.  My recommendation to the powers at be, create a safer route and we will definitely see the increase in ridership.

Catch up with the Bicycle!

This short film reveals the joys of cycling in London and the "The Bike Song" new single from DJ/Producer Mark Ronson.

A great way to introduce cycling!  "Catch up with the Bicycle" is a series of videos of 5 different people, different skill set and different reasons to ride, set out to introduce the bicycle and London.  The brain child of  Transport for London!

And that's not all.  In this website you can: plan you route, search others routes, find traffic free routes in parks and waterways.  Brilliant idea from our friends across the pond!

She smiles...

It must be that she's on a bike! xo

Happy Park(ing) Day Sac!

20th & J Sacramento

Focusing on Beauty

photo: Brakethrough Media

In the picture team manager, Nicola Cranmer from Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 women pro-cycling team out of Marin Co. California.  The lovely and talented ladies are the feature of a docu-reality series airing on the web called "The Heat is On"   You can also follow the team on facebook.  Go women pro cycling!!!

Thoughts on My Bike

A film by Andrea Dorfman

Chic Sundays is Back

Get your fabulous self ready!! Chic Sundays Sacramento is back!

Our next lovely ride will take place on Sunday September 19th.  Here are the details:

What:  A lovely morning in East & Midtown Sac with strong italian espresso coffee, little culture and discovery, new friends and laughter.

Where:  Meet at McKinley Park Rose Garden on H St. & 33rd St. in East Sacramento.

Ride on over (via G St. to 19th St.) to Hot Italian (16th & Q) for a nice espresso or perhaps Gelato ;)

Continue our ride on Q St. to 26th St. and the famous "Bungalow Row" where the SOCA Home Tour will be taking place.  You are welcome to participate in the Home Tour   Click on the link to check event cost and details.

The final destination is the Street Fair (associated with The "Bungalow Row" Home Tour)  at Winn Park located on P St. and 27th St.  They are having local artist and artisans, and live musical performances.

When: Sunday September 19th from 11:00 am

Please RSVP here by commenting or click on logo to be directed to the facebook event page.

See you on Sunday!!!

9/11 - I Remember

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

To everyone who lost someone they loved on 9/11 my thoughts and prayers are with you.

If You Build It They Will Come

The Taming and Reclaiming of Prospect Park West from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

Read the full article at streetfilms See also:  How Copenhagen became a great People-oriented City

A matter of choice

You can read the rest of the story at momentum magazine

Strict Liability - Drive carefully

Remember:  Life is Precious and very short.   Be conscious and always look out for each other.
Share the road.

Cycle Chic love to you!

Homemade Bicycles

I came upon this lovely couple as I was riding around on Sunday. They built their beautiful rides. Wow! Amazing!

Love old videos: Cycling in the Netherlands 1950s

I'm beginning to think that I should've been born way before my time.  I would've love the 1950s.

Cycle Chic Sundays! Save the Date

Save the date:
Meet:  Sunday September 19th at 11:00 am
Where: Mc Kinley Park Rose Garden.
Stay tuned for more details!!

From the Mailbox: A participant perspective on Cycle Chic Sundays!

I received this letter from one of the lovely ladies that attended the Cycle Chic Sundays! Sacramento inaugural.  The letter speaks to what Cycle Chic is all about and I thought you'd like to know...

Hi Lorena,

I'm still feeling high from our time out and about yesterday. Years ago I used to ride in my skirts and pumps and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. Sadly, life changed and for a couple of years I hardly rode my bike at all. 

About 6 months ago I was in a motorcycle accident right there at 20th and Capitol. I’m still recovering from a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery. For six months I have felt old and broken and depressed. I don’t know what magic broke my funky spell and got me down to Old Sac yesterday, but I am so grateful. I feel like riding my bicycle is going to be my salvation. I can finally imagine getting to be my best self once again. 

Your efforts, message, and example are so inspiring to me. I got up this morning and rode my bike to the grocery store (in a skirt!) and I find myself planning the rest of my week around what things on my to-do list I can accomplish by bicycle. 

I just wanted you to know how grateful I am to have met you and what a gift yesterday was to me. I’m looking forward to getting some serious style on for our next ride! 

See you next month...and Thank You so much.

Thank you so much for sending me this letter and thanks to all those who support and encourage Sac Cycle Chic!  Much love ♥

Muppet Cycle Chic

Thanks Copenhagenize.com for posting this video.  Love it!

Finally!! Sacramento Cycle Chic Sundays! in pictures

I have been out of communication with you, please forgive me.  Life sometimes just catches you by surprise.  
So finally, the highly anticipated pictures from our inaugural ride.  Drum rolls, please!

Docks Promenade by the Sacramento river

Girlies!

These girlfriends rode for few miles to meet us in Old Sac.

West Steps of the Capitol

Erin and her boyfriend joined the group at Chocolate Fish Coffee House

We had such a good time! There are so many more pictures but not enough space. We will post the rest on the Cycle Chic Sundays! flicker group. Can't wait for the next ride!