Tweed Run, a London produced group bicycle ride in which cyclists dress in traditional British attire and ride vintage bicycles around the city, has arrived in Beijing after sweeping over many cities like New York, Pescara and Berlin. The first Beijing Vintage Ride took place on April 20, a shiny Saturday afternoon, and clocks seemed to have wound back in time. About 150 passionate cyclists and fashionistas, who were lucky to get one of the limited spots for the event, started from the Worker’s Gymnasium in Sanlitun and gathered at the 798 Africa Center for a fashion show after riding a 10-kilometer journey across the city. (more…)
David Byrne Bike Rack “The Old Times Square” on 44th Street and 7th Aveue
This awesome bike rack wasn’t actually inspired by Betty Boop, but we like the alliteration of Betty Boop Bike Rack. It’s actually part of a series by artist David Byrne (from the Talking Heads) in partnership with the NYC Department of Transportation and Pace Gallery. As an avid cyclist, David was invited to join a city design competition for bike racks and later submitted his own designs which the city agreed to install.
Our Brooklyn Bike Diary begins where Java Street meets the East River
There is nothing quite like seeing New York City by bike. While speeding cars, potholes, and texting pedestrians seem to provide an insurmountable obstacle to a two-wheel world, it remains one of the most exhilarating ways to explore the city. As David Byrne explains in his book Bicycle Diaries, ” This point of view [from a bike]- faster than a walk, slower than a train, often slightly higher than a person- became my panoramic window on much of the world over the last thirty years- and it still is. It’s a big window and it looks out on a mainly urban landscape.” This is our interpretation of a Brooklyn Bike Diary.
In this photoshoot we sought to capture some of the joie de vivre of exploring Brooklyn by bike, with a touch of vintage nostalgia. We journey from the East River in Greenpoint, down Franklin Avenue, and south to Grand Army Plaza. While cycling might not be the most orthodox of transports, it is certainly the most stylish.
For more photos and musings, visit us at Neon Mamacita
Photographed by Nick Shepard Styled by Annie Shepard and David Ban Modeled by David Ban
An Empire State of Mind
Brief pause on Franklin Avenue
Hey guys, look, it’s the Bailey Fountain!
The Solider’s and Sailor’s Arch at Grand Army Plaza
Autumn hasn’t managed to fully sink its claws into the tough, unwashed flesh of New York quite yet. Last week boasted sun and temperatures in the mid-seventies, and while out and about I saw quite a few people taking advantage of the lingering summer weather. The forecast said “breezy and beautiful”–what? Should we be expecting the weather to be CoverGirl’s next model?
On one of those gorgeous days last week, I was sitting in Washington Square Park being a total creep and shamelessly people-watching without even pretending to read the book open on my lap. (Not that my reading material would have tempered the creeper image at all–it was Lolita.) This adorable human coasted across my field of vision on her cute vintage-looking bike and then effortlessly dismounted by swinging one of her legs in front of the seat, balancing one-legged on one of the pedals for a few more meters, and then gracefully launching herself off while leading her bike directly into a bike rack. It was really cinematic to watch, and all the more striking because of how lovely her outfit was. All that red lace spilling down the crisp white of her shirt kind of made her look like an assassin making a getaway after taking care of a messy assignment.
Well, you never know. Follow The Art of Style by Kat Mills. For more of Kat’s work, check out their website.
Not pictured: can of Lone Star, which tastes exactly like PBR
My stay in Austin, TX last week was much too short. In the brief moments between work, seeing my friends, and shoving barbecued meat into my mouth, this is what I took away from it. One night I went to three separate bars on 6th St. and they were all identical–small interior with a huge backyard full of picnic tables and a FOOD TRUCK. Being a still relatively recent resident of the NYC area, food trucks beyond the ubiquitous halal and pretzel vendors parked outside my office are still a little bit of a novelty for me. It takes a special kind of visionary to look at an old truck and think, “Yes, this shall be my traveling grilled cheese factory.” Genius.
Anyway, if you live in Austin and are under the age of 40 you most likely are in a band, ride a bike, and own at least one pair of Toms and a blue chambray shirt, which is worn buttoned up to the collar. You are either a vegetarian or a voracious, insatiable carnivore. You wear shorts or else risk death by heatstroke nine months out of the year. There is graffiti and retro-Western design all over everything, and no one is in a hurry. It is a strange, intriguing place and I’ll be back to report more as soon as possible.
“Keep Austin Weird” is written everywhere throughout the city. To find out if you’re weird enough for Austin, I suggest taking this highly scientific test to calculate your weirdness quotient. If your result is “turnips” that means you counted wrong, you probably forgot to carry the two.
With New York City’s traffic jams and unpredictable subway trains, it can be a hassle to get around the city. Thankfully, with the new bike-sharing initiative in town, Citi Bike, launching next month, locals might soon find their lives a whole lot easier (although this is hotly debated here in New York–see below). Funded by Citi and Mastercard, and run by NYC Bike Share, a subsidiary of Alta Bicycle Share, Citi Bike is a self-service bike share that will enable people to borrow a bike to ride across the city easily, simultaneously creating a sustainable alternative mode of transportation.
When it is launched next month, the ambitious Citi Bike project is going to be the largest bikeshare in the United States, a commendable feat, no doubt. It will consist of 600 stations, and 10,000 bikes in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, strategically placed around the city. Plans for this bike share have been underway for a long time, with the NYCDOT researching on using open source data to plan the locations of the bike share stations. The kiosks, the majority which will be wireless and solar powered, will have docks for the bikes, locks and local maps. Steven Romalewski of Spatiality Blog did a great GIS analysis of the proximity of bike kiosks to mass transit options.
Anyone 16 and older will be able to sign up for either the 24-hour, 7-day, or annual access pass. These passes will give members unlimited trips, although charges will apply for trips lasting longer than 30 or 45 minutes, depending on the pass, since the Citi Bike initiative was envisioned for rides less than 3 miles. Members will be provided with an unlocking code or a special key to unlock their bikes at the docks.
To promote the bike share, Citi Bike has been setting up infobooths around New York, with the Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) booth distributing free helmets. According to Citi Bike’s website, over 50,000 helmets have already been distributed for free since 2007. Citi Bike is still working with the bicycle industry to provide discounted helmets for members of the bike share.
It will be interesting to see how Citi Bike will change transportation and social culture in New York City. While already firmly in places such as Spain, London and Paris, the bike share trend has still places to go in the United States.
In comparison, Paris’ resurgence in bike-sharing can be attributed to the popularity of 2007′s Velib’, a network of 20,000+ bicycles distributed among 1450 stations throughout Paris. It is now considered the 2nd largest bike-sharing system in the world. While it is considered successful in terms of usage, 80% of the bikes have been damaged or stolen, despite active maintenance efforts by the city and good citizens (turning the seat backwards indicates that a bike is broken). Bikes have been found all over Paris in various states of disrepair, from the Seine, to hanging from lampposts, or even just on the roadside. These bikes have gone international too, with Velib’ bikes having been found as far as Eastern Europe and North Africa. With New York City’s reputation, Citi Bike might have to take extra measures to ensure that the same doesn’t happen with these new bikes, and that safety measures are as pervasive as the bikes themselves.
In the meantime, check out more of Citi’s demonstration events around in New York City, usually posted on their Twitter account. Try the bikes, sign up, or at the very least, get a free helmet! What’s your opinion on the Citi Bike program?
