This week’s Roll Model is Jools, aka “LadyVelo,” who blogs about her adventures on two wheels in East London at Vélo-City-Girl. Jools sets the bar pretty high when it comes to cycling in style—and she’s only been at it two years! Read on for a glimpse of the London cycling life.

Jools and her Pashley!

Describe your bicycling style in three words.
Stylish, leisurely, fun!

How long have you been riding a bike?
I’ve been riding my Pashley for just over two years (two years and two months to be exact!)

Describe where you live and cycle.
I live in Newham in East London, which is now famous for hosting the 2012 Olympic Games! As I cycle to work (also in East London) I do ride around the area a lot. Improvements are being made around here for cyclists, but there is still a lot of work to be done on the cycling infrastructure around here. When I’m out with The Boy on our bikes, we often cycle across London for our Coffee & Cake Saturday rides, which is ace! Getting around London by bike is the best way to really see and appreciate the City!

How does bicycling fit into and/or shape your life?
Bicycling has had a huge effect on my life: It’s been a fantastic way to meet new and likeminded people who enjoy the freedom of cycling… and who also enjoy mixing fashion with two wheels! My levels of fitness have also improved since getting my Pashley and starting to ride again… it’s been amazing.

In your experience, does the general bicycling world—shops, outreach, group rides, etc.—feel welcoming for you as a woman?
In my honest opinion, I find that the smaller / independent bike shops are always more welcoming to women riders. Some of the larger chain bicycle shops seem to be heavily geared towards men, which is a pity as there is a huge female cycling demographic out there. When it comes to group rides, women are being catered for with rides organised by the likes of Breeze Network, who are reaching out to female cyclists wanting to get back on the saddle—encouragement is key.

What is your take on the “gender gap” in cycling, including media attention on how to get more women to bicycle?
I really hope to see the day when there isn’t a “Gander Gap” in cycling when it comes to media attention / getting more women cycling….

If you could magically change one thing to improve bicycling in your city, what would it be?
The current CS Cycle Highways we have. I’d make them wider and adopt a similar style to those in Berlin…

Do you feel optimistic about the future of bicycling?
I do feel optimistic about the future of cycling in London. Although it may feel like a tough battle at the moment, so many people / organisations / bloggers and such are campaigning for improvements here . . . voices will be heard and changes will be made.

Any advice for people, especially women, who want to start cycling?
Go for it! Do some research and look into getting a bike suited to your needs, and go at your own pace. Between me taking up cycling again in March 2010, there was a 10-year gap—it’s NEVER too late to start riding! It’s also very likely that there will be women-only cycle groups in your area—check them out and go on group rides or rides with friends to build up your confidence if needed…

Final words?
Be safe, be happy & enjoy being on your bike! x

Thanks for sharing your story, Jools! For more, visit her at Vélo-City-Girl or on FB or twitter.

Roll Model: Jools of Lady Velo is a post from Let's Go Ride a Bike and is only authorized to appear in our personal RSS feed.
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Nashville’s event was in our Public Square, in front of the relatively new courthouse.

As in most cities, people rode in from all parts of town to partake in coffee and breakfast, and to meet other cyclists.

Maybe nothing out of the ordinary, except that Nashville’s Bike to Work Day this year was the biggest ever.

The bike racks were full and the crowd was ready to be addressed by Mayor Karl Dean, who had biked in himself.

After a donut, a banana and some conversation I headed in to work with a group of friends. It was a great way to start the day.

See Lauren’s blog for another take on the day (she kindly shared her pictures since my camera is hiding somewhere)—and the official Nashville Bike to Work FB page has some great pics too.

Cycling is really taking off in Nashville these days—it’s so exciting and fun to see the number of cyclists on the street and at events like this growing.

Did your city bike to work last Friday? How’d it go?

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I fawned over her Carolina blue Gazelle, which she purchased last year.  How great is the blue with the cream tires?

I also loved her use of an orange wire Basil basket on her rear rack.  She simply slipped the handlebar holder prongs over the Gazelle’s thick rear rack and added one zip tie for extra hold.  I might have to use this idea with Oma or Coco.

I got Holly’s email address and followed up with her for more information on her bike life.

I just got back on a bike five years ago after a 20 year hiatus.  I grew up on a gravel road, so I had never ridden a bike IN a city and it took me quite a while to build up courage.  After reading your blog and realizing that commuting to work did not have to include another set of clothes and a shower but actually, you could wear the cutest damn outfit and just enjoy the ride, I decided I could probably do it, too.

I bought my Gazelle at JC Lind last summer after trying out a lot of bikes and doing a lot of research online.  Your reviews and posts made a world of difference for me in helping understand important features and the needs for commuting and commuting in Chicago.  I decided that the Gazelle Basic was the best option for a “beginner” Dutch bike.  I wasn’t fully ready for the financial commitment of the “super” Dutch bikes!

If there is something I’d want others to know, it’d be that biking means different things to different people.  You don’t have to be fast and you don’t have to be fit, you just have to enjoy being out there, but please, bike polite!

Meeting people like Holly reminds me how cool biking women are and how happy I am to reach so many of them through LGRAB.  If anyone sees me out and about, please say hi!  I’d love to chat.

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My favorite part? The panda prompt:

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Happy Friday!  The weather in Chicago is absolutely beautiful, with blue skies and sunshine.  I am in the mood for wearing a bright spring dress and fun sandals, hopping on my bike, and riding around all weekend!  I plan to do just that, once I get this work day over with.  :)  Along with all that bike riding, my weekend plans are to go to farmer’s market, start planting a balcony garden (tomatoes and herbs!), develop some film, read a lot, and relax.

In that spirit, here is some spring bike fashion inspiration.  This is a new Fashion Friday series and the goal is to inspire – a mindset, a style, a look-alike thrift store outfit – not to advertise any particular brand.  If you are not interested in fashion, feel free to skip over these posts, but in the answers to our survey, readers overwhelmingly requested more fashion content.  The people have spoken!  :)

Nutcase “Dots” helmet, Solandra T-strap sandals and Primary Blooms dress from Anthropologie, Kate Spade New York Abici from Adeline Adeline

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Pam traced a photo of her Betty and took the drawing to a stationer, who made a plate and letterpressed the cards.  She carefully matched the frame color and, if you look closely, you can even see the water bottle and Po Campo bag on the handlebars.  Her full name is pressed into the top of the card in the same color.

The real life Pam and her Betty Foy.  :)

Lovely!

This custom stationery is such a great idea.  I appreciate the time, thought, and work that Pam put into creating these cards. Stationery is a soft spot of mine and seeing others who appreciate fine paper as much as fine bikes warms my heart.

Has anyone else created personalized bike art?

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The Twin City is a steel frame mixte with a great commuting set up – fenders, chain guard, rack, 7-speed internal gear hub, roller brake, and albatross bars.  Unfortunately,  smaller necessities such as lights and a bell must be added after market.  (During my test ride, I kept reaching for a non-existent bell – bells are so important in the city!)

The attachment you see on the bottom tube is the Abus Bordo lock, which is sold separately.

Overall, the Twin City has an attractive and kinda ’70′s look (is it just me?).  A metal Civia headbadge decorates the front of the bike.  I really appreciate a well-designed metal headbadge, instead of a sticker.

This bike comes in only one color, a deep and almost pearlescent red.  My friend’s 12-year-old daughter loved this color and declared that she wanted her old Schwinn painted the exact same.

The top tube is split all the way down, like a traditional mixte, but curved to allow for an easier step through.  I think step through frames make the most sense for anyone looking for a commuter bike, regardless of gender.

The bike has front caliper brakes – the kind most commonly seen on modern bikes – which stop the bike by clamping on the tire rim.

The rear wheel has a Shimano roller brake, which helps with stopping power in the rain or snow, because the elements cannot reach the enclosed hub.  There is also a Shimano Nexis 7-speed internal gear hub – again, great for all weather.  This is an excellent hub, the same I have on my Oma.

The bike is built with steel fenders and a chain guard, all painted to match the frame.  Fenders and chain coverings are so necessary for a transportation bike and I like how these are integrated and blend well.

The pedals are metal with sharp teeth and side reflectors.  They are okay, but I would swap them out for rubber-padded pedals.  My feet slipped several times while wearing both my Keen cycling sandals and my rubber-soled sneakers.  I can imagine they would be even more slippery with dress shoes.  Plus, my history with spikey pedals tells me I would eventually scratch the crap out of my calves when walking the bike.  For the more sporty type, clip-in or strap pedals would work well with the bike, too.

There is a single-footed kickstand.  While I appreciate that a kickstand is included, I would swap this out for a double-footed stand because I like my bike not to fall over constantly.  (Single-footed kickstands offer only an illusion of security!)

The quill stem and handlebars are great, similar to the Nitto Albatross bars I have on my Rivendell Betty Foy.  The positioning is more leaned forward and down than my Betty, but not as much as drop bars.

I added my personal rearview mirror because I always like to know what’s coming up behind me.

I also added my personal Brooks B17 saddle because the plain black saddle that comes with the bike is uncomfortable as hell.  Atrocious.  I suffered through my five mile ride home from the bike shop, until I could swap in Betty’s saddle.  I highly recommend upgrading to a Brooks or a similar not-awful saddle.

In addition to the fenders and chain guard, there is an integrated and matching rear rack – another essential element of a good commuter bike.  The rack held a good size load in a big pannier with no problem, although it is not made to be super heavy duty.

I borrowed an Ortlieb pannier for the test period, because the Basil pannier I use on my Oma would not fit on the Twin City rack – the Basil connectors were too wide.  I will review the Ortlieb pannier soon.

The Twin City is much more than the sum of its parts.  The ride quality and versatility are both high, as is the quality to cost ratio.  Someone looking for a commuting bike that also works for longer recreational excursions and is fairly light (compared to a Dutch bike) would do very well with the Twin City.  She or he would also do excellently with a Rivendell Betty Foy, but the price would be at least 150% more.

I rode the bike home from work on Friday, to the neighborhood movie theatre on Saturday, on a long ride on Sunday, and to work on Monday.  I found the bike to be excellent for every type of ride.

At first, when biking home on Friday, I felt way bent over and down, but that extreme feeling went away once I got used to the bike. I realized that it only seemed extreme after riding super-upright Oma.  The geometry is somewhat leaned over, but no more so than most typical commuter bikes on the market.  The steel frame allows for a smooth ride, even over Chicago’s notoriously potholed streets.

I was a little worried about how the bike would feel during my long 31 mile ride on Sunday, but there was no need.  The bike performed beautifully and proved to be nimble, quick, and comfortable.  I never felt like I was weighed down, even with a strong headwind, and totally enjoyed my ride.  I did wish that I had some harder gears in the tailwind, though, as I could not really open up and use all my energy without spinning.

The Twin City would be great for hilly terrain.  Of the seven gears, I mostly stayed in 7th gear, shifting to 6th at stoplights.  If I were using this bike for daily riding in Chicago, I would prefer a more difficult set-up that allowed me to use the other gears more.  That said, I used 5th and sometimes 4th gear when hit by a strong headwind and the full range of gears would be essential for a hilly city.

Overall, this bike has a lot going for it.  I was impressed.  The base price is $850 for the 7-speed or $595 for the single speed, which probably seems like a lot for someone who is looking for a bike to get started – my first adult bike was $450 and I felt like I was spending a fortune! – but is a good and fair price for the quality and features.  I strongly suggest that someone buying this bike upgrade to a Brooks saddle ($80) and add a bell ($10-20) and lights (at least $30).  I would also recommend swapping out the kickstand and pedals.  However, please note that such extras would not necessarily be expected on a bike at this price point.  I know that bike companies cut where they can to present a product for mass market appeal under a certain cost.  Even with those extras, the Twin City is a good value for a steel frame bike with fenders, chain guard, rack, internal 7-speed hub, and roller brakes.

I made a short video about the Twin City.  Not the best ever (I swear, sometimes I sound like I’m talking gibberish – my mind gets ahead of my tongue), but hopefully it gives an idea of how the bike looks in motion.

The bikes that seem most comparable to the Civia Twin City are the Public and Linus.  I think those two are not as high quality, but I have not tried them yet, so I cannot compare. I’ll try to do so in the near future, since we get a lot of questions about them.

As always, I highly recommend that anyone considering this bike try to arrange a real test-ride, if possible.  Your opinion of a bike could be totally different from mine.

p.s. There is also a Twin City Step-Over.

{J.C. Lind Bikes is a sponsor and friend of LGRAB.  This is not a sponsored review, but my own honest opinion.}

Beautiful Bicycles: Civia Twin City Step-Through is a post from Let's Go Ride a Bike and is only authorized to appear in our personal RSS feed.
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Because poor Betty Foy needs a tune-up desperately, I rode the Civia Twin City that I’ll be reviewing soon.  For the haul, I swapped in my personal Brooks saddle and slipped on padded bike shorts under my skirt.

Although I enjoy going for long bike rides, I usually need a destination to motivate me.  My daily 9 miles of commuting prepares me pretty well for longer hauls, but I admit that my legs were tired while finishing the ride in a strong headwind.  That’s when you really know you’re alive, right?  :)

Have any of you commuters broken free for a long ride lately?

Roundtrip Bike Ride to Woodlawn is a post from Let's Go Ride a Bike and is only authorized to appear in our personal RSS feed.
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This week’s Roll Model is Karen from She Rides a Bike.  In 2008, Karen began bicycling for transportation in Flagstaff, Arizona and now blogs about her move toward a simpler and more satisfying lifestyle.

Describe your bicycling style in three words. In 3 words, my bicycling style would be responsible, assertive and well-organized. I wish I could say stylish but it’s more of an aspiration. [ed: way stylish!]

How long have you been riding a bike? I’ve been a committed transportation cyclist for 4 years.

How does bicycling fit into and shape your life? I’ve worked bicycling into most aspects of my life. If I can’t get someplace on my bike (with the exception of necessary air travel) I start questioning whether or not it’s even someplace I need to go. I still use a car from time to time but I’m more deliberate about when, where and why. I think bicycling has inspired me to reassess my relationship with “stuff” and motivated me to pursue simpler living that places value on experiences over possessions. I still like nice things but prefer quality over quantity.

What inspires you to keep bicycling? I’m inspired to keep bicycling by the way I feel (and sometimes don’t feel) when I’m pedaling. I love the feeling of strength, liberation, and openness that I experience moving in space. Bicycling is something I can do so why would I stop? Why give up my power? I’m also inspired by the other women cycling bloggers that I follow and their choice to also do something that is still a bit outside the mainstream.

As women, we are often rewarded for accommodating the expectations of the larger culture regardless of whether or not doing so is in our best interests. I love seeing women (and men for that matter) challenging expectations that serve no other purpose than to perpetuate a not always helpful status quo.

In your experience, does the general bicycling world – shops, outreach, group rides, etc. – feel welcoming for you as a woman? I think that I’ve been pretty lucky that the LBS in Flagstaff are super helpful and supportive of women cyclists regardless of what kind of cycling they do. A few of them sponsor clinics on bike maintenance and offer group rides. Flagstaff has a great urban trail system and many bike lanes so I can get around almost anywhere by bike. Flagstaff Bicycling Organization does a whole week of Bike to Work Week activities, as well as trail repair days and safety clinics. Women cyclists are viewed as important. The downtown bars and restaurants have also welcomed Tweed Rides since they bring people downtown who will spend money without taking up parking.

What is your take on the “gender gap” in cycling, including media attention on how to get more women to bicycle? I don’t see that big a gender gap in Flagstaff. It’s an outdoorsy community so women are doing all sorts of activities once considered daring. If there is a gap it might be more between moms and not-moms. I’m not a mom so I have considerable time and freedom that moms don’t necessarily have since I don’t have to worry about balancing a work schedule and a child schedule. Moms might have more safety concerns than I have. Flagstaff is bike friendly but some of its residents and visitors view the road as meant for cars and trucks only. Few cities enjoy the kind of bike culture as Portland.

I see an ongoing debate in the media about the cycle chic movement that strikes me as rather odd. There’s nothing prurient, in my opinion, about the cycle chic movement. I like to look nice at all times, including when I’m on my bike. As a new cyclist I appreciated cycle chic blogs that showed me how it was done. I’m 49 and have no desire to be confused as a bike-riding Hooters girl, and I don’t think cycle chic promotes that anyway. I just want to dress to please myself. If I had to wear gender neutral, asexual bike apparel or lycra, I wouldn’t have given bike commuting a shot.

If you could magically change one thing to improve bicycling in your city, what would it be? I think bicycling is still viewed by the movers and shakers as a recreational activity not as a serious transportation option. The town motto seems to be “Poverty with a view.” People joke about it but the high cost of car ownership is not funny. We sold one car and started bike commuting to help economize and it’s made a big difference in making ends meet and being able to save for retirement. Flag is small enough for bike commuting to be a very workable option for most residents but some still view investments in bike paths and other bike infrastructure as frivilous. Luckily, the bike community is pretty vocal.

Do you feel optimistic about the future of bicycling? I’m not by nature an optimist but I think the cycle chic movement has mainstreamed transportation cycling just a little bit. Framing bikes as sexy and fashionable might be the honey that makes the bitter medicine of changing how we get around go down a little easier. Ten years ago nobody could have told me I would be biking to work or the doctor or my hair stylist! It was a decision I made out of necessity. Nationally, times are changing. I think the days of mega houses and cars for every member of the household are coming an end. And that’s not such a bad thing.

Any advice for people, especially women, who want to start cycling? Give yourself permission to start slow and learn. Being a newbie at anything requires a learning curve and a period of clumsiness. With time, it all becomes second nature. Visit plenty of bikes shops, ride lots of bikes, and check out all the biking blogs out there because they are packed with experiences, ideas, images and real people who can give you lots of wisdom. Whatever your barrier to bike riding, someone has come up with a way to overcome it.

Final words? I just appreciate being asked to particiapate in this post. I think most bloggers do so because they have something in their lives that they want to share. I’m always amazed when I meet someone who tells me I helped motivate them to try bike commuting but if I hadn’t stumbled upon LGRAB and other lady-biker oriented blogs, I wouldn’t have had the courage to get started myself.

—-

Thanks so much to Karen for sharing her story and insight with us!  So many good points!

Visit Karen at She Rides a Bike and follow her on Twitter.

Roll Model: Karen of She Rides a Bike is a post from Let's Go Ride a Bike and is only authorized to appear in our personal RSS feed.
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First, tonight there is a Jamaican-themed dinner buffet at Wild Cow to benefit Walk/Bike Nashville. Vegetarian and guaranteed delicious!

Tomorrow, the Ride of Silence will depart from the main Centennial Park entrance at 7 pm sharp (cyclists should arrive at 6:45). The ride is 7 miles, and riders must wear helmets—more details here. The Chicago ride is also on Wednesday and you can get info about that here.

Friday is Nashville’s Bike to Work Day. It’s definitely going to be our biggest one yet—we already have 171 people signed up on Facebook (Chicago peeps, stop your sniggering, this is big for us). So grab your bike, check out our route map and join us (and the Mayor—he’s biking in too!) at the courthouse for donuts, bagels and coffee.

And of course Saturday is the biggest biking event of the year—the 2012 Tour de Nash! Come out for a sweeping tour of Nashville’s new Music City Bikeway. If you’ve never ridden on quiet city streets with hundreds of other elated cyclists—you don’t know what you’re missing. There’s child care available. Also, our T-shirt this year is the cutest one yet. Come out!

On a smaller note, I plan to reschedule my rained-out progressive dinner ride for later in the month, so stay tuned for news on that.

Hope to see you Nashvillians on a bike this week!

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