Look what’s new from Taliah Lempert: The New York City-based artist, known for her burgeoning line of bicycle portraits, prints, cards, T shirts and tabletop designs, has created a new tote for Anthropologie. The Wheeled Whimsy depicts handlebars with streamers on one-side and a double-decker fantasy design on the reverse. Constructed of cotton, the roomy bag contains three interior pockets, also embellished with a bike-themed print, for easy access to sun screen and other summer essentials. The shoulder strap has an easy 13-inch drop. (h/t inspiredcyclist)

Anthropologie, Wheeled Whimsy tote, $78

Read more: summer bicycle tote from artist taliah lempert

©velojoy, 2012. | Permalink

Here's what popped the tire of my road bike over the weekend. Can you guess what it is? photos: velojoy

posted by: susi

Tire punctures are a fact of life for people who ride bicycles regularly. I’ve had my share, but the culprit in my latest flat, last weekend, was so unusual that I thought I’d share it.

I heard the familiar thunk! of road detritus catching an edge on my rear tire as I was pedaling along Route 27 bound for Montauk Point on Sunday. Seconds later, sluggish handling signaled loss of pressure, so I pulled off the road and into the grass to inspect the damage. Read more: the nuttiest thing that ever lodged in my bike tire

©velojoy, 2012. | Permalink

A cyclist boards a train. For efficient travel, public transit and bicycles go hand in hand.

posted by: genevieve

Now that Genia Blaser, the subject of our series for beginners, is a bonafide city cyclist, complete with a Five Boro Bike Tour under her belt, there may be times when she wants or needs to transport her bicycle via public transportation. In the final post in our series, we explore some popular options.

We city cyclists will endlessly extol the pleasures of riding and it might sound like we wouldn’t dream of succumbing to the subway, or heaven forbid, a car––but the thing is there are many reasons why we will, we want to and we can. In New York City taking a bike on public transit can be a necessity (flat tire mid-ride) or a pleasant reprieve (tired legs) or a sensible extension of a commute or recreational ride (expand the horizon). Before you attempt to board a train or bus, here’s what you need to know. Read more: tips for transporting bikes on nyc public transit

©velojoy, 2012. | Permalink

Roots of a women's cycling revolution? Parade-ready in New Mexico, circa 1964.

posted by: susi

One measure of a city’s progress in embracing cycling for transportation and recreation is Bicycle Friendly Community designation, ranging from bronze to platinum levels, awarded by the League of American Cyclists.  I often refer to the gender imbalance in bicycle commuting in New York City and nationally, so it was refreshing to discover in the League’s most recent Bicycle Friendly America Guide a list of 10 communities where female commuters outnumber their male counterparts. We tip our helmets to the women of: Read more: 10 u.s. cities where female cyclists rule roads

©velojoy, 2012. | Permalink

photos: Kim Burgas

Posted by: Susi

We’ve focused recently on demystifying the journey to enjoying all the fun and benefits of riding a bicycle in New York City. When I think about my own experiences as a city cycling newbie, I had a ton of questions and I would have appreciated getting started with a group of experienced commuters. That’s why the Biketrain concept seems so on-point as interest in commuting continues to grow.

Biketrain enables people to commute together for safety in numbers, plus sociability, along routes in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The Biketrain run by Kimberly Kinchen and velojoy contributor Kim Burgas, which began with a few regular commuters, has been attracting first-time riders seeking to build their skills in a supportive environment during Bike Month, reports Burgas.

Very fun! Like a commuter party! It was [my co-worker's] first time over the Manhattan Bridge. She was really surprised by the number of bike lanes in Manhattan and how much easier they made the ride — her biggest concern was riding in car traffic. She said she’s in for the next Biketrain, too. ~ Carla, recent Biketrain participant

With months of prime bike riding season ahead, every week can be Bike to Work Week. Here’s a look at how Biketrain works on the Brooklyn route on Thursday mornings:

Biketrain commuters, including Kimberly Kinchen (left) and Steve Jacobs, meet for coffee at the Red Lantern Bicycle Shop in Fort Green between 7:30 and 8:15 a.m. Read more: new to nyc bicycle commuting? try a group ride

©velojoy, 2012. | Permalink

posted by: susi

Have you noticed? Current design pop-ups, temporary and permanent (I’ll explain), online and in-store, all seem to include bikes or cycling accessories or bike-themed objects. Coincidence? Nah. Beyond bike-besotted customers, two-wheelers seem to evoke, even in people who don’t ride them, the happy and carefree spirit with which purveyors of high-style goods presumably want to associate themselves. In addition, the bicycle’s role as a platform for design innovation itself adds logic to the association.

With color, capital C, the leitmotif of the moment, shoppers will find hi-viz Bookman Lights and Pure Fix bicycles with vibrant rims at Fab.com’s color-inspired online promotion. At Story on Tenth Avenue, where theme, decor and merchandise change every six weeks or so — making it something like a permanent pop-up, with pauses — goods for women, men, kids and home are currently arranged by hue. Bicycle clips (above, 4 for $6) are paired with colorful desk appointments in both the blue and orange sections of the store. And finally, this weekend’s Model Citizens exhibition offers, among handcrafted furniture and tabletop items, cycling accessories by makers such as Dargelos and Wearable Planter. It’s all good(s).

The blue section at Story, where merchandise is currently displayed by color. photos: velojoy

©velojoy, 2012. | Permalink

A temporary tattoo awaits a CycloFemme participant at a Manhattan coffee bar. photos: velojoy

posted by: susi

Last Sunday, women in 14 countries gathered for 164 rides to celebrate cycling under the unifying banner of the inaugural CycloFemme. Among the events, organized to “honor the past, celebrate the present and empower the future of women’s cycling” on Mother’s Day, were three here in NYC, including a social ride organized by design firm Language Dept. Beginning at a downtown cafe on a perfect spring morning, and wearing CycloFemme temporary tattoos on arms and calves, they pedaled at a (mostly) mellow pace up the Westside Greenway to Central Park for a few rounds of the loop, followed by a rest stop — and Instagram photo op — at Strawberry Fields and then brunch at an open-air spot on the Hudson River.

Jenn Cash (right) and fellow riders enter Central Park last Sunday on the CycloFemme NYC ride.

Click in for more photos of the ride, plus thoughts from participants on cycling in NYC:

Read more: nyc women join in global cyclofemme celebration

©velojoy, 2012. | Permalink

Reflective helmet bows by Inbar Kishoni promote nighttime visibility with flair. photos: velojoy

 posted by: susi

Inbar Kishoni (photos below), an urban planner in New York City, learned to sew in high school home ec, and has been putting her craftiness with needle and thread to good use ever since. On the day we met, the self-described “girlie girl” wore a slip dress that she had customized with lace, and a tiny bow at the base of her ponytail.

In 2010, Kishoni turned the focus of her creativity to cycling, making pretty reflective bows to improve safety after dark and to add a hint of style to ordinary bicycle helmets. She said she was inspired by a moment of improvisation when she threaded a reflective trouser strap through the vent holes of her bicycle helmet to make herself more visible on a night ride. Thus was born One Two Three Speed, her Etsy shop. The 29-year-old, who hand-makes the bows of grosgrain ribbon, reflective fabric tape and Velcro — one of many spare-time pursuits that also includes playing keyboards in a band — has since expanded to wholesale distribution. Her bows are sold locally at Adeline Adeline and were recently featured at our Little Bike Shop pop-up at the New Amsterdam Bicycle Show.

Both sides now: A helmeted Kishoni (left); bows are retro-reflective when light hits them (right).

Read more: bike helmet bows reflect their maker’s passions

©velojoy, 2012. | Permalink

photo: theknifeandsaw.com

posted by: genevieve

Having acquired her new bicycle, Genia Blaser, the subject of our Bike Month series for beginning cyclists, zeroed in immediately on a key question: When space is limited — as it is in the majority of NYC dwellings — where does a bicycle fit in?

It’s the sweeping views, the staggeringly tall buildings, the overwhelming rivers of people that define New York City’s landscape. But as inhabitants of the city, we are probably even more familiar with the opposite of its epic attributes: tiny living spaces.  Like the weather, talking about space is one of those conversations we bond over.

There are elevators to cram into, subway stairs to navigate, lines in the grocery that require shopping while waiting. Though it is often taken for granted, or goes unacknowledged, cyclists are the beneficiaries of a brief reprieve from this space constraint as we enjoy the singular freedom of navigating the streets on two wheels.

But bikes pose their own space problems: How do you store something around five feet long and about three feet high, that is potentially dirty and definitely greasy? It makes this wonderful piece of machinery sound like a horrible house guest. But we’re just reducing it to the facts for effect.

Luckily, there are many solutions to the bike storage quandary ––often pretty, maybe even fun, and potentially elegant for the contemporary apartment.

Above: We’ve pinned a collection of bike storage options at velojoy’s Pinterest. Follow us!

Read more: bicycle storage options for the space-challenged

©velojoy, 2012. | Permalink

photo: velojoy

In recognition of the first National Bike to School Day today, we asked Lee Uehara, principal of City Bike Coach, an NYC-based bicycle riding school and coaching service that also offers free, family-friendly weekend rides, to share tips for parents.

If you are a parent who wants to explore the possibilities and pleasures of riding a bicycle with your children, here is some basic information to get you started:

Different Ways to Ride with Young Children

Today, options to suit a variety of budgets and needs are available to help you transport young children around town and to introduce them to the joys of cycling. The simplest and most economical, under $100, is with a rear or front child seat that attaches to your bicycle (photo above).  Next, in the $100-$300 range, there are trailers and trailer-bikes. Trailers attach to the rear of your bicycle, usually on the rear wheel. Trail-a-bikes, which attach to your seat post, turn regular bikes into tandems, allowing your child to pedal. Just make sure these options are compatible with your bicycle. Finally, front/rear cargo bikes, stroller-bikes and longtails – bikes with “benches” — are priced in the $1,000 to $4,000 range: Just check that your ride meets safety standards and is lawful for the age of children you plan to transport. 

Two Things Parents Should Ask Themselves Before Riding with Children

Asking yourself these two questions could save your child’s life. Remember, be honest: Read more: city cycling with kids: what parents should know

©velojoy, 2012. | Permalink