Put a Bike on It.

Perhaps you've heard of the brilliant Portlandia sketch "Put a Bird on It." Well in my world, if you Put a Bike on It, I'll buy it. :)

I was powerless over resisting this adorable tote! The Timbuk2 website was out of them but I found one on eBay. I swear I was innocently browsing the website looking for a Kindle case for my mom when I came across this. It wasn't my fault. My collection of bags is growing dangerously out of control, but I must the say the quality, generous size and overall cuteness of this tote makes it a welcome addition to my collection. It's a keeper.

Po Campo Loop Pannier has Arrived!

I'll have to post a detailed review later after I've had some time with the bag, but my Po Campo Loop Pannier has arrived!

 via Po Campo

I went with the "Chartreuse Poppy" which is a bit greener than I imagined it would be. It's very cute!

Makeover complete. Po Campo bag attached. Ready for my commute!

Also my Pashley make-over is complete. With my new tires and grips and pannier, I don't know...might be elegance overload!

Po Campo Freebie!

Last week was Bike To Work Week in Chicago. To celebrate, Chicago-based bike bag company Po Campo did a give away on facebook yesterday. If you posted a picture of yourself biking to work, they'd send you a free reflective pin. Sign me up! I had a friend at the office snap a picture in the afternoon. (Sans make-up. Ugh!)

Speaking of Po Campo, I have been seriously considering getting their "Loop Pannier" bag. It seems like a great bike commuting bag and it's way prettier than my current Bontrager Grocery Panniers.

photo via Po Campo

Loop Pannier in Chartreuse Poppy Treated Acrylic

photo via Po Campo

Loop Pannier in Umber Waxed Canvas

photo via Po Campo

Here's how it looks on a bike.

I'm having a heck of a time deciding between these two colors. How about I put it up a to vote?

(There is a poll embedded in this post. Please visit the website to vote.)

I Had To Do It!

I went to a sample sale with some friends last night and I was very good. I almost got out the door without buying anything but at the last minute I saw this silk Moschino scarf!

So I brought it home. Can you blame me? I mean really! How cute is this? It had my name all over it. I love silk scarves. I've scored a couple of beautiful Hermes and Pucci on eBay but this one takes the cake. Not only is it the cutest, but the silk is fabulously drapey, slouchy and well...silky. Since I've bought so much grey this Fall/Winter, I'm so happy to have this pop of bright, beautiful color to keep things from getting too bland.

New Fall Goodies!

Normally I'm not a big shopping girl but I must say this Fall I've seen so many wonderful things I want to buy - and I've bought a few of them!


My most recent purchase are these adorable arm warmers from REI.

I just love how they keep your fingers free for gear changing. Living in LA it's never really freezing here so these should be plenty warm. And that little button detail is tooooo cute!

I also got these awesome boots on sale at Land's End.

You won't be able to find these anymore on their website, as they seem to be all sold out. My sister got in just under the wire and purchased them in black! They do have a couple of other similar styles, though, I'm not sure the quality of those quite rivals these. These were called the Women's Favorite Riding Boot. I'm pretty sure they meant horse riding but I'm gonna pretend they meant bike riding! I love the cognac color and they are super high quality. I thought I remember the website saying they were Italian but they are stamped "Made in Mexico." Either way they are beautifully made and will last me for many years to come.

I also got a pair of Highwaist Skinny Jeans (I refuse to call them "jeggings") on sale (40% off!) by 7 For All Mankind.

The pictures are a little deceptive. On me they come way up above my belly button which I love. They kind of a have an 80's feel to them and the fact that they are high waisted means no worries when I'm riding my bike cause they won't slip down and reveal any underwear waistbands. And they'll be great for tucking into my new boots!

I also got some fun, cheap sweaters and a great scarf from H&M. I'll be posting pictures of those as I wear them.

For some reason almost everything I've bought this year is some version of grey - it seems to be my theme for the season! Now if I can just find some grey suede shoes!

Thanks for putting up with my conspicuous consumption. I hope I didn't bore you.

Creative Solutions.

At the Farmers' Market last Sunday I spotted this father/son duo.

Check out the clever storage solution for their Farmers' Market goodies!

Dad checking on his kid and cargo.

As I was snapping pics I overheard the gal in the booth asking the dad about their bike. It's definitely an attention getter!

I recently picked up this milk crate for my own bike (in red) but I haven't installed it yet. I was thinking of zip-tying it to my rear rack and trying out the idea of just throwing stuff into the crate instead of my current two-pannier storage system. I've never been able to find a front basket that I thought looked right on my bike, but I've always longed for the ease of a basket you can just toss your stuff into. 

For those of you wondering why I actually bought one and didn't just grab a milk crate from behind a restaurant, there a couple of reasons. These crates from The Container Store are smaller than the kind found at restaurants and grocery stores and seem more appropriately sized for my bike and my rack, and at $10 I thought it was a bargain on-bike storage solution. But more importantly taking a dairy crate from a restaurant is stealing, no? I'm not sure if it's stealing from the restaurant or the dairy but either way I'd rather just plunk down $10 and have a clear conscious.

Bake Sale Hauling.

I had to do a bit of shopping yesterday on my lunch break. I am participating in a bake sale today, and had to buy some supplies and a few other groceries as well. It was quite a haul so I thought I'd document it. A year ago - before I bought my bike and became interested in the idea of utility cycling, I did not know that such a feat was even possible. Today with the help of a couple of grocery panniers, it's no big deal. Over at EcoVelo Alan wrote a post yesterday about how indispensable grocery panniers are to the utility cyclist. If you needed more proof, here it is.

This is everything I carried with me on my bike. One pannier is my personal stuff (basically the contents of my purse), my work stuff (Kindle etc.), and my bike stuff (U-Lock, bungees, set of gloves in case it gets chilly etc.) and the other pannier was the groceries. I'm proud to report that the eggs got home in perfect condition too!

On my way home I was even asked by a passenger in a car about my panniers. You can see my earlier post about these panniers if you'd like to know more about them. Did all that extra weight make my commute more challenging? Yeah. I was moving a bit slower than usual and I arrived home a bit sweatier than I normally would but it wasn't that big a deal. Carrying the weight on the bike instead of on my body makes it quite doable. Give it a try!

This post is an entry for the "Let's Go Ride a Bike" Summer Games. (Learning Experiences - Carry a load on your bike.)

First Friday on Bikes.

My boyfriend and I rode our bikes over to Abbot Kinney Blvd. on Friday night. The first Friday of the month is knows as "First Fridays" on Abbot Kinney. The restaurants and shops stay open late and there are a lot of gourmet food trucks parked up and down the street. We had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants The Tasting Kitchen. First Fridays can be a bit overwhelming - the streets are packed with people, many of whom have had a lot to drink.  Parking is a nightmare which is why biking there is the best option.

My bike date.

He loves his Masi.

His super cool Chrome cycling shoes.

I didn't enclose any pictures of myself from this night because I forgot to take off my helmet for the photos and I looked like a super dweeb!


This post is an entry for the "Let's Go Ride a Bike" Summer Games. (Social Cycling - Schedule a bike date with a friend or partner.)

Product Review: Bontrager "Grocery Bag" Panniers.

(Photo via Bontrager)

In case you're wondering pannier is pronounced "panyair." In order to avoid sounding like a greenhorn, avoid saying "paneer" which is an Indian or Farsi word for cheese. A pannier is otherwise known as a saddlebag but everyone knows that no woman wants to even have that word in her vocabulary, so pannier it is


The Bontrager Grocery Bag Pannier sells for $50. At first I thought that was  bit pricey but the quality of the bag is really excellent. I liked it so much after I bought it that I bought a second one.  The hooks fit snuggly on my Planet Bike Eco Rack (which I adore) and they don't budge.  I always have at least one of them with me when I'm on my bike.  I've even received compliments on the bag when off the bike from people who thought it was just a purse . Personally, I don't think it makes an attractive purse but it's nice to know maybe it's not screaming "pannier." The bags are sturdy and they hold a lot of stuff. There's even an inner liner that comes out and lets the bag hold even more.  I have not tried using the bag in the rain, but I don't think they are considered especially waterproof. Besides the small outer pocket there is a very small inner pocket but other than that there's just one large inner space. My one wish is that they were a bit prettier or had a bit more personality but I understand why they made them so generic - they are really a utilitarian pannier anyone can use. Overall I'm very happy with these bags and would definitely recommend them.

Moi A Poseur?! The Chrome Messenger Bag and Me.

I'm just not this cool.

(Photo via Chrome)

When I was growing up one of the worst things you could call a person was a poseur.  There were surf poseurs, skate poseurs, punk poseurs, arty poseurs, gangsta poseurs and goth poseurs - all of them reviled. This has instilled in me a great fear of being a poseur.

I read all the blogs wherein hardcore-urban-cyclist-warriors who have been trolling the mean city streets on their trusty fixed-gear steeds (apparently since the time they were in diapers) wax poetic about the demise of their beloved, idiosyncratic culture.  Just google "Walmart Fixie" to get a taste.  And I get it.  I really do.  It's an awful, sinking feeling when the little rock band or gritty neighborhood or underground artist or bizarre subculture (pick your obsession) you love goes mainstream.  You no longer feel special.  There's nothing to set YOU (the awesome, cool person who is clearly way ahead of the unwashed masses in both style and intelligence) apart from THEM (the poseurs!)

Look, I'm new to this cycling thing.  I was never a bike messenger in San Francisco.  I had never even heard the term "fixie" until I started researching bikes last year.  Therefore if I ride with a Chrome Messenger Bag strapped to my back does that make me a poseur?  The horror!  I received a beautiful Chrome Messenger Bag from my boyfriend for my birthday back in November and I have yet to use it because I fear I may not be hardcore enough to rock it.  How sad is that? It's fluorescent pink, totally over the top, and utterly cool. I've never seen another one like it.  Maybe this Spring I'll screw up the courage to use it - poseur or not.

Sadly, along the same lines, I got a sweet swrve wool cycling cap and it is also collecting dust in my closet.

Not this cool either.

(Photo via swrve)

Coveting this.

(Photo via Barneys Co-Op)

OK.  It's not exactly cycling related but I saw this bag at Barneys Co-Op and it has me drooling.  It's by Italian maker Sissi Rossi and it's just gorgeous. It's buttery soft, floppy and expensive.  The feature I really love about it is the long strap that allows you to wear it cross body. It would work so well on a bicycle!  I can't possibly justify spending $800 on a bag (especially if it doesn't say "Chanel" on it) so I won't be buying this bag but I will be looking for something like it that doesn't cost a fortune.  Sigh.

If you have any suggestions please leave them for me in the comments.