in the heart of winter

Lou Mistraou

I wish my helmet looked like this!

Lou Mistraou's aviator style caps are available in lambskin and rain-proof wool felt.
via NotCouture

The caps (which to clarify - are not helmets) are made in in the region of La Rochelle by one of the last and most demanding hat producers in France, whose workshops have thrives for five generations. Perhaps helmet designs are next on their list??!

Ciao Biciband! via Molletta Design

Melissa and Ignazio are a (husband and wife) duo dedicated to the things they ♥ - design and bikes.  They are also the engine behind Molletta Design and the Biciband!

Originating from Milan, Italy - Ignazio recently shared the origins of the Biciband with for the LOVE of bikes...

The first Biciband I made was a year ago and was just a rudimental strap I designed and built for my bike as I could not find anything I liked on the market. I don't like cages as when I to do tricks (or better, attempt to) they scratch the ground, and I didn't like other straps because they came just in black and I'm an "orange" type of guy.

I began making some for me and my wife Melissa, then since friends started asking to make them some I decided to let them available to anyone. I bought a bunch of webbing, manufactured the metal parts and started making some in my garage...

Prototypes developed and tested to achieve the final design - love seeing the progression over time.
Thanks for sharing these with us, Molletta!

The Biciband is currently available in 14 different colours! And even though they may have been designed with the fixed gear cyclist in mind, they can be practical to any cyclist who wants stay connected to their pedals.

Molletta Design on the streets of Las Vegas

Photos via Molletta Design

Trent Jansen Studio's Cycle Sign

Sign Stool 450

Spotted on the pages of ♥ VOGUE LIVING Australia ♥... Sydney-based Trent Jansen is uber resourceful.  He has been salvaging the scraps from the making of his Sign Stool 450 (made from used road signs) and is creating two styles of bicycle reflectors: Cycle Sign: Spoke Clamp and Cycle Sign: Strap. Both of which are available at Cycle Style.

Liking the idea of bringing a material off the streets / into the home / and then back on the streets!

Alain Delorme's mobile Totems

Alain Delorme

While these photos taken in Shanghai by Alain Delorme (a bit of a Photoshop maverick) have been circulating the web - still wanted to take the opportunity to post a few. Ingrid at Aesthetics of Joy recently wrote about the emotional response of these photographs focusing on the transparency of the cargo, individuality and humanity of the workers.

And if in Paris, this series titled 'Totems' will be on view as of tomorrow through the 19th of February at Le Bon Marché!

Thanks, Ingrid!  

full suspension

Prince Street lock-up - taken by for the LOVE of bikes

In a city with such limited bike parking options (and fewer due to the disappearing parking meter) - I  appreciated spotting this fully suspended/elevated technique in SoHo last week. However I would like to note that locking up the scaffolding is traditionally a no-no. It was not that long ago that some would go around with a wrench and remove enough bolts to slide off and steal bikes. 

The PUBLIC Blog did a recent post on outwitting thieves using unconventional storage/locking techniques. Mentioned in their post + on the top of my list of what ever bike friendly city needs... bicycle corrals. I loved using them in Portland while visiting in 2009. Strategically placed and typically found in public gathering spots such as in front of cafes - they provide a convenient and secure option to lock up. Here's hoping more cities (hello,  NYC DOT) will catch on!

fabulousness in 1963

Melvin Sokolsky

The fashion photographer Melvin Sokolsky's 1963 shots. Pre-photoshop and, YES, an actual clear sphere hovering the Parisian streets among cyclists.