Brooklyn bike-goodness

A nostalgic look back to some things I'll miss about living/biking in Brooklyn over the years.
In no particular order...

The cheerfully painted bike barrier on Flushing Ave.

 A section nearby with designs by Taliah Lempert.

 Mosaics on a bike lane barrier in downtown Brooklyn.

 Biking by his awesome tree in Prospect Park.

 Checking out DARGELOS' latest designs at the Brooklyn Bike Jumble.

 Meeting up with Maid Marian Muffins in DUMBO.

Testing out NYC Bike Share bikes.

Joining in on Park(ing) Day on 5th Ave.

718 Cyclery's new location on the 3rd Avenue bike path

Watching the NYC Marathon from 3rd Avenue.

Outdoor screening of Bike Shorts + the history of the velodrome exhibition at the Old Stone House.

Bike Block Parties

Heading back to Brooklyn after a bike-related event with the stylish Julie of Adeline Adeline.

Spotting the guy in the 'bike lane' costume in Park Slope's Halloween parade.

The view of the Williamsburg Bridge from northern side the Manhattan Bridge bike path (soon to be reopened to cyclists.

 

The view of the Brooklyn Bridge -- and the new jewel box-like Jane's Carousel from the southern side the Manhattan Bridge bike path (soon to be closed to cyclists).

Running into Amy, of the dance troupe Heels on Wheels, with a basket full of groceries one cold winter night.

Pop-up complimentary coffee stop by Brooklyn Roasting Co. and Transportation Alternatives on the Manhattan Bridge bike path.

Being handed a Valentine from Time's Up at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge bike path.

Spotting hot pink handle bars in the snow.

This bike path marker on Kent Ave.

+++ my daily commute along the beautiful Prospect Park West bike lane!

hello, northern manhattan

We've moved! Yes, it may seem rash but my husband and I left Brooklyn, home for the past 10 years, to the northern tip of Manhattan. Brooklyn, you've treated me well with your growing number of bike lanes, bike shops, and cycling community as a whole. Indeed I'll be continuing to post about my bike-centric life... including my new 20 mile round trip commute via the beautiful (car-free) West Side Greenway along the Hudson River. Pretty dreamy... no doubt photos will be posted shortly!

review of Fyxation’s Session 700 Tires

My review of Fyxation’s Session 700 Tires is up over on Commute by Bike's site!

thank you, Bicycling magazine

At a NYC Bike Coalition meeting at Transportation Alternatives last night, I was surrounded by fabulous NYC cycling ladies including Adeline Adeline, Nona, Susi, Liz, Julie, Anita, Kim of Biketrain -- more to come on that!, and Caroline of TA.

It was also at the meeting where I got my hands on the March issue of Bicycling magazine! Awesome seeing a strong woman grace the cover + to top it off I was TOTALLY flattered to have been included in their 'LOVE' Venn diagram...

bike friendly knits via the Lower East Side

FTLOB reader Ileana Montalvo starting riding a bike in NYC last year (!) and has shared two great knitting projects for winter riding... an extra long cowl + calorimetry headbands. You can find the patterns and details about the yarns she used on her blog: www.loisaidanest.com 

Thanks for sharing, Ileana!

a lovely breakfast on this Valentine's Day

While not a huge cereal eater, I've always found Kashi's Heart To Heart Cereal irresistible.  Am I the only one who sees those little circles as bicycle wheels amongst all those hearts!?

I incorporated Janet Attard's bicycle stencil with a photograph I took to create the image above. 

+ + + check out this super sweet Valentine via Mission Bicycles... a friend of theirs rode 27 miles around San Francisco (burning 1,135 calories i.e. 45 milk chocolate HERSEY'S KISSES) to create a bike ♥ heart ♥ map for his girlfriend using this GPS app...

mild winter wardrobe adjustments

This being the warmest winter cycling weather in recent memory, I've only had to dip into my real hardcore gear for (very small) handful of days! Since December I've found myself relying on a these accessories to keep from over heating yet stay warm enough on my daily commutes. Its pretty much all about micro adjustments...

♥ armwarmers i.e. socks for your arms
I love theses by DeFeet, they never slide down your arm and they easily fit under most clothing + made using CoolMax® Eco Made™, a materials derived from recycled plastic bottles

♥ fleece vest
So versatile - I've been wearing one on top of a long sleeve but when it gets really cold I like keeping one in my commuter bag as a backup layer. Mine is ancient and from Mountain Equipment Co-op -- if I were to buy a new one I'd look for one that had a longer back panel

♥ headband 
The moment its below 60° I wear one by Pearl Izumi. I find it to be essential + it helps to protect your eardrums when the wind is strong

+ just in case the temperature does drop dramatically by the time I leave work in the evening, I like to keep these readily available in my commuter bag:

♥ windproof jacket
Which you can throw on top as an extra buffer - but so compact can remove and stick it in your bag the moment your warmed up enough

♥ extra pair of wool socks
Hiking liners are great since they are thin for layering. I haven't even touched on those rare snowy NYC days but these are also super helpful to have around in case of slush/rain. (I ♥ Smartwool)

image sources from above: DeFeet arm coverings / Pearl Izumi MicroSensor headband (the same version I have) /  retro Patagonia fleece / SmartWool hiking liners