going local: 718 Cyclery

If you haven't yet visited 718 Cyclery's new home in Brooklyn (3rd Ave. corner of Union) you simply MUST! Not only is Joe an incredibly nice guy (along with his friendly staff) but his new shop is HUGE, well stocked, includes a nice sitting area, has rental bikes, is open until 8pm most days of the week, and continues to offer collaborative builds. The new space also home to maintenance and safety classes, a Do It Yourself (DIY) Bench, and bike boarding if you are lacking indoor winter storage. You can even rent out the space for your own event... umm, if I hadn't eloped years ago I would totally entertain the idea of getting married here! 

Seriously, could you ask any more from a bike shop?!

And... with Black Friday almost upon us, don't underestimate how important is it to SHOP LOCAL and support brick and mortars like 718.

While I was incredibly sad when he moved the shop out of his original Park Slope spot (around the corner from my place) -- it was totally for the best.

design hearts bikes: Charge Bikes @ The Conran Shop THIS Wednesday in NYC

If your in NYC, join the preview party for Charge Bike's 2012 line of bicycles including their collaboration with Sir Terence Conran...

Wednesday, November 9th
Preview from 10am-6pm
The Conran Shop NYC -- lower level of the lovely ABC Carpet & Home
888 Broadway, between 18th and 19th Street

Charge's Creative Director/Brand Manager, Nick Larsen, who previously worked for Pashley Cycles, had the good design sense to do a collaboration with Sir Terence Conran (yes, Conran of The Conran Shop) on two "simple, practical, low maintenance, and affordable" bikes... the Conran X Charge Bikes Hob and Plug

... 2 bicycles which closely echo Conran's philosophy that good design gives you pleasure and improves the quality of all of our lives through products that work well, are affordable and look beautiful.

With a classic steel frame and 3 speed Sturmey Archer internally hubbed gears the ladies and mens bikes are design classics with an understated yet contemporary style . Fitted with Charge's multi-award winning saddles and with an upright riding position, the bikes are not only comfortable but practical and allow great control and visibility in urban environments. 

While Charge Bikes has been around for a few years (mostly distributed widely in the UK, Japan, Korea, Europe, Australia and New Zealand) they just recently signed up with a major US retailer who will be selling a range of their city, single-speed, mountain, and cyclocross bikes -- so your likely to be seeing much more of them soon!

images via Charge Bikes

Oh, and did you see this great little peice about Sir Terence Conran's extraordinary 60 year career in the NYTimes T Magazine this weekend?!

scenes from the Brooklyn Bike Jumble

Yesterdays Jumble proved to be fun as always! DARGELOS was there with a nice new bright orange version of their belt/pouch (which I missed out on photographing). Some snap shots from the day...

found it hard to pass on this vintage saddlebag

 

Taliah Lempert's beautiful silkscreen (love that pattern with bike) / collection for Fishs Eddy / and a selection of her limited edition Japanese textiles

 Cleverhood the new Rhode Island-based outerwear brand was on hand with a waterproof cape prototype - including nice reflective detailing on a woven version above

NYC's very own Flying Pigeon distributor

image via DARGELOS

some other spottings...

until the next Jumble... Spring 2012

a whole lot of BIKE LOVE happenings THIS WEEKEND

An overview of this weekend's jam packed bicycle-centric agenda... yikes, rain is in the forecast -- do hope the weather holds out!

Brooklyn Bike Jumble
Saturday, Sept. 24th / 10am - 4pm 
3rd-4th Street at 5th Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn / Old Stone House at Washington/JJ Byrne Park
New York's only bi-annual cycling flea market with lots of bicycles, accessories and rare parts
Photos from the Fall 2010 and Spring 2010 Jumbles...

New York's Bike Share @ Fort Greene's Brooklyn Flea
Saturday, Sept. 24th / 12pm - 4pm 
176 Lafayette Avenue / between Clermont + Vanderbilt
New York's Bike Share will have a model station set up on Lafayette where you can learn more about the concept, test ride, and grab some bike swag -- photos from last weekend's demo in DUMBO 

Brooklyn Cruiser @ Williamsburg's SMORGASBURG
Saturday, Sept. 24th / 10am - 5pm
East River Waterfront (btw. North 6 + 7 St.)
New York's newest bike brand, Brooklyn Cruiser, will be on site with their Carroll Gardens Lady's Bike by Brooklyn Cruiser &  Bedford Men's Bike by Brooklyn Cruiser for test rides and giveaways 

NYCC's 17th Annual Escape New York
Saturday, Sept. 24th / day-of-registration opens 7am
An organized ride - straight out of Manhattan and into the beautiful West Hudson Highlands with 50, 65 or 100 miles routes, all beginning and ending at Sakura Park in Manhattan

DARGELOS @ DEKALB Market
Sunday, Sept. 25th / 11am - 7pm (but also open 7 days a week!)
Downtown Brooklyn / intersection of Flatbush Avenue Extension and Willoughby in Brooklyn -- here's a map
The new open air DEKALB Market is full of shipping containers-turned food vendors and shops... visit the Pratt Pop-Up! currently featuring cycling accessories by DARGELOS alongside designs by Alder & Shannon South
More about the DEKALB Market to come...

Am I missing anything?!

Meet Your (bike) Match & Garden Party - Bike Portraits

Last Saturday's Meet Your (bike) Match & Garden Party was a sun-shining fun-filled success. There was lots of test riding and posing with bikes (along with hysterical laughter) which photographer Eric Wolfe did one outstanding job capturing. THANK YOU, ERIC!!! (That's Nona and me up above!)

We had the pleasure of having a few special guests - like the couple who had just gotten married (seriously) and jumped into the photo shoot, the girls on roller blades who got in on the action, and those riding by on their own bikes with nice little accents including a iced-coffee in a bottle cage and cute little dog in a basket.  I was also thrilled that three of my friends stopped by and left with new bikes (Linus, Biria, and a vintage Schwinn) of their very own!!!

The event was the brainchild of cycling fashion designer Nona Varnado, as part of the The Bird Wheel Collective's Bike Month Ladies Program, and put together this nice description of the very first Meet Your (bike) Match...

The idea behind the Meet Your (bike) Match parties is to get people who don’t own a bike – to come down to a bike shop and check out a wide range of options. Since we (The Bird Wheel: a group of passionate women cyclists) were at Hudson Urban Bicycle (The HUB) on Charles Street in the West Village – that meant a great range of classic used Schwinns & Raleighs to brand new Linus (USA), ABICI (IT) and Batavus (DK) upright and commuter bikes. And have a party! The HUB is fortunate to be on a lovely block right next to the Hudson river with a lovely outdoor space that has been transformed into a garden area. It was just waiting to be turned into a photo shoot & party!

So that’s what we did. The first step was to invite anyone who wants a bike but doesn’t have one. Then invite friends who already have bikes… but you know,  you want another one.

If you want to be sure to hear about future Meet Your (bike) Match parties in NYC -- and. yes, more are in the works -- shot an email to: email@fortheloveofbikes.com to be added to the mailing list!

In the meantime, enjoy and ride on...

Meet Your (bike) Match & Garden Party - TOMORROW BABY!!!

I just got back from the Hudson Urban Bicycle shop in the West Village which is packed to the brim with a fantastic selection of NEW and USED city bikes. Linus, ABICI, Biria, and Schwinn (to name just a few) in addition to cargo bikes and loads of used bikes including some real vintage finds!
(New bikes start at $419 and used bikes at $195.)

So... still don't have that city bike your dying to get? Hello! Memorial Day came and went and summer is ON... come by to the Meet Your (bike) Match & Garden Party {details below}. Some fabulous + friendly folks... the staff at The HUB (including Maggie and the pooch pictured above) along with Nona Varnado, the event organizer, and myself will be on hand to help you find you a match.

THIS Saturday, June 4, 2011 / 2-7 PM
Meet Your (bike) Match & Garden Party
@ Hudson Urban Bicycles (The HUB) presented by The Bird Wheel
163 Charles Street @ Washington in the West Village
{MAP}

Here's the official blurb...

Looking for a bike that’s adorable, easy to get along with and lots of fun? Bring all your girlfriends out to a unique speed dating event: check out an enormous range of new & used bikes. Test ride them around the lovely west village and if it seems like (gasp!) you might have found ‘the one’ take it next door to the garden party in The HUB’s *gorgeous* outdoor space.

We’ll have a lemonade stand & full photography set up for you to perfect your best bicycle chic look. If you’ve ever dreamed of dutch bikes and gracing The Sartorialist this is for you. Your Facebook profile will never be the same.

+ more photos from this afternoon, and only had my phone on hand...

 Hope to see you there.