red pumps

Hot footwear! And if you don't have a chainguard, one of these velcro straps will do to protect those plaid wool trousers!

doggie style

We've seen dogs in baskets, dogs in messenger bags, dogs in backpacks and dogs on leashes. Here's a backpack that gives new meaning to doggie bag. I imagine the pups rather enjoy the ride, and you can bring your best friend wherever you go!

White Sweater

I admired this woman from the Caltrain window in elegant fitted white sweater and long floral skirt. She rode a girls' style bike with basket that looked to be vintage, and the whole look was a bit a-room-with-a-view to me. Ah romantics!

mini|milk carton|mode

Casually exiting the Panhandle on her pretty Peugeot, she showed off her legs in a super-cute teal mini-skirt, accessorized with a taupe scarf, Audrey Hepburn sunglasses and brown leather flats. If you don't possess the craftiness to build your own basket out of a wooden wine box, then your basic milk carton will also do the trick, but it could stand some personalization, so let that be the vogue tip of the day!

In French the word mode means fashion or style, so that's what I call a nice mode of transportation!

shoes on parade

Many types of shoes, many types of bikes, all parading down (and up) the streets of San Francisco on a typical afternoon commute! Hurrah!

Red /Zebra Stripes

At the 16th Street BART Station, these pals appeared from the elevator. The red hair was striking, and I loved the zebra striped skirt which went beautifully with the white handlebars on her 10-speed.

scarf + BART access

I noticed this woman coming around the corner with her bright purple scarf. Then she headed down the escalator like nobody's business. If you don't live in the Bay Area, you might not know that taking your bike on the escalator is forbidden. This rule has never made sense to me. The 24th St. Station has no stair tracks for bike wheels, and the elevator smells like urine and takes about 25 years. (I've always wondered why that isn't an ADA violation.) So, if no one else is on the escalator, I think we cyclists should be allowed to use it.

old-timer

Young and old were off to the Haight-Ashbury Street Fair like this old-timer en bicyclette with suspenders, Chuck Taylors and a ten-gallon hat!

sometimes it's all about the shoes [and the hair]

Carrie Bradshaw could tell us that. And Miranda, as could this red-head! Bicycling in flats is fun, fashionable and comfortable. Love the blue Sigg water bottle attached to her backpack too!

yes, they are checking YOU out!

This morning, as we all pulled up to the stoplight on our morning commute, the guys were all checking HER out in her long billowing red skirt (which she cinched up above her knees with rubber bands [FASHION TIP!], gray suede boots, copper helmet, red leather utility belt and teal wheels. Funky fashion, girlfriend! Yes, all the guys' eyes were on YOU. Don't you doubt it!

manflats

RRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!

Bohemian Carnival

A couple weeks ago, Colleen, Geoff and I went to the Bohemian Carnival. Geoff was the only one of us who had been before, and he'd put on a suit. Colleen and I did our best to dress appropriately.

The next issue was how to get there. We'd been planning to bike before we were 3; so, we had to find a way to make it work. Fortunately, Geoff recently updated his bicycle with big handlebars and a banana seat with space for 2.

Here I am all bewigged and ready for fun:

vogue avec phone

Sometimes I don't always have my nice camera with me, but those are precisely the moments when beautiful people on their bicycles surround me, like this late afternoon down by the ballpark, when cycle-fashionistas seemed to be everywhere I looked. So at the very least, I give you low-res vogue taken with my phone.

Here's a beautitful blonde in business attire coming home from work in the afternoon sun:


And a hip lady in a mini-jumper and tights:


And this wheeler-and-dealer on game night on a pretty royal blue cruiser with built-in pannier:

Suit, Bike, Train

I love riding Caltrain. Sometimes I eat breakfast on the train, and other times, it makes me think of the delicious food I have eaten on it. The conductors sometimes limit the number of bikes onboard, but other times they're ok with it if riders hold their bikes and generally stay out of the way like this commuter.

Dressed to the 9s + footwear

These ladies got all dressed up for the Bike-Away-from-Work party last month. We were pretty excited when we saw them biking in evening wear and got even more so when we saw their footwear. Hurray.

Another Suit

This guy did not appear to have even bothered to tuck his pant leg before leaving the office. At least, he took off his jacket. Anyway, he sure looked swell waiting for the train in full business wear.

Black and strappy heels

I wasn't quick enough to get a good photo of this woman as she locked her bike in the shopping complex. She was all elegant in black, gorgeous shoes and sunglasses. Only after she went into a store did I realize that her bike was equally awesome.

White capri pants and tank

As KT mentioned, it was blazing hot on Bike-to-Work day. I rode a little further than usual to the train -- it took all my energy, and I didn't count cyclists like I usually do. This lady had it all worked out with her light outfit and cruiser.

Silver Fox

This man is wearing a fleece and jeans. But he has poise, and his bike has beautiful fenders and leather bag. Plus, the bike, the bag and the man are all coordinated.

My boyfriend says if he took photos like this I would give him the silent treatment. I think I would overlook it if it was a contribution to VV.

rouge et noir from head to toe!

I wonder if she has a matching helmet for every ensemble! Excellent cycle-fashion with the fitted dress-over-pants look, with matching red helmet and flats. She might have been on her way to see Beirut in concert like I was on this evening as the show was quite the gathering of fashionable young hipsters. Nice messenger bag too.

more from the Giants ballpark

More folks having fun on their bikes on a Saturday afternoon before and after the ballgame!

Oh so pretty in pink to the MAX!!!

Cool velo-alternative to the taxicab:

And here's a crafty fella named Wade with his homemade basket made from a box of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley (take note of the Brooks saddle and Brooks grips):



All spotted right in front of my favorite ballpark perk (next to my new boyfriend Emmanuel Burriss, and the Belgian beer they serve inside the ballpark) - SF Bicycle Coalition's free valet bike parking!

tourist vogue

She was riding one of those tourist rent-a-bikes on the Arguello bike lane; so, I assume she was returning from riding across the Golden Gate Bridge. This fitted cotton-knit black and white striped dress over leggings is a perfect look for cycling en vogue especially in windy places like the bridge because the fabric is flexible enough for comfortable pedaling, but more importantly, you won't have the problem of onlookers being able to see London or France... if ya know what I mean.

psychedelic print

This is Nicole. She told me she likes riding around in skirts and dresses. So she borrowed her roommate's sky blue ladies' Schwinn so she could do just that in this psychedelic retro printed above-the-knee dress. Matched with brown leather cowboy boots and a cozy cardigan, Nicole's ensemble is groovalicious.

VV couple: Brian and Susan

I know Brian from the carfree movement. Then he hooked up with this totally awesome chick, Susan. Brian is a Press Secretary for a large environmental non-profit. Susan teaches chaplains at a large hospital. I've heard Brian say that her job is to love people on the worst day of their lives (when loved ones are in the hospital, for example). They live in Oakland, carfree by choice. Here they are leaving the WOBO party:

As you can see, they are both rather dapper, coming from work. Susan is in a snazzy professional purple skirt, heels and carrying a briefcase. Brian sports a button-down shirt even on a Friday. I know they spend all the money they save not owning a car on fabulous vacations, tho, not clothes. You'd never know.

intersection pause

In 1989, a big earthquake collapsed a freeway overpass in San Francisco, and many years later, voters decided not to rebuild the freeway overpass and have a boulevard installed in its place. Although the Market/Octavia intersection turned into a sometimes dangerous spot for cyclists, it's still nicer than riding in the shadow of a freeway. Here are a few cyclists taking a break at that very intersection.

One cyclist uses the red light to text a friend (maybe making happy hour plans):

And this guy can only be referred to as Michelin Man:

And here's a fashionable lady in a black mini, black tights and black boots waiting for the light to change at Market and Franklin:


Thanks to the SFBC for trying to make Market/Octavia a safer intersection for us.

wall of mirrors (self-portrait)

For all of you curious ones (or those with nothing better to do), here's a pic I took of myself on Bike-to-Work Day. I rode 1.5 hours in 100 degree weather from SF to Marin and then enjoyed a Corona with lime on the ferryboat back home.


Not a bad commute, eh?

tucked-in tie

As I've previously noted, around the time people commute home from work, the wind in SF kicks in with a vengeance; so, one way to avoid the tie-in-your-face catastrophe is by tucking it into your button down shirt.

gabriela in catalina

My friend Gabriela who lives in LA posed for this photo on Catalina Island, the historic getaway for the rich and famous in its hey-day.

prepster commuter

The shoes did it for me.

Casual Friday

San Francisco is a casual city, but you still regularly see men biking down the street in full business suits. These guys were distinctly dressed down, but it was a Friday, and a dress shirt, dress shoes, and army green khakis well-suited the man on your right.