When Fat Is Phat

Tour De Fat, that is. A few pictures, perhaps?










If you didn't get there this year, make sure you do next! All the money from beer sales goes to local bicycle organizations (SFBC and Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, this year) and you get to dress up as much as you like and be silly with your friends.

Olivia Palermo in Jason Wu dress à vélo

Socialite Olivia Palermo shows us how to do it à vélo in this fantastic dress by Jason Wu.

VV Profile: Patricia Decker

Occupation: Freelance Journalist and Muckraker
Hometown: Emerson, New Jersey and the NYC
SF neighborhood: Lower Haight (keepin' it on the DL)
Tell me about that helmet: It's a visual representation of my cerebral activity.
Type of bike: 1970s Nishiki with an identity complex.
Describe what you like best about your bike: It's all about the rose-purple color.
Describe your cycling experience in SF: Kamikaze turned considerate. I actually yield for transit. If I were the kind of cyclist who put stickers on her bicycle, I'd have one that reads "I brake for Muni."
Favorite time or place to ride: Midnights in the industrial bits.
Favorite color: Purple. I tend to match my bike all too often.
Artist most commonly played on iPod at the moment: Boards of Canada
Describe your personal style: Thrift and vintage - colors and patterns to the max.
Vélo Vogue tip of the day: Helmets are sexy.

Oh, and if you think you've seen that gorgeous Nutcase helmet before... you're right!

San Francisco Autumn

The light is changing. The days are shorter. The layering has begun in earnest.


I really want a pair of boots that work well with jeans tucked in.

The Tweed Will Go On (pt. 2)

By far my favorite pic of the evening, not just because my friends Adrienne and Joe are seen here looking fine, but more importantly for the snide smirks on both their faces.


Here's a nice angle on argyle.


Um... would someone roll out the red carpet for this chap on his Penny Farthing? In my opinion, the star of the show.


I think I should have been born a few decades ago, because I wouldn't mind seeing pipe-smoking, tweed-suited men on every corner of SF.


Another great outfit, and another great bike. The ride will go on...

Tally-ho Tweed! (pt. 1)

I finally made it to my first Tweed Ride! Thanks to our stylish and sexy pal Colin for organizing once again!


I arrived a tad late, so I missed the show by the Derailleurs, but I found a great slideshow online from the SF Weekly.


After the show, all the beautiful people got a chance to meet and greet and strike a pose.


This was kind of a Vélo Vogue paradise!


Tweed, plaid and argyle never looked so good.


Fine looking people have fine conversations.


And then, the ride began... more to come!

kt on the road pt. 3

Vancouver is my other favorite North American city. Whenever I'm there, I somehow sense that I'm already home.

Here I am riding along the Sea Wall and posing in front of the iconic Lion's Gate Bridge.


Here's a close-up of my new swirly houndstooth cap that I purchased on Commercial Drive at Virgin Mary's.


And my new kitty knee-hi socks I found at Shoefly in Juneau.


But all I am is but a passing shadow. Until next time, Vancouver!

kt on the road pt. 2

Hello Haines!


Who wouldn't want to bike here? With all the fresh air, beautiful scenery and wildlife to take in!


Haines makes KT a happy girl!

kt on the road pt. 1

In Anchorage, I stayed at the Anchorage Guest House, where I rented a mountain bike for $5/hour and took a spin on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail before I was cooped up on the MS Veendam for several days sans bicyclette (apart from spin classes with Flavio). So here's a glimpse from that beautiful morning ride!

Anchorage Away!

My Mom

This is my Mom, Isobel.


I was in SoCal for the weekend, and I got to hang out with my Mom for a bit. We have not ridden together in 20 years, so when Mom asked if I wanted to ride to get coffee, I jumped on the chance! She put on a skirt and showed off her crocheted basket liner (made herself). She then informed me that she wished to be featured on Vélo Vogue. As I have some pull around here, I am more than happy to oblige!

cruising for a canuck

Gabi and I figured it was our lucky day in our search for a Canadian husband!


Not bad, eh? The Canadian and American flags reunited in smiles!

momentum cycle chic

I just received my first issue of Momentum Magazine (Thanks, Lilia!) delivered to my door, and what to my weary westerly wind-blown eyes should appear, but Cycle Chic on the front cover!

The models are wearing some fantastic styles, like this cyclo-fashionista pictured above in her B. Spoke Tailor knickers! Give it a looky-loo and get inspired!

David Byrne: SF = Perfect!

In Sir David Byrne's recent opinion article in the Wall Street Journal, the beloved musician/artist/cyclist asks himself of San Francisco, "Why don't I live here?"

You can couch surf chez moi anytime, David!

From article:
There’s an old joke that you know you're in heaven if the cooks are Italian and the engineering is German. If it's the other way around you're in hell. In an attempt to conjure up a perfect city, I imagine a place that is a mash-up of the best qualities of a host of cities. The permutations are endless. Maybe I'd take the nightlife of New York in a setting like Sydney's with bars like those in Barcelona and cuisine from Singapore served in outdoor restaurants like those in Mexico City. Or I could layer the sense of humor in Spain over the civic accommodation and elegance of Kyoto. Of course, it's not really possible to cherry pick like this—mainly because a city's qualities cannot thrive out of context. A place's cuisine and architecture and language are all somehow interwoven. But one can dream.

Read the continuation here.

Oh! Canada!

Back in the day when Dubya was still Prez, I often took off to the Great White North in search of a spouse and liberation from the Bush Regime (plus, I kinda like Poutine). Then I found this online personals site developed by some of our benevolent northerly neighbors designed specifically for single liberal folk just like me. Needless to say, I finally decided to stick it out and fight the good fight here on the home front.

And now, even though we have the hottest Prez in history, I no longer seek liberation (universal health care, maybe). But boy oh boy, I'm still drawn to those Canucks based on their hotness alone (especially the ones on bicycles).

And in Vancouver, they abound.


Contemplating his beauty on the Sea Wall.


Making connections on Robson Street.


Ah, those West End Boys can call me anytime!


I debated jumping off my bike and curling up next to him.


This gent is actually the Bike Man Ben of Vancouver. He offers mobile bike repair. Forgive his fluorescent jacket. It started pouring down rain shortly after this pic was snapped. At least he matches his tires.

PARK(ing) Day 2009

PARK(ing) Day 2009 is Friday, September 18th!

Originally created by Rebar, San Francisco art and design collective, PARK(ing) Day is an annual, one-day, global event where artists, activists, and citizens collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spots into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public parks.

Anyone can participate in PARK(ing) Day, though it is strictly a non-commercial project, intended to promote creativity, civic engagement, critical thinking, unscripted social interactions, generosity and play.

Guest Photo: Colorado Cruiser Girls @ Tour De Fat

Behold the Colorado Cruiser Girls out on the town in style again. They made a splash at the Fort Collins' (home to New Belgium Brewery) Tour De Fat parade, dressed in mermaid costumes complete with sea-shell bras. Trailing behind are their blue ocean fish friends fluttering in excitement.


Photo: Anonymous
Words: Jessica Ingersoll-Cope

SF Tweed Ride + Triplettes de Belleville

From the SF Tweed blog:

SF Tweed is pleased to announce the next San Francisco tweed ride! Wednesday September 16th, we will be joining the fine chaps of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition for their Bike-In Movie screening of Triplets of Belleville.

As no tweed outing is proper without a bit of pedaling, we will be meeting up at Dolores Park at the far tennis courts at 18th and Church for a slightly abridged tweed ride at 6:30 pm. From Dolores we will pedal off through the Mission with a quick stop for libations before we arrive at 8 pm for the SFBC Bike-In Movie (Parking lot across from the Good Hotel, 112 Seventh Street, at Mission).

Note, due to the need to get to the movie on time there will be no scheduled BART meet up with East Tweeds. We still would love to see all our East Tweed cousins and encourage all to show up for libations and the movie!

The Bay Area Derailleurs Bicycle Dance Troupe has asked the dapper SF Tweed riders to be extras in a short 10-15 minute filming session with their troupe!

Wednesday, Sept. 16th
6:30 pm — Sally forth from Dolores Park at the far tennis courts at 18th and Church.
7:15 pm — Libations sojourn (location TBA)
7:55 pm — Arrive for Triplets of Belleville Bike-In Movie (Parking lot across from the Good Hotel, 112 Seventh Street, at Mission)

VV Profile: Adam Rocks the Bike

Name: Adam Pastana
Occupation: Biker Rocker
Hometown: Penryn, CA
SF neighborhood: Inner Sunset
Helmet or no helmet: Bare Melon
Type of bike: Yuba Mundo!
Describe what you like best about your bike: People carrying abilities
Describe your cycling experience in SF: Rough, rugged and raw
Favorite time or place to ride: Panhandle B-Ball Courts
Favorite color: O-range
Artist most commonly played on iPod at the moment: M.I.A.
Describe your personal style: Like a cold drink on a hot day

...:::ROCK the BIKE:::...
Rock the Bike is a innovative, clean energy company with a diverse product line of human powered products and stylish accessories. Our most important Products include;

-- Yuba Mundo Cargo Bike -- Great for carrying extra people and cargo like ice chests for picnics, groceries and anything else you can imagine.

-- Down Low Glow -- Bright neon lighting that gives you and your bike more than adequate visibility from all sides (especially from the side which is where most automobile-bike collisions occur).

-- Fender Blender -- Simply the Worlds finest bicycle blenders made for you right here in the bay area.

Our services at Rock the Bike are mainly doing Pedal Power for events/concerts and also bicycle customization including live sound so you can roll down the street sharing your favorite music with the neighborhood.

going to market

It's one of the most highly bike-trafficked streets in SF, and one of the most un-bike-friendly! But we bike commuters go at twice daily to and from work.

I try to have conversations with other cyclists, but I'm often too afraid that any distraction might cause a collision with a pedestrian, the Muni, a taxi, a delivery vehicle, a tour bus or car door. So I stick to photography. ;-)

A tourist once asked me if it was safe to bike Market Street. My response: "There's definitely a system. And you figure it out quickly!"

panhandle panache

Sleeping beauty.


Punk parenthood.


Classy cruising.