Divisadero.

Divisadero at Fell 17:52
Temperature: 54°
Tuesday sky: dark gray
As my brain was shooting darts at popping floating bubbles surrounding the top of my head, I found myself walking across Fell street when the moon-walking sign at the pedestrian light turned green. From a glance, I get a great smile from a man and his bicycle on the bike lane to my right, where all the car lights are just blinding my thoughts as well. He says hello and a lovely greeting.
I smiled back. The street, one of the intersections I consider the most dangerous around the city for pedestrians and bicycles, suddenly gains a human sense. A community in flow.
That man made my day (well, evening)
Cheers!

Circle of rain.

In the south of market. A bit before we went to check out VV Brown's first show in SF.
Swoon.

PoCampo around the city.

front view, with an amazing backdrop :D

You might have already noticed a few additions from time to time around the basket. The cute little bag that the Frenchie has been sporting in the last few weeks is a beautiful little bag, made by the Chicago-based company PoCampo.
Many thanks to Jamie in SF (let's ride soon!!) and Maria in Chicago, for connecting with me. The fabric is a peachy nectar color tough to put up with my abrupt clunky basket and the moody weather in the city. I am not a huge rain storm fanatic, so I have not drenched the bag per se but it has kept up to foggy misty San Francisco standards.
If you troll around with me, you know I like carrying a first aid kit, coffee mug, and a ton of other stuff that Im not sure how it fits into my timbuk2 little bag, but this clutch-basket bag, is the best solution for just taking the usual needs and the camera. I don't have a fancy phone, but it has a slim compartment for that outside for easy reaching which doesn't fit my camera, but there is a small compartment inside that does. Anyways, I love the flexible use of it and it has gotten a bunch of compliments around town. What I'm also excited about is that it looks just as good on my steel beauty, my road bike the Smurfette. Which I plan to take out more now that my knee feels a whole lot better.
Anyways, here are some pictures. Cheers!

side view fit

Bag, bell, basket, bonita bici :)

A peek inside-
lipstick, wallet, allen tool, pen, black cat coin bag & keys.

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Where to next

I was rolling solo so I had to improvise with some tripod-esque moves on a high benches or flat surface. Not the most touristy time of the year so most people around here are running, always running working out or running off somewhere, who knows. Who needs a workout when a beautiful steel machine on wheels keeps me on check and includes many nasty steep hills which always regard you, once you get to the top –can only mean that you will get a beautiful view and get a fun downhill ride.

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DISCLAIMER. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued new rules, effective December 1, 2009. These rules state that product reviewers on blogs must disclose whether they received review products for free or received monetary payment for the reviews. Bikes and The City receives from time to time free items and will never accept money in return for their review. In the situation that a loaned or borrowed item is to be posted, there will be no monetary exchange in return. I do not believe in such mannerism and my blog has been all about unfiltered, honest opinion of a woman's point of view from her bicycle and the city she lives in.

Please do not hesitate to contact me may you have any questions. I don't often review items, but when I do, I will post this disclaimer. bikesandthecity ‹at› gmail ‹dot› com

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An Aztec valentine with many connections.

Dark.

Did you know the Aztecs are behind that sour bitterness you love so much?! The word chocolate is brought to you by the Spanish tongue which derives from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl" (ref.) Anyways, not my favorite piece of the Aztec heritage because I am no sweet-tooth, but history facts are always fun. And with this chocolate-heart infested holiday around the corner, here is a little event I found via the SFBC's chain of events:

Love of Chocolate Ride *
SUNDAY February 7th 11:30am | Meet at the Panhandle Statue (Fell & Baker)
Join SFBC member Robin and other cocoa-crazy cyclists for an afternoon learning about, eating, and drinking
chocolate, just in time for Valentine's Day. Route is around 10 miles, some hills. We'll end the ride with a chocolatey picnic, so pack a lunch if you wish. Bring cash for sweet treat purchases. Happy couples as well as those hoping to meet a new Valentine are welcome! Rain cancels. Info: robin@biteback.com
* Events notofficially sponsored or organized by the SFBC are marked with an asterisk.
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And here is a picture of my rad italian road bike. Which hardly gets to see any daylight, in front of the local cute little TCHO store. Which means my knee is doing really well and I'm ready to ride longer distances. This day the picture was taken I rode with Eric around the city and stopped on the way back to get some treats for my friend Stephen because was not feeling well with his shoulder injury (♥get well soon!!). They have the cutest little squares to convince even a non-sweets person like me to try their samples.

tbike

Of course they have me over the fact they offer coffee but that is not all. For Valentine's Day, this company, which I suspect has some connections in the San Francisco design world (...) TCHO is currently featuring their Artist Series with Love Connection by Max Kisman.

from tcho.com

Really?!?! Do you know how super nice this is – He is a cookie-cool Dutch professor of mine that used to draw each one of us in class while we were drawing in his class.
Here is a blast from the past:

here is Wishimi and Max. I think these pics were taken by my crazy cool friend Sandi.

and here is the friday morning faces of art school ca.2004. This class was just way too early, apparently.

Anyways, I was happy to visually come across mr. Max Kisman.
He has done some pretty amazing designs and graphics including a poster he made in 2003 for the del hel van het noorden ( The Hell of the North) Paris-Roubaix ride in Northern France, which now lives in my house, thanks to Jay. ♥ Skulls+bikes+fire= awesomeness

Happy Friday - now, let's go ride!!

all for late nite riding. from the caffeinated view in the golden state of mind – have a great one!
- - - - - ♥ ♥ ♥ - - -

Eight.

Speaking of four barrel, there is always tight parking space outside. This was recently. I suppose bikes do run on caffeinated tanks. I don't mind, this is a great sign, and that is only one part of the sidewalk. Frenchie way down there, chilling by the tree.

All I need.

me by Thomas.

thursday nite at four barrel.
he said all i needed was my bike handlebars in the photo, to complete the CD cover ;-)

Photo del dia: Like a fish out of water.

Pedaling nemo.

This little friend of the bike oceans, is found outside pier 23 on embarcadero. Id like to take that thing for a spin :D

Pacific ocean bikes.

We might not have the consistent Southern California sun, or the beach lovers roaming with their cruisers like the ones Christa captures.

Everybody

We got to the ocean by natan

Our own Ocean beach, the outside lands, the roughest tides, the bonfires. As rough and unfriendly as it is, the salty seas mist slaps you in the face and exposes the beautiful and powerful Pacific Ocean whenever the massive fog is not hogging the view, looking great under our winter sun. There are beautiful beaches -in their own terms- in San Francisco, don't forget.
& Bring your friends and/or family.

Time for coffee.

P.M.

Before Ritual coffee was the new kid on the block on Valencia street (when it first opened in 2005, it used to be opened til 11PM), Fayes video on 18th and Farley's in Potrero Hill were among the spots for me to get coffee during late nights.
Work, school or pure addiction. Maybe all 3.
Anyways, I like the fact that even with such a local roaster sensational explosion, especially around the south of market and mission areas, there is at least one place I could get still an Italian dose of illy. Ride on Fayes!