I hate my fucking bike. After by beloved Hello Kitty bike was stolen -- and the Schwinn Winwood was stolen, too -- I bought a hundred dollar Huffy, and I just hate it. I am dreaming of something pretty, functional, comfortable, and with the potential to put a small brown chihuahua in the basket.

Some options:



Linus Dutchi $425ish



PublicJ7 $495ish


Republic Plato $399ish


Flying Pigeon $350ish



Electra Amsterdam $493ish



And, le crème de la crème: the Pashley Princess Sovereign, $1,295.00

AS IF.

As if I had money to spend. As if I won't end up buying a budget bike from

Monday, March 26, 2007

adventures in wanderland.

adventures in bars and cabs and atms and brooklyn.
adventures in photo booths and in bars under the BQE.


















adventures in times square, where i picked up my new hello kitty bike.






omg look! panic! at the disco! in the window at mtv studios. *sigh* jon, ryan, brendon and spencer. i love those boys. watch one of their videos here. think they're kinda gay? maybe they are. gaze upon their cuteness here, here or here.

meanwhile, i biked from times square to my neighborhood... and the lower east side welcomed my new bike.





have i mentioned how excited i am that it is spring???

bicycle diaries

back during the convention, on the night of the critical mass bike ride, i ran into this guy who used to live in my building. he's an illustrator named marcellus. we were biking beside each other for a few blocks on fifth avenue. i was saying how it was my first time doing critical mass, but i was digging it so far. we separated after a while, and it wasn't too long after that that the cops showed up and things got ugly.

a week later i ran into him on essex street, and i was all, "did you manage to dodge the police?" i was teasing, but he said, "actually, no. i got arrested." the cops were still holding his bike. i was so shocked i didn't even know what to say. later my friend rachael told me he was illustrating his story, and sent me some of the drawings. now they're up on nerve and you can see them here.

critical mass

the last friday of each month, bike riders get together and bike the streets of new york in a critical mass ride.

this friday was a special ride since the republican national convention starts monday. i love riding my bike in the city, but most cars have no idea how to share the road. bike riders have to negotiate pot holes, pedestrians, taxis and bus exhaust. motorists love to honk at a bike riders, forcing them to look back and take their eyes off the road, which is extremely dangerous. and yet bikes are a quiet, eco-friendly, fun way to get around and get some exercise.

it was amazing to bike with such a huge group, with the streets blocked off. there was a sense of unity. no matter what your politics, the feeling of taking over the streets, of making the cars and buses wait while, for once, bikes had the right of way, was so powerful. of course, once the cops started arresting people it kind of put a damper on the evening.

at one point an ambulance came speeding down a side street, siren blaring, while the bikes were headed down 7th avenue. we all stopped, to find that the ambulance stopped when we did. it was a set up. there was no patient in the amubulance. the cops were using it to try and charge the bike riders with blocking emergency vehicles from getting to hospitals. in fact, it was reported on the news that ambulances could not get through because of bikes. but the truth is that it was a setup, and the cops manipulated the bikers, diverting the bike traffic toward the midtown south precinct so that they could jump in and arrest people. i feel bad for the ones who got taken in - out of 5,000, why them? on the other hand, i am so glad i did not get caught.

a great view of the brooklyn bridge

bmx riders lining up

sailing across the sky

james

freestyle moto x

ramps and amps

the ramps and amps event at south street seaport on saturday was great! lots of breath taking, gravity-defying stunts and adorably scraped, bruised, dirt-covered, sweaty boys. fabulous.