BIKE NOPA & Bikes and The City have spun out a collaborative bike series, Women Who Bike. Each Monday and Wednesday, we feature San Francisco women and their bicycles. Check both our blogs for the experiences, stories, and ideas that women who bike the city want to share with you.

Let us know your thoughts and leave comments for the featured riders!

Photo provided by Kim

Photo provided by Kim

Photo provided by Kim

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Women Who Bike: Kim

How would you characterize your bicycling style?
K. assertively cautious…but it all depends on circumstances and my mood…sometimes i’m joyriding, some days i’m riding like the wind to get things done…

Something basic: how often do you bike and what for?
K. every day, multiple times a day…for fun, for errands…for pretty much any reason i need to leave my house and get from point a to point b…

What could be done in SF to encourage more women, including teens and younger, to bike?
K. finding a way to show them that it’s not as intimidating as it may seem to ride a bike on city streets…

Halloween y día de los muertos: kim – queen bee – before halloween critical mass 2009
Photo provided by LisaRuth

How many of your best dates/friendships started with biking?
K. i have a friend that i met on the haight street bus commuting to work but never saw anywhere else…years later, we ran into each other on our bikes and when neither of us were working downtown anymore and ended up at zeitgeist catching up…now we go out for joyrides…best one yet has been from the lower haight out to lake merced and back…

I surprise people when I bike by (or with) –
K. – my cowboy boots…

Other little things:
– My favorite meal after a long ride (or in between) is:
K. hmmm….i followed up a ride out to fairfax with some gelato from ciao bella..that was pretty sweet…

– The best way to hydrate in between rides is:
K. latte in the back garden at mojo

– A personal item I must have or bring while riding my bike
K. um, bike lock doesn’t really count as a personal item does it…i’ll say a cute outfit..but that’s more of a personal statement than a personal item…so i’ll go with my smile 🙂

My message to women who want to try biking:
K. you’ll be so happy you did..free exercise, fresh air, it’s quickest way to get around town…and so many cute boys (or whoever floats your boat) in the bike lane!

Riding next to Kim, and the Fairfax Foray on our way to Marin. So clear – What a bridge view!

Kim rides all over the city and you can spot her radiant smiles miles away. I got to ride with her in the recent Fairfax Foray ride and she did a great job as a sweeper keeping everyone together at the back of the bus, including her bike getting a flat towards the end, she was a great sport.
Ride on my pretty!!

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♥ Gracias Kim!! ♥

Don’t forget to check out BIKE NOPA for more Women Who Bike profiles.
**If you or someone you know would like to participate email me at bikesandthecity +at+ gmail**
For women in the NOPA area, contact Michael at BIKE NOPA

See previous Bikes & The City profiles here: Women Who Bike Series

Meet mi brother.
In March, he participated in the annual ride from Rosarito to Ensenada, México (50 miles) link» More on his story to come to our story-collab blog CYLRAB later this month. Stay tuned.
I have called him Nano since the day he was born. ♥

sup banana slug

This set is from when I realized my camera was really not good. Meaning the lens almost fell off… je jee. That much missed camera should be back from repair soon. Well enjoy the set, and more than likely, see you tonite. Weather should be fantastic!!

start. “who are we waiting for? lets go!” -mark

Ian, Lee, moi, Stephen
Ian tells me I’m horrible, because I’ve influenced him to go up hills and that it sucks.
Ja jaaa, I hear you talking, but all I see you is smiling – whatever you!!!!

suuuuup. 1st butterlap. Fabulous!!

game face on. boys ready to cruise race.

into Golden Gate Park.

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Butterlap is about 15-18 miles. Lots of hills. All types of rideres. Co-ed. No pressure. Multiple districts in the city. Much fun. Even 2-3 speeds can do it, see my friend’s Ade’s post and her fancy new camera snaps [link»] and here are some by LMG (set»)
Takes about 2hrs, if not less, to complete.
+beautiful fog y sunsets ♥!!!

My good friend Stephen gave me a lift a couple of weeks ago. We were both about 50 miles away from the City, and it was a treat to chat with a friend, have our bikes in the back, and not leave work 1.5+hrs before to catch CalTrain or a time-restricted Bus or BART. I’m fine with that once in a blue moon.
I wanted to show off the fact this is built-by-Stephen. He made the rack himself. I know nothing about cars/sport racks, but if you can make something yourself and it involves bikes or food (better yet, both), I am all for it.
Here are some shots of his super fancy road bike, a pimped out Litespeed with Dura Ace included, and my retrolicious smurfette.

stephen’s truck

♥ Sent by Eric:

Laurent-Archambaud-SL37 Compact Prestige by cyclecrank

♥ Sent by Matt:
+M!!!

♥ Sent by Santa Fe’s greatest fan, Jon C:
(+thanks for the picture of the Agfa Isollete, so cool!)

♥ Dan dedicates this PUBLIC blog post to someone with a coffee addiction…
Espress lane: Baristas and Bicycles»

My most sincere thanks to all of you for reading, and for all your recent comments and emails. This blog will soon turn 2yrs, and it is your comments, connections, friendships, emails and interactions both locally and around the world, that has kept me typing away and taking snaps for this little blog.
Bikes. Boys and lots of coffee
Film + movies.
Pizza. beer.
Friends.

♥Love+paz

taken while riding, by longtime blogreader/butterlap butter cup and good pal of mine David

If you are a 1960’s film fan, you have perhaps seen this Godard film. If you are a mixte, frenchie lover like I am, the first thing you notice 5 minutes in the film Bande à Part, is Anna Karina’s beautiful bicycle.
The one thing that I am quite pleased, is the curvy top tube of that distinguished Motobeacane mixte characteristic, that she happens to be riding, a direct family member bicyclette of my Frenchie. The 60’s call me. And a generation of my steel beauty’s family of assembly, was once ridden by France’s hottest New Wave actress in that decade.

both pictures found/used CC via Flickr: bellefox rendezvous

Ultimately, this movie is a close visual parallel between me and my two housemates. Of course there is the scene where they all need to take off somewhere, and the 2 guys just throw her bike in the car’s trunk. Except that, last time that happened was in 2005…. ja jaa

Ratta, ICE, moi.

This for David.
“Jusqu’au bout du hasard”