*Both shots are film photographs taken with a Pentax K1000, by mi homie Richie | notmyrichie.com
♥thx!

Anthology magazine is a new quarterly beautiful independent publication, ran by two fantastic local women, locally based in the Bay Area.
I was honored and humbly flattered when I was contacted to interview for an article. At the time, I had no idea what array and variety of subjects visual design would be involved, which turned out to be fantastic. So I had the interview, more like bike chat conversations, with each of the ladies. This took place back in May (old saddle still lived and spoke card is from fresh from Bike to Work Day), the magazine was launched this past October.
So, to close this long week and almost this year, here I am. The article is titled “Nice Ride” with Frenchie in the spotlight♥!!

The photograph was taken on an early morning at Coffee bar on Mariposa, one of my many favorite spots around San Francisco. The photo session was lots of fun and I even got to meet a few handsome local firemen. 
It was quite a thrill to flip through tha pages and see the photos. The design and photography, as well as the typography is well thoughtout. They also feature a local business spots, yummy eats and in the mix a coffee man and some pizza recipes along with it. So Bay Area!!…

There is also a informational nicely written by Velouria of Lovely Bike! which goes into detail why it is important and crucial that you find a bicycle that fits you well and learn to identify what works for you and your needs. Basic!

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Launch party reception event | West Elm, Emeryville 
Here are some photos of la Calitexican and I at the reception party more than a few weeks ago, causing crafty troubles in the East Bay. The event took place at the West Elm in Emeryville (Next to Berkeley, for those of you outside the area). The photobooth was super fun!

– – – –
The excitement to be featured in a non-biking magazine (as I have also previously expressed in BUST‘s article post from last year) is to be able to be part of the exposure and once again show that you don’t need to be in great shape, wear specific clothing or items and in particularly, show that San Francisco is completely bikeable and no hills, nor myths, nor train tracks should stop someone from at least trying it out. If that could reach and potentially inspire or motivate anyone of you out there, or if it already has by looking around you and grab a bike to use it as a tool to get around town — then that is just pure joy.

You will conquer any bike route and see your confidence blossom to a different level while at it.

After almost a decade of bicycling in this foggy-steep-hills-fine and fantastic city, there is tremendous room for structure improvement, but the large increase of bike ridership in the recent years has shown that it is possible to ride the hell out of this city. Women, more women, more women!! let’s be represented.

Anthology editorial ladies, many gracias
+thanks for reading my blog and adventures
♥xxo.meli

Now get off you computer and go ride, and get a paper cut from an actual paper magazine!! =)

My partner in artsy-things-and-silent-film crimes, sent me this link the other day which he so nicely included the lyrics +translations. So cute, now I need a little Campari mid-day cocktail and close my eyes imagining I’m at his concert.
Yves Montand, Olympia 1981

« À Bicyclette » “By Bicycle”
Quand on partait de bon matin When we left early in the morning
Quand on partait sur les chemins When we left on the roads
À bicyclette By bicycle
Nous étions quelques bons copains We were a few good friends
Y avait Fernand y avait Firmin There was Fernand and Firmin
Y avait Francis et Sébastien There was Francis and Sébastien
Et puis Paulette And then Paulette.

On était tous amoureux d’elle We were all in love with her
On se sentait pousser des ailes We felt like we were growing wings
À bicyclette On our bicycles.
Sur les petits chemins de terre On these little dirt roads
On a souvent vécu l’enfer We often went through hell
Pour ne pas mettre pied à terre To not dismount
Devant Paulette In front of Paulette.

Faut dire qu’elle y mettait du cœur I must say that she really put her heart into it
C’était la fille du facteur She was the daughter of the postman
À bicyclette On a bicycle.
Et depuis qu’elle avait huit ans And ever since she was eight
Elle avait fait en le suivant She followed him around
Tous les chemins environnants All the neighborhood roads
À bicyclette By bicycle.

Quand on approchait la rivière When we approached the river
On déposait dans les fougères We left in the ferns
Nos bicyclettes Our bicycles.
Puis on se roulait dans les champs Then we rolled in the fields
Faisant naître un bouquet changeant   Giving life to a changing bouquet
De sauterelles, de papillons Of grasshoppers, butterflies,
Et de rainettes and tree frogs.

Quand le soleil à l’horizon When the sun on the horizon
Profilait sur tous les buissons Cast over the bushes
Nos silhouettes Our silhouettes
On revenait fourbus contents We returned exhausted and content
Le cœur un peu vague pourtant Yet the heart a bit vague
De n’être pas seul un instant Because we never had a moment alone
Avec Paulette With Paulette.

Prendre furtivement sa main To furtively take her hand
Oublier un peu les copains To forget the others a little
La bicyclette The bicycle.
On se disait c’est pour demain We tell ourselves that’s for tomorrow
J’oserai, j’oserai demain I will dare to, I will dare to tomorrow
Quand on ira sur les chemins When we go on the roads
À bicyclette By bicycle.

Those catrinas be watching after you.

 

Bicycle bike local trouble makers Mayra aka Hella Breezy and I, as seen in big public-space posters at the 16th and Mission BART Stations.
Rio+Rene Yañez/SOMArts Día de los muertos (Honoring Revolution with Visions of Healing) exhibit posters, which went up in early November, and are still alive and kicking =)
You can see the poster pictures taken by Rio in a slideshow here: link
San Francisco Mission district, November-December 2010. Both shots taken by mi mom.

I was so overly flattered, this was an awesome experience to see!!
luv, ♥xxo.meli

Hat tip to Jordan and Elia for the link info. ♥Gracias! 
Well, so how you doin’!?

WTF bag of mine. Photo by Elia

The post is here: Sightglass showstopper by Lizzy | Timbuk2 blog

I’d like to share this super nice story this morning, because we all see each other every morning on our bikes, on our way to work, sharing the same streets in our various choices and ways of transportations, heading to mulitple places for different reasons.
My bike buddy and longtime blog reader Butter Bill, has this bright story to share with us all:

Time: 8:04am
Place: Embarcadero bike/pedestrian pathway near the bow and arrow at Embarcadero and Folsom Street

I was riding to work this morning and a young gal (I would say in high school, as she had a blue hoodie that said some local school’s soccer team) had her BMX bike upside down along with a bloodied right elbow was frantically trying to get her chain back on the chainring.

I stopped and asked if she needed help and she was on the cell phone with her older sister trying to walk her thru the steps.

I proceeded to get off my bike and fiddled with the chain for a bit and got it back on AND I gave her a band-aid for her cut elbow.

She said I made her day and asked if she could give me a hug and I said, “Sure.” And then I rode off into the sunrise and am now here at work.

– Bill