Hola everybody.
With a big smile in my face I thank all of you, powerful local women for sharing your stories, experiences and fun tips that shared with us all and participated for our Women Who Bike Series collaboration alongside local blog BikeNOPA + to all of you that dedicated sometime to comment, and stopped by.
Inspirational and with their own voice, they have left a dose of good energy and good vibes through their profiles, it has been great to be able to feature you, my beautiful women.
Michael from bikeNOPA and Iplan to get together pretty soon for more coffee meetings that will eventually end up, in who knows – something new! so stay tuned. We gotta show our boys some love, and it has been so much fun to chat, talk about our favorite times and similiar passions with our different perspectives as we continue to learn plenty from each other. 😀
See all the profiles from bikeNOPA here: Women Who Bike | NOPA

See all the 20 women that participated here:

BIKE NOPA & Bikes and The City are happy to announce the conclusion of their collaborative bike series, Women Who Bike. Please check both our blogs for the past profiles with the riders’ experiences, stories, and ideas that women who bike the city shared with you.

I will be posting a closure post this Wednesday (find Michael’s super nice thank-you post here) Let us know your thoughts and leave comments for the featured riders!
& Stayed tuned – We have more collabs in the near future!

All photos provided by Mai

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Women Who Bike: Mai

How would you characterize your bicycling style?
M. I’m either carefree (late nights on neighborhood streets), or cautious/slow and steady.

Something basic: how often do you bike and what for?
M. I bike most days. It’s a rare day I don’t. I use my bike for all my transportation needs, whether I’m commuting, going to gallery openings, meeting friends at restaurants, shopping, going to see live music, grocery shopping… I seem to always be on my bike. I even bike when it rains.

What could be done in SF to encourage more women, including teens and younger, to bike?
M. Bike lanes help a lot! Also, I think biking should be re-branded as something that is adjunct to regular life. Not necessarily an activity done with special gear or only on weekends. So, people like you who emphasize biking while being stylish help.

How many of your best dates/friendships started with biking?
M. Many of my friendships and dates have been enhanced by biking, but sadly, none have started by biking. One of my best friends bikes everywhere and we used to just meet places, but now that I’ve been biking consistently for a year, we go on bike dates to places like Grace Cathedral, or we’ll go to 3 or 4 gallery openings via bike and then catch dinner. It’s great to share this additional thing with her.

Other little things:
My favorite meal after a long ride (or in between) is:
M. Mission Street Food or my fellow food carts, especially Magic Curry Cart.

The best way to hydrate in between rides is:
M. Ginger beer at the Uptown or Homestead if biking at night. I like coffee at 4 Barrel and Blue Bottle, but coffee isn’t very hydrating. 🙂

-A personal item I must have or bring while riding my bike:
Gloves. Fingerless or regular. I was in a small spill and my knit gloves saved me from road rash on my palms.

-My message to women who want to try biking:
Don’t let your wardrobe be limited by your perception of what those in SF wear while biking. Look to the Dutch, who wear anything they want to bike because… Biking isn’t a novelty, it’s a way of living and you should let others dictate how you should adorn yourself. (I sometimes wear stilettos when I bike! It’s easy to hook over the pedals and easier to wear when I can go door-to-door without much pavement pounding.)
Also, try small trips around the neighborhood before branching it. It’ll help build confidence.

Mai and I have been blogesphere friends for awhile and can’t wait to hang out more with this gorgeous SF fashionista!!
If you recall, I was stoked to do a Vietnam collaboration series with her not too long ago, which you can check out here: Vietnam series
Other of her recent fantastic bits around the city published either on paper and the blogesphere are:
Her latest BUST appearance by Tricia Royal’s (Creator of Wardrobe Remix) column: photo link
Velo Vogue: rad remix
And by the SFBC blog: “Entrepedalers” Deliver the Goods

BIKE NOPA & Bikes and The City have spun out a collaborative bike series, Women Who Bike. We have almost concluded our series, but please 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 via May – By hotMARK™ on flickr

Photo provided via May – By hotMARK™ on flickr

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Women Who Bike: May

How would you characterize your bicycling style?
M. I’d say my riding style is all over the place. Sometimes I like to ride fast, sometimes slow. Usually you’ll find me riding at “touring” pace though so I can take in my surroundings. I do try to be cautious, mainly because I know it can be hard to see a cyclist when you’re driving, so I never assume drivers are going to see me.

Something basic: how often do you bike and what for?
M. I bike just about everyday. I use my bike for transportation to get around the city. It’s faster than taking the bus and I usually arrive at my destination in a much better mood if I don’t have to look for parking. I also bike to explore new places – I LOVE riding through small towns I’ve never visited before, finding quiet roads with no traffic, climbing hills to take in the view, and riding down swoopy dirt or rocky trails. In the summer and fall I do mountain bike and cyclocross races with the Sheila Moon team. They’re fun and make me go faster than I normally would.

Photo provided via May

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!

When she first got +named her new old bike: meet Tostito

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Women Who Bike: Jenna

How would you characterize your bicycling style?
J. Slow and steady.

Something basic: how often do you bike and what for?
J. I’ve been biking for a little under a month and during that time averaging about 4-5days out of every week for both commuting to work and for fun.

Jenna and her coworker, on their first Bike to Work Day. May 2010

What could be done in SF to encourage more women, including teens and younger, to bike?
J. I’m not sure on this one yet…maybe after a few more months of biking I will have a good answer for this. But the more women bike and are out there being seen the more it encourages others of us to do it.

How many of your best dates/friendships started with biking?
J. Nothing has started for me yet because of biking, but starting to bike has giving me one more thing to do with a few of my good friends.

I surprise people when I bike by (or with) –
J. I think I surprise people enough when I am on a bike to begin with. Haha!

taking our friend Yvonne’s banana-yellow bike for a spin

Other little things:
– My favorite meal after a long ride (or in between) is:
J. I don’t have a favorite meal yet, but I have been eating a lot of peanut butter and chocolate chip granola bars and craving naked juice drinks.

– The best way to hydrate in between rides is:
J. Usually I go from point A to B, but whenever I stop it’s usually for beer with friends.

– A personal item I must have or bring while riding my bike
J. A scarf.

My message to women who want to try biking:
J. You may think it takes more effort than it’s worth…but once you start it’s so much fun you forget why you didn’t do it sooner!

I am very happy that my friend Muffin (as she has pretty much let me introduce her for the last many years) has filled this out. And I felt very very speacial when I got to randomly come across her on her first ‘Bike to Work Day’ this year. The frist time we had both biked together was an early foggy morning in 2003 in Berkeley Calif. We bought lots of fruit, granola and other healthy stuff. We borrowed bikes and we had coffee. It was a day that I remember as if it was yesterday, but I’m sure she knows this 😀

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♥ Gracias Jenna!! ♥

Don’t forget to check out BIKE NOPA for more Women Who Bike profiles.
Women who bike: Take the Writing Women Back into Bicycling survey online by May 15th. More than 7300 women already have. Survey conducted by the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP). See survey here: link
**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

BIKE NOPA & Bikes and The City have spun out a collaborative bike series, Women Who Bike. Each Monday and Wednesday, we will 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!

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Women Who Bike: Kay
**All ©Photos for this post, property/taken by KayVee INC**

How would you characterize your bicycling style?
K. I’m pretty slow and steady, for a few reasons. One of those being my bicycle is one of those heavy ones, but I love it anyway 🙂 The tortoise won against the hare right!

Something basic: how often do you bike and what for?
K. I bike every day, mostly to and from work, or to the BART station.

by KayVee INC

by KayVee INC

What could be done in SF to encourage more women, including teens and younger, to bike?
K. Maybe some sort of smashing advertisement where it shows the person in stages of being unhealthy through to being and looking fit, happy and glowing with health?

How many of your best dates/friendships started with biking?
K. None really started with biking, but I had a really good friend who I would go bike with along the river in Brisbane (Australia). I really miss those days.

Other little things:
– My favorite meal after a long ride (or in between) is:
K. Tuna salad.

– The best way to hydrate in between rides is:
K. I love sweet hot tea or just plain diet coke. The bubbles are very refreshing, though you cant beat ice cold water.

– A personal item I must have or bring while riding my bike
K. My camera. You never know what you may see on the way.

by KayVee INC

I am Flickr friends via the interwebs with KayVee. She has a fantastic keen eye for daily urban encounters around her surroundings that are exposed throughout her stream. To many more awesome pictures, discussions and interweb stuff – Ride on Kay.

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♥ Gracias Kay!! ♥

Don’t forget to check out BIKE NOPA for more Women Who Bike profiles.
Women who bike: Take the Writing Women Back into Bicycling survey online by May 15th. More than 7300 women already have. Survey conducted by the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP). See survey here: link
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

BIKE NOPA & Bikes and The City have spun out a collaborative bike series, Women Who Bike. Each Monday and Wednesday, we will 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!

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Women Who Bike: Beatriz
How would you characterize your bicycling style?
B. I am an old-lady on my bike, I get off when I see train tracks, a very steep hill, a busy intersection or anything that may prove difficult while balancing on two wheels. I still can’t do some of the basics such as stand while biking, signal with my hands (without losing my balance) or change gears correctly. For these reasons, I take it sloooooooowwww and that’s fine with me 🙂

Something basic: how often do you bike and what for?
B. I use it everyday to go to work (9 minute ride), to go to meetings, to go to the park, to buy groceries. I save $70 each month by riding my bike and not buying a FastPass.

What could be done in SF to encourage more women, including teens and younger, to bike?
B. Find a way to sell cheap bikes in San Francisco. I got two bikes at the Oakland flea market and they both got stolen. The bike I have now I got at the Alemany flea market for $37 but they didn’t have very many there. I don’t think in SF you’re technically allowed to sell bikes that way anymore. It’s sad because the bike shops in SF are way too expensive. There should also be more bike basics trainings for women. I have alotta friends who are too scared/embarrassed to start riding again.

How many of your best dates/friendships started with biking?
B. My ex-boyfriend re-introduced me to biking. Me-n-my bike are still together, but he and I are not.

I surprise people when I bike by (or with) –
B. When I show up to a meeting with my helmet, people will often ask if I just biked there. The answer is yes.

Other little things:
– My favorite meal after a long ride (or in between) is:
B. Anything in the Mission, any excuse to eat out

– The best way to hydrate in between rides is:
B. water – from my water bottle

– A personal item I must have or bring while riding my bike
B. I can’t go anywhere without my glasses. I can’t bike in the rain, because the water drops stick to my lenses and I can’t see!

My message to women who want to try biking:
B. I’ve heard girl friends say they don’t wanna bike because they’re scared of getting in an accident, or scared of traffic, or falling, etc. But I feel safer on my bike than I do riding the 14 bus, walking home late at night, taking a taxi with a driver I don’t know, or getting a ride with people earlier/later than I wanted to leave a place/party. Biking = freedom, in many many ways. I love it.

I first met Beatriz via the Calitexican. Has been a pleaseure to meet other women through women riders and amigas on the bike lane. Cheers to more bike rides and yummy food and everything!!

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♥ Gracias Betty!! ♥

Don’t forget to check out BIKE NOPA for more Women Who Bike profiles.
Women who bike: Take the Writing Women Back into Bicycling survey online by May 15th. More than 7300 women already have. Survey conducted by the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP). See survey here: link
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