if you follow me on twitter or tumblr, you may have seen me posting about a bike video shoot yesterday. basically, i rode around oakland on my bike all day long getting footage for said video. we still have another day of shooting to go, but i’m pretty excited about what we came up with so far. especially since my pal, jon brown, who is filming and editing the video, decided that the best way to film a bike video would be to ride along with me and shoot in motion. the only catch is that you can’t ride and shoot at the same time. his solution came in the form of an xtracycle, which is illustrated in the photo below. he hitched a ride on the back of a bike while my partner, brendan, rode along with me. it must have been a pretty silly sight if you happened to see us ride past!

i have more photos and things to share, but for now i thought i would just show you this teeny tiny sneak peek!

it’s been a very long while since i did my first bikes and babes post, so today i thought i would share some of my favorites that i’ve accumulated over the past year or so! i actually have enough photos of girls riding bikes that i should probably start another tumblr…

above, claire cottrell shot by jeanna sohn of closet visit for lucky magazine, elizabeth kehl shot by mr newton for elle magazine, and nancy rosenbloom shot for citizen couture.

above, veronika bjarsh shot by mr newton for elle magazine, adrianna shot by vanessa jackman, and milk teeths.

altamira, cecilia stucker shot by mr newton for elle magazine, and sophie assa shot for closet visit.

today i thought it would be fun to share some vintage cycle chic in the form of these photos i found in the london college of fashion archives. there weren’t any notes about these photos, except that these photos were taken in 1947, so i can only guess that it was a little cycling/sporstwear collection, perhaps a student project? i quite like their short sleeved sweaters, culottes, and little scarves! and of course, it’s always nice to admire some fancy vintage bikes and babes!

i said cycle chic sundays were coming back, and i’m sticking to my word. today i would like to share some pretty awesome bike bags by the philadelphia based company, laplander bags. they specialize in beautiful handmade cycling bags and panniers made of canvas and leather. i recently sold my vintage raleigh to make room for a fancy new mixte bike (which i will tell you more about later…), and i’ve been on the hunt for the perfect cycling accessories! i especially love the idea of having a nice, sturdy porteur bag to place on a front rack for carrying whatever spoils i find on a weekend ride about town.

seen above: special edition towpath seat duffel and journeyman porteur bag, seen below: standard city panniers and deluxe waxed city panniers. get into it.

and cycle chic sundays return! this week, i decided to have some fun on polyvore and created two easy outfits for a springtime bike ride around town. i firmly believe that there is no need to wear shorts or pants while riding your bike. just throw on a simple pair of cycle shorts underneath your skirt or dress and you can pretty much wear anything you want!

the first look is decidedly more casual, while the second look is more appropriate if you know you’er going to be hitting a bit more distance around town. my shoe of choice is any pair of flat sandals to keep my feet cool! i also find that it’s helpful to wear a few simple layers, a pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes, and to invest in a simple bike basket to hold your purse or bag and whatever other items you might pick up along the way! if you’re planning a more intense ride, you can check out what i wore on my last bike tour.

p.s. you can click through to shop the looks seen above.

p.p.s. in other news, i’m selling my vintage raleigh 3-speed to make room in my apartment for a new bike. if you’re in the bay area, let me know if you’re interested!

it’s national bike month, which means it’s time for me to start up with my cycle chic posts again! you can expect to see more bikes + babes posts, shopping advice for bikes and accessories, and some other super secret, super exciting stuff! in the meantime, take a look at my past cycle chic posts and let me know if there is anything in particular you’d like me to write about for this feature!

pictured above is the public bikes m8.

a little while back, i discovered the collina strada spring 2011 look book while browsing around on tumblr. what struck me the most were the beautiful images, but on second look, i noticed that she’s got a couple of really awesome bike bags! they snap into place on your headset or seat post, but are also easily removed to carry as a little tote bag. there are two styles up for sale at need supply in leather or canvas. definitely a fashionable and functional purchase.