June Review: Past, and Post......

When i look back at the month of June i find myself searching for things to write about. June in NY is the jumping off point, for many of us that work in corporate offices, for Summer Fridays, road trips to the Hamptons, weekends at Fire Island, and perhaps time to plan that last minute summer getaway. This month i found myself riding my bike more often in the city, and less and less in Brooklyn. There is something about riding through the city amongst the traffic that gives you a HUGE adrenaline rush, all your senses are working at once while you whiz through the sea of yellow cab's. Although i may never leave Brooklyn (it's my home away from home) i find myself getting more and more comfortable taking my bike into Manhattan. Some things i did accomplish this past month are: Learning to add parts to my bike, taking my bike over the river to Governors Island, and Learned, but did not blog, about "Summer Streets" in NYC. In a nutshell, the city of NY is planning a new program this summer called Summer Streets. This program involves the closing of 5 miles of streets in Manhattan three Saturdays in August. For more on the article just click on the link.

i am happy to see the closing of June, this has been a tough month for me, and i look forward to the month of July. This Month i will be partaking in a private Century to Montauk. This ride usually involves a good 1500 bikers and shelling out a good 176$. Me any my friend Megan are planning on taking our vintage bikes out to Long Island and riding it ourselves. i am super excited about this ride, and will surely get you pictures of our journey. Good luck and Happy riding in July!

Find Your Way, and On The Design Tip....cont.

Photo by: Megan H.
Even though NYC is only 13.4 miles from top to bottom, and 2.3 miles at it's widest parts it is easy to get lost when you are pounding the pavement, or if you are on wheels. So to make things easier someone came up with a site for bikers to find a safe route while getting around the city. The site is called, "ridethecity.com" and if you are interested you can just click on the link.......it's never too late to be safe, even if you are on a bike.

On The Design Tip cont.

So a while back i introduced to you the link i added called, "On the Design Tip" which i launched with "Design 59". i mentioned adding some fashion sites and other design related topics and names to the list. So in the spirit of design here are two that i read regularly:

The Sartorialist, which is a NYC based Photographer and Fashion Icon photographing the everyday male and female in their natural habitats as designers would see them for inspiration. i hope that you enjoy this blog as much as i have.

New York Daily Photo, this is an interesting blog based again on photography in NYC. You can count on timeless images captured all around the city. i encourage you to take a peek and get lost on the over 1,000 images since 2006, with links to other great cities.

Alas....Governors Island

Photo by: Amy H.

One of the beautiful things about living in NYC is the endless amount of exploring there is to be accomplished. If you find yourself with nothing to do, or have an open day, you can always look on the many websites that cater to this very type of theme. Some of the better sites i like to visit are Time Out: New York, and Forgotten NY. This past friday i took off work to ride with a friend to the small Governors Island. Before i decided to head there i, of course, did some research on the island and what to expect when i got there. i found out that the ferry runs out of NY every hour on the hour, and departs Gov. Island every half hour, and the best part is it's free!

Upon hearing this good news me and my friend Amy packed a lunch and Griffin and headed out to the island for an afternoon (yes you can take your own bike on the ferry). The first thing we did when we arrived was rent Amy a bike (they rent bikes out for free on Fridays). Once we did this we took the bikes and headed for a small patch of grass and had a picnic and looked at the view of Manhattan while relaxing under the shade of the trees. The fun part about Governors Island is that it is very bike friendly, and has many trails to ride around the neighborhoods which are kept up by the ground keepers in their original state. There are several landmarks here which have signs posted giving the viewer a chance to learn a bit about each plot.

If you happen to find yourself with nothing to do there are several events going on this summer which include concerts, the orchestra, and many festivals including some great artsy and cultural events. i hope you enjoy our pictures as much as we enjoyed the ride!


(for more on Governors Island, just click on the title of this post)

Do It Yourself, and if you CAN'T.....I'll Show You How!!!!

Photos by: David Y.
If you ride a bike in New York City there are certain rules you must follow to avoid the cops, and their annoying tickets, and also just to travel a little more safely around the busy streets. When i was checking over Griffin, i was looking for the following:

1. Adequate Brakes (check)
2. Working Horn or Bell (check)
3. Working Headlight (nope)
4. Working Tail-light (nope)
(for more on these rules just click here)

i knew that if i ever wanted to legally ride in Critical Mass i would have to obtain a working headlight, and tail-light for my bike. i knew i wanted one of the generator light sets, mainly because of the vintage feel, and how true it was to the bike's age, but also because it seemed a little more green not having to worry about batteries and their disposal. i ordered the Dynamo Lighting Set online (from Azatlan Bicycle). When the package arrived it came with no instructions, just all the parts. i waited a couple of days before i decided to call a couple of bike shops to get quotes on instillation of the parts. i was informed by both that it would be a minimum of 40$, and they would have to keep it over night for proper installment (apparently they are tricky to put on, and very senitive). So after hearing this i decided, "if those chuckle-heads could do it, then so could i!" and i did! So i have decided to take a moment and show you how to install a, "Tung Lin: Dynamo Lighting Set"

1. Tools used: these are the tools i used to apply all the nuts/bolts.

2. Parts: these are all the parts that came in the box.
3. Instillation:

• A.) You are going to have to apply the generator as i have, allowing the black rotator to actually touch the back tire. test it by lifting the back of the bike and running the pedals to make sure it is spinning. see image below.

• B.) i installed the back light first, fitting it where i wanted it to be seen. Then i applied the wire to the bottom connection as shown.

• C.) i then installed the front head light to the handle bars making sure it was on tightly, then i ran the small wire (weaving it along the bikes bars to the top back connection) and connecting it like i did the back light.

4. Test: Lift the back of the bike again, and spin the pedals to make sure the lights are all coming on, if they are not then you need to check your connections.

5. Enjoy: Take your whip for a spin!

Is There Such A Thing As A Bike Aficionado??

Recently i was talking to a good friend of mine who was telling me about an actual "bike snob" friend of his, and how he just won't settle till he gets his hands on a Mercedes Bike. After this conversation the wheels in my head were turning and i was wondering, "Is there such a thing as a bike aficionado?", ya know someone who just can't relax till they get their hands on that name brand bike? i mean obviously this guy is climbing the social status ladder rung by rung. So in the spirit of Luxury Style here is a list i have compiled for those who Seek the Best:

Mercedes Benz: 2008



BMW: 2008


Porsche: 2001




J.Crew: 2008