guest post: riding in sf

since i normally do a bike post on wednesdays and i thought it would be fun for another bike enthusiast  to share some of the reasons she loves to ride while i am away..enjoy my sweeties!

riding through the city streets and hills of san francisco, i'm tina, blogger of city girl rides who brings you inspiration, adventures, tips, and elegant finds to suit a ladies stylish, sustainable, and elegant lifestyle to ride along with. 

i had not always been a bicycle enthusiast. the thought of riding a bicycle in san francisco was crazy at best, dangerous at worst. yet, until my bicycle fanatic boyfriend introduced me to my christmas gift of a 1983 varsity hot red shwinn (shwing!), i feel in love. my first ride with her made me feel like i was peter pan flying through neverland, thus i named her... wendy bird. ahh, the feeling of riding in full speed down hill or pushing and sweating up hill has taught me the strength of endurance both physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

as i've continued to ride with great wonder and knowledge lust, i have just about learned and seen every sort of bicycle from road bikes, dutch bikes, cruisers, fixies, single speeds, townies, mountain bikes, mixte's, track bikes etc. i have made friends on the road as i have inspired friends to get on the road. i have adopted a lifestyle that takes responsibility to loving the earth as well as loving the city i ride in. i had learned what it is to be a safe, responsible, and a respectful road sharer. i ride my bicycle in my girly clothes never letting an adventure pass me by. i confidently walk into a bike shop to order new components or just a little tune up. i've learned to love the smell of bicycle grease as i've learned to fix my own bike. i have had road battle wounds and have accidental scars but i still ride on. that's what life is about. sharing what you love, enduring them even when they throw you head over wheels.

i love riding my bicycle, and what i've learned from writing inspirational posts of adventures, bicycle treasure finds, cycle chic, and riding tips, is that our cities deserve safe and better roads. unsafe and poor road infrastructure is the leading cause why women refuse to ride a bicycle, and i don't blame them. we deserve the right to ride down in safety, at our own pace, in our dresses, with heels, on whatever bicycle we love, on secure roads, with our friends, children, groceries, pets, school books, errands, etc. without feeling like the "other" on the road. by breaking barriers, cycling becomes not just for the cycling sports rider but also for the city girl rider.

be inspired and ride on.

peace, love and bicycle grease,

xoxo

tina of city girl rides