guest post: tipa tipa

i am really excited to have monique from tipa tipa here today. she is such a beautiful person inside & out and i sooooo want to play in her closet of amazing clothing and not to mention accessories too. this lady knows how to dress and how to ride a bike too! gotta love a triple threat! i am so happy she is here sharing her bike stylish wisdom! thanks monique. oh and when you get a chance pop on over to her blog and witness some awe inspiring style!

 Hello all, I'm Monique and I blog over at Tipa Tipa. When Cristie asked me to do a guest post on cycling chic. I was really excited. I really love all the cycling posts here on City Bird's Nest and I'm stoked to share some tips with you.When choosing what to wear on a bike ride. Loose fitting skirts are great because they are comfortable and make for easy pedaling. Pencil skirts are cute, but can be tough to bike in and you run the risk of ripping the skirt. I used my husband's bike for this trip because my wedges didn't fit in the bike pedal insert. I found it easier to bike in a regular heel than in wedges due to the limited amount of space caused by the wedged heel. I avoid skirts that are below the knee as they can get caught on the wheel.  Before heading out, I check out a map and use routes with the most bike paths. Google maps has a bike option which makes it much easier to find bike paths. 

Riding in pants is a breeze there's so much less to worry about. During the summer I enjoy cycling in light weight cotton or linen pants as they are breathable. What about the helmet head? Well, one solution is to bring a hat. In addition wearing my hair down I enjoy a low side pony tail or a low side bun. I use to make the excuse that I didn't want to wear my helmet because I didn't want to ruin my hair but I stopped putting my hair in high buns when I have plans to bike and have styled my hair to fit both a helmet and a hat. Cycling around NYC can be a bit nerve racking but I find that communicating with other cyclists and pedestrians is really helpful in avoiding accidents. Thanks for having me Cristie. Hope you all are enjoying your summer!

thanks monique for guest posting today!! i always LOVE being able to share others riding wisdom here on the blog. 


xo,
cb
p.s. thanks so much everyone for all the wonderful encouragement and support regarding my new collection. it has been so much fun reading your comments. i feel so lucky to have such awesome readers! stay tuned for a fun diy project i have for you tomorrow!

ring my bell

hi cuties! thank you for all the sweet comments on my last post :) making my appointment today so crossing my fingers i can see my tattoo artist soon!

i have a fun little video that i made this weekend. i love my bell. it is one of my favorite things about riding my bike. i am one of those riders that isn't afraid to ring her bell and let it be known that i am rolling by.

not only is a bell just so cute with the sweet sound it makes and the smile it puts on my face but it is also really important for safetly too. i can't tell you how many times my bell has helped save me from a crash. it helps pedestrians and drivers know that "hey i'm on the road, look out". it also really helps with people getting in and out of their parked cars and swinging their door open without looking. i have seen people get hit by swinging doors and it doesn't look like fun. i am a cautious person by nature, i have broken so many bones that being vocal while riding comes really naturally to me.

if i don't ring my bell, you will hear me say "on your left" which is a phrase you unfortunately don't hear too often in the biking world. it is a courteous gesture to let other riders that you are passing them and i solely, and whole heartily believe in treating others how you want to be treated so i am constantly letting people know i am passing them in hopes that the favor will be returned back, when it is i always thank the rider.

i have my eye on this red bell from public bike to adorn on kiki. i hope to be purchasing this little cutie in the very near future!

UPDATE: i did an artist interview with at true becoming, check it out! also the song on my video is by april march, poor lola!


xo,
cb

Guest Post: Simply Bike

hi everyone! first off i want to thank you all for the wonderful compliments on kiki! i haven't rode a new bike in sooo long and it is so nice! today i have a wonderful bike lady to share tips on finding the perfect bike for you. she is super awesome and such an inspiration to me. she is 36 weeks pregnant and still RIDING! can you saw amazing!!! well s. had a great blog, simply bike and if you want to feel inspired to ride then i suggest you head over to her blog! thanks s. for a wonderful post! can't wait to "meet" your new nugget soon!

Hi, I’m S. and I blog about cycling for fun and for every day commuting over at Simply Bike. Like most people, I learned to ride a bike as a child and spent many happy childhood days riding around my neighborhood with my friends. But then I stopped riding a bike and didn’t rediscover how much fun cycling can be until about three years ago.  I wish I had gotten back on a bike much sooner because it’s so much fun, it’s a great way to built exercise into my day, and it’s made me appreciate my surroundings and community so much more as I experience it in a much more up-close and interactive way.

So here are my five simple steps to getting back on a bike if you, like me, haven’t given that two-wheeled contraption any thought since your childhood days…

1. Find a bike that is a good fit for you. I wrote all about finding the right size bike for you on my blog and it’s something I think very important to helping you feel comfortable and at ease on a bike. When I first started riding on a regular basis, I loved my cruiser because it was like riding a huge tractor of a bike. I felt stable and impenetrable on it. Once I gained more confidence, I transitioned to speedier bikes with thinner tires and a more aggressive geometry. But it was important for me to first gain my bike-riding confidence on a bike that felt easy and comfortable to me.

2. Pick easy routes around your neighborhood or on bike trails.  When I first got back on a bike, I felt too intimidated to ride near cars, in busy areas, or in high-traffic situations. I loved hitting the bike trails on the weekends and I also enjoyed easy rides to a coffee shop near my house that only required riding through quiet neighborhood streets. Choosing these kinds of routes allowed me to slowly built my confidence and work my way up to feeling confident in tackling any kind of city riding scenario.

3. Find friends who like to ride enlist them to join you on a bike ride. There is nothing better than a social bike ride. Friends, bikes, fresh air… bliss! Added bonus: when you ride with more people, your visibility on the road increases and you can feel some of that ‘safety in numbers’ thing.  If you don’t have friends who want to ride, look up social rides in your city (online) or ask about easy ‘fun rides’ at your local bike shop.

4. Remember that cycling is not an exclusive club! You don’t need a special bike, lycra, or any kinds of special skills or tricks. Any bike that fits you and has good functioning brakes will do. Most of the clothes in your closet will do. A basic understanding of starting, stopping, shifting gears, and signaling your turns will do. Don’t be deterred by ‘hard-core’ cyclists who speed by you in their high-performance cycling gear and with their expensive high-end bikes. There are many different kinds of cyclists out there and you belong on the road just as much as the rider does.

5. Remember to smile! The thing about riding a bike is that it’s fun. Yes, it’s great for the environment and yes, it’s cheap and financially sound. Of course it’s great that you can get a work-out in when hopping on your bike and, sure, it’s great that you’re doing something that’s ecologically sensible. But none of those reasons would be enough to get so many people out there and riding if the most fundamental of reasons weren’t true as well: riding your bike is fun! Just like it was when you were a kid. So hop on that bike and remember to have a good time!

pedal revolution

well, hello ya'll and happy hump day :D

today i have a bike chick tip for you!

bike chick tip # 15- pedals and how to change them!

what i find super important on a bike besides your saddle & fenders are your pedals! most new bikes and even vintage bikes come with stock pedals. they are normally narrow and do not have a great grip to them. when i started riding the mister bought me a pair of bmx/mountain bike pedals that i just LOVE! the reason i love these is that the pedal is much wider so my foot has more room, plus it makes it easier if i am wearing chunky shoes or boots with a heal and they have little stubby tread that really keeps your foot from slipping off.  odyssey makes some fun colored ones as well as some cute patterns so you can really spruce up your bike with some bright fun color! since i am a classic girl, the silver color works for me :D

my clip pedals

these pedals had been on white lighting but since i will not be riding her until she is complete i thought i would make my commute to work a little easier by putting them on mary. i was riding with clips which took some getting used to....when i first was riding them i had both my feet in the clips and stopped...i couldn't get my feet out fast enough and fell right over and almost hit my head on the concrete..could have been really scary. since then i have gotten used to them but i much prefer my bmx pedals.

pedals may be expensive to buy at first but you will have them forever and they are so worth it! so what do you need to change your pedals? just a wrench! you can get a pedal wrench which is a bit thinner then a normal wrench...it can be tricky sometimes because the space between the pedal & the crank arm may not be able to accommodate a normal wrench.

first thing... start with the pedal that is on the same side of the chain and gears, this is called the drive side...to unscrew this pedal remember...lefty loosey righty tighty....for the opposite pedal it is the opposite ....righty loose, lefty tight. the reason the pedals are threaded differently is the movement of you pedaling could unscrew one of the pedals...

okay pedals are off....now to put on your new amazing pedals! you will need some oil which will make putting the pedals on much easier. just a bit and then spread it around the threads and just remember the above little phrase depending on which pedal you start with.

and then you are done and you have great pedals which make for a happier rider :D

pump up for spring!

 happy wednesday! so good to be home and to sleep in our own bed! i am waiting for the film to develop so here is a bike chick tip for your wednesday morning!

everyone is aware that spring is here which means bike riding! SCORE! which also means that those of you who are not year round riders are digging out your long lost friends. your friend will most likely need a bit of a tune up in order to run at its best and the first and most obvious fix is the tires! rubber is porous so over time if sitting will leave your tires flat. this doesn't mean that you need to change the tube, which if you do you i did a post on that here. most likely you just need a bit of air in your tire!


bike chic tip# 14: pump up for spring!

first and for most what does a full tire look compared to a flat? well most of time you can notice a flat tire but it isn't always noticeable if you need more air. a full time should look like this when you pinch it:

and a flat time or any tire that needs air will look something like this:

if you can pinch your tire easily then  most likely it needs air!

bike pumps are so so helpful! and a floor pump is the best! they are easy to use and instead of dragging your bike down to the shop you can just pump up your tires at the convenience of your own home! we don't have a bike shop in walking distance so it is necessary for us to have one at home. tire pressure will range from the type of tire you have but you can find that # on your bike most likely in raised font on the tire. it can be really hard to see and taking a picture doesn't help as you can't see it. what my tire on mary says is inflate to 100psi, what does that mean you ask? well....psi stands for pounds per square inch. thats just a mesurement for the air pressure in the tire.

first off i would pump up your tire and let it sit for a day. if the next day it is flat most likely you have a leak which is an easy repair you can do yourself...here is how! most pumps will fit shrader and presta valve tubes.

insert

flip

pump

just insert the pump piece on the tire nozzle and flip the switch over...you should hear some air let out and then you can start pumping away! just watch the dial so that you aren't putting to much air in the tire. most of the time you will notice as it will start to get hard to pump.

i don't always pump up my tire all the way as i don't like my tire to be that hard. sometimes pumping up the tire to full compacity can make for a rougher ride but the tires will glide better on the pavement which makes you fly down the street :D


i will be back tomorrow with a our ny trip!

xo,
cb

used bike shopping tip!

yay! today is wednesday which means my new bike post!! !since the weather will be warmer it means bike season is coming and people tend to buy bikes before the season begins!  i will throw this post into the mix every now and then. i know a lot of you out there are on the hunt out for a bike and want to get something for a good deal so i thought i would share some helpful tips on how to buy a used bike on craigslist! i am a HUGE advocate of finding & buying used bikes on craigslist because not only are you recycling but you can find some major deals on some really cool bikes and bike parts!

so here is my first stab

ad here. looks like my urusla!

when in doubt a raleigh 3-speed is a great bike for the most part. there always tons of raleigh's on craigslist some good, bad & then ugly. this little cutie is a winner! black, a very practical color and a classic, easy-to-use 3 speed shifting: perfect for light hill riding and going around town or commuting, fenders, and a worn in brooks saddle that could probably be brought back to life with a little leather oil! for $150 this little gem is a really great deal!

now when it comes to shopping on craigslist pictures are really important. these aren't the greatest and don't show a lot of detail which is crucial if there is rust. don't ever feel embarrassed to email the owner and ask for close up pictures or ask about rust.


next, notice where the bike is located. sonoma is about an hour away from us so is it worth a tank of gas for me to drive all the way up there and have the bike be a bust?..maybe, maybe not. you have to make that decision if the bike is worth it and having an owner that is a great communicator is important. if they could care less about the sale then why should you waste your time and money.

from what i gather the bike is in rideable condition, if you are worried about it after your purchase take it to your local bike shop and have them give the bike a tune up (which probably would be a good idea anyways). brake or shift cables might be old and could use replacing so anything to help your new bike run at 100% is good. usually a tune up will run you around $60-$100 depending on what the bike needs.

all in all this bike is a good find, great price, and super cute. we often head north to visit family so if we were headed up north and i was in need of a bike, i would be sure check this one out!



xo,

cb

bike chick tip

hello :) i haven't done a bike chick tip in some time so i thought i would do one today! all about the racks and bags we use. i have a couple new bike posts that i am going to throw into the mix and i will start off the first one when i get back from my holiday :D hint hint: it will be very helpful for those ladies out there looking for used bikes! yay!

bike chic tip #:  13  bags, baskets & racks oh my!

it is so important to have bike accessories especially if you ride your bike often or go anywhere that requires you to bring something more then just yourself and your bike. wearing a back pack can be great, less load on your bike but.....if you are riding far or if it is hot a backpack is the worst thing...your back gets all sweaty and one of the things i hate most is having a sweaty back! i most prefer not having anything on me (ha!) while i ride that way the breeze can flow over me and cool me down :D

swift industry panniers PERFECT for camping!

having some type of sturdy rack is your best bet! strap a sleeping bag on it and your ready to go camping...well add a few more things and then your REALLY ready to go camping..another post of this to come! or clip on a bag or pannier and your set! the best is having a light weight rack especially for all those older bikes out there that don't need to add more weight to the bike.

this front rack is a cetma rack, modelo anyone?

this front bag from swift industries is great because you can get stuff in and out of it while riding!

 velo orange has some great racks! as well as cetma. i bought the mister one, which is pictured above for his birthday some years ago and it is really great! it is great for hauling larger items. for longer rides he uses his swift industries bag that he got for this birthday this year! he just LOVES this bag! we also have a pair for panniers from this company that are just beyond AMAZING (these bags are the first picture of the misters bike, they are the brown & red bags) if you like to go bike camping i can not recommend these bags enough! they hold SOOO much. the quality of this companies bags are amazing and they are all hand made in seattle! they even do custom colors!

please excuse my extreme silly face!

unlike the mister, i like having my racks and bags on the rear of my bike. for me, having anything in the front makes the steering a bit more touchy. when my stuff is in the back i don't have to worry about!

i have tried lots of accessories out. a wicker basket in the front on ursula...which was SUPER cute but then it started to fall apart once winter came...practical for the summer but not a good winter basket. since summer is coming it is really a great cheap and easy fix...check out out we did it here!

i also had a collapsing basket from wald that attached to my rack which was nice for a while but then it started to not want to fold for some reason. it was great because i just popped my bag in the basket and then folded it when i chained mary up. but i have found that for me a pannier works great for my everyday use! i pack up my things and then all i have to do is pull of  my bag and i am ready! so easy and really convenient!

another type of bag i am just dying to get is this bag

"white lightening" would look so pretty with this bag in tow! oh i can't wait for spring!!

xo,
cb

biking chic in the rain!

hello everyone! today is wednesday and i am feeling a bit better! thank you all for your get well wishes! as i had mentioned in my last post that doctors orders had prevented me from going to the sf bike party **insert tears & crying** due to stupid bronchitis! thus we did not take gilbert out on a ride either **insert MORE tears & crying** the mister however was not sick and took a long nice ride up mt. diablo...i tried my very hardest to be happy for him but i couldn't hide the jealous rage within me! so sadly i do not have a post about my outfit for the themed iconic women bike ride...i was going to dress up as frida...one of my all time favorite artists and i was so excited because not only did it allow me to wear my favorite mexican embroidery dress but also my grandmothers (aka chichi which is grandmother in mayan) hand made knitted white shawl! i will find another occasion to wear this outfit but for now i share with you what i wear when it rains!! yes ladies and gents i ride when it rains! not even snow could stop me..well maybe a blizzard or a hurricane but we don't get those natural disasters around these parts!

so i will admit it..i don't own a rain coat..this is the misters that i have stolen...that is what happens when you are in any relationship..he stole my awesome leather belt from mexico..i'll steal his awesome military waterproof jacket! ha! so when it rains i bundle up with his military jacket, jeans when it is too cold and tights will not do (in my pannier i will always bring a change of clothes :D) some type of boot...these are great because they are not real leather so i don't feel bad getting them wet! a beanie for my hair and i must not leave home without my glasses! i am not suppose to ride in the dark without my glasses but they also serve a greater purpose too! they shield my eyes from the rain! so that when riding i don't have to squint the entire way home which can be really dangerous!

i am riding ursula so that we can easily transition some of the parts from mary to"white lightening" and then the mister can start riding her to work! i just love the picture of me looking down and i had to share...i was staring at a poor worm that had been cut in half and his body was still moving! worms are such interesting creatures!

if you click on the picture you might be able to see my facial expression...it's a good one!

what do you wear to ride in the rain?

xo,
cb

white lightening update!

so here is "white lightening" looking all pretty with some more items added to her....gosh i cant get over how pretty she is!

she has shiny new fenders and a really awesome light weight rack for my pannier! she also got brakes, and a super cool new crank set...all from velo orange! with all this new stuff she is still super lightweight...**a sigh of relief**

our bike fund has run dry so for the next month she will be as is..which really bums me out as i am soo anxious to ride her and see how she fits! she doesn't really need much just a front derailleur...brake cables and chain but that stuff adds up :(

xo,
cb

why i ride

NOTE:  i fixed my buttons on my last post so they should be working now :D thanks for those of you who let me know!!! much appreciated! 


happy presidents day! i have the day off today...a BIG YIPPEE!!!!!!! so i am at home working away in my jamies :D ***bliss***  i wanted to share this post with you that i did for tina over at city girl rides. some of you may remember it from oh my darling blog...i thought this post was perfect for a series tina is doing called "why we ride"..i thought it would be a great way for some of you to get to know me better and why i love to ride! this post is making me sad cause the weather has been soo horrible this past week..riding in STRONG winds and rain is a bit scary and really hard! oh i wish for sunnier days!

here goes!

i am so happy to be a part of "why we ride"! i think this is a great idea to get more people inspired to ride their bikes not just for leisure but as a way of life. i first started riding bikes full time when we moved to the nob hill area of san francisco which was about 2005 but here is a background story how i started riding!

i always rode a bike. i remember my first bike.  it was actually my brother's, but I stole it from him. it was a prize he had won for a clo's milk ad he submitted.  i had also entered the contest, but my prize wasn't nearly as cool. i am not even sure about the make of the bike, but it was white with white tires and was SUPER AWESOME! i remember falling off it for the first time and then getting back on it without a problem, but years later i had a horrible experience that would stunt the growth of my bike riding for years!  

Hard to get a good picture but it's the dark discoloration above my ankle bone 

i was riding on the back of my friend's banana seat and was having so much fun. we went down a steep neighbor's driveway and, throwing all caution to the wind, i forgot where to put my feet and they ended up getting caught in the rear wheels spoke. if you think that sounds awkward, you bet it was! crying and screaming in the middle of the street, i was rushed to the hospital with a sprained ankle and a really awesome scar which i will adorn for the rest of my days. 

many years later i met the mister, we moved to sf, and he gave me what felt like my very first bike lesson on my beloved maryjane. i was so so scared to get on a bike again...i didn't want to experience any of the pain that i had experienced in the past but we went to the marina where it was flat and perfect to test drive her. i was completely terrified, holding on to my grips as if they some how they would save me. there were, to say the least, a couple of hiccups that day, along with a mere mishap with almost hitting a car and riding away with bruises and scraps. i had conquered by fears and i was oh so proud of myself for getting back on my bike and sad that so many years had passed. as i became more comfortable, and expressed to the mister my likes and dislikes, we made maryjane the perfect bike for me!  

over the years I've grown to become somewhat of a bike nerd, but nowhere near as much as the mister.  however, his love of bikes has definitely rubbed off on me. and how i thank him for that! i have rode my bike ever since and rarely do we use our car, as our bikes are our main way of transportation.  

bike riding has become a  huge part of my life. at first it was a huge hurdle to cross. then it became something the mister liked to do,  so i rode because it was something to do together. then it became a healthy decision to ride a bike, and then finally it became something more.... i love the freedom it gives me. the solitary time it gives me to just think. to know that i don't need to rely on gas to get me somewhere -- just my steady pedaling and beating heart. 

the wind in my hair and the world at my finger tips. bike adventures have become a necessary way of life for me and the mister. to be able to explore the area surrounding us on a bike has become not only an everyday thing, but something we will do for the rest of lives. it means so much to me to get on my bike. when the rainy winters come, i yearn for chilled spring rides, blazing hot summer adventures, and fall's colorful scenery. my bike has become who i am today, and i am so happy that i reconnected with my lifelong friend.

my journey now takes me to help inspire others who, like me, must overcome a hurdle to become who they truly are. through my blog, the citybirds nest i offer bike riding tips, display bike riding adventures with my mister and bike riding outfits in hopes to encourage and inspire others that not only is bike riding a healthy way of living but also a practical way of living too.  as the famous freddy mercury from queen once said, "get on your bikes and ride"!!!!!

hope you all enjoy this wonderful monday! i know i am! well partly because i don't have to work!


xo,
cb