bike helmets:to wear or not to wear?

Image source.

I've been having a lot of bike helmet discussion lately - to wear or not to wear?  I'm definitely on the 'wear' side of the fence though I just got a new helmet yesterday (it took too long, I know!).  My friend, Whitney, sent me this post about a fashion-forward helmet (pictured above) created by Swedish designers.  At $600 a pop I'd need to be a pool shark (and not just look like one) to afford this designer's delight.

Here's a sweet video on the designers and their helmet.


I headed to BicycleSpace last night for some yoga and will head back again tonight for a basic maintenance class.  I think they're business model is great - encourage community, ride bikes, give back.  Celebrate the store's second anniversary by picking up some bike treasures 20% off until October 1st!

What do you think?  Do you wear a helmet?  Would you wear something like the neck collar pictured above?  

bicyclespace yoga.

Image source.

OK - so that's not even remotely what I looked like when I did yoga at BicycleSpace last night.  But it was still a good time!  On Mondays at 7:15 (and Saturdays at 8:30am) the shop hosts free yoga classes (on a donations basis, which benefit local bike causes and groups).  I didn't catch the name of the non-profit our donations went to but it was something encouraging women in cycling; I've got no qualms with that!  

I found this article when searching for like-minded bike groups, What Will Encourage More Women to Bike, which talks about just that and says that safety is what women want when thinking about biking around town.  Now I want to read this book!  

I rode the Rock Creek Park path to work for the first time yesterday and am hooked - no stop lights, no waiting and gorgeous scenery.  What I want when biking is smooth roads, sun protection and clean air.    

Check out BicycleSpace's video below promoting yoga at their shop:

Do you bike?  I ride mine everywhere!  I think I'm too antsy to wait for planes, trains and automobiles :)  OK, I'll wait for trains.... 

happy 4th of july!

bikers meeting at around 8:20 - getting glow-sticked and gearing up for the moonrise ride.

a new favorite.

this one, too.

there's our full moon!

Happy, happy 4th of July!

To celebrate the kick-off of this mid-week 4th of July holiday, I went for a firefly ride & picnic with BicycleSPACE.  Awesome decision.  New friends, old friends (I saw another Mali RPCV!) and lots of riding around the city.  Estimates were running at about 600 people!  We met at the park by the Verizon center and at sunset, around 8:40p.m., headed onto the streets en masse.  Blinking red lights, solid yellow glowsticks.  Doesn't get much better.  It rained a little on us but we didn't let that dampen our spirits.

A picnic gathering followed the ride where people munched on watermelon, mac&cheese, fried chicken and your standard picnic fixings, until midnight.  There was enough food (and more) to go around!  Wowsas!  I even made a new friend who is ready to go on the Cupcake Ramble with me :)  Can't say enough good things about the event - thanks so much to BicycleSPACE for putting it on!

See more photos from the ride here! 

Here are some fourth of July memories from 2010 and 2011.

I'm liking Maia Vidal's sweet voice and thoughtful lyrics.  I saw her name here and was curious.

How are you celebrating the fourth of July?  Have you ever seen the fireworks from the Mall?  Any DC recommendations??