My SPF Game is Tight

My dermatologist is an adorable little humming bird of a young woman and I really pissed her off. She was really mad at me, like, scolding me about the sun damage on my shoulders when she recently gave me a skin inspection. I know this is totally because I bike in tanks and tubes.   Tank top commutes have begun and I’ve got my sun-protection game together so she won’t be disappointed in me and I can save my lily white skin. 



Tips from my adorable and well-trained dermatologist: SPF 30 at all times and reapply every 2 hours.
And anything labeled with “Sport” and “water proof” is BS and the FDA is probably going to ban companies from labeling products with those terms in the future, so don't bother.

My selection process: I basically went on drugstore.com and filtered highest-rated & price and I’ve been using these two for about a week and I wanted to share because I think I picked two winners.

Inspect them for yourself here:

Philosophy Shelter SPF 30 for Face (I don't think the tint is noticeable.)
Lubriderm Advanced Therapy SPF 30 Note: I do like to smell a little like sunscreen and I sometimes play the alligator in the Lubriderm commercials my skin is so dry.

The new girl's new gear

The Viva bike had an obstacle from day one - no cargo capacity - no rack. Tying and looping my handbag & totes onto the handlebars was my immediate solution. Though dangerous. Don't try this at home, OK?


I hoofed around my work neighborhood and my home neighborhood only to be extremely disappointed that everyone only had black metal racks. There were a couple gray, painted metal racks but nothing to match the shiny chrome metal that's all over this bike.

One explanation I was given is that the shops stock black racks to cater to delivery boys.

I hated to order the things I wanted online, because you need to give your local bike shop business, so I got Ben at  Kickstand Bicycles to order them for me.

He ordered the rack I felt was best for this bike - the Wald Sports rear rack. About $20.
Cheap, simple, made in USA - Matches the viva's sexy chrome surfaces. 

Here we are on Tuesday morning's commute.


He also added the Wald 585 rear grocery basket. I'm not in love with the grocery basket but it's a temporary and cost-effective solution ($15) Note: The bungee is strung through the purse handle. 


I need some sweet new saddle bags for this bike.
I also may try to do this recipe to sew my own since my sewing machine is out lately.


I also ponied up about $4 for the most polite-sounding bicycle bell I've met - The Royal Ring Bell.

Also a lovely shiny metal with a stationery striker which helps when you're wearing gloves.

I got these new items Monday night and I was very happy to see the shop so busy. The weather was great but they also had busy foot traffic outside. They're not far from the UN.


It was also really cute to see that they play Pee Wee's Big Adventure on loop in their window.

They know what's up! 

3 White Ladies

I'm kind-of going back and forth between the Viva and the Linus. They're totally different animals that have different strengths and set-backs. One has the comfy upright posture I love, and one has sexy addictive speed.


I get on the Linus and I sigh, I'm home. I'm so comfortable! But I can only go so fast. The top speed is achieved quickly, and now I've tasted speed. But I enjoy looking around, being upright, laid-back and having so much cargo space.

The "boy bar"on the Dutchie is lower. Getting off the Viva wasn't so smooth for me on the first two days. I trained myself to do that dismount where you hike your leg backward over the saddle if that makes sense.

Viva gets me to work so quickly, and it's fun to ride like a hell cat in traffic. It's so light up and down the stairs.  A completely different demographic stops me to discuss this bike - Adult, athletic males. They see the internal rear hub and they know that's the hot shit.

Little girls point and scream out at my pink tires on the Linus. Adult, athletic males rarely ask me about my pink tire bike. The pay me no mind and that's just fine. I'm not sure I like these dudes talking to me. A construction worker was interviewing me about the Viva and made me miss a green light!



I'm living a double life.

Introducing Viva!

Viva the diva? I don't know her name, but she's a fast, fancy female.


Did I ride 4miles with that big, dumb tote bag on the handlebar like that? Why yes, of course I did.


But I love this tote, and I love the items inside the bag, so there was no debate. We sallied forth. Together.

It's the Claw Money ClawMingDale's tote. I got it at her sample sale. I'm a big fan of Claw. Look her up! She's an important modern-day female graffiti icon and you should know about her.


Me & Viva only went, like, this far so I can't judge her too thoroughly just yet, but I could give her the First Impression rose.


She's fancy, y'all.

I only really used gears 2 & 3 because I was trying to keep that biggo tote bag full of wonderful new things out of the wheel, but those two gears were magnificent for that 4mile jot. I don't even know what I'm going to do with 7 gears.



The only nasty thing I have to say is it has that POS bell that comes on a Linus. But that's a simple fix.

I'm also real happy that the tires are brown and not black. I really have a problem with black tires now, thanks to Fyxation. First I'm too good to ride the subway anymore, and now I'm too good for black tires.

Some people have real problems. I'll keep mine ;)

Witch's Titty Times

This mangy polar bear coat was made in the USA and purchased at the Libby's R.O.S.E. thrift shop in Malvern, Arkansas. My Grandma introduced me to this gem of a shop. 

I felt visible because of the enormity of this coat. It was 13º on my ride to work this morning when I took this. I feel like a polar bear on wheels. 

My back got so sweaty, oh my god. But I did not get a watery-eye and have black tear fears.

I've been seeing some helmet-wearers with a knit cap under their helmet and it looks bulky and un-safe. I recommend this for a happy ear situation and a proper frontal lobe protection. 

Babushka Winter Bike Style

I knew I could easily ride in 25º on Thursday morning if I was prepared. I love that my helmet straps held the scarf close to my ears. Who wore it better? 


When I saw this photo, I was happy to realize I've got on two vintage, gifted items. Green coat is from my mother-in-law and the jeans are from Ms. Buys, who gave me the Betsey Johnson swimsuit that got donated to the museum at FIT this fall. That's one of the coolest things that happened in '11.


These feel like pot holders, but they're necessary and they make bike life very pleasant.
Marmot ski gloves. 


Riding through Times Square, I saw that the stage is set-up. I still don't really have New Year's Eve plans. I bet we'll lay very low and continue our streak of winter domesticity.


Wednesday morning I wore some new flare-leg jeans and I decided that I didn't want to jeopardize exposing my ankle-skin to the winter winds by tight rolling them. I used these ankle-clip things. It was a good move.



Flare leg jeans. Made in USA from J.Crew - ultra-clearance after Christmas purchase.



My right eye cried the whole way to work despite wearing sunglasses.

It felt awful but I guess it didn't look so crazy. It felt like black tears were streaming down my face. I think my face was too cold to really know what was going on.

Happy New Year!

If you're new to my blog and you need pink tires to jazz up your gray winter, they are from Fyxation.
I'm so glad I've got them. They're so pretty now that it's so ugly and gray outside! 

Bike Rain Poncho

I've been keeping my eye out for a rain jacket or poncho for myself for months but just can't pull the trigger on one. Today it was rainy and I knew the perfect thing- A garbage bag!

This is a big 30 gallon that our office uses in the kitchen. My co-worker decorated it and put it on  me and cut it.


Fits perfect!


Ready for action leaving the building. Bicycles have to use the freight elevators. It's more VIP.


I made it! I loved it.


It's a keeper. I also can leave it in my panniers forever and ever and not really worry about it getting stolen. 

Umbrella Bike

I've seen photos of people doing this-


Stupid? Probably. Helpful, yes! The raindrops falling out of the trees in Central Park are major, so I went ahead and popped the umbrella. It was pretty nice. I rode at a coast-pace. I knew my route extremely well.

This video re-enactment took place in the confines of my apartment building alley.

I got DRENCHED running out during lunchtime. We attempted to go to the Beauty Bus but it was a Beauty Bust and we got drenched.

I started the day in sporty Converse- I might venture to say the best bicycle shoe in my opinion-

But since these were sopping wet- I was lucky to have some new Gap booties on-deck

I also added leggings because I was freezing. I have a file drawer in my desk at work that has nothing but clothes in it. 

Under my unbrella-ella-ella at a stop light. 

It was fine. I used it through Central Park where the raindrops can put your eye out (huge because of the trees) and I used for several avenues til the rain slacked off. I only went at a coasting pace, if that makes sense. Luckily- I do not have hand brakes so I don't have to worry about working those. 


Hands-free Coaster Brakes + Umbrella = Good stuff! 

Bike Times with Matt

Morning stop through Central Park - High visibility in my red tee and pink helmet.
American Apparel tee - J.Crew skirt - Forever 21 Bow flats - Pro Tec Helmet

I've been feeling kind-of down about the Pro-Tec helmet. I really miss a brim/visor/bill when I'm wearing it. It just feels a little nerdy and what's up with all this overage?

Who's head is this long to need this much slack? But I do appreciate the color of the strap - it won't show dirt. 


THE LAST THREE NIGHTS ME AND MATT HAVE BEEN OUT RIDING BIKES TOGETHER.
This is news, only because we typically just straight-up commute on our own, or I go do something but he has to go home and study. 


This is me picking him up from work. He terrorizes me riding around in shorts with dark socks and Danskos. See how he lets me photograph him when he's dressed crazy? 



Tuesday I locked myself out of the apartment so I needed him for his house keys.



Wednesday we went to see Mortified at the 92Y Tribeca for a friend's birthday, and took the west side greenway home.
The show was pretty good Oh! So a bunch of Matt's co-workers left (from work) before him or around the same time and we were the first ones there - BIKES are EFFICIENT! 


Here's Matt Wednesday night way downtown approaching the greenway.
At least he's got on long pants to cover-up the dark socks.



Thursday, we went to get our asses-beat up and beat-down too at a Shiatsu massage parlor.
They seriously made both of us want to cry, but it was overall fantastic. After we were dressed and on our way out, everyone lined-up to say "Goodbye" and my masseuse said "OH! You came on bike!?" -Because they spotted our helmets. 


Yeah, girl! And we rode our bikes together into the night and giggled about how much you hurt us. 

Bike Visibility Tactic: Wear a Flag

I like the idea of having a FLAG on my bike. I love bike visibility tactics.
Instead of finding a bike flag and attaching it I just wore one today. 

I swear to you, if you take vitamins you can have bike-bruise-free ultra-white legs like mine. 

These big sleeves created exciting billowing in the wind and some wind resistance. 

I've adopted the grand plan to buy red/red-orange clothes this fall for bike visibility.
And because red/coral is trending hardcore. 

Bike Tricks - Biking in a Short Skirt

The shorts gave me one less thing to worry about. I even wore them around the office because they weren't bothering anyone. No one could see them!

But they did peek out on the ride. Just a little.

I've worn this dress before. It's a $20 piece from Charlotte Russe. I couldn't believe it was cool enough to start out with a little cardigan this morning. I took it off before I went on my way and by the time I was at 51st Street at 7th Ave - I was sweating in some places.


Vans cat eye sunglasses - L.A.M.B. hobo in the basket
Cardigan with sequins - sample from work
Leopard dress from Charlotte Russe
Belt - Thrifted vintage snakeskin - found in Arkansas
H&M conservative faux suede pumps with studs on the heels
Bicycle by Linus
Pink tires by Fyxation

PartyHardee's Bike Style

Let's talk about Matt, my husband, @PartyHardee (not very active) on twitter.


He wears a shirt, tie and dress pants, dress shoes every day for work but he commutes in casual outfits like this:


But Friday I heard about a show- Radio Happy Hour - and he wasn't prepared so I had to bring him a shirt to put on outside.


I'm REALLY GLAD I told him to take some extra shoes on Friday. He rides his bike in his black socks and dress shoes and gives me a sartorial anxiety attack. He put his TOMS in his backpack, thank goodness!
So he ended up like this on Friday night and that was fine. We went to the show at Le Poisson Rouge, which is pretty casual but you could be a little fancy and then we got Sno-Balls. (My 3rd this week!)

Friday late-night Matt.

I have a very thoughtful co-worker who picked these up for me in Ohio at a store called Ollie's for $1.79 per package/set of 2.


And this was the first night I knew I would be out in real darkness and had fun using them. I could have crashed checking them out.

Yeeee! Fun!!!

And who cares but this is what I wore to work on Friday. I got these new vans hot pink sneakers to replace a pair of my fake keds. I felt very athletic on my commute in these sneakers if that makes sense. I'm definitely more passive and slow when I have on crazy shoes.


Friday night I put on some casual stuff and Matt gives all of this business the finger. :)

-But he's jealous of my new bike lights. They don't fit on presta valves.