Whoever would have thought that NYC would become a bike hub. But it is, and not just because the Mayor is gaga for alternative transportation. Bikes and bike culture have permeated 5th Avenue and its window displays. Bike lanes are multiplying, bike events abound. 32,000 cyclists showed up on May 2nd for the Five Boro Bike Tour and the transportation authority claims bike commuting is up 66% since last year.
Some cool stuff worth paying attention to...
Outlier clothing: "tailored performance clothing for cycling in the city." These guys make some awesome stuff for people whose daily lives involve the bike. Lean and sleek "future classics" made locally and not over the top expensive (slacks $180).
And you can't go down this road without stopping at Barney's for a saddle-stitched Henry Cuir bag:
Heralding mass transit for one, Public Bikes of San Fran will be hosting Design Ride Manhattan from the Javits Center to Tretorn where cycle-centric laceless sneaks may be purchased for fun and adventure. The unique Soho shop has its own Scandinavian branded clothing, accessories and eyewear but also stocks bicycles (Kronan and Public) longboards and other things that support a stylishly understated outdoor lifestyle.
Two interesting lifestyle bike shops:
• a dutch-inspired bike boutique for stylish women: Adeline Adeline
• Hudson Urban Bicycles (hub) in the West Village on the corner of Charles and Washington (a recent fashion show highlight: bike locks as belts)
Brooklyn Bike Jumble, May 16th -- a true bicycle flea market.
Taliah Lempert's gallery. Just amazingly impressive and soon to be featured in the Terry catalog!
"Bespoke: The Handbuilt Bicycle" is a new exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design opening May 13th with a reception and dinner.
Bespoke: The Handbuilt Bicycle displays the designs of six internationally renowned bicycle builders whose work in metal, as well as graphics and artifacts, elucidate this refined, intricate and deeply individual craft. Organized by Michael Maharam, owner of the eponymous textile company and an avid bicycle collector, along with master builder Sacha White of Vanilla Bicycles in Portland, Oregon, this survey is presented as part of the MADProjects exhibition series, which explores emerging trends and innovations in the design world.
The twenty-one handbuilt bicycles exhibited sit squarely at the intersection of design, craft, and art, and include a range of contemporary designs: fixed-gear, road racing, cyclocross, mountain, and commuter bicycles, as well as the stripped-down radonneur, designed exclusively for long-distance racing. The exhibition features bicycles by: Mike Flanigan, Alternative Needs Transportation (A.N.T); Jeff Jones, Jeff Jones Custom Bicycles; Dario Pegoretti, Pegoretti Cicli; Richard Sachs, Richard Sachs Cycles; J. Peter Weigle, J. Peter Weigle Cycles; and Sacha White, Vanilla Bicycles.
Photo Credits
1) Daniel A Norman BrooklynNYC.com (doctored)
2-3) Outlier
4) Barneys.com
5) Public Bikes
6) Tretorn
7) Adeline Adeline
8) NYbikejumble.com
9) Taliah Lempert
10) Pegoretti Bicycles, Italy
