last days of the bike tour

calivintage: end of the bike tour
as i mentioned, i had just a few last pictures from the end of the bike tour. unfortunately, we have less epic photos from the last two days because we remembered that we brought a flip cam to take videos, so the still photography took a back seat to our amateur videography. i guess that means you can expect to see a little wrap up video once i actually upload them all and take the time to edit them!
so here are just a few shots from the last two days of the ride. on day 7, we rode from kirk creek to san simeon state beach. and on day 8, we rode from san simeon to our final destination in san luis obispo. from there, we hopped on a bus and a train back to the bay area and said goodbye to the last few days of summer. it was a really wonderful trip touring the california coastline from half moon bay to san luis obispo. i have another roughly 235 miles under my belt, and tons of new memories to cherish forever.
tank: outlier ultrafine merino wool tank courtesy of outlier
sweater: smartwool
pants: women’s daily riding pants courtesy of outlier
sunglasses: rayban round wayfarers
calivintage: bike trip day 7
a very foggy morning leaving the kirk creek campsite.
calivintage: end of the bike tour
calivintage: end of the bike tour
elephant seals along the san simeon shoreline!!!
calivintage: end of the bike tour
country roads on the way to san luis obispo.
calivintage: end of the bike tour
riding through geranium fields on the way to san luis obispo.
calivintage: end of the bike tour
the last stop. riding our bikes to the train station on our way home.

bike tour, day 6

calivintage: bike trip day 6
well, i’m officially back from the bike trip, posting the last three days of coverage from the comfort of my own home instead of a campsite! i know i had originally told you that we had planned to ride all the way to the los angeles area on this ride, but our last minute planning of the trip meant that we may have overlooked a few details: like the fact that my school semester just started and brendan had to be back to work earlier than he thought! oh, how the summer has screeched to a halt. but i’m happy to have had the chance to be on the road as long as i was, and i really enjoyed touring the coast from half moon bay to san luis opisbo.
so these photos are from day six of our ride out of pfieffer big sur to kirk creek. it was another really hot day (which is unusual for that area, but lucky for us). i heard some passersby mention that the high for the day was up over 90 degrees! so yes, we were hot and tired and sweaty as we made our way up the 1,000 foot climb over big sur. but there was still a nice ocean breeze to cool us off when we got to the summits and the clear blue skies awarded us with more epic views. and at the end of the day, we got to stay in one of my favorite campsites at kirk creek. it’s a grassy site on a cliff overlooking the ocean with lots of little paths leading down to the beach below. and what luck, we got a perfect sunset to wrap up our day…

tank: outlier ultrafine merino wool tank courtesy of outlier
pants: women’s daily riding pants courtesy of outlier
sunglasses: rayban round wayfarers
bike: surly long haul trucker
panniers: arkel grand touring

calivintage: bike trip day 6

just a little climb.

calivintage: bike trip day 6
oh you know, just an epic view at big sur.
calivintage: bike trip day 6
excuse my dirty feets. just a little shot of my california tattoo….
calivintage: bike trip day 6
chillin with a beer at the kirk creek campsite after another good ride.
calivintage: bike trip day 6
this was our view as we ate dinner at our campsite in kirk creek. not bad, dude!

bike tour, day 5

bike tour day 5i hope none of you were too worried that my updates of the bike tour disappeared for a few days. once we left monterey, there was very spotty internet access, so i wasn’t able to get online for the 3 days we spent riding through the big sur area. but today i am back in civilization, so the posts can resume!on the 5th day of the tour, we rode about 32 miles from monterey to big sur. it was incredibly beautiful because after so many cold and foggy days, the sun miraculously came out and the high in big sur hit 85 degrees! relatively cool for the summer, but definitely hot for a ride. but i hardly even noticed it with the ocean breeze behind me and the clear blue skies.

riding big sur is actually a pretty big challenge because there isn’t a shoulder on the highway for most of the stretch and there are tons of steep switchbacks to contend with and plenty of big trucks and rvs driving past. it can be a little stressful, but once you make it to the top of a lookout point with those expansive views of the oceans and cliffsides, you kinda forget about all of the cars and it just feels really good. haha, you can see i’m starting to get sappy, so i’ll just leave it at that and show you the pictures.

shorts: american apparel chambray shorts
tank: outlier ultrafine merino wool tank courtesy of outlier
shoes: jeffrey campbell oxfords courtesy of modcloth
gloves: giant crochet riding gloves
sunglasses: rayban round wayfarers
bike: surly long haul trucker
panniers: arkel grand touring

bike tour day 5
bike tour day 5
bike tour day 5
bike tour day 5
stopping for sammiches at a really beautiful lookout point.
bike tour day 5
bike tour day 5
brendan let me post his picture today! his set-up is pretty different than mine. having a trailer keeps the strain off your back tires if you have issues with breaking spokes. it works out pretty well for him.
bike tour day 5
ah, big sur.

cycle chic touring

calivintage: cycle chicon the third and fourth days of the bike tour, we opted to stay put in monterey to avoid the weekend traffic through big sur. so while we got some rest and relaxation, i decided to put together a cycle chic outfit post to show you the few items of clothing that i chose to bring for this particular ride. having done two similar tours of the california coast in the past, i’ve come to figure out what works best for me in terms of comfort for both riding a bike for several hours a day and camping at night. this is obviously a very personal thing and everyone has different preferences, so keep in mind that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for how to prepare for a trip like this.

packing for this tour, i was most concerned about comfort and weight. i have to carry everything i bring in my panniers, so keeping a light load makes climbing those big hills a lot easier. but you also want to make sure you’ve got enough to keep you covered for all weather. this means breaking it down to only the most esential items. so this is what i brought:

women’s daily riding pants courtesy of outlier: i am so happy to have discovered these riding pants. they’re made of a super stretchy and lightweight material that is so much more comfortable than the spandex bike shorts and pants i used to wear. they’re less restrictive and far more fashionable, and they stay completely dry all day. i also like that they miraculously repel dirt, so they stay clean for days. seriously, i cannot recommend these enough and i am so glad that outlier was kind enough to send me a pair to try out for the tour when i contacted them.

canari gel liners: the only draw-back to the riding pants is that they don’t come with a chamois, but i’ve got myself covered (literally) with this pair of cycling “underwear.” i feel especially lucky because canari happens to make the most comfortable gel chamois liners for me. it can be trial and error finding just the right padding to keep yourself comfortable, but fortunately, i’ve found the right pair!

american apparel chambray shorts: i think after trying the outlier pants, the ideal shorts would just be the same pair, only hitting somewhere at the mid-thigh length. but since i didn’t have anything else, i opted for these shorts to keep cool on those hot days in southern california. they are made of cotton, so beware sweat.

outlier ultrafine merino wool tank courtesy of outlier: i’ve already told you how much i love wool for cycling and camping. when cotton gets wet, it stays wet and gets smelly, but a high quality, ultra-fine merino wool will regulate your temperature, and never gets stinky. don’t believe me? try it and see!

j.crew chambray shirt: this was the first time i took a shirt like this on tour and i actually really liked it. i can layer it over a tank top if i get cold while riding, and layer it under a wool sweater at camp. the only drawback is that it is 100% cotton, so some mornings it was still slightly damp from the previous day of riding.

urban outfitters wool cardigan: again, i love wool and this was a cute and fashionable option that is working out perfectly for me on this ride. but really, any merino wool sweater, hoodie, or cardigan would work just fine.

jeffrey campbell oxfords courtesy of modcloth: i picked these because they’re fashionable, but they have nice big cut-outs at the side for ventilation. i can’t stand sweaty feet while riding, so these are perfect. when we ride in a really hot climate, i often just wear simple flip flop sandals to keep my feet from overheating. i know they make special bike shoes that clip into pedals, but then you have to bring an extra pair of shoes for camping and going out for meals. i just have cages on my pedals and wear one pair of trusty shoes the whole time!

giant crochet riding gloves in cream and tan, and another pair of black and brown crochet riding gloves i scored at the thrift store: extra padding for your hands when you’re riding long hours is definitely helpful. they protect my hands from blisters, and i like the vintage feel of crochet gloves.

rayban round wayfarers: to protect my eyes while riding, even if it’s not sunny. they make special “sport” sunglasses, but i already owned these and they work just fine for me.

smartwool long johns and socks: i mainly bring these in-case it gets too cold while camping at night. smartwool makes a really lovely soft and ultra-fine merino that keeps you extra toasty when it gets chilly out.

a helmet: mine isn’t anything to write home about, but it’s crucial for safety on the road. i was posing for these outfit shots at the campsite, so i’m not wearing it, but you’ll notice it’s always on when i’m on the road.

calivintage: cycle chic
calivintage: cycle chic
calivintage: cycle chic

bike tour, day 2

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so today marks our second day of the bike tour, and after writing yesterday’s post, i realized that i left out a lot of details about my trip! the whole thing was so loosely planned, that we didn’t even know exactly what date we were leaving on until a day before. we still don’t know how long we’ll be on the road, but our destination is my hometown: redlands, ca. it’s about 60 miles east of los angeles, and we’re thinking we’ll get there after 10 days on the road, including days off. i know some people do the ride much faster than that, but we’re looking at this as more of a vacation, so we’re taking our time. i also noticed in the comments of my last post that people had various questions about my clothes and gear, so i promise to post more about my bike, panniers, and choice of clothing next week!

but for now, onto the ride: we woke up this morning to the sound of the ocean and the cool, damp air. i had gotten to bed pretty late, so i wasn’t in much of a hurry to get up. suffice to say, we got another late start after taking our time at camp and then stopping for a delicious brunch at a nearby cafe. this time, we also ordered some sammiches to go so that we wouldn’t find ourselves out in the middle of nowhere without lunch. the ride out of santa cruz to monterey is mostly agricultural and we were lucky enough to pass through endless fields of ripe, fragrant strawberries. but the nice part of this ride is that there are lots of bikable side streets, so we were able to avoid the busy highway for long stretches of the ride. once you hit monterey county, there’s a nice bike path for about 15 miles that leads you right to the fisherman’s warf. i’d say the ride today was about 40 miles, and even though it’s only our second day, we opted to check into a hotel. it is a vacation, after all!

blouse: j.crew chambray shirt
tank: outlier ultrafine merino wool tank courtesy of outlier
pants: women’s daily riding pants courtesy of outlier
shoes: jeffrey campbell oxfords courtesy of modcloth
gloves: giant crochet riding gloves
sunglasses: rayban round wayfarers
bike: surly long haul trucker
panniers: arkel grand touring

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bagel sammich breakfast with a cafe au lait.
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the traffic was so heavy on hwy 1 that bikes overtook cars at this point!
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stopped in an artichoke field for lunch.
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sand city, ca.
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we made it to monterey bay!

and we’re off! bike tour, day 1

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and so my blog coverage of the bike tour begins! i am right now writing this post late at night in my tent at the newbrighton beach campsite outside of santa cruz, ca. we started our ride in half moon bay this morning and rode 56 miles to our first destination. and of course, as you might expect on the first day of a tour, there were lots of mishaps. we didn’t start off bright and early as planned because we had so many little last minute errands to attend to, so we left half moon bay at around noon after getting a ride to the coast from brendan’s dad. the coastline was quite foggy and cool most of the ride, which was actually pretty nice since you really work up a sweat with all that riding. along the way, we stopped for a break at bean hollow beach to take a look at the tide pools. then we stopped to check out the pigeon point lighthouse. it’s the second tallest beacon in the country and you can find whale bones along the beach there.

we foolishly continued on without a stop for lunch, so we were a bit delirious when we arrived in santa cruz. we had a bunch of supplies we still needed to buy, so we kicked around town until 7:30pm before heading off to the campsite. as you can probably imagine, we didn’t make it to the site until after sunset, so we set up the tent and ate sammiches in the dark! It was certainly an exhausting day, but i’m feeling good laying here in the tent with the sound of the ocean lulling me to sleep.

blouse: j.crew chambray shirt
tank: outlier ultrafine merino wool tank courtesy of outlier
pants: women’s daily riding pants courtesy of outlier
shoes: jeffrey campbell oxfords courtesy of modcloth
bike: surly long haul trucker
panniers: arkel grand touring

Bike trip day one
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Bike trip day one

guide to vintage bikes, part 1

after spending a considerable amount of time doing research for a vintage bike shopping guide, i finally decided that there are just too many great vintage bike options out there to put into one mega post, so instead, i’m breaking this up into several parts. these are obviously not the only bike options out there, but i’m focusing on bikes that are made with quality parts and materials that i expect will last you for years to come with the proper maintenance. you can obviously buy a vintage sears roebucks bike and have plenty of fun with it, but you don’t need me to tell you that! i’m also going to be focusing on upright and dutch style bikes because they are centered more around comfort and much easier to ride while wearing a mini skirt and heels than a more traditional road bike. it’s just my personal preference, though i will say that i ride both and that each has their own purpose.

for today, i’m starting with my absolute favorite vintage bikes: the raleigh superbe and the raleigh sports.

to give you a little background, the raleigh bicycle company was established in 1887 in nottingham, uk. they are one of the oldest bicycle companies in the world and they have a tradition of manufacturing beautiful and reliable bikes. they’re still in business today, but i much prefer their vintage bikes. if you’re lucky, you can find one at a local thrift shop or yard sale for as cheap as $20, but you can also expect to pay upwards of around $200 for one if you live in a more urban area where bikes are more common (i.e. san francisco or new york) or if it is in absolute mint condition.

one of the biggest factors for choosing a vintage bike is the quality of the materials and parts used on the bike. while raleigh certainly had many similar bikes (in appearance), the superbe and sports models were made with some of the best parts and materials. most commonly, you’ll find models made in the 1970’s, and i highly recommend them. they originally came with features such as reynolds tubing (this is steel, so it is heavy, but less so that your typical steel), sturmey archer hubs (the highest quality on the market even today), and brooks leather saddles. often times the saddle will be switched out with something more modern, but if the bike still has the saddle, then it’s a definite win since brooks leather saddles run upwards of $200 brand new!

now i know you’re probably thinking that these bikes must be rare or hard-to-find, but i was able to find a mint condition raleigh superbe with the original brooks saddle for $200 after searching for about a month on craigslist. it might be a bit more work than hopping into your local walmart, but trust me when i say that it’s definitely worth the search. these bikes are beautiful, reliable, and easy to get serviced! i recommend checking your local newspaper listings, craigslist, or ebay.

vintage bike images found via here and here.

vintage cycle chic

since i wasn’t around this sunday to do my usual cycle chic post for the week, i thought i’d pop in and share a little bit of fun bike inspiration with you today! rebecca of the clothes horse actually sent them to me in an email after she did some browsing of the photo archives on the nypl digital gallery. oh how i love public archives! anyway, while i certainly spend a lot of time browsing through images on the web and posting them to my tumblr, i realized that plenty of you guys probably do the same thing. so if you ever come across any fashionable cycling images, feel free to send them my way!

now onto these photos! i love how sassy and fun these vintage ladies look posing with their bikes. perhaps inspiration for a cycle chic photo shoot…

the lost coast


for this week’s installment of cycle chic, i thought i might share some old photos from a bike tour i went on waaay back in 2007. though i should probably give you a disclaimer: i wasn’t very chic on this ride. just bike shorts, sandals, and tank tops on this ride. yep, this was before i started my blog and before i got a fancy digital camera. the photo quality isn’t the best, but i wanted to show you what a bike tour looks like! for this particular trip, me and my partner started our ride in arcata, ca near the northern border of california, and ended up in bodega bay, just north of san francisco. we would ride between 40 – 60 miles per day carrying all of our own supplies and stop at state parks to camp for the evening.

 

anyway, we’re planning a similar trip at the end of august, but i think we’ll be starting up around portland this time. and since i’ve had more experience doing these types of rides now, i’m excited to bring along a laptop computer and my fancy camera to blog about the trip from the road! and this time i hope to share some pointers for chic outfits to wear while still being comfortable enough for camping and riding so many hours on a bike. looking back at these photos and reminiscing about that trip have gotten me seriously excited for the next one! i can’t wait!

we began the trip in arcata, ca.

the world’s largest hammer.

we had planned to camp at the humboldt county fair grounds one evening. to our surprise, the humboldt county fair was in full swing. bonus!

weeee!

i loved you and your apple pies and beer in plastic cups and carnival rides.

aha, so that’s why they call it ferndale.

tee hee. cows.

we opted to ride along the lost coast for this ride. it was a particularly grueling and intense ride, but the views once we reached the short were worth it.

after a seriously hard day of riding, we were rewarded with freezing cold showers.

a morning cup of coffee is crucial.

and back up over another mountain. it’s a good feeling to get to the top.

it was particularly fun when we made it to the avenue of the giants. lots of fun tourist attractions!

after so many days of riding, sometimes you need to treat yourself to a junk food feast!

ah, the beautiful california coastline.