Only half a month since the last blog update, I figure that's an Obama not bad. When you're out of commission and can't ride a bike, life is a bit depressing. Life feels a bit slower, especially if you don't have a car and getting anywhere seems like a major pain. Or maybe that's just me and I'm weak. In any case, I got clearance this past Tuesday by the doc that I can ride a bike... woot! Also, last weekend I visited the land of my peoples - Chicago - along with Ms. City Planner. It was a great trip and the biking community there seems like they have it majorly together.

In any case, here's some DC bicycles!

Aha, you might be saying, "But District Dutch, you posted this bike last time!" But I did NOT. This Hercules in NoMa is pretty much in original shape, save for new tires. But everything else save for the bell is original and I love that.

This Ross Eurotour 5-speed bicycle in Truxton Circle was in great shape, despite looking cosmetically rusted. Nothing a couple days spent derusting everything couldn't fix. But the tires and chain were in well maintained shape.

A PUBLIC V7i with the fenders removed on Barrack's Row.

This green machine out in Dupont is a bit of an enigma... it has a Peugeot frame, the saddle and handlebar/grips are from a Schwinn, and the fenders and racks are probably from Velo Orange. I love it!

This is a Globe bicycle, now under the Specialized brand. I like the muted green paint and of course will always love a good Brooks saddle and cream-colored tires. Love the wooden rear rack as well.

We're about to get into some serious Schwinn love here but this is a Schwinn Breeze over by H Street NE. It needs a bit of TLC and the chain should probably be replaced at this point. But this thing, like all old school Schwinns, is a tank. Gotta keep that saddle dry tho, no one likes riding with swamp ass!

Another Schwinn Breeze but in almost pristine shape over in Barracks Row. Love love LOVE the wicker basket with a rose in it.

So let's talk about Chicago. When I lived there as an adult, I didn't touch a bike... no one back then did except Lance Armstrong wannabes. So it was weird to see the city through a new pair of bicycling eyes. And it was awesome. There are so many bicyclists there now and it helps that the city had Gabe Klein for awhile to really put in some serious bicycling infrastructure. There's a lot of bike lanes, although I didn't see any separated tracks or protected lanes. One thing Chicago has in spades, however, are bike racks. WTF. They are EVERYWHERE. I couldn't believe how plentiful bike racks were there. That is something DC sorely lacks and I've mentioned it before here, but it really made me jealous to see how much parking there was. For example:

This is a bike parking facility at the Damen Ave. L station. Are you serious!!! It's covered and it's bi-level. When I saw this, I pulled an Elaine Benes GET OUT. What was even better was this:

The stairs up to the storage room once you're past the turnstiles have a track to wheel your bike up to the parking room. C'mon man, now you're just bragging!!! WMATA Metro system, in my opinion, pretty much gives bicyclists the finger.

There are also these bike corrals everywhere. EVERYWHERE. We have maybe... five in DC.

These bicycle-shaped racks were pretty prevalent around the city.

I really loved this Chicago skyline bike rack outside the Chicago Bagel Authority's Belmont location. I believe those three buildings are, left to right, the John Hancock Bldg, Trump Tower, and the Sears Tower.

Then let me tell you, there were used Schwinn bikes EVERYWHERE. It was kind of crazy how many I saw. I know Schwinn was headquartered in Chicago for decades before going kaput but it was pretty wonderous how many of these were still in operation. That's kind of a testament as to how well built they were back in the day.

This guy was just locked up against a church fence in Andersonville with a for sale sign on it. And it was in great shape too... $170 OBO? That's a steal.

Not one, nor two but THREE vintage Schwinn bicycles locked up on this front porch in Lakeview. Again, all in awesome shape, even with the original saddles.

And of course Chicago has a bikeshare program. Same bikes as NYC's Citi and DC's CaBi, they call their's Divvy. Same heavy ass bikes but at least we got around a bit on them. There seem to be more docking stations and more bikes per station as well throughout the city.

We visited some bike stores as well. I failed the blog's readership in that I didn't get too many photos of them.

This is Boulevard Bikes in Logan Square with a nifty New Albion ride in the front window. They're built out of San Francisco, natch.

Nice take on the Chicago city flag outside Rapid Transit Cycleshop in Wicker Park.

And where I really failed the readership is when we visited Heritage Bicycles. This was one of our planned stops for the trip. Heritage manufactures their own bikes and I spotted one in Brooklyn a while back. It's also a coffee shop and there's nothing that goes better together like biking and coffee. Except maybe chocolate and peanut butter. We spent a few hours there a day later than we planned and talked with the shop manager Alan for a bit and perhaps buying a bike. Ms. City Planner has been looking for awhile for a new ride and it was hard to say no to a test ride, as much as I love Sloane. So they set us up with some loaners and we rode a bit around the Lakeview neighborhood. Love love LOVED the Chief that I was riding. It even had this quirky 2-gear back pedal shifter. Of course, we had to snap photos in the wide alleyways of Chicago.

Mr. District Dutch on a Heritage Chief. I was not officially cleared yet to ride a bike and the shoulder was sore as hell but... what the hell not.

Ms. City Planner on a Heritage Daisy... love the peach color.

But yep, forgot to take photos of the shop itself... sad panda. In any case, it was a long weekend trip and it was good to get home. I had a doctor's appointment the next day and got the official clearance. The next day, I rode for about two hours all around town. It was good to be back in the saddle.

Nothing beats riding a bike around town during autumn. Bike love! Enjoy the weekend!

So... I let another month go by without an update. Bad bicycle blogger. I sort of have a good reason however: two weeks ago I took a spill off my ride and broke my collarbone. Was riding up 4th St SW toward downtown when a parked car by the Mall pulled out in front of me. It caught me unawares and I only had one hand on the bars so when I braked super hard, over the bars I went and off to the ER we go. Fractured the left clavicle in two spots so I'm laid up with no bike riding for at least a month and half. :(

I still have photos to put up and I'll try and keep a more regular posting schedule despite my malady. So let's get it on.

The brand of this internal gear hub (IGH) bicycle in Dupont is unknown but I like it. The frame is in great shape as are the other original parts. Looks like the owner updated the tires, fenders and saddle as well as adding an after-market chain protector and basket.

Another 3-speed IGH bicycle in Dupont, this one is a Raleigh, probably from the 70s. The tires are really low but thumbs up for using the Sheldon Brown locking method. Not a fan of the gel seat but I do like that even after adding a huge wicker basket to the front, there's at least a white reflector on it....

Let's just call this post the internal gear hub edition. A Hercules bicycle from the 60s, also parked in Dupont. The Brooks saddle is a bit rough but very serviceable. However, I think the owner needs to tighten the adjustment before it goes full concave.

It looks classic, it's Chinese, and it's cheap... a Gran Royale Cogsville in NoMa that has Raleigh-esque styling. For under $200, getting a new internal gear hub bike is a good deal. Pay no attention to the crazy fender/rack contraption on the Mercier next to it.

Love love LOVE the color of this PUBLIC C7i IGH bicycle in NoMa. Not a fan of the black aftermarket rear rack however. Nor the use of the bike lock that only requires the removal of the saddle to heist the whole ride.

The classic Dutch orange on the PUBLIC C7 non-IGH version, also in NoMa. I like the Fenderbot rear fender light as I have the same model. Also love the ABUS folding lock.

This Ross IGH step-through is the spiritual sister to Ms. City Planner's ride. It's parked at Union Station and has been stickered to be removed and probably disposed of. :( The tires are still good so one has to wonder why the bike has been parked there so long that it's been slated for removal. There is no good reason why someone should not be riding this bicycle. Does anyone know what happens to these bikes once they are finally removed?

Speaking of spiritual twins, I feel this Nishiki Cresta in NoMa is a close cousin to my PUBLIC bike the way it was set up right before I crashed on it. Love the Brooks saddle of course, but also love the slim leather grips on the handlebars. Bell on the top tube is a nice unique touch and really love the column shifter on the down tube. Also, the front fender has been removed... that adds 5 mph to your top speed, truestory.

Here's my PUBLIC V7 as it stands now, parked in Adams Morgan. No front fender, slim leather grips from Walnut Studiolo added on the bars and a Brooks tool bag added to the saddle. But that's not why I took this photo. This photo marks the first time that Ms. City Planner ever expressed jealousy over another woman's bike being parked next to mine HAHA. And you have to admit, this Azuki mixte IGH bicycle is a beaut. Matching cream-colored tires, that crazy leather-wrapped mustache handlebar configuration, the aluminum fenders, and of course a Brooks saddle. She will dispute this but I am almost certain that Ms. City Planner said "Who's bike is that? I will cut a bitch!" BIKE LOVE.

So yeah, took a spill off my bike. Bad news about it was the car that pulled out in front of me never stopped. Asshole. The good news was that bunch of pedestrians and joggers stopped to make sure I was OK. I thought I was and only had the wind knocked out of me. So after a few moments, I got back on my bike and rode to meet my friend for dinner. Mr. NY Giant Poop (his fantasy football team name) had the good sense to notice that 1. I was not OK and 2. I should seek medical attention. So he escorted me to the GWU ER where I found out I indeed had broken bones in my body and all that crunching I was feeling in my shoulder was not normal. A good friend he is and has been.

Since then, I've been trying to walk more around town to make up for my lack of riding. Also looking at new places to live as my lease in Navy Yard is ending soon. Came across this solemn ghost bike installation art piece in Bloomingdale.

I'm also noticing that the District has some cool bike racks around town. Here's some playful and colorful paperclips by the Nat Geo HQ downtown.

And lastly, the weekend after my fall, I went to Richmond, VA with Ms. City Planner to attend her friend's wedding. I still wore a suit even though my arm was in a sling... decorum had to be maintained and I garnered maximum sympathy from all I encountered. Afterwards, she took me to a bicycle coffee shop called Lamplighter Roasting Company. Coffee was decent and the pastries were really good. But at this location, by University of Richmond, there was a minimal connection to biking at best. But in any case, I appreciated the effort in Ms. City Planner to raise my spirits as I'll be off the bike for awhile. She also made me forget about that Azuki bike as well.

Bike Love!

Wow, so where has summer gone? Next weekend is Labor Day weekend already. That means put away your whites but not your bike. Ugh, well I feel like I got a riding in this summer and the weather was pretty good, which is a bonus for DC. Anyways, I've got a long post in store today so let's get trucking.

A Murray Leisure Tour 10-speed bike at the Library of Congrress. It's in great shape although the rear tire seems to be a little low. The large rusty chain with little Masterlock lock doesn't seem sufficient to protect it from thieves. I don't mean this blog to become an indictment of the way people lock up their bikes, but I really hate for people to have their rides stolen, especially in a town where it seems bike thefts are on the rise.

Absolutely love this step-through parked outside Trader Joe's on 14th St. NW. Lots o lovely stickers on it to personalize the ride for its owner, it's locked up using the Sheldon Brown method, and has a DC name license plate on it! Hello Nancy!

The classic S of the Schwinn logo of old will always warm my heart. This mixte-frame 3-speed in hornet green was a delight and parked in Dupont. I really like the buffeted aluminum fenders with matching chrome rear and front porteur rack. And who am I to dislike a front wooden crate!

I see a lot of Sears Free Spirit bicycles around town, this one being in Dupont. This must be at least the third or fourth one featured here. This is the first single speed one however with coaster brakes. Great shape and I like the Linus headlamp on the stem with a red bandana around it!

I really liked this Bianchi because the owner most likely built it himself around the San Jose frame and turned it into a city bike. It's a single speed and at least he's got a little wheel protector around the chain ring. Of course I love the Brooks saddle. Interesting that the brass bell is on the right side and that you use it with your pointer finger, instead of thumb.

A nice French blue mixte-frame Peugeot on a rainy day near U St. NW.  I think the white grips make it especially French. Not even kidding.

Some DC-related bicycling bits. First, the Library of Congress put on a small display of historical bicycle-related items from a lot of its different departments. There were periodicals, books, maps, music and lots of odds and ends. It was well attended when I showed up.

Part of a Wright Brothers collection, this is their stationary with letterhead. Before they built and flew airplanes, the Wright Brothers built and rode bicycles. They even used their shop in Ohio to build their aeroplane parts.

A claim ticket for repair work at the Wright Cycle Company. Tres cool.

From the military desk, different bicycles used by the armies of the world, mainly around WW1 but even earlier than that.

Raleigh history book. Swoon.

Bicycles being featured in women's fashion magazine, this one namely Vogue. That's some swag right there.

Apparently the Cycling Women of America had their own bicycle march.

More swag.

So many things wrong with this cover.

If you've ever taken your bike onto the Metro, you know it's a bit of a hassle. Can't do it during rush hour, have to use the elevators and not the escalators, and you can only use the doors at the end of the cars, never the middle. And god forbid it's a crowded train. I had the pleasure of taking a ride on the Green line during decent hours... and not a single person was in the car. Woot!

I also was able to procure a free membership to the Tech Shop over in Crystal City. It's only a 30 min bike ride from my place and I plan on doing a lot there. But, you have to take some safety classes to use a lot of the machinery. So when I showed up to activate my membership, the only stuff I could really use right away... was the bike repair station.

It's really cool, they have everything any bike store would have. Definitely plan on using this alot. I need to teach myself the black magic of truing wheels and use that truing stand there!

And last, I saw this in the storage bay of my apartment building:

Spoil Me Rotten Dog Biscuits is a NYC-based company... maybe they're trying to make in-roads in the DC market? In any case, I love this bicycle cart. I now want one.

Enjoy your last days of summer!

For those of you who got all excited that I posted twice last year, calm yourselves down. I think the habit is going to be once a week so get used to that. But who knows, maybe I will get ambitious.

In any case, we have been really enjoying the fruits of a summer polar vortex which is highly unusual for DC: temps during the day in the 70s, temps in the low 60s at night. I had to put a sweater on the other night during a ride, for God's sakes! Alas, I think it's gone now and the heat and humidity that we all know and love in the District is back for the month of August.

Saw this really neglected Raleigh in Capitol Hill which was a shame after seeing a fully restored one last week. The body is in really rough shape and that chain is a solid rust brown. It was funny to see the u-lock wrapped in protective tape. And that Brooks saddle... oh vey. I feel like there should be a Sarah McLachlan song playing right now making me all weepy.

A very nice and new PUBLIC C7 in a gorgeous purple. The owner decided to break up the color, however, by getting a cream rear rack... just like me! There's some wire going down from the handlebars from a front light down the the fork, but I didn't see a dynamo hub on the rim. I also didn't see a bottle dynamo either. Huh!

Awesome vintage Schwinn with original saddle outside Hana Market in Dupont. Tires are not original as they have quick release skewers. Love that the owner used the Sheldon Brown method of locking up... although with the quick release front tire, that could walk off. However, owner had no choice but to really lock up around the tree with the cable. Owner was a dude riding this step-through bike and didn't have a single eff to give. Right on man.

A straight up Dutch bicycle, this is a Royal Dutch Gazelle Tour Populair, located in Dupont. This is the real deal and has it all: Upright position with high handlebars, fully enclosed chain protector, rear wheel lock, front and rear lights powered by dynamo hub, mud flaps, Brooks saddle, drum brakes... and even a rear flat tire!

Taken by Ms. City Planner outsider her office in Southwest, a Yuba Boda Boda cargo bike. To me, cargo bikes are the ultimate choice in really ditching a car for bicycle transportation. Because usually you buy a cargo bike WHEN YOU HAVE KIDS. That is the ultimate eff you decision in the face of fossil fuel usage. I understand when you have kids, you just want your life to be as easy as possible. Thus, you get the mini-van, you don't give a shit about what you're wearing, etc. By stepping up to one of these, you are making the choice that maybe, just maybe your life is gonna be a little tough but you're sticking it out with a bike anyways. Right on!!!

A couple of DC-related bits: I've stated before, biking around an urban city really lets you get to see it from different eyes. You get around more, you take routes that you normally wouldn't take either by foot or car, the city is just more accessible to you. Case in point: how many of you have actually been to L'Enfant Plaza? I'm not talking about the metro station nor the collection of office buildings around that metro station. But the actual plaza that ends in Benjamin Banneker Park and fountain. I had only first been here the month before when I went on the DC Bike Party July ride with Ms. National Gallery. A few of us last week went on a night ride and came back out here. The view was pretty awesome.

So I get the roadies and their quests for mileage and speed. I get that. But nothing beats seeing things for the first, tenth or hundredth time by bikes... and city bikes are perfectly suited for that.

Also, thanks to heads up from Mr. Eukenbrau himself, the Library of Congress will have a special collection on display this Friday, August 8, 2014 from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm entitled “Pedaling Through History: A Look at Cycling Collections Across the Library of Congress." This is in the Mumford room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Memorial Building. It's free and open to the public so if you can go, do eeeet.