So I've got a new blog entry up after only a week and a half... that's an improvement right? Well let's get on with some bike photos.

I can't find the manufacturer of this bicycle I saw in Capitol Hill. I am guessing it is German in nature, with all the design features it has: front caliper brake, rear drum brake, rear wheel lock, internal hub gears, internal dynamo hub for the lights, double-sided kickstand. The step-through frame is a real beast, too. Look at those mounting points for racks! I'm surprised it doesn't have a full chainguard on it, however. I also like the wire frame protector for the rear fender reflector/light.

Another nice step-through Bobbin Birdie, also in Capitol Hill. Mud flaps on the fenders are always a nice touch. The added orange stars and crescent moon stickers for personality is an even better touch. Also one of the few bikes I see around town locked up using the Sheldon Brown locking strategy, locking the rear wheel through the rear triangle frame. This prevents a thief from stealing both your frame/bike and rear wheel.

I wish I had gotten a better photo of this bicycle during more light hours. I went on the last BicycleSPACE social Thursday ride and this gentleman had this fully restored 1960's-era Raleigh bicycle. So sexy... especially with the Brooks saddle on there and the vertically mounted brass bell on the stem. This was taking during the mid-ride stop in Navy Yard where the ride organizers busted out popsicles and cookies for the group!

Really old vintage Schwinn locked up in Columbia Heights. The hard plastic grips are long gone. The ride only has rear caliper brakes, and still has a column shifter on the stem. But otherwise in great shape.

The NoMa Business Improvement District has really gone through some great lengths to encourage bike riding around that part of town. They've had a couple of public bike pumps around and really pushed for the First St NE bike track that runs from the Harris Teeter on M St to Union Station. I love it. Recently the BID put in a lot more public pumps around NoMa and installed this public bike repair station by the NoMa metro station, right where the MBT exits off the Red Line.

This new bike pump is along the First St bike track across from the CNN Headquarters. I'm not sure if the tube part is meant to be used as a bike rack, but having a bike locked up there makes it a pain in the ass to use the pump. I kept hitting the bike's frame while inflating my tires. Oh well!

Lastly for this Monday morning, the District is suppose to benefit from a summer polar vortex this week. So instead of brutal sweltering weather in the 90s, we get to enjoy low humidity days in the low 80s. No excuse to not ride a bike this week!