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.