Gossip Girl season two: featuring lovely bicycles

Here’s a new promo shot from the soon-to-air-in-the-States second series of **Gossip Girl**. Obviously Blair and Marcus have chosen to twin their posho preppy chic with two Dutch / vintage-style bicycles. Good work.

A parking solution that’s easy on the eye

I ride through Angel every day on my way to and from work, and always pass this aesthetically pleasing plant pot / bike rack combo.

The metal planters are far too heavy to lift, so do a decent job of deterring light-fingered types, and they suit the quaint pretty back streets of Islington nicely. And while it might not be the most space-efficient solution to the bike parking shortage in London, it sure is the prettiest.

The Smiths on bicycles

Even though the video for Stop Me was filmed 21 years ago, Morrissey still sets a standard for stylish cyclists everywhere. As do the Smiths devotees following him.

New York cycling is officially “hot”

Cycle commuting is hot hot hot in New York. It’s true. I read it in Page Six magazine. It’s hot because celebrities, politicians and “the well-heeled mommy set” (shudder) have all been spotted pushing pedals.

This can only be a good thing for both safety - strength in numbers - and promotion. It’s always nice to see someone looking impeccable on a fabulous frame, as proven by the popularity of blogs like Amsterdamize and Copenhagen Cycle Chic.

The piece explains some impending positive moves to get New York really cycle-friendly, with more bike lanes, parking schemes, cycles-for-hire and car-free days being bandied about by Mayor Bloomberg.

Now, if London could ramp up its parking initiatives, and maybe stop directing diverted bendy buses down TfL-recommended cycle routes, and maybe get some of the more appealing politicians to use their cycle commute as an eco-nod photo opportunity, then we might get a few more of these “cycling = sexy” features, too.

Image borrowed from the wonderful Abandoned Bicycles Of New York

The big helmet debate rumbles on

The Guardian this week dug up the old helmet-or-not argument, with writer Peter Walker explaining on the blogs why he’s firmly pro, particularly on the harsh streets of London. It’s a fairly constant discussion in my house, with me favouring a protective lid over non-flattened hair.

There’s a lot of polite arguing going on in the comments, with some saying that if you wouldn’t wear a helmet while walking, you shouldn’t on the bike. Others point to personal accidents both with and without helmets as evidence that they can do some good.

I err on the side of caution and strap on my skateboarder-style mushroom when I cycle to work, since it’s a good eight miles and takes me right through the centre of London. But in the summer months, it’s uncomfortable, hot and yes, messes my hair right up. Still, I’m not ready to throw it off. Yet.
One recurring theme in the discussion appears to be that it’s very dependent on the cycling culture (and the response of the traffic) in any given city. So, international readers - what’s the helmet situation in your city?

Agyness Deyn, celebrity cyclist

Like blonde pixie crops and having a Stroke for a boyfriend, ubiquitous supermodel Agyness Deyn’s cycling habit should spread like the clap, and it’s a sign of how far we’ve come. She loves bikes. Loves ‘em. From pedal-pushing her way around NY Fashion Week last September to her recent saddle dates with Albert Hammond Jr, she’s never bloody off the thing. And don’t she look lovely?

Detective work (zooming and Google) suggests she’s riding an Electra, which looks a bit like a Pashley, only not as nice. It is still nice, mind, but we are purists drooling over our Pashley dreams…

International bike news: LA allows cyclists on pavements

A curious spot of news from over in that America, where it has been made legal to ride bicycles on pavements (in West Hollywood, at least). This comes after cyclists complained to the City Council that riding on the road was becoming increasingly dangerous, a worry backed up by statistics - there were 68 vehicle-bike incidents from January 2006 - May 2008, compared to a big fat zero for bikes-pedestrians.

But Mayor Jeff Prang (this is quite a funny name, given the topic) warned that this might not tell the whole story. “It doesn’t surprise me that there are none reported,” he said. “It’s not the sort of thing you report to the Sheriff. We hear about it, though, so we know it happens.”

It’d be interesting to see if this works out, and if it ever gets rolled out beyond an LA suburb. There are junctions in London where a quick pavement detour is practically lifesaving. We bet the likes of ’sm’ and ‘Rev Ponge’ (below) would love it - they’re desperate to get cyclists off the roads, innit.

Hit and run cyclist makes drivers angry

Call the Daily Mail! A cyclist has knocked down a little child, then scarpered from the scene. The boy needed seven stitches and his mum is furious that the cyclist didn’t even stop to apologise. And that’s fair enough. Bad cyclist.

However, some of the commenters on this Argus Lite story have got a little carried away with what this means about the state of the nation. Here’s a selection of the best:

It had to happen sooner or later. Cyclists are becoming a menace which needs to be sorted… (b, Brighton)

They should sling every cyclist off the road before they kill someone. (Rev Ponge, brighton)

I’m glad cyclists get knocked down frequently, might teach them some respect for other users. (sm)

So there we go, readers. A 10kg bike is so much more of a threat than a 1,125kg car that every single cyclist should be banned, or at the very least knocked down. God love you, ’sm’, you big mental.

About The Town Bike

Bicycles rule, yet most cycling magazines are yawnsome. Some people want to read about spokes and specs. This is for people who do not.

Here’s what we’ll do. We’ll bring you regular bike news from the UK and beyond, in blog format. It probably won’t be about technical things. It will, however, be entertaining and sometimes useful.

But most excitingly, you can look forward to our full, occasional and beautiful print magazine, which you can browse at your leisure, featuring noted cyclists, stylish bicycles (hence the ridiculous but oh-so-coveted Chanel bike up top) and the very best writing on two wheels.