The Spokes-Models
Get a Helmet, Morning Glory! Beautiful—SCREEECH!—Roadkill! Who Are These Schwinn-Pumping, Flower-Shlepping Sirens? Where Do Gisele, Naomi and Chloë Think They Are? Shropshire?
Meet the beautiful bicycle girls of New York, a breed that bears little resemblance to the hard-charging, Spandex-short-wearing species of 20 years ago. Those women were athletes, pumping the pedals, fighting to win. Getting somewhere. Today’s girls—and one always thinks of them as girls, even if they’re well into their 40’s—are more meandering, their long legs flashing along the pot-holed alleys of SoHo and the boutique-lined bike lanes of the West Village. Eco-conscious and ethereal, they wear flowing frocks and gigantic sunglasses but never helmets. Their hair flutters in the breeze as they leave a trail of swooning male pedestrians in their perfumed wake. They’ve been known to weave up the Brooklyn Bridge, holding up traffic as they absent-mindedly chomp on almonds, steering through a stop sign while texting on their BlackBerries.
Local celebrities like the actresses Naomi Watts and Chloë Sevigny and the Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen have all championed living the green life in this most public and only incidentally calorie-burning way. “I go every day to work on my bike,” Ms. Bundchen told the Daily News a couple of years ago. “It’s faster than a car, and cheaper.”
Ms. Eichmann, 25, a former part-time model currently working as a photographer, also decided to go green two years ago. She buys energy-efficient light bulbs. She uses a Kate Spade tote bag instead of plastic ones. She recycles. And she window-shops while riding her “lightly loved used bike.” Having the latest gear, as any bicycle girl will tell you, is simply beside the point.
Fashion designer Lela Rose, who will show her spring 2008 collection in Bryant Park on Thursday, Sept. 6, rides a tricycle around Tribeca, taking her 6-year-old son to school every weekday on the upholstered back seat, often accompanied by their Norwich terrier, Stitch, or cruising to run errands in the Garment District. “Or I’ve taken my mother around to the galleries in Chelsea, all on the bike,” Ms. Rose gushed in a phone interview. “I know, it sounds ridiculous, but I don’t go anywhere anymore without bringing the bike, because to me it’s like my car. At a minimum, it’s the best way to get around. It’s for the environment. It’s great for health reasons. For me it’s just a great way to get a better peace of mind. I could go on and on about the benefits of bike riding.”
Ms. Rose’s first adult trike was purchased on eBay; her second custom-built by one George Bliss, owner of the Hub Station on Morton Street, who specializes in pimping rides for the new set of beautiful bicycle girls. “Lela shows that you can carry a load on a bicycle and look glamorous,” Mr. Bliss said. “She’s really inspired me, and now I’m focusing on the tricycle child carrier as a product for upscale women in SoHo. … That’s the niche, professionals and models because, you know, if you go to a cocktail party, you’ve got to have something to talk about. ‘Green? What’s green? Oh, bicycling!’
“Women are our best customers,” Mr. Bliss continued. “They know what they want. That’s all that really matters.”
And, pray tell, what do women want?
“Vintage,” replied the craftsman. “If it’s a unique color, that’s usually attractive.”
Mr. Bliss, who is revered in the cycling community, darted around his warehouse-style shop in shorts and Croc sandals, pointing out the various contraptions that make biking beauties go giddy.
“Fenders matter to protect them in the rain,” he said. “A chain guard matters; you don’t want to get grease on your clothing. And they want a basket. They really want a basket. They’re using bicycles in a more practical way, while for men it’s more to stay in shape or it’s some other symbol of machismo—athleticism, let’s call it.”
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If, as BikeSnobNYC is saying, they aren't following the traffic laws and are riding unsafely, then they need to clean up their acts. Otherwise, they're just pissing people off and making it hard for other non-pretty cyclists to get going. It's the same story all over the country.
Calling the bikesnobnyc blogger "bitter" shows the reporter's bias....which isn't supposed to be there, is it? I'm a female rider and I never go without a helmet - I understand PHYSICS! I also always obey all road rules. These people give bicyclers a bad name.
...another passing trend. These materialistic parasites will find something new to occupy their fleeting interests in no time. Cole Haan boots... gimme a break!
We need a new public education campaign: "Ride your bike like you drive a Prius." The more you know...
Oh great. While I have no problem with scrawny trendnoids attempting to ride a bike, I do wish the NYPD would actually enforce traffic rules and slap them with the moving violations they so richly deserve. Or someone should teach them that riding on the sidewalk, against traffic or any of the other things that they enjoy, Oh so much, are illegal. Bicycles are moving vehicles and must obey the rules of the road.
i'd rather contend with inattentive cyclists than inattentive drivers, i guess.
but the above points are true. i'm glad people are riding, but maybe its time for a better public info campaign. maybe try to get retailers to include basic traffic safety tutorials in thier out-the-door safety checks.
I love it, nothing is more attractive than a cute girl on a bike. Luckily, I don't live in NYC so I don't have to deal with idiots riding the wrong way.
Lets just see how dedicated these bubble-headed fashionistas are to their "Green" mode of transportation come winter. Cold, freezing rain and snow will have them calling their car services faster than you can say Barney's trunk show. Ladies, if you leave the cycling to the professionals (messengers, food delivery, athletes, dedicated commuters, etc.), we will leave the excessive self-indulgence to you.
P.s. This goes for Hipsters as well.
Marc, I think you've convinced me that YOU are bikesnobnyc. And Jamie, it's not much of a bias to call bikesnob bitter. I think that's essentially his MO.
Anyway, I love this too. If trendoids & fashionistas want to ride bikes, please do. If they pack it away for the winter, I don't blame them. I'll keep riding, of course, but not everyone has that kind of fortitude. Biking is great. And if more people with more money to throw around start using bikes all the time, maybe the city & the country will begin to take notice, and we'll all be living in a great, happy bike utopia.
(btw, Marc MacLean & I are real-life friends, so I can razz him if I like.)
Jesus! I only wish the Beautiful Girls of Los Angeles could see their way clear to ride bikes here! There are a hardy few, but not nearly enough. By contrast, when I was in Verona in Dec '05, I saw Real Women glide by on 5-speeds in leather and furs...elegante.
Give me a hot looking three speed terror over a fat slob in a SUV any day. At least when you have to dodge the girl on the vintage Raleigh there is still some road to dodge to. And we all no why 'bike snob NYC'is the only bicycle blogger who never includes a picture of themselves riding anywhere, his real name is "Bike Slob" and the only bike he owns is an old ten-speed he keeps under the stairs in case of emergency.
That young women on bicycles are entering NYC's asphalt jungle is a sure sign of social and environmental progress, far more significant than whether they wear Prada or helmets or not. Bikes are useful and beloved vehicles for people of all ages and incomes. Thanks for showing us another slice of this life.
It's too bad that some readers see only the most negative (and sexist) side to things. No matter how much a babe spends on her bike and outfit, it will wreak far less environmental damage than a single year of auto ownership. And anything to slow down the city's traffic will save lives. I like the babes.
Bikes are great - they represent freedom and independence
Sorry to see that the "trend followers" have now taken something representing freedom and objectified it into another small minded pursuit - i.e "look at me I'm riding a bike and that makes me cool because I'm wearing whatever the latest foppery is..." Now I can't ride my bike until they pack up their bikes next to their trucker hats in the closet
Although I read and greatly enjoy bikesnobnyc, I have to disagree with him/her on this one. Celebrity/wealth worship in america is frankly alarming, and constantly distracts from the more pressing issues of the day: the environment, dependence on foreign oil, and health care. Seeing rich, fashionable starlets riding around can only be a good thing - and will bring all three of those issues to the forefront. If a few snapshots of stars on bikes get thrown into People or US weekly, maybe the masses will start to follow...and that can only be good for the rest of us cyclists. Because if a starlet gets creamed, two things will happen: slurpie-sucking land manatees in SUVs will be decried, and bicycling-motorist laws will be thrust into the public consciousness...and there will no longer be excuses for idiots screaming, "get off the road" while using their cars as weaponry.
well shucks! god bless these gals for enhancing the sex appeal of a transport mode which, once you've tried it, needs no further (and certainly no helmetless) endorsement. if "spokesmodels" can woo more people onto 2 non-motorized wheels, then great!, but we the existing merry pedalers, helmet-haired and obedient to [most non-obstructive] traffic laws, had better sprint for cover if new riders are only concerned about the aesthetic, and not the political or safety implications of their fetish.
Unfortunately, it seems celebrities are a necessary evil in this Monkey World, so, if celebrities on bicycles will raise awareness and bring some of the "super size me" over sized people out of their big fat SUVs which they drive as if they think they are playing a video game whose goal is to mow down bicyclists and dogs and their human walkers as they RACE to make a turn so they can stop at the red light on the next block - aka the morons - then celebrities on bikes are a good thing; so, let's get Martha Stewart making bicycle seat covers and baskets. Happy Cycling!
Lets face it, a really beautiful woman on a bike can get away with anything, atmo
not that there's anything wrong with that...
I was interviewed for this article and they opted to leave out a few key points in order to construct their "trend piece".
Ahem:
1. I've been riding a bike for seven years, in sf and nyc, so it ain't just a new trend...at least not for this gal.
2. There is a reason that my primary intention for riding a bike in this city isn't to be green, and the reason is: it's not like my alternative is a Hummer. Most commuters in this city are inherently green (subway, on foot). Let's get people in the burbs riding bikes. Then *they* can be sanctimonious.
Having said that, I will totally cop to texting while I ride. Sorry guys. I'll try harder.
xo
I was interviewed for this article and they opted to leave out a few key points in order to construct their "trend piece".
Ahem:
1. I've been riding a bike for seven years, in sf and nyc, so it ain't just a new trend...at least not for this gal.
2. There is a reason that my primary intention for riding a bike in this city isn't to be green, and the reason is: it's not like my alternative is a Hummer. Most commuters in this city are inherently green (subway, on foot). Let's get people in the burbs riding bikes. Then *they* can be sanctimonious.
Having said that, I will totally cop to texting while I ride. Sorry guys. I'll try harder.
xo
I was interviewed for this article and they opted to leave out a few key points in order to construct their "trend piece".
Ahem:
1. I've been riding a bike for seven years, in sf and nyc, so it ain't just a new trend...at least not for this gal.
2. There is a reason that my primary intention for riding a bike in this city isn't to be green, and the reason is: it's not like my alternative is a Hummer. Most commuters in this city are inherently green (subway, on foot). Let's get people in the burbs riding bikes. Then *they* can be sanctimonious.
Having said that, I will totally cop to texting while I ride. Sorry guys. I'll try harder.
xo
We'll know cycling in NYC is here to stay when it looks like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_8dGodhGtI
If bicycling needs to be trendy to catch on- so be it-
But Be Safe People!
Go Green!
If we follow Mr. MacLean's advice (ref. his Sept. 05 comment, above), it will be a long time indeed before we see any reduction in urban congestion and pollution. Let go and share. Give bicycles back to the people – those of us who care nothing for a century nor an ally cat.
I applaud the fashionistas helping (if accidentally) to show that bicycles are not powered by spandex. There is nothing wrong with wearing something fashionable while on a bike -- even a skirt. Folks do it all the time as is evidenced by women in Tokyo (JPN), Copenhagen (DK), Portland (USA), Amsterdam (NDL) and other cities. As far as Mr. MacLean's laudable concern for these women’s health come winter, Tokyo, Portland and Amsterdam get plenty of inclement weather yet people still ride. (They wear coats and hats.)
However, I would recommend that NYC launch an information campaign about the laws and best practices of cycling. Brain trauma is not fashionable.
for advice on riding in skirts and heels, see: www.sfbike.org/?diva
liss, I guess Bikesnob profiled you perfectly as you found it neccesary to post the same message several times. If you've ever been to the "burbs" you would know that things are spread out way too much for somebody to use a bike as a practical form of transportation.
Well in the course of living in LA, a giant suburb, I find the bicycle to be the best choice for moving about.
Every day in Los Angeles people are abandoning their cars for bicycles. As for those of you who've not yet seen the light or think it is too far to go. Map your travels, I bet you will find that you drive in a five radius and that you make an average speed of 18 miles an hour. Bicycles go that fast while making you smile and healthy. At bikeboom.com you will find a social cyclecentric event or activity most every day of the week. Bicycles are not a trend but the future. Bicycles are the social movement of the time.
Join us!!
The people who ride against traffic are mostly not aware of the danger it poses to others or to themselves. They falsely believe that they're doing the "safe" thing. So many people learned to ride from their parents when they were 5 years old, and were taught incorrectly by them. Most days when I'm riding to and from work I see at least one person doing something absolutely insane on a bicycle, and wish I could stop them and give them a free copy of the chapter on cycling as part of traffic in Forester's "Effective Cycling". But it is definitely heartening to see a big upswing in bike usage for everyday utility and transportation. And there are many, many more cyclists on the road who "get it right" (or at least, relatively close to right) about operating as part of the traffic flow.
Thanks for the fun article!
P.S. I don't think fashionable people are bad! I think it's great that people in this country are finally integrating biking into their lives more--and wearing normal clothes while doing it!
If only more shops would sell decent dutch-style bikes in the USA. The time is ripe to get women onto real bikes again - bikes built for daily transportation rather than the occasional sport ride. The best they can find now is a Breezer, which is a shame, but at least it's a start. Most all of these people could be sold on reliable & comfortable dutch bikes if they were mass-produced for the American market. You can't have a demand for it if nobody's ever seen the product. Small-scale imports will never get the prices down to what the larger public will accept. There needs to be a public initiative to get real bike facilities on the streets, and real bikes in our bike shops. What a different world that would be...
1/5 of all commercials are for Cars & Trucks. You've never seen a commercial for a bicycle, because there aren't any. Those commericals don't exist. Imagine if 1/5 of all commercials were for riding bikes, rather than cars, to get places. The streets would start to look different very quickly. A public initiative could make that happen.
Respect you!
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