Charleston Cycle Chic » Biking Lifestyle

Charleston Cycle Chic Fashion Show at the Bicycle BrewHaha (Photos)

Kristin B. Walker — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 18:43:56 +0000

Last night we had our very first Charleston Cycle Chic fashion show at the Bicycle Brewhaha – celebrating progress we’ve made toward making Charleston more bike-friendly. Hundreds of people showed up on a beautiful Charleston night as the sun set over the Harbor and a breeze blew off the water. We imbibed, we ate, we danced, we played, we bike-poloed and we rode the runway.

In Charleston, Cycle Chic is not only about pretty people on pretty bikes, it’s about being joyful, exuberant YOU on two wheels. So here some photos from our event last night (and we are kicking ourselves for not doing a video!) Thanks to all our amazing participants! The song in this slideshow is one we discovered in creating a soundtrack for the show. Kudos out to Coco Love Alcorn for her fun and cheeky song “I Got a Bicycle”.

Check out The Digitel’s flickr page for more event photos.

High Heels and Two Wheels – right here in Charleston

Kristin B. Walker — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 20:39:19 +0000

It’s embarrassing to admit that we didn’t know about this blog until today. We know the person, have met her several times, follow her on Twitter, even saw her loading up her bike at the grocery store the other day.

But had not read her blog. Shame shame.

So here’s a shout out to a brave and beautiful woman, who gave up her car in favor of the bike, who rides with style and grace, and is pretty funny too. Read her blog now. High Heels and Two Wheels.

Erin, will you be our new mascot? Pretty please?

Here’s a pic of her courtesy of MNN

Will Velorbis Bicycles Come to Charleston?

Kristin B. Walker — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:21:02 +0000

We’ve been salivating after Velorbis bikes for quite a while now, but alas, they were only sold across the pond. They sell classic vintage bicycles including those great cargo bikes that are perfect for groceries and/or kids. Fortunately the bike angels have been watching over us, because now Velorbis has come to the US! Actually, the distributor out of Chicago contacted us to see about carrying their lines in Charleston. YES!!! YES PLEASE!! Check out some of their bicycles below and let us know if you want ‘em.

Innovative Women Lead the Urban Bicycle Trend

Kristin B. Walker — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:36:15 +0000

This article from The Daily Beast came out recently and describes how women are leading the charge in taking back biking as a ‘normal’ ‘everyday’ activity!!!! Hurrah – we knew ya’ll would lead the way just as Jeff Mapes predicted.

Here’s an excerpt…

“Women today ride in dresses, pumps, hats, and all kinds of professional and casual attire. They are also more visible socially and politically. Women are opening bike stores around the country, manage and staff hip bicycle cafes, and design innovative and stylish cycling clothes and accessories. They also head up some of the most influential advocacy organizations in our country.”

Why do you ride?

Kristin B. Walker — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:47:03 +0000

Thanks to @heidiswift on Twitter for calling my attention to this great video by People for Bikes. It reminds the writer of this post, how the other night around 6:30PM I rode my bicycle (basket and fenders and light – check!) through the streets of Downtown Charleston in the diminishing light. I caught the scent of a sizzling steak as I rode by South End Brewery, then the heady perfume of some incredible dish that the Barbados Room was cooking up, and then as I passed by 82 Queen, the aromas of shrimp and grits fled to my nose. Now some of you might not like those smells of the city humming, but I do. I love having every one of my senses alive and fulfilled when I am on a bike. That’s why I ride.

Why do you ride?

Map Your Biking Route with “Bike There” on Google Maps

Kristin B. Walker — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:10:48 +0000

Way back in October, a little birdie told us that Google Maps was going to be launching Bike There directions on Google Maps. Well – it’s here!! At this weeks’ National Bike Summit, Google announced that it will be rolling out “Bike There” in 150 cities around the country. Users are able to enable the biking layer via the “More” button on Google Maps.

Here’s a more detailed article on Wired and check out the video below.

Charleston makes the Cycle Chic Worldwide Map

Kristin B. Walker — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:05:47 +0000

This great google map was put together by our Cycle Chic cohorts at Bike by the Sea in Santa Barbara. Isn’t it neat to think that 10s of 1000s of us are Cycling Chic all over the world, and that our marvelous little town on the Atlantic is part of it?? Pretty amazing…

View Larger Map

Cycle Chic ladies, come meet your admirer, Jeff Mapes – Author of Pedaling Revolution on 2/4

Kristin B. Walker — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:04:58 +0000

If you recall, way back in May, I wrote a post about Jeff Mapes book “Pedaling Revolution”, because he believes women will lead the way in changing the country’s attitude toward bicycling. Here’s an excerpt…

“As Mapes points out, when more women begin riding, that will signal a big change in attitude, which will prompt further changes in the direction of safety and elegance. I can ride till my legs are sore and it won’t make riding any cooler, but when attractive women are seen sitting upright going about their city business on bikes day and night, the crowds will surely follow…. “

Well what do you know, our secret admirer is coming to town!! So come on and meet him. Ride your lovely lady bikes to Southend Brewery and show him support, learn something, and get inspired.

EVENT DETAILS

CAC.C/CCDC LECTURE SERIES
sponsored by MyBikeLaw.com + CharlestonMoves
REVOLUTION ON2WHEELS
Across America, a cycling revolution is underway. Bicycles are changing the way people get around, and therefore how they see and understand the city—not to mention how we plan it. Bikes aren’t just for fun; more and more, they’re a primary means of transportation! This Spring will examine this amazing phenomenon and consider its consequences for the metro-Charleston area.

JEFF MAPES
Pedaling Revolution:
How Cyclists are Changing American Cities
Thursday FEBRUARY 4
7:00-9:00 PM
South End Brewery, 161 East Bay Street
lecture sponsor: Blue Bicycle Books

Jeff Mapes is a senior political reporter for The Oregonian and the author of Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists are Changing American Cities.

He is riding a wave of excellent reviews about his book to which the influential Library Journal (which many schools and libraries base their purchasing decisions on) gave their coveted rating of “highly recommended.” Mapes has put together a broad survey of the burgeoning urban bike movement. He covers everything, from the role of the bicycle in American society in the nineteenth century to the current revolution in cycling.

In preparing for his book, Mapes traveled the country (and the globe) to ride the streets he writes about and to talk directly with the people who are playing pivotal roles in America’s bike movement. Mapes moves from the warfare between the NYPD and the bike-activist group Critical Mass, to the utopian bikeways of Davis, California and the biking capital of the world, Amsterdam.

His extensive research, solid reporting, and anecdotally-infused style offer a story that, so far, has been largely unknown to all but bicycle advocates.
You can’t have a revolution (pedaling or not) without information, and this lecture just might become one of the sparks that fuels biking’s upcoming boom in Charleston, just like his book is doing across America.

Come meet the man behind the book and get a glimpse of the bike revolution that is sweeping the country.

From Streetfilms – Copenhagen’s Bike-Friendly Streets

Kristin B. Walker — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:27:41 +0000

I am a huge fan of Streetfilms so forgive me if I link to their videos all the time – but check out this recent one starring our very own Cycle Chic guru, Mikael Colville-Andersen. He talks about the Copenhagen bicycling infrastructure, which frankly, is mind-blowing to a budding bike town inhabitant like me.

Next Kulture Klash is all about The Bike! 11/7

Kristin B. Walker — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:47:59 +0000

KULTURE KLASH ARTS FESTIVAL
November 7th, 2009
8pm-2am
1635 Cosgrove Avenue
North Charleston, SC
In The Navy Yard at Noisette

Tickets $10/$15/$20
MORE INFO: http://www.kultureklashartsfestival.com
November 6th – free artist reception 8pm-11pm

The fifth installment of the much anticipated Kulture Klash Arts Festival is just around the corner. Here’s what you can expect:

50+ artists on display: Massive amounts of art including canvas, wood, metal, sculpture, fabric, photos, acrylic, bike parts, recycled cardboard, lights, video installations, sand, stuffed animals, glue, nails, found objects, graffiti, collage, print making and so much more then we could ever put down on paper.

Live painting collaboration: A 4 x 30+ foot wall painted live by roughly 15 artists during the 6 hour course of Kulture Klash. Come watch how the artists collaborate, collude and interact, stepping on each others toes and conversely bolstering this massive work. Individual slices of the painting will be fore sale.

‘Starving Artists” show: The show is exactly as it’s named. We have 8 Artists, who will be starving themselves (only water/herbal teas) in the event space for 5 days, in order to see how starvation really effects their craft. During the course of the 5 days, each artist is require to create one painting per day. Each artist’s paintings must be the same size, medium, subject matter, and degree of difficulty as the day before. This way the spectator can see the difference. Will the artwork suffer? Or does the elimination of food, alcohol, sugar, refine their talents?

Improv spoken word side stage: This will be a side room complete with couches and a small stage were we are encouraging audience participation, poems on the fly and poetry “battles” for those who are up to the challenge. Hosted by local word master and poem celebrity Marcus Amaker. The Starving Artist exhibit will be on display in the background.

Chain Ring Circus: Celebrate the art of cycling with bike polo matches, bike dancing, slow bike races, bike art, bike movies and general bike enthusiasm. We encourage cyclist to pedal to the event and enjoy the free bike valet hosted by Holy City Bike Co-op.

Photo repository depot by Sully Sullivan: Weird props, backdrops and cut outs. Make some memories… you can even get your grubby hands on the photos you posed for. Sully has a fancy printer. Booyah.

“Hand of Character” booth hosted by Pure Theatre: Rodney Lee Rogers directs a interactive character play incorporating the audience as key players. Channel your inner thespian and make your move.

The midnight room: Just have to wait and see…

Modern dance – The Power Company will be performing two separate dance pieces choreographed by Marcy Jo Yonkey-Clayton. They will be dabbling with the curiosity of watching and being watched plus a second performance about pushing the boundaries of property lines and personal space.

Live music: Dante’s Camaro – “Rising up from the ashes comes the fastest, dirtiest, most maniacal menagerie or mangled metal the world has yet known!! Riding down the highway to HELL and destroying every bottle of booze in its path, the band that no one wanted to cross will not disappoint.”

Short Shorts – “Sounds like robots… doin’ it. We met in chemistry lab. We brought out lab coats. We made a concoction. We built a monster. We are Short Shorts.”

The V-Tones – “Sometimes known as a quaint duo, other times a sizzling sextet. We craft our shows to fit the moment so no performance is ever the same. Also known as Charleston’s only ukulele hot club jub band vaudeville ragtime neo-retro-postpostmodern quasi-primetime anachronistic revolutionary anti-inflammatory mass catharsis jazz freakout and philharmonic group therapy session.”

Plus many more booty shakin’ sets by DJ Stella, The Bubble Gut Brothers, Righchus, DJ Jeff ET, Danny Seltzer and DJ Belk.

Drink: Enjoy a cold, delicious beer from New Belgium Brewery or a smooth glass of hand selected wine by Social Wine Bar. There will be ample non-alcoholic bevs.

Eat: Snack on killer hand-tossed pizza baked on site by the boys from D’allesandro’s or get your spice on with some Asian/African infusion from the Street Food cart.

Shuttle – $5 shuttles from downtown, James Island and West Ashley. Check our website for more info.

We promise: quicker lines, more well lit potties, sweeter security, cold water, plenty of places to sit, more drink ticket stations, an ATM on site, and really fantastic beer and wine. As always, lots of last minute additions to keep you on your toes.

Thanks to our sponsors: New Belgium Brewery, The Navy Yard at Noisette, Fisher Recycling, TheDigitel.com, Big Hair Productions, City Paper, Social Wine Bar, D’allesandro’s, Street Foods, Celadon Home, Ice Box, Lucky 7′s Tattoo, Holy City Bike Co-op and Charleston Moves.

CO-PRODUCERS:
Gustavo Serrano
Ambergre Sloan
Scott Debus
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ambergre Sloan 843.478.1615 amber@kultureklashartsfestival.com

HI RES photos are available at http://www.badjon.com/?s=kulture+klash