Women Who Bike: New Series, New Collaboration

Today BIKE NOPA and Bikes And The City spin out a new collaborative bike series, Women Who Bike. Each Monday and Wednesday we will feature San Francisco women and their bicycles. Check both our blogs for the experiences, stories, and ideas that women who bike the city want to share with you. Let us know your thoughts and leave comments for the featured riders.

First in a series: Kristin Tieche

"Testing the baby blue Mixte from PUBLIC" Photo: Kristin Tieche

At Davies Symphony Hall Photo: Kristin Tieche

How would you describe your bicycling style?

Carefree. You are who you are wherever you are, even when you're on a bike!

How often do you bike and what for?

I bike pretty much every day. I go on bike rides with friends. I bike to work and back. I bike to meet friends at cafes, restaurants and bars. I bike to the ballgame (GO GIANTS!). I bike to run errands. I bike to the symphony, to the Farmers Market, to join Critical Mass. I bike so I can take pictures of other people biking for my own blog!

How can San Francisco encourage more women -- including teens and younger -- to bike?

Many women are afraid to bike the city streets. Designated bike lanes or streets that are totally closed to car traffic would probably be the change that would most influence women and girls to ride bikes. I think teenage girls might want to see biking as really cool, and to see their role models commuting on bikes would make a difference in their lives.

Have you had best dates or best friendships start with biking?

I had a really good date with a guy who knew I was into cycling and was still trying to impress me, so on one of our first dates he suggested we ride bikes through the park to Ocean Beach and get coffee and breakfast out there. I can't even tell you how happy I was because it was all his idea. We dated for four months until I realized he was a closet car addict.

For one New Year's Eve party I went to a Cyclecide party at Ace's Junkyard in the Bayview, but I cabbed it because I didn't feel comfortable riding in high heels and my New Year's outfit there. I met a nice guy, and we had a midnight kiss at the bonfire. He rode me on the back of his bike at 4 a.m. He stopped and kissed me at every stop sign. It was a really memorable night.

Your message to women who want to try biking?

Riding a bike is so simple. Remember how happy we were when the training wheels went off? If you don't ride yet, find a bike that you feel comfortable riding, one that feels like an extension of your own personality (I have a vintage French bike now). Once you find a bike you can fall in love with, you'll wonder how this bike was ever missing in your life before and you will live happily ever after.

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Kristin lives in NOPA, rides with NOPA VELO, and writes the smash Velo Vogue blog. "Where the bike lane meets the runway."

Be sure to check Bikes And The City for more Women Who Bike profiles.

Women who bike: Take the Writing Women Back into Bicycling survey online by May 15th. More than 7300 women already have. Survey conducted by the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP). See survey here.

Women Who Bike: Lenore McDonald

This week BIKE NOPA and Bikes And The City continue their bike series, Women Who Bike. Each Monday and Wednesday we will feature San Francisco women and their bicycles. Check both our blogs for the experiences, stories, and ideas that women who bike the city want to share with you. Let us know your thoughts and leave comments for the featured riders.

Lenore as Maria for NOPA VELO's Sound of Music ride

And as Tania/Patty Hearst for NOPA VELO's inaugural ride

Fourth in a series: Lenore McDonald

How would you describe your bicycling style?

I am an experienced, confident cyclist and I'm becoming more savvy as a commuter cyclist. And I am happiest when I am riding my bike. No exageration.

How often do you bike?

Since getting my commuter bike at the beginning of this year, I ride almost daily to work from my apartment in NOPA to downtown taking Golden Gate Ave to Market Street -- a straight fast shot to the financial district. It's just under three miles each direction. I ride at least once on the weekend or one evening after work. I also have a road bike (Litespeed) for recreational riding over the bridge and out to Marin.

What could San Francisco do to encourage more women to bike, including teens and younger?

I think organized rides or group riding is really helpful to get comfortable riding different types of roads, distances, and conditions. The rides are well-marked and usually cover some pretty terrain and they usually include emergency health and roadside services. Our NOPA VELO bike rides welcome all levels of riders, including kids riding their own bikes if accompanied by a parent.

Perhaps a place where women can meet to ride to work together would encourage more women to commute by bike. Having a bike suitable for the type of riding you do helps also. I am so much more comfortable riding to work since getting my Giant commuter bike. I can wear my regular work clothes and shoes on the bike, and it's heavier and feels safer.

How many of your best dates or best friendships started with biking?

I yearned to have a riding partner for many years. I insisted that my next partner had to ride. A mutual friend fixed me up with Rick and I agreed to meet him only after learning that he rode. I pinch myself when we're out riding together. Ours is a tried and true cycling relationship.

I surprise people when I bike by ...

dressing up in costume for our NOPA VELO rides. Sometimes folks are surprised by some of my riding experiences, like the Bike Tour of Colorado in 2008 was 450 miles at elevations up to 12,000 feet and a total of 39,000 feet of climbing over five days.

My message to women who want to try biking:

Biking feels good, especially on the way to work. Wind and fresh air. I always enter my office with a big smile and feel great. For a pretty modest investment ($500-$750) you can purchase a good bike to get around the city. You don't have to dress down or get too sweaty with the right equipment. Plus it makes you independent!

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Read more about Lenore here in a previous BIKE NOPA story. (Lenore is one of the NOPA VELO ride organizers).

Read the other profiles in the series of Women Who Bike.

If you bike and live in NOPA or bike through NOPA and would like to participate in the series, contact me at michael7820@gmail.com

Be sure to check Bikes And The City for more Women Who Bike profiles.

Women Who Bike: Lynne Howe

Not in NOPA, but a pretty sweet spot

BIKE NOPA and Bikes And The City have spun out a new collaborative bike series, Women Who Bike. Each Monday and Wednesday we will feature San Francisco women and their bicycles. Check both our blogs for the experiences, stories, and ideas that women who bike the city want to share with you. Post your thoughts and leave comments for the featured riders.

Second in a series: Lynne Howe

How would you characterize your biking style?

I am a confident and assertive bicyclist. Since I have been biking my entire life, starting as a child in a seat on the back of my parents' bikes, I am confident in my abilities to negotiate traffic and handle my bike. Because I believe I have a right to be on the road, I behave as if I belong there, which I think makes auto drivers generally respond accordingly.

How often do you bike and what for?

Almost daily for everything -- fun, exercise, commuting to work, shopping, getting to medical appointments, the library, jury duty, dinner with friends. If I'm going more than three blocks, I ride my bike!

How can San Francisco encourage more women to bike, including teens and younger?

More women, teen, and child-friendly spaces and rides. I think it is easier to stick with something like biking when you are doing it with others. It is more fun and there really is safety in numbers.

Have you had best dates or great friendships start with biking?

Unfortunately, I do most of my biking alone, but I do have two wonderful friendships that both began in 2008 with women I met through volunteering with SFBC (San Francisco Bicycle Coalition) and have blossomed by getting to know each other on subsequent bike rides.

I surprise people when I bike by ...

the distances I cover because I don't have a magazine cover athlete's body. My goal is to ride 100 miles each week and I enjoy taking rides of 40+ miles.

My message to women who want to try biking:

Consider taking Bike Ed offered by SFBC. It covers road laws pertaining to bikes as well as best practices for negotiating traffic. There is a riding day with instructors to aid you. Periodically there is a woman-only class, but the kind of men who attend the co-ed classes are not generally the risk-taking hot shots who try to intimidate everyone else with their bike knowledge.

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Lynne bikes through (and stops in ) NOPA often.

First BIKE NOPA profile in the series appears here.

Be sure to check Bikes And The City for more Women Who Bike profiles

Women who bike: Take the Writing Women Back into Bicycling survey online by May 15th. More than 7300 women already have. Survey conducted by the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP). See survey here.

Women Who Bike: Susan King

Susan King and her flower-power basket bike Photo: Susan King

Multi-tasking in the park Photo: Susan King

So many women ride bikes for transportation and recreation in San Francisco that BIKE NOPA and Bikes And The City are collaborating to bring their stories to you. Our series, Women Who Bike, appears every Monday and Wednesday on each of our blogs. Check both sites for the experiences, insights, and tips from women who want to share their passion for biking with you. Tell us what you think and post your comments for the featured riders.

How do you characterize your biking style?

Slow and steady. I am never in too big a hurry to stop for pedestrians or run through a stop sign when there are cards waiting their turn. People fly past me on hills (both up and down), but I always arrive in one piece, and that's good enough for me.

How often do you get to bike?

I ride my bike to work just about every day that it is not raining -- I admit to being a fair-weather cyclist. I also ride for recreation on weekends. My work in organizing Sunday Streets* allows me the opportunity to spend more time on my bike, so work sometimes equals pleasure.

What can San Francisco do to encourage more women and girls to bike?

I recently realized that I cycle more because I hang around with friends who cycle. We often take group rides for recreation or caravan to social events by bike. This social cycle circle definitely inspires me to ride more, and it provides the extra incentive that I sometimes need to get on my bike at night. Having friends around as you bike is more fun and safer.

The number one thing I would say needs to be done to get more women on bikes is to create safe places to ride. As a 20 year plus bike commuter, I am a fairly competent and confident rider, but even I get nervous on roads that have no bike infrastructure and are populated by fast moving cars. I hesitate to encourage all of my friends to ride to work and around town for this reason.

Have many of your current friendships started with bicycling?

I met my current roommate at a bike ride. Most of my favorite people are bikers, and my funnest holiday-in-the-city memories are the group rides organized by friends, including the past two New Year's Eves, and the daytime rides on Valentines Day organized by Kay Hoskins.

I've had lots of fun encounters on my bike. I especially love riding around with music playing. It is so much fun to see how people react to hearing music blasting out of speakers mounted on a bike. It's an instant rolling dance party (courtesy of Deep Jawa and his Trikeasaurus or Dan Nguyen-Tan and the Funcycle.

I surprise people when I bike by ...

With my flower-adorned basket, wearing a skirt, ringing my "I Love My Bike" bell.

My message to women who want to try biking:

Biking is a great way to get around the city, save money, and keep your girlish figure. Lots of women ride (for lots of different reasons), and you do not have to compromise your style or your lifestyle to make cycling part of your life.

* Susan bikes through NOPA all the time and is often spotted at Green Chile Kitchen. NOPA neighbors will definitely see her when Sunday Streets comes to the North Panhandle on September 19th.

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For more great stories in the series, take a look at these previous Women Who Bike posts. And stop by Bikes And The City every Monday and Wednesday for Meli's Women Who Bike.

If you or someone you know would like to participate in the series, please contact me at Michael7820@gmail.com

Women Who Bike: Kay Hoskins

"At the Palace of Fine Arts, a stop on the Valentine's Day ride I led."

"Breaking in the cup holder with hibiscus juice from a street vendor at Sunday Streets in the Mission."

"How I combine my two greatest passions: biking and dog rescue."

BIKE NOPA and Bikes And The City spin out more stories this week in our new collaborative series, Women Who Bike. Each Monday and Wednesday we will feature San Francisco women and their bicycles. Check both our blogs for the experiences, stories, and ideas that women who bike the city want to share with you. Post your thoughts and leave comments for the featured riders.

Fifth in a series: Kay Hoskins

How do you characterize your bicycling style?

Mostly law-abiding and cautious but also defensive. I try to anticipate that car about to cut me off or that door about to open into me. Luckily, I haven't wiped out on my bike seriously and not in many years. I hope that's due to my cautious riding style.

How often do you bike and what for?

I pretty much ride my bike every day weekdays for work and on some evenings and the weekend for fun rides.

What could be done in San Francisco to encourage more women, including teens and younger, to bike?

Most of the women I know who don't already bike in San Francisco are afraid to start. And I think they're a bit intimidated by the hills. Once the bike network is completed, I think we will see even more women out there. High schools in the city need to have programs to teach urban biking skills. I know that might be unrealistic right now given that so many programs are being cut.

Have any of your best dates or friendships started with bicycling?

My current boyfriend Liam and I met at SFBC volunteer nights and we "got together" on a bike camping trip.

I surprise people when I bike by...

singing out very loud.

My message to women who want to try biking:

Find a mentor and get out there! Start with Sunday Streets and bike in Golden Gate Park on Sundays; then have an experienced friend show you the "wiggle routes" around town to avoid the hills. The SFBC map is an amazing tool as well.

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Kay lives near NOPA; she biked NOPA VELO's Dead Presidents ride in April.

See previous profiles in the BIKE NOPA WOMEN WHO BIKE series. And find even more at Bikes And The City.

Women Who Bike: Rose Johnson

Rose Johnson: another day of biking

Women Who BIKE!: Rose (2nd from left)

Photos by Rose

Women Who Bike is a collaborative effort by BIKE NOPA and Bikes And The City that features San Francisco women and their bicycles. Each Monday and Wednesday check both blogs for the experiences, stories, and ideas that women who bike the city want to share with you.

What's your style of biking?

Efficient. Depending on my mood, how late I am, and my energy level, I choose routes that accommodate my needs. On a sunny day there is nothing I love more than a cruise down the Wiggle. When I am tired, I avoid the hills and enjoy the granny gear. On a sunny Saturday morning the Sausalito hill is nothing. But most of the time, I bike standing up.

How often do you bike and what for?

I ride my bike everyday, almost everywhere I go. I bike because I can and because I believe in alternative forms of transportation, a low-cost life style, and participation. My bicycle is not only my main form of sustainable travel, but it is also my load wagon. I like to see how much stuff I can fit on the back. By using busted tubes creatively, I am able to carry all of my supplies for my small bike-powered business, Apothocurious, my camping gear for bike tours, and for my bike-less friends.

What can San Francisco do to encourage more women, including teens and younger, to bike?

I think with proper education to EVERYONE (cyclists, car drivers, and youth) we can share the road safely and enjoyably. When we prove that "it can be done," we empower everyone in being able to live a low-cost, low-impact, and low-stress life style.

I think when someone is able to experience bicycling around the city in a safe, fun, and supported environment, within a few rides they are hip to the ease, the possibility, and the new-found freedom that comes with bicycles.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays I lead an all-girl bike club at Hoover Middle School. The group is not a place without boys, but a place where females can express their uniquely feminine experiences without judgment of misunderstanding. They can ride slow, walk up hills, or ask questions that might otherwise have have overlooked or unheard in a bike club comprised mostly of boys. The group is unique in the way that the pace is more calm, the leadership is fluid, and, when I look back to check on the riders behind me, every rider is doing exactly what she should should be: riding safely.

What's one of your best times bicycling?

I live on my bicycle, and most of my friends do too! So much is shared, experienced, and grown when we travel together. For the past three years I have trained for the AIDS Life Cycle ride. I have only ridden once, but the training is what is special to me. Year One, my friend Nicole convinced me to jump on for an 80 mile trip to Occidental. This was when I was first getting into long distance cycling, and the feeling of accomplishment I got at the end of that trip was enough to know it was true love. Year Two I decided to do the ride, and I convinced my two besties to join me. It was the greatest thing to spend a Saturday riding 80 miles, catching up, preparing and appreciating each other. This two more besties have decided to do the ride. Watching them preparing, helping fundraise, and riding the Headlands has been full of so much beautiful quality time.

I surprise people when I bike when ...

I'm in my yellow vest with ten kids in tow.

My message to women who want to try biking:

We can do it!

Rose lives in NOPA and, as she says, "I heart the Panhandle...so hard."

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For more great stories, take a look at these previous Women Who Bike posts:

And stop by Bikes And The City every Monday and Wednesday for Meli's Women Who Bike. (Treat yourself and visit her site every day!)

If you or someone you know might like to join this series, please ask them to contact me at Michael7820@gmail.com

Women Who Bike: Aurelia d'Andrea

One big ride from NOPA: Aurelia at the German/Czech border

Aurelia's everyday riding uniform with dog Fanny along for a great spin. Photo: Edna Johnson

BIKE NOPA and Bikes And The City spin into the second week of our new collaborative bike series,Women Who Bike. Each Monday and Wednesday we feature San Francisco women and their bicycles. Check both our blogs for the experiences, stories, and ideas that women who bike the city want to share with you. Post your thoughts and leave comments for the featured riders.

Third in a series: Aurelia d'Andrea

How do you characterize your bicycling style?

I'm definitely a cautious rider. I ride fast but only because I know these streets intimately -- and all their potholes and fissures and sketchy intersections. I've always got my eye on parked-car doors, on the cars behind me, and my general surroundings. Defensive riding is the way to go in this city.

How often do you bike and what for?

I'm an everyday rider. We've recently gone car-free, so my feet and my two-wheeler are my primary modes of transport. As a graduate student at SFSU, I do the 15 mile round-trip to campus a couple of times a week, as well as to the Farmers Market, library, and weekend entertainment venues around the city. I also ride for pure fun: we've pedaled out from our NoPa abode to China Camp and Samuel P. Taylor parks for overnight camping trips, and last summer we spent a lovely month cycling from Rome to Berlin.

What can be done to encourage more women to bike, including teens and younger?

It's important to understand that a bike should fit your lifestyle and not the other way around. You shouldn't have to overhaul your whole wardrobe to neon-yellow Lycra and skin-hugging Spandex to start cycling. My everyday riding uniform is heels and a dress. It's comfortable and practical, but people are still surprised by the idea of fashion-friendly cycling. I always explain to those who ask that it's much easier to cycle in heels than to walk in them! Also your bike can be a form of expression; mine is plastered with animal-rights and environmentalism stickers, so I get to engage in a bit of low-key activism each time I ride. If you find the idea of the city's hills intimidating, the Bike Map that the SF Bike Coalition gives away with memberships is really wonderful in terms of helping you plot the flattest routes.

How many of your best dates/friendships started with biking?

I used to be a very heavy smoker, but my husband, a long-time cycling enthusiast and bike industry expert, bought me my first grown-up bike and encouraged me to ride. Somehow, I finally quit that terrible habit while simultaneously picking up a new one: cycling! It's been many years since then, and we've definitely bonded over this shared love of riding.

I surprise people when I bike by ...

toting my dog, Fanny, in my pannier. She's clipped in for safety, and she really loves our cycling adventures a deux, especially when they include a stop in Golden Gate Park. The novelty factor of the cute dog in a basket never seems to wear off -- everyone has something to say about it!

My message to women who want to try biking ...

is to get yourself a basket and/or panniers. Riding with clunky bags or purses on your back isn't practical or comfortable, but a basket does double duty for holding groceries, dogs, your jacket, or the picnic lunch you'll be eating once you arrive at your destination.

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Aurelia lives in NOPA on Golden Gate Avenue.

Catch up with the BIKE NOPA series; the first profile is here and the second here. Willing to share your biking stories? Contact me at michael7820@gmail.com .

Be sure to check Bikes And The City for more Women Who Bike profiles.

Percentage of Female Cyclists in San Francisco Edges Up. 29% of city cyclists were female in a study conducted by the SF Municipal Transportation Agency in 2009. The number has climbed steadily over the last few years: from 24% in 2007 and 27% in 2008.

Women Who Bike: Cassidy Blackwell

Does Cassidy Blackwell like biking? Photo: Cassidy Blackwell

Dressed for...biking, of course. Photo: Cassidy Blackwell

Bikes, friends, outdoors: picture perfect. Photo: Cassidy Blackwell

Women Who Bike is a collaborative effort by BIKE NOPA and Bikes And The City that features women and their bicycles. Each Monday and Wednesday check both blogs for the experiences, stories, and ideas that women who bike the city want to share with you.

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What's your bicycling style?

Fly! As in my wheels are my wings and I fly around the city. I also think my bikes are superfly.

How often do you bike and what for?

I think the SFBC Bike to Work Day t-shirt from a couple years ago summed up my philosophy on biking perfectly: "Work to Live. Live to Bike. Bike to Work." Biking is a huge part of my daily life. I commute on bike to my office in Oakland everyday, and I use my bike to get me to where I need to be outside of the office -- dance classes, meetings, social gatherings and whatnot. If I'm feeling adventurous, say with my Nopa neighbor Slam Johnson (aka Rose*), I'll cruise out to Marin and take on the headlands or the Tiburon loop. Sure, walking and public transit are decent options, but biking is much more efficient so it's my primary means of transportation.

What can be done to encourage more women and girls to bike?

I used to bike everywhere when I was growing up in the suburbs of Minneapolis. As a seven-year-old, I "loved" my pink and purple Huffy with sparkled streamers coming off the handle bars and went everywhere on my bike. But somewhere in high school I stopped biking. I think because it was just considered "cooler" and more socially acceptable to get around in a car. There was this stigma that biking was for dorks, was too hard, not fun, and unacceptable. Now I realize this was a result of typical adolescent pressures to fit a mold. Admittedly, these pressures caused me to take a decade-long hiatus from riding.

But now, immersed in the bike culture of San Francisco, I am back on two wheels and loving every second of my biking renaissance! I know now that biking isn't a mater of being cool or hip or whatever; it's an efficient and sustainable part of an urban lifestyle. I think that we as a biking community need to keep encouraging others to become a part of it, especially young ladies who may be becoming more self-conscious among their peers. We need to maintain a strong presence on the roads and show these individuals that biking is fun and most importantly safe. Many ladies might be nervous to take on the streets of San Francisco, let alone on two wheels. I know I was. Especially with all of the hills, Munis, cars, and train tracks everywhere. But I took a risk and hopped on a bike and haven't looked back.

How much is biking part of your social life?

I am proud to say that biking is an integral part of a majority of my friendships. One of the main rasons I started biking in San Francisco was when my dear friend Ben told me that he "would like me better as a person if I had a bike."

I love riding with my friends out to parties and bars in the city -- it's indescribably fun to have a posse of eight people riding out to a party together. As for dating, a guy will easily win points with me if he's into riding. And if he's not, he should just know that I will spend a decent chunk of time trying to get him on a bike.

I surprise people when I bike by ...

Biking most often in skirts and dresses. I'm always pedaling around town and love the freedom of skirts, so I've had to get creative with my wardrobe to make these two fit together (read: keep my rides PG-rated). For me, stretchy, flowy and/or short are the way to be.

My message to women who want to try biking:

JUST DO IT. Seriously. My only regret with biking in San Francisco is that I didn't get on my wheels sooner.

Do you live or ride in NOPA?

I am a proud NOPA resident. I love this neighborhood. If San Francisco were a bike wheel, NOPA is the center hub, with a ton of bike paths extending from it in every direction.

BIKE NOPA note: You can find Cassidy on her bike and on her blog Natural Selection.

* View Rose Johnson's Women Who Bike profile here.

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Check here for previous posts in this series and stop by Bikes And The City every Monday and Wednesday for more Women Who Bike.

Women Who Bike: Dawn D'Onofrio

Sunday Streets: Bayview...sunny day for Dawn and Smoky

Energized at Bike to Work Day Station; Smoky's All Powered Up

Dawn ready for the NOPA VELO "Climb Every Mountain" ride with Smoky in basket

Women Who Bike is a collaborative effort by BIKE NOPA and Bikes And The City that features San Francisco women and their bicycles. Each Monday and Wednesday check both blogs for the experiences, stories, and ideas that women who bike the city want to share.

Sixth in a series: Dawn D'Onofrio

How do you characterize your bicycling style?

I would have to say "respectful." So many people complain about cars, cyclists, and pedestrians -- but I'm sure we are all a little guilty of some infraction. As cyclists we are in some middle ground and many take that as the right to have our own set of rules - or not have to abide by "others." But being a cyclist, I can't complain about cars running stop signs or red lights if I do the same. So I try not to. It's really scary when another cyclists zips through an intersection as I am turning or a pedestrian runs in front of me. I try to be cautious and aware, but mostly I just try to respect the right we all have to a piece of the road, and hope that by doing my part I make it a little easier for all to coexist.

How often do you bike and what for?

I sold my car before I moved here 2+ years ago, so biking is about it for everything. Although at times, I really do enjoy the walk and adverse weather forces me onto public transportation.

What could be done in San Francisco to encourage more women to bike?

I think it's being done. More bike shops are offering women's nights for simple maintenance, better fitting, lighter women's bikes, better looking fashion and accessories. We tote around a lot more stuff than guys, and we need a good way to take it with us other than a huge messenger bag.

Have any great dates or friendships started with bicycling?

I hadn't ridden a bike for over eight years after a van hit me while I was riding. One guy I met became a good friend, and he took me out to pick out a new bike. His philosophy was "just do it" (I think I have heard that somewhere before!). He was fairly new to the area, and he didn't know anyone else as into bikes as I was. We became super bike buddies and went riding almost every day after work. He showed me a lot on mechanics and maintenance. In about six months I was back to speed and we were doing century rides. I bought a mountain bike and fell in love with the sport. There was an awesome place near my house we hit on the weekends. Soon others started joining and the encouragement spread from one to another. One guy lost about 50 pounds and another quit some unhealthy habits. The funniest part was at first one guy was intimidated about joining the group because he didn't want a girl riding better than him! I could do all the hills and trails without a slip! It was a great couple of years with some really great and special friends. Since moving to SF, almost everyone I know I met through cycling and most of my social activities revolve around it.

I surprise people when I bike by ...

riding in 3-inch heels, and with my dog.

My message to women who want to start biking:

Why not?Look good, feel good. What's more appealing than that? And it's fun.

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Dawn lives in NOPA on Broderick at Fulton. She bikes with NOPA VELO and so does her dog Smokey.

Check out the previous posts in this series.

For even more stories, see Bikes And The City's Women Who Bike.

If you or someone you know would like to be part of this series, please contact me at Michael7820@gmail.com