Why Should You Bike To Work? Because Martha Says So

Say what you will, Martha Stewart knows her stuff.  So when we came across this piece she ran on her site Whole Living, we couldn’t resist sharing some of her know-how with you.

Image Courtesy of Bike Fancy

The following figures are from a longer slideshow about cycling and its merits, but we found slide no. 26 to be particularly interesting.  So here are some quick numerical reasons to ride your bike:

“$5,713: The average amount of money you could save each year if you used a bike instead of a car, according to the American Automobile Association and Transportation Alternatives

2 percent: Percentage of people in the United States who commute daily by bicycle (though more than half of Americans live less than five miles from where they work), according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration

Our Girl Monday: Jackie O

Image Courtesy of Pretty Stuff

What can we say?  Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis is probably one of the most elegant creatures ever to have walked or rode a bike the earth.  Today we’re loving her oversized sunglasses and turtleneck sweater.

Because we’re almost certain that Jackie would be a huge J. Crew fan, we’re going to suggest their basic turtleneck tee.  The soft cotton is great for jacket-less spring days and the silhouette definitely evokes some mid-century glamour.  Pair with these absurdly chic oversized cat-eye sunglasses, also from J. Crew.  Also, Jackie would probably love a Peterboro bike basket in black too.

What’s next?  Find a handsome young congressman and make it happen.

Sunday Special

Alright, so maybe this set of wheels needs a bit of TLC.  But look at the potential!  Loving this vintage cycle from the ’50s, and for $250, you can restore it to its mid-century glory.

Spotlight: Upcycled Vintage Bike Crates

We’re amazed by what a little bit of elbow grease and a some bike-friendly hardware can do for vintage bike porter crates.  Eleanor’s searches out and lovingly upcycles old porter crates to make them weather-resistant, a bit sturdier, and ready to mount on your rear rack.  Perfect for toting groceries, an obedient pooch, or just about anything else you can think of, these crates are a great, new-again way to lug a load by bike.

Check out these new additions to our bicycle crate collection and snag one for yourself.

TGIF: A Q&A with Helen Ho of Recycle-A-Bicycle

Q: What is Recycle-A-Bicycle? What is your role at RAB?

A: Recycle-A-Bicycle (RAB) utilizes the bicycle as a resource to foster youth development, environmental education, community engagement, and healthy living. Through retail storefronts, social entrepreneurship, and innovative programs, Recycle-A-Bicycle empowers the youth of New York City. RAB is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible and purchases from our storefronts support our youth programs and environmental initiatives.  We actually started out in a Washington Heights Middle School 18 years ago teaching students to become bike mechanics.  Today, we work with 20 schools, have two retail bike shops (DUMBO and the East Village) and run youth-based programs all over New York City.  I’m the Development Director at Recycle-A-Bicycle so I work on new initiatives and work on expanding our capacity to operate as an organization.  

Eleanor’s Down Under: a guest post by our friend Jenna Allen

Australia is home to killer surf, killer insects and some killer accents. But tourists will also notice upon arrival Down Under that the Aussies love their alternative methods of transportation, most importantly the bicycle. Every major city has bike lanes, bike racks and bike tours and are generally making the effort to become bike friendly. 

The bike lane is appropriately green in Melbourne.

The Sweet Sounds of Spring: 10 Songs to Cycle to in April

We figured we’d take this opportunity to give you a taste of what we’ve been listening to over here at Eleanor’s headquarters.  Thanks to Spotify we were able to put together a list of tunes we’re groovin’ to this April, both on our bikes and off.

Photo Credit: The Sartorialist 

‘Tis Spring At Last: Our 5 Favorite Things For Spring Cycling

Just had to share our guest post we wrote for an amazing website Women’s Movement. 

What a winter.  Although a lot of snow means a lot of cozy sweaters, we’re excited to put that behind us (at least until next fall) and embrace the warm weather coming our way, especially since for many of us that means finally breaking our bikes out of storage.  And of course, we’ll be needing a few new accessories for the season…  See what’s on our spring cycling shopping list:

1. A new saddle from Brooks: We absolutely love the retro look of this bike saddle, first released in 1979.  The rich leather is punctuated by bright metal tacks, giving this saddle a really crisp, clean look.  We especially love this turquoise hue: perfect for spring but looks great year-round.

Photo Courtesy of Brooks England

Our Girl Monday: Kiera Knightley

Image Courtesy of Cacto

We’re crushing hard on British “It Girl” Kiera Knightley’s casual, vintage-y linen outfit.  We especially love those navy boat shoes… Snag a pair for yourself at Sperry.  The whole outfit pairs well with her cute woven bicycle basket. 

Sunday Special

This is a pretty cool looking Trek cruiser.  Snatch it up for yourself for only $120 in Boerum Hill!  Learn more here.