Really Big Bike Ride 2

There was a really great turn out for the 350 Big Bike Ride - cyclists of every persuasion mixed and mingled.

Super cool!

I found the owner of a bicycle I have previously admired on High Street - train spotter heaven!

And caught up with a couple of Frockers I met on the Frocks Day Out

I also had the pleasure of meeting my first bicycling canine - very nice outfit too!

It even had 'shades' - cycle chic or what?!

We set off 'on mass', and oh what a buzz - there were a few uncharitable comments from the usual (non-cycling) sort of Auckland idiot - but it was superb, for one afternoon, to own the road!!

Symonds Street got a bit tricky, but the guys from Critical Mass did an excellent job of traffic control and even some of the Frocks who are generally 'pavement cyclists', felt safe and had heaps of fun!

Safety in numbers - we've just got to get more people on their bicycles!

Big Bike Ride 1

OMG!!! It was sunny ... at long last we broke the weather curse and got a sunny day for a Frocks on Bikes event!!! (Frocks on Bikes were taking part in the Big 350 Bike Ride)

How cool do these ladies look?! Frocked up and ready to ride!

A little cluster of stylish folk and their bicycles

Great outfit, and is that an original Raleigh 20 I spy?

A 'Frock' beautifully modelling an 'I love Frocks on Bikes' T-shirt here

Simple yet elegant pleated skirt and top - tres chic Su Yin!

Well kitted out for a spot of kite flying at Mount Eden!

Not sure of the significance of the yellow scarf thing here but looks great with the outfit - a kind of chic 'scout' look!

Must do better New Zealand (D-)

New Zealand's high-tech and extensive (not) bicycle infrastructure has evidently come to the attention of Copenhagenize.com.

In recent months there have been 3 high profile (but not high profile enough!) accidents involving cyclist on NZ roads:

• Hit and Run
• Tamaki Drive
• Drunk Driver

It is very sad to say but this meagre facility above may well be the best that NZ is currently offering for cyclist safety - we should be ashamed, we should be very ashamed!!

The rest of the world is watching New Zealand, and presently we have a very firm

D-

Of course we could buckle down and pull our socks up like New York has done!

Red Carpet Movie Night

Below are the brave Frockers that turned out for the Red Carpet Movie Night ride from the Viaduct to the Academy Cinema ...

They have my complete respect because it was bad ... it was really bad!!

Puddles were ankle deep and the noise of rain on bicycle helmets was deafening! We prepared under cover waiting for a break in the downpour ...

The Frocks had made an effort - I wondered whether these beautiful shoes would survive!

Younger members just thought that it was great fun - they're waterproof at this age!

Then it happened, the rain eased and the Frocks made a break for it ...

After a few photos, of course.

Husband - damp but there's still a hint of 'James Bond'!

Brad Pitt?

I worried about the Frocks without mud guards - as you can see, there was a lot of potential spray around!

But Frocks are made of stern stuff so off we set ... never mind the rain, forget the nose to tail traffic up Queen Street because of the bus strike ... we were on a mission, to bring elegance (on a bicycle) to the central city!!

The rain mostly held off ...

And then we arrived - ready for the paparazzi ... "oh this little thing - it's Armani darling!"

The movie (Veer) was fabulous and we all left very inspired ... this lady obviously couldn't wait to try out some of the moves demonstrated by the 'Sprockettes'! And I was most impressed by this gentleman's wheel lights as they flashed different colours ... we will definitely need some of these for our 'Frockettes' routine!!!!

Anyone interested in forming a bicycle dance troupe (the Frockettes, I thought), contact frocksonbikes.aucks@gmail.com

Train Spotting

I generally have a stash of snaps of beautiful bicycles that I have spotted around town (sans owner). When I manage to match up a bicycle with it's owner, my inner train-spotter comes out and I feel great satisfaction. Following are a few of the bicycles currently on my homeless list and a few that I've successfully paired.

As an aside, I realise that many Aucklanders may not understand the concept of 'train-spotting', given that we only have about 5 trains (a complete guess here) in total. But the general idea is that you try and 'spot' different trains and then record their details in a notebook whilst wearing an anorak, presumably with the intention of gaining a complete set - not difficult in Auckland!

This bicycle fascinated me as I can not imagine how you stay on top of it without falling on your nose

I then discovered it's owner, nose intact - so there must be a way!

This beauty is still ownerless - it hangs out at Uni

I only just realised when I put this photo up that I have met it's owner and seen it in action.

Sadly, still without owner - but very gorgeous!

I have been trying to catch this one for several weeks - I've even loitered, almost stalked this bicycle!!

And of course, there's this little sweety tethered in High Street.

Any information leading to the successful photographing of their owners gratefully received.

It's getting closer - wake up NZ

"Brisbane now has its first taste of sophisticated European provision for cycling, thanks to Brisbane City Council's implementation of what's known as "Copenhagen" bike lanes" reports Bicycle Queensland

Some "Copenhagen" bike lanes would be just the thing up Queen Street, or perhaps along Tamaki Drive ...

Brisbane also has recently opened Kurilpa Bridge, a pedestrian and cycling only bridge across the Brisbane River. Check out the slide show

Apparently, Sydney is also spending up big on bicycle infrastructure!

"HELLOOO NZ - is anybody out there?" they yelled into the darkness.....

New Zealand & Australia - upside down?

From And So To Bike by Datillo

In New Zealand:

• I am legally allowed to choose to smoke.
• I am legally allowed to choose to become morbidly obese; eating whatever, and however much, I want.
• I am legally allowed to choose to drink myself into an alcoholic stupor each and every night of the week, if I desire.
• I am legally allowed to choose to engage in high risk thrill seeking adventure sports such as sky diving and shark feeding – it’s positively encouraged in NZ.
• I am legally allowed to choose to go feral pig hunting; to own dangerous dogs and to spend my weekends hunting, catching and killing some pretty formidable pigs!
• I am legally allowed to choose to take a boat out into open water with no experience, knowledge, training or a life jacket.

But

• I am NOT ‘legally allowed’ to choose whether or not I wear my helmet when bicycling along a car free segregated cycle path ...

this fact was pointed out to me (I was helmet free at the time) by an obese gentleman who was smoking a cigarette.

According to some statistics that I could find on the web, the top causes of death in NZ are: primarily, ‘biological’ due to poor diet and lifestyle, and air pollution; and secondarily, ‘accidental’ due to car driving, self-harm and falls. Bicycle riding is so far down the list it’s actually hard to find!

Please comment and let me know if any of the above are incorrect – my internet search was not exhaustive.

Tweed Ride

Luckily the weather played it's part for the Spring Tweed Ride on Saturday and was suitably British. It refrained from raining and thankfully the sun stayed behind the clouds (tweed is warm stuff!).

Husband and I turned quite a few heads cycling down High Street ... Gosh, we looked dapper!

The unpredictable weather had the added advantage of keeping the cycle path/pavement relatively clear for the tweed flock!

Pippa and Unity waiting for stragglers!

A gentleman 'tweeder' in action

A flock of 'tweeders' at Mission Bay

Some interesting twists on the tweed theme here - we have a small 'tweeder' with superhero overtones, and also some tropical tweed, it would appear!!

Very nice outfits here for both father and son, and with those building behind you're almost transported to deepest England!

Here are the pair in action - son offering encouragement to attempt death-defying manoeuvres!!

The youngest member of the Tweed ride.

Another very nicely turned out gentleman here, and a lady who thought ahead and brought provisions for the journey - I wonder if there is lemonade as well? (all the best British cycling adventures have cucumber sandwiches and lashings of lemonade!)

Alas, no lemonade but we managed quite well with beer! A few of us gathered at the Northern Steamship afterwards as a light drizzle set in ... perfect timing!

There were also some fine young cyclists among us that needed refuelling!

Bicycles - viagra 4 the urban landscape

Bicycles are sexy!! - a "multivitamin Viagra pill 4 the urban landscape"

Notice that the models can actually ride the bicycles - cool!!