Just too delicious! If I had those boots I think I’d wear them every day. She’s sure hauling a lot of stuff on that bike, good thing she has a bike to carry it all.

Love her coat and the hat and scarf which match the bike. Her look gave me a happy feeling on this cool morning.

I just liked the clean lines of this bike, it’s clearly a useful bike. I was especially amused by the plastic bag tucked in the Brooks saddle. Yep, I’ve got one of those too (though mine’s in the bike bag).

Philosophical Question: If you were walking down the street in a sudden downpour, would you use that plastic bag to cover this stranger’s saddle?

Perhaps I’ve never seen a vintage bike in a condition as impeccable as this bike spotted outside a swank South End restaurant. The gleam of the chrome was overwhelming in the evening light.

I’m not sure how safe the child seat is, but I love the black and white plaid with the green and chrome bike.

I’m sorry for the blurry photos but look at those great red boots! I have come to realize I’ve had a thing for red boots ever since coveting my step-mom’s red Italian snakeskin and suede boots many decades ago. I doubt I will ever find red boots as sumptuous as hers, but in the meantime, aren’t these wonderful?

My friend B just installed a chainguard on his wife’s Dahon folding bike which she uses as her commuter. As folding bikes present their own challenges he was kind enough to document the process for us all.

Bike: Dahon Mariner
Problem: Pants in the chain.
Inspiration: Commuting Cyclist’s chainguard

First, I ordered the chrome chain guard from Velo Orange for . Next, I picked up the Metal Strapping Kit (under at the local hardware store), though it turns out it wasn’t needed. After playing around with the chain guard, I realized I’d have more room by removing the plastic protective front chain ring, so off it went.

The chain guard is about 4″ longer than the Dahon chain stay, and without modification the upper edge (parallel to the ground) would push it ~1/2″ out, causing the chain guard to interfere with the pedal stroke. So, I clamped the chain guard to the kitchen counter and hacksawed its upper edge so that it could be bent up and around the seat stay later on.

The chain guard comes with two clasps, the larger of which does fit around the seat tube and position the guard in the right position. The clasp rests on the rear derailleur cable hanger and pinches the rear derailleur cable a bit, but the shifting is still smooth. No need for the metal strapping per the other website. Lining up the clasp, screw, washers, chain guard and nut was a pain, but brute force triumphed in the end.

With the front end attached, I needed a way to secure the rear end in a way that wouldn’t rattle. I thought about using an inner tube to pad the seat stay but settled on using an old mountain bike grip that had been looking for a purpose for about a decade. Duct tape holds the grip in place (and matches the frame color), and a zip tie snugs the guard against the padded seat stay. Some nudging here and there, and the entire chain guard is out of the way of the pedal and doesn’t rub the chain. In retrospect it would have been easier to do most of the bending and sharp edge buffing prior to securing the front, but I got it pretty well folded away and smoothed out in place. I was tempted to take it off, but the screw was enough of a pain that I decided to live with it as is.

My wife took it for it’s first ride yesterday, and she did say that she felt her pants start to get chomped in the chain once during the ride, but they didn’t get sucked all the way in. We’ll see how it fares.