Chulavista

Visiting SD now involves a trip to its many bicycle shops. This weekend, we stopped by South Bay Bikes in Chulavista. A neat shop, with a bit of everything and a mellow SoCal attitude!

El visitar San Diego ahora incluye pasarme por sus muchas tiendas de bicis, y este finde, nos paramos por South Bay Bikes in Chulavista. Una tienda muy chula, con un poco de todo y mucho estido del sur de California.

Bike Challenge ~**~ Bici Reto

I know some folks have mixed feeling about bike month but I'm having a great time this year and really loving the Santa Barbara County Traffic Solution Bike Challenge. My team is kicking ass!

Se que algun@s no estan segur@s de los beneficios del mes de la bici, pero yo me lo estoy pasando genial con el Bici-Reto de la ONG Soluciones del Trafico del condado de Santa Barbara. Mi equipo va de los primeritos!

Been very busy here but had a lovely time with friend visiting from the homeland.
Our bike mobil project is going great! Finally I get around to post some pics!

Mobil workshop bike ~**~ Bici Taller mobil

The mechanic super ~**~ El super mecanico

Super ocupda con muchos projectos y siendo una buena anfitriona ya que una amiga de Guada me estaba visitando. Ah, y la bici movil va fenomenal! Finalmente me da tiempo a subir unas
fotos!

Our other super mechanic with happy customer ~**~ Nuestro otro mecanico con clienta contentisima

Chocolates ~**~ Bombones

Got wonderfully surprised on Sunday when the hubby got ready for me a cute little Easter basket with the most exquisite chocolates you can buy around here; CaliBressan, hand made by a French chocolate chef with Californian heart. I'm not being paid for talking about these chocolates, they are so good, that I find it a crime that others don't know about them and try them.

And to burn some calories, our BiciCentro-mobil-bike-workshop is finally ready. I'll be posting about the project and our adventures soon!

Vaya sorpresa cuando el domingo mi marido me habia preparado una cestita con una caja de los deliciosos bombones CaliBressan, artesanalmente creados en Carpinteria por un chocolatero frances con corazon californiano. Que quede claro que no me pagan por anunciar sus chocolates, pero estan tan buenos que quiero que mas personas tengan la oportunidad de provarlos.

Y para quemar calorias, nada mejor que nuestra BiciCentro-taller-movil, que ya esta lista! Pronto subire unas fotos de nuestras aventuras.

Bicycle Day ~**~ Dia de la Bici

It's April 19 so happy bicycle day to all!

Es el 19 de Abril asi que feliz dia de la bici a tod@s!!!!

Bici Centro

Some pics of theproject I have been working for lately at Santa Barbara Bici Centro. This the front door to Bici Centro, our community bike shop. Below it is our XtraCycle movil bike repair to go repair bikes at different neighborhoods and also hanging out at the shop during our community hours.



Unas fotos del proyecto en el que he estado trabajando en Bici Centro de Santa Barbara. La entrada a Bici Centro, limpiando nuestra XtraCycle bici movil para ir a los diferentes barrios y arreglar bicis y tambien en el talleer durante las horas que estan abiertas a la comunidad.

CicLAvia 2011

I had so much fun at CicLAvia yesterday. It was crowded but everyone was nice and respectful. It definitely gave me a very different perspective of Los Angeles. LA from the saddle, without cars and with lots of people on the street it is very different.


Me lo pase fenomenal ayer domingo en CicLAvia. Toda la gente era respetuosa y amable. Definitivamente me dio una perspective muy diferente de la ciudad de Los Angeles. LA desde el sillin de la bici, sin coches y con gente en la calle se ve muy diferente.

Twins ~**~ Gemelas

Nutcase Twins! So much fun on Thursday nigh!

Gemelas Nutcase! Lo pasamos genial el jueves por la noche!

It is not laziness ~**~ No es pereza

It's been so hard to keep this blog going, but I'm going to give it one more try and see what happens. I've busy volunteering in a super exciting project with the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition Spanish Outreach Committee but I have completely neglected my beloved blog...
Ok, enough b*^%!ing and moaning!

This week's events:

• Appetizer: Santa Barbara Bike Moves on Thursday. If you are around join us, after party at The Sporty, funds go to our neighborhood bike movil project.
• Main Course: CicLavia on Sunday .It doesn't need presentation and I can't hardly wait!!!

Es dificil mantener este blog pero yo voy a darle una oportunidad más y ver qué pasa. He estado ocupada voluntariando en un projecto super interesante para la Coalición de Bicicletas de Santa Barbara y su comite de acercamiento a la comunidad de habla hispana y por eso he descuidado por completo mi querido blog ...

Los eventos para esta semana:

• Aperitivo: Santa Barbara Bicis en Movimiento este jueves. Vente con nosotros si estas por aqui. La after-fiesta en el Sporty y los fondos van a nuestro proyecto bicicleta movil de barrio.

• Plato Principal: CicLavia el domingo en Los Angeles. Este evento no necesita presentación y me muero de ganas de que sea domingo!!

Yellow tights ~**~ Medias Amarillas

Yellow tights for a chilly Santa Barbara morning. I dedicate this post to Meli and send her tons of positive energy.

Medias amarillas para una fresca mañana en Santa Barbaba. Este post va dedicado a Meli, a quien mucho cariño le mando una tonelada de energia positiva.

The Mixte Gallery ~**~ La galeria de las Mixtes

La Relampago and I are so happy that we got featured in The Mixte Gallery. We love the site! Click here if you'd like to read the post.

La relampago y yo estamos super contentas ya que estamos en La Galeria de las Mixtes, un blog que nos encanta! Si quieres leer la entrada, pincha aqui.

Finding time ~**~ Sacando el tiempo

I know it's been a hiatus in my posting and I feel bad about it, but working, volunteering for three agencies (Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition-BiciCentro, Foodbank, and public Library Adult Literacy) and trying to keep a balance with everything leaves little time to my rants and raves in this blog...My hope is to be able to post at least once a week from now on!

I guess my way to keep connected and in the loop is by reading fellow bloggers news, and it makes me smile to see that the snow is melting in Boston, Chicago, and NY. I also love to read about the super nice gals from SF and their adventures, and reading about Simply Bike pregnancy, she is awsome! And for learning, of course I can't miss Lovely Bicycle and Eco Velo, so instructional and didactic! And for fun, my favorite new blog from Madrid: I love Bicis, a blog sponsored by the newspaper El Pais.

I keep commuting by bicycle to work daily and attacking some mean hills on the road bike on the weekends. Oh, and I finally named the Bianchi Brava, I decided to call her La Pirata in honor of Mario Pantani, one of my favorites riders ever. And maybe, just maybe La Pirata gets inspired by her name and together we climb the hills faster!

As this weekend was a 3 day weekend one, I got around to get more things done and found the time to go on a ride with my friend Christa from Bike by the Sea. We rode lazily to brunch and we had time to catch up. She is already planning the Santa Barbara 2011 bicycle fashion show "bici bonita" so if you plan to be around Santa Barbara on May 5, please join us for the festivities, it should be very fun!

Pic below is her with her new ride: a black Bowery Lane single speed, a mega cool bike!

Sé que ha habido un paréntesis en mis posts y me siento mal por ello, pero con el trabajo y el voluntariado en tres organismos (Coalición de Bicicletas de Santa Barbara -BiciCentro, el Banco de Alimentos, y el programa de alfabetización de adultos a traves de la biblioteca publica) es dificil mantener un equilibrio y sacar tiempo para escribir mis revueltos pensamientos en este blog ... Mi meta es por ahora ser capaz de publicar al menos una vez a la semana!

Y por lo menos, me siento conectada a traves de la lectura de los blogs compañer@s y me hace sonreír ver que la nieve se está derritiendo en Boston, Chicago y Nueva York. También me gusta leer acerca de las super divertiedas aventuras de las chicas de San Pancho y ver como progresa el embrazo de Simply Bike, vaya pedazo de muchacha! Y desde luego para no perder onda en los temas didacticos no me pierdo a Lovely Bicycle y Eco Velo. Y luego, en plan relax me encanta leer mi nuevo blog favorito de Madrid: I love Bicis, patrocinado por periodico El Pais.

Y dia a dia continuo con los desplazamientos en bicicleta al trabajo y con fuerza ataco las cerros con la bicicleta de carretera en los fines de semana. Ah, finalmente le puse nombre a la Bianchi Brava, decidí llamarla La Pirata en honor a Mario Pantani, uno de mis ciclistas favoritos y a ver si La Pirata se inspira y subimos mejor las cuestas!

Como este fin de semana fue de 3 días me dio un poco mas de tiempo y pude salir de paseo con mi amiga Christa de Bike by the Sea para almorzar y ponernos al día, ya que ella ya está planeando el desfile de moda de la bicicletas de Santa Barbara "bici bonita" y si alguien va a estar por qui sobre el 5 de mayo, pues nos encantaria que se nos uniera a la fiesta!

La foto de arriba es Christa con su bici nueva, una preciosa Bowery Lane de una velocidad.

Bici Perfume

Couldn't resist this solid Le Labo perfume: smells super nice (jasmine, tuberose, vetiver) and the bicycle theme sticker is so cute!

No me pude resistir el comprar este perfume de Le Labo en barra, con un olor estupendo (jazmin, vetiver y tuberosa) y con una pegatina chulisima de una bici.

Cats, Bicycles, Coffee and Barcelona ~**~ Gatos, bicis, cafe y Barcelona

Didn't get to post this pics from trip to Barcelona last year and our stop at Els Quatre Gats (the four cats in English), such an old institution of the Modernist Movement in Spain.
I love the Ramon Casas's self-portrait of himself riding a tandem and the four cats of the coat of arms. And, also, if you've read The Shadow of the Wind (one of my favorite books) this is one of the most important places in the novel.

No me dio tiempo a poner estas fotos del viaje a Barcelona la pasada Navidad y esta parada en Els Quatre Gats (los cuatro gatos) toda un institucion de las tertulias del modernismo.
Me encanta el cuadro del autoretrato de Ramon Casas montando en un tandem y el escudo de los cuatro gatos. Y ademas si te has leido La sombra del viento (por cierto, uno de mis libros favoritos) este es uno de los lugares mas importantes de la novela!

Second Nature ~**~ Segunda naturaleza

Today something quite funny happened to me when I was coming back home after spending my workday in Santa Maria (about 1 hour from SB). I was about half way and I saw a pothole in the road and automatically I lifted my rear in order to avoid the impact of the bumbpy road...the funny part is that I was not on my bike and lifting my behind wasn't necessary as I was driving an official vehicle! I immediately realized how silly my reaction was and I giggled all the way left....Is cycling becoming second nature? Do you ever find yourself reacting like if you were riding even though in reality you are not?

Hoy me pasó algo muy gracioso cuando regresaba a casa después de pasar mi día de trabajo en Santa María (a una hora de Santa Barbara). Estaba como a la mitad de camino y vi un bache en la carretera y automáticamente levanté el trasero para evitar el impacto de la carretera en mi cuerpo ... lo gracioso es que yo no estaba en mi bici y levantar el trasero no era necesario ya que estaba en un vehículo oficial! Inmediatamente me di cuenta de mi reacción y me rei por el resto del camino .... ¿Sera que el ciclismo se esta convirtiéndo en una segunda naturaleza para mi ? ¿Os pasa que reacionais como si fuerais en bici cuando no lo estais en realidad?

Ma Vie en Rose ~**~ Mi vida en rosa

I finally decided to go for pink and this is the final result. All the black in the previous handlebar tape, rims, crank, stem gave La Brava a very serious and tough look. I'm very pleased with this softer look. The shellac makes it shinny and the twine makes it informal. I really like how the pink cotton tape contrasts with the blue frame and how it brings together a more fun and fresh look in the overall aesthetics of the bike.

Finalmente me decidí por la cinta rosa y este es el resultado final. Todo el negro que tenía en la cinta del manillar anterior, en las llantas, y las bielas hacia que La Brava tuviera un look muy serio y ahora estoy muy satisfecha con este nuevo aspecto. El barniz le da brillo, el cordel el cáñamo le da un aire informal y la cinta de algodón de color rosa contrasta con el azul del cuadro de la bici y le da un toque más suave y divertido.

If you are a Californian cyclist please consider taking action.

Si vives en California y eres ciclista, considera actuar!

********************************************************

Thanks again for signing the Peopleforbikes.org pledge in support of safer and better bicycling. You and 180,000 other Americans are powering this important movement.

Now, as the campaign enters phase 2, we need your help. We need you to send a short email today to your U.S. Representative that affirms your interest in safe and convenient bicycling, and asks your member of Congress to support ongoing funding for bike projects and crucial programs such as Safe Routes to School.

We are sorry to report that some members of Congress, particularly in the House of Representatives, want to dramatically (and disproportionally) cut the cost-effective federal investment in bicycling projects and programs, like bike paths, bike lanes, trails, and more. They simply don’t know (or overlook) these facts:

• Bicycling and walking are essential to our communities.
  
• Federal transportation investments that support these activities boost our economy, help individuals and government agencies save money, and directly address key societal challenges such as obesity and road congestion.
  
• Biking and walking currently total 12% of the trips that Americans make but cost just 1.5% of our transportation spending. That’s the type of cost effectiveness we need now!

We’ve gathered lots of statistics and case studies that back these key points. You can read them here.

In the next two months, Congress will make important decisions that will not only affect the future of bicycling, but possibly your own hometown bike riding experiences. That’s why we need you to send a short note now to your U.S. Representative.

You can find your representative and send your note directly from our website. Click here to review clear, basic, suggested text for your email. Feel free to customize it and/or add a short personal story.

Meanwhile, whatever the weather, we hope that you continue to bike, enjoy every ride, and reap all the benefits.

Thanks so much for your continuing interest and support.

Tim Blumenthal
Director, Peopleforbikes.org

Lovely Vintage Bike ~**~ Precios bicicleta de epoca

And this beauty is from the 30's and runs like butter! I rode on Sunday afternoon and after truly felt in love with the balloon tires.

Y esta preciosidad de los 30 va como la seda! La probe el domingo por la tarde y me enamore de las llantas gorditas.

Murals in Lompoc ~**~ Los murales de Lompoc

Fun Sunday afternoon kicking it in Lompoc to check out their mega cool street murals.

Divertida tarde de domingo en Lompoc disfrutando de sus bellos murales callejeros.

I have been thinking about redoing my handle bars tape with cloth tape and then shellac it.
Rivandell has way too many colors and I can't decide which one to get. What color would you choose?

Estoy pensando en que quiero cambiar la cinta de corcho del manillar por la de tela y luego ponerla una mano de barniz, pero no me decido por el color ya que hay un monton en Rivandell. Que color os gusta mas?

Ventura Sunday ~**~ Domingo en Ventura

First longish ride in 2011: a 28 mile Sunday ride with La Brava. My behind is still feeling it! The nicest part about this ride was going by the beach for quite a while. It was peaceful and beautiful. I'm looking forward to more longer rides in 2011.

Primer paseo del 2011: 28 millas el domingo con la Brava. Mi trasero aun se resiente. Lo mejor de esta ruta es que una buena parte del trayecto es por la playa lo cual hace el camino bastante tranquilo y hermoso. Espero poder disfrutar de mas salidas largas durante este 2011.

Bici T-shirt ~**~ Camiseta con Bici

My sweet co-worker got me the loveliest T-shirt! She said she saw it and immediately thought about me. I love the sweet present and that little by little my coworkers are noticing bikes and some of the them are talking about giving it a try when the weather gets better.

Mi compi del trabajo me regalo esta preciosa camiseta, dice que la vio y que inmediatamente se acordo de mi. Me encanta el regalo y ademas es que poco a poco he notado como van apreciando las bicis y algunos incluso hablan de darle un intento cuando tengamos mejor tiempo.

Homesick ~**~ Nostalgia

I'm back from Spain after spending some time with family and friends, and now I'm tired, cold jet-lagged, and homesick, and yes, I know that I'm being a wanner....and I'm sorry I have been lagging to check-in... To cheer myself up, I guess, I'll post some of my fave pics from the trip. It's the "rotonda del ciclista" in my town, right outside my barrio.

Ya estoy de vuelta de España después de pasar tiempo con la familia y amigos pero ahora estoy cansada, tengo frío, de mal humor por el cambio de hora (9 horas de diferencia) y mucha nostalgia, y sí, ya sé que estoy siendo una quejica y siento que me ha costado un poco reconectarme. Bueno, para animarme un poco voy a subir unas de mis fotos favoritas del viaje. Es la "Rotonda del ciclista" en mi ciudad, justo afuera de mi barrio.