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Monthly Archives: March 2014

Fashions for Fifty: Fifty is Fabulous Fun

05 Mar

“When I am an old woman I shall wear purple with a red hat which doesn’t go, ~~and doesn’t~~ because it suits me.” Grape, berry, eggplant, cherry, tomato, brick. When a woman enters her second half-century of life she can take certain liberties, especially in the realm of fashion. My big 5-0 is this month, and I’ll be celebrating with style.

Newsboy Portrait

Who says you shouldn’t wear trends the second time around? Experience means knowing how to pull it off.

: I wore them in the 80s and I’m wearing them again. Leg warmers for the win!

: Momma taught me to match the reds, but she never mentioned purples.

: The 90s mini-backpack is back! Even more useful now that I ride a bike.

Inspired by the poem by Jenny Joseph that begins “When I am an old woman I shall wear purple with a red hat which doesn’t go,” Fashions for Fifty is a month-long celebration of my fiftieth birthday in March 2014.

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Posted by ladyfleur on March 5, 2014 in Cycle Fashions

A Closer Look: Phil Wood by Sycip Custom Road Bike

05 Mar

Some people covet them for the precise fit. Some have them built to perform a specialized task. Some seek the status of riding a one-of-a-kind item. For my husband Dick, treating himself to a custom built bike meant choosing exactly what he wanted like a kid in a candy store: frame material, tubing, joining method, geometry, paint scheme and application method, components and more. And of course, to fit him precisely.

I don’t know if Dick caught the custom bike bug at any of the North American Handmade Bike Shows we’ve attended over the years in San Jose, Austin and Sacramento, but it certainly hastened the symptoms. It’s no surprise. Dick has had a soft spot for lugged steel bikes since he bought his 1987 Bianchi Super Corsa with its flashy chrome lugs, and the NAHBS showcases some of the sexiest lugged steel bikes found anywhere.

With a generous offer from a close friend at Phil Wood, weeks of planning and painfully long months of waiting, the reward was sweet: a SyCip road frame built with Richard Sachs lugs, branded as Phil Wood & Co.

Phil Wood Sycip Road Bike

Dick set the bike up originally with a carbon fork, but switched to a custom steel fork made by Steelman Cycles, which he had chromed vintage-style by Superior Chrome in San Jose. That’s a lot of custom work by a lot of master craftsmen. But to Dick, the result is well worth it. It fits like a glove and rides like dream. His dream.

: Rarely spotted in the wild: a Phil Wood head badge on a custom road bike.

: Steel frame by SyCip with lugs by Richard Sachs in Eddy Merckx orange.

: The steel fork by Steelman was chromed to retro perfection.

: Ever since that first Bianchi, Dick has been Campy all the way.

: Little details make the difference, like handpainted cutouts in the fork crown.

: Unlike Brooks saddles, no break in was needed for his Sella Anatomica.

Location: Historic Woodside Store, Woodside, California, USA.

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Posted by ladyfleur on March 5, 2014 in Bike Gallery

Fashion Holiday Edition: Mardi Gras Masquerade

03 Mar

C’mon take me to the Mardi Gras! I have just the ballgown for a carnival ball: yards of taffeta over a fluffy petticoat and a shawl embellished with Mardi Gras-themed sequin appliques. With long purple opera gloves, bold jewelry and a shimmering feathered mask, my combo’s ready for a Mardi Gras Mambo beat.

Mardi Gras Ball Gown

: With a skirt this full and long, a dress guard is a must. (yes, I’ve ridden to a party in this dress and arrived safely)

: If you don’t think purple, gold and green look great together, you certainly aren’t a New Orleans native.

: Symbols of the season in sequined appliques: the crown, the jester, the mask, the carnival parade float.

About Fashion Friday: Inspired by a 2011 Bike to Work Day challenge sponsored by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, this series highlights the broad range of “dress for the destination” bicycling fashions.