Inspiration

When we arrived in San Francisco in early 2010, we fell in love with the beauty of the City and its surrounding scenery.  The beauty of the City was most apparent from the seats of our bicycles as we took in the sights along the waterfront, Golden Gate Bridge, and Golden Gate Park.   But we also quickly discovered an impressively strong and active community of bicyclists and a thriving bike culture.  We got bitten by the bicycle bug and in late 2012 launched our blog to share stories about it. 

Fun

We see bicycling as a positive thing to do for the environment , community, health, and most importantly, for the simple joy of it.  As JFK once put it, “Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride.”

Community

We also see biking as a way of connecting with the community  since you are more physically engaged with your surroundings  versus when you are in the metal cage of a car.  It makes you become aware of things you otherwise would not have noticed. It also makes you feel more human.  We have become passionate about bettering the community through bicycling and bike improvements, and so we also share in this blog our views on bicycle improvements in cities. 

Diaspora

We are glad and excited to see that the bike movement is also taking off in other cities around the world.  Also, we relocated from our home in SF to Oakland in late 2013.  Although it was difficult at first to make the decision to leave SF, we have now discovered another great city across the bay in Oakland.  We are currently learning about bicycling in Oakland, engaging with the bike community out here, and look forward to sharing stories about it. 

Memories

Even though we are now in Oakland and enjoying every minute of it , and who knows where else we will end up in the future, we will always remember those special years in San Francisco.  It was where we first fell in love with bicycling and became aware of the issues surrounding bike advocacy.  My own memory of SF is the breeze blowing on my skin as I take in the amazing and stunning views while biking across the Golden Gate Bridge.  Or, on a clear and calm warm night riding alongside the bay and seeing the skyline lit up and the moonlight glistening on the water. 

We hope that you will find this blog to be a useful resource for your own bicycling adventures in SF and Oakland , whether you are a daily commuter or weekend warrior. 

Happy riding & much love from the City Cities by the Bay! 

Nellie in Strasbourg, France

Chris on the English Bay in Vancouver, BC