This coming Friday, May 17, 2013 is National Bike To Work Day. If there is ever a day to try biking to work, this is the day!

Based on great success in Richardson last year, BikeDFW and DART have partnered up to host 5 Bike Commuter Energizer Stations this year:

GARLAND - Downtown Garland Station (Partnered with The City of Garland)
DALLAS - Akard Station (Partnered with the City of Dallas)
OAK CLIFF - Jefferson St. Viaduct (Partnered with Bike Friendly Oak Cliff)
RICHARDSON - Arapaho Station (Partnered with Bike Friendly Richardson)
PLANO - Intersection of Bluebonnet & Chisholm Trail (Partnered with The City of Plano)

DATE: Friday, May 17, 2013
TIME: 6:30-9:00 am

Get plugged-in at the facebook event.

EVENT SPONSORS:

KIND Healthy Snacks -  (All Stops)
Clif Bars -  (All Stops)
Neuro Energy Drinks (Akard Stop)
Re-Geared - (Akard Stop)
Generator Coffee House -  (Garland Stop)
Zang Triangle Apartments -  (Oak Cliff Stop)

Plano Cycling and Fitness -  (Plano Stop)
Richardson Bike Mart -   (Richardson and Akard Stops)
Don Johle’s Bike World -   (Garland Stop)
Oak Cliff Bicycle Company -  (Oak Cliff Stop)

And, two other stations we’ve heard about:

Dallas Bike Works will have coffee and doughnuts and free minor repairs from 7:30 – 9:30am at White Rock Creek Trail where it passes under NW Highway (opposite the shop on Lawther). Facebook Event here.

The City of Fort Worth will have food and beverages and a bike share station set up at the Inter-modal Transit Center from 7:30 – 9am. There will be group rides to the Fort Worth event starting from various locations (map).

See you on the roads!

2013 Face of Biking in Dallas

Justin, with his 3 kids. Photo credit: his wife!

We looooooove that this year’s winning rep for biking in Dallas is this hip dad who bikes with his kids! Yes!

These are the past faces of biking in Dallas…. 2012, 2011

AND! The runners up:

Dave and Sharon – photo credit: John “Turk”

If you’ve been to a Dallas Critical Mass ride, you’ve probably seen these two. What a great shot of them! They were a ridiculously close second to Justin – by TWO VOTES.

Action shot: Marcy – submitted by her honey, William

Marcy lives here in our home neighborhood of Oak Cliff – though we don’t know her personally yet, we love this photo of her.

2013 Cyclist Census Showcase Favorite Photographer

John “Turk” – an amateur photo of this professional photographer

John “Turk” rocked the Deep Ellum photo station taking our favorite shots of the Census this year. Thanks Turk!! We also gave him a $50 gift certificate to Light Tec to say thanks – and he’s already used it!

It was great seeing some old friends, some familiar faces, and to make even more new friends this year! And to top it all off, we had our very own Dallas cyclists RIDING the runway fashion show:  Jeff, Susan, Dave, Sharon, Chad, Zac, and Kelsie – you guys were amazing.

Photos by Simon Phoenix and Brandon Schrader

One of our favorite photographers, Chris Curnutt of the amazing Biking in Dallas blog, also took some great shots at the event, posted on their Biking in Dallas Facebook page.

Special thanks again to our sponsors

And to all the folks who participated and helped make this year’s Census and party a success:

Tracy Popken, Erik Glissmann, Zac Lytle, and 42 Real Estate in Deep Ellum.

All the photographers – Simon Phoenix, Elliott Muñoz, Brandon Schrader, and John “Turk”.

Regeared, DJ FlightSchoolNurses, Durty Laundry, Steven Hartzler and his re-purposed bike racks, and Guy Wilson’s custom cruisers and choppers – so glad to have you all there!

Amanda poses with invisible bike as Brandon checks his lighting

We’ve selected our favorite top dozen cyclists who represent the variety of stylish

folks biking the streets of Dallas every day. Now you choose who represents biking in Dallas.

Vote here, on the Cyclist Census page, through Saturday at high noon.  We’ll crown the winners at the bike party next Saturdayday April 27th.

Thanks to everyone who came out to be counted in the census and entered to represent our city’s many faces of biking. We’ll have the rest of the photos uploaded later this week!

Winners receive

• Bragging rights
• Free bike tune up (worth $80!)
• Bicycle tool bag and fix-it-on-the-fly tools (from Shannon Page and Richardson Bike Mart)
• Cool swag from your favorite local bike shops and businesses, including Bicycles Plus, Richardson Bike Mart, Transit, Oak Cliff Bicycle, Dallas Bike Works, and Switching Gears, Rozik, and more!

Vote Tuesday 4.23.13 through Saturday 4.27.13 at high noon

After Party & Awards

Saturday 4.27.13 8pm, 2526 Main St

Taking the fashion show from the streets to the runway, it’s one night of local beer, bikes and ‘best-of’s, announcing the 2013 Face of Biking in Dallas with photos from the Cyclist Census and a fashion show of Dallas’ own. Join DJ FlightSchoolNurses, ReGeared, Durty Laundry, your favorite local bike shops and all the best folks in Dallas for our Cycle Style show in Deep Ellum.

We’ve got some serious homegrown bicycle style here.

Spokes of thanks to our 2013 sponsors:

If you’d like to be a Cycle Style volunteer at this year’s fashion event or if you have some exceptional bicycle-hanging skills, email dallascyclestyle{at}gmail. We’d love to have you on the team. And for the rest of you, come party with us.

Who will be the 2013 Face of Biking in Dallas?

Cyclist Census

Saturday 4.20.13, 5pm to dusk

Have your photo taken this Saturday 4.20.13, or submit your own photo to be nominated for the 2013 Face of Biking in Dallas. Email a photo of you with your bike, or nominate a friend by submitting their photo to dallascyclestyle [at] gmail.com by 4.2013.

Visit one (or all!) of the photographers 4.20.13 from 5pm till dusk (7:30-ish) at:

• Katy Trail, near the Icehouse (Brandon Schrader)
• Bishop Arts, near Eno’s (Elliott Munoz)
• Taco Fest in Deep Ellum

Then visit the Cycle Style voters page to vote for the person you think deserves to flaunt the title for a year, Tuesday 4.23.13 through Saturday 4.27.13 at high noon. We’ll announce the winners at the after party!

After Party & Awards

Saturday 4.27.13 8pm, 2526 Main St

Taking the fashion show from the streets to the runway, it’s one night of local beer, bikes and ‘best-of’s, announcing the 2013 Face of Biking in Dallas with photos from the Cyclist Census and a fashion show of Dallas’ own.

Join DJ FlightSchoolNurses, the ReGeared spare parts shop, the Durty Laundry DJ van, your favorite local bike shops and all the best folks in Dallas for our Cycle Style show in Deep Ellum. $10 donation at the door gets you drinks all night.

See our Facebook group for all the details as it comes together – & add your vote for which local microbrewery brew we’ll have at the party.

Face of Biking in Dallas 2013 winners will receive:

• Bragging rights
• Free bike tune up (worth $80!)
• Bicycle tool bag and fix-it-on-the-fly tools (from Shannon Page and Richardson Bike Mart)
• Cool swag from your favorite local bike shops and businesses, including Bicycles Plus, Richardson Bike Mart, Transit, Oak Cliff Bicycle, Dallas Bike Works, and Switching Gears, Rozik, and more!

Spokes of thanks to our 2013 sponsors:

For a look at the evolution of Cycle Style in Dallas, the 2012 census and party and the 2011 census.

Though these photos are of everyday cyclists in NYC, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen all of these people in Dallas.

Which gets to my point: Cycle Style is about being yourself in all your normal-person glory.

We at Dallas Cycle Style could care less whether WE would personally rock YOUR style, as much as we appreciate people who avoid pulling out the workout wear just because they’re leaving the car in the garage.

Which reminds me,  the Annual Cyclist Census is coming up in April! More details to come come but this year we’re looking at what makes the Dallas cycling scene unique. We’ll be asking for YOUR nominations of who should be the Face of Biking in Dallas, and highlighting all the home-grown bicycle style we can find.

We’re not all supermodels nor have superhuman commuter capabilities, but we all have our own style. Even you, in the spandex at the coffee shop. Embrace it. We’re all cyclists.

There was even some talk of making this a monthly event, riding to locally-owned boutiques scattered throughout the in-town neighborhoods, changing up the mix each time…. We’ll keep you posted.

Thanks to all the wonderful shop owners at Switching Gears, NSFW Clothing, Modern Relics, Dallas Pin-up, Factory Girl, Far Fetched Imports and of course everyone at the Deep Ellum Outdoor Market. And thanks Patrick McDonnell for these fantastic photos!

Dallas Cycle Style present

If you haven’t been to Deep Ellum or Exposition Park in the daylight lately you’re in for a pleasant surprise. There are some real niche boutiques, owned by Dallas locals, nestled between all the great bars and restaurants. We have 8 on our list, including the monthly gem, the Deep Ellum Outdoor Market!

We’ll depart from Switching Gears around 12:30. We’ll make our way to the exclusive by-apointment-only NSFW Clothing, just around the corner on Exposition, and by 1pm will be departing Expo Park.

This year we’re providing the list of shops ahead of time so you can feel free to take your own pace, ahead or behind the group. We understand, some stores will draw you in while others won’t fit your fancy. And some stores will keep you enthralled with their drinks and snax and you may just….. but before you get carried away, keep in mind that the Deep Ellum Outdoor Market will close around 5pm. That’s our final stop, so you can gauge our pace on that. SO here’s the list:

• Switching Gears Cyclery
• NSFW Clothing
• Urban Relics
• Dallas Pinup
• Factory Girl
• Far Fetched Imports
• Deep Ellum Outdoor Market

The nature of this ride’s value isn’t so much in calories burned or exercise as much as in the camaraderie, and the pure joy of biking and holiday shopping at local boutiques.

These shops are a great mix of funky vintage and eclectic clothes (from the high-end Factory Girl and the sexy glam Dallas Pinup, to treasure trove Urban Relics, one-of-a-kind NSFW Clothing, and artisan-made DE OutdoorMarket shops.) Mixed in with the best antiquey all-inclusives (Lula B’s which didn’t make the tour because it deserves an entire day unto itself, and Urban Relics.) With some straight-from-Nepal genuine silver-and-stone jewelry and clothes at Far Fetched Imports (my personal favorite find in this neighborhood) and everything else that’s on your gift-list to be found at the Deep Ellum Outdoor Market.

So come early to Switching Gears, get your tires aired, get that uber stylish helmet you’ve been wanting (they have a great selection) or go ahead and find the perfect basket, rack or pannier to carry your treasures. And if you’re at all concerned about the logistics of carrying a larger-than expected purchase, I hear we’ll have some newly-minted cargo bikes joining us.

Thanks to Bike Friendly South Dallas, Bike Friendly Oak Cliff, and all the wonderful shop owners in Deep Ellum and Expo Park.

See you all Saturday the 15th at 12:30pm!

And, since we have a new bike-friendly group in the neighborhood, we’re partnering with Bike Friendly South Dallas too.

So grab your basket, panniers or milk crates – we’re going holiday shopping Cycle Style.

You’re going to be blown away by the collection of places we found nestled between restaurants and businesses over here. Some real gems you’ve probably never heard of! Best of all, our ride will end at the Deep Ellum Outdoor Market.

We’ll announce the full list of boutiques shortly, meanwhile block-out your calendar:

Deep Ellum Holiday Boutique Ride

Saturday December 15th 1:00-4pm

On Saturday Ashley and Linda and I found the Santa Fe Trail connection – and the first green bike lanes we’ve seen in Dallas! Then biked all over Deep Ellum and Expo Park looking for boutiques.

The *official* Last Day of Summer 2012 is Friday September 21st, but we’re pushing it back a week. The city’s Complete Streets project is transforming Knox for a weekend and it’s the perfect excuse for one last outdoor summer fling – sun, shorts, beer, bikes…. So we’re biking over to Knox for the afternoon to check out the cycle track bike lanes and have a drink on the patio.

We’ll start at Main Street Gardens, leaving about 4pm, and this time we’re opening the route to folks who want to simply join us along the way as we ride through the neighborhoods. From Main Street Gardens we’ll be biking up Olive, through the Arts District, and up Routh to McKinney Ave, then straight up McKinney to Knox.

And although we’ll be taking a leisurely pace and are sure to hit a few red lights, we’ll also linger at a few spots along the way in case you’d like to meet us at: the Arts District, Routh & McKinney, in the parking lot of Albertson’s, or at Cole Park.

Join us Saturday September 29th for one of the last and best chillaxing rides of the summer to check out a vision of Knox Street’s future.