Live by the Book: Just Ride

Welcome to the inaugural Workman “Live by the Book” style guide, wherein we regularly gather images/activities/products  inspired by our favorite new titles. Last month was National Bike Month, and because we haven’t quite shaken the urge to ride (hey, spring time = bike time! — why limit our enthusiasm to a single month?), we’re starting with Just Ride: A Radically Practical Guide to Riding Your Bike by Grant Petersen. For this new release, a book that celebrates the pure joy of riding (forget the spandex and clip-in pedals), we’re inspired by pretty bike dresses, loose-fitting seersucker button-downs (Grant’s favorite when it comes to “official bike gear”)…

…a wicker basket so your pet can join you on your next 2-wheel adventure, a side table made from broken down bike parts (or how about this one, on wheels!), some free-wheeling poster art, a convertible bike bag (seriously, the video is worth the click), an adorable pair of bicycle-inspired flats, a tandem for rolling with your homie, a stainless steel water bottle to keep you hydrated (and in a color to match your new book, of course), a hand-painted bike bell to let everyone know you’ve arrived (because that’s how we…ahem…roll), and of course, what bike experience would be complete without sparkly streamers flowing from the handlebars? Now if only we could track down some of those bicycle spoke beads — oh my goodness, they DO still make them!

And, if you need further incentive to burn your spandex in favor of seersucker:

New York City seems to be extending its bike celebration into summer with the launch of its first ever bike share program in July. And since “I-dont-own-a-bike” is about to get crossed off your list of excuses, here are some inspiring “why I ride” reasons that Grant Petersen recently shared over at bikeleague.org (including one good reason that most New Yorkers with a car can certainly get behind: “I can park my bike on the sidewalk, or a lawn, or anywhere. I don’t need a parking lot”).

Grant also notes that “a bike fits in places a car doesn’t” — like here, a curious sight I stumbled upon last weekend (an analog bike rally?) — where a couple dozen bikes (and one ride-on tractor) rested where only a few cars would otherwise fit.