Accident Lesson #101

Working Title: Help Toronto Cyclist Taylor Smile!

 

Accidents happen, especially in a city like Toronto where lack of proper infrastructure generates so many "accidents" they really shouldn't be called that. It undermines the weight and severity of the situation and the cost to civilians. As Aaron Naparstek puts it:

"It’s what we call it when a toddler makes a small mess." 

Taylor's "accident" is a bad reminder that despite being a positive, proactive, strong cyclist- road collisions can happen to all of us. Waking up at the hospital is terrifying, and living with scars and missing teeth is the worst, and a constant reminder of the trauma. Let's all pitch in what we can to her GoFundMe campaign and help out this lovely lady smile like this never happened.



I am sure that the best way to make Taylor smile, is to make sure you stay pro-active yourself by turning your attention to organizations like CycleTo, participating in media like Momentum Magazine and Dandy Horse, and you can participate or volunteer at local DIY centers such as Bike Pirates and Bike Sauce. Evergreen BrickWorks even has a safety and basics road skills course you can take to brush up or recruit a new Toronto cyclist with.

Love, Love, Love,

Ottawa Velo Vogue Fashion Show

Hey there internet bike land.

Did you miss out on this cool thing that happened in Ottawa on June 1st? Zara from Ottawa VeloVogue put on this tres-chic fashion show at Kichesippi Brewery. It featured great clothes, great bikes, great people, and a great cause.

"A big aspect of our event is fundraising for Cycle Salvation, which trains and gives employment in the field of bike mechanics to those who are economically disadvantaged, while at the same time diverting bikes destined for scrap and landfill sites. Cycle Salvation is a social enterprise operating under the umbrella of Causeway Work Centre." 

Fashionable bike event for a good cause? Nightshade approved.

Zara is amazing, and you need to follow her blog if you love fashion, cycling, and looking at pretty pictures of pretty people on bikes. After almost a few years of internet friendship, I finally got to hang out with this high-octane behb at Inberbike last September while we were both models for Momentum Magazine's fashion show. Winning! I hope I get to see this lady again! Look what awesome things she makes:

2013 Ottawa VeloVogue Fashion Show from Jackpine on Vimeo.

DNS on FASHION website for #Lifecycles2013

Big Red made the cover of this article in Fashion online article on Hermann & Aubrey's Lifecycle's celebration taking place from the 7th to the 9th of June. Thora, Snow White and Fierce Bambi are also featured... of course.

 

We'll be there on June 7th between 7-11 to see the release of Danielle Dasilva's video of 5 Nightshades in pure Ganger Styles in Toronto, along with the DNS portrait series she has produced over the past month. 

WoOt WoOt! Check check it out here.

Friday Night Rainy Day Vids

Wine + friends + sunshine + bikes = all you need.

After Eleven Apparel //  Fixed Gear // Group ride in Napa // Sonoma. 

Filmed & Edited by Patrick Schwent. Song: Don't Move - Phantogram

Vancouver is exactly like this:

AIRPORT RACE - fixed gear video-  

Directed by the talented Gwenael LEWIS.
Starring the lovely Chloe BABCOOK and Tobias LEWIS

Feeling Good:

Fixed-Gear city ride Cinelli in Valencia v2

Sunshine and puppy dogs:

 Fixed Gear (Granada) Collective Friends

Kym Perfetto for Affinity

Affinity Bicycles Featuring Kym Perfetto from Roberts Horowitz Creative on Vimeo.

God I miss NYC.

Kym Perfetto of the legendary NYC spin club Cyclesoul would make a Canadian Tire tricycle look sexy. I remember briefly talking to her once at a Chrome party and felt like a huge dork she was so energetic and awesome. Seems like she has also partnered with Drew of Fake Money for a electro dance project NO WAY JOSIE. So much awesome runs in such a tight circle of NYC bike peeps.


And here is Kym Perfetoo is in a short Casey Neistat film running in heels for NY Fashion Week... who else can relate? That's the beauty of bikes and heels... less walking, more biking right up to where you're going to be. More people in the smoking pit outside asking about biking in heels, more showcasing how bikes are awesome. Win. Win. Win.



Continuing on with the awesome theme... Casey Neistat's Bike Thief 2012. Wow.



Reminds me of our joke that steamed from our trip to the 2010 NYC BFF... how many Nightshades does it take to lock up a bike? 

SISTER SESSION- OMG- girls in BMX

This amazing documentary on rising girls in the pro BMX circuit is one of the best things I have seen so far. Women cyclists seem to be breaking into in the bike scenes in all regards, from sports to infrastructure.

Sister Session – ONLINE PREMIERE! from Simple Session on Vimeo.

Directed by: Brett Astrid Võmma, Helen Habakuk, Doris Tääker
Produced by: Brett Astrid Võmma, Risto Kalmre
Girls riding: Katherine Diaz VEN, Chiara Felder GER, Rebecca Berg GER, Angie Marino USA, Zandile Mkwanazi GER, Allison López ARG, Saki Sawada JPN, Sam Moodie GBR, Camila Harambour CHI, Kayley Ashworth GBR

Thank you so much to GIRL BIKE LOVE for pointing me to this supper rad video about Female BMXers at Simple Session 2011.

This amazing looking documentary on sustainable textile design in India also popped up online. I would love to see the full thing!

Unravel Trailer from Soul Rebel Films on Vimeo.

Soul Rebel Films, Unravel Trailer

Women Who Bike Brunch

Torontonians take brunch very, very seriously. I think this article by on Kate Carraway in the Gird TO sums up the luxurious booze-hound ritual that perhaps fuels 14% of all of the city's economy (by my calculations.) Then we have cyclists who take food very, very seriously. It's the main benefit of slightly endangering your life everyday in the urban cycling environment; eating whatever you want and still having a fantastic bootay. It's worth it. Trust me.

This is the typical Toronto cyclist inner monologue at brunch:

Single or double Caesar? Who I am kidding. Should I have hollandaise sauce? Yes. Should I ask for extra hollandaise? Is that my ex's ex cuddling with my ex's old co-worker in that other booth? OMG  food here me starving... Om nom nom nom... more butter.... om nom nom... I wonder who wants to go for a pastry at that new gluten free bakery down the street?

So I am happy The Toronto Cupcake Ride is putting on a Women Who Bike Brunch, on Sunday, February 24th. I'm hoping they choose a location that is cute, uses local ingredients and organic eggs, and makes a good Caesar, and is only about 10 minute bike from my house. Maybe we can pick from this lovely Toronto Brunch Map by Lindsay Zier Moguel.



Now, to find a party on the 23rd to give me a substantial hangover and good story to tell....

cycle safety popcorn

The Invisible Bicycle Helmet | Fredrik Gertten from Focus Forward Films on Vimeo.

hens don't need cocks to lay eggs

:)

FAST CO. SF!

Having just been in San Francisco & surrounding areas myself, I have mad respect for anyone who rides that town. And any crew of girls on bikes is obviously in the Nightshades good books.

Nightshades in Bikinis and Innapropriate Polo Photos

Here are some shots from Sepetember.

Beach time!






EastVan Polo Party!


Tim in his heavy metal costume.

Tee hee.

Then we danced!

Soyez Gangsters

Best!

I think this is what I want my life to look like. Costumes, bling bikes and hot cars, sunsets, amazing eye wear, hot boys and french language in song.