Tan Adorable Chiquitita!

Welcome the newest member of our bike family!

A gorgeous bright blue Miyata Sport Junior! 

How could I resist?

A little size reference.

A little more reference, he's 51" tall.

When he saw it he jumped off his (way super cool, all chrome BMX that I picked up for $10 at a thrift store) and ran for it yelling, "It's a mixte!  YES!"

Later on I told him that some people think mixtes are for girls and he cut me off saying, "What they just don't get is that most mixtes are vintage and vintage bikes are way better." 

Heh.

It's in great shape and really just needs a little cleaning and some bright yellow handlebar tape.  I'm really not sure who's more excited, me or him?

Nice Rack

A couple folks emailed asking for a better look at the Swoopy Mixte's rack.  Here you go!  It's lovely, isn't it!

Another Update on the Swoopy One

We're slowly getting this gal all fixed up. I got a beautiful rack from one of the great C&V members on Bike Forums and a light is in transit.


She's been completely disassembled, cleaned and put back together by my wonderful husband, The Baker.

These are NOT the panniers I want to use with this bike but they're what I have for now. I'm on the lookout for something *perfect*. I'll know it when I see it.

Kidical Mass Denver

Details coming soon......

Ohhhhh, that's what he meant!

I can't resist.  I'm stuck at work due to some torrential rain and thought I'd follow up on the story from earlier today about one of our Colorado gubernatorial candidates.  Thankfully, his campaign spokesperson has provided some clarity on what candidate Dan Maes really meant when he criticized Denver's bike share program at a campaign rally recently.

Nate Strauch told The Associated Press that Maes was trying to say that the biking initiative is a "gateway program" being pushed by ECLEI on cities that eventually lead to extreme measures, such as the promotion of abortions and population control.
Maes said he thought promoting more bicycling was pretty harmless at first, but he realized later "that’s exactly the attitude they want you to have."

"It’s all part of this population control mentality that we as humans are the disease," Strauch said, adding: "He never said that biking is inherently wrong."

That's right!  THEY've got us riiiiiight where THEY want us. 

Off to laugh myself silly.

Biking is a Plot to Undermine the Constitution!

I'm not riding with Lance this morning because work calls but it's probably a good thing I'm here, otherwise how would I warn the biking blogesphere that biking rather than driving is an evil plot to undermine the Constitution! 

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15673894

Bike agenda spins cities toward U.N. control, Maes warns


By Christopher N. Osher


The Denver Post


Dan Maes said Denver's B-Cycle bike-sharing program was promoted by a group that puts the environment above citizen rights. B-Cycle places a network of about 400 red bikes for rent at stations around Denver.


Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes is warning voters that Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper's policies, particularly his efforts to boost bike riding, are "converting Denver into a United Nations community."


"This is all very well-disguised, but it will be exposed," Maes told about 50 supporters who showed up at a campaign rally last week in Centennial.

Maes said in a later interview that he once thought the mayor's efforts to promote cycling and other environmental initiatives were harmless and well-meaning. Now he realizes "that's exactly the attitude they want you to have."

"This is bigger than it looks like on the surface, and it could threaten our personal freedoms," Maes said.


He added: "These aren't just warm, fuzzy ideas from the mayor. These are very specific strategies that are dictated to us by this United Nations program that mayors have signed on to."


Maes said in a later interview that he was referring to Denver's membership in the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, an international association that promotes sustainable development and has attracted the membership of more than 1,200 communities, 600 of which are in the United States.


Denver became a member of the group in 1992, more than a decade before Hickenlooper became mayor. Eric Brown, the mayor's spokesman, said the city's contact with ICLEI "is limited."


George Merritt, a spokesman for the Hickenlooper gubernatorial campaign, said the group's goal is "to bring cities from all over the world together to share best practices and help create the kinds of communities people want to live and do business in. John Hickenlooper believes collaboration leads to smart decisions."


Hickenlooper has often touted bicycling as an environmentally friendly and healthy way for people to commute to work and has said he hopes more people will do so.


Last week, Hickenlooper upset some auto dealers on the eve of a fundraiser when he lauded the city's B-Cycle bike- sharing program at an event and asked: "How do we wean ourselves off automobiles?"

Maes, at the rally July 26, took aim at Denver's bike-sharing program, which he said was promoted by a group that puts the environment above citizens' rights.


The B-Cycle program places a network of about 400 red bikes for rent at stations around the city. It is funded by private donors and grants.

Maes said ICLEI is affiliated with the United Nations and is "signing up mayors across the country, and these mayors are signing on to this U.N. agreement to have their cities abide by this dream philosophy."


The program includes encouraging employers to install showers so more people will ride bikes to work and also creating parking spaces for fuel-efficient vehicles, he said.

Polls show that Maes, a Tea Party favorite, has pulled ahead of former Congressman Scott McInnis, the early frontrunner in the Aug. 10 primary for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Maes acknowledged that some might find his theories "kooky," but he said there are valid reasons to be worried.
"At first, I thought, 'Gosh, public transportation, what's wrong with that, and what's wrong with people parking their cars and riding their bikes? And what's wrong with incentives for green cars?' But if you do your homework and research, you realize ICLEI is part of a greater strategy to rein in American cities under a United Nations treaty," Maes said.


He said he's worried for Denver because "Mayor Hickenlooper is one of the greatest fans of this program."
"Some would argue this document that mayors have signed is contradictory to our own Constitution," Maes said. ~*~

Huh.

Where'd They Go?

After being completely knocked on my a** by some crazy virus this weekend, coupled with having family in town and the pending arrival of some silly auditors into my work life next week, I may have to observe a bit of a posting holiday.  Not by choice necessarily... and I'll do my best to post at least a photo or two, but I'm feeling very, very behind so don't give up on me.  I'll be back!

The sun setting over the mountains while I slave away at the office (unable to see the sun because my office is deep within the confines of this very large building.)