Just like you can’t tell a hipster they’re a hipster, you can’t tell bike nerds that bikes are a fashion item. But let’s face the facts here. I’ve certainly had to, as I’m currently in the market for a bike. And I’m sick of riding a junker; I want something bomb.
After hating on the whole fixed-gear/single-speed craze, I’m finally giving in. They’re light, they’re sleek, they’re simple. I haven’t had a new bike since I was a kid, and it’s like the difference between skinny dipping and wearing a wet suit. Riding a new bike is like cutting through butter.
The Mission Bicycle Company makes building a custom bike easy. They have a range of colors and options for each component — from frameset to wheels to bars — some of which cost more. The most basic bike starts at $750 and goes up from there.
The Mission Bicycle Company showroom
My friends refer to Mission Bicycles as the American Apparel of bike shops — and they mean that in a bad way. Their bikes are kind of cookie-cutter hipster, but they also make it pretty damn easy. And the results are more unique than picking a standard built-up frame from a local bike shop, which will run around the same price anyway.
Get started building your bike on the Mission Bicycle Company website.
Once you’ve got the bike, you’ve got to get some essential accessories.
The most important, of course, is a helmet. This is the biggest fashion challenge for any biker, because most helmets are really ugly. (To me, however, there is nothing less fashionable than people who are too cool to wear a helmet. Talk about wearing your narcissism on your sleeve.) Of all the bike helmets I’ve tried out, I’ve been most into the multi-purpose skateboarding/snowboarding/biking Bern helmets. The one I have kind of makes me feel like I’m on the equestrian team!
A bike bag is another essential item. You need something big enough to fit your laptop and other gear, and you also need something that’s going to keep it all dry when it rains. I am a fan of backpack style bags over messenger bags, mainly for comfort reasons (the messenger strap and being a girl do not mix.)
In San Francisco, most bike nerds use Chrome bags. I wanted to find something more unique. There are two companies making custom bags that fit the specifications: Reload, out of Philadelphia.
You can customize almost every element of their bags — and even request specialty embroidery. (Check out their crazy music tribute series, for example.) This is somewhat overwhelming, I’ve got to say. So I will probably just go with basic colors.