Creative Mornings is a monthly breakfast lecture series.  It is free, open to the public, and has chapters all over the world.  Creative Mornings DC convenes down the street from BicycleSPACE, at Gibson Guitar's Showroom, on 709 G Street.

Clare Brown, exhibition designer, most recently of the National Museum of American History, gave a presentation today on her interpretation of this month's global theme, "Backwards".  Ms. Brown took us back to her childhood in Africa and by highlighting some of her most recent work, showed us how she transports exhibition viewers back through history.  Brown's exhibitions include the First Ladies' Gowns collection and a new installation titled Food: Transforming the American Table, that includes a recreation of Julia Child's kitchen.  

Creative Mornings is great way to kick off your Friday with some stimulating drinks and conversation. Talks begin at 8:30 and end around 10, just in time to head over to our shop as we open.  Learn about future speakers, watch past speakers and register for free tickets @WashingtonDC_CM.

Chris Vigilante, owner and operator of Vigilante Coffee Company cut his coffee roasting teeth on the Islands of Hawaii, helping to found an award winning coffee farm in 2010.  After returning to DC, he found it to be the perfect place to start a “speciality micro coffee roaster specializing in direct source coffee” and we totally agree!

As a major sponsor of Bike to Work Day in Washington, DC, BicycleSPACE views the event as a unique chance to help encourage people to try biking to work for the first time and to provide recognition to those who regularly make the special effort to ride their bike to work each and every day.

Dear Bike Folk,

I’m writing you because I wanted to share some news I am really excited about.

Our good friend Tommy Wells is running for Mayor.

We as cyclists in DC find ourselves at an historic crossroads.  Bicycling uptake is on an unstoppable surge, and each week now there are more and more cyclists taking to the streets.  If bicycle infrastructure design and buildout continues to lag, we will find ourselves on progressively more chaotic streets, characterized by confrontation and ill-will between users of different modes of transportation.   We need our Department of Transportation and elected officials to be out front on developing and implementing comprehensive solutions.

The Full Moon will be out Friday, May 24th and we are excited to again start up our Full Moon Outings that each time attracted hundreds of riders last summer.  

Be sure to wear light colors and join us for an evening mosey along the waterfront to enjoy the pleasures of a calm spring night.  After meeting at the shop at 8pm, the moonlight will guide our ride through the city.   Along the way, there will be some musical suprises.  And, we will finish with a grand picnic on the boardwalk overlooking the water at Yards Park.  

We are happy to present this event for free.  Enjoy a great evening of riding, music, food, and refreshing beverages on us!  The night will be full of simple fun!

Please RSVP to our facebook invite and register here for the ride so that we can know how many people are coming. And, if you're willing to help set up the picnic or serve as a marshall along the ride route, kindly send a message to volunteer@bicyclespacedc.com.

For an idea of what to expect, check out this video from last year's event:

BicycleSPACE is once again a major sponsor of Bike to Work Day which is coming up this Friday, May 17th.  The event is a unique chance to help encourage people to try biking to work for the first time and to provide recognition to those who make the special effort to ride their bike to work each and every day. 

For this reason, we like to roll out the red carpet!  At our own Mt Vernon Triangle Pit Stop, located at the Busboys and Poets on 5th and K Streets, we'll have a lot going on and we'll treat you like a star.  And, you'll deserve it!

Every year, the Kingman Island Bluegrass and Folk Festival enables people to discover Kingman Island, a beautiful hideaway on the Anacostia River.  They come for great music, food and drink, and a lively atmosphere that helps kick off the spring season.

Have you had to walk your pet to the vet in one of those unwieldy animal carriers? I have, and I felt stupid walking down North Capital with a cat in a crate. And unfortunately, my cat only likes sleeping on my bag, not inside of it. Well, there's a much better way to portage your animals--the Civia Halsted. Recently a woman ordered one in because she needed a better way to transport her terrier, Henry.

Cargo bikes are all the rage right now, and for good reason. For those of us without cars, cargo bikes are awesome alternatives. What’s especially cool about the Halsted is that with the small 20” front wheel any load on the front is barely noticeable when riding, which was important to our friend. And without a load, the Halstead rides just like a regular bike. If you have a small animal willing to go on a ride, it’s a perfect way to portage your pet of choice. Just look how happy Henry the terrier is!

If you are thinking about going carless or dipping your toe in the cargo bike pool the Halsted is a great way to go. 

By Tony Pelton, Sales Associate

As much love as I have for messenger bags, as I have grown older and my other outdoor activities have done a number on my back I really can't have that much weight on one shoulder anymore.  For that reason I have gone back to my middle school staple, the backpack.