File this under sexy: dripping chandeliers made from salvaged bicycle chains.

LA-based multidisciplinary artist Carolina Fontoura Alzaga produces what she calls “reflections and documents of…shifting realities” inspired by her tri-cultural upbringing in Mexico, Brazil and the USA. Referencing tricycles at this stage would seem a natural progression, given that these functional sculptures are made from the cast-off remains of bicycles. But that would render frivolous the perspective she brings to her art of salvaging objects of disuse and beautifying them into objets d’art.

Her chandelier series, called CONNECT, borrows from the aesthetic of Victorian chandeliers and welds it to contemporary DIY and urban bike culture.

The post Salvaged Bike Chain Chandeliers Defy Concepts of Wealth appeared first on EcoSalon.

Municipal governments, take note: a university student has invented the perfect public bench.

Displayed at this year’s ICFF, an ingenious solution to our urban bike-locking crisis: The Wright Bench. It’s a piece of functional furniture that combines a park bench with a bike rack.

Because this is the wrong way to lock up your bike…

This is the Wright Way.

No…

Yes!

Appalachian State University (ASU) student Eugene Duclos created the bench/bike rack for the Perennial Wood Appalachian State Design Studio contest. Evidently, Perennial Wood is a new type of U.S. manufactured wood, modified to protect against rot and decay, and uniquely suited for moist outdoor environments. With ASU being in North Carolina – the same state as the Wright brothers – the design was created in homage to the first flight duo: a wing-shaped wooden seat and wrought iron rack behind it. Did you know the Wright brothers were first entrepreneurs in the bike business? It’s true.

Let’s hope Duclos has trademarked his inventive bench. It seems only a matter of time before municipal governments flock en masse to purchase these benches for cities and parks.

Images: Galdo Trouchky; Mike Dillingham: Despoke; BitchcakesNY; PSFK

The post The Wright Public Bench is a Bike Bench appeared first on EcoSalon.

These cycles will make your spokes spin.

May is National Bike Month, and as the weather warms up, there’s no better time to embrace life on two wheels. Not only is biking great for your health, it’s also an easy, empowering, and environmentally-friendly way to get around. Plus, nothing beats the thrill of pedaling to great music with the wind blowing through your hair, whether it’s in Brazil, Birmingham, or Black Rock City.

(above) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

Las Morlas, Cuba

Cologne, Germany

New York, New York, USA

Terni, Italy

Paris, France

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Montevideo, Uruguay

Leipzig, Germany

London, England

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Taipei, Taiwan

Brighton, England

Laguna Seca, California, USA

Mackinac Island, Michigan, USA

Portland, Oregon, USA

Vienna, Austria

Timisoara, Romania

Copenhagen, Denmark

Cascais, Portugal

Sydney, Australia

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Cologne, Germany

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Palo Alto, California, USA

Chézery-Forens, France

Antwerp, Netherlands

Minas Gerais, Brazil

Irwindale, California, USA

Portland, Oregon, USA

Washington, Pennsylvania, USA

The post National Bike Month: 40 Photos of Bikes From Around the World appeared first on EcoSalon.

20 sexy bikes you can ride and use for home decorating.

Bikes are meant for riding, but there are certain storage issues to consider, too. The following was actually surveyed and cited by the Smithsonian Institution, so there’s some gravitas for you. Evidently, 73 percent Americans use a garage, and 27 percent hoard so much junk in it that they’re petrified of opening it.

That’s no kind of place to store a bicycle.

Next, consider the demographics. In Amsterdam, we know that 40% of the population rides bikes – moms, dads, kids, grandparents. It’s part of being Dutch. In the United States, it’s harder to calculate for certain.

Some estimates suggest that America’s most avid day-to-day riders are under the age of 25, buy pricier bikes than Europeans and cycle recreationally on the weekend. They bike to and from educational institutions and jobs. They probably live in places like Minneapolis, Portland, Seattle, D.C. The point is they’re regular Joes and Janes living in densely populated urban areas lacking the requisite garage space to properly become hoarders in trendy boroughs teaming with would-be-bike-snatchers.

That’s no kind of place to park a bicycle.

As such, bikes tend to appendage themselves to the foyer – hopefully, one with exposed brick. If you fit the demographics jimmied above, your bike has prolly become as elemental to your décor as that aviator chair from Restoration Hardware. Speaking of prolly, the hub of bicycle porn Prolly Is Not Probably takes an optimistic view of the bicycle cum purse rack: “[there’s] nothing like pristine track bikes in pristine apartments.”

Correction: that is, if – and only if – your track bike is sexy. That goes for your dirt bike, too. Here are 20 hot wheels that could be for display only.

The limited edition Baby Ganoush with custom Walnut Studio leather sew-up grips and Brooks double straps for pedals. From Naked.

Also from Naked, the award winning Hors bike.

North of Seattle, Traitor Cycles produces steel bikes for commuting, racing, and pre and post-romantic strolls on the beach. Better than a boyfriend: the Luggernaut. (Nice saddlebags.)

Traitor is also behind the Pabst bike. Bottoms up.

What’s more bitchin’ than a handlebar mousachio? The handlebars on the Thunderdog.

Someone crank up the A/C. The Heat from Aussie bike maker Sexy Bicycles is bound to get you hot and bothered.

The Pulse will get your heart racing before you even strap on a helmet.

What are you doing outside, lovely? This beauty (a Geekhouse…modest, too) could replace a 60″ flat screen easily.

This kind of candy coated prettiness is damn near edible. Lean next to the fridge. Also Geekhouse.

An electric dandy from IDEO and Rock Lobster.

Skip the Rembrandt reproduction. Hang a Van Hulsteijn on your wall.

Ciao bella. This Italian made Cicli Maestro looks right at home.

Le Porteur, built and designed by Matthew Conway of Detail, needn’t wait in the hall.

Come on in. Note how the frame is painted in faux wood grain. By Rob Pollock.

A vintage Bianchi Corsa from 1935.

Hong Kong based designer Michael Young’s award winning City Storm Giant infuses bike design with an interior designer’s sensibility.

All of the above are gorgeous on the street and stacked in your apartment. One final detail.

If your bike’s name happens to be Andrea…

Regina…

Or Mathilde…

Parisian designer Juri Zaech will literally imbue your bicycle with its own typographical identity. Very now in interiors.

Add one final detail.

A frame for your frame, in this case The Bike Shelf from Knife & Saw, and your bike has officially graduated from utilitarian cool to sexy wall ornament chic.

Image: Prolly is Not Probably

The post Fashionable Bicycles You Can Also Use for Home Decor appeared first on EcoSalon.

Cycling: It’s eco-friendly and good for your heart.

Even so, conventional bike fashion and gear has presented a road block from switching out four wheels for two as an alternative mode of transportation.

For the stylish set, those visions of unflattering spandex and cumbersome helmets don’t exactly make you want to hop on a bike to ride to that job interview or catch cocktails with the new flame. But an upswing in the popularity of biking means two-wheel fashion is climbing to new heights. The era of cycle chic is upon us!

Here are four ways to dress for sustainable cycling success:

1. Get inspired!

Start navigating the unlimited modern bike fashion waiting for you to explore. Think the Sartorialist on two wheels. Kick off with the blog that started it all, Copenhagen Cycle Chic. Then work your way through Vélo Vogue, Velo Couture and Riding Pretty. You’ll be putting together cycle-ready outfits and hopping on your two wheels before you know it.

2. Choose clothes that are giving and made with eco-friendly materials.

There’s nothing worse than riding around in tight clothes, no matter how good those skinny jeans look, so make sure what you’re wearing is soft and flexible. Go for options like merino wool, bamboo and organic cotton.

Organic cotton t-shirts from Cyclelogical celebrate the spirit of cycling with designs printed with reflective ink – perfect for making sure you’re being seen. And even though their products aren’t available in the US yet, UK-based company Cyclodelic has some designs that make cycling look like the next big thing on the catwalk.

Remember that cycling fashion isn’t just for the female market. Guys should check out Outlier, which specializes in tailored garments for city riding and makes many of the line’s beautiful pieces right in NYC.

3. Accessorize.

Let’s be honest, nothing is better than a fabulous-looking reusable bag, and in the bike world, their are plenty of well-designed, eco-friendly options. Rickshaw’s Zero Messenger Bag, designed to optimize cutting and eliminate material waste, is made from nylon, making it 100% recyclable.

And every beautiful, functional bike has to have a bike basket, or at least a rack back, to carry your goods in. There are some great designs by Basil, PoCampo and Design House Stockholm worth a peek.

4. Be safe.

Yes, helmet hair is annoying but when it comes to cycling, safety should certainly come first. Plus, with companies like Yakkay, it’s easy to make your helmet fit your style.

Photo Credits: tejvanphotos, Cyclelogical, Design House Stockholm, Yakkay

The post Cycle Style Gets in Gear: 4 Tips for Being Chic on 2 Wheels appeared first on EcoSalon.