Vest Pack Video Demo by Eddie Johnson

For a video of the JoyRider waxed cotton vest pack see Eddie Johnson demoing it at http://blip.tv/file/1109004/

Bike Friday frequents the market.

Eddie Johnson loves his Bike Friday folding bike. Bike Friday is a Eugene, Oregon based coop that make these ingenious bikes. It was perfect collaborative process getting the vest pack to Eddie that he wanted. Here is what he wrote to me upon receiving it:

The vest pack is great! It makes for a great cycling
pack plus works well off the bike too! Once this get
'discovered' by others, it should be a hit in the
cycling commuter world. Thanks for for the extra
pockets. I didn't notice them until later. Very well
executed. The pack feels great while riding and is
very stable. BTW, could you forward the pics you took
of me, the vest pack and my bike? I want to send one
to Bike Friday to put in their "What do you do on a
Friday" gallery. I also picked up a pair of your arm
warmers from Montano Velo to keep in my vest pack for
those chilly rides. Take care Nan and keep innovating.

Speaking of Bike Fridays showing up at the market, Jennifer Michels and her man Eric Berlow took theirs to Italy. Read about it on the Bike Friday website.

JoyRider at Temescal Market June 15th and 22nd

Nan will be at the Temescal Farmers Market three times in the month of June. Stop by on June 15th and 22nd to pick up your finished knickers, raincoats, vest packs and more. Send your friends to be fitted for custom wool bike knickers. Plan ahead and get a great deal on last seasons waxed cotton raincoats at 25% off.

You may see Raven picking up sprouts at the end of the market. Ask her about her yoga class schedule, how her chickens are liking their luxury suite coop or how to start an apricot tree from seed.

New Knicker and Raincoat Pics by Pamela Palma

I make bike knickers because they are the right thing to bike it. Grateful that they are also very much a trend. No coincidence as we are now in the second Golden Age of Bicyling! And I make them out of wool because it the by far the best fabric for the action of riding a bike. High tech materials only strive to do what we mammals have perfected: a natural protein fiber that wicks moisture away from your skin where it can evaporate so your clothing doesn't hold smell. Much of the environmental impact of clothing is not production, but the water used to wash a garment in its lifetime. Wool requires much less laundering than synthetic fibers because the stink don't stick , and less water to wash when you do have to than cellulose fibers (like cotton) because it is not that absorbent (ever seen a wool wash cloth?). And you never dry it in the dryer. I have been laundering my knickers for months now and they hold up well in the wash. Care instructions: Spot clean when you can. When needed, use a cold or cool water wash in very little mild soap on a short, gentle cycle. Lie flat or hang dry. Again, that is Raven in the pic.