Who: Peterboro Basket Company – Peterborough, NH

What: Peterboro Picnic-Time/Tote Bicycle Basket

Where: Peterboro – $55

Why We Love It: There’s nothing like an autumn bike outing. Nothing but you, your bike, and your picnic blanket. And your keys, wallet, cell phone and water bottle. Oh wait, wait…don’t forget your lunch, a book, and your camera. Right. Ready. Now, where to put all this, you ask?

Fortunately we’ve come across the Peterboro Basket Company, which has been making all manner of beautiful White Ash baskets for more than 150 years. All of the baskets are made from wood harvested in New England, and are manufactured at the company’s home base in New Hampshire. The picnic bike basket measures 14.25 X 9 X 6.75 inches and comes in 3 colors: natural, honey or cherry (we love ‘em all, but especially the cherry). The baskets run $65, but the site often has promotions that bring the price down to $55.

Happy picnicking!!!

Who: papernomad – Colorado Springs, CO

What: D. Moser Laptop Sleeve

Where: papernomad – $58

Why We Love It: As surprising as it may be, this paper based laptop cover is pretty rugged. It’s tear resistant (go ahead, try it!) and waterproof, but it is highly susceptible to inadvertent daydreams, doodles, scribbles, and note taking. Of course, that’s what makes the cover uniquely yours, just like those old paper covered text books back in high school… good times.

The key components to its construction include a hemp pull strap with a magnetic closure, cotton cushioning, sheep’s wool lining and a tough paper outer. The total package is hand stitched and at the end of its usefulness, or when your doodling has gotten out of control, it’s completely biodegradable.

Available in 13″ or 15″.

Today is World Car-Free Day! A day where people around the world abandon their cars and embrace a more eco-friendly ride, from public transportation to carpools to walking and biking.

Biking is our ‘car-free’ transportation of choice, but here in Massachusetts, where we are celebrating our own Car-Free Week, it’s dark and frosty in the morning making it all the harder to jump on the ol’ bike. But fear not, whether you are a daily commuter or a hard-core cycler, riding in cooler temps can be quite pleasant as long as you are prepared. So, we’ve got you covered from your head to your toes with the fall essentials for comfy (and safe) cycling:

	BERN MUSE EPS & WATT AUDIO HELMETS This is the ultimate all season helmet. They can be outfitted with a variety of removable liners from summer to winter so you can layer in the warmth when temperatures drop. And because it meets the safety standards for snow, ski, bike and skate, this cross-sport helmet can go straight from the road to the slopes. Very ‘eco.’ Also features a goggle clip intended for downhill, but great for hard-core bikers who aren’t afraid of a little powder on the road. Ladies: $69.56-$109.95 @ Amazon.com; Men’s: $43.99-$129.95 @ Altrec.com
	NEW BALANCE NBx 2.0 WINDBLOCKER JACKET New Balance has master performance workout wear blending fit, comfort and safety. This is one of the best purchases we ever made – perfect for biking especially in shifty weather; it’s waterproof, breathable and blocks the wind. It features front and back reflective tape and fluorescent thumbholes for enhanced visibility and added warmth day or night. Ladies: $58.50 – $130.00 @ Amazon.com; Men’s: $130 @ Amazon.com
	IBEX STRETCH MERINO GLOVE LINER When the thumbhole sleeve isn’t quite enough to keep your mitts warm, upgrade to these super soft gloves. Made from 95% New Zealand Merino wool, these gloves naturally regulate temperature, repel moisture and are odor free so your hands stay comfortable and dry and smelling like roses. $24.95 @Altrec.com
	PATAGONIA ADDIE RIDER BOOTS Every girl on the go needs a pair of rugged, no-slip, no-stick, no-snag riding boots for the morning commute — and this pair from Patagonia is top on our list. Beautiful detailing combined with eco-conscious leathers, a stitched outsole, and a 70 percent recycled foot bed, makes for a look that can go from the bike straight to work for a lighter commute — no need to stash an extra pair of ‘work’ shoes in your bag — and a lighter ‘footprint.’ $220 @ PlanetShoes.com
	BLACKBURN FLEA USB + SOLAR BICYCLE HEADLIGHT With shorter days, it’s critical to have bike lights, not necessarily to see, but rather to be seen. The more visible you are to oncoming traffic the better! And as soon as the sun rises, the solar panel charger will kick in and you’ll be able to charge your lights while you ride. It’s best for slow speed commuting, so if you are into late night trail racing, this light may not be the one for you.$29.77 @ Amazon.com (See all Bike Headlights)

Happy riding!

Who: Origin-8 – Miami, FL

What: Joe-2-Go XL Drink Holder

Where: Amazon.com – $13.26 (available in Standard or XL)

Why We Love It: Discovered this little gem at our local bike shop and were so excited! No more spilled drinks in our bike basket, no more discarded beverages, no more near falls…

It’s a must-have for the serious beach cruiser – an attached cup holder to tote your iced beverage along the strip. So very necessary, so you can keep your frosty treat right at your finger tips, and definitely makes for a safer ride (have yet to master the one-handed ride without cycling at a snail’s pace).

And it’s in a cool bronze that’s pretty sharp.

Bikes are definitely our vehicles of choice for summer time rides. Commuting to the office, stopping by the farmer’s market and escaping to the beach is a breeze by bike. Add a bike basket (we’ve got the Topeak Rear Bicycle Basket, but have been pining for the Carrie Bicycle Basket… ), secure your iced latte in your Origin8 Joe-2-Go Drink Holder (this really is the coolest thing ever and has replaced by jury-rigged old school car cup-holder…) , strap on your bike helmet and you are ready for some serious summer cruisin’!

The PUBLIC C3 by PUBLIC Bikes in powder blue, white or orange $650 (Click to see how to get $50 off!)

The Nevis by Puma in white, black or multi $725

Strida LT Folding Bike by STRiDA in neon green, silver, black or red $599

Cargo Bike by Madsen in powder blue, cream, or black $1,485

Breukelen Bike by Bowery Lane hand-crafted in NYC, sustainable cork grips $645

City Bike 700C by Biria handcrafted in Somerville, MA $500

Roadster Sport by Linus Bikes in green, black or cream $395

Allant by Trek in olive $569.99

Escape City W by Giant in black or light blue $420-$560

Network 7 Hybrid Bike by Schwinn in maroon $269.99

Simple 8 City Bikeby Gary Fisher for Trek or the Escape City W $969.99 or $420-$560

Loring I-Motion 9 Speed by Civia Cycles in green or black $875-$1395

Another cool one from Monocle, the Skeppshult V-Bike £ 750.00. The unisex design also includes a detachable shopping basket, Abus lock, and bell. Available in army green.

Spring is in the air, which means more biking! And of course, one must look stylish while cruising around town. Here are our top 5 picks for chic head gear:

1. Giro Surface Multi-Sport Helmet – $59.95 at Amazon; 2. Yakkay Helmet in Herringbone – $175 at the Bicycle Muse; 3. Sawako Furuno Helmets – $115 at icargobike; 4. Bern Berkeley Summer Helmet – $34.95-$74.95 at Altrec; 5. Nutcase Drippy Bike Helmet – $60 at Amazon.

Who: grove – Portland, Oregon

What: Grove + MapleXO Skateboard iPhone 4 Case

Where: eBay – Bids start at $200, 0-4 are being auctioned off right now. Cases 5-9 will be auctioned off on eBay starting March 8th.

Why We Love It: The colors are just brilliant in each case – hard to decide which color combination is our favorite and just amazed that a polished final product like this was created from beat up old skateboards.

Because of the labor intensiveness of the project, they did a limited run of 50 cases. Each case is meticulously handcrafted in Portland. The colorful ‘plywood’ was assembled by Lindsay Holmes of MapleXO by slicing 300 old skateboards into narrow strips, laying them on their sides, gluing them back together making each case completely unique. Grove then took the material and carved out the cases for the final product.

The first lot sold out fast, there are four up for bid now and four more set to launch on March 8th,so if you’d like to get your hands on this one of a kind case, be sure to get your eBay bid in. 50% of the proceeds from each auction will go to the Oregon Humane Society.

Who: YogaForce – Encinitas, CA

What: YogaForce A-line Yoga Mat

Where: YogaForce – $79

Why We Love It: We are yoga fanatics, we love love love it! And are constantly encouraging friends and husbands (hint, hint) to try it. Often the feedback is that people are too afraid of doing it wrong or don’t think it’s a good enough workout (go ahead and tell that to our aching shoulders…) Well, the Yoga Force A-line mat can certainly help with the former (the latter will be resolved once you try your first class!). The A-line mat has built-in alignment guides to make sure your positioning is on track. This is great for novice and veteran yogis as always good to have a gentle reminder. Click to continue »

Who: Grain Surfboards – York, ME

What: Grain Surfboard Kits

Where: Grain Surfboards – $520-$820, 9 models available in DIY kits

Why We Love ‘Em: Hurricane Earl is on his way, and you know what that means? Surf is up! Great time to get out there (okay, not if you are directly in the eye of the storm and you know how to circumvent a rip tide – just take a breath relax and swim parallel to shore…) and hit the waves. The waves up in York have been awesome and what better way to catch some waves than with a more eco-friendly surfboard. Click to continue »

Who: PUMA & Biomega

What: Nevis Commuter Bike

Where: PUMA – $649; See also the Pico

Why We Love ‘Em: Fall is our favorite season for biking and as always nice to have a little extra storage along in case you happen upon an apple orchard, fresh baked goods or a flea market gem. And now you can do it in complete ‘hipster’ style with this uber hip bike from PUMA, the result of a power collaboration between PUMA and legendary Denmark bike innovators, Biomega.

The PUMA Bike line is designed for urban mobility, durability, drivability and visibility. Where typical front loading carriers throw off the balance of the frame the lightweight integrated front carrier maintains maneuverability thanks to premium design and a lightweight aluminum frame. It is designed so that you can ride in a laid-back style with a reclined seat and cruiser style handling.

And it’s got the looks too. Splashed with bright hyacinth, violet and wild lime as an ode to the vibrant culture of Modern day Africa.

Stay tuned for spring 2011 when PUMA & Biomega releases their latest collaboration – the Mopion Commuter Bike with an extended frame for a super-sized front load cargo hold for serious grocery carting with out the drag. Available in in white, black and a color combination of magenta/blue/lime.