From Laurence King Publishing, 100 BEST BIKES is a new book by Zahid Sardar that features the latest and finest in bicycle design and engineering. PUBLIC is featured in the book in the City/Utility bike category.

Meet author and design expert Zahid Sardar at the Inn at the Presidio on Sunday, Sept. 30th from 2-4 PM. Enjoy a glass of wine, peruse a copy of the book, and drop a business card into the fish bowl for the chance to win a FREE Biomega Boston style collapsible bike. This event is free and open to the public.

Zahid Sardar is the former design editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, Zahid Sardar continues to write for the Chronicle as well as for Dwell and other design publications. He has also written for Metropolis, Architecture, Interior Design and Surface magazines. His books include New Garden Design (2008) and San Francisco Modern (1998). He is an avid cyclist, navigating the hills of San Francisco on his 10-speed Motobecane Mirage.

According to Sardar and Laurence King Publishing: “These are the best bikes to be found anywhere right now, giving every kind of cyclist an overview of what is out there. Whether a BMXtreme or mountain bike enthusiast, a keen tourer or racer, a city commuter or courier, or simply fascinated with the constantly advancing mechanics and engineering of folding and other innovative bike designs, this book has something for you. The bikes on display come from across Europe, East and South Asia and North America, not to mention examples from the southern hemisphere. The major bike manufacturers like Boardman, Giant and Fuji are of course featured, but also more maverick material from Biomega, Calfee and Daymak. 100 Best Bikes is the essential resource for anyone wanting to know about the best in design and engineering for every kind of bike.”

You can share this event on Facebook too.

This month our favorite bridge celebrates her 75^th birthday. There are many attendant festivities. Our contribution is the introduction of PUBLIC Bikes painted in the exact color and finish of the bridge (International Orange). We have a limited number of these 7-speed bikes ($750) – so, if you are interested, act quickly.

It’s easy to be a little jaded about a 75^th anniversary: 50 is impressive, 100 epic. But jaded just doesn’t work with the Golden Gate Bridge; we love it so much we’d support a yearly celebration. In fact, I consider this bridge to be one of the greatest pieces of modern design – ever. Like all classic works, it just seems to grow in stature and grace every time we look at it.

What makes it so great? So many things. Astounding engineering – when completed in 1937 it was the tallest bridge in the world and the longest single-span suspension structure. Majesty – a man-made structure that holds it own even set against the dramatic natural surroundings and wonders of the bay. Beautiful design details – like the elegant ‘pyramiding’ columns. It’s heroic – reflecting our highest ambitions and speaking well of mankind. It transcends politics and brushes aside traditional design categorization. Although often billed as a triumph of the Art Deco style, its essence is too powerful, honest, and modern to be assigned to a bygone era. So purposeful, so optimistic, The Golden Gate Bridge is like a dynamic living creature, you even feel it move when you walk or ride over it.

Even with all these assets, its color might be the most defining feature. There are many stories about how its color came to be. If the US Air Force had its way the bridge would have been done up in red and white horizontal stripes (for visibility). The Navy was pushing for yellow and black. Others argued for a neutral grey to blend into the landscape. There were varying schemes to paint the railings and cables in colors contrasting the columns. But when the steel arrived with a reddish orange lead based primer in 1934 it became obvious to architect Irving F. Morrow that International Orange was the right choice.

The name of the color is also elusive. The way the light reflects off the surface gives it a somewhat indefinable patina and character. The color changes with the day and time, light, and perpetual aging and exposure to weather. More than a color the surface is like a breathing skin. A great fast paced read on the subject is Golden Gate Bridge: History and Design of an Icon, which has wonderful drawings and illustrations by Donald MacDonald that give a proper context for the bridge – purchase info below.

I was just in NYC for the ICFF show. There was a Californian Design booth and the backdrop for the booth was a huge photo of the GG Bridge.  It is perhaps the greatest symbol for California and perhaps for modernism overall given the power with which it combines form and function.

BOOK: Golden Gate Bridge: History and Design of an Icon ($16.95)
A fascinating study for those interested in architecture, design, or anyone with a soft spot for San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge is a fitting tribute to this timeless icon. This accessible account is accompanied by 70 of MacDonald’s own charming color illustrations, making it easy to understand how the bridge was designed and constructed.

Rob is the Chief PUBLIC Servant. He founded PUBLIC because of his belief that well-designed PUBLIC spaces are the bedrock of civilization.

Disposable Fim Festival 2012 Official Trailer – Make Some Magic from Disposable Film Festival on Vimeo.

Official trailer for Disposable Film Festival 2012
Music: Pony People (single version) by Wounded Lion
Thanks to The Disposable Film Festival

Calivintage Rides In PUBLIC from Jon Brown on Vimeo.

We’re happy to share this video produced by our friends Calivintage and Jon Brown.

Author Steven Rea will share photos and discuss his new book Hollywood Rides a Bike at PUBLIC HQ on February 24. Hollywood Rides a Bike shows classic stars from Shirley Temple to Brigitte Bardot and Humphrey Bogart to Kevin Bacon all on the best bikes Hollywood has to offer. This book is inspired by Rea’s popular movie star and bicycling photo blog, Rides A Bike.

6-8pm, Friday, February 24 at PUBLIC HQ in 123 South Park, San Francisco, CA
General Admission: $10 (Pre-registration guarantees seat for you. $10 will be credited with purchase of book if available)
General Admission + Signed Book: $25 (Pre-registration guarantees book & seat for you)

Use this Pre-Registration link

We asked Rea a few questions in anticipation for our Feb 24 PUBLIC Pre-Oscar Party: Hollywood Rides a Bike.

Who are the most famous living Hollywood celebrities you know or heard of who rides a bike?
I know Russell Crowe has commuted to the sets of some of his films on a bike. Ewan McGregor, in addition to being a motorcyclist, has a cool vintage Jack Taylor and does a lot of cycling. Robin Williams is a serious road cyclist, as you probably know, since he’s a San Franciscan. Matthew Modine, Zach Galifianakis, Natalie Portman, are a few others I know of.

If you could only show three photos from your collection, which would those be and why?
Lauren Bacall, just 20, in 1945, with her screen debut “To Have and Have Not” just about to be released, leaning against a bike on a studio soundstage having a cup of coffee and looking totally cool. And because it’s so rare, and awesome, Olivia de Havilland, stopping on the backlot with her bike and bike trailer, during production of 1935′s “Captain Blood” with Errol Flynn. The trailer has her name painted on it, as well as the title “Capt. Blood,” and carries her makeup, her script and whatnot as she commutes between dressing room and soundstage. And Susan Peters, astride her Monark bike, looking out from the Santa Monica Palisades to the sea. She was nominated for a best supporting actress for “Random Harvest,” a terrific 1942 amnesia melodrama starring Ronald Colman. A few years later she was in a hunting accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down, so this gorgeous photo is tinged with tragedy.

What’s your favorite city or cities to explore by bike and why?
Montreal is certainly one — a great network of dedicated bike lanes, and a real cycling culture. And Amsterdam is cycling heaven.

What was the biggest challenge putting together your book?
Determining the provenance of some of the photos. Especially with the older images, many came without snipes or captions or any sort of credits. I watched a lot of old movies trying to determine what film, what year, particular images came from — if they came from a specific film, or if they were “candids” taken during a production.

After this book, what’s next for you and Rides a Bike?
“Rides a Bike 2″? I have some really wonderful images acquired since the book went to press, so, who knows. I can dream, right?

February is an utterly unique month. It is singular for having the shortest number of days, even with Leap Year (Feb. 29), but also for the unusual and diverse events and holidays. What other month opens with something as humorous as Groundhog Day (Feb. 2) and works its way through to the pious Presidents Day (Feb. 20) and includes the erotic and romantic Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) and later Fat Tuesday (Feb. 21), known more commonly as Mardi Gras, a day to gorge and indulge before Lent for Catholics (Feb. 22 – April 5).

We have some new products and special deals for this month that are also noteworthy. Our Valentine’s Special includes our most popular gifts and there are some other special events of our own, including a Hollywood Rides a Bike: Cycling with the Stars book signing by author, Steven Rea that might be worth putting on your calendar (Feb. 24) if you are in the Bay Area. This is a great warm up event to the Oscars which also occurs in this special month (Feb. 26). Check out Marilyn Monroe riding alongside playwright Arthur Miller in the photo above.

FEBRUARY 5
Maira Kalman and Michael Pollan
Book Party in Berkeley
If you live in the Bay Area chances are you are probably familiar with the restaurant Chez Panisse and author Michael Pollan.  You may not know that Maira Kalman illustrated Pollan’s book, Food Rules and that Alice Waters supports it through a special Edible School Yard Project in Berkeley. Maira is a longtime friend and we have been supporters of the Edible School Yard Project dating back to the 90’s. Reserve an autographed copy of the recently released hard cover edition, meet Maira Kalman, and have a glass of wine and nibbles at Chez Panisse this Sunday from 12-3.

FEBRUARY 14
Valentines Day. Anywhere.
Forget about taking your sweetie to an overcrowded restaurant decked out in red and pink. Take him or her on bike ride to some romantic destination with a picnic lunch or dinner. We have a few special items on sale for the holiday also.

FEBRUARY 24
Hollywood Rides a Bike
Book Party at PUBLIC Store in San Francisco
Over a year ago a friend sent me a link to a cool blog called Rides a Bike. It has fantastic vintage photos of all types of movie stars on bicycles. It has the same people interest as the Sartorialist in many ways but with old Hollywood charm.  The blog is the work of Philadelphia film critic Steven Rea, and this led to his recently released book. We are delighted to have Rea in our store on Friday night Feb. 24 from 6-8 pm for a talk and book signing.  Space is limited and we expect a large crowd for this. Please RSVP for a seat and a book.

As a prelude to the Oscars, PUBLIC is pleased to host author Steven Rea who will share photos and discuss his new book Hollywood Rides a Bike. Hollywood Rides a Bike shows classic stars from Shirley Temple to Brigitte Bardot and Humphrey Bogart to Kevin Bacon all on the best bikes Hollywood has to offer. This book is inspired by Rea’s popular movie star and bicycling photo blog, Rides A Bike. You can read our interview with Rea here.

Friday, February 24
6:00pm – 8:00pm
PUBLIC HQ in 123 South Park
San Francisco, CA

General Admission: $10 (Pre-registration guarantees seat for you. $10 will be credited with purchase of book if available)
General Admission + Signed Book: $25 (Pre-registration guarantees book & seat for you)

Use this Pre-Registration link

Hollywood Rides a Bike includes candid backlot shots, taken by publicity lensers who happened across stars as they wheeled around the Burbank, Culver City, Universal City, and Hollywood lots; the production stills from movies where the actor, in character, rides a bike (Jane Fonda made her screen debut crashing a Rollfast into two of her co-stars; Julie Andrews and her towheaded charges were singing “Do-Re-Mi” as they took to the alpine blacktop); the staged studio portraits—a lot of cheesecake (Deborah Kerr and Veronica Lake and Rita Hayworth, oh my!) and beefcake; and then just real-life photos of the likes of Kim Novak, Cicely Tyson, and Julie Christie riding along on palisades paths, Central Park byways, and English country lanes.

Retro bike fiends will note the streamlined angles, artful detail, and old-school craftsmanship on the cruisers and roadsters, folders and tandems, English lightweights and the occasional trike, triple- and high-wheeler pictured herein. They mark a time and place when things were built to last, when design and function dovetailed neatly—well, perfectly, in fact.

For bike aficionados there’s a special index just about the cycles! And another index is made for movie fans–full of Hollywood facts.

Author Steven Rea has been a movie critic with the Philadelphia Inquirer since 1992.

LIGHT SNACKS, WINE, & DRINKS WILL BE SERVED.

WE EXPECT THIS EVENT TO SELL OUT SO PLEASE PRE-REGISTER HERE.

AUTHOR-SIGNED BOOKS WILL BE FOR SALE AT THIS EVENT. LIMITED BOOK QUANTITIES SO PRE-ORDER YOUR BOOK BY REGISTERING.

A friend sent me a photo of a bike with square wheels. It may sacrifice a little in the area of smoothness of ride, but its absurdity made me laugh. Just when you think you’ve seen the last art bike, another one comes along. We believe this bike hails from Marfa, Texas where Donald Judd reigns supreme and where right angles dot the landscape, walls, buildings, and psyche.

We take the wheel for granted, but it may be the most impressive invention humanity has ever created.

The wheel has been around a lot longer than the light bulb or wifi or the abacus or toaster waffles.  It dates back to about 4000 BC and all the while it has stayed true to its original form. Look at the wheels on ancient chariot carts – they are almost identical to those that move goods around in modern day Cartagena, Colombia. I spent a day photographing all kinds of wheels, stationary and in motion.  Life there essentially revolves around the wheel. Without them there would be no commerce or trade.  The basic human exchange of goods and communications is enabled by vehicles and their wheels. The same holds for most of the modern world.

Wheels of Cartagena from PUBLIC Bikes on Vimeo.

We acknowledge the ingenious internal combustion engine, but what would cars and trucks be without wheels? OK, airplanes don’t need wheels in flight, but many insist that a safe landing is an important part of their flight. The bike is really just two wheels made animate – though that doesn’t keep us from obsessing over elegant frame architecture or getting geeky about gears, weight, and all.  Wheels are everywhere – cranes, trains, pulleys, scooters, skateboards – even those gears we get geeky about.

In a place like Cartagena the diversity, character, and ubiquity of the wheel is extraordinary. You notice them more when they are not shrouded or incased by metal as they are often with cars.  It was easy to get carried away with an appreciation of the aesthetics as I walked around taking photos.  And the wheel as an object or symbol has been adored by artists as diverse as Marcel Duchamp and Ai WeiWei. And then someone rolled by in a wheelchair and I realized how dependent we are on the wheel for our basic needs of independence and survival.  The wheel is too cool to be square.

Rob is the Chief PUBLIC Servant. He founded PUBLIC because of his belief that well-designed PUBLIC spaces are the bedrock of civilization.

We rarely send out two emails in one week, so apologies if this is an intrusion. But we wanted to alert everyone to these special holiday ideas and offers.

We are offering Free Shipping – on PUBLIC items only – but just until December 11th.
For three days only you can save $125 and have a bike shipped directly to your home (Use Promo Code: FREESHIP) or receive free shipping on gear & accessories (Use Promo Code: JOLLY). We only make this offer on rare occasions. This holiday season, we want to encourage as many of you as possible to get on a bike. A bike is a very conscientious gift that is guaranteed to generate smiles.

I've assembled ten last minute gifts. They are not all PUBLIC items, but they are all from people or companies that I know personally. I’ve included several books as they are meaningful gifts for almost anyone. If you have an especially hard-to-please person, Paula Scher: MAPS will open their eyes to the world the same way a bike does.

1) PUBLIC C7 in Salted Caramel $650
One of our limited edition models named after our favorite ice cream in San Francisco. Salted caramel is one of our limited edition new colors.

2) Vlaemsch Deer Head $200
Our Deer is a modern, playful take on the classic trophy head designed and produced in Belgium.  Made from beech wood and arrives to you flat packed, it assembles easily in a few minutes without any tools. They are lightweight enough to hang on almost any surface.  At PUBLIC it is a perennial favorite.

3) PUBLIC Bleeker 8 Speed $1250
We just launched this beauty. It’s a classic guys bike that works just as well for women. The vintage-style aluminum fenders and Brooks saddle make it a timeless piece of design.

4) BackRoads Bike Trip to Tuscany in April $4000
I’ve been on five of these trips over the past twenty years and they never disappoint.  You get the independence of riding all day, eating delicious food, and the comfort of someone else lugging your bags.  And you’ll likely meet some cool people, like my ex wife!

5) McFadden Farm Bay Leaf Wreath $25.50
The wonderful fragrance of Bay leaves is a traditional indulgence for many of us. This is the wreath for modernists – simple and classic.

6) Miette: Recipes from San Francisco's Most Charming Pastry Shop $27.50
Is there a bike rider alive that does not love desserts?  The book is almost as gorgeous as the pastries from this signature San Francisco pastry shop run by Meg Ray. The photos by Frankie Frankeny are tasty too.

7) PUBLIC Federico Red Bell $15.00
It’s our most popular item, and for good reason. Maybe the sweetest sounding stocking stuff around.

8 ) Paula Scher: Maps $50
The is a shockingly beautiful and provocative book by Paula Scher. She is one of the few visual thinkers whose work seamlessly spans both Art and Design fields. GPS geeks, surfers, artists, and PhDs and designers of course, will have this book atop their coffee table for most of 2012.

9) Portland Design Works Light Set $36.00
From our friends in Portland, a superb way to light up your holiday rides. Both lights are built to withstand rain or meteor showers and keep you safe from blastoff to touchdown.

10) High Line: The Inside Story of New York City’s Park in the Sky $29.95
Here is a great read or Christmas gift, by Joshua David and Robert Hammond. The book has received five stars reviews all around. If you cannot go to the Highline, at least get the book.

HARD TO PLEASE? If nothing here strikes your fancy, we do have some other gift ideas.

Rob is the Chief PUBLIC Servant. He founded PUBLIC because of his belief that well-designed PUBLIC spaces are the bedrock of civilization.

The best thing about this business is getting to know our customers and hearing their stories. Our customers come in all different shapes and sizes and from a variety of professions and locations. They keep in touch with us in any manner of ways.   Some come by our South Park headquarters, some meet us on the road when we visit cities for urban transportation events, some share photos on our Flickr group, and some send us nice notes like these:

“Today I rode 24 miles on my 7-speed PUBLIC step-thru bike and the bike did great – 12 bike path miles and 12 hilly Cape Cod roads around the ocean and through the ponds. I tackled each hill and stayed comfortable. Very pleased with my PUBLIC bike.” – Vanessa Allen, Newton, MA

“Nearly a year since purchasing my PUBLIC D3, I have logged more than a thousand miles on it commuting to and from work in Columbus Ohio – even in 15 degree weather. I am on my original tires and have only done light preventative maintenance. If you’re on the fence as to whether to buy one, trust me you won’t regret it.”  – Shane Neff

“Just got off my Public bike, not 24 hours ago!!!  Love that thing and I get compliments on it all of the time.” – Scott Kerslake, CEO Prana

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT: Alex Bogusky

We like to share interesting customer stories, creations, and photos.  PUBLIC customer and advertising icon Alex Bogusky, his wife Ana, designer John Bielenberg, and creative strategist Rob Schuham launched the fantastic new venture COMMON. “COMMON is a living network of creative people rapidly prototyping dozens or hundreds of progressive businesses designed to solve social problems.” They put together an inspiring video to introduce their mission.

A COMMON STORY from m ss ng p eces on Vimeo.

Last Friday night in Boulder, CO they hosted an event to support and incite a competitive market for socially minded entrepreneurs.  The finalists encourage a business world with educated and empowered consumers.  Read the Washington Post article to find out the winning products.

If you ride a PUBLIC or know someone who does with an inspiring story, share it with us. We’ll feature it in a future customer spotlight.

MEET US IN LAS VEGAS – JOIN US AT BURNING MAN

Dan Nguyen-Tan, our PUBLIC Citizen, brings innovative marketing and customer programs to our business. Dan will be in Las Vegas at the Interbike trade show where we are teaming up with Peterboro Baskets.  You can connect with Dan at Interbike – just drop him a note. If you have a bike shop that would like to carry PUBLIC bikes, this would be a good place to meet us and chat.

Dan will also be at Burning Man next week. If you see a half naked guy riding in the playa, that will not be Dan. For one week, Burning Man’s Black Rock City becomes the bicycle capital of the world with almost everyone riding bicycles to get around. Read more about the bicycle culture of Black Rock City by our friend Matthew Roth.