The best kind of commute is convenient, comfortable, and cool, and if you’re lucky enough to live close to your destination, you probably should be pedaling. A few months back, we discovered the Central Storage System for Bicycles (CSSB) from Swiss startup TATO, and were immediately drawn to its sexy black frame and innovative design. Since I commute to work on two wheels each day, I liked the idea of freeing up my shoulders and storing my messenger bag within the frame instead. The bike is also loaded with tons of sweet stuff, like Shimano components, hydraulic disc brakes for fast hill descents, and a solid suspension fork to reduce the shock of those wheelies off the stairs.

We reached out to Jean-Louis Francescotti, creator and head designer of the project, and asked to test ride and review the bicycle. Sustainable satisfaction overwhelmed our souls when Jean-Louis volunteered to come out to California to personally deliver the bike and explain its environmental features. Here’s where you come in. On Friday, September 10th, we’re putting together a short film of our friends sizing up the ride at the usual Holiday Matinee stomping grounds. In true bike sharing fashion, we’ll be passing the bicycle around from 12pm to dusk, collecting feedback from various velo pals. The frame is a good fit for riders between 5’6 and 6’0, and the storage space is almost 4 inches wide; perfect for that laptop case, reusable BAGGU, or slim booze container of your choosing. Come help us load the CSSB with strange shit as we ride throughout bike-friendly neighborhoods with our new friend from Switzerland.

Hope to see a variety of cyclists out there and if you don’t live in San Diego, follow our journey via #TATOtour. Feel free to email me with any questions and don’t forget your helmet!

Somewhere in between twenty minute hikes to stages across Golden Gate Park and those delicious sweet potato fries, I caught up with Chromeo at Outside Lands to find out two things they’re really excited about right now. Coupled with their funny fixation on my phrasing (you’d think I was the first person to ask them what they’re “pumped” about), P-Thugg and Dave 1 gave us the inside scoop on some collaborations from their new album, Business Casual, out September 14th. Hint: it involves an awesome redhead and a blood-sucking indie rocker. Are you ready to get stoked, pumped, and psyched? Watch on.

At Holiday Matinee, high fives are our hustle, so we were stoked when the ReForm School ladies asked us to join in the fun at their free high five booth last weekend. The Sunset Junction Street Fair has been dishing out tons of live music, interesting people watching, serious day drinking, and typical festival booths for 30 years. Since Billie and Tootie’s crafty retail store is right in the middle of the madness on Sunset Boulevard, they decided to do something a little different this year.

We set up camp early and went to work saving lives with high fives and bringing smiles to hundreds of faces. Our goal was 1,000 high fives, but by the end of the day, 1,321 skins had been slapped. It was funny to see people ignoring us like cell phone peddlers at the mall, but once they realized what we were “selling,” they quickly rushed over for a five or two. Even the coolest hipster or grumpiest grandpa couldn’t escape our powerful pull. I don’t blame them, who can resist a gesture that’s guaranteed to make your day?

Our booth reminded us of a lemonade stand, so we asked folks to help us stir up some “Awesome Lemonade.” The ingredients were simple: tell us something awesome you learned or saw today. A few of the answers were pretty hilarious, and you can see them here along with a bunch of other action shots from our fun-filled day. Hooray for high fives!

Finding neat vintage jewelry on Etsy is fun, but discovering something totally unique and repurposed is even better. Found Made New is just that: items designer Patricia Hom finds and makes new again. I really dig her Spent necklaces, which are handmade from recycled bullet casings. My favorites include the badass revolver and drinking bear pendants, but there are lots of dope designs to choose from. The shop also carries a few vintage items, including a sweet orange pencil sharpener I would consider purchasing if I could recall the last time I sharpened a writing utensil. In case you didn’t know, old is the new new.

Gloomy skies couldn’t dampen my weekend at Outside Lands, a two-day music and arts festival in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Big acts like Phoenix, Al Green and The Strokes cranked out the hits, while Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, My Morning Jacket and Gogol Bordello delivered solid sets to smaller crowds.

In addition to the talented lineup, Outside Lands managed to keep the grounds greener than the grass with a plethora of eco-friendly details. There was a solar-powered stage, complimentary valet bike parking, and a seesaw that generated enough kinetic energy to make snow cones. SF Environment “trash talkers” also stood next to waste receptacles, politely advising the proper disposal of garbage.

An organized schedule left time to explore the festival’s booths, which featured delicious fare from local restaurants and wineries, urban farming workshops, and a variety of unique artisan goods. Wandering around, I met Silvi from the poetry store who quickly became a favorite after volunteering to write me a poem about creativity on her vintage typewriter.

With so many annual summer concerts, it’s great to know there are sustainable options, and rocking out while reducing my carbon footprint in a gorgeous SF park is not an experience I will soon forget.

For more highlights from the weekend, check out the Flickr set here.

First Darwin explains the species, then Ashkahn & Co. takes a crack at the private parts. Last month, I visited his booth at Renegade LA and learned that in addition to Evolution of the Muff, Ashkahn also designed our I Love U Artist Series shirts. Perhaps I’m a perv, but I’d like to pop this postcard in the mail to brighten a courier’s day or carry groceries home in an educational tote. Only 10 more years to define a ‘do’ for the next chapter in hair down there history!