Cycle Central Phoenix, Part II

Fashion and bicycles at The Duce.

The Planner Guy and I set out on Cycle Central Phx with a pack of happy cyclists late Saturday afternoon, headed up by the Mayor, CoP Bicycle Guy Joe Perez and our police escorts on motorcycles and bicycles.  Our first stop was The Duce, a bar-restaurant-boutique-boxing ring (???) all in one.

Not my drink but it looks really good.
 

We hung out for drinks and chatting for about 20 minutes.  Frankly, I'm not sure what to make of this place.  It's going to take much more than 20 minutes so I will be back.

Mayor Stanton is clearly an extrovert, which is probably a desirable characteristic since nearly everybody want to bend your ear.  And snap your picture.  He rolls with both.

In the boutique section of The Duce, the merchandising suggests they fully embrace the cycle chic aesthetic.


And shabby chic, which I've loved since my late twenties since it's all about recycle and reuse.

This interaction drew quite a crowd. 

The Duce appears to be dog-friendly, too.  One of our riders enjoyed a little dog-love from a friendly Pitt pup.

Bob, possibly living out a childhood fantasy.  It suits him, though.

Bob and I weren't especially prepared for the inclusion of the boxing ring.  I'm not sure what to make of it or why they have it.  Bob really got excited about it.  Uhmm. . . so did the Mayor.

I got the chance to get a close up shot of the Boogud bamboo bike, referred to in the previous post.  The bamboo is from a farm down in Tucson but the bikes are manufactured locally.  Bob's been interested in bamboo bikes for a while now and plans to sign up with Derrick Loud to build one.  For every bike sold Boogud's partners in Kenyan will put a child in that country confined to a wheelchair achieve mobility.  Check out their website to learn more!

Finally, a cycle chic moment with Dorina Bustamante!  I love how she cycles carrying a little clutch bag!