We got a nice chuckle out of last week’s The New Yorker cover by artist Marcellus Hall depicting the much-anticipated (and much-hyped) launch of New York City’s new bike sharing program, Citibike. Even though it joins hundreds of bike-sharing programs already in existence, you’d think the media darling was the first of its kind.

But take one glance at this Bike Sharing World Map created by The Bike Sharing Blog and Metro Bike and you’ll see that NYC is but a spoke in the wheel of the burgeoning bike share movement. It’s a movement that began in Amsterdam nearly 50 years ago with Witte Fiestsen (or White Bikes) and was followed by other European cities including Copenhagen, Denmark; Portsmouth, England; and Lyon, France. But it wasn’t until the mid-2000’s that the rest of Europe and the world began to catch up. Cyclocity, which launched in 2003, now operates in 10 countries, 66 cities, and recently logged its 300,000,000^th rider. Paris, which claims title to the largest bike sharing program in the world, Velib, keeps a fleet of 20,000 velos operating around the city daily.

Of course, there are the obvious benefits of bike sharing programs; they replace cars, therefore relieving road congestion. In Paris, Velib reduced Paris traffic by 5% in the first year. They help you stay fit and healthy and decrease obesity. They cost less for the cyclist than operating a car (and may even make money for the city). And our favorite—it’s better for the environment. To give you an idea of just how much better: in a review of the CycloCity system, Bourcier.com estimates that the 46,536 bicycles used in its world fleet alleviates 33,899 metric tons of CO2 each year. That’s equivalent to eliminating roughly 6600 cars every year.

What does this mean for NYC—the new home to the nation’s largest bike share program? In less than 48 hours after its inaugural pedal, cyclists had traveled 32,625 miles during nearly 13,000 trips. That’s equivalent to eliminating about 13.8 metric tons of C02 in just two days. So despite all of the hoopla and headlines, if you ask us, CitiBike seems to be living up to the hype.

In recognition of National Bike Month and all the awe-inspiring and secret places our bikes take us, we’ve teamed up with our Partner for Change, People for Bikes, to find out what inspires you to get out and ride. Here’s a peek into where we like to go.

Share where your bike takes you on Instagram for the chance to win the ultimate commuter kit— a Tern Joe C21 foldable cruiser and $250 of Nau apparel. To enter, hit the road and tag your Instagram photos—from urban landscapes to alpine vistas – with #MyBikeTakesMe. Don’t forget to include @NauClothing and @PFBcrews so we can check out where you go.

The contest ends May 29. Winner will be announced May 31st. Winner must choose product by June 30th. Full rules here.

Caleb Bushner (Nau Facebook Fan): #MyBikeTakesMe to Bernal Heights Park at sunset.

Bry Woll – Nau Dealer Services: With all this sun, #MyBikeTakesMe to work on my morning commute.

Nau Partner for Change – People for Bikes: #MyBikeTakesMe up dirt roads to peek at snow-covered mountaintops.

Lindsey Morse – Nau Marketing: In the city of bridges, #MyBikeTakesMe across the Willamette giving a nod from one bridge to another.

Josie Norris – Nau e-commerce: #MyBikeTakesMe 4.5 miles down a trail and makes me learn a lesson about being prepared.

Photo: Lavish Livez Instagram

To commemorate bike month, we took a small group of friends on a curated bike tour from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Each stop along the way brought to life our unique perspective on sustainability, craftsmanship and the modern, mobile lifestyle. Here’s a quick glimpse into our pedal-perfect day.

Getting Oufitted
We started at HUB in the West Village where we were each fit with our custom Dutch-inspired Brooklyn Cruisers. While the week’s sunny weather had taken a turn, it only added to the spirit of the tour. Most of us simply put on an extra layer with a Dose Jacket or Motil Trench, and we were on our way.

STOP 1: TEXTILE ARTS CENTER
While most of the indigo used today is synthetic, we sought out its natural alternative. It’s a highly complex process. But in short, chemicals are released during the fermentation of certain plant species, and when oxidized, turns a brilliant blue. Check out some of our indigo creations.

Creating crazy patterns
Photo: Lavish Livez

From Manhattan to Brooklyn via the Williamsburg Bridge

Bridge Crossing
Photo: Lavish Livez Instagram

STOP 2: BROOKLYN DENIM CO.
Crossing the Williamsburg bridge into Brooklyn, we visited the Brooklyn Denim Co. where owner, Frank Pizzurro, gave us a special behind-the-scenes look at the workroom where each piece of denim is cut, sewn and formed into high-end fashion.

Photo: Lavish Livez Instagram

STOP 3: HOME OF SUMMER RAYNE OAKES
Time to relax. Next we arrived at to the urban garden and home of eco-activist and model, Summer Rayne Oakes. Summer has turned her Williamsburg home into a zen-like escape with over 220 plants and a living wall. We all had some homemade tea and heard from Caroline Samponaro from Transportation Alternatives who talked about the growth and importance of urban cycling and the recent launch of the highly anticipated Citi Bike Share program.

STOP 4: TØRST
We concluded the day with happy hour and charcuterie at tørst, an international beer destination from acclaimed chefs Daniel Berns and Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergso. The group was able to relax, enjoy conversation and reflect on the day’s events.

The day inspired us all to think about how easy it is to integrate biking into our everyday lives, even in one of the busiest cities in the world. Here’s a little extra inspiration to get you out and cycling in style this Bike Month.

Check out our take on bikes and cycling on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/nauclothing/on-two-wheels/

Here’s a sobering stat: 80,000 chemicals are currently used around the world today. Most of these chemicals are untested and a surprising portion are used to make your clothes. From dying and finishing to spinning, ginning and even laundering, chemicals are used in every step of the textile process making even natural fibers unsustainable. But the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA)—along with Jamie Bainbridge, our Director of Textile Development and Sustainability—is spearheading an initiative that hopes to change all of that. How? By adopting a mission of continuous improvement and establishing a carefully cultivated list of preferred chemicals. Sounds simple, sure. But first the OIA has to convince an entire disparate and often complex global manufacturing industry that sustainable chemistry is good for business.

THE BLUE SHIRT CONUNDRUM
Let’s back up a minute. Before an industry can change, we need to know where the current process fails. Take the lifecycle of a simple, blue organic cotton T-shirt. Let’s assume the tee is made from GOTS-certified organically grown cotton which currently sets the strictest standards for the chemical processing of organic cotton. So we’ve eliminated the use of pesticides and fertilizers up front. However, up to five separate chemicals are added at each subsequent stage thereafter. Spinning lubricants are added during cleaning and ginning which allow the raw cotton fibers to be spun into yarn. Lubricant compounds are then added during knitting to allow the fiber to easily pass through machinery. Mordants and salts are added during dying to affix the color to the fabric. This is the most toxic and chemical-consuming phase where OIA is focusing its initial sustainability efforts. Even natural dyes require heavy use of mordants, salts and water in order for the dye to be effective. In the finishing process, chemicals like silicones and formaldehyde are added to impart the desired hand of the fabric. Finally, consumers add their own mix of bleaches, detergents, softeners, and starches to mold and shape the tee into the perfect blue shirt.

This is where things start to get increasingly complex. Each one of the 5000 chemical compounds used in textile production are considered proprietary which means no one— not the OIA, not the EPA, not even the apparel industry—knows what chemicals are used to make a simple blue t-shirt. Jamie, our textile maven, likens it to the manufacturer’s secret sauce that is highly guarded due to its perceived competitive advantage. With such a massive barrier to sustainable business, the only way the apparel industry has been able to dictate which chemicals are used in their products is through a Restricted Substance List (RSL) (you can view Nau’s RSL here). But with 80,000 chemicals on the market, most of which remain untested, an RSL falls short of being a sustainable solution. But it’s all we have—until now.

WHAT’S NEXT
The Chemicals Management Working Group, a strategic subgroup of OIA dedicated to sustainable chemistry, is working with big and small retailers and their manufacturers to bring transparency to each stage in the textile process. Using the EPA’s twelve principles of green chemistry as a foundation, they’re building a Preferred Substance List (PSL) that would offer sustainable substitutions for unsafe and untested chemicals. For example, a PSL would provide safe alternatives to formaldehyde, a ubiquitous, toxic chemical currently used to create wrinkle-free fabrics.

In addition, the industry is perfecting the use of low-impact or high-exhaustion dyes which require less water and less dyestuff during one of the most polluting textile processes. With less water being used in the process, more money is being saved by the manufactures which is a tremendous incentive for change. Once the manufacturing industry realizes that sustainable business is good for business then we’ll have a sustainable solution. But until then, the OIA and Nau won’t stop until we find one.

Alvord Desert Hot Springs

Last Friday, around 2pm, Mark, our GM disappeared. It was shortly after consuming a pomegranite margarita (no salt) and a taco platter. Of course, this is not unusual. Mark has been known to mysteriously vanish only to suddenly reappear days later with a grin and a suntan. This time, he resurfaced on a Monday morning smelling of sulpher and parched earth, surely evidence of a desert escapade. But he was gracious enough to write us a virtual postcard so we wouldn’t have to rely on an Edward Abbey quote to complement these few captured moments. 

The desert is a diaspora for the displaced, a refuge from our hyper-saturated social scene, attracting the margins of society— mystics and malcontents, desperadoes and drug runners, rednecks and ranchers, artists and anarchists.

It’s an environment that expands our visual and perceptual horizons. —Mark

Here at Nau we’ve developed a minor obsession with Instagram, the online photo-sharing service. What we love about it: sharing our daily adventures; and following some of our favorite photographers influencers, and everyday friends who have a phone and an excellent eye.

We figured we would spread the love and share our favorite Instagrammers. From urban ballerinas to traveling musicians, we are thoroughly entertained and often obsessed with checking our phones.

OUR FAVES:
@ben_moon – Ben is a photographer based here Portland who has helped us on numerous shoots, including  some of our Spring 13 location photography. His adventurous spirit shines through in the photos of all the places his work takes him.

@bowen_ames -  Bowen has moonlighted as a freelance art director on some of our shoots and even transformed our own instagram with his amazing eye. Bowen’s personal instagram is worthy of a coffee-table book; just take a look into his world of weekend escapades and beautiful colors.

@edroste – As a member of one of our favorite bands, Grizzly Bear, Ed shares photos from the bands travels around the world. Forget green rooms and late night parties, he captures picturesque shots of Portugal countryside and snorkeling in Burma.

@Chrisburkard –Chris is a staff photographer for Surfer magazine. He has an eye for the behind-the-scene life of a professional surfer or an astonishing coastal shot that will make you jealous of his daily life.

@Architizer –  For those inspired by design, the description says it all: “amazing architecture, served daily.” From modernist high-rises to mosques in Abu-Dhabi, these buildings aren’t seen in your daily cityscapes.

@NYtimesFashion – Sometimes we just need our fix of Balenciaga’s newest collection, or to laugh at the return of platform shoes.  NY Times fashion gives us all of our guilty pleasures, and a little inspiration.

@balletzaida – Ballet Zaida is an ongoing art project showcasing ballerinas performing in environments other than the stage. Photographed by Oliver Endahl, these photos expose the world to ballet and try to evolve the art of ballet itself.

@Heartroasters – Heart takes the win for both our favorite cup of coffee, and roaster with an instagram account. Based in our hometown of Portland, the camera of Heart roasters goes behind the scenes to the fields where the coffee grows, all the way to the roaster here in Portland.

@thecolorbrown – As our guest Instagrammer for the month of February– we have to feature our friend Carson Brown. Haling from Grand Rapids, his photos take an unordinary look at everyday life. Each photo makes us pause and look a little closer.