Melody Adams 10/07/2017 Melody Adams 10/07/2017

Schwinn Bike Love.

I've never had the pleasure of living in a city where I never need a car for anything, besides when I'm overseas, and I have to say...I love it! Living back in Chicago has not only been life-giving and refreshing, but so incredibly fun as well! Riding the "L" train, hopping on my bike, or even walking most of the time (because I chose to live in a location where all of my favorite coffee shops are) has been so lovely. My block alone also includes a Jeni's Ice cream, Stan's Donuts and a La Colombe Coffee, talk about dangerous. A lot of my family lives closer to the Logan Square area and since I live directly in the middle of Logan and downtown, my bike is perfect for those quick commutes to see the family or go see a concert downtown, like the talented and soulful Gregory Porter or Ben Harper that I've been able to see this summer.

This Schwinn Bike is also wonderful because of it perfectly fitting into my life's color palette. Neutrals are everything in my life, from my clothing, to my bedroom, to coffee shop interiors that I can work from and don't drive me crazy from too many vibrant colors.

The details on this bike are amazing. I recently rode some fixie bikes in Denver while visiting friends, and they were cool but I am definitely more interested in comfort and cruising, and this Schwinn Gateway 700c Hybrid bike is perfect for that. The seat is super cushioned so you don't have to buy a cover or another seat, the handles are also soft and never make my hands cramp, and the brakes and wheels are wide and smooth enough that I never fear of falling over (even when I have a squirrel moment). And one of the most valuable parts is the large utility rack on the back that holds my camera bag super securely with its clamp alone. Basically, this bike is perfect for cities and my aesthetic and I wouldn't trade it for any other bike in the world.

Cheers to loving your ride!

Melody Adams 27/03/2017 Melody Adams 27/03/2017

Heritage Bikes + Coffee | Chicago, IL

Coffee shops are my daily workspace, my second home, my place of rest and my 'living room' to dream and talk about life with friends. Thankfully, in my new home base of Chicago, there are so many beautiful work spaces (aka coffee shops). I like to mix up my surroundings from time to time to get fresh perspectives, but overall I have a few personal favorite shops that I frequent regularly. Heritage Bicycles is one of them. This is Heritage. They not only serve excellent coffee, but they sell and fix custom bikes. The interior design is right up my alley as well. The muted color palette, the original, fading wood floors with the stark contrast of the bold white walls with high ceilings just makes me so happy.

Since I am always commuting to different coffee shops around the cities I travel to, and now live in, I love to have a comfortable backpack to carry my laptop and camera gear in. I finally found a beautiful one for the city. The Kamrette Lyra Backpack. It has a separate zip sleeve in the back that is big enough for my 15 inch macbook pro, and I don't have to unzip the whole front camera gear section to get to it. It's a win-win kind of bag because it is not only beautifully designed but a 'pocket-lovers dream'.

Enjoy this little peak into my day to day life. The only part I didn't include is my lunch breaks to Mcdonalds, my endless emails and my rough hair that is probably hidden under a hat.