Free .pdf download of latest Urban Velo Magazine #9
September 1st, 2008
The latest September 2008 edition of Urban Velo, the urban bike culture and lifestyle bimonthly from Pittsburgh is out. Contents include: Street Smarts—survival skills from a bicycle messenger, Books on Wheels, I Love Riding in the City, The Greatest Bicycle Movie Ever Made, José Martinez Photo Gallery, The Most Beautiful Bike I Have Ever Seen, Out of the Woods & Back Into Town, Headset Adjustments and Fixed Gear Skid Marks. Click here for the free 18mb pdf download.
More sick fixed wheel riding
August 31st, 2008
Some slick riding in San Francisco
August 31st, 2008
Macaframa SF Track Bike Promo from MACAFRAMA on Vimeo.
Messenger Photography
August 27th, 2008
Tim Defrisco, a Denver based photographer has just completed a photo shoot for a bike messenger project. The results are worth checking out at his blog.
Bike Arch at Burning Man Festival
August 26th, 2008
Photo courtey of Tristan Savatier @ playa-dust.com
Burning Man Festival, held annually in Black Rock City Nevada, is an experiment in community, radical self-expression, and self-reliance. Apparently "trying to explain what Burning Man is to someone who has never been to the event is a bit like trying to explain what a particular color looks like to someone who is blind." It takes it's name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening.
A major art installation this year is Bike Rack by Mark Grieve inspired by a trip to Arches National Park and 2007's green theme. Bike Rack is an archway, 30' tall, 40-50' long, made entirely out of reused bicycle parts from garbage dumps and recycling centres. The environment at the Burning Man event is full of visual rhythm, and people on bicycles are a dynamic part of that rhythm. The archway is an attempt to capture and manipulate that visual energy. The arch explodes outward, creating a gallant entrance to Center Camp with cyclists becoming part of the sculpture. Its symbolisim, context and meaning is open to interpretation; for the artist, making sculpture is striving for a sense of victory personally and collectively. For more incredible shots of this years event check out playa-dust.com.
Retro “Sit up and Beg” Dutch bikes : Oma, Opa (grandma/pa) bikes
August 25th, 2008
Photos courtesy of MichelMitchell @ Flickr
This is a style referred to as a "Sit up and Beg", Classic, Retro, Traditional or most commonly Dutch bike. Of course the Dutch don't call them Dutch bikes - in the Netherlands and Denmark they just call them bikes or Grandma bikes, 'Oma' or 'Opa' bikes in Dutch or "bedstemor cykler" in Danish. Major manufacturers of this style include Raleigh, Batavus, Velorbis, Gazelle, Kildemoes, Taarnby, MBK and Jaguar.
The Oma or "Grandma" is the most well known Dutch style. Its classic and convenient step-through design is enjoyed by men and women alike. It is especially suited to those wanting chic upright comfort and ease of use.
Photo courtesy of workcycles.com
The Oma has all the modern design and quality construction features which are the hallmark of hand-made Dutch city bikes - relaxed frame geometry, fenders, generator, lighting system, locking system, rear wheel spoke guards (skirt guard) and a chain case. Built tough and corrosion-resistant to live outdoors in all climates. All these features add up to the ultimate in utility, low maintenance, comfort, ease of use, longevity and style. Check out our suggested frame size charts.
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US $221.07
End date: 1d 20h 16m Buy it now for only: US $221.07 Buy it now | More info |
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US $389.99
End date: 2d 18h 46m Buy it now for only: US $389.99 Buy it now | More info |
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US $344.88
End date: 2d 21h 1m Buy it now for only: US $344.88 Buy it now | More info |
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US $265.29
End date: 3d 19h 31m Buy it now for only: US $265.29 Buy it now | More info |
Olympic Cycling & Team GB . . . poetry in motion
August 19th, 2008
It's no exaggeration to say that Team GB have dominated Beijing's Olympic Laoshan Velodrome, with twelve cycling medals, eight of them being gold. They've smashed world records in the men's and women's indivdual and team sprint and pursuit events and took gold and silver in an exhilerating Keirin final. The men's team pursuit was precision poetry in motion.
Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny, Victoria Pendleton, Rebecca Romero and Bradley Wiggins took home multiple medals. Sadly hotly tipped favourite Cavendish lost out in the Madison and Shanaze Reade took one hard fall after another in the BMX, both will be hungry when 2012 comes round though.
Britain's cyclists are, in the words of Worre the Danish Team Trainer, "like animals on the track". The calibre of Hoy, Wiggins, Romero, Pendleton and the rest are simply astonishing and thanks to them the interest in track cycling, in Britain at least, has never been higher. "GB Cycling has stepped up to a whole new level. They look immaculate, they dominate the arena and they know they can deliver." According to David Brailsford, the British Cycling performance director, there was no specific ingredient or secret and that success has come by way of the “aggregation of marginal gains”. That and some discipline and lottery funding no doubt - bring on 2012.
NYTimes : Driver-cyclist hostility
August 10th, 2008
sic NYTimes : "Every year, the war of the wheels breaks out in the sweet summer months, as four-wheelers react with aggravation and anger to the two-wheelers competing for the same limited real estate. This summer, the number of new cyclists has increased strongly across the country with estimates that 131,000 people cycle daily in New York, up 77 percent since 2000.
Newbies are lured by improved bike lanes as well as the benefits of exercise, a smaller carbon footprint and gas savings. But with more bikes on the road, the driver-cyclist hostility seems to be ratcheting up, especially because legions of new cyclists are simply inexperienced. We’ve had a car culture for so long and suddenly the roads become saturated with cyclists trying to save gas - no one knows how to share the road."
Read the full article here.
NYTimes : Recycled bikes with techie tyres
August 8th, 2008
From the NY Times : "BICYCLE lovers, thrifty as well as trend conscious, are pulling neglected 10-speeds from storage and readying them for the road again. (Let the environmentally aware bragging rights begin.)
These bicycles, made in the 1970s and 80s, used 27-inch wheels, which have been replaced with the smaller 700c wheels by road bike manufacturers. But a recent surge in sales of 27-inch tires suggests that the lowly steeds of yore are gaining new life as commuter bikes and weekend cruisers."
Read the rest here.
LA clashes and “Cyclists’ Bill of Rights”
August 7th, 2008
Stastistics are scare but abundant anecdotal evidence suggests the number of Angelenos who bike to work or around LA on errands is soaring. Bike retailers there are reporting a strong rise in sales, and transit officials say the number of bikers who ride to bus or train stops is up sharply. The cycling population has been labelled "eclectic, sensitive and aware citizens, intent on living a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly lifestyle". Bike vs driver relations in LA have been notoriously uneasy however and surviving as a cyclist in a car-obsessed culture like LA's can be a challenge, and often a hazard. One recent incident has really got people talking :
On July 4th, two experienced cyclists suffered serious injuries after an altercation with a motorist, who allegedly slammed on his brakes in front of them, causing them to crash into his vehicle. One of the men's face went through the car's back window while the other suffered a serious shoulder injury. The driver was arrested on suspicion of assault.
In an effort to raise city-wide awareness about cyclist rights and road sharing a "Cyclists Bill of Rights" has been set out by the Bike Writers Collective. Click the thumbnail below for enlarged jpg of the bill :
The bill was put to LA City Council by Councilman Bill Rosendahl on July 11th after winning unanimous backing from fellow councillors. It calls for transportation, planning and public works officials as well as the LA bicycle advisory committee, city attorney and police department to draw up reports recommending "how to incorporate the principles enshrined in the cyclists' bill of rights into the city of Los Angeles bicycle master plan".
A council spokesmen said "If it's adopted it will ensure that bikes have all the rights and responsibilities that a car or motorcycle would have." The date of the bill's hearing at the Council's Transportation Committee is as yet unconfirmed. Watch this space, the result of this motion is likely to affect policy in other major urban centres, potentially globally.
