The Great Leprechaun Hunt
A MOB Ride
Bicycle Booze Cruz
Saturday March 13th 2010
Meet at 7:30pm at the Acme Grubcage in Tacoma
A leisurely social ride- alcohol involved. 21+. Sounds like a party!
Like many people growing up in the 80’s, I have soft spots for much of Jim Henson’s work. And when you can get a puppet on a bike, I’m way into it. It’s way less creepy than actual animals on bikes. And PETA approved
Generally speaking- the folks doing tricks on fixed gear bikes haven’t gained the smoothness and precision that an experienced bmx rider can execute a trick with. Some say the beauty of FGFS or Trick Track is doing tricks on a bike that’s hard to ride. Bobby Hunt agrees. So he built a bike with a pursuit geometry and some really narrow bars for weaving through traffic. And he can no handed wheelie for days.
He can carry his bike on the bus or in a cab and he doesn’t have to pay an extra fee when he flies with his bike. Could this be the fixed gear of the future?
My buddy Meat in Vancouver invited me to a Facebook Group called Fast Food Couriers.
If you are looking for food delivered by bicycle in Vancouver- these are your folks. After all, as they say- “You can’t fax a sandwich”
Taken from their website:
Fast Food is a bicycle delivery service, that delivers food from local kitchens to your front door. For small fees, we provide businesses and individuals access to our network of experienced bike couriers (currently 6-11pm, 7 days a week).
Our main focus is currently servicing the independent food industry, but we will soon offer ourselves as an after-hours premium courier service as well. We offer reliable service with responsible, passionate riders based focused in the East Vancouver area.
Check them out HERE
Over the past year or so, Stevil Kinevil has been building his All Hail The Black Market empire. His beginnings in stickers and beer coozies soon grew into the hat and socks market. He now stands on the edge of the stage looking into the crowd- poised like a cat- only wondering if his leap will end in a successful crowd surfing experience, or if he will drop to the floor like a sack of dirty laundry.
Stevil is considering making the jump, offering kits for pre-order. Because of the cost involved however- he would like to get a show of hands on how many people would buy one of said kits. This is not asking if you like the kits- of course you do- it’s whether or not you like them enough to drop some coin on them. It’s a pre-pre-order. If there is enough interest- a pre order will be made and then finally, an order.
Costs are high- and though you may be shocked to find out that blogging does not pay very well- it does not. Don’t leave him holding the bag. The cost will be in the ball park of:
Jerseys $90
Bibs $120
Skin Suits $140
Check them out HERE
Frankly- I thought they would have a little more G.G. Allin in their flair- or the skin suit would be more like the skin suit from Silence of the Lambs- but they may not have the market potential that these do. They look really good. I did hear that there was a couple “limited edition” kits with Merkins attached, though I have not seen the photos to prove it. Kudos to Stevil for his design, and really– check them out and let him know your thoughts.
email Stevil at ste...@allhailtheblackmarket.com
October 2009 brought Transition Bikes down from Bellingham to Seattle- where the riders tore it up at the I-5 Colonnade. Seattle’s dirt riding is a little more distant from Seattle than it is in Bellingham. The Colonnade is a valuable resource for anybody that wants to play in the dirt in Seattle proper and you can find some really talented riders doing what they do any day of the week.
I missed the demo days last year, but it looked like a blast and I hope to make it next time they come down.
If you haven’t seen the I-5 Colonnade, you really need to CHECK IT OUT It will blow your mind. Big ups to all that are involved the in construction and maintenance of the Colonnade, Seattle is lucky to have such a great place in a central location.
Don’t miss it. It’s always a good time. In previous years it has felt as though Filmed by Bike jump starts the cycling season even in Seattle- but with such a mild winter, many have been pedaling already and we’ve been enjoying a handful of successful bike events so early in the year. I’m excited to see the rambunctious fiasco and ensuing chaos that inevitably takes place as Seattle converges on Portland and we make a bunch of bike friends and enjoy the things that Portland enjoys and Seattle lives without. Things like….. uh….. Food carts that are open late. Yeah. Food carts…
This May get ready for a new movie to come out. It is unlikely that it will play as long as Avatar, but I may actually pay $10 to watch this one. Another movie of Le Tour de France…. The trailer looks promising- let’s hope it doesn’t disappoint.
When you visit a website or read a blog like GO MEANS GO- you do so because you like what you see. You receive a snapshot into the mind of the contributors and you come back to their site because a connection has been made. With so many things on the internet to see, read and waste your precious time that could be spent out riding on- many people visit blogs to get a taste of what the contributors have found since they last visited the site.
Blogging is a sometimes frustrating task. For many bloggers much of it is posting things they like. Through the advent of readers and bots that will collect posts from numerous sites- it has now become a race for bloggers to post content first. Searching for content that is original can be difficult and in reality- unless you are posting personal experiences or projects- it has likely been done before. Twitter has also become a blog in it’s own right- for the super ADD. You get 145 characters to say how your day is going, or to link to the next best thing that you discovered. A blessing and a curse- Twitter has likely forever changed the way social networking interacts with blogs and our day to day life.
I was recently discussing blogging with a friend of mine and he was saying that he is torn between what seems to be the two main types of blogging: A) the many times a day, photo bomb/link dump of everything new that comes across one’s path relating to their subject or B) the sometimes wordy, usually lengthy post of one- more in depth topic on a less frequent basis.
What is more entertaining/intriguing for the common reader?
I strive for a blend of the two. I grew up reading zines, having had my own bike zine in the late nineties called “Behind Bars.” I enjoy reading articles and stories that are interesting and relevant to my interests- but am ADD enough to be sucked into the photos, flashy videos and product shots that can be found uploaded onto the internet in such quantity it makes my head spin.
There are many blogs that I’ve been reading for a while- and some that I have just come across. I thought I would take this opportunity to share them with you. You can of course go to the LINKS page and see a larger list, but this is a small taste if you are looking to expand your horizons. Not intended to be the end-all-be-all list of blogs, these folks are doing good things for the online cycling community. A big shout out to any body that writes or contributes to a blog. Your words and pictures make the internet a better place. Keep riding - keep writing.
Candy Cranks: Chicks that spin across the globe
Candy Cranks is written by women who ride. The authors and contributors are located around the world and you can read up on what cycling cultures are like in their respective cities. From Shanghai to Nashville- Amsterdam to Boston: Art, advocacy, bikes, and fashion- from a women’s perspective. Please note: if you visit this site looking for nude women straddling show bikes, you will be disappointed. If what you seek is a look at global cycling culture from a women’s perspective- you will enjoy Candy Cranks. They also have things for sale that are quite nice. I’m a fan of their shirts and the new Skelington chainrings.
Le Pista Resistance: Underground cycling culture in Sydney, Australia.
Australia has a great cycling culture. I’ve never been, so I am only going on the fact that it appears that way on the internet (which means it must be true, right?) I recently stumbled across Le Pista Resistance and I loved the logo, as well as the localized content. They have fun and love their bikes.
Momentum Magazine: The magazine for self propelled people
This is not a shameless plug. I work doing ad sales for the Seattle Edition of Momentum Magazine so it may seem as though I am biased. On the contrary, I am working with them because I am such a fan. A print magazine, many of the articles can be read online. I enjoy the diversity of articles, and the perspective with which it’s written.
I don’t know how Patrick does it. His site is so packed with things that just hit the market, or aren’t even available yet, that I feel like he either knows anyone that does anything in the street/fixed gear world, or he is really slacking on his day job. Either way, I am impressed with the layout, content, and clean feel of Pedal Consumption. I met Mr. PC when I traveled down to Portland to help in their Rose City Fixed event in 2009.
Urban Velo: Bicycle Culture on the Skids
The good people at Urban Velo have done much to bring fixed gear culture to the level that it is now. The folks involved with Urban Velo were involved with Dirt Rag way back- the only Mt. Bike magazine I have ever subscribed to. They have kept it real so to speak- and started Urban Velo to build the community that they have found themselves immersed in. Polo, fixed gear, tricks, and urban riding with a little rougher edge. An interesting section to read is the “I love riding in the city”- which profiles riders around the world. Also a print magazine, available at your LBS, or available for free download online.
All hail the black market: “putting the ‘cult’ back in bicycle culture”
Stevil Kinevil consistently brings entertaining content to the table on AHTBM. With a lengthy history in the bike community; Stevil’s humor as well as the photos that he finds either on his camera or in some lost and forgotten corner of the internet- is fun to read and often informative. I have been at the same events as Stevil on multiple occasions, but we have yet to meet. One of these days it will happen- beer will be consumed, and a shit show will likely ensue. From what I can tell- he comes from the darker side of cycling. The side that sees cut off Carhartt pants and wool jerseys perfectly acceptable attire for a day spent riding in the mud. He doesn’t hate fun like some people that consider themselves “cyclists”, and we share the opinion that the occasional drunken nap in a bush only makes you a stronger person. If AHTBM were a drink- which it should be- it would be “Thug Passion.” If you don’t know what’s in a “Thug Passion” or the result it brings when consumed, then you should listen to more Tupac.
The efficiency of a bicycle is hard to argue. It works well and the design hasn’t changed much since the diamond frame was invented way back when. The beauty of the bicycle however, is subject to interpretation. Whereas one person may find a prototype full carbon Time Trial bike to be the bike all others are compared to- others will see much more beauty in a Dutch Bike complete with skirt guards and chain wheel covers. I for one would align myself with the latter. I appreciate technological advancements, but am impressed when we take that technology and apply it to a bike with what I view as nice lines, and utilitarian design. Alan and Michael, the husband and wife team behind Eco Velo have this same appreciation of the bicycle and their blog is always full of great reviews, products, and just photos of the beautiful bicycles that come across their path.
Hipster Nascar: “Go fast - turn left”
Not only do I love the tongue in cheek name that Hipster Nascar uses, the content posted is unique and well written. Simon and Aaron post a lot about Six day racing and track racing as a whole. A blend of urban riding and bike racing- they are good writers with an appreciation of beautiful bikes both old and new as well as the rich history of competitive cycling.
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