July Critical Chaotic Mass

072905m, originally uploaded by Green Biker.

Ok, who's bright idea was it to stop at red lights? Freewheels? The Legal Team? Well this is the beauty of the critical mass event, it's democracy in action. If you want to try something new, work with people, work with the community...go for it. Critical mass is the place to do it, even if it is a completely stupid idea, but that is just my opinion. Supposedly this decision was made because Judge Pauley, who has been scrutinizing the behavior of critical mass, was focusing on this July ride and some people thought it would be a good example to show the judge that we follow the traffic laws of the street. This has been a major sticking point in the criminalization of the once applauded bike ride that takes place the last Friday of every month in over 300 cities around the world.
This tactic worked very well in dividing the bike ride into several small sections. I really don't think our legal struggle with the city to critical mass with a permit or not should be about stopping at red lights. Maybe this worked in San Francisco back in the early days to take some of the heat off, but there they had numbers into the thousands so when a thousand bike riders stop at red lights, it makes a big impact in slowing down traffic and showing the power of a large group. This July ride was small in numbers, maybe 400 tops, although there are others who'd say it was much bigger. This basically played right into the police's hands and their tactic of divide and conquer. Now we had 8 or so groups of 20, all lost and not sure what the hell was going on. I thought we'd been through this before. Does anyone really believe the attack of cyclists has anything to do with weather we stop at red lights or not? Is a commander of the NYPD standing on a street corner decided who runs the red or not and basing his/her decision on weather the entire ride should be pounced upon by an army of cops? Come on. It is not the critical mass ride that needs to change, it is the behavior of the NYPD and the city, then maybe we can talk about red lights or not. I spent much of this ride lost with one group of 20 trying to block 7th Ave. South and having cab drivers swear at me and tell me sexual things they wanted to do to my mother. Critical Mass in NYC needs to remain tight as a group...strength in numbers. Ok, who's bright idea was it to try and go on the FDR? I want names. This is what we should be more concerned about. Another touchy situation on the legal front is that the bike ride took the FDR last July. Again, we are not big enough nor should we be putting people in more danger then the cops do when they race into the crowd with killer cars and no lights on. I was good to see people working together in spontaneous situations and evading arrest as best we could. It was also good to see people make decisions collectively and I applaud all those who chose to go downtown at Ave. C instead of trying to go on the FDR. Apparently there were 34 arrests which is a lot so it is obvious that even though we are allowed to leave the Union Square area, the NYPD has a goal of arresting as many of us as they can. This generally comes by picking off people in the back of the ride which is a sad statement, cause...someone has to be at the back. The ride made it's way to ABC no Rio in the lower east side for an after party. This was a great scene. The Rude Mechanical Orchestra played on the streets, people hung out, drank beer and were left alone by the cops. Next month is packed with great bike events, including the 1 year anniversary ride of the RNC, when all the trouble started.

Here are a few articles for the newspapers about the July Critical Mass:

Newsday:
Police continue crackdown on mass bike rides

NEW YORK (AP) _ Police arrested at least 34 people Friday night in one of the more active crackdowns in months against a group of cycling enthusiasts who pedal through the streets of Manhattan en masse to call for more bike-friendly roads.

Officers riding scooters corralled and grabbed dozens of cyclists among the hundreds participating in the once-a-month rides hosted by the group Critical Mass.

The rides have been taking place for years but gained in both popularity and notoriety in the days leading up to the Republican National Convention in New York last summer.

Since then, officers have arrested at least a few people during each of the rides, which are held the last Friday of every month.

The city wants the group to apply for a permit to stage each ride. The cyclists say they shouldn't have to, because riding a bike on city streets is legal.

Gideon Oliver, a lawyer who represents people arrested during the rides, said he had no reports of anyone being injured in Friday's arrests but complained that some riders were yanked off moving bicycles without warning.

Most of those arrested will be charged with disorderly conduct and parading without a permit, police said.

(1010 WINS) (NEW YORK)

More than two dozen bicycle riders were arrested yesterday for pedaling through Manhattan en mass calling for more bike-friendly streets.

The cyclists were among hundreds participating in the once-a-month rides hosted by the group Critical Mass for the last several years.

Police officers on scooters corralled and grabbed at least 34 bicycle riders. Some were yanked off moving bikes without warning. They were charged with parading without a license and disorderly conduct.

The city wants the group to apply for a permit to stage each ride. The cyclists say they shouldn't have to because riding a bike on city streets is legal.

Bike Blog Needs a Vacation

IMG_2297, originally uploaded by Green Biker.

after a stressful couple of months...bike blog is taking it easy. I'll be hanging out in the bike capital of America...Oregon.

Be back in a few weeks.

Please email me with pictures, events and other bicycle related S%$^

see ya'll soon

More pix from CWMC 05

corner2, originally uploaded by Green Biker.

visit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevineduard/sets

and

http://www.dccourier.com/hubracing/cmwc_20
05/

and

http://www.randomprecisionphoto.com/cmwc-web/index.htm

and

http://www.amybolger.com/CMWCID/

Court date and Cyclist Killed.

Court Update from NYC.indymedia.

The jury trial of Marissa Day began at 9:30am on Tuesday July 12th in New York Criminal Court, 100 Centre Street room Jury Part 1 on the 5th floor.
Marissa, 20, was arrested for participating in a Critical Mass bicycle ride. She is charged with assault, resisting arrest and four other offenses. The prosecution is trying to make an example of Marissa by asking for a sentence of 60 DAYS JAIL if she agrees to plead guilty. Marissa maintains her complete innocence.

One contributor reports from the courtroom today: " A lot of this seems to mirror the recent trial of the Code Pink woman who got arrested inside the RNC. The charges accuse the defendant of 'flailing her arms' in dramatics to 'resist' arrest ... this scenario is usually shown to be simple fiction. I don't know why the DA keeps to this script!"

Let us not forget that the NYPD during RNC...

Made false arrests.
Made pre-emptive arrests.
Used helicopters to video tape people making out on rooftops.
Used edited video footage to try and convict people who were later proven to be innocent.
held people longer than 24 hours without arraignment in unsanitary conditions, blamed the delay on fingerprinting computer error in Albany that later turned out to be an illegal procedure.

Hmmm...

Meanwhile it looks as if another Cyclist has been killed.

This comes from the blog:

http://www.ephemeroi.com/unsleeping/arkv/003642.html


I was in Shore road, Bay Ridge in Brooklyn, NY about an hour ago and saw a dead cyclist on the road. I wasn't there when it happened but I overheard the eyewitness told the police that he was trying to pass a little kid who was going left and right, he confused and hit the fence that seperate the highway and the Shore road, his head smashed right into the fence, blood was coming out the whole lane. The ambulance guy said that if he had had the helmet, he'd probably still alive. His bike is Trek bike, from the look I guess it's about $1500-$2500 range, every was intact except the lower frame has little bent, I didn't ask how fast he was going. But I know for sure that he's much more pro cyclist than me.
God bless him, I feel so bad for him. I used to wear helmet all the time but stop wearing 2 weeks recently, but after seeing this accident, I better start to put it on again. So to all you guys out there, please wear the helmet, you will never know what will happen. I've ridden that Shore road a thousand times, it's dedicated bike and walking lane, so it's 100% safe more than any road out there, you just never know, so be careful.

His name was:

Keith Alexander

http://www.keithalexander.com/

Last minute but pack the court room if you can

Just got this email:

Bike Riding Is Not a Crime!
Pack The Court for the Trial of Bicyclist Marissa Day

The jury trial of Marissa Day begins at 9:30am on Tuesday July 12th in New
York Criminal Court, 100 Centre Street room Jury Part 1 on the 5th floor.

Marissa, 20, was arrested for participating in a Critical Mass bicycle
ride. She is charged with assault, resisting arrest and four other
offenses. The prosecution is trying to make an example of Marissa by
asking for a sentence of 60 DAYS JAIL if she agrees to plead guilty.
Marissa maintains her complete innocence.

Marissa is one of over 300 bicyclists arrested in Manhattan on August 27,
2004 immediately prior to the Republican National Convention.

It is important that we fill the courtroom.


9:30am New York County Criminal Court 100 Centre ST room Jury Part 1 5th
floor
Take the N,Q,R,W,6,J,M to Canal Street and walk three blocks south on
Centre ST. Centre ST is just east of Lafayette ST.

Legal Fight Article in Villager

Bicycle, originally uploaded by Green Biker.

The Villager in its never ending quest to bring you the news of the streets when it comes to bike riders does it again.

Jefferson Siegel (who took this picture and wrote this article)

www.thevilliger.com/villager_114/bicyclingactivists.html

Bicycling activists don't take a summer vacation
by Jefferson Siegel

As summer sets in, vacationers are driving out of the city in droves. Many cars sport bike racks for those weekend cyclists who enjoy pedaling down a deserted country lane. For those in the city who commute to work and those who work on two wheels, the past two weeks have been anything but relaxed.

The June 24 Critical Mass ride saw only a handful of police in Union Square, unlike previous rides when squads of helmeted police surrounded the park. As hundreds of cyclists congregated for a rally before the ride, Norman Siegel, a candidate for public advocate who also represents bicyclists in court, kissed a copy of the First Amendment to emphasize the concept of freedom of expression of bike riders.

At previous rides, police had distributed fliers that warned, “It is dangerous and illegal to ride a bicycle in a procession” and “...you will be arrested and your bicycle will be seized.” The June flier changed “dangerous and illegal” to “unlawful” and a more tentative “...you may be arrested and your bicycle may be seized.” Despite a dozen arrests around Times Square and the 59th St. Bridge on the last Friday of June, the revised wording may indicate the city’s concession that riding a bicycle on public streets is not a crime.

Last week, in a victory for the several hundred bicyclists arrested since last year’s Republican National Convention, a key case against a Critical Mass participant was dismissed on Tues., June 28.

Liz Shura learned to ride a bike less than two years ago. She was not a cycling activist and primarily used a bike to commute between home and her job as The Wall Street Journal’s senior art director. Last year, after participating in a smaller Brooklyn group ride, she decided to try the Manhattan Critical Mass last October. The Halloween-themed ride that night filled Union Square with costumed bicyclists.

“It was the Critical Mass where they announced a route,” she recalled, “but I didn’t know what the route was.” Shortly after the Mass left the park, Shura was diverted off the route by police at Sixth Ave. and 12th St. “I saw a woman dragged off her bike, and got frightened,” she said. The bike advocacy group Time’s Up! had earlier advised riders concerned about arrests to divert to their E. Houston St. headquarters.

Shura decided to leave the ride and pedal to Time’s Up!. She headed west on 11th St., dismounted and walked onto the sidewalk when, she said, “A female officer told me to get back with my group and pointed ahead to the next intersection, where they were arresting cyclists.” The arrest procedure raised eyebrows when her case was finally heard in court last week.

“Someone said, ‘We need a third female.’ I was handcuffed and taken over to two other women,” Shura recounted. Thirty-two other riders were arrested that night.

In court last Tuesday, a statement by the arresting officer claimed he had witnessed Shura riding with 100 other cyclists. Under questioning, the officer admitted that Shura had only been handed off to him for processing. “The judge interrupted the questioning and stopped the trial,” she recounted. The assistant district attorney said she wasn’t finished asking questions. “Yes, you are,” the judge replied. After brief closing arguments, Shura’s case was dismissed in a trial that lasted all of 30 minutes.

“I ride my bike a lot, and I didn’t do anything wrong when I was arrested,” she concluded. “It seemed arbitrary; nothing I did contributed to it. Which is a bad sign, when you don’t have to do anything to be arrested.” The other 32 cases were dismissed with adjournments in contemplation of dismissal, or A.C.D.’s. If the defendants are not arrested in the next six months, their records will be sealed.

On Wed., June 29, there were several tributes to bicyclists who were killed recently in collisions with trucks. The most recent victim, Andrew Morgan, 25, lived in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and was riding to work at the Blue Ribbon Bakery Market in the West Village on June 22 when he was killed by a delivery truck at the intersection of Elizabeth and East Houston Sts.

A tribute ride was organized by bike advocates and co-workers and escorted by Police Department bike officers. It began at the Williamsburg Bridge, traveled through Downtown Manhattan to Battery Park, then north along the Hudson River and into the Village. Police officers closed off Downing St. as the band of riders arrived in front of the bakery at noon. Among those watching the scene was Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, a group that advocates for safer biking, walking and public transit. With him stood Noah Budnick, T.A. projects director, who recently recovered from a serious bike accident.

“It’s unfortunate that we gather together under these circumstances,” Budnick observed, as the street filled with Morgan’s family, friends and co-workers. Many of the riders wore the blue, red and yellow colors of the Blue Ribbon Bakery semipro bike racing team, which is sponsored by the restaurant’s owners, brothers Bruce and Eric Bromberg. Shortly before his death, Morgan, a serious cyclist, told Bruce Bromberg he hoped to make it onto the Blue Ribbon biking team.

Small groups of people were spaced along the street; some talked quietly, some hugged, others stood crying. Morgan’s father, Clayton, circulated through the crowd, greeting some, embracing others. He wore a blue T-shirt with the words “Once Is Forever” printed on the back. The quote was a saying from his son.

People then slowly filed into the Blue Ribbon for refreshments and conversation. Just inside the door was a table arranged as a memorial to Morgan. Childhood photos, flowers, candles and a Boston Red Sox baseball cap were displayed.

Later that night, Time’s Up! organized four memorials at locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island. Four bicyclists were killed in the last two months and, despite the rain, people gathered at each site to lay flowers, light candles and pay their respects. At 7:20, a moment of silence was observed, then a stenciling project to memoralize the ongoing tragedies sprayed the outline of a fallen cyclist on the street with each victim’s name and the words: “Killed By Automobile.” So far this year, 10 cyclists have been killed. Since 1995, a staggering 205 have succumbed to the hazards of city streets.

On Thursday morning, 10 of 14 bicyclists arrested in the February Critical Mass appeared in Criminal Court. Before their case was called, several voiced indignation at being arrested for riding a bike.

Blue Young, a high school biology teacher, said of the Mass ride, “It’s the one time I could ride in the city and not feel in danger.” After his arrest, he channeled his energies into creating Freewheels, the Bicycle Defense Fund that is helping cyclists arrested for riding in the Mass. “That’s the one thing I hope comes to light very soon; how much is this costing the city?” he wondered, referring to the large sums spent to mobilize police for the monthly rides.

Gideon Oliver is the tireless lawyer who, when not representing bicyclists in court, is observing the Mass rides, witnessing arrests and spending the night outside police precincts, waiting for cyclists to be released. He is worried by what he perceives to be abuses of the rider’s constitutional rights. “Based on the evidence I’ve reviewed, I certainly don’t think they [the bicyclists] did what they’re accused of doing,” he said.

In the courtroom, the 10 riders approached the bench as a group. Justice Abraham Clott addressed each by name, asking if they wanted to proceed; nine replied with a firm Yes. The 10th, a resident of Portland, Ore., opted for an A.C.D., due to the logistical difficulties of a cross-country trial. The judge set a trial date of Sept. 13.

Later that Thursday, the Cycle Messenger World Championships were in fourth gear. After a party the night before, bike messengers from around the world came to the Time’s Up! space in the East Village to register for races, meetings, art shows and film screenings. Co-organizer Ken Stanek said over 1,100 messengers from as far away as England, Japan and Australia had registered to participate in the series of events that also included track bike racing, “skids & sprints” and “the ultimate bike race” in Jersey City.

As messengers continued to fill the ground floor, a brainstorming session was underway downstairs. East Village activist Lin Wefel led a discussion on ways to make streets safer for all bicyclists. Holding up one of Mayor Bloomberg’s campaign flyers declaring New York the “Safest City in America,” Wefel said, “The city needs to be forced to educate drivers” to the hazards they impose on pedestrians and bike riders. “The number-one reason people don’t bike is because they’re scared,” she noted.

She discussed pro-bike cities like Denver and Amsterdam, and said New York needs to follow their examples. One way to call attention to bike safety, she suggested, would be for cyclists to fill a bike lane all day to call attention to its existence.

One rider is being more proactive. Jameson Edwards created bright red stickers reading “I parked in a bike lane.org” intended to be affixed to cars and trucks that block bike lanes when making deliveries or double-parking. As to how a sticker would make streets safer for bike riders, he said, “Hopefully it plays off the public’s guilt.”

Wefel concluded the meeting by proclaiming, “It’s a David and Goliath thing, but you have to try. It’s a safety issue, it’s a quality-of-life issue.”

In a week of legal triumphs and somber reflection, the cycling community’s slogan seems an appropriate coda to the cascade of recent events: “Still We Ride.”

President Bush is useless

Ok so he can't run the country and he sure as hell can't ride a bicycle. George W. Bush fell off his mountian bike while taking a ride outside of the G8 summit in Scotland, July 9th. Not only did he crash but he sent a police officer to the hospital. What a freakin dork. This is not the first time our beloved world leader of stupidity has fallen off a bicycle and he fell while trying to ride one of those segway movable people movers. Maybe Pappa Cheney should put his training wheels back on his little tricycle. Maybe he would have gotten some cordination back in school if he wasn't so busy getting busted for cocaine and dodging military service. Ahh, I know...I picking on poor little Georgie...good. I also like that there is no published photos of Bush falling on his bicycle. Would that be too embarassing?

Ninth Precinct holds bicycle safety meeting

NINTHpre2, originally uploaded by Green Biker.

Looks like our friends at the NYPD hosted a meeting with the people to better community relations. Here is one person's experience at that meeting:

I hope they were listening...
I went to the NINTH Precinct Safety Meeting & the officers there seem very sincere in their efforts to find "solutions to save lives & prevent injury" & to "reach out". I have to give these individuals A for effort.
They had prepared a Power Point Presentation complete with video of dangerous cycling practices. ie. "Don't assume the driver will see you." & "Watch out for other cyclists." Personally, I was BORED & INSULTED.
It would be GREAT/PERFECT for showing to beginner cyclists, maybe in the NYC Public Schools. I can safely say that as a group, we were WAY over-qualified & several times knew more about the law than the police did !
Attempts to talk about the Parking Lanes while we waited to begin were shuttled aside. "We'll get to that later, after the presentation."
When we asked about the illegal parking, we were told that "incidents have to be reported" before they know [& can do anything] about them. One guy said, "Do you mean we're supposed to report every time there's a car or truck in the "Bike Lane ?" [What do YOU think?]
So…the meeting hadn't started yet…I went outside to find a police truck parked in the "Bike Lane". When I re-entered, I told them I'd like to report a vehicle parked in the "BL" [as is usual in front of the 9th]. They gave me dirty looks & moved it but if you go over there RIGHT NOW, it's a good bet you'll find official cars using their new parking area.
They gave us some nifty reflectors [the kids will love 'em], cookies, & a lot of flyers. The one I found most interesting was from NYState. It is fairly extensive, lots of info but…in the section on car driver safety, it DOESN'T ONCE SAY "STAY OUT OF BIKE LANES". They're not mentioned to drivers AT ALL. Before I left I told them "If the issue is safety & what you can do, the number ONE thing is to keep the lanes, such as they are, clear."


Also , a rep from the City said that NYC Corporation Council is telling the City to start "discouraging" people from locking bikes to street signs. She shrugged when I suggested that the City is trying to cover its patootie after cutting bikes from said poles during Critical Mass. If you look at the NYPD website, you'll find a flyer that recommends locking to same poles.
The subject of bike parking came up. NYC says to use the installed bike racks. Someone asked, "And how many blocks do I walk before I find one?"
I'M LOSING PATIENCE WITH THESE PEOPLE.

the newspaper today

the newspaper today, originally uploaded by traceytakesphotos.

This is dedicated to all those who die needlessly in terrorist attacks. What happened in London today is tragic beyond all belief but it is only a symptom of a much larger problem. That our great rich nations of the world continue to not deal with terrorism properly and only treat it like an unpreventable dieses, much like the pharmaceutical giants deal with our major health crisis. They wait until the dieses have spread and then try to prescribe medicine. Not enough is done to prevent the problem from happening like proper diet, exercise and a healthier environment. The same is true for how we deal with terrorism. We continue to fight terrorism by occupying a country that had nothing to do with September 11th. We round up Muslims around the world without due process and without following the rules of law. We ignore pockets of abject poverty, which become feeding grounds for religious fundamentalists. We refuse to investigate human rights abuses and the use of torture around the world. We refuse to work together with other countries to band together and share information properly and to tackle the terrorist treats as a multilateral investigative operation. We refuse to address the real grievances of the Muslim world by ignoring the situations in Palestine and our military dominance in the Arab countries. We continue to spread the message of freedom and democracy and of rebuilding, while only protecting our economic interests and import of other countries natural resources. We continue to enact trade agreements that open up foreign markets so that corporations can dominate while we subsides our farmers and gradually impoverish the majority of the world, many of which already live on less than a dollar a day. How is any of this making us safer? When terrorist leaders roam free and a bombing can happen anywhere, anytime. Now the world will focus its attention on the situation in London, sifting through rubble to find a clue to those that wish to do us harm. Guessing? The focus should remain on the rich nations of the world who come together every year at the G-8 summit. Here, the world's leaders sit down to discuss problems far greater then terrorism. Poverty and Climate Change. Issues that effect us all as a world community. Although there has been much work on poverty, through debt reduction there is much to be done about giving developing nations capital and letting them manage their natural resources. It can be looked upon as simple as the old proverb about teaching a man to fish instead of giving a fish. Although there is nothing simple about dealing with the complexity of developing nations, who's problems we are only beginning to understand. Meanwhile climate change is a whole other story. The richest nation in the world, the US has a president who ignores the research of the scientific community and has words like "urgency" removed from the G-8 accord. He refuses to sign the Kyoto protocol and would rather push forward an agenda of nuclear power and does nothing to tap into our abundance of alternative energies like solar, wind and biodiesel. Why? Because George W. and Cheney are oil men. Thousands of protesters came to Scotland for this year's G-8 summit to bring attention to the real issues, maybe the media would have begun to take notice. Now there message will be drowned in a sea of rhetoric, of terrorism fear mongering, of Bush and Blair telling us like trained ventriloquists to stay steadfast and not to falter to an enemy we can't see and are doing little to stop. The biggest tragedy of all is not those who were killed and maimed in London today, but to the fact that our leaders are ignoring the issues that lead to the attacks while pursuing their own agenda of world domination.

Here is an opinion piece I liked from www.nyc.indymedia.org:

"Bike to Avoid Transit Scare"
by CMer

The London blast has once again has demonstrated the cold-blooded capacity of criminals to kill innocent civilians. When these criminals act, civilians are the victims in Industrial and underdeveloped nations alike. Only the tools and banners are different. The killer is always faceless or hides under some artificial banner of legitimacy. The victims are always the pawns.

Society as a whole becomes the victim of pragmatic opportunists and ideologues. Once again, the elitists and fanatics exploit opportunities to advance their own agendas under a guise of unity and preservation of a superior civilization. The same civilization that is destroying the planet for the advancement of individual and corporate gain. The guardians of the constitution have now sanctioned eminent domain for the sake of the corporation. Laws protecting the sanctity of the individual against the state have now been eroded.
Any American can go to jail indefinitely or be kidnapped to another place and face an eternal legal limbo. The privacy of conversation and home
is no longer sanctified by our constitutional safeguards. President Bush, like one famous despotic leader has received another opportunity to advance a social engineering agenda. I do not
have the messianic or organizational capacity to oppose this lunatic, however I believe the biking is a powerful and silent symbol against oil wars.

Manhattan is an ideal place to culturally promote a sustainable mode of life. It is 2.5 miles wide and 13 miles long, making the metro an extravagantly expensive and archaic transport alternative, so avoid the fare hike. The bike also provides for needed exercise.

Bike Against Bush and Oil Wars

Also don't forget: 2nd Friday of every month...Brooklyn Critical Mass

Hey don't believe the hype!!

Critical Mass in NYC has been under attack for almost a year, Brooklyn's Critical Mass has been around for more than a year. While the Cops have showed up to "escort" the ride, there have been no arrests. Its important for your mental health to be able to ride your bike with your friends, and not have to fear arrest.

When? THIS FRIDAY July 8th, 7PM

Where? Williamsburg Bridge Brooklynside, Northside, by the statue

Why? cause we need to

For the best bikes on the planet

Check these guys out at:

www.circleacycles.com

Brooklyn Bike Brawl, 6/25/05

Brooklyn Bike Brawl, 6/25/05, originally uploaded by yellowbike.

Now that's a tall bike!!

still-we-ride

still-we-ride, ride is originally uploaded by Green Biker.

Lots going on these days in the bike world. Too Bad New York City didn't get the olympic bid. I was so looking forward all those construction jobs and a huge pile of debt that we the tax payers would be expected to pay. Of course we'd get an olympic size diving board, that no one could ever use. The city that loves to draw attention to unknown sporting events, except if you are a bunch of messengers, then you have to go to Jersey City. Meanwhile the movie Still we ride will be screening again.

Benefit Screening of STILL WE RIDE!
Friday, July 8, 7 p.m.
Anthology Film Archives (2nd Ave and 2nd Street)
$8 to benefit TIME'S UP! and Freewheels

If you missed Still We Ride at the Bicycle Film Festival, come check it out on Friday. The movie has been updated since its HUGE premiere (two sold out shows) on May 12. Since then, it has also screened around world including in Leiscester, Copenhagen, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and in Helsinki, Turku, and Pori in Finland. The next screening is at the World Car-Free Conference in Budapest.

This screening will benefit the legal defense of the NYC bike community
via two organizations, Freewheels, which helps arrestees and TIME'S UP!, which is being sued by the City. Many individuals (and TIME'S UP!) are still embattled in court situations that are costing a lot of money and lasting a log time!

The directors as well as representatives from the organizations involved in
legal battles will be on hand to field questions.

for more July FREE bike events, check out the:
Time's Up

ibike

ibike, originally uploaded by Green Biker.

Eat this ipod

cargoinaction NY

cargoinactionNY, originally uploaded by Green Biker.

This is one of the only pictures I could find online of 2005 NYC World Messenger Championship. (so far) I know, people are still hung over from last night. This is Hodari Depalm who won 1st place in the cargo race in Jersey City. For NYC CWMC results check:

www.nybma.com/cmwc2005

I was out of town this weekend so I missed a lot of this, including what I heard to be a 600 strong group ride from the races in Jersey City to Manhattan on Sunday. Everyone enjoyed a screening of "the Warriors" the bike ride...how could you not.

Last night things ended in Red Hook. Right after the fireworks I rode my bike to see what was going on. There was an endless stream of car traffic as I whipped around those poor stuck families waiting to get home. HA HA. The wonderful staff at the Hook, hosted the afterparty for the worlds and the place was packed with messengers. Bands played on into the night including Team Spider. Outside was the Bunny Hop competition. All in all a rockin weekend.

puma-hummer?

puma-hummer, originally uploaded by Green Biker.

Ok, I realize that underground sporting events need sponsership right? They need cash, and Puma seems like an ok company. Puma sponsers one of the track teams in NYC, who happen to be messengers and involved in the world championships this weekend. No discredit to them. So whats with the PUMA hummer? Maybe its unrelated. It was just ironic to see this polluting beast parked very close to Club Warsaw last night, the spot which was gracious enough to host the World Messenger Championships opening night party and finals of the golden sprints. It sucks that car companies have to sponser BIKE races. What was nice to see is that this vehicle was hated by messengers from all over the world. It was a universal dislike for this unefficient, menace to our roadways. You could tell from the passersby. One person even wrote a comment on the truck.

Messengers from around the world

Messengers from around the world, originally uploaded by Green Biker.

Mike-D-and-rollers

And then of course the NYPD had to come and find out what was going on. They must have thought some illegal prohabition bike rides were going on inside capones...yah copper, I'm riding my bike see. Ah yes, the criminalization of bikes continues.
when the cops realized this wasn't a time's up event and that nothing having to do with critical mass was going on, they left to go fill up on doughnuts. Mike-D-and-rollers, originally uploaded by Green Biker.

Bikes and Bikers Hanging out

Tonight set off the 13th Messenger World Championships with an indoor rollers event in Capones' Bar in Willy B Brooklyn Messengers from all over the world, who seem to all dress the same, were hanging out inside and outside on North 9th street
bikes-hang, originally uploaded by Green Biker.

Inside Capone's Bar, messengers compete on rollers hooked up to a computer. 3 riders side by side sweat it out while balanced upon a stationary rollered contraption.