Party with Actor Matthew Modine...Yes he rides a bike.

Party Tonight and Celebrity Bike ride with Matthew Modine.

Yes its true. I mean its no Al Sharpton, but actor Matthew Modine most remembered for his 1988 in "Married to the Mob" is really into biking in the city.

On September 20, 2008, Matt will be hosting the event Bicycle for a day. There are no details about this yet, but it sounds to me like a permitted ride where the city will make concessions for people to ride a bike for a day, because there is a celebrity involved. This should have the effect of making people realize people should only ride bikes on certain special days and then go back to there usual attitude that bikes are just for jobless hippies and they should do their best to not become hood ornaments for the more important automobiles.

Ok, I am being bitter. I'm just not into these token events and gimicky stunts that the city has been proposing to promoting cycling because its the hip thing to do, while real bike activists have been fighting with the city for decades just to safely ride their bike.

But to be positive...We take what we can get and build from the momentum, I guess. I mean just look what Madonna has done for adoption...oh wait, bad example. The good example is look what Bette Midler has done for community gardens.

So today...Matthew will be riding to various bicycle related destinations...to promote his event.

Here is a list of the stops:

July 15th (Tuesday)

4:30 PM - Start Ride

DUMBO (Brooklyn)
35 Pearl Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-858-2972

Bay Ridge Bicycle World
8916 3rd Ave
Brooklyn, NY, 11209
(718) 238-1118

B's Bikes
262 Driggs Ave
Brooklyn, NY, 11222

Nelson's Bicycle Shop
251 Bushwick Ave
Brooklyn, NY, 11206
(718) 821-4811

Continuum Cycles
199 Ave B
New York, NY, 10009
(212) 505-8785

Frank's Bike Shop
553 Grand St
New York, NY, 10002
(212) 533-6332

Track Star
231 Eldridge St
New York, NY, 10002
(212) 982-2553

NYC Velo
64 2nd Ave
New York, NY, 10003
(212) 253-7771


Thats kind of decent ride--
Will the cops be escorting? Will the hassle people for running red lights, not having a bell, lights? Will there be any helicopters?

This ride ends at an Art show at 7:30pm

PHEBES
361 Bowery
New York, NY 10003

My good friend and filmmaker Daniel Leeb has made a short film about Matthew and it will be screening at the party.

There are other videos about local celebrities love of the bicycle sponsored by Puma.

PUMA Presents The I-Cycle Film Series, Produced and Directed by Cinecycle.

Being a longtime supporter of and innovator in the bike community, PUMA® releases the I-Cycle Film Series, a collection of short films exploring bike culture and the people who influence it.

The I-Cycle Film Series focuses on some of today’s biggest advocates for two-wheeled life, including - Matthew McGuinness, a cofounder of The 62, a Brooklyn-based art collective who started Re-Bicycle; George Bliss, the man behind New York’s Pedi-cabs; Brendt Barbur, founder of The Bicycle Film Festival, Matthew Modine, actor and founder of Bicycle-For-A-Day, an ongoing initiative to encourage and inspire individuals to leave their cars in the garage and reduce their carbon footprints on the world; and finally, Antonio Bertone, PUMA’s CMO and one of the main reasons for PUMA’s presence in the bicycle world.

Check out the movies here:

Icycle