Article on Chicago Messengers

From Joe Hendry of messmedia.org
Messengers storm Garfield Park

New City Chicago, September 16, 2008

By John Greenfield

Sweaty and breathless, the bike messenger strides up to reception to deliver a package and politely asks for his delivery manifest to be marked. "Drop your bag, drop your bag," barks the staff members. "Sign the log. Where's your ID? Security!"

It's not an uptight guard desk or mailroom in a Loop office building. It's a checkpoint on the racecourse for the Eleventh Annual North American Cycle Courier Championships held in Garfield Park. More than 200 messengers from as far away as San Francisco, Montreal and Copenhagen have converged on the Windy City for a weekend of competition, camaraderie and tomfoolery.

"It's great that we could finally bring this to the Midwest," says co-organizer Augie Montes of the Chicago Couriers Union. At the end of the weekend, New York's Kimberly Perfetto and Austin Horse will earn bragging rights as the fastest female and male couriers on the continent; at fifth place overall, Andrew Nordyke is the top Chicagoan.

In addition to the checkpoint race, the champs feature a bike polo tournament, trick riding contests, a labor forum and the Messenger Prom, which packs the Bottom Lounge with revelers wearing everything from cocktail dresses and leisure suits to giant banana and Mr. Peanut costumes. A prom king and queen are crowned with headgear fashioned from bike chains and cogs.

The race, simulating a typical day of two-wheeled delivery work, has participants picking up and dropping parcels at nine stations on a city-sanctioned, car-free course throughout the lush West Side park. To keep things realistic, this checkpoint, incorporates many of the headaches and hassles local messengers face on a daily basis. There's even a dude in a rooster suit "stealing" unlocked rides.

"It's almost like a real mailroom because there's so much confusion and animosity," says veteran courier Brent Olds, sipping a PBR as Public Enemy blares from the sound system of the Chicago Cuttin' Crew racing team's school bus.

Nicole Brewer, an ex-messenger who's working the checkpoint, says couriers here have more security hoops to jump through than anywhere else in the nation: using loading-dock entrances to high-rises instead of the front door; signing logs and leaving ID; and leaving their bags with the building guards. "Chicago's all freaked out 'cause they think a terrorist is gonna fly a plane into the Sears Tower," she says.


Couriers zoom around the park's curved roadways on single-speed, fixed-gear bicycles, three-foot-long mailing tubes in their bags, their bodies and bikes banked at steep angles for speed. Neighborhood folks are barbecuing near the racecourse to sounds of Z. Z. Hill's "Down Home Blues" and teenage girls saunter obliviously across the cyclists' paths. "I like having all the racers out here," says Garfield Park resident Joe Davis, 68, straddling a Trek. "It's good for people to see this is a beautiful park and they don't have to be afraid to come out to the West Side."

I-cycle Goldsprints Finals Tonight

Raining out? Don't want to go to Critical Mass...check out indoor bike racing:

PUMA/Vice I-Cycle Throwdown Pt.1

Last Thursday was the first, in a series of two goldsprint competitions
sponsored by PUMA and Vice. The I-Cycle Space @ Vice Gallery was the battle
grounds for the first I-Cycle Throwdown that brought together a mix of
industry leaders, brands and bike messengers in a head-to-head stationary
bike race. The night featured a diverse mix of teams, ranging from Complex
Magazine, Staple Design, Fader Magazine, D.A.R.T (Mishka NYC), CycleHawk.
The night was full of intense competition, as teams looked to post their
best times and qualify for this Friday’s finals.

Tonight: Friday, Sept. 26th, 2008
at the:
I-Cycle Space @ Vice Gallery
99 N. 10th St (between Berry & Wythe)
Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Video at Vimby from last week..

VIMBY - Puma Goldsprints Day 1

and photos here.

Oct. 4th, Kid's Art Bike Parade

Sponsored by the East Village Community Coalition

Get out your wheels and get ready for fun at one of the most enjoyable neighborhood events of 2008.

The East Village Community Coalition presents...The Second Annual Lower East Side Kids' Art Bike Parade!

When: Saturday, October 4, 11 AM- 2 PM

Where: Tompkins Square Park, northeast corner at Avenue A and 10th Street

Who: You, joined by Lower East Side neighbors, friends, and kids of all ages -- from toddlers to senior citizens

What: Decorate your bike either at our advance workshops or at our on-the-spot bike-decorating event starting at 11 AM before the parade -- then hop on and join the crowd as we parade our human-powered wheels around the neighborhood

Why: The East Village is always ahead of the game. This time, it's the youngest people in our neighborhood showing adults, the city, and the entire world how fun and healthy it is to enjoy non-polluting transportation powered by our own legs and (in this case) by our own imaginations. By encouraging a new generation of bike riders, we cut back on the pollution that causes global warming and we establish a happy future for our neighborhood.

Team Spider Gigs

That crazy Christopher Ryan is back in town with his Bike Punk band Team Spider.

Back from a European Tour and playing a few great gigs this weekend.
First, Tonight at Rocky Sullivan's
34 Van Dyke Street in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Team Spider teams up with the Spunklads at 9pm, $10.00
Then on Saturday,



Free Punk show in Tompkins Square Park. 2pm-6pm

Critical Mass today, all around the world.

September 26th, 2008...
well its critical mass all around the world, especially in cities where its not raining...like NYC.

Tonight, meet at 7:00pm at Union Square North. On the East West Side, where the skateboarders hang out.

Critical Mass is popular with famous New Yorkers:



The founding members of the Upright Citizens Brigade, were asked why they love New York in this weeks issue of Time Out, which talks with 40 of their top city residents.

Matt Walsh, Ian Roberts, Matt Besser and Amy Poehler make up this legendary improve troop.



Time Out asked: "What's the future of New York? What are your hopes and what needs to happen?"

Matt Besser (shown in the photo in the Green t-shirt) responded:

"I want them to get rid of that law that inhibits Critical Mass. Its a great human event in a city filled with buildings and concrete."

Me too Matt...why don't you tell one of those other top New Yorkers featured in this issue...Mayor Mike.

Read the all the questions and answers here.

Here is an interview with WNYC's Arun Venugopal on last months critical mass ride.

Stop the Bail out

Sorry kids,

I've been really busy with a move to park slope, lots of work and taking childbirth classes.

Just wanted to pass this along to do my part to help stop the panic attack of the Bush administration to make us pay for greedy wall streets actions.

STOP THE BAIL OUT PROTEST TODAY.

"Bailout This!"

Since Bush wants to buy up Wall Street's worthless investments with
Main Street's hard-earned tax dollars, folks are planning to bring
their OWN junk to Wall Street to see if they can get a bailout, too.
Bring your 8-track tape collection, high-school yearbook, Grampa's old
recliner, and that snow globe from Great Adventure – not to mention
your mortgage statements and student loan invoices -- and add 'em to
the pile! And tell Secretary Paulson why you deserve a bailout, too!
Bring your most audacious junk, junk that has a story, and make your
case. (Ordinary garbage discouraged.) This action inspired by
buymyshitpile.com. "No Cash for Trash!"

the serious part (with time & place details, etc.) :

This week the White House is trying to push through the biggest financial
theft in world history with nary a stitch of debate. They're asking for a
blank check for over 1 trillion dollars to bail out George Bush's Wall
Street cronies who created this economic crisis in the first place.

If this passes, we can forget about any money for environmental protection,
to counter global warming, for education, for national healthcare, to
rebuild our decaying infrastructure, for alternative energy.

This is a historic moment. We need to act now while we can influence the
debate.

Let's rally against the bailout in the heart of the financial district!
Gather at 4pm, this Thursday, Sept. 25 in the plaza at the southern end of
Bowling Green Park, which is the small triangular park that has the Wall
Street bull at the northern tip.

What: Say NO to the Wall Street bailout
When: Thursday, September 25: 4pm
Where: Southern end of Bowling Green Park, in the plaza area
What to bring: Banners, noisemakers, signs, leaflets, etc. A
PIECE OF JUNK.

Do whatever you can for this historic event and contact all your groups and
friends. This proposed financial bailout is without precedence and we have
to stop it!


read the Wired story Here.

Man with Bike Blog “Doored”, Blog Improved.

By Xristopher j Spider…

Good news, Micheal Green, popular “bike blogger” was doored today, bringing Xris Spider one step closer to his dream of taking over the widely read New York City blog. Xris was “surprised” at the both the news of Michael being Doored by a cab at 1st ave and 39th street, and the ease at which the medicated Mr. Green gave up his password. This couldn’t have come at a better time for Mr. Spider, who was already low on cash after generously bribing a cabbie to suddenly open his car door into Mr. Green. The excited Xris plans to sell advertising on the space popular blog to Hummer, the Palin Campaign, and Jamal Muhammad Ramjamin’s Discount Dooring services.

Police on the scene described Mr. Green as being male, ethnic, and “sort of a dumb ass.” Mr. Green also had nothing but praises for the responding officers who appeared promptly, were courteous, and “somewhat cute.” One of which even rode a mountain bike according to the smitten Mr. Green.

Bellevue Doctors described Mr. Green as unlikely to seen by them anytime soon, noting “He has insurance? Fuck ‘em”. Mr. Green claims nothing is broken, but accepted the advice of the responding firefighters to head to Bellevue hospital after hearing a strange clicking when he extended his arm. Firefighter Jimmy McMason stated, “We sort of ignored a call and let a building burn down tending to this douche bag, so we better make this all seem more serious than it is” adding, “plus the guy doesn’t look like he’s been laid in weeks, maybe this will help.”

Ambulance driver Dave Forte cursed out the poor cabbie, who was just trying to earn a decent living, but praised Mr. Green for wearing a helmet. That is until he recognized Mr Green as the popular NYC bicycle blogger stating, “Aren’t you the guy who handed his bike to a thief who said he wanted to –try it out-?” Mr. Forte then added, “Why bother with a helmet, what are you protecting, the air space?”

This brought a chuckle from Officer Kucharski, who was in the process of giving Mr. Green his personal phone number.



-congratulatory flowers can be sent to
X. Spider, ave C.


Teamspider.blogspot.com

TeamSPiderBlog

Help out and Volunteer with Times Up

Time's Up will be out on the scene with lots of bike events over the weekend and they need your help.


Check out all the great events going on this weekend. Plug in to as many events as you can by volunteering or just showing up. If you want to sign up to table for Park(ing) Day, Bicycling For a Day or the Creative Time event get in touch with the contact person for each event or sign up directly at the shared spreadsheet at:
HERE.

Here is what is going on:

Friday, September 19th, Park(ing) Day,
Park(ing) Day is a national event in which people in cities all over the country reclaim parking spots for one day, transforming them into vibrant, functional public spaces. Time's Up! is setting up from 10am – 5pm at our reclaimed park at the corner of 7th ave. South and Charles Street in front of the Birdbath Bakery. We will have grass and lounge chairs and a bike repair stand along with free beverages and pastries donated by the Birdbath Bakery. You can call Judy at 917.405.1544 for more information. Here are some photos from Park(ing) Day 2007:


Saturday, September 20th, Bicycling For A Day Tabling,
Time's Up! Will be tabling at the Bicycling For A Day event at South Street Seaport, from 10 - 5 p.m. Contact: Bill at billtimesup@gmail.com at 917-577-5621 if you want to volunteer.
Bicycleforaday.org

Saturday, Sept 20th, Bike Lane Liberation Clowns
Join the Bike Lane Liberation Clowns for an exciting ride downtown to liberate bike lanes from double-parkers. Humor and slapstick prevail to keep the bike lanes car-free. Meet at 1 p.m. at the Astor Place cube (Lafayette and 8th Street) before the ride to costume up. Contact barabaraross2@gmail.com for more info.
Bike lane liberation

Saturday, Sept 20th, Brook Park Clean Up
Come to the Brook Park Tear Up the Pavement Party, Saturday, 9/20 12 - 5 p.m at Brook Park, 141st Street and Brook Avenue
Celebrate the autumnal equinox while liberating an underground brook.
Friends of Brook Park

Sunday, September 21, Waterfall Ride
This bike ride will view all four waterfalls by Olafur Eliasson. Meet at 1:00pm at Centre Street across from the Manhattan entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge. The ride was picked as best bet for this week by Time Out and will be featured on the Saturday morning Today Show on NBC.
waterfall ride

Sunday, 9/21 through Sunday, 9/27, Creative Time's Democracy in America
Time's Up! is tabling all week-long at this Creative Time's Political Art and Community Event being held at the Park Avenue Armory in Drill Hall. Creativetime.org

Bike News Round Up

Rounding up the news of bicycles:
---------------------------
New York

Actor Matthew Modine, (Private Joker) is throwing a bicycle event of his own.

Lifestyles of the Green and the Famous

Matthew Modine bicycles, Bono recycles, and Willie Nelson wails for Farm Aid
Actor Matthew Modine (of Showtime’s hit series, Weeds) is taking New Yorkers for a ride on the city’s bike paths with Olympian Sharon Seagrave this Saturday with his Bicycle for a Day event. Advocating for biking, walking, and public-transportation, “it’s a call to action to reduce the carbon footprint and have fun doing it!” The day includes a Luke Haas concert, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaking, and prizes such as Puma “Glow” Bicycles and a Segway.

read more of the article over here.
-----------------------
Kansas.

An article on Rock Racing in the Kansas City Star.

Rock Racing wants to bring cool to pro cycling
By BILL REITER
The Kansas City Star
ST. CHARLES, Mo. | Fashion mogul and team owner Michael Ball has a unique vision for the future of American cycling, and it goes something like this: Speed, raw competition, tattooed competitors, rock ‘n’ roll and, oh yes, stunning women rolling up to races in tricked out Escalades.

“It’s an extremely hard sell here in the United States,” said Ball, the owner of Rock Racing, which features the “bad boys” of cycling, models and an in-your-face attitude. “When you look at those big sports, specifically baseball, it’s about tradition. So how does one get people involved in bicycle racing here?”

That’s the question facing officials, cyclists, owners and fans as the Tour of Missouri draws to a close today in downtown St. Louis. Cycling may be an exciting sport blending speed, endurance and strategy. But none of that matters if you’re just another fringe sport without enough eyeballs watching what you do.

“There is something of a ceiling out there for cycling as to how far it can go in America,” said Jeff Roake, a host announcer for this week’s tour and cycling expert. “We’re nowhere near that ceiling yet. We’ll never be a ball sport, but if we could be as popular as hockey — that could happen. Lance Armstrong coming back next year will have a huge effect.”

article can be read here
---------------------------
And in the Guardian, UK's Sports Blog,

Kenya

Kenyan trailblazers turn their talents to cycling
Despite their dominance of distance running, no black African has ever cycled the Tour de France. If Nicholas Leong gets his way, they will soon.

Nderi and Myangi took a while to get used to the new bikes. Photograph: Nicholas Leong

Sport
Sport blog


Kenyan trailblazers turn their talents to cycling
Despite their dominance of distance running, no black African has ever cycled the Tour de France. If Nicholas Leong gets his way, they will soon


Nderi and Myangi took a while to get used to the new bikes. Photograph: Nicholas Leong

Here's an interesting fact: despite being recognised through their distance running as among the finest endurance athletes on the planet, no Kenyan or Ethiopian has ever ridden the Tour de France. In fact, no Kenyan, Ethiopian or black African of any nation has ever become a professional cyclist.

Team GB's prodigious success in the saddle in Beijing drew a degree of rather measly sniping along these lines. It seems unfair to disparage the achievements of individual athletes, who can only beat the field in front of them. But the fact remains. Africans don't cycle - and for a variety of reasons, mainly to do with habit and tradition, but also things like start-up costs and prohibitively expensive racing technology.

For the first time, however, there is a suggestion this might not always be the case. Last month two amateur Kenyan cyclists, Zakayo Nderi, a shoe-shiner by trade, and Samwel Myangi, a 24-year-old bicycle taxi rider, performed a time trial on the Alpe D'Huez, a blue chip Tour stage finish. This is a serious test: 13.8km at an average gradient of 7.9% with 21 hairpin bends.

more here.
-----------------

Chicago

an article on Scram bicycle parts manufacturer in the Chicago Tribune.


Sram shifts gears in bike-parts world
Chicago-based innovator set to sell 40% stake to Lehman unit, eyes expansion

By Jon Van | Special to the Chicago Tribune
September 15, 2008

As some Chicago bicyclists pedal along, they wish their machines rode better.

Stanley Day took that thought a step further. About two decades ago, he wondered why he had to move his hands off the handlebars to shift gears. So, working with some friends, he turned an innovation into a company that has put Chicago back on the map as a powerhouse in two-wheeled locomotion.

This strategy of developing new bike equipment enabled Day to build Sram Corp. into a $500 million-a-year component supplier that is poised for potential expansion. Later this month, Day intends to close a deal to sell a 40 percent minority stake in Sram to Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking for an undisclosed amount.

The privately held company is a serious player in a business that once was dominated by Shimano Inc., a Japanese bike-parts giant that is three times the Chicago firm's size. Sram has grown 15 percent to 20 percent each of the past five years and has been consistently profitable, Day said, but to get to the next level, where it can continue to expand globally while churning out new products, it needs a boost.

read more over here.

Interbike 2008

Where do industry bike people go to ride bikes in the desert, gamble, get lapdances and talk about bikes?

Las Vegas Nevada...

Interbike 2008

September 24th-26th, at the Sands Expo Center.

2 events. NLG panel discussion and Save Union Square

Come Wednesday, September 17th to the NLG panel discussion on:

COINTELPRO - then and now

Wednesday, September 17, 2008
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Brooklyn Law School - Subotnick Center
250 Joralemon Street
Brooklyn, NY

More information below

******************

Come and take action on Thursday, September 18th:

SAVE UNION SQUARE: Citizen Chefs Cooking Up Change!
Thursday, September 18, 6 p.m.
Union Square Park, near the George Washington statue at the South end of the park

Keep Union Square PUBLIC! Citizen Chefs Cooking Up Change!
Keep the parks for people and not for profit!
We'll provide the chefs hats-
Bring your own pots & pans and something to bang with!
Come in costume- black pants, white shirts, bow ties..
Bring a bike if you'd like to join the ChefBlock Bike Brigade

The Union Square Partnership is selling out one of our most important public spaces, the pavilion on the North side of Union Square, site of seminal speeches from Emma Goldman, Paul Robeson, Cesar Chavez, Dorothy Day, and many more AND one of the last remaining public assembly areas in the city.

Join us to say NO! The Union Square Pavilion can not be an upscale restaurant.
Join us to say NO! Our precious public resources cannot be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Join us to say YES! to community use in public parks.
Join us to say YES! to public space, community, and democracy. Without community space, there can be no democracy.

www.unionsquarenotforsale.org

**************************
The NYC Chapter of the NLG is sponsoring this panel on September 17th

CointelPro - Then and Now

Moderator: Robert Boyle, attorney in Bin Wahad v. FBI

with confirmed speakers:

Dhoruba Bin Wahad: former leader of Black Panther Party in New York; freed after serving 19 years in prison after conviction
reversed due to COINTELPRO-related disclosures

Martin R. Stolar, Co-counsel, Handschu
Beth Baltimore


The program will provide an overview of the various programs and forms of government repression, both past and present, and address procedures
in place to empower activists to continue their work.

The event is free of charge
refreshments will be provided


Susan Howard from the National Lawyers Guild- who is a long-time friend and supporter of Time's Up! is helping put together this panel discussion. Propaganda and negative divisionary rumors have increased in progressive NYC groups like Time's Up! since the 2004 RNC. It is important that people have an understanding of what this is so that our groups and communities can continue to work together to create positive change.

Bike Lane Video Screening

Kalim Armstrong is having a screening of a video he made about bike lanes in NYC. This is part of a showcase of works by students from Hunter College's Urban Affairs & Planning and Integrated Media Arts programs.

Here are the details.

PLEASE JOIN US FOR:
Hitting the Streets, from Harlem to East New York: Dramatic videos that investigate New York City neighborhoods from an on-the-ground perspective

WHEN:
Monday September 22nd, 2008 from 6—8 PM, with RECEPTION TO FOLLOW

WHERE:
Hunter College's Lang Auditorium, North Building, 4th Floor. (The North Building is located on 69th Street between Park and Lexington, on the south side of the street; Subway: take the 6 train to 68th Street)

DETAILS:
This screening will showcase the results of an innovative workshop in which students from Hunter College's Urban Affairs & Planning and Integrated Media Arts programs explored the use of media for community organizing aimed at improving the quality of local environments. From the fight to save Harlem from mega-developers, to the joys and realities of cycling through urban streets, these videos capture the attempts of everyday citizens and activists to shape New York City's future, and in doing so, inspire us to action on some of the most pressing concerns facing our neighborhoods today. FREE and open to the public.

PROGRAM:

REZONING HARLEM

REZONING HARLEM follows longtime members of the Harlem community as they fight a 2008 rezoning that threatens to erase the history and culture of their legendary neighborhood and replace it with luxury housing, offices, and big-box retail. A shocking expose of how a group of ordinary citizens, who are passionate about the future of one the city's most treasured neighborhoods, are systematically shut out of the city's decision-making process, revealing New York City's broken public review system and provoking discussion on what we can do about it.

A film by Juliana Alzate, Natasha Florentino, Tamara Gubernat & Pamela Nichols


SUBPRIMED

SUBPRIMED tells the story of the national foreclosure crisis through the eyes of hard-hit East New York – a community that is no stranger to tough times. As more and more homes in the neighborhood bear foreclosure signs, individual victims of egregious lending practices come to realize they are not alone, and find the strength to band together and save their community from catastrophe.

A film by Sarah Friedland, Kahil Shkymba and Nayo Joy Simmons


BIKE PATH

NYC bicycling rates are much lower than they could be in a relatively flat city with good mass transit, despite strong evidence showing that bike-friendly environments go hand-in-hand with more livable streets for everyone. So what can we do to improve things for those who already cycle in the city, and inspire those who don't to join the ranks? These are the burning questions that activists, city officials and ordinary cyclists are trying to solve – but with different prescriptions for success. BIKE PATH examines plans to make biking in our city safer and more appealing, what's working and what isn't, and what planners can do to be more responsive to cyclists' needs.

A film by Kalim Armstrong, Rafael Blanco, Kate Ervin and Bree Kessler

HAVEMEYER STREET

HAVEMEYER STREET is an installation that was first exhibited May 1-3, 2008, at Hunter IMA/MFA's IMAterial show. The installation begins with several hanging prints depicting developer fantasies of new luxury condo buildings in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Behind the prints, two video screens show the reality of how people on two sides of one street in transition experience the process of gentrification in this area. The video progresses down the street, examining different spaces and meeting diverse business owners and residents.

A film by Francisca Caporali, Kym Chapman, Pilar Ortiz, Uni Park & Sarah Nelson Wright


Sponsored by the Department of Film and Media Studies and the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning at Hunter College (CUNY). Also sponsored by the Hunter College Center for Community Planning and Development.

--
Kalim Armstrong
v a c a t i o n l a n d p r o d u c t i o n s

Memorial Ride and BBQ for Andre Anderson

This Saturday, September 20th.

A memorial bike ride and BBQ to remember Andre Anderson

From Ryan, who works with Ghostbikes.org.

In 2005 we met the Anderson family as they struggled with the aftermath of their son's death. When it seemed like no one cared that their son had been mowed down by a reckless driver, the biking community rallied around them in support and solidarity. Since then we have kept in contact with the family as they continue to fight for justice and remember Andre. Every year around the time of his death a bunch of bikers ride out to Far Rockaway and join his family and friends for a memorial celebration of Andre's life. This year we will continue that tradition; Please feel free to join us:

The memorial service will be at the crash site @ 1pm: here.

It will be followed by a BBQ. Andre was a BMX kid and so the family blocks off the street and his friends go bike crazy.
It is a down home, jamaican bbq to which everyone who attends the memorial is invited. It is here

There will be a casual group ride out to the memorial and bbq.

Meet-Ups:

* @ 1030am @ George Washington Statue by the Williamsburg Bridge.
* @ 11am @ Bedford Ave & Eastern Parkway (Southside)

We need to make the service @ 1pm so please arrive at meet ups prepared to ride (tires pumped, water bottle filled). Bring tubes, pump, etc.
We will ride from the service to the Anderson house. Group rides back tend to be varied, with smaller groups breaking off and will be wholly dependent on how people are feeling,etc. Most likely a ride will leave Far Rockaway around 430ish.

Tomorrow, 3 lap scratch series in Pospect Park...Boogie Nigts.

Five night race series every Wednesday with the details on each individual race coming shortly. (Races will be based on Velodrome type events such as Chariot Hill Climb, Scratch Race, Team Relay, etc.)

-Fixed Gear Only
-Helmets Mandatory
-Blinkie lights strongly recommended
-Sponsor Prizes and Cash Awards
-Prizes for top placing men and women

*The use of brake calipers other than in an emergency is prohibited. If a racer is seen implementing a hand brake, other than in an emergency, he/she will be disqualified.
--------------------------------------------------------
A Snidely Whiplash and Al Production

Racing for Metal and Road Kill.

Some pictures from Metal Race 2.

Here, from John Prolly.

This Man, Jack Crank...took the title.
Photo by Doug D. at Hardcourtbikepolo.com


and the rest of the stats:


1 Jack Crank (10)
2 John Prolly (2)
3 Yatika Fields (1)
4 Doug D (3)
5 Adam Menace (4)
6 James #19 (13)
7 Jessie (16)
8 Chris #17 (8)
9 Atsu (5)
10 Jack #10 (6)
11 Larry Fox (9)
12 John #9 (15)
13 Frankie (11) 1st OOT from Chile!
14 Chris #14 (12)
DFL Danny Rocks (14)

New Bike Shirt every month

Saw this on StraightChain.

David in Sweden is trying to set up a subscription based sale of a new bike t-shirt design each month.

Interested in a new design, in a new one each month or contributing check out:

Fixtee.com

More videos from Japan

2008 bicycle film festival. Outdoor tricks on track bikes.

Video by: Eli


Bicycle Film Festival TOKYO '08 PART 3 from Eli Tokyo Jitensha-Jin on Vimeo.

McCain may have Palin but Obama's got an alleycat.

McCain may get his running mate some nice photoshop photos-

But Obama's got an alleycat.

Right in the Nation's capital: DC.

John Dinn of Demoncats is throwing an Obama alleycat.

November 1st, 2008.

Here are the checkpoints in advance...study the map, plan your route and get to DC.

OBMALLEYCAT CHECKPOINTS:
> >START: Logan Circle NW
> >-16th St. @ Illinois Ave. NW (Obama is the Senator from Illinois)
> >-W. Basin Dr @ Independence Ave SW (Proposed MLK Memorial Site)
> >-430 S. Capitol St. SE (Democratic National Committee)
> >-15th St. @ Belmont St. NW (Malcolm X Park)
> >-3211 M St. NW (UNO Chicago Grill)
> >-1525 H St NW (St John's Episcopal Church)
> >-12th St. @ East Capitol St. NE (Lincoln Park)
> >-4th St. @ C St. NW (Judiciary Square)
> >-10th St. @ G St. SW (Benjamin Banneker Park)
> >FINISH: To Be Announced At Last Checkpoint.
> >
> >Sponsors- KRYPTONITE- R.E.Load- Seagull- Crumpler- Fabric Horse

But really, we all know who should be president:

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

and here's another on from Hmatkin

Carlos Sastre, this years Tour De France winner, isn't the only one to rep major products like the dentists choice of fancy bicycles:
Cervelo.

Our man Sino, from Tokyo, fastest messenger in the world is rockin a nice watch.


He got it from Alive Athletics. The wheaties box should be coming out any day now.

Thanks for posting this Tracko

and speaking of Tokyo, here's a video from this years Bicycle Film Festival.

Bicycle Film Festival TOKYO '08 PART 1 from Eli Tokyo Jitensha-Jin on Vimeo.

Nayak and Back Race...Sept. 28th

Scumbag Cup is coming to Philly...stay tuned.

New Yorker Festival has a bike ride.

October 4th. Check the website.

Saturday | October 4 | 2008
About Town
A Governors Island Bike Tour
Adriaan Geuze, Leslie Koch, and Ricardo Scofidio will join Paul Goldberger for a tour of Governors Island, followed by brunch and conversation. A ferry will transport ticket buyers to the island, where bicycles will be provided.

Adriaan Geuze is a Prix de Rome winner and a co-founder of West 8, an urban-design and landscape-architecture firm based in Rotterdam. Its projects have ranged from the waterfront revitalization of Toronto to London’s Jubilee Gardens. In 2002, he received the Harvard Graduate School of Design’s Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design, and in 2005 he curated the International Architecture Biennale in Rotterdam. Last year, West 8 won the international design competition for the redevelopment of Governors Island.

Leslie Koch is the president of the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation. She is responsible for the planning, redevelopment, and ongoing operations of the island, including its role as a public destination. Previously, she worked as a marketing executive for Microsoft and was the chief executive of the Fund for Public Schools, the nonprofit affiliated with the New York City Department of Education.

Ricardo Scofidio is one of the founders of the New York-based architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro, whose work was the subject of a retrospective at the Whitney Museum in 2003. Its past projects include the Blur Building, in Switzerland, and Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art. The firm, in collaboration with West 8, designed the winning plan for Governors Island. It is currently leading the redevelopment of Lincoln Center and, with Field Operations, the High Line.

Paul Goldberger is the architecture critic of The New Yorker. He holds the Joseph Urban Chair in Design and Architecture at the New School. His books include “The City Observed: New York,” “The Skyscraper,” and “Up from Zero: Politics, Architecture, and the Rebuilding of New York.”

11 A.M. Governors Island Ferry Terminal
Battery Maritime Building
10 South Street, Slip 7

Take over the parking spaces...for a day.

From the Parking for a day website
Park(ing) Day NYC is September 19th, and parking spots across the city are just waiting to be rescued, turned for a day into the Park(ing) Spots that will get everyone thinking about our scarce public space and how we use it. Don't dawdle, apply to host a Spot and receive a mini-grant now!

Sad News. 2 cyclists killed in Brooklyn in less than a week.

According to Gothamist, a 50 year old man, Jonathan Milstein, was killed by a school bus in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn.

More on this from Sarah Portlock of the Brooklyn Paper.

Also, Charles Sweeney of the Brooklyn Eagle has this report.

Saturday, 8 year old Alexander Toulouse, was struck and killed by a postal truck on Saturday in Cobble Hill.

My condolences to all the grieving families.

Please be safe out there.

Those Crazy kids and their Sprinting.

Picture by: Cycling Weapons of Mass Destruction

Rat Pack Hustle 2, kicked off its sprints series Uptown.

Check out some pictures from:
Cycling Weapons of Mass Destruction

and a little video too.

Bike Blog on the move...soon.

After 4 years and over 1000 posts. Bicycle Blog is going to be taking a little ride.

Andrew of Bike Albany and Troy Bike Rescue has rescued my blog and we are in the process of moving it to its new home.

Bikeblognyc.com

Now this is still in the works but standby.

I would love to get submissions for artwork, photographs and graphics for the new site. Please send them my way. Pictures of Bikes, Bike Culture, events, drawings...crayon sketches from your 2 year old. All welcome.

I want to change up the header and the look and have community involvement.

Metal Race 2...is coming Sept. 13th

ITS BACK!!!!

Ok here is a quick quiz...Is this Metal?


or what about this?


If you need help dressing the part, take a tip from veteran hardcore metal band, Metallica. They get all their Metal Gear from...Armani????


Real Metal, is racing this Saturday...in the 2nd...METAL RACE.



Here is a tease...the spoke cards.



To prepare. In case you weren't sure what they were saying in Metal Song lyrics...here is an interpretation, broken down for the common man.

Bicycle News roundup 003

Well its that time again, mid week. So here is what google says is happening in the world of bicycle news:

From Velo News:

Sebastien Hinault wins stage 10 in the 63rd Vuelta a España, (Grand Tour of Spain)



Crédit Agricole couldn’t imagine a better going away present than a stage victory Tuesday in the 63rd Vuelta a España in what’s its swansong grand tour.

The long-standing French team — set to fold at the end of the 2008 season after a new sponsor couldn’t be found to replace the departing French bank — earned a rare bunch sprint victory with French veteran Sébastien Hinault.

Read the rest Here
....................

Cincinnati

Local paper City Beat has an article on the unfriendliness of biking in this Ohio city.

Cover Story: No One Rides for Free
Lack of vision, planning and investment have made Cincinnati a 'bike unfriendly' city

BY Danny Cross | Posted 09/03/2008

It's difficult to ride a bicycle in Cincinnati, and not just because it's hilly and the weather sucks and our neighborhoods sprawl 30 miles away into another counties and states.

It's not because there are few bike racks and even fewer bike lanes. It's not because each neighborhood presents its own set of problems for planners and engineers or the fact that Cincinnati hasn't had a planning department since 2002.

It's not because the newest map of the city's bike routes is from 1998 or that you're just as likely to get a biggie-size Coke thrown at you while riding along Central Parkway than you are to receive a friendly wave.

Article here.
....................

Arizona

The Leauge of American Cyclists has named Arizona the third most bicycle friendly state.

Arizona named a bicycle-friendly state
Reported by: Tricia Garcia-Captain

More Arizonans are ditching gas-guzzling cars for bicycles to commute to work and for recreation.

The League of American Bicyclists named Arizona the third most bicycle-friendly state in the country for its encouragement of bicycling among riders of all ages.

States were judged on six categories that support bike use, including legislation, education and encouragement, and infrastructure.

Washington is ranked number one on the list of bicycle friendly states, followed by Wisconsin at number two.

The rest here.
.........................

Sydney Australia,

A group of researchers presented their findings from a study which states the best way to increase bicycle safety is to put more bicycles on the road.

Read this report from Scientific American. Includes a 60 second podcast.
..........................

NYC,

From right here in New York, Stuart Post got his article in City Limits about his experience at the August Critical Mass:


WHO'S AFRAID OF
A PEACEFUL BIKER?
A spontaneous evening goes awry, leaving skid marks on this cyclist's view of his city. By Stuart Post

City Limits WEEKLY #655
September 8, 2008

Editor's note: Using a bicycle for transportation on the streets of New York City can be an intimidating, and downright dangerous, endeavor. The Bloomberg administration is working to make the city more bike-friendly – through newly designated bike-only lanes, to cite the most visible example. But how bike-friendly can a city be if its premier grassroots cycling event operates in an atmosphere of police hostility? That's one question that occurred to self-described "accidental anarchist" Stuart Post, a 48-year-old resident of the Gramercy Park area, who joined last month's Critical Mass bike ride.

read the rest here.

San Francisco has Summer Streets too.

Looks like the West Coast is also getting into the closed streets idea, much like our Summer Streets here in NYC.

I got this off Streetsblog

From, New Yorker Jen Petersen.


San Francisco held its inaugural car-free "Sunday Streets" event last weekend. New Yorker Jen Petersen was there and files this report.

Whatever the weather, San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf doesn’t suffer from a shortage of dollar-shelling, strolling tourists on weekends, and so clearing street space for more people-powered mobility on a sunny morning had instant takers. As was the case at New York’s Summer Streets, more than a few participants simply stumbled upon the event. And since Civic Center and Fort Mason was hosting the U.S.’s first Slow Food Nation, a foodie-drawing tribute to regional, small-scale food producers, there was an even greater influx of slow and deliberate pilgrims on this particular weekend. There wasn’t a chance that the northern part of the route would go un-used, though I wondered how many San Franciscans actually ventured that way. But save for the artisan street vendors set up as usual at Market Street and Embarcadero, the weekend-shuttered financial district was still a tourist no-go zone.

South of the Ferry Terminal Building (itself a regional foods marketplace), however, cyclists, walkers, rollerbladers, and runners transitioned to the physical activity-promoting leg of the route. And so rounding the bay’s curve to South Beach, where the SF Giants’ AT&T Park was open for base running, and the China Basin inlet, where Cheryl Burke Dance Studio offered Tribal Belly, Afro-Colombian, Salsa, and East Coast swing dance classes all morning, the re-appropriative potential of the street came to life. I maintain: there is no higher social use of street space than dancing!

read the rest Here.

Speaking of San Francisco. Chris Carlsson, one of the original riders of Critical Mass, author and world traveler will be the keynote speaker at this years Conflux festival. Sept 11th-thru the 14th. in NYC.

Conflux Festival is the art and technology festival for the creative exploration of urban public space.

Video from August Critical Mass

Video from last month's Critical Mass. Cops forcing people stopped at a red light into the intersection and then ticketing them for running a red light. Nice. At least they didn't tackle anyone.



CRITICAL TACKLE - "One Month Later" - (do the cops apologize?) from Xris Spider on Vimeo.

If you have enjoyed the last 8 years: the failed economy, the highest unemployment rate since 2003, invading a country based on false information, the erosion of our civil liberties, then be my guest and vote for these two.


You deserve another 4 years of the same crap.

One of the most frightening indications of the direction our country has taken isn't thousands of miles away in some strange country we have occupied or are about too. Its right here in the USA and it was on display in the actions of thousands of police unleashed to handle demonstrations at this years Republican National Convention in Minneapolis. Maybe we can expect journalists to be jailed and beaten in Iraq. Maybe we can read about prisoners being tortured with black hoods over their heads in Abu Ghraib. Perhabs we can know about citizens being accused of terrorist acts for helping to plan protests in Fallujah. But all of this occurred and was documented outside the Xcel center where the Republicans announced their acceptance to the general election. It is the new face of homeland security in the privatized era of neo-conservative ideals. While Sarah Palin was busy bad mouthing community service, the police were doing a disservice to the community by indiscriminately using tear gas, rubber bullets, concusion grenades and mace on a few protesters with different political ideologies and wearing black bandannas. Knocking down newspaper boxes and blocking traffic is called: civil disobedience and should be dealt with by a procedural non-violent arrests. Instead it was brutal oppression by a militarized police force who think they are fighting insurgents in Afghanistan. An abusive display of violence which harmed innocent bystanders, accredited journalists and anyone who got in the way of a law enforcement and national guard rampage gone wild.

Now why did bikeblog report so much on these conventions when this is supposed to be a blog dedicated to the bicycle? Well, I'd love to report on warm and fuzzy stories like bike sharing programs at these gatherings...but it just doesn't seem important when my fellow citizens and friends are being abused, chased, attacked, beaten and arrested. Sorry, I just can't be silent. And besides I like to follow up on things.

So here is a wrap up report from I-witness video. A dedicated group of citizens, armed with video cameras who go to demonstrations to document police activity.


Hello folks,

Here is an overview of what the members of I-Witness Video saw and
experienced over the past week or so in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Regards,
Eileen Clancy

for the I-Witness Video Collective

--------------

Violence and cruel treatment directed at protesters by police;
Journalists targeted for arrest, harassment, intimidation and surveillance

Police Violence in the Streets

The members of I-Witness Video have been appalled to see a high level of
violence directed against peaceful demonstrators, medics, legal observers
and journalists at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul,
Minnesota.

Concussion grenades, smoke bombs, CS gas (tear gas), rubber bullets and
pepper spray were used to attack and herd demonstrators.

In particular, pepper spray was used excessively and indiscriminately to
torment and punish demonstrators in a manner that violates widely accepted
law enforcement standards. In one instance a man was pepper-sprayed while
handcuffed and then punched in the kidneys. Peaceful demonstrators have
been restrained and forced to kneel on pavement for hours after being
pepper sprayed without being given medical attention. In another instance
where pepper spray was used to preemptively punish a person who was
perceived by police to be a protester, a lone street medic was entering
her car when police drove up, sprayed a small fire extinguisher sized
canister of pepper spray into her car, completely soaking her head to toe
before driving away, leaving her gasping for air and collapsing. The
medic was neither arrested nor charged.

Here is a clip showing police use of pepper spray.
CNN.com video Clip

Abuses in the Jails

The treatment of arrestees in the jails has been shockingly bad, even
grisly. Medical care has been withheld from many arrestees. In one
instance a hemophiliac was offered gauze as treatment for a wound. Elliot
Hughes, a 19-year old arrested while bicycling, was forced to wear a bag
over his head while being gagged and beaten. Hughes tells his story at a
press conference:
Youtube video

full video here.

The punishment of arrestees did not end at the jailhouse door. In almost
every instance, the Sheriff’s Department did not return any personal
belongings to arrestees upon their release. Many, including under-age
women and girls, were put out in the cold in the middle of the night
wearing thin prison-grade shorts and a white t-shirt. Some were dropped
off as far as five miles away from the jail without their house keys, car
keys, cell phones, identification, or money. In some instances this meant
that they were not able to access critically needed medication.

Targeting of Journalists

Many journalists working during the period of the RNC experienced
obstruction, harassment and arrests. Thirty journalists were arrested
including reporters from ABC News, Fox News, and Indymedia. On September
1, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar, two producers from Democracy
Now! were slammed on the pavement and against the wall, arrested and
charged with a felony riot. Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman was also
arrested and charged with interfering with a police officer. On September
4 Kouddous was arrested again, along with Democracy Now! producer Rick
Rowley.

Harassment of I-Witness Video

Members of I-Witness Video were visited by the FBI and a Wisconsin
sheriff, were falsely arrested without charges being filed, underwent a
search under an invalid warrant, were threatened on the street by police
officers, extensively surveiled by police officers with video cameras and
followed by undercover officers.

Two days before the convention opened, St. Paul police surrounded the
house we were staying in, effectively placing us under arrest for two
hours. When a search warrant was finally produced, it was for the wrong
house.

When we declined to allow them to search our house under an invalid
warrant, they broke in and held us at gunpoint. We were handcuffed behind
our backs and held in the backyard while the house and our belongings were
searched.

During the same period three other member of the collective were detained
while leaving the area on bicycles and two others in a car were pulled
over and detained for four hours.

An excerpt of a video by the Glass Bead Collective shows the St. Paul
police breaking into our house and pointing guns at us:
video here.

In a sinister progression of events, police officers arrived at our office
building four days later with batons at the ready, carrying a battering
ram and alleging that we were holding people hostage in the I-Witness
Video office. A prompt response by National Lawyer’s Guild attorneys
thwarted further police action. The unfounded and absurd allegation by
police that hostages were barricaded in our office could have allowed them
to enter our office without a warrant and possibly even shoot us.
5th.
Please check our website for updates - we will continue to let you know
more about the 2008 RNC and DNC as we investigate further.

But police brutality isn't limited to just these big demonstrations, they happen all the time including at a concert last Friday, Sept. 5th in NYC.

Chris Ryan of team spider made these two videos.



see the violence and tazzering at:

Teamspider blog.

Bikeblog round up, 02

Searching the world of bicycle related blogs.

London, UK


Buffalo Bill at Moving Target Zine has a description of the Marcus Cook Award. Each year this prized trophy is awarded to an outstanding member of the international messenger community. Its time for the nominations.

Check out more Here.

Japan



Asakusa, at Fixylife has a few snapshots from this years bicycle film festival. My Japanese isn't so good though.

my Korean's not good either...but there's a Korean fixed gear blog now.

Cranky

Europe



Heatherbikes has completed her bicycle tour of Europe. Check out some amazing photos from the trip and see the entire route.

Alaska



Jill a journalist and avid cyclist in Alaska has some notes on Sarah Palin and mostly some amazing photos of our most North reaching state.

Check it out at Arcticglass

NYC

All Posers Must Die has alerted me that the Rats are Back.

Starting Monday, Sept. 8th, sprint race series begins again.



More info at ratpackhustle

And in the New Blog spotlight...



I found:

Velotopia from my old home town of Seattle Washington. Their editor and chief, David Cole had a great quote: "Bicycling is the source and cure of all of my problems." (I wish it were that simple)

Here's what it says about their site: "About Us

We like bikes. We firmly believe that anything with two wheels and pedals will lead you down the road to happiness. This website is about that road.

There's quite a few different bike subcultures out there: from brakeless fixie kids pedaling in skin-tight denim to hairless racer dudes drafting in skin-tight lycra and we tend to like them all. We like organized rides with bountiful food stops and numbers pinned to our jerseys just about as much as we like to get surly and take over the streets on the last Friday of the month. We like pump tracks, dirt parks, Sunday rides, midnight races, velodromes, single track, watching the tour, touring the countryside, climbing hills, Thursday crits, truing our wheels, anything to do with bikes we like. And that's what this website is about: Bikes!"

Like a biker to the pavement...Charges Dropped

Its hard to believe but somehow Christopher Long did not cause assault to rookie officer, Patrick Pogan's forearms in the July Critical Mass bike ride.

His charges of assault were miraculously dropped today in court, thanks to the power of video.
Over a million views make it painfully clear that this officer of the law was egregiously acting like a some sort of...member of the NYPD.

He can have some time at his desk to think about his actions and not out on the street keeping us safe from the threat of people riding their bikes in groups.

Here is a website he should visit:

NY Anger Management

And a press release from Times Up here.

Donut Social Tonight...Stickin it to the Man.

From Gothamist:

NYPD Tries to Shush Donut Social Protest in East Village
Those self-described downtown "slacktivists" who previously called for yuppie scum to die at the Bowery Wine Company are focusing their contempt on the NYPD. They're planning a punk concert and protest Friday night against "police brutality, real estate developers, and the blatant selectively targeted harassment/discrimination toward our scene during the 20th Anniversary of the Tompkins Square Park Police Riots concert/political rally." The so-called "Donut Social" was originally planned for directly outside the 9th precinct on East 5th Street, but the NYPD wasn't so into that, so the rabble have been relocated to the corner of First Ave and 5th. The other hitch is that police are insisting on a 70 decibel sound level at 100 feet with the permit. According to NMNL, that's about the same level as the sound of a vacuum cleaner at 10 feet.

Come hear punk show...Death Mold and the Crack Steady Five

More details at Nothing More Nor Less.

Now why would anyone think there is police brutality?

Article in NYTimes about charges against Christopher Long.

NY Times Article: Here.

Charges Said to Be Voided for Bicyclist

By JOHN ELIGON
Published: September 4, 2008

Prosecutors are expected to drop criminal charges on Friday against a bicyclist who was pushed off his bike in July by a police officer in Times Square, said Mark M. Taylor, a lawyer for the bicyclist. The encounter was captured on amateur video.

The bicyclist, Christopher Long, 29, was charged with attempted assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct on July 25 during a monthly ride called Critical Mass. The arresting officer, Patrick Pogan, wrote in his report that Mr. Long had been weaving in and out of traffic and that he had tried to hit the officer with his bicycle.

But video recorded by an onlooker soon surfaced on YouTube, showing Officer Pogan lowering his shoulder and shoving Mr. Long off his bike on Seventh Avenue at 46th Street as Mr. Long tried to steer out of the way.

On Thursday, prosecutors declined to comment on their case against Mr. Long and would neither confirm nor deny that they planned to drop the charges.

After the video surfaced, Officer Pogan was stripped of his gun and badge and placed on desk duty, pending a department investigation. Mr. Taylor said his client planned to sue the city.

Norman Siegel, a civil rights lawyer who has represented several Critical Mass participants, said that dropping the charges against Mr. Long would be the right thing to do, and that he hoped the prosecutors would go one step further.

“I think they should give serious consideration to bringing perjury and assault charges against the cop,” Mr. Siegel said. “This is the way to get accountability over the police and reduce police misconduct. If you make this officer an example, then the message is: This kind of conduct is unacceptable and there will be legal consequences for it.”

Tensions have long existed between Critical Mass riders and the police, who complain that the riders ignore traffic laws.

Shortly before the Republican National Convention in 2004, a large number of officers arrested more than 250 riders on charges that included parading without a permit. In 2006, a state judge turned down a request by the city to forbid Time’s Up, an environmental group that promotes the monthly rides, to take part in them, to gather at Union Square Park beforehand and to mention the rides on its Web site.

Photos from NACCC.

Here are some photos from this years 2008 North American Cycle Courier Championships:



Urbanvelo.org has a series from Bike Polo.

Here.

Also, Kevin Dillard of Demoncats.com has some amazing photos. (I suggest viewing the slideshow...its like being there.)

Christopher Long in court and Critical Mass tales.

I know this is last minute, but I just got it:

Christopher Long's will be in court tomorrow (Friday) at 9:30am for
his crime of being knocked off his bicycle by a police officer during
the July August Critical Mass.

If you can, please come to support Christopher!!

100 Center Street, Part B
Manattan

Two articles about last months Critical Mass ride in NYC-

From the Downtown Express

Mass bike riders convene on convention anniversary

bike lift in Times Square-photo by Jefferson Siegel

By Jefferson Siegel

Last Friday was a night of milestones for the monthly Critical Mass ride. It was the fourth anniversary of the 2004 Republican National Convention ride that saw 264 cyclists arrested. It was the first ride since cyclist Christopher Long was knocked off his bike by a police officer last month. It was the last ride of summer and was bookmarked between this year’s Democratic and Republican conventions.

Read the full article here

From the Tech dept.

From the technology corner, Dan Katz sent me two articles:



Say goodbye to bike chains and say hello to belt drives.
Article at Gizmodo.com

and from Wired, its the Gyro Bike.