Friday, May 30, 2008

Tomorrow, Bike Ride for peace.


Saturday, May 31st, 2008.
Pedal for Peace
a fundraiser for NYC united for peace and justice

Be a part of the cycle at peace with an afternoon bike ride!
Bring the whole family, Children under 18, ride free)

starts 11:00am, registration begins at 10:00

Start location is Central Park (enter at 110th and Adam Clayton Powell)

Family Friendly 15 mile route.

call (212) 868-5545 for more information.

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Congratulations to Jamie Favaro

Time's Up volunteer and avid bike rider Jamie Favaro helped prove once again that the bicycle is the fastest way around town in Thursday's Commuter Race. Transportation Alternatives held its annual event which pits together a subway, a car and a biker to find out which can get through town the fastest.

Elizabeth Press from Streetfilms was on hand and filed this video report.



Bikesnobnyc had a hilarious take on this race and decided to "unofficially" compete himself.

Here is an interview with the Jamie the winner, and he wants you all to know...this is a real interview.

There was also an article in today's Metro.

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Thursday, May 29, 2008

Whats going on with Union Square.

Picture by Jefferson Siegel of the Villager


The villager had an article, about Reverend Billy and his new crusade to Save Union Square from developers.

from the article:
Performance preacher calls pavilion sacred space

By Jefferson Siegel

Last Wednesday, the anti-consumer activist Reverend Billy held the first of many promised “First Amend-a-thons” to protest what he branded the privatization of Union Square Park.

At recent Critical Mass rides, Reverend Billy, real name Bill Talen, joined cyclists before the rides to criticize plans to install a private, seasonal-concession restaurant in the pavilion at the north end of Union Square Park. Now that construction has begun and the north plaza has been fenced off, Billy and a group of followers descended on the plaza on Wednesday afternoon May 21 to recite the First Amendment and call for a halt to the construction."

There will be a rally June 5th.

Denizens of New York,

WHAT: Festive Assembly to Push Back the Privatizers and Save Union Square!
WHEN: June 5th at 5:00pm
WHERE: Northwest Corner of Union Square Park

Bloomberg and his cronies have a vision of New York City where parks
are for-profit, people are squeezed out of public spaces, and free
assembly is made nearly impossible. Their plans to privatize Union
Square Park were "approved" through a rigged process that steamrolled
widespread opposition, and then hastily implemented in order to foster
a sense of inevitability and despair. But the privatizers have
over-reached! They tried to sidestep the law, but a judge stepped in
and said "Wait a Second!" The plans are currently on hold, and the
future is uncertain. Now it is OUR time to blow the lid off this scam
and PUSH BACK THE PRIVATIZERS!

On June 5th, at 5:00pm, the Union Square Partnership (the schemers
behind the scam) will hold their annual back-slapping,
self-congratulation dinner, just a block or two off the park. We will
gather at the Northwest corner for a raucous rally and celebration of
Free People Freely Assembled in Public Space! Expect marching bands,
a "Heroes of Union Square Walking Tour," community visioning
sessions, and soapbox preaching. Expect surprises and spectacles and
a glimpse of what the city CAN be! Come out and meet your neighbors in
the square and defend the public's right to public space!

To find out more, and see what more you can do visit
Save Union Square

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New flyer for Peel Sessions...Friday...after Critical Mass


with Al Sharpton...critical mass that is.

Bike film Festival party...Bikes ROCK!!

Last night was the bicycle film festival kickoff party at Studio B in Greenpoint.

I ran into Pablo who was one of the people who helped me out with operation Bike Rescue.



Chris Ryan of TeamSpider has more pix...at teamspider blog

Macaframa in Seattle.

Al Sharpton comes to Critical Mass.


For all those people who were bitching about why the critical mass didn't come support the Sean Bell verdict protests...well, Al Sharpton is coming to us.

Enough of this Us and Them.

Check out On NY Turf.com has more details. Now get on your bike and come support Critical Mass.

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So hot.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Films to promote at this years Bicycle Film Festival

This year I didn't make a film but rather I'm in one. Remember those Orange bikes DKNY put up all over the city?

Orange Bikes Take Manhattan - Bicycle Film Festival 2008
By Kalim Armstrong.
Friday May 30th - 7pm, 9:15pm and 11:15pm (same program is repeated)
ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES
32 2nd Ave. at 2nd St.
From the film maker:

"I short I made is screening on Friday in the Bicycle Film Festival. Orange bikes documents the reaction to a guerrilla marketing campaign during fashion week. Orange monochromatic bicycles appeared chained as part of DKNY's "Explore your city" campaign. The bikes were reminiscent of the Ghost Bike memorial project, white painted bikes that serve as markers where cyclists have died in traffic accidents. This film explores the backlash to the marketing campaign.

Kalim will be on hand for the 7:00pm showing.

Here is the trailer:


ORANGE BIKES TAKE MANHATTAN from Kalim Armstrong on Vimeo.

Also, on Saturday (messenger night) May 31st.
Anthology Film Archives (all films at the Anthology)

7,9:15pm and 11:15pm

Get Faster
9 minutes. Directed by Heather Muller (with camera work by Chris Ryan/Teamspider)

To help her win this years Monstertrack, Dylan looks to three local alleycat racers for advice.

GO HEATHER AND DYLAN.

Photo by Ed Glazar:



Also:

FAST FRIDAY
27minutes Directed by David Rowe

Documents the rise of the profile track bike scene in Seattle. Started by clothing designer and fixed-gear rider Dustin Klein (M.A.S.H.) the monthly bike event known as "Fast Friday" has grown into a showcase of today's most talented riders.

Trailer available on the Fast Friday website.

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Party tonight for Bike Film festival. Bikes Rock

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

a Happy Bike Month. Details of my bike rescue.


The fixed.gr forum in NYC is a place where you can announce an event, find a good recipe, post up your favorite album for download or sell your bicycle. It's no different then any other on-line community, interested in a particular activity. This one happens to be about bicycles, particularly the kind that have the back wheel cog permanently attached to the wheel.

One of the threads in the forum has received some recent attention because of the rise in stolen bicycles. People have posted up here in the hopes that others out there who aren't talking about bikes but actually riding them, might happen to see a stolen bike and take some action. This is exactly what happened to me on Sunday, and I was out of town. Some really amazing people in our "bike community" went way out of their way to rescue one bike bloggers ride. I am shocked, amazed and elated. I am thoroughly impressed with what went down and I believe it is a real reflection of our community, and how we aren't all talk on a forum.

Here are some of the details and heroics. (If I get any of this wrong, please let me know)

On Sunday, May 25th, I was out of town in Toronto, attending the wedding of the woman who married us. Danny, an avid forums contributor, was rolling down Ave B, he ran into Roscoe, who he had never meet but recognized him from his bicycle he'd seen on the forum. Roscoe was finishing up a daily ride, all decked out in spandex, when the two meet up. Both of them had noticed an orange KHS on Ave. C. around 6th street, a bike they also recognized from the forum as being stolen. It was hard to miss the Green aerospoke wheel. They began to trail the guy, a short Hispanic male, in a cameo thermal shirt who looked very awkward and did not possess the skills to ride a brakeless fixie. Danny and Roscoe began to make phone calls to try and get some backup and identify the bike. Danny, spending time in Boston to attend school, got in touch with Christina, who we all meet a few months back at Jacob's Pony Up alleycat. She was instrumental in proving it was my bike and calling some other people including my lawyer. Danny's girlfriend was there and she asked Roscoe, if they thought the guy could get away. Judging by his weird riding style..."no way." Dan Bones, Chombo and others were called in this impromptu phone tree, all trying to help.

Roscoe and Danny followed the perp down 6th street towards Ave D. Past that he went into the projects where he got off the bike and meet up with some of his hommies, who Danny described as: "Bigger," and as laws of the jungle go, it would be harder to confront him. At this point Pablo and Jack Crank showed up. Jack had helped someone else out with another bike rescue so this was becoming old hat for him. At this point they had a large enough posse to step in and asked the guy where he got the bike. They argued for a while and explained that the bike was stolen and they wanted it back. Here's where the details are a bit foggy, but they were able to convince the guy to come out of his building lobby and go with them to a place where the rightful owner would pay for his bike back. This was obviously about money, the guy said he bought the bike for $150 on Houston street and didn't want to loose money. The conversation didn't get heated but the person with the stolen bike was faced with 4 or 5 really persistent people, enough so that hommies of his thought it would be best if he just gave the bike up.

The bike crew convinced the guy that I was over by the bike polo grounds at Sara D. Roosevelt park on Chrystie street. This was an attempt to get him to a place where there were a whole bunch more bikers who could help out in this. Some how the guy agreed to go, but not by bike. He had a minivan close by and said he would meet them over there. With some degree of difficulty he tried getting the bike in his van, which made everyone suspicious and the crew decided to follow in case he fled. Pablo tried skitched the van for a while. Others wrote down the guys license plate and phoned it into the police, saying they could identify a stolen bike in the back of a mini van. At this point the van was rolling down Houston Street near 1st Ave. and Brad who owns Trackstar rode up in front of the van, blocking its path, basically saying the jig is up, its over. At this point the van tried to flee the scene and Brad tore off after him and supposedly scratched the van. This made the driver very upset and he began arguing with Brad which stopped the vehicle and allowing the police to roll up behind him.

At this point, Jeff Underwood who owns Continuum was there and others from Polo, including Dylan on her bling fluorescent yellow Brooklyn Machine works ride, that would stop any potential bike napper.

Having the filled a police report minutes after I had the bike stolen really helped keeping the cops interest. In recent cases of bike theft, the reality is that it comes down to the owner having to prove its their bike which can become difficult. Not too many people have serial numbers on their bike or have kept the original receipt and could produce it on the street. I wasn't even in the same country at the time. The police don't want to get involved in street justice and would rather stay neutral, but they were detaining the guy and were probably interested in why so many people were involved in this one bike. They had also managed to get my lawyer on the phone which helped in building my case.

If it wasn't for some hard negotiating on the side from Jeff, the police were ready to just let the guy go with my bike. Jeff worked out a deal for $50.00 bucks to get the bike back and even invited the guy come down to his shop and get another bike, maybe one that wasn't so sought after by the bike community. The cops made everyone shake hands in some sort of UN peacekeeping gesture and everyone disbursed.

I am really amazed that all this went on:

Special thanks to:

Roscoe and Danny for starting off the search party
Pablo and Jack for convincing the guy not to disappear into his hood.
Danny's girlfriend for helping out
Christina for helping from Boston
Brad from Trackstar...Wow, for your amazing heroics.
Dylan for helping out with the muscle.
Chris K. for adding legal assistance via the phone.
Dan Bones for phone support
Jeff Underwood for sealing the deal.

Continuum and Trackstar are not just great bike shops but really amazing community hubs who will go out of their way to help a biker in need.

If I missed anyone out there, thanks for being part of the greenwheel rescue team!! I owe you all a beer, at least.

and for all those out there who made fun of me on various websites, where I was constructively trying to share my experience with others in the off chance that this could happen, you don't have to sit in silence and shame.

There is a vibrant tight knit, awesome bike community out there...doing really positvie things and might just go above and beyond to help you out.

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Saturday, May 24th was the Tour De Brooklyn



David Y. of Bless this Bike has some pictures of the event.

and

Streetfilms have a video.

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Alleycat race roundups part 1

Bangkok Fixed Gear

shows you what its like to race in Thailand.




Alleycat Winner

1. Tar
2. Joke
3. Ball




More pictures here.

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Bike recovered!!!

This is turning out to be an amazing bike month after all. Not just cause I got my bike back, but because we really have a tight community here who looks out for one another.

I don't know all the details but while I was away at a relatives wedding in Toronto...a bunch of truly awesome bikers went way out of their way to recover my bicycle.

It sounds like a crazy story and I want to get all the details.

Stay tuned.

For now...Thank you to all the people who helped with this. I promise to thank you all personally.

Friday, May 23, 2008

You know it...you love it...Bike Month Critical Mass


So next weekend, there is sooo much happening in NYC...I thought I would start posting now.

Friday, May 30th is Critical Mass. And its Bike Month.

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Riding around the Blogosphere, drunk and falling over.

Well it another round up of the bike blogsphere and news.
First stop...

Bikesnob.
Now why our delightful purveyor of snarky bike culture bashing needs anymore mention is a unclear but he is really workin into the press so I will give him props.

Right before bike month he had an article in Time Out in their Great Rides section for Brooklyn

Now he is mentioned in the back of the latest Velo News...

(Notice the cartoon, Wait a sec? I'm the bike blogger with the big Schnoze!!)

And he was mentioned in this article in the nytimes about an art show in Berlin using bicycles.


The trend in fix gears has spawned blogs like bikesnob...to completely flush out the ridiculous nature of bikes becoming fashionable. Like this crap.
RVCA and Cinelli are getting together and making 50 limited edition bike frames. OOOh, and I'm sure they'll be affordable too. To hang on the wall of your 400square ft studio in East Williamsburg for 600,000 bucks.


I mean, I'm all for making biking cool, marketing, getting more people on bikes, but when I see things like this its hard to keep from vomiting...


or this...


But, I will stay positive even when DKNY didn't learn anything and keeps doing this.
Yes they have their orange bikes locked up in the U.K. Hey, this article links to me..Yeah.

But in really important bike news...former Talking heads front man David Byrne...are you ready for this?


Got drunk and crashed his bike on some cobble stones in the Meat Packing district, according to Gothamist.
The Horror. Well its this kind of a thing that will get something done about our roadways...just like Gardens are knocked down and activists loose fierce battles to save them until rich celebs like Bette Midler decide to do something about Gardens. Then, poof...they're saved.

Maybe David can start the "New York, I'm too Drunk to bike home Project."

"This is not my big beautiful bike...MY GOD, What have I done?"

Speaking of treacherous roadways...no matter how drunk you get...

Forget about fixie riding hipsters making Williamsburg the new hot trendy spot, or East Williamsburg...I think its going to be Middle East Williamsburg, in the far off reaches of Afganistan. Joe Hendry at Messmedia.org sent out this article of how people are becoming bike messengers in Kabul.

Afghan mine victims proudly work as bicycle couriers

Reuters India, May 22, 2008
By Jonathon Burch



KABUL (Reuters) - Abdul Saboor rides his bicycle as far as 18 miles a day through the dusty streets of Kabul delivering packages. Most people might be daunted by such distances but not Saboor who peddles through the hilly streets using his only leg.
Thirteen years ago Saboor had to have his right leg amputated after stepping on a landmine near his house in western Kabul. It happened during the civil war when the city was subjected to regular rocket attacks, shortly before the Taliban took control in 1996. Many of the roads were riddled with landmines.
Saboor, now aged 35, had already moved his family to the relatively safer northern part of the city but from time to time he would check on his old home, and it was on one such trip that he lost his leg.
According to the United Nations an average of 60 people every month are killed or wounded by landmines or explosives left over from war in Afghanistan and an estimated 270 square miles are still contaminated with explosive devices.

But that has not stopped Saboor from earning a living, albeit a hard one. He and his fourteen colleagues work for Afghanistan's first and only bicycle messenger service, the Disabled Cycle Messenger Services (DCMS). They deliver letters and packages between offices in the city.

"Of course it's hard work, even for an able bodied person," says Saboor, leaning on his crutches.
"But the fact that I can work and I don't have to sit on the side of the road and beg for money and can provide food for my family gives me a big sense of pride."

The concept is simple and has been employed in large cities such as London and New York for many years, as cycle couriers can often guarantee a faster delivery time than other vehicles as they are not held up by traffic.

Kabul's roads often come to a standstill due to the sheer amount of cars but also because of the numerous security barriers that have sprung up in the city which restrict the flow of traffic and are a great cause of complaint from residents.

Saboor is different from the rest of his colleagues in that he chooses not to use a prosthetic leg, opting for crutches instead. His leg was amputated high above the knee making it more difficult to use a prosthesis, he says.

"I used to use a prosthetic limb but it caused me a lot of discomfort," he says, as one of his colleagues massages his own stump.
Asked if he uses an artificial limb when he cycles, Saboor quickly rejects any doubt over his abilities.
"No, I use my one leg! If you want, I can carry you all the way to north Kabul. I'll show you!" he says strapping his crutches to the bicycle frame and using his only leg to pedal effortlessly around the mud courtyard of the DCMS office.
He and his colleagues use heavy Chinese manufactured bicycles costing around $50 used by Afghans all over the country.
DCMS was set up by an Afghan NGO in 2002 but two years ago disagreements over pay caused them to break away and go it alone. With the move went the donor funding and much of their client base. They have been struggling ever since.
"We're taking our last breath," says Mohammad Amin Zaki, the director of DCMS who is also a mine victim and messenger.
"We have 20 days until the rent is due and after that we don't know what will happen."
The company's struggle reflects the wider economic instability of a country ravaged by almost three decades of war. Unemployment is at least 40 percent.
"The financial situation is bad throughout the country so people usually prefer to deliver things themselves," says Zaki referring to the lack of business.
Each of the messengers earns a meager $10-16 a month depending on the amount of work; well below the national average. On top of this they receive around $10 from the government in the form of disability allowance. All the men work other jobs.
Zaki works in the evenings as a laborer, mixing concrete while Saboor helps his son sell rubbish bags by the side of the road. Another makes bricks.

"We don't have breakfast or lunch. Usually we wait and have dinner together with the family because we don't have enough money for food," says Saboor.

Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world with half of its 25 million people living below the poverty line. The country has also been hit hard by the rising global food prices.
But despite the odds, Saboor remains pragmatic about his future. Asked what he will do if the business shuts down, he says: "I will definitely get another job. I don't like not working. If I lose this job I will find another one somewhere else."

-------------------------
The first Kabul alleycat should be happening shortly.

Traffic Calming Ride in Central Park tonight

Date: Friday, May 23rd, 2008

Time: 6:00 PM

Location: Columbus Circle entrance to Central Park, 59th Street and Broadway/CPW

Summary: Old fashioned traffic calming ride supporting--and enforcing--a car-free Central Park.

Details: Join us as we use our bodies, bikes and mouths to slow down central park traffic and claim the park for children, animals, cyclists, joggers and other non polluting creatures.

Pre-register for Rumble 5.

Rumble thru the Bronx is this Saturday, May 24th. 1300.

you can preregister here.

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Thursday, May 22, 2008

Other goings on this Memorial day weekend...


The fine folks at Cyclejerks.com out of Denver Colorado are throwing a Gang Bang.


Be sure to tune into this great site, they have weekly video podcasts of the carefree punk rock lives of cyclists and couriers in the Mile High city...


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Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Rumble thru the Bronx five. This Saturday.


This weekend is the 5th annual Rumble thru the Bronx. An alleycat so intriguing even the New Yorkers feel like "out-of-towners." This is a really fun race which winds its way all over this twisted borough which many participants have never step foot in. Racers often trade in their fixies for the more practical road bike due to the lengthy terrain. Its a race where knowledge of the streets is such a factor that they post all the checkpoints in advance and groups of participants even ride the course in preparation.

Hodari, Mike Dee and their crew due an excellent job of putting on this race which always includes a beach party afterwards on city island and amazing food by Roz. There's nothing like home-made food after a grueling 26 mile race.

Here is a little video I made of last years race:
Rumble 4 from Michael Green on Vimeo.

To get the course map with the checkpoints visit: "http://www.5borogenerals.com/"> 5borogenerals.com

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Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Save Union Square has a posse.

One minute your gathering for critical mass trying to figure out which guy in a giants baseball cap and red sweat band is a "plain clothes" cop. The next minute "poof." Union square suddenly is surrounded by fences and its not just to keep a large group of people from going on a bike ride. Bad Dream? Nope just another day in the never end struggle to keep our diminishing public space out of the hands of developers and utilized for what its meant to be...p-u-b-l-i-c s-p-a-c-e.

This is the case with the South side of Union square in case you were wondering what the bulldozer monster track rally was going on down there.


The story is a familiar one and goes a little something like this...
"Here's the skinny: after letting the pavilion building fall into disrepair for over a decade, the city government was finally ready to pony up the cash to repair the building and return it to public use. Before the city could even complete their own plans, the Union Square Business Improvement District, or BID, (led by corporate chain stores such as Barnes and Noble and Whole Foods) got involved, dangling wads of extra (anonymously donated) cash, and before you know it the plans that emerged took on a decidedly unfriendly tone, particularly if you happen to be an artist selling your work, a farmer selling food, or any citizen who might want to just sit down in the park without having to purchase a $5.00 latté."


Find out more information about all this at saveunionsquare2008.blogspot.com

or better yet come to a rally at 5pm Wednesday, May 21st. at Union Square South.

I'm confused.

I try and make accurate posts, check into things...alas I made a mistake:

The artist in the post below is Chris Walker who did the Giraffe and the Vandal on the walls of Wiliamsburg.

Street artists and Vandals

There is a Vandal in Williamsburg...not this kind of vandal, who smashes windows to bust into your car, which I saw while riding down Roebling Street yesterday.

Nope this Vandal,

A radio controlled giraffe writes Vandal with a paint brush in its mouth on the Roebling Tea house in Williamsburg Brooklyn.

This is the work of legendary street artist from Bristol U.K, Banksy. Most famously known for this piece in Brighton of two cops making out.

The stencil artist has become so well know for his creations that people were arrested for painting over one of the pieces and charged with criminal damage.

More of his work can be scene here:
artofthestate
and
Banksy.com
This is big money for these contemporary artists. Banksy was in town to sell some art at a big auction house, according to Animalnewyork.com. Oh yeah, he does work on canvas since its hard getting giant city walls sold off, unless your a big time developer. While in NYC, the artist was able to put up a couple more pieces around.

Like this one in Williamsburg on South 3rd St.
Razorapple a great photo blog on NYC street culture has a nice report on these antics including artist who paint with fire extinguishers and paint enormous male members on our city walls.

I guess proximity is also playing a role in these street artists affairs. Shepard Fairy, the obey guy who started by placing Andre the Giant has a posse stickers all over the world, has parled his work into a major operation. His street team is still at it and I noticed these two pieces in the hood on my little impromptu street art exploration.



Zipcar, the hip car rental company, asked the artist in a news letter if he wanted to get involved in some cross-promotion. Why? cause he put up his art near where people pick up zip cars? He could just as easily do something for King Kog, the bike shop in which he put this piece up. Seems like he's more down with a better environment and focusing our dependence on oil with art like this on Broadway, near Union Square.

Notice the couple in the background making out.

Here's another nice piece done by neither artist, near King Kog on Hope Street...look I somehow made this bicycle related:


Now remember this is "ART," and not your repetitive random graffiti tagging which the Mayor will send his clean up team for.

Which does nothing but make fresh canvases for the future Harings, Basquiat, Banksy and Fairy's of the future.

Banksy had a nice comment on graffiti removal...Photo by Greenwood100 from flickr

Perhaps these art projects on walls are the future cave paintings giving insight into a primitive society. Personally I find them more creative and pleasing to the eye then when you randomly turn a corner as see something like this...

to sell underwear. (photo by: Equalizer on flickr.com.)

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Monday, May 19, 2008

Post number 890 is Bad to the Bone...woof woof


While I was busy shooting my second music video for a great African Band, Gokhbi System, Senegalese Hip Hop,
Chris Ryan was busy video taping the pooch pedal parade.


This was a Times Up event to bring awareness to the plight of abondon dogs in nyc. Find out more at the mayor's animal alliance.


Oh and more importantly... A random fixed gear bicycle

was photographed against a graffiti wall...Now thats news, thanks Gothamist.

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Thursday, May 15, 2008

Dog Parade


Ok, so we've seen clowns in the bike lane, we've seen polar bears on bikes, Now its time for dogs on bikes. What better way to help abandon pets in NYC who are locked up all day inside, than take them out into traffic, plunked on the front of baskets on bicycles

Get Ready for the too cute for words:

THE FIRST ANNUAL DOGGIE PEDAL PARADE.

Time’s Up! ride will highlight bicycles adapted to transport pets as well
as the benefits of adopting homeless animals.

WHAT: Time's Up! Doggie Pedal Parade
WHEN: Saturday, May 17, 2008 at 2 PM
WHERE: Traffic island on south end of Union Square East
between Broadway & 4th Ave

**Excellent visuals**

New York, NY (May 14, 2008) – On Saturday, May 17th, bicyclists will use
baskets and trailers to take their dogs along for the ride in the Time’s
Up! first annual Doggie Pedal Parade. The bicycle ride will demonstrate
environmentally friendly ways to transport pets around the city and will
include parade floats pulled by bicycles and decorated to honor selected
animal rescue groups. The ride route will feature animal adoption sites
and animal friendly locations.

Cyclists without dogs are encouraged to ride dressed as their favorite
animals or to join the Safety Pooch Patrol to help escort the ride.
Spectators are encouraged to join the cheering sections at selected points
along the route, such as the Animal Haven Adoption Center at 251 Centre
St, and are invited to meet at the end of the ride for snacks and drinks
at a doggie celebration near the Washington Square Park dog run at
Washington Square South and Sullivan Street. Fred, the dog who was
adopted from the ASPCA and went on to star in the most recent Broadway
production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, will be signing pawtographs

To prevent any Ruff Riding and for the fun and safety of the group,
non-social pets are asked to stay at home.

Supporters of the ride include ASPCA, League of Humane Voters of New York
City, Mayor’s Alliance for NYC's Animals and Rational Animal.

**Doggie Pedal Parade FAQ:
FAQ

**Photos of DOGS ON WHEELS - sample of what you will see on Saturday's ride:
Here

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Blog Round Up.

Here is my weekly roundup of whats going on in the bicycle blog world:

Remember tomorrow is Bike to Work day. If you have no work, tomorrow is bike to look for a job day, or bike to the local coffee shop and blog about biking to work or bike around Prospect Park, cause obviously those people are doing something right cause they can bike before work...all day long.

Trackosaurusrex pointed out an event in SF. on Thursday sponsered by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition...
Bike Away from work...looks like it Was a cool event.

Speaking of SF, and events past.


Squids NYC messenger company Cyclehawk posted the results of Velocity in San Francisco.

VELO CITY HELLYER 2008 RESULTS
WOMEN
1) Megan
2) Dorit
3) Colleen

CITY BIKER MEN
1) Steven
2) Andres
3) Jack

MESSENGER MEN
1) Fergus
2) Deuce
3) Maurice

This was the third and final installment of the Velocity tour which is a velodrome track day where urban riders and messengers can compete to win tickets to the Cycle World Messenger Championships which are in Toronto this year...in June.

Squid and his crew, really put their heart and soul into this event and give people an amazing opportunity to compete in cycling on track bikes, where they were meant to be...the track.
Check here for some pix.



Congratulations Fergus...you going to TORONTO!!



Squid
Want to say THANKS to Mike and Hellyer Velodrome for volunteering your time and the track! And all the sponsors who made Velocity happen...


Speaking of Cyclehawk...Carlos, who works there has a photoblog...Ridin around, making runs...takin images.
Callejeronyc.blogspot.com

Speaking of...wait...never mind.

Prolly wants you'll to know that Friday, May 30th (which is also Critical Mass)
is his monthly Peel Sessions


The Bootleg sessions cats will be on hand to rip it up, shoot some video and push this sport to new levels...
check out the trailer for their new video comin out:



"Bootleg Sessions v.2" Fixed Gear DVD Trailer from Ride/Relax Productions on Vimeo.

Now, the fixie kids might ride up walls and do silly tricks...but Pro Racers can get silly too...like this:


I saw this posted on a Roadie blog Velo Jello

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WOW. Amazing animation

I copied this from one of my favorite blogs Prolly

This is some street animation that is out of this world...can you say painstaking.


MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

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Wow, I almost missed this one.

What, do I have to read every blog out there about biking?

Thanks to Hubs and Spokes, a very thorough blog on NYC transportation issues, I learned that the NY Times blog,


made space for us New Yorkers to Ask this guy questions.
who is this guy?

This clean cut dapper fellow is: Joshua Benson, the bicycle program coordinator for the Department of Transportation. I know what your thinking, the DOT has a bicycle program coordinator? Yes its true and besides having to wear a tie, you get to oversee the three year plan to extend the 200 mile bicycle network.

Here
are some of the answers to the questions asked.

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Bicycle Film Festival 2008 is COMING


Why is this man so excited:
A) Its bike to work day?
B) Its not excitement, his Jockstrap is breaking the speed record before the rest of his body?
C) he just bought a new track bike and they forgot the saddle?
D) He just got tickets to the 2008 Bicycle Film Festival...of course.
Thats right...you know the deal...Get your tickets early. Don't forget, the BFF this year falls during Critical Mass weekend...knowwhatdyamean!


Here's what you do:

1) go to the website
2) Decide what programs you wanna see.
3) Buy tickets
4) Get elated look like the guy pictured above.

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