Amidst our Failing Economy, Laughter.

Q: How many commodities traders does it take to change a light bulb?

A: None, they don’t change bulbs; but the trading price of darkness does plummet due to oversupply.

-from deep within the freakonomics blog.

Sick: Lugged Stem By Nitto w/ Reynolds

Nitto Lugged Reynolds 853 Stem



"Made from Reynolds 853 steel tubing and custom lugs, this stem is gorgeous! 26.0mm handlebar clamp, and made to fit 1" steerer tubes. Nickel plated for a durable satin finish. This is the best reason you should never buy a bike that takes a threadless stem! We stock these in 5 sizes; 80mm, 90mm, 100mm, 110mm, and 120mm. 180mm quill. $ 200.00

from here

Feeling Flush? Plug GOLD.

aint no joke. one of a kind. and the company will make you one, if youve got the bank to back a dip into pure gold.




here.

Tonights THE Night.

although this has nothing to do with bikes, it does kinda have to do with beer - although all bike people are welcome... and beer people...

DJ B MINUS and DJ C PLUS, aka Benito Y Carlito throw an entirely new night at the church of red, aka REDCHURCH...

welcome to

RUDE SAFARI!!!!!

EVERY WEDNESDAY! with tonight marking the OFFICIAL 1st month completed, and tucked fully under our belts (amongst other things).

Come see B- / C+ play more types of music than you new existed - and all BACK TO BACK!

WE AINT FRONTIN!

YEAH!

MEDIA SPOT: The Observer (aka, the sunday edition of The Gaurdian)

No brakes, no gears: the latest bike craze
Stripped-back cycles popular with couriers are taking London by storm

Alice Fisher, style correspondent
The Observer,
Sunday March 9 2008

Riding a bicycle without brakes sounds like a rash move, but a wave of cyclists are eschewing traditional bikes for a stripped-down machine known as a fixed-gear.

It is one of the most basic machines you can build with two wheels. A fixed-gear bike - or fixie - has no derailleur as it has only one gear, so as long as the wheels turn, so do the pedals. Its rider can't freewheel and the only way to brake is to stand on the pedals.

The fixed-gear's renaissance supposedly stems from West Indian immigrants in New York working as cycle couriers in the Eighties. They had used them at home because they were cheap and easy to maintain, and continued using them in the US. Their light frames and speed made them perfect for work. It's popularity spread throughout the courier community, finally crossing to the UK and other countries.

However, as the fixie craze has taken off so has the number of new riders who enter 'alleycats' - unofficial road races consisting of a series of checkpoints on a set route.

Alleycats originated in America and were organised for and by cycle couriers but now inexperienced riders participate. Last Sunday in Chicago, Matthew Manger-Lynch, 29, was killed in a collision with a four-wheel drive after running a red light. He was competing in an alleycat known as Tour Da Chicago. A similar race - the New York Monstertrack, normally the biggest annual alleycat in the US - was scheduled to take place on 8 March, but was cancelled after the Chicago death. These races now take place in British cities and threaten to colour public opinion of the growing urban cyclist subculture. Around 30 cyclists took part in one organised by art students in central London last Thursday which finished with a party at a bar in Hoxton.

Roxy Erickson, 28, who is part of the women-only fixed-gear Trixie Chix collective, said: 'Media reports don't show the community spirit, or the eco-friendly side of cycling. A working messenger [courier] who got hit by a doubledecker bus wouldn't get as much news space.'

The strength of the fixed-gear community is demonstrated on the messageboards that are full of updates on the welfare of cyclists injured in accidents, invites to parties and gallery openings as well as alleycats (which are often held to support injured cyclists or promote causes such as the war on drugs).

Andy Ellis, 28, who's part of Fixed Gear London collective and builds fixies, explained why the bikes are so popular. 'You can't get more linked to a bike than on fixed-gear. If you can freewheel, you can stop pedalling, you only feel the road when you brake.

'There are aspects which compare to skateboarding, which I've done for 15 years. You enjoy travelling through the city in the same way, but on a fixed-gear, it's faster and you have more control.'

The fixie's simplicity and grace appeals to the fashion conscious, many of whom take customisation to extravagant levels, creating bikes with imported track-bike frames and hand-built wheels that cost thousands.

Ellis said: 'At first it was anything to get them on the road, but I've built three bikes for one guy in the last year and every time he comes back he wants something more exclusive.' The fixed scene is also female friendly.

The international fixed scene is now getting mainstream attention, including official sponsorship from bike companies. A cyclist known as Superted - part of the Fixed Gear London collective - is sponsored by cycle brand Charge Bikes. There's also the Bike Film Festival, now in its fourth year. This international event showcases films - many amateur, which document cyclists' tricks and agility.

The most successful fixed-gear film is Mash SF, which featured the Mash SF collective riding in San Francisco. 'It's the first big film about fixed-gear trick riding,' said Laura Fletcher, the London producer of the festival and a fixed-gear rider. 'It's gone around the world.'

Tom Bogdanowicz, of London Cycling Campaign, the largest urban cycling organisation in the world, says: 'Fixed is enjoyable and good for fitness, but you have to acquire riding skills. Once mastered, the bikes are good for urban cycling as they make you very aware of the road and you can maintain speed at a level that's suitable for traffic. They make you think ahead.' He suggested that anyone wishing to try fixed in London should go to Herne Hill Stadium where low-cost training sessions are on offer.

---

its nice to hear homies in the news - big ups to rox, andy and ted! (i djed at the film festival too! tee-hee!)

fo sale!

1. Nitto B-123AA Chro-Mo NJS 380m. you can still make out the NJS stamp too.
2. System Ex 3pc seatpost, 27.2ish. was 26.2, but the powder coating & varnish adds about a mill.
3. Brandless steel chops, straights, 330m.
4. Brandless aluminum chops, horny, from bullhorns, 345m at the widest.
5. Sugino MAXY crankset 171m. comes with two chainrings (and bolts) in case you want to use both, but, really, why would you?

ive not fully posted this to any forums or ebay yet, but if anyone happens to see this and wants to make an offer, go for it. ships from UK to most anywhere.

tings marked with an X have been taken / used.

churs.

NEW! IRO Premium Hubbies!

pretty lookings, and good tasting! and only 99 USD a duo!

My Room: The Not-So-Used Part Bin

powda coatin' dun.

dig.



before:

potentially the coolest helmet ever?

its czech, and im looking into where it did come from... link to be posted

Cool Bits & Hot Chix

actually, nothing to do with hot chix - it just rhymed - but i went a'diggen off of fgg, and found some yummy tings':

swobo bottle opener, pedal and track nut tool, made by park and considered by MoMA for their permanent collection:




swobo folsom: an industrial strength fixed & fun bike - more like a charge plug, than a bianchi pista, this an all-business bike that even superted might ride...



trackstar is now offering their "champion scarf":



what do you get when you want a baseball cap, but you need a short bill? trackstar now sells this creation, whatever it is...

Design & Bicycles

finally (unless i am mistaken) Core77 has covered the Great North American Handmade Bicycle Showoff Convention Show. its nice to see even they are opening their eyes to "wider than standard industrial design" angles (track geometry, no doubt).



go here.

Bikes do grow on trees

Another plywood frame showed up on fixed gear gallery ... slightly different approach.

My Room, the Used Part Bin

heres what my floor looks like. i dont actually usually keep it looking this way, its just that im having a whole batch of goodies (pretty much everything metal in this shot) powder coated white, save for the risers which are going in with the frame to be blue. the principle is pretty simple; no two colored bits should be touching; ie, frame is blue, stem is white, bars are blue, and grips are white. hub white, spokes black, rim white, tire black walled with white tread.

should look pretty sweet once its all back together (for now, im rolling the peugeot). my inspiration was the "bmx inspired" daves quality meats vs trackstar bikes.

some mean ass tools

these are straights. and were talking some straight straights. no curves. no nothin. and chrome. oh yeah, and those things on the end? those are for scratching cars.

Product Design & Those that are Suckers for it.

i think, on many levels, that these little doosies, these trouser-saving ankle clips are just totally awesome. although ive reposted from a thread on londonfgss about a different subject, the whimsy involved in these is just amazing to me, and needed a repost that focused solely on them.



designed by Gijs Bakker, one half of the founders of the Droog Collective, these bad boys hit a number of sweet spots, product design wise; they achieve their goal (save trousers from grease / wear & tear); they provide slightly more safety (as they are reflective) and they toss in a dose of whimsy, a la Mercury. although they are made of a single polymer (making manufacture and recapture easy), on the downside, they are made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) a big no-no these days, due to the fact that any product wears down with use (abrasion), and this one will release chlorine - that which kills life.

available from terrance conran's online store.

bikes not cars.

shot in the streets of Munster, Germany, below is an image i found off of core77, comparing the relative volumes of the same amount of people traveling by car, bus and bicycle. no wonder LA is packed with cars, yet so vacuous.

First Annual Bicycle Film Festival Bike Polo Championships

Brendt, the Bicycle Film Festival creator, thought that they should mix up the last day of the festival with some on-steed action, namely with Polo championships (including teams from all over the UK), a game of HORSE, a live performace by The Spokes (missed them, but i can see from the photos that its like choreographed bicycle riding, me thinks) and lots of drinking. The event happened without a hitch - save a few bruised egos and scraped elbos, most of which were owned by me - and it was great turnout; id say at least 100 - 150 bicycles, plus at least 30 walkers

heres a shot of the crowd...


the zombie army



inbetween the finals for bike polo, a game of FIXED (HORSE) was organized, which matt and i were promptly conscripted into playing. simply enough, the game goes like: one person sets a trick that all everyone follows, and for every failed attempt you get a letter, with the first loser completing the word of the hour (in this case FIXED condensed to FIX). for losing (and quickly) we got vision street wear shirts, vans stickers and cute little dangly mini-vans slip on key chains.

heres team A cold lamping while somebody performs their ever increasingly difficult trick set.



notice how the players on the right side are not paying attention? yeah, thats the losers circle. so we focussed on beer and conversation instead. i can proudly say that i took a little air time while botching a leg-over-bars skid properly, thereby gaining my X and propelling me to the losers ring... and in front of 200 people. now by back is tweaked and ive bruises on every corner and limb of me body and i couldnt be happier.




heres roxy doing her superman trick set - a trick hard to manage when testicles are involved, so every guy out there (every sinlge person playing, save her) had to struggle with this simple but potentially fatal move.



yorgo, of zombie army, busting his trade mark skids as his trick set...

9inth Avenue to get Bike Lane

what i wonder, tho, is, are there other streets that intersect with ninth, that also have bike lines? i mean, bike lanes are good, but if they dont connect, a lot of good they'll do. it would seem, logically speaking, that if the city did indeed have a meshing network of bike lanes, then adding SEVEN BLOCKS of bike lane would not warrant an entire article in the New York Times. yet there it is, implying that, yes it is the lone bike lane, straight and true. course, it doesnt go anywhere else, save for SEVEN BLOCKS of ninth, but hey, its the gesture that matters, right?

Recent Lookers, from FGG

nice contrast of frame and background, nice build


nice eighties homage


nice photography



nice punk rock take


nice sexy beast!





nice classic fav of mine

Quote of the Day

"[J.R.R.] Tolkien completed The Lord of the Rings in 1948, close to a decade after the first sketches. During the 1950s, Tolkien spent many of his long academic holidays at the home of his son John Francis in Stoke-on-Trent. Tolkien had an intense dislike for the side effects of industrialization, which he considered to be devouring the English countryside. For most of his adult life, he was disdainful of automobiles, preferring to ride a bicycle."

- from here.

Sets our Blog to Bed

have you ever dreamed of heavy metal playing loud, as an unborn - as of yet - sport you participate in is documented, edited, and posted on youtube, and then used as leverage to get you sponsorship from a pretty much nonexistent company?

nor have i.

but it happend, yo. it happend.



this video was shot by cadence, a fixie-biased company, but it directly got this 19yo a sponsorship from "charge bicycle co" whom i know nothing of, other than jody wants the 'duster mid', one of their offroad rides...

Bikes & Beer, in Brugges, Belgium, BABY! YEAH!

One Hundred Friendly of Arnold Circus / 29.07.07

in the spirit of "take the power back", a local group of do-gooders went to reclaim a down-trodden, trash adorned, gang member hide out, and restore it to its former glory, when it used to host live brass bands, and was the center of a neighborhood. the place in question is a (probably manmade) hill, with a road encircling it, sporting a number of hundred-year-old trees, a stepped terrace flanking its sides, and an old band shell / bungalow, which, altogether, is lovingly called "arnold circus." this coalition, calling them selves "friends of arnold circus", have since organized its clean up (the gardening team sweeps through on tuesdays, the clean up crew on saterdays) and hosted a number of community oriented events, the latest of which was the "sharing picknick" day, hosted but a few days ago. of the events planned, one was "100 laps arround arnold circus."

at about 16.30 gmt, i get a call from rose, informing me of the ensuing race, and recommending that i come down to watch. within minutes i was standing at the byway, wondering "what and why." minutes later, there i was standing IN the race, waiting to begin, not knowing why i just signed up, but sure i would drop out after a few laps.

about an hour twenty after that, and i finally got to stop pedaling, knees aching, back soar, and alltogether worn out from doing 100 laps of .12 miles, at about 10 mph average. i couldnt find any good photos of the circus it self, so i scanned a little flyer that communicates both the neighborhood-like environment that encircles the circus, but also the loving sentiment these neighbors attach to it. they gave everyone these A5 paper things that had a big 100 on them, said "one hundred friendly revolutions of arnold circus" and then had your entry number tastefully scrawled on them; after mine got a bit worked by my back wheel during the ride/race, i thought it might look good semi-preserved for posterity (and anyone else who might look at my back wheel), so i swung by work and had that sucker laminated - spoke card!

Gangs with Bangs.

when stephen and alex were on their way home from the arcade, gumballs in pocket, sleeves rolled, sunglasses rockin, they felt pretty good. alex had just scored 1,420 on the shoot-em-up game, a new record for him, and stephen had beat the shop boy at a burping contest, so they were both feeling pretty good, pretty hard, and pretty invincible.

and then they took the wrong turn.

suddenly, there they stood, face to face with what looked like an army of the toughest gang members theyd ever seen, who were staring back at them with almost as much shock as the two boys.

thinking quickly, the boys started to chat to them, hoping a quick friendship could be forged, which in turn might allow them to pass, to live another day.

but just then, stephen drops the ball, and admits to having recently had his nails done.

the girls wouldnt stand for it.

seconds later, stephen was a smear on the street.

the streets are mean these days.

doesnt help that youve got gangs like these, trolling the streets, causing mayhem and destruction on every street they haphazardly turn onto...

The Hammer Headset

k, its not a head set, but it is awesome.

here