It's moving day

This blog will be moving from Blogger to Wordpress. You can get a direct ride there by going to www.gomeansgo.org
Hope to see you there.
xoxo,

Ryan.

Graeme Obree, back in the saddle, for an hour.

Graeme Obree's story is a wild ride. If you haven't seen The Flying Scotsman, you should.



And now he's back in the saddle again. He's not 100% sure he can do it, but he sure as hell is going to try. Last year, at 42 years old, was the first time since he was 16 that he didn't win a bike race. He's going for the hour record on, once again, a bike he has built himself. He'll be pushing a 138" gear (67x13).

He'll be going for it in late 2009. Keep your ear to the ground, and I'll try and follow up when I hear word.

Where are you go?

Four months on a bicycle between Cairo, Egypt and Cape Town South Africa is not your typical African safari.

En route with the Tour d’ Afrique, the world’s longest bicycle race and expedition, the Zenga Bros. (CAN) and Brian Vernor (USA) make light of this physically daunting trip by sharing a universal love of the bicycle with Africa’s roadside mechanics, sporting racers, and innumerable curious strangers.

Traveling more than 70 miles per day, 50 racers and expedition riders experienced the boundless Nubian desert of Sudan, the great majesty of Victoria Falls, and finally the cold rush of the Atlantic Ocean.

Where Are You Go captures the 7,000 mile expedition as a constant adventure full of playfulness and mysterious beauty, and is a testament to the endurance of human curiosity

Via Krtschmidt via arkitip

Zlog gear is goin' off

Zach at Zlog is bringing more gear to the front. I'm really into the Chain Cult shirt, and the snap backs are looking fly. Way to go buddy.


Of course the "Drop Bars Not Bombs" is already a classic, and has made an appearance on BSNYC. No such thing as bad publicity.

You can get at Zach's stuff via his Zlog Big Cartel Store

There are a few crews that could use this...

Stop the fighting. Laugh it out.

Mungo Jerry

Travis Pastrana

Old news. But me and Iggy were talking about this the other day, and it's pretty crazy to watch.

Emerald Sprints Results 051209

Thanks to all that came out to the Emerald Sprints event that was a benefit for the West Side Invite. A good time was had, and Matt took home the trophy, with his first night ever competing with roller racing. Way to go Matt! The 8 person bracket is below:

All the money raised will go to help make the West Side Invite that much better. So thanks again, and we hope to see you at the Emerald Sprints side event taking place on Saturday at the Belltown Underground. Get ready to pedal to some METAL. That's right. Throne of Bone and Emerald Sprints- sharing a stage. Are you ready?
As for grudge matches:

Ian C. 21.00
Joe H. 21.04

Karl A. 21.51
Frieburger 21.30

Matt 19.30
Charlie L. 21.64

Corndog 21.25
Ross M. 21.24

Ryan 18.92
Koos 19.97

Joe 20.03
Eahn 20.56

Ian 19.85
Tall Bryan 20.08

Corndog 21.18
Rob 19.50

Charlie 20.49
Karl 20.69

Dan 22.89
Andrew 18.96

As for the West Side Invite, it's right around the corner. You should really come out for it- it's going to be a real kick in the pants. More info and online registration forms can be found at www.westside2009.com

If you are interested in email updates regarding Emerald Sprints- send an email with the word "subscribe" in the subject line to ryan@bikebloc.com
Spin Fast, Die Young.

Fall down, go boom.

Loading dock drops are bigger than they appear, when riding second rate equipment. Just sayin.

Emerald Sprints Tuesday

A benefit for the West Side Invite. $7 at the door and you get a race for free. Grudge matches are $1 per person, that's $2 per match. Registration starts at 6pm. Brackets will likely start at 8pm.

True Romance. Minus the cars and the guns.

If you like bikes, and clothes, you might like this-True Romance:

Maybe you like bikin' so much you can wear a shirt of people bikin' while you're bikin' so you can bike when you bike. Or something like that. Another velo inspired design from the pen (and screen) of Mr. Karl Addison, owner and operator of Partybots. His Etsy store is huge, with so many color/image combinations. Check it at Partybots.org
Support independent artists (especially those that ride bikes)

Future Tense 050809

West Side Invite 5/22-25

Get into it. Later this month, it's going to blow your mind. So much fun. Register HERE. Good fun, good people, bikes, beer, what else is there? Here is what's on the agenda:

Friday May 22nd

* All day Registration/Alley Cat starts at 9am at Mobius (Race ends at 4pm, no earlier)
* "Core Whore" Women’s Only Alley Cat Flier starts at Mobius at 7pm (Race map)
* PM Registration at welcoming party at Mr. D's map

Saturday May 23rd

* Registration from 10am-12pm at Cool Guy Park
* Time Trial starts at Cool Guy Park (WSI Omnium) 10am-12pm Start window Flier
* Group Ride to Anarchy Point from 12pm-1pm
* Afternoon Meal at Anarchy Point at 3pm
* Track Stand at Anarchy Point
* Footdown at Anarchy Point
* Skids at Anarchy Point
* Saturday Alley Cat Flier(WSI Omnium) starts 5pm-6pm at Anarchy Point
* Side Event: Emerald Sprints at Belltown Underground

Sunday May 24th

* Brunch at 10am with Corndogs Bloody Mary's
* Main Race (WSI Omnium) starts at 12pm Flier
* Unofficial Polo seeding matches/throw-in games at Judkins Park for those not competing in the Westside Main Race; starts at 12:00pm
* Fixed gear freestyle at Belltown Underground
* Awards Ceremony at Belltown Underground

Monday May 25th

* Polo Tournament (Flier) at Judkins Park
* 10am-12pm registration
* 12pm Start
* BBQ (free to all)

Description of Events

WESTSIDE INVITE OMNIUM

The Westside Invite Omnium winner is the overall winner of the Westside Invite. The Omnium consists of three events: The Time Trial, The Alleycat and The Main Race. Points will be given for each of these three races depending on finishing time/place. The points will be tallied up and the person(s) with the most points will be crowned Westside Invite Omnium winner. There will be prizes given for the Omnium as well as individual events. This should not be confused with the King and Queen of Track competition.

KING AND QUEEN OF TRACK

The King/Queen of Track prize and subsequent belt will go to the person who competes the best overall on a track bike in these events: the Time Trial, the Alleycat, the Main Race, Track Slide, Track Stand, Goldsprints and Fixed Gear Freestyle. Similar to the Omnium, the person(s) with the most points after all of these events will be crowned King and Queen of Track. Belts, Glory, Denial and Deliverance. Track bikes mean no brakes.

TIME TRIAL

The time trial will start at Cool Guy Park map. Individual riders will start at intervals from 10am to 1pm. This will be a nice, mostly flat, tour of The Emerald City from North to South and through Downtown. There will be no more than five stops. Here are three of the stops: Gasworks Park map, Counterbalance Bicycles map and Oxbow Park map. The time trial will end at Anarchy Point map.

ALLEYCAT

The Alleycat will start at Anarchy Point map. One manifest, x-amount of checkpoints, first one to the finish wins.

MAINRACE

The Main Race will consist of eight checkpoints and multiple manifests. This race will be an intimate course in the traditional Westside Style. Checkpoints will be listed in the registration packet.

EMERALD SPRINTS

Emerald Sprints are a go at the Belltown Underground map Saturday night after the Time Trial and Alley cat.

TRACKSTAND

The Trackstand will take place at Anarchy Point on Saturday night.

FOOTDOWN

See Webster’s Dictionary definition for Footdown.

BIKE POLO

Bike Polo will be held at Judkins Park map Flier. This will be a hardcourt double elimination tournament, starting at 12pm.

Say hello to my little friend.

He's not a bike, or a gun, he's just bad ass.

Laila is on a wall.

Saw this over at Fixed Gear Blog
Way to go Laila, you are getting famous.

Tacoma bike swap this weekend

Join fellow bike enthusiasts Saturday, May 9th, at the University of Puget Sound, under the big tent in the Wyatt Hall parking lot (1401 Union Ave, just north of the athletic fields), Noon to 5PM.

Vendors from throughout the Northwest will buy and sell road, mountain and vintage bicycles -- gear, too! An event for bike riders of all ages, abilities, and budgets, the Swap will feature a bike corral where you can sell or trade your current ride. The corral will be monitored, but bring a lock if you don't plan to stay with your bike.

Demonstrations and bike club information will be available all afternoon. Some space is still available for vendors. There's no charge (really!), but please register in advance for the best available locations. Email bikeswap@cityoftacoma.org with your address and we'll email you the registration.

That's The Tacoma Bike Swap, Wyatt Hall parking lot, 1401 N. Union, Tacoma, 98406 -- May 9, Noon to 5. See you there!

Mark Webb. Full English

As with other Mark Webb videos I've seen, the music is atrocious, but the riding is impeccable. Here it is:

Get bent.

Oh the bicycle. I truly believe that it is one of the best inventions ever made. Still as practical, and possibly even more practical than when it was first invented. I love the way they feel, look, and how efficient they are.
They have a relative, the recumbent:


It has received a bit of a bad rap. Sure, the lines are not as clean, and it looks more like the riders would play the Key-tar and have a ponyfail:

As far as efficiency goes though, there is no beating it. Put a fairing on it, and you have a vehicle which can look clean, be fast, keep you dry, and carry cargo.
Enter the Leitra:

I have admired these, and other "velo cars" since I first laid eyes on them in the mid 1990's. Leitra's are Danish, and the builder will deliver it to your house (via Leitra) anywhere in Europe. I think they cost over $20,000, so I don't think I'll be getting one soon, but I really think as I get older, I may appreciate the comfort of recumbent bicycles, and may look into them more. Until then, I still enjoy looking at alternative transportation, whether it be a brakeless fixed wheel bike, or a BikeE recumbent.
It really doesn't matter what you ride, just that you do ride.

My weekend in Oregon

Melissa and I went to Seaside, OR last weekend for a friend that was celebrating her 30th birthday. The Oregon coast is of course a beautiful place to spend time, and we had a lot of fun renting a house with 8 other people. My weekends are often filled with bicycle events in Seattle, and it sometimes feels difficult to pull myself away. I had a great time, and of course, as I always say, next time I'll bring the bike.

Astoria is where much of the filming for Goonies took place, and on our way home, we stopped by some of the locations. It is still amazing to me how many people stop by to get their picture taken in front of the County Jail, or Mikey's house on the hill. I was there in 2006, and in the pouring rain, Andrew and I weren't the only ones getting a snapshot of us standing thumbs up in front of the "Goonies House." This time the weather was much nicer, so there were many more people.

Apparently there are some people out there that don't see the appeal of "The Goonies." The movie was released in 1985, so some younger folks have no idea what the big deal is about. I won't even go into it. Either you are into or not, and if you're not, oh well, your loss.
A screen shot that unfortunately didn't make it into the final edit:

It's good to be home. Now I go back to the basement and finish building up my neighbors bike, and put on the Colnago's vintage Campagnolo Nuovo Record dérailleur that Justin so awesomely helped me secure yesterday.
If you remember nothing else.... Remember: Goonies never say die.

Red wants his bike back.

18 speeds?

Brakeless Street Trials

Impressive stuff. Read the article HERE

Black out with your bike out

Only a few can cozys left. And it's almost summer time. Get them while you can.
You can get one for $4. What a deal. HERE

Lance Armstrong off road.

This is old, but still one of the reasons that I respect Lance Armstrong.

Mad Rad and the Toy Soldiers play this Saturday

Mad Rad is playing this Saturday with The Toy Soldiers at The Mix in Georgetown. I have yet to see either band, but Ryan from The Toy Soldiers came out to Emerald Sprints and we chatted a bit. If I were in town this weekend I'd be there. But alas, I will not be, but you should go and dance the night away!
I found this on the Youtube- Mad Rad has a Sexy Sexy Bicycle song. How bout them apples?

Hockey brawls are way better.

Bicycles and Unicycles oh my!

Where the party at?

I lived in the SF Bay in the mid nineties, and Critical Mass was in full effect. Reclaim the Streets involved overturned cars on Telegraph Ave and bonfires, along with mobile DJs. "The couch" was present at the CM rides in Berkeley, and I've climbed more than a few hills pulling the couch with two passengers onboard. Everyone came to the parties. These bikes would have been a lot of fun. I would now appreciate a much more mobile version, probably trailered for this summer, which I hope will be full of bikes and beach parties.

Runnin' on empty. The weekend is over.

Yesterday was the Hella Corn dog Classic (HCDC)... A benefit for the West Side Invite, and a race put together by Corndog hisself.
We met at the Amphitheater at Volunteer Park, bikes gathering around 1pm, and race leaving at 3pm. Three manifests- picks had to be done in order, drops could be made in any order. There were 6 locations- with 3 picks/drops per manifest. They were ordered differently for each manifest and when finished, everyone had done the same 18 stops. Zach/Zlog and I had the same rotation of manifests, so we road together. I still have difficulties navigating Capital Hill and downtown (anywhere south of the shipping canal really.)
Did I mention that it was the Corndog Classic? Not just because Corndog put it together, but after completing each manifest- a corndog that had been warming on the bbq had to be consumed before receiving the next manifest. Corndogs are good. They taste really good with mustard at the fair. Racing bikes and pounding corndogs on the other hand... not such a dynamite idea. My first corndog was so hot it felt as though my insides were burning as I tried to scarf it down. My second corndog was cooler, but had absorbed that distinct lighter fluid taste, unsettling my stomach. My third corndog was consumed post race, at a pace that was not forced, and therefore somewhat enjoyable. I may abstain from corndog consumption until the next Corndog Classic.
The day before the HCDC I decided that it was time for a ride. I met up with some of the Bunnyhawks for a ride. "Blazing trails with Blaise" A counter-clockwise ride on the north Lake Washington loop. A 42 mile loop from Gasworks, we took a couple detours (got lost) adding a few more miles and a few more hills just for good measure. After it was all said and done it finished out at a 50+ mile day. I was a little surprised at the hills around Kenmore through Medina. I figured a Lake Washington loop would be a flat route. I had apparently forgotten that the waterfront was private property, putting travelers on the roads that wander up and down the hills in the area.
All in all a great weekend. Good weather, and I got to ride bikes and drink beer with friends old and new, when it really comes down to it- that's what it's all about. Right?

Oh hey- what are you doing today?

A ride with George Hincapie

I saw this over at Ortolan 206- which is a great blog by a rad dude.

Penny farthing fall down go boom.

It seemed like a good idea at the time....
Pennyfarthing Crash

Poppy.

Love your bike

Penny Farthing Friday

And a tandem:

Victoria this weekend

This looks like a kick in the pants. I wish I could make it. Bike proms are where it's at.
Check it out at Victoria Bike Prom 2009
Mark your calendars for a weekend of bike-inspired art, events, and debauchery in Victoria BC, April 24, 25, and 26.

Inspired. Danny MacAskill

This dude should go by Danny MadSkill (womp womp.) Insane. I'd like to see him and Ryan Leech go head to head. Their bikes look funny, but there must be something to it, because it doesn't seem like this should be done on a bike. Filmed over six months in Edinburgh. Filmed and edited by David Sowerby. Excellent job to everyone involved. And the song even went well.

Inspired. Danny MacAskill from dave on Vimeo.
Seen at Pedal Consumption, who saw it on Starfuckers

Use a bicycle

Veer. The movie.

More info HERE

Bike shorts and clips.

This one is nice:

Karl asked me about this one the other day, it's so good:

And this one.... Well, it's just good.

Kung Fu biking.

Then and now.

Another year gone by while living in Seattle. Many things have changed since I've moved back to the lower 48 from Cordova. I ride a lot more, and am involved with an active cycling community. I am in a relationship with a wonderful woman that supports my borderline obsession with all things bicycle.

As I moved to Alaska in the late nineties, I left behind my touring bike and bike zine "Behind Bars" in Minneapolis. My tour down the east coast cut off before it even started in order to hop trains and hitchhike to Olympia, where a converted school bus would take me up to Alaska, just for the summer. I stayed for 8 years. I worked and lived in Cordova, becoming a part of one of the most welcoming communities I have ever visited. I cherish the people that I met and still know in that little drinking town with a fishing problem. After I did a little fishing and had some change in my pocket, I started the Cordova Bike Project, based on the Austin Yellow Bike Project that I was involved with while I was messengering in Austin. I bought a bunch of parts, collected 15-20 old bikes that people were getting rid of, picked up some yellow paint, and got to work. It was a great thing to keep me occupied during the winter months; the rain days that made snowboarding not so good, and the days that I just wanted to make something work. Unfortunately, as spring moved around, the reality came to light: It was hard to find people willing to donate time to fix and maintain these bikes. I didn't have a way to fish AND work on bikes, there just wasn't enough time in the day. I was also stubborn... refusing to ask for help from businesses and government agencies. So the Cordova Bike Project stopped putting bikes on the street. Until I moved I saw one or two getting ridden around out at the Cove.

Fast Forward======>
It's 2009, and this past year has been a whirlwind of cycling events. I just got back from Portland, where Filmed By Bike once again came through with a weekend of fun in the sun, and amazing biking in a town that brings cycling community to a whole new level. This was my third year attending FBB- and as I said last year and the year before: I really need to submit a video for next year.

Today is a beautiful day. And though my currently employment status is "unemployed"- my bike is tuned, and the streets are calling my name. I will be back soon.

I love watching trials riders

Emerald Sprints Results

The Emerald Sprints event at 88 Keys went well on Tuesday. Though I was focused on the riders for the majority of the event, having my back turned to the crowd, everyone seemed to have a good time. Pavel killed it, his times getting faster throughout the night. His final time was a second lower than his previous, but was still fast enough to take the victory.
As for the results of the bracketed race:



Final Race times:
1st: Pavel 17.72
2nd: Max 19.62

There were also grudge matches, times below:

• Julian 19.68 v. Bubba 20.23
• Monica 25.27 v. Larry 25.35
• Ryan (xtratuf) 18.69 v. Kevin 19.21
• Ryan G 23.03 v. Colt 25.05
• Tommy 22.85 v. The bigger cousin 22.09
• Monica 24.61 v. Jeff 23.58
• Max 19.57 v. Christian 20.80
• Ryan (wheels) 52.87 v. Bryton 51.10
  
• Corndog 20.93 v. Kevin MWA 21.03
• Ryan Barbur 20.24 v. Matt Badger 19.25
• Justin H 21.93 v. Chase 19.35
• Kevin S 20.21 v. Du 22.73
• Joby 20.75 v. Kalen 22.27
  

The updates will be made to the Emerald sprints website soon, please be patient. Future events will be posted on here, as well as at bikebloc.com, on the Seattle Alley Cats myspace, as well as other blogs. If you would like email updates, email Ryan@bikebloc.com

Thanks to all that came out and supported, raced, and drank. A flickr group has been started for pics for just the April events. There will be other groups for future events, but in an effort to keep the dates correct, different groups seemed to be an easy fit. You can check it out and upload pics HERE

Holy mother of Bike!

This is the BMX motherload! $20,000 starting bid gets you 10 bikes and a trailer.
Including these bikes:













I would love it if the trailer rolled through town, I'd like to see some of this tricked out bikes of old. They look similar to fixed gear bikes of today, with the paint combos that kids are rocking now days. Doing tricks that people were looking at back then.

Resurrection II

Another alley cat, come and gone. Taking place Saturday, 4/11, it was a collaborative effort, completed with the help of 7 other people, many whom of which were there last year and the same time, when Emerald City Bike Bloc came about. ECBB started as an effort to bring together bike riders in Seattle. To plan and promote events. Over the past year, a platform has been established in Seattle, a way to disseminate information about bike events, and many good times have been had.
Not always alley cat races; movie nights, benefits, and other bike events have been channeled through the catalyst of Emerald City Bike Bloc.

Personally, I have been nuts about bikes for quite a while now. Since moving to Seattle, I've been stoked to be involved with a bike community again. Though people ride bikes in Cordova, Alaska, there isn't much of a "culture" surrounding cycling.

I have been working on a few different projects as of late. A big chunk of time being devoted to these Emerald Sprints.

Stay tuned as summer rolls on and heats up. I'm sure many more events are on the horizon.

As for the Resurrection results:
Daniel took first place mens and RaeAnne came in first women's, so they both walked with amazing bags from Seagull Bags. The folks at Seagull really came through- not only in quality, but artistically, and the bags were here the day before the race. So nice. Check them out if you are looking for a quality bag at an affordable price.

There are some pics up at the Seattle Alley Cats Flickr page

Keep the rubber side down.

epic moves: Tall bike joust

Amy sent this to me. I love it.

Kids these days...

Manbabies - watch more funny videos

West Side Invite 2009! Pre-register!

I'm so stoked for this. I'm helping out a bit in setting up food sponsors. So do yourself a favor and pre-register! You will save $5 if you register early, and you will also help the organizers by giving them a heads up on who's coming. There are people coming from all over the country to partake in what is bound to be a raucous weekend full of bikes, beer, and good times.

You won't want to miss it. Help make this event great by registering early.

Make it happen by visiting the registration page here

Ahhh.. Now I feel better

Bicycle Babe

Me and Bubba are going to karaoke this song.
"It's so depressing that as a woman I have to sing in a falsetto"

I'm on the road
I'm on my way
Give up the load
Become a bicycle babe

Oh, the dutch.

Ride my bike

How to outrun a cop.

Apparently you need a Specialized Bike.

Rock it till the wheels fall off

Soma Rush 2010 Sneak Preview

According to the Soma blog, the 2010 Soma Rush track frame will be upgraded with nicer Tange track fork ends. Perhaps even more newsworthy, though, is that the frames will have fully removable decals. From the beginning Soma went with extremely subtle decals. In 2007 they released frames with removable downtube and top tube decals, but they still fielded requests to make all the decals removable. So beginning in October, each Rush frame will have 110 individual, removable, vinyl decals on the frame.


According to Soma:

The kids can peel stickers to their hearts’ content. The marketing company estimates, “21% of the decals will NOT be thrown in the garbage, but actually end up stuck to a lamp post, mailbox or sideview mirror. That should help generate the critical guerilla marketing you’ve been lacking.” Freakin’ genius.

For more info, visit the Soma blog.
Seen at Urban Velo

Our newest sponsor

Emerald Sprints has a new sponsor:

I hate walking

Ballard BMX Jam 3/22/09

Good times in Ballard last week.

Russell Wadlin, Standard Bikes

I saw this over at Krtschmidt.com
So good.

Chuck v. Bear

Resurrection II: The second coming

I've been a part of planning races in Seattle for a year now. It's been a lot of fun. This race is the second annual Resurrection Race. The first race I was a part of in Seattle was the Resurrection. There were something like 10 planners. Over the year, Greg and I have sort of adopted the race planning, with the help from others along the way. For our one year anniversary, it's also something of a reunion. The folks that helped out with last years race, at least those that still live in Seattle, have come back into the fold, and we are planning the Resurrection II. There are a couple new faces this year as well. Christauf, who is an amazing illustrator, and has been doing the art/design end, and helping out since he moved out from NYC a few months back. Karl has also been a big help with his creativity and organizational skills. So this is going to be a great race. I think that I will likely be riding along the route, documenting riders during the race, which I am looking forward to.
If you race bikes, or just like to ride bikes and have fun, you should come out to this event. Always a good time. See you there.

more info can be found at: www.bikebloc.com
April 11th
Register at 2pm, Race at 3pm
$5 to race
Meet at Cal Anderson Park

Ride to art April 9th

Black Thursday rides are fun rides. A weekly group ride that sticks together and puts in 15-20 miles. This ride is going to be a lot of fun. Meet at Gasworks Park at 6pm on Thursday, April 9th, and ride with a pack of people to the Twilight Artists Collective in West Seattle. Karl at Partybots has an installation going up there that is going to be off the hook. Let's ride!

21st annual old bike swap

Made it down to Kent to check out the swap today. Next year I won't get there late. And next year I will have some cash to spend. A very impressive collection of bikes, many having been forgotten in sheds and barns for years.
Quite a few bmx parts were there, and though there may have been some there earlier, I didn't see much track-based stuff. I love looking through old parts and frames. The lines that the designs have are sometimes sleek, sometimes chunky- and the technologies of yesterday seem so far away and antiquated.
All in all I felt at home wandering around the Kent Armory, digging through boxes of old parts, surrounded by people like me that for some reason or another love bikes. Some might even call it an obsession. I'm ok with that.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

my new build

Working on a new bike for this summer:

We only want winners around here...

Go big or go home?

I apologize in advance for the ridiculous music that seems to accompany most downhill mountain bike video, this one being no exception. I realize that high energy is the feeling that they are trying to get across, but when they accompany bicycles and this Korn sounding B.S., I get mad. My solution, play your own music. I'm fond of the 8-bit hip hop mp3 I posted here. Do what you like, just watch these folks doing things with their bikes that were unimaginable 10 or 15 years ago.

It's Wednesday, here's something to get you through the day

2009 World Track Championships

Day one is over, and it sounds like all is well in Poland, an exciting week of track racing lies ahead. Check it out over at trackcyclingworld.com

My submission to the Seattle Bike Rack group

Job creation, and theft reduction. Win win! Those Germans...

Greg Lemond likes tacos.

Mmmmm. Tacos.

Mister Awesome?

I watched the King of Kong last night, and though I thought the movie was pretty good, I just couldn't get over this dude. Wow. His dating advice in the first 30 seconds is classic.

Would you?

Nice legs.

We're on two wheels baby

I have a nasty habit of listening to a song just because it's about a bike. I can't say I'm a fan of Be Your Own Pet, but they have a song, and video that you may like. Here you go.

More about racism than bikes...

This is an old video. July 2008. Daytona Beach, Florida. I can break it down like this: Old white guy sees black woman (who he assumed was male) riding bike on sidewalk. Accelerates his car, runs her over, and crashes into the side of his house. No remorse. Violence spurred from racism, not anti-cycling; both are inappropriate, and indicative of a person full of rage and ignorance. I'm not sure if he has been convicted, but he was charged with a hate crime. Hopefully his ass will be convicted. It's always so shocking that people like this are still out in the world, living in their little bubbles.

This is about as nerd as I can get.

Jay-Z — Dirt Off Your Shoulders

T.I — What You Know

Chamillionaire — Ridin’

Ludacris — What’s Ya Fantasy

Bonecrusher — Neva Scared

Twista & Kanye — Overnight Celebrity

Ludacris — Move Bitch

Lil’ Jon — Get Low

Kanye — Gold Digger

Saw it here

Monkey Licker

The video Windolicker by Aphex Twin is one of my all time favorites, which helps me appreciate this one as well. Footage is taken from the old safety film "One got fat" which is pretty creepy. Enjoy.

I hope this isn't what people think of messengers

Robin Thicke is a d-bag. The only way this could have been worse is if he was riding a track bike. It's like a cross between the worst parts of the movie Quicksilver, mixed with a little Justin Timberlake. No bueno.

Think summer. It's coming.

Who knew Paul Newman was a trickster?

Portland Considering “Idaho Stop” Law

The city of Portland is considering adopting “Idaho Stop” legislature. The laws would allow bicyclists to treat stop lights as stop signs, and stop signs as yield signs. The legislature has worked remarkably well in the state of Idaho since 1982, hence the name. However not everyone in Portland is in favor of such laws. In fact, the whole thing has raised quite a bit of controversy, including some rather biased and decidedly unpleasant media coverage. Still, Portland’s bicycle advocacy groups remain hopeful. For more information, visit www.bikeportland.org.

Best of luck with that Portland. Your love of bikes as transportation make it a joy to be in you.

Read this over at Urban Velo.

Lance Armstrong crashes out of Castilla y León, breaks collarbone

Yikes. After 17 years as a pro, Lance had his first broken collarbone. This puts him out of the running for the Giro d' Italia, if he wants to be ready for the Tour de France. Keep your spokes crossed for him.
Read up on it at Bike Radar