This past spring I met a super-cool law student named Cody, who not only shares the same affinity for riding fixies in the city, he’s pretty handy with a sewing machine. When he’s not pounding the books or pushing pedals, he runs a little side business called Griz Bags. His specialty is fully custom, hand-embroidered messenger bags, but he’s more than happy to make accessories like top-tube pads and hip packs.
A couple interesting items I had made were the custom strap-pad extention (above left, click for a large image) which helps keep the metal buckle on my messenger bag from digging into my shoulder. Another cool item is the toolkit (click for a large image) that not only organizes my tools and makes it easy to switch between backpack and messy bag, the simple divider keeps my spare tubes safe from any sharp edges.
Of course, Cody is not the only game in town, let alone the only person out there with a sewing machine and a vision. We’re looking to compile a list of small-businesses who sew cycling-specific products such as bags, caps, pads and wallets. Email us a link to your favorite seamster or seamstress, and we’ll add them to our upcoming directory.
Designed for and named after the Tokyo messenger service T-Serv, Panaracer’s messenger-specific bicycle tires have a well earned reputation for being fast and durable. Until recently, however, American cyclists have had to make due with plain old black. Thanks in part to your friends here at Urban Velo, red, yellow and blue T-Serv’s should start making their way into a bike shop near you.
So why exactly do T-Serv tires deserve such street cred? In a word—quality. Like many top-of-the-line bicycle components, Panaracer’s tires are made in Japan. And it’s no secret that the Japanese take their manufacturing seriously. While T-Serv’s are not the absolute lightest or most supple tires on the market, their added layer of puncture-resistant material and dependable, long-lasting rubber compound make them a wise tire choice for any urban cyclist—not just messengers.
But enough tire talk… For a brief history of Tokyo’s best-known messenger service, check out this interview with T-Serv founder Takayuki Ikeya. Better yet, go check out T-Serv’s web magazine where you’ll find messenger profiles, photos, bikes and (surprise, surprise) animations galore.
Could the Handmade Bicycle Show find its way to Urban Velo’s hometown of Pittsburgh come 2009?
Past years have seen the show in Houston and San Jose, and for 2008 the Handmade show is scheduled for February 8-10 in Portland, Oregon. The show’s founder and behind the scenes workhorse Don Walker is looking to move the show east for ‘09, and Pittsburgh is in the running. Earlier this evening over a delicious Primanti’s sandwich (featureing slaw and fries on the sandwich, where they belong) we at Urban Velo met with Don and family to discuss the possibility of his most excellent bicycle show making its way to town. While this is no New York or San Francisco, Pittsburgh does sport a strong cycling scene, relative close proximity to a few other major cities and a pretty remarkable convention center, known as the largest “green” building in the world due in part to its water conservation systems and naturally lit exhibition space.
We have our fingers crossed that Don can make some magic happen in his meeting with convention center officials and bring some jewelry quality bicycles to the Iron City.
Five-time Tour de France winner Eddy Merckx once said, “You don’t win the Tour on bread and water alone.” And while there’s not much to be said about this year’s Tour that hasn’t been said already, some people like our friend Big Jonny from DrunkCyclist certainly have a way with words, hence his creation of: www.ibelievevino.com and www.ibelieverasmussen.com.
And for those of us who refuse to pay for (or refuse to watch) cable television…
As Erok Boerer reported in Urban Velo #1, the third annual conference for nonprofit bike collectives is headed to Pittsburgh. Kicking off on August 10th, the weekend-long event features volunteer-led workshops, discussions and skill-share sessions. While the schedule is still not quite set in stone, you can be sure there will be plenty of cool bike people coming to town (the event organizers expect up to 200 attendees), and the locals are always up for showing off Pittsburgh’s infamous hills. For more information, visit www.bikebike.org.
We like alleycats, lets just put that out there. They’re fun, they’re cheap and they’re a great way to interact with the bike scene. Granted, they’re also a great way to get t-boned running a red light if you’re not mindful.
Beyond the upcoming 2007 Cycle Messenger World Championships in Dublin, there are countless local races to participate in – even for those of us not doing the courier thing. Many are listed on the IFBMA site, along with past dates going back to 1993.
Brush up on some event history, find a race near you. Meet some folks, ride real fast and be safe, alright?
You’ve heard it before, but we’ll say it again—Urban Velo is about the riders who read it. That means YOU, and so we’re asking for your contributions. We want your words, we want your art, and we want your photography. Got an article idea? A shot for our gallery? Get in touch!
Words: Brad Quartuccio, editor
Art & Photos: Jeff Guerrero, publisher
The July 3rd opening of Art By Cyclists was a blast. Dozens of cyclists mingled with fellow art appreciators, and the crowd enjoyed an amazing spread of refreshments provided by Kevin Rubis. More than 20 of the works will remain on display at Enrico’s Tazza D’Oro for the remainder of the month.
And now, without further ado, here are the photos. Or, click here for the artist bios, complete with hyperlinks to their individual websites.
Special thanks to Pabst Blue Ribbon, Spokepunchers, The Manchester Craftsman’s Guild, The Cookie Connection, Bike Pittsburgh and the employees of Enrico’s Tazza D’Oro.
You may have seen them on our forums, now Urban Velo has a limited number of t-shirts available online. And by limited we mean limited, less than ten of our two remaining sizes, small and medium. Sorry big boys and girls, we’ll get you next time. Lucky for us, we have places like Artists Image Resource right down the street for such ventures as these. We have every intention of making more, but who knows what the next order may bring. New design? Different clothing items? Let us know if you have any particular suggestions either for now, or into the future.
Don’t forget to check out Urban Velo Issue #2, now available for free viewing online or via PDF.
UPDATE: T-Shirts are once again in stock! Visit the UrbanVeloStore to get yours!
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This past spring I met a super-cool law student named Cody, who not only shares the same affinity for riding fixies in the city, he’s pretty handy with a sewing machine. When he’s not pounding the books or pushing pedals, he runs a little side business called Griz Bags. His specialty is fully custom, hand-embroidered messenger bags, but he’s more than happy to make accessories like top-tube pads and hip packs.
A couple interesting items I had made were the custom strap-pad extention (above left, click for a large image) which helps keep the metal buckle on my messenger bag from digging into my shoulder. Another cool item is the toolkit (click for a large image) that not only organizes my tools and makes it easy to switch between backpack and messy bag, the simple divider keeps my spare tubes safe from any sharp edges.
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