Christopher Long, the cyclist assaulted during last week’s Critical Mass ride in NYC, is back on the job. According to a report on the NY Daily News website, Long is back on the job and is, “Not the type to hold a grudge.” The report goes on to say, “Police sources have said the charges against Long would likely be dropped.”
For further reading we recommend… The Smoking Gun – NYPD Bruise (contains a scanned copy of the police report)
Bike Blog – Cop Lies, The spirit of Critical Mass Dies (Michael Green was there)
Time’s Up – July Assault Not Isolated Incident (sort of the official voice of NYC critical mass)
I-Witness – Oops They Did it Again (A Blog covering the policing of protests)
When it comes to cycling attire, most urban cyclists hedge on the side of fashion over function. Who wants to be seen riding downtown or walking into work in full spandex? Ok, I know a few of you do (with a complimentary colored hip pack, to boot) and some people are more than happy riding in cut off jeans or Dickies. For those who want a little more function without totally going out of fashion, the solution is often found in the wide world of mountain bike clothing.
Spectrum Techwear is a small company started by a serious mountain biker named Brad Walton. Brad’s not just a fan of jumping off big cliffs—he’s into long rides, too. Since most freeride apparel isn’t meant for mile-long climbs, and most cross-country attire isn’t built to withstand repeated crashing, Brad set out to design some stuff to bridge the gap. Continue reading ‘Spectrum Techwear’
Pendleton is probably best-known to mainstream sports fans as the unabashedly beautiful bike racer who posed nude for the Observer Sport Monthly (though truth-be-told, she was wearing a thong which was airbrushed out of the photo). To dyed in the wool track-racing fans, Pendleton is better known for her prowess at the velodrome. A world-champion sprinter with numerous gold medals on her mantle, Pendleton says she would trade all of her prior victories for an Olympic gold medal.
And while the world of elite cycling has been riddled with accusations of doping, Pendleton is candid about her much healthier choice for performance enhancement, “I was recently speaking to someone involved with coaching athletes. He said he knows when his athletes are in a relationship because the guy’s performance goes down and the girl’s performance improves.”
According to a report on The Gothamist’s website, “The police officer in the video has been stripped of his badge and gun and the NYPD has placed the unidentified officer on desk duty pending the outcome of a department investigation.”
Friday August 1 is the Bike Curious? group show at the GO,RILLA! Gallery in Santa Ana CA. The Fat Tire Beer sponsorship will surely help people “explore the many facets of bicycles and the curious cultures surrounding them” with new works by Paul Nagel, Chad Eaton, Peter Sutherland, Taliah Lempert, Bob Haro and more. Free bike check-ups await attendees, with the whole event wrapping up with a 10pm ride through Santa Ana to the afterparty.
We made the weekend trip to the Baltimore and DC metropolitan area this past weekend with few plans but to get lost riding bikes, eat Ethiopian food, have a few beers and snap pictures at the Bicyculture gathering. Mission accomplished on all fronts, with more photos after the jump.
Cycle Jerks tagged us with the Fat Cyclist chain letter while we were out of town. So even though it’s been more than 24 hours, we have a valid excuse for coming late to the party. For those who don’t know Fat Cyclist, you should check out his blog and consider buying something to help support his wife’s fight against breast cancer. Now, on with the questions:
If you could have any one — and only one — bike in the world, what would it be?
Probably something like a steel cross bike with a riser bar and clearance for 29″ MTB tires. Or maybe a bike that transforms from a road bike, to a mountain bike, to a glider. Continue reading ‘Fat Cyclist Chain Letter Thing’
Le Tour de France concludes today with a sprint into Paris. The stage concludes with the traditional loop around Avenue des Champs-Élysées, the second most expensive strip of real-estate in the world.
The largest city in France claims a modest 2,167,994 inhabitants, however the greater metropolitan area is home to over 12 million people. Host to more cultural attractions than almost anywhere in the world, Paris is also one of Europe’s most multi-cultural cities. Nearly 20% of its population was born outside of France.
The “City of Light” has been accustomed to the sight of bicycles since their inception. With some 230+ miles of bike lanes and Vélib’, their tourist-friendly bike rental program, Paris isn’t just just embracing the world of cycling—they’re giving it a big wet French kiss. (Sorry… Couldn’t resist.)
According to an article in the Seattle Times, violence broke out at this past Friday’s Critical Mass ride. Witnesses say the motorist struck several cyclists, which incited the crowd to damage the vehicle. Furthermore, the driver ended up getting punched in the face and smashed in the back of the head with a U-lock.
The Stranger, a Seattle newsweekly, reports from the driver’s perspective, “They wouldn’t let me move even after the rest of the bikes went by,” he says, adding that he started to panic when cyclists began tugging on his side mirrors and he heard someone say “let’s tip the car.”
Do you have a bicycle related website? Even a blog or personal website? You can get a little extra publicity by listing it on the new bike directory Bike Node.
According to Leslie at Bike Node, “The main reason I created this entire site was to help generate exposure for not-so-well-known cyclists in the bike industry. Big bike businesses don’t need to worry about actively chasing after extra links as they have already made a name for themselves -one or two additional internet referrals won’t make much difference for them (although I have added many already well-known companies to the Bikenode index).”
Over the next few weeks, Denver photographer, Tim De Frisco is starting a portrait project featuring Denver’s bike messengers. Any and all messengers (and their bikes) are welcome. Come by and show them what makes you unique. They’ll use the photos in some studio promotions and will make some printed pieces. We’re happy to share your images with you. They’re planning a party in early September to show off some of the work.
Vélib’, the very successful public bike-rental program in Paris, has not been without some problems. Of the 16,000 bikes in circulation, about 3,000 have been stolen and another 3,000 have been intentionally damaged. Three users have died, and there have been numerous complaints about the program—mostly from motorists.
On the bright side, according to an article in Independent Bangladesh, there are 27,000 long term subscribers. Click here to read the whole article.
Once known for its arms manufacturing, the industrial city of Saint-Étienne has also been called the bicycle capital of France. Most bicycle manufacturing has moved to Asia, but the city was once home to the Motobécane and Vitus factories. Saint-Étienne is still home to the world’s best known wheelbuilding company, Mavic (whose name is an acronym for Manufacture d’Articles Velocipediques Idoux et Chanel).
Saint-Étienne often plays host to a stage of Le Tour. Lance Armstrong’s only stage win in 2005 was the time trial that passed through Saint-Étienne. He went on to claim his 7th overall victory that year in Paris. Photo by Nick Auger and Damian Bickett
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Do you have a bicycle related website? Even a blog or personal website? You can get a little extra publicity by listing it on the new bike directory 
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