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The Ed Rudolph Northbrook Velodrome was built in 1959, making this the 50th season of track racing just outside of downtown Chicago. The 382m track was resurfaced in 2005 and has a strong community of people behind it, attracting a couple of dozen racers on a given night. While visiting Chicago a couple of weeks back I hitched a ride out to the Northbrook Velodrome facility with some of the Team Beer’d crew and was able to catch a night of racing. Click through for a gallery from the evening showing off some of the racing and the facility; thanks for the ride. The Northbrook Velodrome site also has a few galleries of images worth viewing, especially this archive of images showing some racing in years past.
Monthly Archive for June, 2009
The Bicycle Film Festival is coming to Pittsburgh for the first time ever. We’re having Black and GoldSprints at the July 2nd opening party. Hosted at Over the Bar Bicycle Café on Pittsburgh’s Southside, the racing will get going around 9pm, just after the first screening wraps up. 42Below is providing the vodka, Urban Velo is providing the racing. You provide the legs. No cover.
What’s your opinion of this video? Feel free to discuss in the comments below.
The Ride in Circles trick frame caught my attention recently as taking a different direction when it comes to fixed wheel trick riding. Rather than going for the big air crowd, this bike seems destined to stay on the ground with the techy bike handlers out there. Brazed steel construction and the pictured double plate fork really set this one apart, as does the bar spinable long and low geometry. This frame is made in Italy and available through Tokyo Fixed Gear for $950.
Here’s a look at some of the I Love Riding in the City contributors from issue #14.
We want you to represent your city. Click here, and don’t forget to attach a high-res photo. A “high-res” photo, for those who don’t know, is typically 300dpi or greater at print size. If you’re not sure, try sending the unedited photo file that comes a modern digital camera.
Urban Velo #14 is at the printer, and the new issue will be available online by July 1st. If you’re in the Pittsburgh area around the 4th of July, come get yourself a free copy at one of our events. Visit www.urbanvelostore.com to subscribe to the print edition and we’ll mail your copy as soon as they’re available. And remember, you can subscribe to the Podcast version and iTunes will download the new PDF automatically.
Portland’s Pedalpalooza is more than two weeks of bicycle culture. With 215 events—most organized by individuals—cyclists of all sorts will find something they’re interested in. Nearly all events are free.
Visit the Pedalpalooza website for the schedule and more info.
The Raleigh Boys Club presents the Raleigh Cat on July 12th. Meet in the parking lot at the back of Seaboard Station near the intersection of Halifax and Peace in downtown Raleigh around 4pm followed by an afterparty that is promised to be worth your while.
Sometimes the simplest things are the most useful, like old toe-straps or the byeKyle Simple Strap. It’s a sturdy hook and loop cinch strap for tying a tube (or whatever else) to your saddle, rack, frame etc. Made from a synthetic webbing, it won’t scratch and the lack of metal hardware means it won’t rust, scratch your frame or nick your spare tube. $6.99 including shipping, there isn’t much more to be said.
Problem Solvers is one of those brands more familiar to shop employees than consumers, their small parts that solve niche problems just aren’t things most consumers get excited about. Cable doublers, extra long brake nuts, adapter parts… and now these $18 shifter boss covers (with bolts). Simple stainless caps that fit over the downtube shifter bosses on most older road bikes, these covers both protect them from the elements and round off their sharp corners when not in use. These are great for finishing off that singlespeed conversion, and something that up until now has not been commonly available, if even in production at all. I’ve never seen a shifter boss cap before, but by August just about every shop in the country will be able to stock them.
The Globe Live is another recently introduced bike from Specialized who has relaunched the Globe brand into it’s own line of city bikes. While the Roll is on one end of the spectrum of utility and fashion, the Live is on the other with large volume tires, full fenders and an integrated basket. Pictured is the $550 entry level version with a one-speed coaster brake hub and aside from dropout changes model to model, the same basket-bike geometry aluminum frame and fork as the rest of the line. It’s all about the basket, and geometry lessons taken from the French.
Continue reading ‘Globe Live – Integrated Basket Cargo Bike’
Reposted from this PDF, via Bike Commuting in Columbus:
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
JULY 25TH
BLOCK DANGEROUS CYCLIST DAY BOULDER COON AUGUST 5th new regulations limiting driver rights regarding dangerous bicyclists will be the STATE LAW.
CYCLIST FLOUT COMMON SENSE, ENDANGER THOSE IN CARS ON MOUNTAIN ROADS IN THE NAME OF SELFISHNESS; CARS WILL BE FORCED TO CROSS DOUBLE YELLOW LINES ON DANGEROUS LIMITED VISIBILITY ROADS DUE TO THE EXPANDED RIGHTS OF CYCLISTS.
Continue reading ‘Colorado Motorists Call For “Protest” Against Cyclists’
What it is: The Bern Brentwood is billed as “the lightest low-profile action sports helmet available.” It’s a 12.5oz multi-sport, hard-shelled lid that meets ASTM F2040, CPSC and EN 1078 standards.
What it isn’t: The Brentwood is not a lightweight, highly vented cycling helmet. It’s fairly light, and reasonably well-ventilated, but you’ll probably cook your brain if you wear it all day in the summer. That said, unlike a conventional cycling helmet, the Brentwood’s shell can withstand lots of scrapes and dings before its structural integrity is compromised. However it uses the same polystyrene foam as a traditional cycling helmet, so one solid impact compromises the helmet’s safety.
Perhaps the most noticeable feature is the snap-in visor. It looks like you’ve got a baseball cap underneath your helmet, but in reality it’s just the bill and a sweatband. The Brendtwood comes with an optional snap in sweatband (minus the bill) or you can get the winter kit, which features ear covers and an integrated headphone system.
Bern helmets are offered in sizes XS-XXXL, which seems to indicate they fit more accurately than helmets that only come in S, M or L. Whereas I normally wear a medium cycling helmet without a hat underneath, I couldn’t squeeze my noggin into a medium Bern. I’m quite happy with the fit of the large Bern, and I can wear it with or without a cycling cap underneath. The adjustment system is a bit tricky to dial in, but once it’s set you can forget it.
The Brentwood retails for $69. Visit www.bernunlimited.com for more info.
It wasn’t an ordinary alleycat… It was a Photo Cat. Seven photographers at seven checkpoints captured the hot, sweaty and fast Atlanta bike scene!
Check out the photos at www.photocatrace.com.
BFF09 Week Edit pt. 1 from John Prolly on Vimeo.
Here’s a new video of Prolly and friends in NYC. Found over on the Ben’s Cycle blog.
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