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No, unfortunately we didn’t get to visit mainland China for their big bicycle trade show, but People’s Bike was there with camera in hand. Visit www.peoplesbike.com for lots of photos from the big show, including a special segment dedicated to China’s most famous brands. And, best of all, spy shots of the Dinoroar bike.
Monthly Archive for April, 2010
Burrito Project from Jon Chou on Vimeo.
We’ve covered The Burrito Project before, but here’s a video from a slightly different perspective.
A group of college students (from UCI and UCR) help care for the homeless in Downtown Santa Ana, CA by handing out burritos. They cook and prepare the burritos on a Saturday then the next day they drive out to Santa Ana with their bikes and ride around the city passing out burritos. According to filmmaker Jon Chao, “The reason why there is no footage what so ever of Burrito Project communicating with the homeless is only because we want to respect their privacy and to not turn them into a showcase for the public.”
The NYC Police officer Patrick Pogan who allegedly (though we all saw the evidence) assaulted a cyclist last year was found guilty of falsifying a police report, for which he could receive up to four years in prison, but not guilty of assault.
Via Cyclelicio.us and Streets Blog.
Cane Creek’s effort to raise both funds and awareness for World Bicycle Relief through the sale of a special edition 110 Reserve headset has been a success. The WBR Reserve headset, which went on sale to the public last September, was purchased by people from all over the world who are interested in supporting the valuable work of World Bicycle Relief. Through this effort Cane Creek Cycling Components has raised $26,130 for the organization.
Joe Parkin’s first book A Dog in a Hat was his account of racing as one of the first American cyclists in Belgium. This is like the Rambo II of that book. What happened when it was all over? What did he do when he came back? What was racing in America like after learning the ways of the Euro cyclist? What was the transition like from a euro pro roadie to an American mountain bike racer?
Come & Gone documents the lifestyle of a racer subsisting on $6,000 a year and trying to race professionally. It was a hard fought $6,000 too. He talks about the struggle to find money and sponsors every year. This is not the book of a champion, but rather of the guy who had a few good rides over thousands of races. This is something that most bike racers can relate to. He talks about cycling in America’s competitive cycling heyday, the 90’s. Most of the races that he competed in are long gone. At the time it seemed like the sport was drying up, but in retrospect it was some of the best financial times for cycling in America.
Joe documents the American racing scene, and those who were on top of it in the 90’s. A few of the names are still around, still racing, and still winning. A few of them are in the industry, and at least one has passed. The book does an excellent job of illustrating the personalities of his teammates and rivals.
Joe does a good job conveying the mindset of a cyclist. What he thought going into races versus what actually happened. Whether you are an first time bike racer or a seasoned pro, as he was, the thoughts and feelings are all similar. Joe puts these feelings into words.
This is a great squeal to A Dog in a Hat, as it brings closure to Joe’s racing career. Though I do hope that after 1000’s of races, Joe is able to come up with a few more stories for us.
Written by our favorite racer-boy neighbor and contributor, Steevo Cummings.
After a very successful premier 2009, the European Handmade Bicycle Expo (EHBE) returns May 21-23, 2010 in Schwaebisch Gmuend, Germany. Attendees can expect some 90 exhibitors this year.
Visit www.e-h-b-e.eu for more info.
In September of 2008, Feedback Sports purchased the bicycle stand division of Ultimate, the company best known for their microphone, amplifier and other musical equipment stands. Ultimate’s bike stands used the same design as the stands designed to hold heavy, expensive sound systems, and so Feedback hasn’t made any changes to the design other than replacing the logo.
The $240 Pro Elite stand is designed to be the best portable bike repair stand on the market. It’s made from anodized aluminum and rated up to 85lbs, yet it weighs just over 12 pounds and folds nicely for travel or storage. I’ve had mine for more than three years and have no complaints whatsoever. Sure, a full-blown professional Park stand might be nice, but I kind of prefer the clamp mechanism on the Feedback.
Speaking of the clamp, it’s nothing short of impressive. It’s basically a ratcheted mechanism that you push closed and then tighten with a few quick twists of a knob. No pre-adjustments necessary. It spins 360° so you can clamp from either side, and at pretty much any angle. The best part, though, it the one button quick release. Brilliant.
Admittedly, this stand isn’t cheap. But it’s a pretty attractive stand for serious home-mechanics who can’t spare the space for a permanent work stand. Or for those who need to take their bike shop on the road (racers, event staff, etc.) this stand is hard to beat.
Visit www.feedbacksports.com for more info.
The Jacobs Green Zaftig cargo fork allows you to replace the fork on your old beater and run a 20″ front wheel for a true cargo bike retrofit.
Avvo is offering a short Bike Law 101 webinar tomorrow, April 28th at 11am. Completely free, it will be hosted by a personal injury attorney with experience in bicycle law and is available via phone or web. Sign up and listen in.
The following was submitted by a concerned reader, Mark Lewis:
You may remember the story of E.J. and Kilroy, two cyclists who were killed by a motorist driving under the influence of morphine and barbiturates. Said driver, Barbara Thomas, was found guilty but will have a hearing with the Colorado Parole Board very soon. If she gets paroled she could be out after serving only 13 months.
Police said she had been shoplifting at the Safeway on Colorado Avenue and banged into a man’s car in the parking lot before driving off and subsequently turning left in front of five bicycles coming down 26th Street. Her arrest record: four convictions of shoplifting dating back to 1983, drinking in a vehicle, careless driving and traffic infractions. She had an outstanding summons for a hit-and-run two months before the collision.
Friends of E.J. and Jayson urge everyone to protest this parole travesty with the Board and please email Tim Hand, head of the Colorado Department of Corrections Parole Board.
The Redline Urbis is being advertised in Urban Velo #19 with a price tag of $549 complete. As promised it seems to have a shorter length fork, along with even deeper section rims. Visit www.redlinebicycles.com.
Here’s a look at some of the I Love Riding in the City contributors for issue #19.
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 from a digital camera.
Blaq Design is a small outfit headquartered in a farmhouse near Kent, OH. For these guys life is all about bikes, beer and sewing machines—save for the occasional doctoral thesis.
Blaq Design’s platform straps are similar to the competition, with 2″ nylon straps securing your feet to a BMX-style platform pedal. A pair of 1″ straps feed through the pedal to keep it all in place, and Velcro provides adjustability. The main reasons this style of retention system is so popular is because they’re comfortable and work well with street shoes. They do work remarkably well, too, and have the added benefit of doing less damage to your shoes than metal cages.
My only complaint with this kind of setup is that it’s not always easy to get into the straps. And on that note, I’m to understand that some of the other platform strap manufacturers have managed to alleviate this problem by making their straps a bit stiffer. As a result, the strap arc “stands up” a bit more, making it easier to fit your shoe into the gap.
The Blaq Design platform straps retail for $40 with free shipping in the USA. Choose from one of their numerous color combinations, or create your own. Visit www.blaqdesign.com for more info.
Bike Day LA is a group of cyclists that organizes events to support and promote bicycles in the Los Angeles area. They’re celebrating their one-year anniversary on May 2, 2010. Visit bikedayla.blogspot.com for more info.
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