Feel My Legs – Video Recap
Feel My Legs, I’m a Racer #8 from Boyz on the Hoods on Vimeo.
The 2013 Feel My Legs, I’m A Racer ride is officially in the books and the dudes from Boyz on the Hoodz put together this video recap of all the brutality. This looks like such a fun and crushing ride. Don’t sleep on it next year.
Matt Ruscigno, the organizer of the event, has a recap on his site as well.
Write a Letter to your Editor
People for Bikes are taking advantage of National Bike Month and Bike to Work Week/Day and asking you to write a pro-bike letter to a local newspaper editor. If you aren’t necessarily the writing type, they have even taken the trouble to craft a letter for you. All you have to do is fill in some basic information and send it on in. Short of being in the streets and riding as much as possible, this is a great way to have a positive impact on decisions made on behalf of cyclists and bicycling infrastructure. Even if you don’t do this year round, use Bike to Work week as an excuse to up your bike advocacy. It certainly can’t hurt!
Go here to use People for Bike’s suggested letter. It’s that easy.
See you at Bike to Work Day tomorrow!
Grand Boucle Gallery Show
The Kemistry gallery in London will be hosting Grand Boucle through the month of May. Designer, Christoph Reichart, and printer, Dolly Demoratti, have pulled together a visual collection that showcases racing bikes and paraphernalia dating back to 1903. The show displays bikes and bespoke saddles, but also highlights head tube badges in a series of oversized screenprints that can be purchased at the gallery or online, so no one misses out.
They have also pulled together a Grand Boucle magazine for the show and silkscreened photographs that can also be purchased online. The oversized head tube badge prints are beautiful and would look great on any shop, garage or home wall if you ask me.
Check out their tumblr here.
Buy product here.
CycloFemme Global Women’s Cycling Day
Women in 29 countries will ride in solidarity this Sunday, May 12, as part of a grassroots movement called CycloFemme. Established in 2012, the annual women’s ride co-opts Mother’s Day as Global Women’s Cycling Day, creating a time to “Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present, Empower the Future of Women in Cycling.”
Building on the momentum that was spurred on last year, when female cyclists in 164 cities from 14 countries gathered to ride, events scheduled for CycloFemme this year have nearly doubled in numbers, with 220 events registered in 29 countries. CycloFemme was established not only to provide women with an opportunity to ride together, but to encourage and inspire new women cyclists and create an opportunity for women to connect to and strengthen their community.
“By reaching out to women and inviting them to join us on a ride we are paving the way to creating our most valuable cycling advocates.” said Snyder, founder of CycloFemme and GirlBikeLove. “As mothers, mentors, and teachers, women are the key to influencing future generations. If a mother rides a bike, her children will too.”
A map posted on CycloFemme.com displays an icon at the location of every ride; with multiple events organized in some larger cities like New York, the entire North American continent is covered in markers — a powerful image representing a nation of women on bikes. But the influence of CycloFemme is far-reaching as well. Women from nearly every continent and region will be out in force on this day, from Europe, Asia, Australia, South America and Africa.
An open call with loose parameters encouraged community organizers to create events of any shape and form for the day. From casual rides and city tours to mountain bike excursions and races, women are invited to do whatever they might enjoy on a bike on this day. In Rwamangana, Rwanda, hometown of Olympic mountain biker Adrien Niyonshuti, a women’s race will be held on this day to celebrate and empower women who ride. Elsewhere in Africa, an event posting invites cyclists to come spend some time on bikes that will shared by the community.
“As many of us as possible will take shifts riding around in the dirt on the 2 bikes we have,” offers the event listed for Yida in the Unity State of South Sudan. Under contact info there is no email or facebook link, only the direction to “just show up” and take part in the day.
“CycloFemme is a unique catalyst and universal call to action for individual riders and organized efforts around women and cycling,” said Carolyn Szczepanski of the League of American Bicyclists. The League is one of numerous national and local-level organizations showing support for CycloFemme. “This one day has already become an incredible unifying force, creating solidarity among the many women’s initiatives in the U.S. and proving that, whether you’re a commuting mom in Idaho or a road racer in California, women are a powerful and growing force in the bicycle movement.”
Every event is listed at cyclofemme.com/2013-rides. Riders are encouraged to document their local event and to post to Instagram and Twitter using the #CycloFemme hashtag, so that the messages will stream on the CycloFemme home page.
4th Annual Duke City Classic
Look out Albuquerque, the 4th Annual Duke City Classic kicks off May 17 with 10 days of bike events. Bike prom, polo, alleycats, time trials, a family picnic, mountain bike rides, grass track races and a wrpa up party round it out. See more at the Duke City Classic Facebook event page.
