in Kenya.



The freewheel remover, showcased right at the end, is pretty neat.

I took this from her Facebook group, but basically a friend of mine was hit by a white Jeep Cherokee last Friday night (Dec 4) in Atlanta. There was an eyewitness and several security cameras around but they're not investigating because the witness didn't catch the license plate.

If any of you in the Atlanta area have seen a white Jeep Cherokee with a broken up right side mirror, please contact
DeKalb County Police Department
South Precinct
1816 Candler Road
Decatur, Georgia 30032

404-286-7911

( Read the whole thing under here )

I just had a really funny experience on my way home. I was riding along Clarendon, north of Montrose and noticed a vehicle was pacing me. I looked over, it was a huge, orange 1150cc BMW motorcycle. The rider was wearing full leathers and a red helmet with a full face shield. As I looked over, he flipped up the visor, turned his head towards me and held up 2 fingers. He said "2 wheels, and the cold ain't stoppin' us!" Then gunned his engine and went on his way.

I think that's my best interaction with someone else on 2 wheels in the winter.

I would love for Houston, TX to put something like this together through the Heights, Montrose, and 3rd ward. Portland-0, you're so cool.

The Boys #37, to be precise.

COMICS ENSUE

( Read more... )

Okay, so here's my newest quandry. My framebuilding venture. I just came up with a new name that I think is totally awesome -- but I'm worried (based on the four people I've brought it to) that there's the implication that I'll only be building bikes for women.

I don't want to limit my market, and I'm totally stoked on the name -- decal designs, head tube badge, everything else, just popped into my head. I love the idea.

But, again, there's the perception that people are having that it's a women-only thing.

So, what say you, bikey people? If you were looking through at names of framebuilders and saw one using a blatantly feminine name, would you assume that they don't build frames for dudes?

howdy y'all, the end of the year is coming up and some people enjoy to take inventory of their past year/life in the saddle. here's a list that i found a while ago from a friend, with some things added. it's not organized, and it could really use some additions. let's expand on it!

( the list )

hey pirates,

Are there any pirates to be found in the bay? I plan on visiting san francisco later this month and I want to absorb a bit of the bike culture to be found in the area. I'm bringing my mountain bike and I intend on getting some time on the trails. Do you have any leads on trails (my bike is a single speed, if that matters)? How about things to do and places to see? Already, I have been recommended zeitgeist and mojo. Any more cafes or bars? How about really awesome foods? Bike shops?

I'm using http://www.sfmtb.com/ as a resource in finding local trails and I don't plan on driving to get to any of them. Do you have any tips on these trails or any trails they don't mention?

I'm probably going to see my auntie and cousins, but maybe I'll see you! Let's meet up, yeah?
Oh btw, I'm staying off of hoffman, near market.

I recently had a minor stroke, and lost some fine motor skills and strength in my left side. My only risk factors are genetic, so the doctors are going nuts trying to figure out how it happened. I'm 6'2", 245lbs, 35, and have never smoked, drank, or done any illegal drugs. Almost every one of my relatives that died from stroke or heart attack was also a heavy smoker and drinker.

This sucks, because while I can type and drive, I can't do much with bikes until everything is back to normal. I will, however, have a bike in the trainer for the winter, as they want me to do 3 hours of cardio per week as part of recovery.

And just before the stroke, I was all happy that I had gotten a takeoff 180mm SRAM Rival GXP 53-39 crankset with BB for just $50. Is it karma? :)

Also on topic, I will be taking lots of medication for the rest of my life. Does anyone take BP and cholesterol medications daily, and does it affect riding at all?

Hey Girls and Boys,

My bike was stolen from my home in New Orleans sometime last night. Any NOLA pirates have any tips? I'm going to stop by any used bike shops that I can think of to ask them to keep an eye out...

Anyway, if anyone sees a grey Surly Steamroller with no decals, fixed, with unwrapped moustache bars rolling about town, I will reward any tips with a homecooked meal. Recognizable features: mismatched cranks, a kind-of silver Mavic CXP-33 'Deep-V' style rear wheel, the kind of seat that has magic vents in it to keep your junk from overheating...

Thanks folks.

I don't think anyone has posted this yet, but....bahahahahah

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/5684963/

been meaning to ask for a while-

has anybody seen a titanium mixte?

does it exist?

just curious.

Aside from earlier news on the road rage cop, from the @injusticenews feed:

San Francisco CA police accused of bias against cyclists after trying to cite cyclist hit by car that made illegal turn: http://is.gd/5cIwi

"And now to the very disconcerting part about the police. As I tried to get information from three SFPD police officers on the scene of the crash, two of them showered me with unadulterated disdain for bicyclists and pedestrians. One officer said she thought bicyclists and pedestrians are always at fault in crashes and that they are stupid for not watching out for drivers. She was very upset with cyclists running red lights. She told me the bicyclist was at fault in this crash without any knowledge that a witness was saying the opposite.

"Another officer complained that bicyclists should be ticketed a lot more, then he said that he thought San Francisco bicyclists should all be moved to Treasure Island, where presumably they wouldn't be in the way. Though I deplore the argument made by some that cyclists are second-class citizens or that they face bias and discrimination in a way that resembles African Americans or other people of color in the U.S., this perverse suggestion by a sworn officer of the law is despicable. When it dawned on him that his bigotry might make it into my story, given the bright pink SFPD press badge dangling around my neck, he made a slightly menacing reference to memorizing the information on my pass."

...

Quality police work, there.

DRAMA UPDATE:
I just got a text from a friend and bike mechanic that says
"We just heard from a source inside City Hall that there's going to be a major effort today from 1 to 5 to ticket as many cyclists as possible. Let people know to keep an eye out."

I can't substantiate, but this is a source I trust.

From http://mobikefed.org/2009/12/significant-ruling-in-ohio-about.php

The case involved two bicyclists who were riding abreast on a two-lane road.

A policeman was driving behind them, passed them, and observed that the bicyclists didn't single up even though there were two more cars behind them. The policeman stopped ahead and directed the bicyclists to stop, but they did not. The policeman then followed the bicyclists, turned on his lights and sirens. When the bicyclists still refused to pull over the policeman finally used his taser to stop the bicyclists.

The bicyclists were then charged with:

• Resisting arrest
• Disorderly conduct
• "Operating a bike in the roadway"
• Failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer

The judge ruled:

• The bicyclists may have been rude for riding two abreast but were breaking no law in Ohio--not the law requiring bicyclists to ride as far right as practicable (the lane was of non-sharable width), nor the law against impeding traffic, nor the law about riding abreast (which, in Ohio, does not require bicyclists to single up when impeding traffic)
• There is no law at all that bans "operating a bike in the roadway"
• Because the bicyclists were not breaking any law, the police officer had no basis to stop, detain, or arrest them and therefore all other charges were dismissed

The ruling is made more significant because (unlike most minor court rulings) this ruling has been published and so can be cited as a precedent in other cases.

Anyone have any experience with clothes from http://www.swrvecycling.com/ ? More water or dirt resistant than regular jeans? Worth the extra $$?

A while back blue_banshee posted a pic of a forkless white artbike. I just found a video of it being ridden here. It looks like it handles pretty well.
The pic:


Turns out there was, once upon a time, a motorcycle with this steering setup that wasn't commercially successful but has been named one of the hottest motorcycles of the last 30 years.