Fuck Gas

While I’m no fan of segregated riding facilities, this is truly a sign of how far behind this country (U.S.) has always been when it comes to cycling infrastructure. The above photo is from where else, but Copenhagen, circa 1915. That place is on top of it. Check out Copenhagenize for more interesting info coming out of one of the most bicycle friendly places on earth.

The Freewheel Bike Collective is hosting a fundraiser for the Bike!Bike! Southeast 2010 conference at Skull Alley on Thursday, March 11 at 7pm. Looks like there will be a showing of “Return of the Scorcher” and “We are Traffic.”

Bike in movies are great opportunities to get out and enjoy a movie with other bike riders and help in building the riding community. Donations will be accepted with a suggestion of $3-$5. This may also be a good opportunity to find out more about what’s going on at bike!bike! Southeast.

It’s Friday, sunny and warm. Spring is right around the corner and BMX is on my mind. That’s Garret Byrnes up top.

Our buddy Brent has another group ride coming up, the Spring Fever Ride. It will leave from Heine Brothers at Longest Avenue and Bardstown Road, Friday, March 12 sometime between 7 & 8 pm. Also, another Car Free Happy Hour is happening at Sol Aztecas, 520 S. 4th Street from 5:30 - 8pm on Tuesday, March 16.

Enjoy the weekend.

Back fresh from NAHBS, Jeff and Brad have Urban Velo 18 ready for download. Now don’t take that as NAHBS coverage in this issue, stupid. That just means they recently returned from the show and have the new issue available for you. Check it out.

Contents include: Riding Inside-The Track, GOrilla Or Go Home, Green-er Machines, I Love Riding in the City, Fixed Gear Girl Taiwan, Residue, The State of the Union for Bicycling and Walking, Bikes on Film, Crank Arm Removal, Layering for Springtime, DIY Chainring Bolt Tool and No Exit.

The Redneck Manifesto is back! Their new album, Friendship, will be released this month as well as them playing a few shows around Ireland. Fuck I wish I had money. I’d fly over in a second for this. Anyway, this will be TRM’s first release is six years and it will be done so on Dublin based Independent label, Richter Collective, home to the likes of Adebisi Shank, BATS, Not Squares, Jogging and more.

Friendship will be released on March 26th on CD Digipak, Gatefold vinyl and MP3 download (I’m buying all this) on The Richter Collective label with an M&E designed sleeve. TRM will launch their new album on March 27th in Tripod, Dublin with Goodtime John and Hands Up Who Wants to Die. Get there if you can.

Lexington will be hosting an event that has become increasingly popular thanks to a great idea by some London riders… The Tweed Ride. Lexington’s first goes down Saturday, March 13 at 2pm. Details can be found on the facebook of course.

Next up, Suzanne from Liberty Tattoo and Art Parlor says they’ll be taking submissions for the Bike Art Show until this Saturday, March 6. The show will run from march 10 through April 24 with the opening party officially happening Saturday March 20. Facebook it… I am working on a ride that night as well to coincide in which the normal shenanigans will likely take place… On Your Left Cycles, beers, bikes bros and hoes.

The same weekend as the Bike Art Show opening will be bike!bike! Southeast weekend here in the River City. Workshops and happenings are taking shape for the weekend and you can stay up to date over at their site.

Sooner rather than later, River City Cycling Society will be hosting their first real ride of the year, Gone With Thee Old Man Winter Ride. Looks to be a great 50+ miler this coming Sunday, March 7  with super good company. Make sure to go prepared, shit’s rural. Check them out.

Lastly, Utah is downright re-goddamn-diculous. Seriously, miscarriage is an offensible crime? That’s just fucked, but what else would you expect coming from a state run by a bunch of people that believe underwear is holy… Fucking kooks!

In local news, Ginny’s Diner and Pub duder, Frank Faris is being forced to give a dilapidated 19th-century house he owns next to his restaurant away FOR FREE! Apparently he originally bought it to make a parking lot, but then the neighborhood became a local preservation district so he wasn’t allowed to tear it down. He was then forced to sell the property to which he could not find a buyer or even a non-profit to take it. Read about it here. Please explain to me again how government is good… how this system works for you… government sucks and career politicians are shitting all over you. Wake the fuck up!

By no means am I a bike snob of any sort. There are however things that annoy the piss out of me when it comes to a build. After combing over hundreds and hundreds of photos from this past weekends NAHBS, there is an all too common occurrence when it comes to single speed builds. Chain slack and master links. Perhaps I’ve been going about it all wrong all these years? I always found the best luck by not using a masterlink as well as only allowing for roughly a half inch of vertical play in chain tension. Apparently this is not the norm.

I got thinking about this after Michael’s post at Presta vs Schrader regarding some of the odd component choices he noticed over the weekend. This I commented on feeling that some of these buildes seem to be thrown together with whatever the builder may be able to afford and understandably so in some cases. After all, for the most part NAHBS is a majority of frame builders, not components. That said, I’m not sure which would be a better route given you don’t have the resources for a preferred component group to go with your one of a kind frame set. Some of the builds I’ve seen pictures of I think I would have had more appreciation for as a frame, fork and headset alone.

So, I suppose perhaps this could make me a bike snob in the sense of it’s all in the details when you’re putting it on display for the world to see. I didn’t want to post any pics with this post simply for the sake of not calling anyone out. The amount of hours that go into these bikes is amazing and I’m always blown away by the craftsmanship. Everyone there, and even those that aren’t deserve huge credit for doing what they do. As for your bike, if you’re happy with it then I say fuck everyone else. Enjoy the ride and piss on the rest.

Lastly, there is no doubt in my mind I’ll be attending NAHBS next year as it will be taking up camp in my beloved Austin, Texas! See you all then.

I just wanted to hand out a hardy, FUCK YOU to Chevrolet for their ad shitting on public transportation. I first spotted this one over at Copenhagenize to which I discovered they had found it at Urbanophile. Not that I would ever expect anything different from an automaker, let alone an advertising agency. Seriously goes to show the sick idea of the world around us that has been shoved down our throats since what must have been World War 2. This is part of what is wrong with modern society. These fucked up corporations coupled with government and anti-communal ideals that are tearing this place apart. Do yourself a favor, meet your neighbors, talk to a stranger, smile and say good morning. It’s not that hard people.

Oh man, I’m so pissed I’m missing this. Michael has an update going on over at Presta vs Schrader and you can see all sorts of detailed pics in his Flikr pool. Sooooooo goood. While it’s always hard to compete with the Speedvagen and Vanilla creations, this Bishop has stolen my heart. Fluted tubing, wishbone seatstay… I’m in love. Can’t wait to see what Erik from Peacock Groove hos going on.

Everyone’s favorite cycling beauty, Liz Hatch will be interviewed LIVE by John and Scoot from the VeloCast this coming Sunday, February 28th at 2pm Eastern time. Go to velocast.co.uk/live to check it out… and be nice you filthy bastards.

While we’re on the subject of the VeloCast, be sure to check out episode 66.