The Art of Bicycle Tonight

From the SFBC website:

The Art of the Bicycle., May 31 9PM0-2AM, ArtSF, 110 CappSt @16th St

This art sale and auction celebrates custom art, unique, vintage, and crazy bikes. See pedal art and custom bikes by Jay Broemmel, Xian, Alon, Jarico Reesce, Paul da Plumber, Laird, August Wood, Heavy Metal Bike Shop, Bike Kitchen, and more. Hear live bands: Los Banos, SugarButtTiger and Telepahtik Friend. Hear DJs: Pedalnoise, Zeljko, Deadpedal. Se live dance performances by The Derailleurs. $5-23 sliding scale.

I'll post pictures tomorrow along with a recap of Critical Mass and the Kirk Janes memorial ride. One can only guess what type of music SugarButtTiger plays...

Bike v. Car v. Subway = Fuhgetaboutit!

Yesterday Transportation Alternatives held the 7th Annual NYC Commuter Race. The race, which runs from Fort Greene, Brooklyn to Union Square in Manhattan, tests whether a bike, car, or subway is the fastest way to travel around the city. The guy in the car really needs a hug.

Emmanuel Fuentebella, a photographer, has a sobering view of his chances as a driver. "I know the car has never won, but since gas is $4.50 a gallon this year, don't I deserve a break?"

Here's some footage of the race. And the winner is...

Cyclist Jamie Favaro! BSNYC not only "participated" in the ride, but managed to interview Favaro.

P.S. CNN did a similar race in D.C. with the car taking 1st and the subway taking 2nd. Oh CNN, that's what happens when you throw Larry King on a bike and push him into oncoming traffic.

And They Say L.A. Has A Traffic Problem

I've participated in a number of Critical Mass rides (this Friday) and every month a group wants to hit the freeway. Nothing much seems to happen as the police block the on-ramps. However, I just came across this video of cyclists riding L.A.'s freeways. The self-styled CRIMANIMALZ believe:

"While the ride’s political stance and agenda was neutral, many participants invoked the group’s collective motto: “If you rode a bicycle, you’d be home by now!” – a statement against oil dependency, in support of sustainable living and a collective critique of the Los Angeles transportation infrastructure."

Eric Estrada on patrol

$4 Gas is driving police departments around the country to transition patrols from fossil fuel to pedal power. Or so says a new article I came across by the AP...

Since even the long arm of the law can't rein in fuel prices, the long legs of the law are getting more exercise these days.

Bicycle patrols — a community policing tactic that some law enforcement agencies de-emphasized in recent years — are seeing a resurgence as the price of gasoline approaches or surpasses $4 a gallon across the country.

read rest of article...

While I'm certainly not an advocate for law enforcement, I think this trend is pretty cool. I'm starting to believe that the rise in gas prices is changing our world slowly but steadily and I sense we're approaching a tipping point somewhere out there on the horizon. I've heard people say that gas prices will likely fall sometime soon but I think it's largely irrelevant. They'll rise again. The long term outlook for the line on the graph is an upward trend. And it's sad but true that financial motivation is the most powerful transforming influence on how we live our lives. So for cycling advocates and activists, we may be entering a long and gradual downhill stretch.

And I have to say that I have faith that it's not all just about money. While the article above focuses on the savings from fuel costs, I saw another news report in which cops talk about benefits from bike patrols that are more meaningful to them .... like becoming fitter and being more connected to their surroundings. One cop says that on a bike he can see, hear, and smell things he could never in a car. Another cop says in a southern drawl, "In a car, most of the time people wouldn't even stop to talk to you, cause you're closed off in a box."

Don't get me wrong sir, I hate it when you abuse your power or enforce bullshit laws like the criminalization of victimless acts, but I have to admit that seeing you ride patrols on a bike is a beautiful thing.

Cover Yourself With Obama

If you're an Obama supporter and love those fancy spoke cards, be sure to check these out. Only a $1! Thanks Drunk Cyclist.

clarifying the nudity

So, I have to clarify that the nude yellow man below is not who I saw earlier this week riding through my neighborhood, but rather a painted cyclist from the Summer Solstice Parade and Pageant in Seattle. Nude painted cyclists have been riding in the parade since the early '90s.

I'm curious about the desire to ride naked. It sounds exhilarating, frightening, and painful all at the same time. Organized nude rides are spreading all across the world or so it seems. I'm looking to interview proponents of naked riding in the near future to better understand the motivation and the experience (I guess I could try it myself...but that probably won't happen anytime in the near future).

And my first question will definitely address the comfort issue. At the very least it seems like you would need a well padded seat - especially on longer rides. But even then, I have to wonder about how bumps in the road would play on the groinal region. Also, while I don't think I would have a problem riding in a large group - riding alone is a different story. It's not that I'm self-conscious about my nether regions - I am - like most people - but I think I could deal with that.

It's the pervert factor. It seems like every time I see a nude person in public they're usually: a) male over the age of 60; and b) wearing a Prince Albert. Not that there's anything wrong with that - I'm just not sure I'm there yet.

Um, no helmut?

Yes, another scraper bike video. Be warned, this scraper bike gangsta litters at the :50 second mark, but then his riding skills are on full display. I'm terrified as must be his parents.

Not Just A Bike With Colored Spokes

Nope, the Trunk Boiz out of Oakland are all about their scraper bikes.

Be Careful Out There

Yesterday, I met up with some cyclists in SF to commemorate the Ride of Silence. Upon arriving at the meeting spot I noticed a small crowd and TV crew. Turns out Kirk Janes, a bicycle messenger, was hit by a pickup truck only a few hours earlier. A ride was put together at the last minute in honor of the victim.

The 8-mile ride around the City took little over an hour and was very moving. My heart goes out to the victim's friends and family. Details are still coming in, but per Fergus Tanaka, president of the San Francisco Bicycle Messengers Association:

"It's a shame when something like this happens - outsiders may tend to blame the messenger first, but that is not the only case. It's dangerous, a small slipup or miscalculation can lead to something tragic."

Try to keep it safe.

Ride of Silence Tonight

Tonight at 7PM local time 288 Rides of Silence around the world will honor cyclists killed on the road. Only rule is that participants must ride no more than 12 mph. A thoughtful and important statement about not only bike safety, but the need for increased awareness by motorists.

All Bike City ... It's Alive!!!!!

I'm looking at this blog that Brian created and I'm really impressed with his dedication. Five posts already!!! He put me down as one of the commandants so I think I better say something or he's going to kick my ass.

So, I saw the most beautiful thing today. A shirtless man riding his bike three blocks from my house.

No it wasn't his hairy nipples that made me happy.

It was the mere idea - that in the coldest, foggiest, windiest neighborhood of the most frigid city in the whole entire world - we could be blessed with one gorgeous day of 90-degree weather where even sane people would dare to ride shirtless...

And to that...I say "balls to the wind," we should all ride through the streets naked until the cold weather returns.

Structural Repricing

That's what financial analysts are calling the continued spike of oil prices to near $128. Doesn't seem promising:

"Crude's latest surge comes a week before the Memorial Day holiday, the traditional start of the summer driving season, suggesting that retail gas prices still have further to rise. Motorists are now paying a national average of $3.787 a gallon for regular gasoline, up nearly a penny from the previous day."

Get back on...

No matter how many times you fall off. Keep pedaling...

Hopefully Part of a Growing Trend

The A.P. has a story about a man in Sheboygan, Wisconsin who's giving up gas for 31 days. He refuses car rides from friends unless they're already in the neighborhood. I lived in Madison for four years and appreciate how hot it gets in the summer. The 9-mile summer commute to work must be pretty intense. His motivation:

"I think just with the gas prices being so high, everybody complains about it but no one ever really does anything about it," LaFave said. "People continue to drive nonstop and not think about it, but I just wanted to take a stand and say, `I'm not gonna pay this much money for gas.'"

Amen!

Straight out of Syriana

Today President Bush met privately with King Abdullah, in Riyadh, to convince the Saudis to increase oil production. With the close of the Bush presidency it's striking how little has been done to ween America off oil. Ok, ok, I'm not expecting miracles. I didn't vote for George W. Bush, nor do I agree with most of his policies. That said, you've got to feel a little bad and embarrassed when the president gets totally rejected. Didn't he once mention something about fueling our cars with wood chips?

Can He Also Bring Some Snow

Ok, it's 90 degrees in San Francisco. We don't know how to react to this heat. Maybe if I keep replaying this clip from the Specialized Bikes Innovate or Die Contest I'll remember what snow actually feels like.

They Don't Look So Tough

If you haven't already seen this video of NYC bike messengers racing, it's definitely worth checking out. The haunting music compliments the super intense riding. With over 1.8 million views, it must be the most popular bike video on You Tube. I'm struck by some of the negative comments left by fellow bikers. They think the style and disregard for lights, cars, and pedestrians only sets back the work of bike advocacy groups.

Not sure where I stand. As cycling and bike commuting continue to gain popularity, I wonder if a certain edge is lost. Maybe I'm just overthinking things. Either way the ride over the Brooklyn Bridge looks spectacular.