Bike Blog NYC » Miami

Love your bike-Valentines Week

Michael Green — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:28:10 +0000

Accodring to the Daily Beast, New York is ranked the 58th city to fall in love in. Maybe the weren’t doing this survey about falling in love with your bike.

Here is a quick round up of upcoming Valentine’s Day Bike events in NYC and beyond.

–Matt and Brittain love bikes and are making a photo book about it. They’ve been traveling around the US, mostly on the West Coast taking photos of people and their bikes.
Now they’ve come East and will be in Brooklyn hanging out at Affinity Cycles taking photos of NYC bikers and request your presence.

Please come by and be part of their project, this Thursday-February 11th. 12-4pm
Affinity Cycles
616 Grand St.
Brooklyn, NY 11211

also on Thursday,

–Transportation Alternatives is having a membership mixer:
Thursday, February 11th, 2009
at NYC Velo
64 2nd Ave (btwn 3rd and 4th St) Manhattan
7-9pm

from TA-
Celebrate Valentine’s Day, bicycling, Transportation Alternatives and all of our sexy members at this year’s first mixer. Join us at NYC Velo on Thursday, February 11 from 7 – 9 pm. $10 will get you in the door, where free snacks, Brooklyn Brewery beer and who knows what else await! Not a T.A. member? Join at the door at a discounted price.

Join or renew your membership at the door and we’ll wave the admission fee. If that isn’t reason enough, NYC Velo will extend its longstanding 10% discount for T.A. members to all products, as well as an extra 10% off any winter jacket and other special seasonal sales. Plus, in tribute to our evening’s theme, we’ll have a special contest to see who loves bicycling the most!

On their calender.

–Saturday it’s time to Love your Lanes.

Time’s Up is having another ride to show love for NYC bike lanes.
Saturday, February 13th.
12:00pm
Washington Square Park

Come show your love for clean transportation, bike lanes, and those hero’s of the peaceful direct action tradition and your fellow human beings! Love, hugs and more await you.
To volunteer or for more info contact Nadette: bike4peace@aol.com
Note: This replaces the ride that was originally listed on 2/14/2010.

some bike lanes from around the world on Huffington Post. Sent out by rabble rouser and bike lane lover Benjamin Shepard

In NYC, not about bikes but seems like a good show.
–Sunday, Feb. 14th (Valentine’s Day) is the:
Anti-Valentines Riot Grrrl Cover band show.

1087 Broadway in Brooklyn.

The Facebook invite here.

And elsewhere:

–In Baltimore there is the Velocipede Bike Project Bike Prom.
Check them out on facebook.com

from their site: “Velocipede Bike Project is a collectively run non-profit dedicated to helping people use bicycles as transportation. We collect donated, second-hand, and landfill-bound bikes, which we then use to teach people how to repair and build their own bicycles. We also provide affordable and safe refurbished bicycles and bicycle parts.”

Saturday, February 13th 9pm
4 West Lanvale St. Baltimore MD,
more info: baltimorespokes.org

–In Birmingham, Alabama:

The BiciCoop are having their 2nd annual Heartbrakes bicycle prom benefit/race.

Deets:
February 13, 2010
Race at 7:00
Start and after party @ Magic City Wholesale
$10 gets you racing, partying, and beering!
So far, we have prizes from Chrome, Rickshaw Bags, Knog, Higher Ground Roasters, and Good People Brewing Company. Hell Yes!

In Miami:

Sunday, February 14th
2pm
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with your true love – your bicycle.
Ride starts @ Government Center in Downtown Miami. The group will be riding north on A1A and stopping at the “Hollywood Beach Broadwalk”. We will then ride into downtown Hollywood before traversing back south towards Miami.
Total Distance: 50 Miles
Avg Speed: 20mph
This is not a leisurely ride. If you cannot keep up the pace chances are you will be left behind. It may be possible to have two groups instead of one to accommodate those riding a bit slower. If we split up we’ll regroup at Hollywood Beach.

More info miamibikescene.blogspot.com

–And in Oak Cliff Texas:

More info at Velorbis.com, Denmark’s most beloved bicycle maker is having a special for Valentine’s Month. (February)

From their site:
As one of our favorite blogs and online style resources, we wanted to give you a sneak preview of our romantic Valentine’s Day offer exclusively for customers in the US – the Velorbis ‘Love Story’ package.

Purchase any 2 bicycles during February and receive a 10% discount off the overall total. It’s easy. Customers can contact us directly at info@copenhagenbike.com or telephone +1 773 456 0024 and we will arrange the rest. (you can use Skype, cheap for international calls)

It’s a ‘pick & mix’ offer. Choose any combination of bicycles from our range of beautiful ladies and funky gents designs.

We’re sure that your devoted followers would like to hear about this offer and have the opportunity to tempt their loved ones to a) take up chic and healthy cycling to get in shape after Christmas and b) purchase a luxurious long-lasting gift that they can both enjoy together.

Velorbis is Denmark’s most beloved, storied and exported classic bicycle brand. We’re passionate about bicycles and take the art of chic, street style cycling to another level. Our ‘Love Story’ package is the ultimate in effortless romance on 2 or 4 wheels.

If you have any questions just let us know. Thanks for your cooperation.

Best wishes,
Velorbis
Built on more than 100 years of cycling culture.

and one more thing:

Urban Velo magazine out of Pittsburgh, is always looking for submissions to their: “I love riding in the city” series.

Check it out:
“We need people to continue contributing to our I Love Riding in the City department. These stories are the heart and soul of the magazine, and serve to inspire people around the world. If you’ve been waiting to send yours in, consider this a call to action.

With the move to full color, we need new contributions that include high-resolution color photographs. And while we’re looking for contributions from around the world, we still want them from our own country, our own state, even our own city.

Please take a few minutes to fill out this questionnaire.

Solidarity with Miami

Michael Green — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:12:32 +0000

This Sunday, in NYC, a dedicated group of six cyclists, braved the frigid temperatures and rode their bikes in a memorial ride. The purpose of their get together was to pay tribute to a 44 year old cyclist who was killed last month in Miami by a drunk driver. Last month the Miami community responded to this tragic death by hosting a memorial ride attended by over 2,500 riders. According to Stephen Arthur, a regular volunteer with Time’s Up and present on the NYC memorial, the riders meet up at Army Plaza and passed through Park Slope Brooklyn, to the Manhattan Bridge. Then they made their way through Chinatown, the Lower East Side, Soho, and then the East Village, and on their way back into Brooklyn over the Williamsburg Bridge. Along the way, they visited at least 10 ghost bikes including one of a 74 old year biker lady who was just mowed down by a bus, and killed last month.

The group carried a banner along with them that said, “Ride Solidarity.” Part of their tribute ride was recorded by Meaghan Wilbur, who is making a documentary about the white painted bicycle memorials known as the ghostbikes project.

Here is a trailer for her film:

It looks like she is using a site called kickstarter.com which allows people to indivdually contribute to film works in progress, as well as other creative endeavors.

On the same day, Miami held another memorial ride and in a true act of solidarity, both cities connected via a phone call. The Miami ride had at least 40 riders, but its a tad bit warmer down south.

(image from miamibikescene.blogspot.com)

In related news, the intoxicated driver who killed Le Canne, Carlos Bertonatti, has been brought back to jail for lying to homeland security about his passport. I guess drinking and driving, leaving the scene of a hit-and-run and potential vehicular manslaughter aren’t reason enough. Seems Mr. Bertonatti has missed four seperate court hearings for traffic violations and is not being upfront about his passport. Just the kind of guy you want getting wasted and operating a car. More on this here.

The judge has set an initial trial date for May 3rd, so standby for more solidarity rides in NYC and Miami.

Solidarity with Miami and back to NYC

Michael Green — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 04:15:54 +0000

NYC
Sunday, February 7th Time’s Up will hold a memorial ride honoring the recent hit and run tragedy of 44 year old Christophe Le Canne-Killed in Miami.

Miami will also be hosting another memorial ride on the same day and there will be a phone call exchange with both cities.

More info from the Miami side here.

and from New York’s here.

Memorial ride for Christophe Le Canne, NYC

Michael Green — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:42:40 +0000

In respect and solidarity with the tragedy in Miami of the hit and run of Christophe Le Canne, Time’s Up is hosting a tribute ride in NYC.

Miami Solidarity Ride
Sunday, February 7th, 2010
2:00 PM
Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn
Summary: Tribute ride for Miami and their recent response to the tragic death of Christophe Le Canne.

On 1/17/2010, Christophe Le Canne, 44, was killed in a bike lane from behind, reportedly by a hit and run drunk driver and delayed emergency response in Key Biscayne, Florida. On 1/24/2010 1000′s of Miami cyclists came out on a memorial ride in Christophe’s name. Now is your opportunity to pay tribute to Miami for their brave action during their time of grief.

A saying of Christophe’s is ‘The Journey is the thing!’. So we will visit ghosts bikes, roadways where there are, used to be, or could be bike lanes, and maybe water or bridges on our travels.

The day after our ride the suspect will have his first hearing.

Please see some details about this case:

Tragedy in Miami
www.bikeblognyc.com/tragedy-in-miami/

Miami DWI Death Galvanizes Cyclists in South Florida

Christophe Le Canne-Ghostbikes

Bicyclists Want Change On The Rickenbacker
CBS news article

Christophe Le Canne Photos

Tragedy in Miami

Michael Green — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:51:54 +0000

Ok, enough selling out to beverage companies and iphone apps…

There was a serious tragedy in Miami, that was brought to my attention by a loyal reader Stephen.

Sunday, January 17th, 44year old cyclist and family man, Christophe Le Canne, was killed buy a drunk driver on the BearCut Bridge in Miami, Fl, in a heartbreaking hit-and-run.

Here is a report from the tragedy from local cycling blog: Miami Bike Scene.

Cyclist Killed On Rickenbacker Causeway
A male cyclist was killed shortly after 8am this morning by the driver of a silver Volkswagen on the Bear Cut Bridge. The bicyclist was riding in the bike lane heading into Key Biscayne when a motorist fatally struck him and kept on going, witnesses outside La Carreta heard a loud sound and spotted a speeding vehicle dragging a blue Cannondale road bicycle while blowing through a red light about 2.5 miles from where the cyclist was struck. (see map below)

The driver, Carlos Bertonatti, was apprehended by police near his residence in Key Biscayne. A group of cyclists went to where the police were and saw him detained in the back of the squad car. Some witnesses at the scene are saying the driver appeared intoxicated and based on the fatal injuries to the cyclist and heavy damage to the motorist’s vehicle it’s apparent he was exceeding the speed limit.

Below is a photo of cyclists trying to help the victim, a photo of the damaged vehicle, and one of the wrecked bicycle after it was dislodged from underneath the vehicle.

This was an incredible shock to the local biking scene in Miami and immediate call for a memorial ride.

Here are a bunch of videos from last Sunday’s event:

Christophe Le Canne Memorial Ride from rydel high on Vimeo.

Christophe Le Canne Memorial Ride from Mike Marshall on Vimeo.

1-24-10 Christopher Le Canne Memorial Ride from Jesse Hearndon on Vimeo.

Key Biscayne Memorial Ride from MrSunshine561 on Vimeo.

and news stories:

CBS4.com
Miami Herald
and
Miami New Times Blog

The driver of the vehicle, Carlos Bertonatti of Key Biscayne, has been charged with multiple felonies, including DUI manslaughter. Bertonatti, who according to his attorney is a legal U.S. resident born in Venezuela, was released from jail on bail.

There is some discussion of a memorial ride here in NYC to honor Christophe Le Canne, and since the official ride in January was so cold. Stay tuned.

Having a great time here in San Francisco

Michael Green — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:34:49 +0000

Got a rare opportunity to travel to a few cities for an IBM commercial. Had a brief time in Miami but didn’t get much time to explore other than a stroll along the beach.

Of course we picked the one day to shoot that was record cold and raining. Guess i didn’t need those short sleeves and shorts I packed. What was I thinking, Miami being warm?

Thanks to our amazing grip and electric crew of Ben Kanegson, Jimmy and Chris.

Now I’m in San Francisco and got a few days off.

Being in the land of the original critical mass, I knew the best way to get around was by bicycle so my first stop was to rent one at Pacific Bicycle.

I’m sure there are other places to rent bikes, but this was the closest shop to my hotel and I was in a hurry to get on bike.

Pacific Bicycle is a big shop which seem to cater to the roadie set, judging by the sweet Cervelos and swanky road bikes. They are located at: 345 4th Street, next to the whole foods. The rent hybrid bikes for $25.00 a day and will give you a prorated deal for the week. They give you a lock and helmet too.

I had a brief conversation with one of the friendly sales people there about riding in SF and bike security. Although most people seem to use U-locks it seems as if petty theft of parts not nailed down has gotten fairly common, not to mention the whole bike, even locked up. I’ve been using a cable and a u-lock and taking my seat inside but for the most part trying to take the bike in if its overnight.

Headed over to Chrome headquarters to see their operation. They’ve been making amazing messenger bags and gear for the urban biker for over 14 years and seem to be outfitting many of the SF bikers that I’ve seen riding around.

If you get the chance check them out there great store at 580 4th St.

Yesterday I rode around and meet up with Matthew Roth, former NYC Time’s up volunteer who moved out to SF to work as one of the main writers for SF Streetsblog.

Leanne was also in town from Time’s Up so we spent some time riding around the Mission.

Our goal was to go to the famous biker and cyclist bar Zeitgeist, where they let you bring your bike in the bar and park it in their big outdoor space. My good friend and film maker, Jesse Epstein, reminded me of a story when she went there a few years back. She was shooting the trailer for the Bicycle Film Festival with famous dj and freewheel hill bomber Ted Shred. The bouncer at the bar wouldn’t let her film there. They struck up a conversation and talked about this being for the bicycle film festival and that Jesse helped make the warriors documentary…”You made the warriors?” said the bouncer surprised…”Ok you can shoot in here.” The street cred lives.

Well it turns out Zeitgiest was closed for a staff party so I’ll have to go back there tonight.

Meanwhile Leanne, Matthew and I rode around and ended up at Docsclocks bar where we had some local infused vodka from Hangar one which is distilled here in town. I enjoyed the Buddha’s hand…yum!

Then we got some great burritos and fish tacos from Papalote, and meet a random stranger named: Rob Villanueva. We marveled at his sweet Colnago. Not a surprise to see a lot of nice rides here.

We hung out at Matthews place for a while and then took a walk up to the top of this massive hill in Bernal Heights. We got this amazing view of the city, which this low grade image does not justice.

In the daytime you can grab some images like this:
(photo by Pterosaur Whisper’s)

After that things got kind of hazy. Matthew set our Burning Man fun meter to Max.

I think we had this really amazing spicy bloody mary at a place called El Rio

good times.

Ryan Doyle on Tall Bikes Jousting, Art Basel and a new iphone app.

Michael Green — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:53:40 +0000

Ryan Doyle is hard to miss, or at least the contraptions he creates and rides upon. You might recognize him riding a tandem tall bike around Bed-Sty Brooklyn or maybe toppling an advisory from a rival bike club in a tall bike joust, after all he is the world champion. He was featured in Fountianhead Films 2007 documentary B.I.K.E. about Doyle’s journey as an artist and membership with the NYC chapter of the black label bike club, hosts of the annual mutant bike extravaganza, “BIKE KILL.” Maybe you recognize Doyle by some of his cycle creations such as the Jet Bike, a jet engine powered bicycle or rode in his Hell-o-Copter at a Bicycle Film Festival “Joy Ride” art show.

(Ryan Doyle in the Hell-o-copter)

This week Ryan Doyle is taking his kinetic creations to Miami for the Art Basel, a international gathering of the world’s artists and is known as the most important art exhibit in America.
Doyle will be featuring the Hell-o-Copter and the regurgitator at the *Squisy Universe Gallery from December 3rd-6th, 150 NW 24th Street, Miami FL, 33127.

Besides his installations of freak bike culture, Doyle will be on hand for Tall Bike Jousting which will have LIVE daily web streaming. This is also in conjuntion with another unique project Doyle has been working on. Freak bike culture is about to hit the masses with a new iPhone app called: “TALL BIKE JOUST,” which will be come available on the first of January 2010.

For more information about the app and the live web streams of tall bike jousting from Miami’s Art Basel visit the website:

www.bikeclubgames.com

Here is a teaser:

I was fortunate to grab a minute of Doyle’s time and interview him about Art Basel, Tall Bike art projects and what lead to the creation of the first Bike Club video game.

For those who don’t know, what is art Basel in Miami and how will you be participating in this?

Art Basel Miami Beach is an annual international contemporary art exhibition that was started back in 2002. It is a sister fair to the original Art Basel which was started in 1970 in Switzerland. I have heard it referred to as the Olympics of art, and compared mostly to probably the Venice Biennale in size and “importance.”  

The bicycle has always played an important role in your art and life, talk about this and what impact it’s had on your art?

Bicycles were the starting point all of my mechanical knowledge. I was hit by a car in the alley behind my house and after I came home from the hospital, the bike was not okay. My neighbor friends dad showed me how to fix the bent pieces and get the bike back on the road, which was a real eyeopener for me. I realized that junk and trash could be useful and that things could have a second life. From there I started taking other broken trash apart and studying it’s guts, trying to fix things, breaking things more, and recombining unlike objects into new machines, with mixed success. You’ve always been pushing the structure of the bicycle and ridable art in new directions.

What got you started? How did this lead from tallbikes, to jet bikes to the he’ll-o-copter?

I went to an art based magnet high school in Minneapolis, Minnesota to study sculpture. I started hanging out at the Hard Times Cafe in Minneapolis and started seeing Tall Bikes. A little while after I graduated I made my first tall bike, and became the thirteenth member of the Hard Times Bike Club. A handful of the members had just gotten back from touring the country tall bike jousting in a punk rock circus called Circus Redickuless, and the stories they had man… whoa. About two years later I was invited to join another circus tour called the Know Nothing Family Sideshow/End of the World Circus to travel the country Tall Bike Jousting. On tour we saw so much: Doctor Evermore, Madagascar Institute, Burning Man, meeting people in different cities and Jousting every night or every other night. After making those contacts and seeing just how many other artists were out there and what the rest of the country was doing, I really got the traveling bug. Home started becoming everywhere. I started joining up with other peoples big projects and continued to build my own around the US.  

Tell us about the hell-o-copter and the regurgitator? Were there particular challenges in constructing them? Are the participatory pieces?

The Hella-copter is a mix between a bicycle, a swinging chair and a large industrial fan. The audience is invited to sit and pedal the large fan which gently spins the entire sculpture around while pushing the air in the room around. I saw it as an exercise bike that could hang in a loft in the evening and stir up the hot air near the ceiling, without having to turn on a heater or use an electric fan. (see photo) The Regurgitator is a sculpture I originally constructed for a show in Zagreb, Croatia that is a Pulse Jet powered centrifuge of sorts that spins about 1.5 times per second. I believe art is about creating emotions with creativity, and this piece is about fear and the sickening behavior caused by fear. The direct influence of spinning facing outward from the axis at up to 5 G’s causes 25% of the participants to regurgitate, or vomit outward towards the crowd.

  Bike culture is really strong in places like Orlando and Miami? Will this be a factor at your show? Is Miami and art Basel ready for tallbike jousting?

I love Florida biking, it is flat and warm and the culture is very open to new types of transportation. I think that fixed gears in Orlando are really big right now, and Clubs like Bad Cactus and the Florida Freewheelers are riding everything down there all year long.

Bike culture could always get stronger and hopefully the objects and attitude I am presenting in Miami will inspire others to ride their bikes.   People love bike kill types of events and tallbikes really open their minds to possibilities of the bicycles and bicycle clubs. The culture is exploding. Also your art is very hands on and participatory. How does your art foster bike culture and does it play a role in building the bike community as a whole?

I cannot possibly take credit for all that is Bike Kill, but would only impress upon your readers that, “if you build it… they will come.”

  What do you think of this rise in popularity of bike culture? The rise in fringe bike sports like jousting, bike polo, art bike events? What’s causing it?

I think all of those things come from people starting to build a community around the bicycle and the benefits of exercise and friendship that come with starting your own bike club. From there, the environmental benefits and creative output keep driving it, not to mention some peoples need for competition.  What can you tell us about this new tallbike app? What got you involved?
I was approached by FountainHead and asked if I was interested in creating a bicycle themed video game. I used to love playing video games as a kid and I immediately wondered if making a video game would possibly help influence a younger audience to see bicycle culture. I chose Tall Bike Jousting as a platform to shock and inspire, and thought that it could work digitally as well in Tall Bike Joust. I am always into trying new things and learning to create in new technology so in those respects it just made sense for me to say yes. My bike club on the other hand was a bit more ambivalent.   

This seems like a really unique way to bring fringe bike culture to the masses? What will be the apps impact? Will we be seeing more art bike clubs popping up? More interest in welding bikes? More tallbikes on the streets?

Honestly I do not consider myself any sort of missionary of bike culture, nor do I try to lance my opinions or politics in anyone’s face. My goal is to create and cause communication, not whore out bicycle culture or sell tall bike jousting to the masses as a means of self gratification. I think riding a tall bike everyday in New York City has a greater cultural impact as it has a human to human interaction implied. I really love the responses that come from Bike Kill participants, or from Cutthroats’ Slaughterama, or Cyclecide’s Bike Rodeos, to me those are the inspirational events. I hope the bike building section and constant maintenance in the app inspire people to think about reusing materials and not contribute to our vast culture of waste. I am not looking forward to corporations eating up fringe bike culture and providing cheaply made foreign tall bikes at Walmart.

  Will there be tallbike jousting in the xgames 2020?

I think the ridiculous nature of tall bike jousting will prevent that.   

What are your future plans for bike art?

New Orleans Black Label event Ridin’ Dirty on New Years. I am also trying to convince Johnny Coast of Coast cycles to get a booth with me at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show in Richmond, Virginia in March 2010.  

Anything you wished I’d asked you?

My stats…. 6’6″ tall, 254 lbs. Ride Yer BIKE!
——————————————-
*The Squishy Universe Gallery show is being hosted by Rip Ions to support the Waterside School in Stamford Connecticut.
Here is a press release with more about this event:

Squishy Universe is an exhibition organized to create opportunities for permanent placement of art for public benefit. Rip Ions is honored to host this exhibition at
Miami Art Basel 2009 to raise funds for a series of commissioned art projects for the Waterside School.

The Waterside School, located in Stamford Connecticut, is a co-educational k-5 independent school whose mission is to provide children too often underserved access to
opportunities for educational and personal excellence and to prepare them, in time, for positions of leadership and responsibility.

Rip Ion’s Miami Art Basel 2009 exhibit features a selection of work from the artists commissioned to create permanent installations throughout Waterside School. All sale proceedes
from the event will be donated to Waterside School to support these commissions.

Current artists commissioned for the school and featured at this exhibition include: Nils Folk Anderson, Hrafnhildur Arnardottir, Robert Breer, Michael De Feo, Ryan Doyle, Ellis
Gallagher, Howard Goldkrand, Mimi Gross, Michael Kerschbaumer, Anakin Koenig, Hilary Koob Sassen, Teddy Lo, Fujiko Nakaya, Jason Peters, Meridith Pingree, Erwin Redl,
Matthew Schreiber, SOFTlab, Hedi Sorder, James Turrell, Kai Vierstra, Leo Villareal, Robert Whitman, Richard Wislocky

These artists are proud to show a selection of their pieces from the permanent future at Rip Ions Gallery Squishy Universe exhibition 150 NW 24th Street, Miami Florida.

Bicycle Guide to Halloween

Michael Green — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:30:14 +0000

This Saturday is Halloween so here is a compiled list of events happening not only for the weekend but Friday as well.

Here in NYC.
Friday October 30th is the Halloween Critical Mass and Time’s Up Fundraiser Party.
(check the flyer for info or go to time’s up)

And some critical mass rides in other cities: (one’s with facebook pages)

Los Angeles Critical Mass-October 30th.
Meet at Wilshire and Western Metro Station 6:30pm

Miami Critical Mass

facebook page

Friday, October 30, 2009
Time:6:30pm – 8:30pm
Location:
Government Center
101 NW First St–Miami, FL

Baltimore Critical Mass

Info here.
facebook page

Meet -Friday, October 30, 2009
7:00pm – 10:00pm
Washington Monument, Baltimore, MD

Manchester, UK

Info at ibikemcr.org.uk

Just to name a few, Then there are a ton of Alleycat Races, starting off with NYC.
October 31st.

Boston

deets:
REGISTRATION 8:00pm – 9:00pm @ The “Ghettodrome” Hooker St, Lower Allston **$10
RACE 9:00pm(SHARP) – 10:30pm
AFTERPARTY 10:30 – “whenever we get tired” (or kicked out… DUH.) whisper me.

**COSTUME EARNS YOU $5 OFF REGISTRATION, so $5 instead.
and yo, don’t bitch that this race costs more than the others, obviously we’re making the rule with intent of encouraging you to dress up/make a larger pot.
(oh and- i know what all of you look like. so if you’re not dressed up in an actual costume i’m going to make you pay extra. don’t try to fool me.)
so do it. OR PAY MORE. choice is yours.

PRIZES = CASH & BEER/FOUR LOKO split between the 1st male/1st female and 2nd overall.
also, Shane from MassBike made the illest custom pentagram/chainring headbadge for 1st place overall. come up to Boston and win the damn thing.

and bike polo

———————————————————————
New Orleans: October 30th

more info at nomambo.net
———————————————————————
Baltimore: October 31st.

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San Francisco: October 31st.

more info here.

and

more info at trickstertreat.blogspot.com

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Indiana:

more info here.
and

more info at showupalleycats.blogspot.com
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Chicago

More info at chicagohalloween.blogspot.com
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Roanoke, Virgina

More info at keirinculture.blogspot.com
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Nashville, TN-Oct 31st.

more info at 2wheels1crank.blogspot.com/
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Phoenix, AZ October 31st.

more info: thedaggerzone.com
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Ann Arbor, Michigan-October 30th

more info at jimmyrigged.com
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Austin, Texas-October 31st

More info at onelescar.blogspot.com
———————————————————————
Cincinnati, OH-Oct 30th to Nov 1st

———————————————————————
Minneapolis, MN – October 30th

/www.bikejerksmpls.blogspot.com
———————————————————————
Rochester, NY – October 31st-Alleycat

more info at blk13.com
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Seattle, WA – October 31st-Scavenger Hunt

more info at messmannsmessquerade.net
———————————————————————

Los Angeles, CA-October 31st

———————————————————————

But wait, that’s just North America.

London, UK
Alleycat on Friday, October 30th

More info at headwrecker.wordpress.com
and Roller races on the 31st.

more info at rollapaluza.com

and Liverpool

———————————————————————

Edinburgh, Scotland

more info at civiconline.co.uk/cog

———————————————————————
Seoul, Korea

———————————————————————
Berlin, Germany

———————————————————————
and the party don’t stop:
an alleycat on November 1st too:

more info at wbcboise.blogspot.com

Bicycle Film Festival Orlando and Miami, interview

Michael Green — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 02:21:57 +0000

The Bicycle Film Festival has been rolling through the country this summer, so far in these cities:

Memphis • New York • Philadelphia • Pittsburgh • Minneapolis • Richmond • San Francisco • Detroit • Oakland • Portland • Austin • Chicago • Montreal • Boulder • Toronto • Orlando

In my ongoing series, where I talk with festival directors in specific cities, meet Jen Whalen, organizing Miami and Orlando FL.

Name. Age, where you live (ride)

Jen Kyle Whalen, 24, I live all over FL , I ride all over the world.

-what bikes do you own?

KHS Flite 100 (my speed racer)
Schwinn Le Tour fixed conversion aka “The monster bike.”

-what will be your next bike purchase?

I want to shred a BMX. I rode my first ramp on a BMX at the BFF
Philadelphia street party. I busted ass and the music stopped and everyone
saw it. Embarrassing. But I’m very familiar with embarrassing myself.

-what got you involved in the BFF?

I helped out in NYC the last 3 years. The BFF NYC street party is the best
day of every summer. Somebody sent a link to a video called “Put the fun
between your legs” to Brendt Barbur, the sounding director of BFF. I am in
that video, disguised as a wet lesbian from the 70s. Brendt recognized me
and gave me a ring. Next thing I knew the video was in the festival and I
was producing two festivals in FL. One in Orlando and one in Miami. Life
is weird sometimes. But pleasantly surprising.

-has the BFF been to either Orlando or Miami?

1st time ever in FL!

-what’s going to be going on?

A bunch of bike punks running around screaming, drinking beer, throwing
things and wreaking havoc for 3 glorious days of mayhem! Also, there will
be Goldsprints at Backbooth Friday night (tonight) at 7pm. Rivals of all
cities in FL will be smashing it out against each other while DJ Weed Leaf
blasts the jams. Saturday is THE day. Shred Yo Face Alleycat Race, bike
art show at the theater and films at 3, 5, 7, and 9pm. Afterparty at
Bar-BQ-Bar, and it’s surf expo week, so the bar will be filled with bleach
blonde bikini babes and super rad surfer dudes, bro! Sunday wraps
everything up with the Dirty South Bike BBQ in the Milk District. Trick
comp, music, beer.

-who’s coming out?

Who’s not coming out? All of FL, and hopefully some people from our
neighboring states. I want to see some people from Central and South
America at the BFF Miami. And Puerto Ricans!

-any local Florida films or filmakers in this years festival?

There are a couple. Chris Walker made the film “Put the Fun Between Your
Legs.” Mike DeCarlo made “The Spinning Movement.”

-what do you hope people ride away with from the festival?

I hope they ride away with the wind in their hair and the breeze up their
shorts. I want people’s fun sensors to be totally overloaded after the
festival. I want people to feel united through this common love that they
have for the bicycle. I want people to make new friends. I want people to
fall in love.

-what is the bike culture like in Miami and Orlando, critical mass?
Bike polo? Alleycats? Freestyle fixed gear?

Miami and Orlando are very different. Miami’s fixed gear culture is pretty
new. So it’s still growing up. There are a lot of triathletes and road
racers. BMX and skateboarding is big in MIA. Orlando’s bike scene is a
little more complex. There are tons of alleycat races there, polo
tournaments, fixed gear trick competitions. It’s a much more established
scene. Everybody has a bike in Orlando. I remember going to the first ever
critical mass in Orlando, 6 years ago, and being one of 8 people. It’s
grown so much since then. Like watching a seed grow into a beautiful ripe
juicy watermelon.

-good places for cyclists to hang out at?

The streets

- what’s it like biking in these cities?

It’s alright. There are lots of crazy spanish drivers in Miami. The roads
are nice and flat. The sun is blazing down on you all year long. Showers
become obsolete. It’s a big sweaty mess.

-how is the bike infrastructure? What needs the biggest improvements?

We need less cobblestone. I don’t know who decided to cobblestone all of
downtown Orlando. We need drivers to relax and stop screaming at us.

-your future cycling goals?

I want to do a keo into a wheelie then into a backwards circle then bunny
hop a flight of stairs! No, not really. I’m a racer. I want to take racing
to the next level. Get even faster.

-anything you’d wished I’d asked you?

More juicy questions. I keep it real cute.
Orlando BFF is going on right now until Sunday Aug 23! Come out and have
fun with us. Miami BFF coming in December! Don’t miss it for the world!

Thanks Jen.
Sad but true, the BFF Orlando was this past weekend August 21-23rd.

Miami is coming up December 3rd-6th

Here are some other Florida links:
miamibikescene.blogspot.com

Where I found this video of their Critical Mass

Miami Critical Mass : July 31st, 2009 from rydel high on Vimeo.

also check out:

407fixedgear.com

and

southfloridafixed.blogspot.com