I had trip away to Melbourne for the weekend to catch up with some mates and do a bit of shopping. Melbourne’s a great place to ride, it’s flat, designed in a grid and it’s lot more bike friendly than Sydney. It not only has large bike paths clearly marked, it has great shops, cafes, bars and coffee. A mate recommended the “Seven Seeds” cafe which served up quite possibly the best coffee I’ve ever had. I know, big call, but it was amazing and I’m pretty fussy with my coffee. The food was delicious, the cafe big and airy but the stand out feature had to be the indoor bike parking. You could hang or park your bike anywhere along one of the inside walls, brilliant!
Melbourne has a lot a great features but it’s not really known for it’s weather, Tarn and I experienced every season in one day and what display it was. A beautiful warm sunny day soon turned grey as some ginormous clouds darkened the sky. We were on our way to Pony Bikes and just made it inside before the rain came down. This was followed closely by hail that was absolutely insane, some of the biggest hail stones I’d seen came crashing down all over the city. Cars were dented, trees were shredded and the streets were flooded, the accumulated ice, leaves and rain made Melbourne look like a giant Mohito which was fine by me, it’s my fave drink
Tarn and I dropped into Pony Bikes to say ‘Hi’ to Sasha and check out her bike shop in West Melbourne that’s been open for about a year now. It’s female run shop and Sasha has been working in the bike scene for over a decade. The shop looks great and Sasha’s work is ace, she specialises in custom builds, repairs and maintenance.
“The give-away is for a Headset Girly Riding Hoodie and a Pikey bag, both pictured above. This contest is for the ladies ONLY. The rules are simple; submit photos of yourself working, or racing. No pretty in pink type shit. We are looking for ladies that actually ride their bikes. The more serious the better. Submit photos to the comments section and we’ll pick a winner. Working messengers, serious racers, or just awesome ladies that use their bikes as a main mode of transportation! Fixed, road, whatever. We want to see cyclists who love riding their bikes!
The hoodie is a size small and the messenger bag is a perfect-sized everyday bag.”
March 11th, 2010 · Marie - New York City · No Comments
Want to help plan the Brooklyn waterfront greenway and bike access? See the following announcement:
Community planning workshops for the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, led by NYC Department of Transportation, will begin on Thursday, March 25th. The community workshops will inform DOT’s master plan for constructing the greenway, so please mark your calendars and tell your neighbors. Four workshops will be held, one in each broad geographic area along the planned 14-mile route. Brooklyn Greenway Initiative and Regional Plan Association are co-sponsoring the workshops.
::DETAILS::
DATE – Sunday, 3.14 (March, 14th)
TIME – Registration will begin at 1:59PM, RACE WILL BEGIN AT 3:14 SHARP!
LOCATION – Cambridge Common, off of Harvard Square.
COST – $5 with a helmet, $7 without.
BRING – A bag, lock, and your biggest Pi eating grin!
AFTER PARTY – Otherside Cafe 5-7PM!
So I finally got the dust off of my commuter bike and made the 12.5 mi journey to work. I have to say that it really felt great to ride in again…SO much better than driving!! Now that I’m back at it, I feel a little more comfortable promoting a great local event:
Save the Date: Walk/Ride on March 26th!
The Green Streets Initiative is an international grassroots organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA that celebrates, promotes, and advocates for the use of alternative transportation.www.gogreenstreets.org
The Green Streets Initiative is best known for the creation of monthly Walk/Ride Days. Walk/Ride Days occur on the last Friday of every month. On these days people everywhere are invited to go, and wear green!
CC : What are some of the recent bike developments you’ve seen in NYC?
ME : The many bike lanes that have been built recently are a big development for NYC. The NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner, Jeanette Sadik-Khan, is a cyclist herself, and she has been very progressive with projects such as closing off traffic from Broadway in Times Square and creating pedestrian plazas throughout the city. In the past three years, the city has built something like 200 miles of bike lanes. And the city is trying to track bike commuting, which is done by sending people out in the streets to do bike counts at bridges and other places. It’s not a perfect system of measurement, but it’s a start. Bicycle fatalities have dropped dramatically in the city, down from 26 in 2008 to 12 in 2009. It’s hard to discern a trend from just one year of data, but it sounds like good news to me. And I’m out on my bike very day, and I’ve noticed a lot more people cycling, even in the winter. And I’ve particularly noticed a lot more women who are riding. Just the other day, I was thinking, « Gosh, there are a lot of women on bicycles in NYC. » It’s great. So I think the trends are positive for cycling in the city.
CC : We’ve heard rumors about a potential bike-sharing program for NYC. Have you heard any recent news on that ?
ME : I’ve heard rumors that NYC is developing a plan for bike-sharing. The city just tested a bike share program in Summer 2009 on Governor’s Island, and I think it went well. So I think the city is looking at this option, which would be great for NYC. Of course, the problems would be theft and safety. But the data shows that the more cyclists are out there, the safer the streets.
CC : What resources do you recommend to stay current on NYC biking news?
ME : Transportation Alternatives, Streetsblog NYC, and the NYC Department of Transportation, which has a whole page devoted to bike resources.
CC : How can NYC bikers support bike-friendly initiatives ?
ME : Attend your local community board meetings. Be vocal and supportive of bike projects. Some bike lanes have encountered opposition from small portions of the community. So if cyclists don’t show up and speak in favor of projects, their voices don’t get heard. And support the NYC Department of Transporation and all the great work they do, as well as Transportation Alternatives, and our group, The Tri-State Transporation Campaign!
CC : What is your bike commute like ?
ME : I take my daughter to school every day on my bike. We ride up to her school on the Hudson Avenue bike lane. Then I take the 8th Avenue lane, which is separated from car traffic, to my office. To get home, I go south on another bike lane on 9th Avenue. My commute is not very difficult, so I’m lucky!
CC : What are your favorite bike routes in the city ?
ME : The Hudson River bike laneon the riverfront is a favorite. And crossing Brooklyn Bridge is fun. And Governor’s Island in the summertime is great, because no cars are allowed on the island.
CC : How can NYC riders ride more safely?
ME : NYC riding is pretty aggressive. And I’m less aggressive than some of the bikers out there, particularly when I ride with a child. I use bike lanes, especially the separated bike lanes. And stopping at lights is a good idea. Improving traffic enforcement is something the city need to improve. Lack of traffic enforcement is slowing down other great initiatives that the city is making. The NYPD could think more about pedestrian and cyclist safety. So there are some frustrations, but we’re working on them.
CC : What do you recommend for riding with a small child ?
ME : There is a great bike seat made by a company called Wee Ride. We tried other bike seats that fit on the back of the bike, but the weight and center of gravity was awkward for me. So now with this bike seat, my daughter sits out front and instead of looking at my back, she can see.
CC : Any last comments for Candy Cranks readers?
ME : I think the aim of the blog is terrific. I think it’s great for other women cyclists to see other women cyclists out there. So the work you’re doing is really important.
The boys from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are in town. Me, the local guys here took them out for a ride. Its all about the RATSKL with CAS, Fixpatrix, PEONFX and Nookmag hitting the streets.
Our local fixed gear collective, Aloha Fixed, is reviving their “Aloha Sunday” event, a fun filled day of sprints and tricks on track bikes! The ladies of Punani Pedal have been invited to join in this event, as they have created female categories for the following competitions:
a) warm-up event: trackstand “simon says.”
b) sprints. it would not be group sprint, but one vs. one with partners selected by random draw. winners of each of these individual races will advance further until there remains only 1 vs. 1. the route would be around diamond head to provide stretches of down and uphill.
c) cool-down event after the sprints: longest skid competition.
d) footdown
e) individual trick competition!!! so how about this format? impartial judges (those who do not do tricks) will rate individuals like the olympics. we will tally the judges points and determine winner. each individual will have either 3 or 5 minutes to show their best stuff.
f) trackstand “water balloon.” toss a water balloon like a hot potato.
Twice a year (spring & fall) there is a bike show in Toronto where all the shops and clubs from across the Golden Horseshoe (the area withing approx 2 hours drive of the city) are all in one big arena for a weekend sale extravaganza. This weekend is the spring bike show which is always the big one as everyone gets ready to get outside again for the summer. Great deals can be found, especially in the first few hours of the show. My boyfriend and I lined up to get in early and while neither of us was looking for anything specific, we each came out with loads of great new gear, spd shoes, jerseys, a camel back, jackets, a bag, arm warmers, padded shorts, a riding skirt, mostly all at 50% off the store prices. My favourite sight of the show was right inside the main entrance, at the Wike booth which specializes in bike trailers… a trailer hitch for your kayak! how good is that! ahh Canada, you’ve done it again.
There’s loads of bikes and wheels sets and everything you can think of there, so whatever you’re after, you can get set for a new season. There’s also a bmx jam and flatland competition as well if you want to just sit back and take a break from the shopping.
On the weekend I travelled down to Thredbo, NSW to watch my partner race at the Red Ass 4X and Dual Slalom State Series. After watching a u-tube video of a dual slalom race in the States, I borrowed some pads and a full face helmet and decided to join in the race. I chickened out at the 4X, but by the time the dual slalom came around I had found enough psyche and lost enough insecurities to enter. I had such a blast. Anyways, here is a little rhyme about my experience…
Donning a suit of borrowed armour
I try to breathe, but don’t get any calmer
Remember folks, I’m not exactly Shaun Palmer
He’s as fast a cheater – I’m more like a llama.
But who said Dual Slalom was just about winning
Collecting trophies until your pool room is blinging
Lapping up applause until it leaves your ears ringing
Nah, fuck that, there’s another tune I’d rather be singing:
“Girls just want to have fun
Oh, girls just want to have fun”
I am doing well for the first two heats,
Even though I’m not racing the other elites.
“What’s that? I’m first over the line? Sweeet”
Pity it’s not something I’m able to repeat.
Still, it’s cause for me to rise to my feet,
And sing,
“Girls just want to have fun
Oh, girls just want to have fun”
Next up on the gate is a young wipper-snapper
The fact that he’s 13 years old doesn’t matter
He races out of that gate like some sort of mad-hatter
I slip off the pedals, which doesn’t make matters better
Loosing to a young punk is hardly a source of pleasure,
But when the chips get you down, you’ve just got to remember
“Girls just want to have fun
Oh, girls just want to have fun”
Sharing the gate with Vanessa, I’ll admit I was scared
There’s no point sizing us up – I don’t even compare
There is one hell of a rider under that mane of blond hair
Any victory she scores, is hers fair and square.
I was kind of close behind her for the first bit of the track,
But for the rest of the way I just admired her back,
You’ve got to get good at defence, when you fail at attack.
Although, I did lay down some corners, and avert some stacks
And I don’t come off too bad when you play the race back.
It’s just a bit of speed and coordination I lack.
But to anyone who says dual slalom has no room for the hacks,
I’m a sucker for cute-ness and this illustration by Noulou, Erin Moniotte just about takes the cake. It’s titled “The Runaway Bicycle” and you can have one of your very own for $18. You can check out more of her lovely doodles here.
There is not a whole lot I can say about all of this besides that this night was crazy. The Death Pedal 2 world premier was held at Mojo’s which reached capacity by the time I got there around 9:30. Fortunately, enough people left, and we got in before the first showing started. The video was 30 minutes of seriously awesome riding (Good work, Kareem and every one else who was a part of it)! Overall it was a great night and amazing weekend; every one seemed to have a lot of fun and get totally out of hand. Some of the Delco kids thought it was funny to rack up a huge bill on our tab (Thanks, guys), but we’ll be getting them back… when they finally turn the legal drinking age that is.
I also just want to quickly note that while I had an amazing time this weekend, I do want to say, I am a bit disappointed in the way some boys continue to treat girls who ride (stop hitting on us, especially those who have boyfriends that they love, it is incredibly disrespectful, and it just makes you look desperate). It is really quite upsetting. I know I speak for a lot of us when I say that I wish I would just be seen as another person who likes to ride and have fun, rather than nothing more than a girl with boobs and a vagina. It really makes me feel not respected at times. I won’t let a few assholes ruin my opinion of all of you guys though. I met a lot of great people including (but not limited to) John, Tony, and Ted. Can’t wait to ride with you guys again!
You can pre-order your copy of Death Pedal 2 here!
The after party was out of control. At one point I heard Tom La Marche trying to rally a group to tip over a car, I ended up beating up Tony Fast who tried to throw me into a trash can, Super Ted peed everywhere, including on Tony, and I apparently convinced Super Ted that I was actually English and had been faking an American accent all weekend. As I said, it was totally out of control, but a lot of fun. And for the record, it was not me who ended up getting Tony Fast that night; him and Super Ted went off wandering the halls half naked for quite some time; no one really knows what happened. And while every one in room 502 witnessed Tony in the nude, I went home with my Keef.
All photos by Prolly, with the exception of one by Sean.
I just got back from a short trip to Dalian, China. My purpose was simple: meet up with some childhood friends from Montreal and have a little reunion, eat some tasty food, do a bit of shopping, and just get a feel for the place. This was my first visit to China and I asked my friend who is living there about getting a hold of some bikes to cruise around the city on. Her email response prior to my departure gave the impression that she had never considered riding a bike in Dalian. I was informed that a Dalian winter is much colder than a Montreal winter, which is much colder than a Toronto winter, which made me consider canceling my trip. I was envisioning -50°C at noon. She also told me that while there are some traffic signals, they are more like guidelines, but not so strictly followed, and that I would understand when I got there. So, I hopped on a plane for a few hours and ended up in a totally different world.
Thankfully I hit Dalian during a heatwave, though I was secretly kind of wishing to have to try out the amazing inch thick long underwear that I saw for sale in the markets. The thing about the traffic that my friend had warned me about became clear very quickly, and I learned to stick close behind the locals when crossing the street. While I did see a number of pedal powdered vehicles, they were mostly tricycles, and they were mostly stationary. The good thing about this is that they were usually loaded up with delicious fresh fruits and veggies. Bicycle culture in Dalian does seem to be shadowed by car culture or perhaps all the cyclist were chilling at home celebrating Chinese new year. I still had a great time sticking to the side streets, the markets and underground malls. I definitely want to explore more of China, but maybe I’ll save the biking for the countryside.
After the Bike show Keith, Andy, Candice, and I went to the RVA Trick Jam put on my Richmond Fixed and Trick Track. It had a fairly slow start, and maybe a fight, but it ended up being really awesome! All photos by Keith Gallagher, you can find more here.
Saturday morning we got up and started riding to the Richmond, VA convention center, hoping we’d find a place to stop and eat breakfast on the way. We seriously hit the jackpot! If you know me, you know I’m all about breakfast. I wish we had a place like City Diner in Nashville. Not only was the food great, but the service was amazing too; City Diner saved my life this past weekend. All photos by Keith Gallagher.
The North American Handmade Bicycle Show had a lot going on. There were so many insane bikes and parts to even name them all. I met the guys at Urban Velo, and they were really cool. I also ran into Ben and the rest of the Cinelli guys again. Here are some pictures that Keith took while we wandered around the show. More photos here.
Sydney | London | New York | Tokyo | Berlin | Los Angeles | Milano | Boston | Dublin | Vancouver | Amsterdam | Paris | Chicago | Philadelphia | San Francisco | Zurich | Nagoya | Singapore | Nashville | Honolulu | Shanghai | Montreal | Toronto I Budapest | Salt Lake City
Candy Cranks recently did a Q&A with Michelle Ernst of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, which promotes alternative transportation and sustainable land use development in the Tri-State region (NY/NJ/CT). Michelle gave us a review of recent bike developments around NYC. 
