Candy Cranks

In the spirit of The Fantastic Four being a fun and relatively safe late nite spookycat, the BBG is giving racers a preview of the checkpoint destinations. Thanks to Matt Urlaub for designing this KILLER map! See you guys on Saturday!

Our good friends Johnny and Nick hosted a halfway to St.Paddy’s day Alleycat! There were small prizes for the winners, but all participants were entered into the raffle to win a Chrome coveted jersey designed by MASH rider Garret Chow. This race was part of a series of 3 to be eligible for the jersey.

The awesome hosts:

Riding out, Danny checking the manifest looking comical:

The only other lady participant besides me, Stacy (but was enough for a girls division!)

The manifest consisted of visiting Irish bars in Honolulu and Waikiki to perform tasks to get signatures and gold coins, equaling points. Tasks included dancing a jig, thinking up a bike related limerick, and finding a lovely lady dressed as a leprechaun and delivering a strand of her hair to another checkpoint.

Tiebreaker race with Hoku in the lead:

Second place Adam with his knog sponsored prizes

Super fun race and I’m looking forward to the next ones coming up!! Hopefully more ladies will be riding those!

This week is crammed with bike events. Definitely saved the best for last. The annual 816 Bike Collective Benefit is on Sunday [read more below]!!!! Hope to see you kids at some if not all of these events!

Starting point for Belles, Bikes, and Giggles

Wednesday: Belles, Bikes, & Giggles.

Our first ladies only ride was a success. We explored [swam] around the Discovery Center at the Kaufmann Foundation then headed north to the Union Hill Cemetery. Quite the late night adventure. These rides will be happening weekly.  Starting from Eagle Scout Fountain [39th and Gilham]. We’ll meet around 10:30.

Thursday: Third Thursday Alleycat @ Volker Velowerx.

Free to ride. Meet at 6 pm. Corner of 18th and Wyandotte. Due to this alleycat, Bike Polo is canceled. Stephen moved it from Sundays to Thursdays. Usually, We’ll play at 6 pm on the Holmes court. There’s an extra bike, so even if you don’t have beater you can try it out!!!!!!!!!!!

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First Third Thursday Alleycat [the suckers who brought Coke!

Friday: Mocktail Hour and BBQ RIDE

Mocktail Hour: 5-7 @ Bum Island in Westport. Come get your bike repaired from the Missouri Bike Federation. Even if you don’t need to work on your bike, stop by and chat.

BBQ Ride: 7:30 pm. Meet at Sunfresh Market in Westport. We’re heading to Oklahoma Joe’s [As seen on Man vs Food]! Here are the photos from last month’s ride to Earl Quick’s. We got there in the knick of time. Also, they had a slab special!

the gang.

July's Bikes, BBQ, & Good times.

OK Joe's!

Sunday: 816 Bike Collective Benefit.

The collective is a community supported bike shop. They work with volunteers passing on knowledge about bike mechanics and maintence. They donate bicycles to kids and adults in need of a mode of transportation and empowerment. Their current building at the corner of 31st and Troost was without electricity throughout the winter. They are looking to relocated to a space that will be more supportive of their efforts. Also, bearings need grease and grease costs money. This is their major benefit of the year. Come out and support bicycle awareness and empowerment in the 816!!

5 PM-Alleycat! $10 to enter, free admission into the benefit show. Starting point: Firefighter’s Fountain @ 31st and Washington. Tons of fun and prizes.

7 PM- Benefit Show at Californos [4124 Pennsylvania Avenue]. Silent Auction, Bands, DJs, and KCSprints! $7 at the door!

This week is going to be busy! Hopefully I’ll be able to squeeze a nap in poolside. ha!

-Caitlin

Full Metal Millport’s Happening this weekend thanks to our sponsors for providing us with gallus prizes !!

For more info use this link:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=312630279130

Alleycat Racers Sing Queen from Dada Factory on Vimeo.

“For the Don Giovanni Alleycat Race we made racers sing Bohemian Rhapsody, one line at a time. Beautiful, Just beautiful.”

More info

Sorry I’ve been slacking, my time has been consumed with carboxylic acids and oxidation reactions [organic chem final's tomorrow...wish me luck!

Despite Bike Week starting on a unseasonally brisk and wet foot, it looks like the rain will be ceasing on Friday. [Finally!] Lucky for us in the heartland, that’s when all the fun events are starting.

Here’s a quick rundown of the remaining events here in Kansas City:

Thursday:

• 816 Bike Collective will be open from 3:00 pm-6:00 pm at 3109 Troost Avenue. Stop by if you need help with your bike, want to volunteer, earn a bike, or drop parts off.

• Bike Polo [rain or shine] 31st and Baltimore [in the garages] around 5:30-6.
• Alley Cat hosted by Britton and the Volker gang. Race is beginning at 7 pm sharp! Starting at the  NEW Volker Velower spot. [18th and Wyandotte NE corner.] Best part: it’s a free alley cat!

Friday:

• KC Bike Fed’s Mocktail hour. 5:00 pm-7:00 pm at the center island between 43rd and Broadway [aka Bum Island]. Free food and bike repairs. [This event happens every third Friday]
• Crossroads Bike-In Movie Night. 7:00 pm-9:00 pm at 1821 Wyandotte. They are showing Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.
• KC Sprints @ the Volker Velower spot. [18th and Wyandotte NE corner.] 7:00  pm-??? [I'm sure puking and trash talking will ensue.]

• UMKC Clean Commute Bike-In Movie. 8:00 pm-10:30 pm at “The Hub” [5301 Charlotte]. They are playing The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Saturday:

• May’s BBQ Ride. We’re meeting around 2:15ish at The Roasterie Cafe in BKS [6223 Brookside Boulevard] and riding to Rosedale BBQ [600 Southwest Boulevard]. Bikes, BBQ, & Good Times!

• 816 Bike Collective will be open from 3:00 pm-6:00 pm at 3109 Troost Avenue. Stop by if you need help with your bike, want to volunteer, earn a bike, or drop parts off.
• 

Sunday:

• Bike Polo at the roller hockey rinks [70th and Holmes] around 2:30 pm.

I’m excited to break in my new cranks, I.R.D Defiant Track Cranks, to and from all these events! Hopefully, everyone else is having a great [less wet] Bike Week, too!

Your chance to win a DC PK Ripper! It’s a team race, the winner of the bike will be drawn by raffle, but you must be in the race to go into the draw.

QA with Jenny, Glagow’s only female bike messenger

Where did you grow up, where do you currently live?
I grew up in Glasgow, Scotland and I still live there.

How long have you been riding for?
ive been riding bikes for most of my life, been riding fixed for just over 4 yrs.

What’s your favourite bike to ride?
Fixed wheel

Where is your favourite place to ride?
Around town, Kelvingrove skatepark.

You’re currently working as a cycle messenger, what city are you working in, how does it compare to other jobs you’ve had.
I work in Glasgow, its a good job because you dont have someone breathing over your shoulder all day and you get to be outside and do what you want when your not on call. Me and my friend James have our own courier company called FFWD>> Bicycle Messengers so we dont have anyone telling us what to do.

Are there any disadvantages being a woman in such a male dominated industry?
Not that i can think of ? but sometimes its hard to get women size bike stuff at local shops like shoes and smaller stems etc.

Are there any advantages being a woman in such a male dominated industry?
I dont know :s  ?

On average how many miles/km would you ride per day whilst working?
If  its quiet    10 + If busy 50 + miles

How do you keep cool in the summer and warm in the winter? In summer you need to drink more water, wear less clothing, the summers here arent ridiculously hot so it’s ok. The winters are either really windy, cold and wet or snowy and frozen.  Layers are what it’s all about. I wear  thermals undermeath, hoodie, fleece/bodywarmer, gore tex outer shell, gloves, hat, scarf and waterproof socks.

What bike do you ride whilst working as a messenger?
I usually ride my fixed gear but sometimes a single speed kona or geared racer.

Have you have any close calls, accidents or injures as a result of working as a messenger? I’ve had a few, one time I was hit by a bus whilst walking on the pavement cause I had a puncture and had ran out of patches, the bus must have overlapped the pavement coming round the corner! Another time a BMW pulled out on me and I ended up crashing into a wall with my arm fully extended, afterwards I couldnt straighten my arm and for most of a year it felt pretty sore, it’s ok now tho!

When was the last time you flipped the bird in anger?
Today when a taxi tried to crush me, I had to boot his door to warn him of my impending doom!

What do you eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner when working as a messenger?
For breakfast usually banana on toast, or poached eggs on toast at a cafe called Where the Monkey Sleeps, for lunch prob a good sandwich and dinner something home cooked, pasta, stew, fish etc.

What’s the best thing about Glasgow?
The people  and parties.

Where would you take an-out-of-town mate visiting Glasgow?
I’d take them a tour about the city, maybe visit Loch Lomond, then for a good night out, Mungos HiFi at the art school or pubs and  partys.

What do you get up to when you’re not working?
I like to go to festivals and parties, make stuff, build up bikes, at the moment I’m building up a good jump bike so I can do trails at the weekend.