Candy Cranks

Every year for an annual conference regarding trees, cycling arborists gather together for the Stihl Tour des Trees. The Tour is a 5-day cycling trip covering over 500 miles in the country or state where the conference is held, with the intent to raise funds for the TREE fund, a tree research organization. Over 100 cyclists participated in the 2012 Tour in Oregon, USA. I was unable to participate in the full tour, but joined in the last day for a 30mile ride around Portland, OR for the Ride for Research.

All the tour riders in their matching attire gather for the final day of their ride

In good tree humor, the ribbon to celebrate the beginning of the ride is cut with a Stihl chainsaw, complete with the protective equipment donned over the spandex

Rolling out of Holladay Park

Some happy Ride for Research participants

Beautiful Oregon day

Nearly finished with the Tour

And a Tree themed ride would not be complete without custom made wooden bicycles!

Through the Tour des Trees, the TREE fund raised over $500,000 for grants and scholarships to improve knowledge and technology regarding trees. Next year, the tour will be held in Toronto, Canada.. hopefully I can make it to the whole tour and that some of you may participate as well!

The nonprofit organization KVIBE (Kalihi Valley Instructional Bike Exchange) has ordered a custom made cargo bike by Portland, Oregon company Metrofiets to make their mechanic program mobile. The plan is to extend their warehouse beyond the building by traveling to nearby schools to teach underprivileged youth about bicycles, on a bicycle.  Before heading to its final home at KVIBE, the cargo bike did a bit of sightseeing and racing! KVIBE coordinator Sau Hsu pedaled me around Honolulu and beyond in the cargo load for a few great adventures.

Photo Stop: Waikiki Beach!

You don’t need a cargo bike to transport giant things in Hawaii.. bicycle surfboard racks do the trick!

The bike poses with Olympic swimmer Duke Kahanamoku

Sau pedaled the cargo bike with me in it for a 12.8 mile time trial over rolling hills and through the rain.. epic!

View from the rainy cargo hold

Sau being a champ, suffering up the final hill to pedal me into my first place female mountain bike finish!

The cargo bike is at its new home in Kalihi Valley, about to go on its first official work-related ride on March 17th for the Great Kalihi Cargo Haul. The ride will promote youth cycling by providing up to 100 helmets for kids and encourage the children to work on the land, with the ending point at the Kokua Kalihi Valley nature preserve, Ho’oulu ‘Aina.

Via mixedplateblog I just came across this pretty new online shop by singapore-based creative director thomas yang.

It offers a collection of art prints that feature the passion for cycling. All of the original designs are limited to 100 pieces, each item being watermarked and labeled with the title and edition number.

LOOOOVE these limited edition bicycle jerseys from Andrawis George‘s ‘Ride Preppy’ range. Only producing 30 of each design. Get in touch with Andy if you’d like one $120 plus worldwide shipping.

A ninth-generation shipwright, Sueshiro Sano has been making exquisite wooden products since he was in elementary school. But in 2008, drawing inspiration and technique from a lifetime of shipbuilding, the woodworker produced his first bike constructed entirely of mahogany, including frame, fork, seat, seat post, handlebars/stem combination and even rims.

Via

Cute cycling kits, more info here.

And here.

I’m loving these bikes made by Dutch man Herman van Hulsteijn. They look just like a modern take on the classic Penny Farthing bicycle.

Van Hulsteijn originally started as an interior design studio 7 years ago but when he built a prototype of this bike for personal use 2 years ago no wonder people started asking obsessively were it came from and only then he decided to start manufacturing a line of bikes. He’s obviously got a great eye!

Herman van Hulsteijn and his team design the bikes in-shop so they are built just the way Herman wants them. When making a Classic Van Hulsteijn bike, the team begins with cyclone stainless steel frames made specifically for the company that features their trademark frame. Options added to the bike include either the two-speed Sturmey Archer kick shift coaster brake or the three-speed Shimano Nexus with coaster brake and additional gearing choices. For style, the company gives the customers their pick of 3 seat colours, 3 rim colours, 5 standard frame colours and two frame heights.

The gear change detail is fab!

I want one! For more info and pretty pictures check out their website  http://www.vanhulsteijn.com/website/#

When Alex emailed me saying he needed a chainring quickly to be ready for a bike show, I had no idea it was going to be for the likes of this beauty! The stars on the chainring were painted celeste to match the rest of the detailing, looks amazing Alex!

This is my super sweet pooch Shifter going for a ride in the Cargo bike made by Primate Frames. He loves it! As soon as the bike comes out he jumps in the blue recycled fish box and starts yelping with excitement. Every now and then he starts barking, his signal for letting me know he wants to get out and run. I have to actually stop him otherwise he just keeps running, total working dog.

Please forgive my highly dodgy camera skills, riding fixed while trying to film was not the easiest or probably the cleverest thing I’ve ever done.

See Primate Frames for more info on the mechanics and working of the bike. And for the actual welding and build process, go here.

More here