Wheelgirl

Oregon Manifest Modern Utility Bike Challenge and Creative Collaboration Bicycles

If you want to see the bikes constucted by those who took up the Oregon Manifest's challenge of building the ultimate utility bike for modern living, click here.

Here are some of the winners of the competition. Thank you, makers and all concerned, for providing me with some thought-provoking, two-wheeled eye candy.

 

All pixs lifted from the Oregon Manifest site. (Best of Show: Tony Pereira, Pereira Cycles), (Student Winners: Univeristy of Oregon.)

While you are clicking around on the Oregon Manifest site, check out the creative collaboration bikes.

(Peoples' Choice: IDEO and Rock Lobster Cycles)

(Fuseproject and SyCip Design)

(Ziba Design and Signal Cycles)
(All pixs lifted from the Oregon Manifest site.)

If you have a job, you better get back to work. If you don't, and you love bikes, go for a ride. You'll feel better. While you are pedaling, think about what you might create.
(Thanks to Raju for sending me this link.)

Interbike in Vegas 2011 Get out! There's a wooden track by the snackbar?

I'm going to start posting a bunch of random (and somewhat chaotic) videos I created at Interbike in Vegas a month ago.  In 16 hours, I tried to visit as many of the 1000+ bike vendors as possible, and as I stepped into each vendor booth,  I pressed the recording button and began chatting about new bikes and accessories for 2011.  I saw some awesomely cool stuff for next year.

None of the vendors knew I was going to visit. I did not research anything prior to my visits; hence, I'm learning as I'm filming, so bear with me.  I was delighted with how helpful and forthcoming the vendors were with technical product information.  As I edit out the unplanned shots of the floor and my less than generous comments about video camera batteries,  I'll post them.

(I only shoot video once a year at Interbike, which is wicked loud. I bought an open box video camera on deep discount from Best Buy a day before the show. These facts will come as no surprise to you when you watch the videos.)

 

 

SF Bike Expo This Weekend at Cow Palace, Look for Wheelgirl in Rohloff Booth

Go to the Cow Palace on Saturday Nov 6th for the SF Bike Expo.

Wheelgirl will have a bunch of choice cycling drive-train and build components, bike accessories and bags, and bike clothing at great prices for you pre-holiday, bargain-shopping cycling cats. (We'll be in the Rohloff booth with CycleMonkey and the Bike Fit Studio.)

Yes, gearheads visit the show and spend your ATM cash. Then, there is no credit card bill. Your true love won't know you're buying him/her yet another highly necessary bike-related item. While gift shopping, you might see something for your own bike...

Learn all about the Rohloff internal hub made for those cats who love to ride and tour in rain, filth, dirt, and mud.

(It should be a most excellent Saturday after this greart week of the SF Giants winning the World Series! GO GIANTS!)

(Lifted from the Bike Expo site.)

Macaframa Poetry in Motion and Cog Magazine

You messy fixed gear riding cats, I don't care if you wash or match your sock. Just keep continuing to entertain me completely with your brave and unique fixed gear poetry in motion. I found an issue of Cog Magazine  at the new Chrome Bag store 4th of July weekend, and when I went to Cog's site, watching the Macaframe trailer below made me grin. Yes, Aunt Lou, it is dangerous. But as Jenny Holtzer observed in her 1983-1985 Survival writings: "Finding extreme pleasure will make you a better person if you're careful about what thrills you."  I am still saving that t-shirt with one-line Holzer truisms.

The Macaframe video site  has other really short film trailers that marry the two-wheeled grace and balance of fixed gear urban riding to evocative music. Pretty in my ears and pretty on my eyes. (Can you Macaframe guys light some candles, have a seance, and channel some of your image-to-music and machine-to-movement intuitiveness to the Discovery Channel show, How It's Made. Help them to help themselves.)

If you ride any type of bike in San Francisco, check out the short fixed gear video clips. And if you love all things fixed gear, click through Cog Magazine. Print copies of Cog were shipped yesterday. There is no charge for the magazine. It is completely free if you buy anything from the Wheelgirl bike shop. But you can subscribe if you like by visiting their site. Suggestion: Work up to difficult tricks if you are new to fixie trick riding. Gifted fixsters are usually happy to share their tips for ways to keep the blood and bones on the inside of your skin.

MACAFRAMA Trailer from MACAFRAMA on Vimeo.

Download Free PDF of Urban Velo Bike Magazine, Read and Recover From Your Great July 4th Weekend

You had a great July 4th weekend. You rode your bike around the excellent and happily empty city streets of San Francisco, since tens of thousands of people left town during the holiday weekend. You've thanked your lucky stars for the invention of corn on the cob. Now it is time to go back to work and to make your summer bike commute through the city even more enjoyable. Step 1: Download the PDF of the latest issue of Urban Velo magazine. Step 2: Read about people like you who love riding their bikes in city environments. The PDF is a scan of the exact magazine. Stop by the shop and check out the printed magazine, which should be available in a few days. Suggestion: Read Urban Velo #8 from cover to cover. You are not going to get any real work done until tomorrow anyway.

(Yes, Wheelgirl does have an ad in Urban Velo reminding people that there are only 25 days left to submit a winning design to the Wheelgirl 2008 T-Shirt Design Contest and win a set of Phil Wood track hubs. You got skeeels? Bring home the Phils.)

(Photo of UrbanVelo Issue 8 Cover lifted from the UrbanVelo site.)

Game Over for BART Bike Thief, Score One for Business Woman Bike Commuter

Here is a great to-catch-a-bike-thief story. Customer Kiki walked out of the Berkeley Ashby BART station, and she was looking forward to riding her Dutch commuter bike home after a long day at work. The hot dog man, who has watched Customer Kiki lock up her bike and get on BART for years, yelled to her, "He just stole your bike! That guy steals bikes all the time!" and pointed to some guy across the street, who was walking away from the BART with Customer Kiki's bike and another bike.

Customer Kiki, in formal business attire, looked at the bike rack, and suddenly realizing her bike was, in fact, missing, started running after the guy, who was stealing it. While sprinting across the cross-walk, all the while dragging her rolling business laptop case, she spotted a police car, flagged down an officer, and the police officer arrested and hand-cuffed the guy.

When asked why he had taken the bike, the bike thief, an older guy, said, "The key was in the bike lock, and I didn't want anyone to steal it, so I was watching it for her." Yes, like many of us, in a rush to avoid missing the train, Customer Kiki had inadvertently left the key in the bike lock. But, as the police officer reminded the thief, key or no key, it is against the law to take something that doesn't belong to you. The officer reunited Customer Kiki with her beloved Dutch commuter bike and put the wicked bike stealing man in the black and white (with the other stolen bike) and took him down to the station. Game over for the BART bike thief. Score one for bike commuters everywhere.

Bike photo lifted from CleverCycle, the Portland, Oregon store where Customer Kiki originally purchased her Dutch commuter. Bart Logo lifted from BART website. Handcuffs lifted from web. Hot dog photo lifted from Chemistryland site.

One Stolen Bike Recovered on the Way to the Bike Shop

I was riding to work last Saturday, taking a different way, enjoying the sunshine. I looked to my right, and I was just about to pass two guys, one on a skateboard pushing a white GT mountain bike and the other on an black single-speed IRO Highlander.

I smiled and nodded to the guy on the black IRO Highlander. I like IRO frames. They are practical and don't cost an arm and a leg. He smiled back. I noticed the Wheelgirl sticker on the top tube. Cool. Thanks for the support, I thought. Then my brain remembered that I had helped to build that bike, and it was for a girl who had told me several weeks ago it was stolen while locked up at the BART!

In that I have been watching a bunch of action adventure movies, while I wait for the time to change and the days to get longer, I pulled in front of the guys, took out my cellphone, and let them know, with a smile, that they could start walking, or we could all have a conversation with the police. "How do you know it is stolen?" they asked. I pointed to the Wheelgirl work t-shirt I was wearing and the sticker on the bike. "We built that bike for a girl, and she told us it was stolen at the BART" "But we bought it from a guy at the BART," they answered. Lesson learned: Don't buy bikes at the BART from people you don't know. If you want to gamble with your money, go to Las Vegas.

They both knew the jig was up. And to their credit, they gave up the bike without a fight or a harsh word. One guy was in his twenties, and one guy was at least in his thirties. The bike was pretty trashed, but after a tune up, some new cables, housing, brake pads, pedals, and a polish she is looking like a sweet single-speed ride again. (Read after the jump, urban cyclists, to see if you can answer the U lock riddle.)

Photos taken by Wheelgirl. This is the bike right after it was recovered from an adventure as stolen property.

North American Handmade Bicycle Show, If This Eye Candy Had Calories, You Would Be One Fat Hog

I attended the 2006 and 2007 North American Handmade Bicycle Shows (NAHBS) in San Jose. The show were feasts for the eyes for anyone who loves bikes. (We've got both show posters framed up on the wall in the shop.) I didn't make it to the 2008 show this year in Portland. But by all reports, it was a huge success. Here is a short list of links you can click through to view photos and get an idea of the festivities.

• The first image below is a list of Best in Show from the votes placed by those attending the NAHBS Show Daily Sunday Night.
• The next image below, is a photo of a bike made by Sam of Naked Bicycles and Design (photo take by UrbanVelo.org.) Sam won three categories for this bike.
• Click here for a list of every builder at the show and his or her website.
• Photos from the show, particularly close ups and detail images can be found here and here on the NAHBS website alphabetically arranged.
• And make sure to read all of the features in the NAHBS Show Daily Reports:  Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 Morning, Day 3 Evening . There are interviews and interesting information related to materials and bicycle frame building.
• Bicycleradar.com coverage by Gary Boulanger, US editor has a ton of full-bike photos and attendance numbers of approximately 6800 attendees for the show versus 5000 attendees last year in San Jose.
• Check out the Velonews coverage by Matt Pacocha and the Velonews NAHBS Gallery
• Check out the 5-part series on the NAHBS on cyclingnews.com Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 by James Huang. Make sure to view a photo of a twenty-something Chris King and an example of a bicycle frame he made under the name, "Cielo".

 

Photos lifted from the web: NAHBS best of show list lifted from their sit; Naked fixie and Independent Fabrication track bike lifted from the NAHBS site, photo taken by Urbanvelo.org; Vanilla Cycles rear dropout photo taken by James Huang for cyclingnews.com; Ahearne shifter on stem, lifted from NAHBS site, photo by Urbanvelo.org.

Mr. Unworthy Thief Has Stolen Customer Anne's Fixie

Customer Anne was getting ready to ride home from the gym Tuesday evening when she had her Lemond fixie ripped out of her hands by an unidentified thief. He rode away, and she was not harmed. This happened in the Mission in San Francisco, CA. A police report has been filed. She has posted the stolen bike description on Craig's List. If you see the whole bike or pieces of the bike for sale around SF, contact her via email. 

Wheelgirl bike shop built the bike for her, and I built the wheels. I hate to think of someone who can't even spin 52T, finish two Ironman Triathalons, or win the Women's Cat. 4 2007 Berkeley Bike Club Team Time Trial cruising around on her ride.

You cannot possibly be worthy of that bike, Mr. Thief. You will certainly be getting a lump of coal this holiday season.

Photo by Wheelgirl of Anne with her Lemond Fixie before her bike was stolen by Mr. Unworthy Thief.

Mermaid Triathalon A Success

If you get your feeling of freedom from wheels rolling underneath you via human power, stop by the shop. Yes, that includes guys, gals, and tiny babies in strollers.

(Well done on the Mermaid, Marisol the Organizer!)

Thank You SPONSORS!!!

The 2007 Santa Cruz Mermaid was a huge success!

This was our first triathlon "sell out" as we capped registration at 500 participants. There was an impressive turnout of spectators and we've never seen so many dad's pushing baby strollers as they cheered on their spouses. In all, we estimate that
over 1500 people were in attendance at Seacliff State Beach.
We look forward to growing each of our events in 2008 and with your help
and continued support we'll hit 800 participants next year.

Your support and donations to the Mermaid made it possible for us to donate to local athletics and charity funds. In all the Mermaid donated over $3,500 to our volunteer groups (Harbor High School Water Polo Team, Santa Clara Women's Crew and Santa Clara Men's Crew) as well as the Sara Cole Fund. Sara was hit by a drunk driver several weeks prior to the event and is still recovering from the incident. One of her close friends organized a group to run the triathlon and raise funds for Sara. The Mermaid donated a portion of the groups registration fee to the Sara Cole Fund. If you are interested in more information about the Sara Cole Fund please send us an email.

To all of our mermaid sponsors a most sincere Thank You.
We hope to work with you again at on our 2008 Mermaid Series.

Sincerely,
Mermaid Series

rollers you sold rock

date:  Sep 17, 2007 10:42 PM   
subject:  rollers you sold rock

Thanks for the rollers--they are helping me perfect my spin and multitasking skills--
I recommend your shop to whoever will listen.

Best,
Mike

Wheel Suggestions

The bicycle wheel,

A spoke breaks, and it wobbles.

Drink not and snap spokes.

Trippy Tom and Groovy Gunn-Rita World Champs, Baby!

I don't wear the shoes, but since most of the bike ads in the cycling magazines are as inspiring  as lunch meat, this ad stands out .