Fixpert

from my friend Scott’s email:

The New York Cycle Club (NYCC) is conducting a survey to gather bicycling accident information from a diverse population of cyclists. Anyone may submit one or more bicycling accident survey responses. Whether you had a minor or major accident, or observed one, live in New York or far away, enter a survey response.

The results of this ongoing world-wide survey will eventually be compiled, analyzed, and published here.

Check out this awesome “tattoo” my bike got yesterday. It is an ode to my dog, Pizza, who lives with his pops in Virginia.

The artwork was done by my friend Toons. He’s the “gifted, prolific one.” Thanks Toons!!

Toons does all kinds of artwork and creative projects, so contact him with your ideas and see if he can help you out!

Hello,

It seems that you all are trying to create a different kind of airline that exceeds customers’ expectations. For all the folks out there that are trying to live a green lifestyle and minimize their use of cars, bringing your bike with you when you travel is ideal. However, most airlines — yours included — charge $50-60 each way to check a bicycle. In contrast, checking oversized ski equipment is often free. Bicycles are primary modes of transportation for many people particularly people with limited means, whereas skis are a luxury item.

Please consider allowing cyclists to check bicycles onto your planes for free, or for a reduced price such as $10 each way, which would be comparable to what trains and buses charge. You would immediately win the loyalty of all the cyclists and green-living folks out there and would likely get a lot more money in ticket sales from those types of travelers.

Thanks for listening!

Sally Carson

…I encourage every cyclist to write a similar letter to any and all airlines. Email VirginAmerica about this, you can copy and paste my text if that helps.

Wald Front Bicycle Basket - Sorry about the poor quality cell phone photo.

At long last, I have installed a front basket on my bike. It’s a black metal Wald front basket — haha “black metal.” I think it’s a Medium. If folks are interested, I can post the dimensions, just ask in the comments.

This is my first time riding with a basket, and it was a fun week noticing how riding with a loaded basket can change the nature of your riding experience. So I thought I’d post some observations — some pro’s and con’s.

Pros

• When rolling on flat-land or downhill, the bike’s momentum is carrying the load for you — whereas when you carry the load on your back, you’re doing the work of carrying that weight no matter what the terrain is.
• Not carrying a load on my back / shoulders is helping with an old shoulder injury that I have from getting hit by a car last year.
• Less sweaty when I arrive at my destination - backpacks and bags huggin’ up on you make you more sweaty.
• Basket does not restrict my view of the road at all, even when full.
• When the basket is empty, it hardly changes the feel of the ride, I don’t really notice it.

Cons

• Bike is front-heavy when basket is loaded. This makes for akward handling at first, but seems easy to get used to. Also it’s harder to carry the bike up stairs on my shoulder if the basket is full.
• Increased likelihood of getting doored - Doors! The cyclist’s enemy. Now with a big front basket poking out there, I have a higher chance of getting it snagged on a car door, and less time to respond to seeing an opening door. (friggin doors! *sigh*)
• When you go over bumps, if things aren’t secured with a cargo net or bungees, the stuff in your basket will bounce and unload the basket temporarily, then land back in it and reload it with weight, or just fly out of the basket completely.
• My Surly is set up as a fixed gear at the moment, and the extra momentum that a loaded basket creates on your bike can be a little scary at first, it takes longer to slow down the bike. I don’t do skids anymore (they were hurting my back) so a front brake is a nice backup method here, but I realize a front brake and a heavy front load is a recipe for ENDO! so I’ve been riding conservatively as I adjust.

Tips for Riding with a Front Bike Basket

• Get a cargo net or bungees to secure your stuff
• Ride conservatively as you adjust to the feel of having the basket on your ride
• As always, be aware of doors! Take a lane if you need to.

That’s that! Let me know if you have any questions.

Hello Friends of Fixpert (FoF). I am starting a new semi-secret project that involves bicycles. I’m looking for folks that are into bikes that take photos, do artwork, and write that might be interested in contributing to this new endeavor. I will release more details publicly soon, but in the meantime let’s talk privately about making it a group effort.

Contact me privately and I can give you more details and find out about your skills and interests.

If you have any problems with that Contact form, you can try this email address:

funtimes [ at ] fixpert [ dot ] com

This weekend’s PaperMag event was my first real public outing after getting my tonsils out two weeks ago. In case you don’t know what tonsils are, here they are:

Yes, I realize it’s an operation usually performed on children. It’s just my sad way of denying that I’m actually 29 now (as of a few days ago) and clinging to what little pieces of childhood remain — however painful.

Um, Wasn’t this a Post About the PaperMag Show?

Right! Here we go:

This weekend I helped out my friends TJ and Jim from Orange 20 Bikes at Paper Magazine’s 24-hour Shopping Marathon in LA. What the hell was it? Well, I’ll let Paper try and explain:

IS IT ART OR IS IT COMMERCE? PAPER’s 24-hour Department Store…PAPER will be opening a high concept “24 Hour department store,” an indoor market with 25 participating brands, artists and shops that PAPER adores. Unique/limited brands will be on display …this will be the best store on earth and will only be open for 24 hours then it will disappear.

Does that help clear it up? No? Well, here’s some photos of the event on Flickr.

My job was to stand around at the booth, sell Knogs, draw pictures of Unihorns, dance a little bit, and offer hand lotion to passers-by. I was also delegated the task of being completely unaware of any and all celebrities that might walk by — which I did with great success. Now, if cartoons were real, it would be a whole ‘nother story!

I met a lot of different people over the course of the 16+ hours that I spent at the event — strangers, artists, fashionistas, whinos, dinosaur-rapists, druggies, high school kids, fartfags, douche bags, haircuts, and journalists. I learned that the key to “pulling it off” in LA is: (1) being cold and indifferent to everything, (2) being stunningly attractive but dress yourself up in an unflattering ironic pirate costume, (3) dress as though you were back in 6th grade and it’s 1990 again (gaudy fluorescent Nike windbreakers, etc), or (4) if none of that works, well screw it, just walk around in a bra and you should be all-good.

And in case you need help putting together your Artsy-Eccentric Weekend look, here’s some ideas:

PaperMag 24 Hour event photos from Cobra Snake

PaperMag 24 Hour event photos from Fuct

Oh, and everyone is still scratching their heads at the public indignities that Kyle committed against this inflatable dinosaur. I think it’s a Common Law Marraige now Kyle, congrats.

Tonight at the Vine Theater in Hollywood the Mash SF dudes are going to be premiering their film.

If you’re into fixed gear culture and riding, and you haven’t heard of Mash…um…you need to get your ass to Hollywood tonight to peep this. Watch the trailer for a taste, then come party with a rowdy crowd and ride dangerously in the streets tonight!

Today my Los Angeles bicycle district idea was picked up by LAist and Metroblogging LA.

What was once a simple homemade sign posted at the corner of Melrose and Heliotrope (aka HelMo) is now an idea that folks in the cycling community in LA have latched onto.

Let’s keep this momentum going!

Related Bicycle District Linkage

Original Bicycle District announcement post on Fixpert — from when the sign first went up at the Bicycle Block Party.

If you’re interested in some background info, you can read my post that details the history of the Bicycle District, and check out Jon Jandoc’s Bicycle District write-up, which does a great job of telling the story of the district

Bicycle District flickr photoset - watch as the original sign goes up.

I promise I’ll fill this post in later, for now I just want to post links to photos and videos from Interbike:

Fixpert’s Interbike photos on Flickr - includes Goldsprints, Circus Circus pool jam, Mandalay Bay crit, and merch pics from the expo.

I’m still working on uploading all of my Interbike videos on YouTube, but here’s one of Jim C doing a bunny hop on rollers to whet you appetite.

It’s time for Interbike “North America’s largest bicycle trade event and show. Offers 1000 suppliers, representatives from 4000 bicycle retail stores…”. I’m here in Vegas, holler at me if you see me wandering around.

Tonight, check out Cross Vegas for some sweet cyclocross action. Then, roll over to the Double Down for Gold Sprints — indoor roller races put on by New York City bike messengers Mike Dee and Chris Kim.