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Happy, Bikey Christmas!!

Eat a bunch of Christmas pudding, then go ride it off with the people you love!

From us to you, Happy Chriskwanzicha!!

Santa Brigade

via Fresh Networks-

bike your city

bike your city

seen in justin herman plaza.

"pushing pedals is patriotic"

sure. why not? :)

happy wednesday all.

much love,

CTX

Origami for the Holidays

Do they know there are ful on racks in the parking basement? Maybe they're just running quick errands.

Little origami inspirations around the Japantown area in SF for the rainy, snowy or sunny days, depending on which side of the globe you are. Things are starting to slow down and everyone is getting ready for the end of year and a well deserved break, that's a good thing =)

Thinking inside the box

Green boxes. We want more of them.

At the corner of Scott and Oak. October 2010.

 

At the corner of Scott and Oak. May 2009.

Seems at first, riders took quite a little bit of time to adjust (to get into the box, to then ride in the middle of the street)

And a before image, just for kicks.
Color makes everything better, this is from google maps [link] I suppose sometime ago, before the box innaguration.

How often do you think about positionin and street street structure in your town or city, and at the corner of places you stop the most, throughout your daily or popular routes?! Here in SF, the wiggle is a highly used and fave route amongst riders and I know that most of us are huge fans of the colored bike lanes and box --- and we want more!!

k happy Friday! Go ride a bike already.

Hope For The Future

You know there will be a future for bicycling when you see children's bicycles lying about, waiting for their owners return. I saw a little piece of that hope on my way home the other night.

Two kids bikes locked up to a parking meter with Mom's (?) mixte waiting for the morning to come. Two tiny bicycles being kept outside so they can be used the next day to get somewhere.

It isn't just me seeing this, either. Fellow bicycle lover, Ian, sent me this lovely sight in my email.


A child's bike locked up outside a local school long after the school day was done.

Bicycles. They are not just for playtime anymore!

Change your lungs, ride a bike.

I was pretty happy to hear from this personal story about trading the pack of smokes, for a a pack of tubes. As a previous smoker myself and still fighting the jumping demon on my shoulder quite often, I enjoy hearing from others and how they left the habit and turned it, in his case into a cycling obsession (name of his blog!). From Iowa, we have received his inspiring story:

From one of Courtney's previous posts
Well this is the 3rd Anniversary Smoke-free (Feb 23) but since I'm on night shift this week I am a day ahead of everyone else. So a little background is in order I guess for people that bore easily just tune out now.

 For some stupid reason I started smoking in Highschool. I then continued this till I was 27 and 100lbs overweight. In 2006 it was late July I had some car troubles and was working 100+ hours that week. It was a 3 hour break in a 16 hour shifts and the oil pump went out of my Jeep. I thought about it and decided I only live 3 miles from work or so I'll go to my parents and get my old mountain bike and ride to work. So I got a ride over there and air up the tires (5 years or more since I rode) and took off home. I took 8th street too work. I really had a great time doing 12 mph and not able to breathe. Upon arrival at work I sat down in the smokers room and lit up my prework smoke. 5 different people asked if I needed medical attention I was pale white and couldn't breathe. After 45 minutes I recovered enough to work the night. After the next 2 weeks of riding it was getting alot easier and I felt a bit better. I had decided to keep riding since my Wife had done the weight watchers thing and I was feeling the push there, I thought if I keep riding I can skip the diet. Some time around February I decided to trade off smoking for a new bike (trek road bike). I lost 85 pounds haven't smoked in 3 years and went from a new road bike to ride to work to 10 bikes, racing, joining a race team.

 So I think even though cycling cost far far more than smoking (at the moment double) I do have some cool bike to show for it after 3 years and am in the best shape I've been in since freshman year in high school. All I had to show for the years of smoking was nothing. My original goal was to not gain anymore weight and be able to walk up 3 flights of stairs without resting at the top, and to save a couple hundred dollars a year in gas. I now have done a 200 mile ride (13.5 hours) Many 100 milers, 5 crit races, 2 mountain bike races, 1 cross race, A lot of rides, 2 running races, and many miles to go. My goals have changed a lot I'm starting mountain bike racing this year (jumped in head first) and still would like to hit 10k miles in a year.

 If you think you can't then don't try, because success is for the positive. Stop talking about goals and just go win.

- - - -

From his blog is: cycling-obsession.blogspot.com 

Thanks for sharing Courtney and ride on!!

WTF?

This evening, on the way home from a fun evening out with KT, I had what just may be the ultimate bicycle experience. I was t-boned by a rat! It ran out of nowhere, hit my shoe, ran between my wheels (as I was moving!) and continued into the bush at my side. It was a big sucker, too!

I wonder if it took off because it was uninsured?

when I grow up...

Keep on rolling

Change your tire. Get back on your bike.
The other day two of us here, calitexican and I, joined a number of our wheelwomen friends and their peeps to learn more about our bikes and some tips for maintenance. It was very simple but super helpful.
So we can keep on rolling.
Often times it helps to know how or why things do not function or can possibly be fixed, before heading to the bike shop and not knowing how to explain something that is wrong or has not been working properly for you.
I forgot mi camera this day, but so lucky for me I have one of those shiny smart phones =) so here is some evidence. We started with basics and helpful tips here pictured is our clinic guy fellow riding bike buddy Trystan, working on Calitexican's bike: Joanie. He was very professional and throughout sharing his tips and general rules of thumb for various scenarios.

It also helped that we had various levels and multiple bike users in the group from mixtes, road, and mountain. A few of the ladies will or have participated in the annual AIDS Lifecycle ride, so too much knowledge or clinics about tips will not hurt any of us.
We continued the evening with info and tricks about brakes, brake pads, cables, front+rear derailleurs.
It was nice to have case-scenarios and how we have gotten to know our bikes throughout our experiences and share them with the girls.
I'd never thought I'd hear Shannon say that bibs rock, but hey well, if they are comfortable. I can't help myself but to think of Borat's yellow bib, but that's just me. I guess it could work with a pair of tights and some boots and wear it with a dress.... mmmh.

Oh, HAAY. All the ladieeeees (well and me, taking this) with Trystan at the all women-clinic. Wooot

Anyway, have you attended a clinic at a local bike shop, or company? do tell.
And what was most fun of it!? Here we learned we were ALL guilty of having the blackest, non-lubed chains evarrrr (sorry bikes!!...)
A special thanks to Klaw for organizing, and to Trystan and the folks at Marin bikes for the space on a late Monday night

Being savvy and super-efficient with our bikes is super sexy and powerful, bike clinics rock!
♥xxo.meli

Give a bike, change a life! -Hans Rey

I recently received a note from a fellow blog-buddy to post, and decided to also post it here, because it is so very close to our collab blog here, and it is what this blog is all about, changing our lives for the better as citizens of this world and our planet. Thought I'd share.

*cross post from Bikes and the City
I had not heard of Wheels4Life before. I enjoyed reading about the goals this group has formed to contribute and fundraise for a great cause, providing an efficient and access to school and multiple othe locations for everyday use indeveloping countries. I thought it was a nice cause for change and benefit of this planet and us as citizens of this world, so thought I'd share it with you all

(From Josh's email) Founded by mountain bike legend Hans Rey, W4L is hosting an auction selling off 10 dream mountain bikes to raise money, which in turn will go toward buying bikes for developing nations. Wheels4Life is a great charity that provides much needed transportation to closed off pockets of the world, but for more information check out their website at www.wheels4life.org 

A link to this video was also included in his note:




From their page: About Wheels4Life

Wheels4Life is a non-profit organization that provides bikes for people in developing countries who really need them. Often these people live in very primitive and remote areas with no access to public transportation. The closest school, doctor or work-place might be 10 or 20 miles away. In developing countries, children use bicycles to get to school, adults use them to get to work, and health care workers use them to access their patients. Without a bicycle, children can end up uneducated, families can be without enough income to survive, and illnesses are left untreated. Wheels4Life provides the life-altering mobility of a bicycle to make the daily necessities accessible. The gift of a bicycle can work miracles.

So, there are a few auctions left this month to participate in, if you are interseted. Not sure how many of you are into Mt. bikes, but these look pretty sweet.

Auctions

Auction 4: 12/6 - 12/12: Focus First XC and Titus El Guapo
Auction 5: 12/13 - 12/19: Focus Raven and Titus Rockstar 29

Check out more info on the auctions and bicycles here: Bid on a bike. Change a Life»

OK, that is all for now. Now off to riding a bike =)

reader submission

just a programming note, we'll be taking more submissions for the yehuda moon alleycat bikeku until the 13th. keep commenting away guys. i'm laughing while reading some of them, while others are pretty sweet and heartfelt.

here at CYLRAB, we love getting emails from our readers and friends. one of our friends, the schweeners, sent us a picture he took while he was on his way back from austria recently.

ya, okay. This was in the lufstansa terminal of the frankfurt airport which also featured a rad toy store and a solid ramen bar. The dudes on the bikes are airport employees, and the bikes are totally official, they're numbered and have little baskets for carrying papers on the front. which is adorable. so, rather than those motorized cards they have in US airports, there are these little bikes littered all over the place.

this would indeed be a welcome sight in US airports, and airports all over the world frankly.

thanks for sending this in sweeney, and if you guys have anything else to send, please do!

Best of the Baiku!

Wow! Thanks to all who stopped by on the Yahuda Moon Alleycat! Your baikus were great and we all enjoyed reading them. Some, of course stood out from the crowd-

dcdouglas said...

cranks spinning fast
not watching while typing hard
fell and broke laptop

Alan from EcoVelo #5016

Clandestine bike race
At work but having some fun
Oops, there goes my boss.


New Girl #8706

I arrive in style
with a wave of the hand
and graceful dismount

This one made me laugh out loud.

Des #4970

Ride every day
Rain, cold, snow, wind, sun
My wife makes me

I will throw this one in because I have no clue what it says and I kinda like that.

Veloflanell said...#4023

Nej men ser man på

titta där under snöhögen

min cykelsadel

(in swedish)

We also received a lovely baiku in the original Japanese. Very classy!

Alleycat keely #4440

じでんしや　きろい
と　じでんしや　しろい
together　 すごい

phonetically;
ji-den-shya ki-roi
to ji-den-shya shi-ro-i
to-ge-ther su-goi


Translated;
yellow bike
and white bike
together great

While there is no clear winner / loser in this little "contest", honorable mention will be awarded to Sean for not only referencing previous posts, but for also noticing that the Beastie Boys brought baiku to hiphop!

Sean #4911

my chrome is shining
just like an icycle low
rider bicycle

This designation will also be given for good use of the word "Nerdlinger".

#812 DK

No fixies or beers?
An alleycat...this isn't.
Nerdlingers unite!

To read them all, OR TO REGISTER YOUR ALLEYCAT VISIT, just visit the alleycat comments page! Keep 'em coming racers so we can pick the best next week!

Small Adjustments

Just a little tweak

and you can make someone's day a whole lot easier!

Sorry. We Are Out Of Turkey Legs.

But we can offer you a little check in status, should you be so inclined : )

All about the Alleycat

Leave a comment in your best Baiku form (5-7-5 like a regular haiku, but all about the bike). We will post the best ones on Tuesday!

friday fun times: ode to la frenchie

joanie baby tries out being frenchie for a minute.

ode to la frenchie

with a familiar face in the background that is...

If your bike is gone while getting a coffee in Brooklyn..

loveeeeeeit =)

found via urbanvelo.org

You spin me round round baby

via: laughingsquid.com...

I think I would have more fun seeing this being set up than actually coloring the circles.
Actually I would probably end up eating the crayons.

Now go make something creative!! a bikey note sent snail mail to a friend from out of town, is guaranteed to make them smile. =)

"i ride around town on my lowrider bicycle, bicycle, bicycle"

"my chrome is shining just like an icicle, i ride around town on my lowrider bicycle..."

oh yah, he sure does.

seen a couple of months ago on valencia street. ssssssup homie.

"don't touch me, cause i'm electric, and if you touch me you'll get shocked shocked shocked..."

and just for fun...here's the song containing the lyrics above.