Yup, the time has come for me to move on. After nine years in Bozeman I have accepted the fact that despite the natural beauty here in Montana and the great friendships I'm part of and the amount I've been able to help with the cycling community here I need to move on. I've realized that for as much as I love this state there is limited opportunity available to me.

So what happened? In the space of three weeks I've gone from being “John at Bangtail Bikes” to “John at Specialized”. It's all very sudden and I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around the amount of change in my life in such a short period of time. An opportunity came (partly from being part of the Stumpjumper Trail Crew) that would not be available to me if I stayed in Bozeman. With Specialized I will be doing a lot of what I have been doing here- working to get others on bikes, promoting bike culture, doing geeky bike stuff- but hopefully it will be on a larger scale.

I'll be part of Specialized's dealer education network. This pretty much is a position that is nearly custom-made for me. I'll be able to use my engineering background, I'll talk in front of people, do a bit of design work and write some. I'll be helping to teach bike dealers from around the country about Specialized product and help with media events and product launches. For the more skeptical of you out there, you can say that I'll be serving the Kool-Aid. And I'm okay with that. The people I've met at Specialized do not embody the stereotypical “Company Man”, rather they are people who are intensely passionate about bicycles and also happen to be quite competitive. They are people who believe that what they create is the best and have an intense drive to always be the best. This passion and drive is part of what is exciting about this new endeavor.

Perhaps fitting with this culture I start next week with a trip to Portugal. For a week I'll be meeting the European Specialized contingent and hopefully get out for a few good rides. Upon returning to Bozeman I'll pack my belongings in my trusty Honda Accord and head west to fulfill my personal Manifest Destiny. The future for me is scary and exciting, fraught with danger yet with rewards that can only come from taking a measured risk like this.

Bozeman, I'm thankful of the time I've spent here. You've invited me into your houses for parties, on your porches for beers, on glorious rides in your mountains. I've experienced the best skiing and snowboarding around and you even taught me that floppy heels on ski boots are fun. I've watched both your riding skills and your families grow. You've shared with me the sweetest and most succulent meat you've harvested from the wild. You've taught me that the things most valuable in life are within one's community and that there's no shame in driving a tattered twenty year-old Subaru. After your generosity I feel a bit guilty leaving for personal reasons but this is a mission that I must complete. I'll be back, I will have changed, but one thing I can say for sure is that I will always, always take with me a bit of Montana no matter where I end up.

Thanks for the good times and the memories, Bozeman. I'll always look at this chapter of my life with fondness.

John (aka Mr. DNA)

John Friedrich is leaving Bozeman to start his new job with Specialized Bicycles. We here at The Bozeman Fix are going to miss him. Shit, he started this blog, if you read it, you are going to miss him too.

Mr. Friedrich has been an integral part of the Bozeman Bicycle scene for the past decade. He is responsible for singlehandedly facilitating an alleycat scene in Bozeman, and Bozeman Bike Polo, and Bozeman's too-short-lived GoldSprint series, as well as being an integral member of The Dirt Concern, and actively advocating for The Montana Mountain Bike Alliance. He is also one of the finest bike mechanics Bozeman has.

We could go on and on listing John's bicycle bona fides, but the fact remains, that while we are happy for him, we are losing a very good friend.

Enjoy Northern California John! The Bozeman bike geeks raise their glasses and tip their hats to you.


Godspeed.

This is how The Bozeman Fix crowd celebrates the wedding of two of our own. We wish Reuben and Alice all the happiness in the world. We love you both so much. Blessings on your union. Keep riding together!

Photo: John Friedrich

Captain E pwns it on a freak bike.

We have been alerted to another stolen bike in Bozeman. It is a sea-foam green cruiser with ape-hanger handle-bars, and a black banana seat.

Email casey [AT] bozemanbikekitchen [DOT] org if you have any details about this bike. Or call the Bozeman PD, the owner says he reported it stolen.

Keep yer eyes peeled.

Our usual polo location, Hawthorne School is under construction and a new court has been discovered by a small crew of trepidatious polo warriors.  A well lighted, underground location with the potential for winter play has been sourced in the basement of the NEW Bozeman parking garage.  It's small and there are some barriers but I think it will suffice in the interim.

Here is a completely unrelated photo of a man in a hotdog hat.

A new alternative-press-ezine-blog-newspaper sorta thingy called the Bozeman Magpie sprung up into the ethers recently and has been covering everything from summer ski sessions to the best of Bozeman.  Today they posted a story of some of our own here at The Fix with a story about the Back to School Alleycat race held recently.

The folks at the Magpie have a thing for prose and the photography ain't bad either so quit reading this dirtbag blog and go edjumacate yourself and read their article about the Bozeman Alleycat Races 

 Photo by John Parker (stolen with complete and utter disregard for copyright)

I've resisted posting so many videos so as not to push the Alley Cat post down the blog. But this one is too interesting not to post.

It's been 5 years in development, but the cobra tube is now out there on the market. It's another testament to how lazy the BMX world is, but how that pushes it to be stronger and simpler.

I can't wait for the fixters to catch onto this one (in another three years).

The cobra tube from Flybikes on Vimeo.

A new organizer has stepped up to the plate and has another alley cat race planned in Bozeman. Monday, July 26th at 7:00pm cyclists should come prepared with a writing utensil, messenger bag or backpack, and be ready to ride.

The starting point for the race will be the Gallatin Valley court house parking lot (just north of Wilson school) on the north side of the building.

The Bozeman Hardcourt Bike Polo players will have visitors from both the East Van Polo club (British Columbia) as well as the Billings Hammer & Cycle Bike Polo club at 7:00pm on Monday, July 12th. Come down and play some polo with us at Hawthorne School (corner of Rouse and Mendenhall), meet some new folks, and do what we do best - - ride bikes!

The June Alleycat Race Series went off wonderfully with over two-dozen participants spread over four races every Monday in June.  Each race was promoted by a different individual and therefore each race had a unique set of creative manifests, stops, ideas, and tricks. 

Results for the Bozeman June Alleycat Race Series, 2010

ps - For those who were present when the race results were announced after the fourth race you'll note some differences from what was announced and what is in the chart above. I attest that to my inability to do math in the field. My apologies.

Come bicycle race with a bunch of friendly boys and girls because it's "Time to Learn a Lesson".

Bring:  a bag, a writing utensil, and a bicycle (a tandem or unicycle would be cool too)

What: Bozeman June Alleycat Race Series - Round 4

When: Monday, June 28th, 2010 at 7:00pm

Where: Meet at International Coffee Traders (map) at 7:00 pm

PS - THIS RACE STARTS AT INTERNATIONAL COFFEE TRADERS.  I REPEAT, THIS RACE STARTS AT INTERNATIONAL COFFEE TRADERS.  IN CASE YOU MISSED IT THE FIRST TWO TIMES, THIS RACE STARTS AT INTERNATIONAL COFFEE TRADERS.  FOR MORE INFO ON WHERE THIS RACE STARTS, SEE ABOVE.  

@captaine said, "Employee parking. Four little fixies all in a row. #bike #bozeman #fb"

Bring the following: 

1. a bag
2. pen and paper
3. a thinkin' cap

The Low Down:

What: Round Three of the Bozeman June Alleycat Race Series 

When: Monday, June 21st, 2010 at 7:00pm

Where: Meet at the dumpsters behind Hastings (map) at 7:00 pm

Monday, June 14th, 7pm

Meet in the underground parking lot next to Sacks.

Meet atop the downtown parking garage at 7:00pm. Give $5 dollars to the man in the straw cowboy hat and you will receive your open manifest. Race starts promptly...ish at 7:15.

The Urban Velo blog featured our Bozeman June Alleycat Series today. 

See the Bozeman Montana Alleycat Series at the Urban Velo blog.

Bozeman cyclists, prepare your legs and lungs for a series of short alleycat bicycle races to be held once every week in the month of June, 2010.  Four organizers, four races, for awesomesauce. 

The first race in the series will be held Monday, June 7th, 7:00pm.  Meet atop the downtown parking garage, attain a manifest from the man in the straw cowboy hat, and then immediately proceed to ride your bicycle like hell.  

Information about the following week's alleycat will be posted to The Bozeman Fix blog prior to the event so stay tuned, and tell your friends, enemies, and mothers. 

Bozeman is celebrating Bike to Work Week in typical Bozeman style, with many of our beloved small businesses sponsoring B2WW stops. To kick off B2WW, the Bozeman Bike Kitchen is having a ReCYCLE DRIVE on Saturday May 15th from 10am to 2pm.

The Bozeman Bike Kitchen is a community cycling cooperative dedicated to making practical cycling accessible to members of the Bozeman community by providing shop space and mechanical support to the Bozeman area on a donation/volunteer basis. They also provide donated bicycles to individuals in need as identified by local charitable organizations such as The Gallatin Valley Food Bank and the Bozeman Human Resources Development Council.

If you have an old, unused, but quality bicycle laying around that could be a serviceable means of transportation for a member of the community, you can donate it to the BBK, and they will re-purpose it and allocate it to one in need of a cost effective, sustainable means of getting around.

In addition to the ReCYCLE Drive, the Bozeman Bike Kitchen is also hosting a B2WW stop, along with Bangtail Bike and Ski and International Coffee Traders.

Like bikes? Like riding bikes? Ride your bike to work, and celebrate next week by telling all of your friends to do the same.

Get the Bike Love and Live the Bike Life.

Ok, kids. If this is gonna happen it needs to happen fast.
I got a call and an email this weekend in response to an email I sent to him a year an a half ago. The subject? Bike porn. And no, not bike porn like guys hucking cliffs and fixie guys skidding past trolleys. This is about bikes. And porn. Beautiful bikes and beautiful riders. And naughty bits. Smut.
Reverend Phil from Portland will be coming through Bozeman the weekend at the end of Bike Week (perfect timing) with all the ingredients to put on a shocking, titillating show. All he needs is a venue. I'm not going to be here this weekend and I'm helping out with The Dirt Concern's showing of Follow Me, so I really can't help in the manner that's needed. Can anyone else in Bozeman do it? Do you know someone who knows someone? Try. Hard.

Hi BOZEMAN SEXY BIKERS

My friend Reverend Phil will be coming through Bozeman on May 24th,
and he's looking for a place to screen Bike Porn 3: Cycle Bound, a
collaborative erotic bicycle film project out of Portland, Oregon.
I'm sure you're the kind of go-getters who have a million things on
the go at once, but if you're feeling sassy and zany and willing to
put together a screening very soon, I'd kiss your feet.

More info!

Bike Porn. It is exactly what it sounds like: Bikes + Porn. Some of
it is erotic, some of it is playful, some of it is straight-up
fucking, and all of it is delightfully dissenting and titillating for
bike lovers of all desires, identities, and bodies. The thought of
having Bike Porn tour through one of Montana's most badass bike-loving
cities without stopping for a screening is kind of heartbreaking and
distressing. May 24th is soon, I know, but its totally possible. Can
you help us? Will you?

Here's a little more info to inspire you!...

Bike Porn 3: Cycle Bound is the newest collaborative film project put
together by Rev. Phil Sano of Portland, Oregon. It is a collection of
short erotic films made by inspired cyclists from across the US and
Canada. It is creative, clever, funny, and aware!

For the past three years they have toiled to bring progressive ideas
about sexuality and transportation forward. These days just about
anyone can make a movie, but actually getting it shown in front of an
audience is much more difficult. We take those strong, independent
voices and give them a platform to share their ideas about the
connections between sex and bicycling.

Here's how one of our interns put it:

Bike Porn is civic

"Current political policies are designed to repress sexual expression
and transportation choice. The Bike Porn film festival challenges that
trend by enthusiastically displaying the quality of creative
expression and the amount of fun inherent to both bicycling and sex.
Both activities are worthy elements of a healthy lifestyle and a
pleasant quality of life." - Jeffrey Jacobson

Starting in February 2010, the Backlash Tour is taking us more than
10,000 miles to visit some 60 cities across the USA and Canada in 100
days. It is quite a challenge, but since we don't sell DVDs this is
the only way to share the movies while keeping the filmmakers'
privacy.

The thoughtful pacing of the program and live performances draw people
in at the beginning and get the audience on their feet when it is
done. It is quite an exhilarating experience.

What we are talking about is an LBGTQ and hetero-friendly program of
progressive bike sexuality. Yes, it really is that amazing.

Our host Lauren Warbeck of Victoria BC had this to say:

"Speaking from experience (I've played a part in hosting the past two
bike porn screenings here in Victoria), I can say that it introduced
something new and transformative into our bike community, and really
brought people together. Since that first screening, members of our
community have created a number of films that are now included in the
collaboration, and its spurred a huge amount of bike filmmaking in
general as well. Organizing a screening takes some work, but not much.
And its worth the rewards for yourself and your bike community ten
times over."

So if you think you can help us organize a screening in Bozemen let's do it!



Email me with any comments, questions, or inspired rants. i've
attached a little "How-To Organize a Bike Porn Screening" to give you
some idea of what you'll need to do



reverend phil
is on the backlash tour
50 cities, 10,000 miles, 100 days

-DNA

An organization known as the League of Bike Polo was formed over the past year and is becoming the defacto legislating body of Hardcourt Bike Polo. Recently an official set of rules was published and I agree with some of them but prefer our Bozeman-specific rules to others. What are everyone's thoughts?

North American Hardcourt Bike Polo Rules

 

Equipment

 

1 - Teams will consist of three players on the court at one time.

    1.1 - You may have substitutes as long as they are not playing on another team in the tournament.

    1.2 - A substitute may only be made during a break after a goal is scored.

    1.3 - All players on a team will wear distinctive matching colors.

    1.4 - If in the opinion of the referee the colours of the two competing teams are so alike as to lead to confusion, the team lower in the draw shall be instructed to play in some other colour. 

2 - Any common type of Bicycle is allowed. (bmx, road, track, mountain bike)

    2.1 - Must have at least one mechanism for stopping. (ie: handbrake, fixed wheel)

    2.2 - Handlebars MUST be plugged. 

    2.3 - No exposed chainrings, pegs, or other protrusions. These must be covered or removed if they present a safety hazard.

    2.4 - You may not add anything to the bicycle to help block shots (ie: a bar under your BB, or netting in the front triangle) with the exception of wheel covers.

    2.5 - Helmets are mandatory.

3 - Mallets must resemble a croquet mallet with a wide side & round end. (Modified ski poles, and plastic pipe are the most common materials.)

    3.1 - The head of the mallet will be a maximum of 18 cm (7 inches) in length and 2.5 inches in Diameter (outside diameter) .

    3.2 - The Head of the mallet must not have any sharp edges.

    3.3 - The handle end of the mallet MUST be plugged.

4 - The ball will be a street hockey ball.

    4.1 - The ball will not be a liquid filled ball

5 - The Goals will be nets.

    5.1 - The opening of the net will be 180 cm (72") and the height will be 80 cm (32 inches) (measured between the inside edges of the posts.)

6 - Courts will be of a hard surface. (usually concrete or pavement)

    6.1 - Boards of at least 40 cm (16 inches) in height must surround the court to keep the ball in play.

    6.2 - The minimum court size will be 30.5m X 15.25m (100' X 50') (Tennis court or basketball court) and maximum size will be 60m X 26m (200' X 85') (NHL rink)

    6.3 - There will be a minimum of 3 meters (10 feet) between the goal line and the back boards.

 

General Rules of Play

 

7 - Start of a game:

    7.1 - Each team will begin behind his/her own goal line.

    7.2 - The ball will be positioned at center court.

    7.3 - Play will begin with a "3 - 2 - 1 - Go" from the sideline.

8 - Scoring a goal must be made with what started as a "shot"

    8.1 - a "shot" is defined as a ball that is struck with the end of the players mallet. wrist shots, or scoop shots are not considered a "shot"

    8.2 - "Ball dragging" is allowed, however the ball must be passed before a goal can be scored.

    8.2 - a "shuffle" is defined as a ball that is striked with the side of the mallet.

    8.3 - a ball that is "shuffled" into the goal does not count as a goal. 

    8.4 - if a ball is "shuffled" into the goal the defending team will get possession of the ball. 

    8.5 - if a player scores on his own goal in any fashion (shot or shuffle) it will count as a goal for the opposition.

    8.6 - If the ball becomes lodged against a player, bicycle, or spokes in such a way that it cannot be dropped immediately, the play will be stopped. The ball will be placed on the ground. The person it was lodged on will get possession, and play will resume.

9 - After a goal is scored:

    9.1 - The team that scored returns to their half of the court.

    9.2 - The team that was scored upon gets possession of the ball.

    9.3 - Play will not resume until both teams have returned to their half of court.

    9.4 - The defending team may not attack until the ball or an offensive player has crossed half court.

10 - Players must not touch the ground, or "Dab"

    10.1 - A "dab" is if the player puts his foot on any horizontal surface. (the ground, his mallethead, a bike, the ball, another player.) 

    10.2 - The ball cannot be played with the feet, kicking the ball will be counted as a "dab"

    10.3 - Each time a player "dabs" That player is out of play,  and may not interfere with the ball or other players until they "tap in"

    10.4 - If a dabbed player stops a shot from going into the net at the ref's discretion it may be ruled a goal. This means if there is no doubt in the ref's mind that the ball would have went in, it will be ruled a goal. If the ref is not sure if it would have went in or not, it will not be ruled a goal.
    10.5 - The "Tap in" area will be at center along either side of the court. 

    10.6 - If a player crashes or falls off his bike the play will continue unless the referee is of the opinion that the player is injured.

11 - Games are played to five points

    11.1 - If there are time constraints games may be timed. In this case the game will stop at a set time, or five points whichever comes first.

    11.2 - The minimum time for a timed game will be 12 minutes.

    11.3 - In a timed game the clock will stop when there is a goal and restart when play resumes. (to prevent a team from running down the clock to maintain a lead)

    11.4 - In a timed game if the game is tied at the end of the time, the ball will be reset (as in Rule 7) and the game will become sudden death (first goal wins)

 

Contact Rules

 

12 - Body contact is allowed. 

    12.1 - holding (with hands, elbows, or mallets) is not allowed 

    12.2 - Pushing with the hands is not allowed.

    12.3 - Mallet to mallet contact is allowed. (however it is poor etiquite to hit another players mallet if he is not playing the ball or in front of the goal.)

    12.4 - Mallet to body contact is not allowed.

    12.5 - Mallet to bike contact is not allowed.

    12.6 - Body to bike contact is not allowed.

    12.7 - Bike to bike contact is not allowed. (incidental contact/blocking is fine. deliberate hitting or T-boning is not)

    12.8 - Intent to injure another player is not allowed.

13 - Throwing of mallets is not allowed at any time, in any situation.

    13.1 - If a thrown mallet stops a ball from going through the goal the referee may use his discretion to call the play a goal. (see 10.3)

14 - Kicking is not allowed.

15 - Trash talking is allowed. Trash on the courts is not allowed.

 

Referees

 

16 - There will be a goal judge at each end of the court to rule on goals.

    16.1 - Goal judges will be responsible for resetting nets that are knocked out of place.

    16.2 - If a net is out of place, the goal will be considered the space on the court where the net would normally be sitting.

17 - A referee will enforce the rules.

    17.1 - If a player does not "tap in" or violates a contact rule the referee will issue the offending player a "yellow card"

    17.2 - issuing a "yellow card" or warning will not stop the play of the game.

    17.3 - When a player is issued a "yellow card" they will be required to tap in. They may not interfere with the ball or other players until they tap in.

    17.4 - a player may receive two "yellow cards" after that the player will recieve a "red card"

    17.5 - a referee may use his discretion to give a player a "red card" at any time. (in other words you can receive a red card without receiving any prior yellow cards.)

    17.6 - if a player receives a "red card" play will be stopped. The offending player will be ejected from the remainder of the game, and the non-offending team will get possession of the ball.

    17.7 - Should any incident or question arise that is not provided for in the rules the referee will rule on the matter.

    17.8 - Decisions of the referee will be final.

18 - A timekeeper will keep track of time if required, and will keep track of the score.

 

Time Outs

 

18 - There are no timeouts until a goal is scored.

    18.1 - After a goal is scored a short time out can be called for a mechanical, or water, etc.

    18.2 - If the ball goes out of play, the game will be paused until the ball can be retrieved. The defending team will then get possession of the ball, and play will be resumed.

    18.3 - a timeout will automatically be called by the referee in the event of a serious injury.

 

Rule Changes

 

19 - All major North American and Regional tournaments will use these rules.

    19.1 - The rules will remain unchanged for each year. With the exception of rules that are deemed urgent to protect player safety.

    19.2 - Any suggestions, modifications, additions, or deletions of rules can be submitted to the rules comittee and once per year they will be reviewed and rules will be modified accordingly.

    19.3 - The rules will be posted at www.leagueofbikepolo.com

The North Wind Doth Blow.  A nursery rhyme.

The North wind doth blow and we shall have snow,

And what will poor robin do then, poor thing?

He'll sit in a barn and keep himself warm

and hide his head under his wing, poor thing. 

Perhaps the robin should have joined us for some wintry, windy bicycle polo on a typical blustry May day in Bozeman, Montana.
Photo © John Friedrich, 2010

This video is just too sexy that I couldn't resist posting it. You gotta love all aspects of cycling, and it's hard for anyone to not appreciate this video.

Test shots - Travis Collier from MACNEIL BMX on Vimeo.

This is totally rad! Accept for the fact that Red Bull is now tapping into the "extreme" sport of velo. It had to happen eventually.

Red Bull Minidrome from Radar Films on Vimeo.

The real question is... When are we building one of these!!!!!

For the last few months a few of us have been busy putting together a mountain bike-specific group as part of the Gallatin Valley Bike Club. Why? We want to keep the trails we have. We want new riding opportunities. We want the bike community to grow and get more cohesive. We want to continue having a great time doing what we love, and show others how rad riding bicycles on dirt is.
This is why we created the Dirt Concern, and this is why we're bringing Follow Me to the Emerson on May 23rd. See you there!

The Dirt Concern with the Gallatin Valley Bicycle Club presents Follow Me at the Emerson's Crawford Theater May 23rd. There will be two showings at 6:00 and 8:00, tickets will be available at the door for $8. Proceeds will go to the The Dirt Concern, a new branch of the Gallatin Valley Bicycle club aimed at creating fun and inclusive mountain bike events in the Bozeman area as well as improving and expanding the trails we have to ride.

Follow Me is a new mountain bike movie from the crew who brought you the Collective, Roam, and Seasons. The first release from their new company Anthill Films, Follow Me takes the viewer inside the action, capturing the unique perspectives and HD imagery the crew is famous for. A modern portrait of mountain bike lifestyle, Follow Me gets back to the basics and reminds us why we all love to ride bikes. Breaking from the traditional single rider format, Follow Me is based on the idea that "no one rides alone"; mixing and matching the world's best downhillers, freeriders and slopestylers in some of the best places to ride on the planet. Think back-yard sessions, ripping local trails, bike parts, epic road trips and high mountain adventures. Follow Me is all about good times, riding with your friends, crazy adventures and most importantly having fun on your bike.

From the same group that brought Roam and Seasons to you, this film promises to be bigger and better than either. Proceeds will benefit The Dirt Concern. The Dirt Concern exists to maintain and increase the opportunities to ride bicycles on dirt in and around the Gallatin Valley. We encourage mountain bikers of all ages and ability to join with us to build trails, maintain the trails we have, organize rides and races, have barbecues and just esentially have a great time riding bikes with others. Join the club at the show and get involved in your community!

More information on the film is available here:
On the web: http://www.anthillfilms.com/followme.php
Email: info@anthillfilms.com

More information on the event:
Email: johnp@thedirtconcern.com

Follow Me - the Teaser from Anthill Films on Vimeo.

I couldn't help but hate the college students in this video. One they act like giving free food to the homeless is a new idea. Well kids (the dumb ones in the video), there is this anarchist movement that's been around since the 80s called Food Not Bombs. Anyone can start a chapter and it's awesome.

Also, the kid in the video says that "we go bike out to Santa Ana" and then they show clips of them loading their $1000+ fixies into a truck and onto a car to "go bike out to Santa Ana".

Burrito Project from Jon Chou on Vimeo.

It's not that what they are doing is bad. It's totally awesome! But to make a video about it that is just them riding their fixies in slow motion is extremely stupid.

Anyway the video annoyed the shit out of me, and I had to rant about it. And!!!, if I was homeless and one of these kids rode up to me on their $1000 bikes I would punch them in the face and steal their bike along with their $300 messenger bag full of burritos! What a bunch of self righteous boners!

Do you read this blog yet haven't met many of the other readers or moderators?  Do you want to?  Because we want to meet you.  But we don't just want to meet you, we want to meet you and do some cycling.  We meet every Wednesday evening at 6:30 pm on the asphalt behind Hawthorne School for friendly games of pick-up Hardcourt Bike Polo.  Come on down and meet us - we'll lend you a mallet and a bicycle to try it and we go really, really easy on beginners. 

All are invited, girls and boys so what are you waiting for?

Got a question for us?  Leave a comment below and one of the mods will answer it for you asap.

Heard about it but not seen it? Here it is - the "Elk Bike" in Bozeman, MT.

Plus it looks like there are gunna be mad fixed gears in it!!!!! OMGOMGOMGOMG!

M.L.I.T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seen.

Report: Most College Males Admit To Regularly Getting Stoked

If that doesn't make your day, then I feel bad for you.

Now that the Bike Snob has release his name, his book will soon be following suit. Available for pre-order now.

When asked why he decided to give up his identity Mr. Weiss responded with;

"I want to be able to travel in support of my book. Doing interviews in a balaclava tends to scare people away and get you in trouble at airports."

lolzzzzz

P.S.

Has anyone considered the irony of putting a picture of Mr. Weiss up on this website? Yeah, maybe not enough color, or colour.

Just love baby...just love.

The video work is a bit rough, but not to bad for a cheap Kodak digital camera.

Bike! Bike! in Boulder, CO March 2010 from jon wareham on Vimeo.

This isn't for the faint of heart. So unless you find humor in pain, don't watch this.



ps: Yes, twitter has video postings now. Gross

This is huge!!

I think I was at the Bike Kitchen one even discussing how terrifying it would be if horses were carnivorous predators and somehow fell into the subject of disk breaks on fixed gears. Someone mentioned that they had seen one where the break was actually attached to the chainring instead of a rotor on the hub. Well, I finally saw some pictures of just that today and thought I would share it. Im not sure how well this works but I must admit I like the idea and I think it looks pretty neat. I think it sufficiently maintains the clean look of a fixed gear that makes that style of bike so appealing in the first place. Read up on it here.

If you have ever sold a kidney or your body on the street for some RAPHA gear then you know its usually worth it! The pieces of cycling clothing I own from them are pretty awesome. However, while perusing their online catalog/updating my rolodex of black market organ traders, I noticed a small problem with RAPHA's Country Jersey line. This line of jerseys is designed to pay homage to some of the greatest cycling oriented countries in the world; Italy, France, Belgium, and Britain. Unfortunately there seems to be a bit of a snafu regarding the Italian and French jerseys. With each jersey the national flag is embroidered on the left arm, only the Italian tricolore seems to be upside down and the French flag is actually the colors of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. OOPS. What gives? They got it right last year. Oh well, I suppose that everyone makes mistakes. However, I do think that some mistakes should lower the price of things about 100 bones or so. Good news if you are a fan of GB or can't get enough Belgian cobblestones smothered in cow poo, your jerseys are spot on!

Thanks!

Today Lance and Tony had their talk. Not much to say, Lance kept it cool and Tony is ...probably still an ass. Take a listen here.

Prolly

Tony Kornhieser seems to have a bit of a bone to pick with cyclists in the DC area. Of course, its hard to not feel upset when you listen to him encouraging drivers to, "run them down", but I believe it is important to maintain a cool head and remember that people like him will probably never touch a bike. I would not call him an ignorant person. I believe that most of the things that he said were because his "YES" men were lapping up every word and begging for more. However, if he really does entertain the idea of giving cyclists that are in his way a "tap" every now and again, I think that he might need a stern talking to. Hmm, who would we want administering this verbal spanking? Oh wait! I know! Lance-the pantz- Armstrong! Seems the Texan caught wind of the talk show broadcast and gave Tony a call. Lance's twitter says that he was very sorry, and Lance is now scheduled to come on the show and talk with him. It will be interesting to hear what is discussed. Personally, I would hope for more of a friendly debate between the two. Unfortunately, I think that Tony's apology has already set him up for about 20 min of groveling. See what you think:

Seen at Prolly's joint.

Yo wuz UP! Im Andrew, and I say please ignore the broblablabah at the beginning of this video.

Wicked.

This might be one of the funniest things I've seen in a while:

treadmill footjam from zack gerber on Vimeo.

When you purchase your next bike seat, make sure its color is well chosen.

Submitted by cwallace.

Chris Akrigg is this Scottish (I think) guy who can ride better than you. After making a name for himself by creating the brakeless trials genre (yes, with a freewheel and thankfully nothing like Ted Shred) he gave riding a fixed gear bike a whirl. Here's his second video:

Chris Akrigg THE MAURICE.0 from chris akrigg on Vimeo.

-DNA

This video is cool because he's doing tricks that are really hard, but look super easy when he's doing them. (note the crank slides) But more than that, the tricks are just really creative and make you want to go hop on a bike.

Also, for you bike geeks, note the freecoaster that lets him roll backwards without having to pedal.

Troy Merkle Winter Edit from Hardcore Sportz on Vimeo.

Be warned that after watching this video you may catch the travel bug. I resisted posting this video so much, but the last wall ride to gap wall ride was too much not to post it.

Plus it's one of those videos that makes you all warm and toasty inside.

enjoy. I certainly did.

Train Trip from joe rich on Vimeo.

Remember this trailer? Well here is the full video from that race. Man, looks like fun huh? Should we race soon?

In my mind I see the perfect day: rip pow all morning, then return to sunny, dry streets where we can ride bikes in shorts and a t-shirt. Too much to ask?

Pay attention to the lines being cut on these ramps. I just picked my jaw back up off the ground.

No problem!

Gravity FTW !

Spotted here.

Hipster, trendy, skater, what-the-fuck-ever-- everyone seems to come with a pre-attachted label these days. Well, incase you are unable to come to a consensus with your friends over which social niche you or that kid with the flashy bike would be categorized under, I have unearthed some interesting data. I hope that this will clarify some issues as well as open up new grounds to social stereotyping.

Over Christmas break I was visiting my friend at his mall job. My friend works for a certain, "action sports" clothing store that shall remain nameless. During my visit I came upon a special binder, the contents of which I found too good to be true. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, however, is the evidence of this binder to say that all these social stereotypes were in fact invented by the corporate companies that now dominate the, "action sports" scene of today?

Fuck yeah I a.... uuh

eeehh... Kinda?

Whats up with those jeans? Their all...huge.

BINGO!!! Good to be home.

Yeah WHATEVA.

So what does this mean? In my opinion, nothing. It just goes to show that some corporate mall company has taken initiative to categorize all the different looking people that walk into their stores-- ultimately in an attempt to further their sales by appealing to each individual group. Cool, its marketing. Happens all the times for pretty much EVERYTHING. I guess what I really found remarkable was the word, "Hipster" written down in big bold letters, like a chapter in a science book. I know people don't go around saying, "Hey, look at that All American Surf /Skate kid." Though the word, "Hipster" gets tossed around more than a beach ball at a Nickleback concert.

So what are you? None of these? Well thats fine, Im sure we could find your style in some catalog. Again, that really doesn't mean much. I think the main point that I take away from this discovery is this: humans LOVE to categorize things. So no matter what it is, or what role it plays in society-- its gunna get a category, a niche, a label. I used to fight it. The labels had such a sting, such a negative connotation. Well, no more. Im down, call me what you like. I am what I am. I like the clothes I wear, I like the activities that I do, and if these come with a label that can be looked up in a mall, "style guide" so be it. I can't speak for kids that look like me, smoke cigs and act like they are oh so too cool for school. Is the phrase, "Don't judge a book by its cover" too cheesy of an ending? Well who cares?! Live free, and PARTY...or don't. Just don't cramp my style MANG. *Oh for anyone that reads this blog, and doesn't know who I am or what I look like-- Hipster-- All the way to the right. Minus facial hair.

Love,

The Bozeman HipSTAR

see what I did there ?

yah gotta do, what yah gotta do. In this case its ripping a wall-ride at about 40 mph. Thats not even jammy-riffic. Thats KABLAMO!!!

I hella saw this hella right here...hella.

P.S. I don't really know why all 4 of these pictures are the same photo.

It's been awhile since I've posted anything here. Get over it.

Anyway, for the past year or so I've shifted focus from our local urban-esque bike scene and set my sights a bit more on what got me into bikes in the first place- mountain bikes. In addition to being more active in mountain bike advocacy I was also selected as one of eight members of Specialized's Stumpjumper Trail Crew- a group of bike geeks who love to share their passion. As part of this group I ride a pretty nice bike, take videos and pictures, and write about riding whenever I can.
Now, since this is Montana and it is winter I have to work a bit harder to get rides in. Sometimes, despite my winter bulk I can ride on packed snowy trails provided the snow has had enough feet walking on it. Usually, though it means getting in the car and going to Pipestone.
This is just what I did for New Year's Day. Bob over at Triple Ring Productions sent out a notice about the possibility of getting some folks together for a little knobby tire action. About a dozen of us converged at the lower parking lot around noon and got in a 3ish hour ride, about a third of which was on trails that were new to me.
While there I also brought SamH's GoPro camera and got some nice footage of some of the trails. Here's what I (finally) came up with:



This is the first video I've edited using OpenShot, so there's definitely some rough edges. By the time riding season is here for real I'll do a better job, I promise.

Anyway, here's another one. This is a continuous shot of one of the new trail Bob introduced us to. It's a fun, fast and flowy singletrack that doesn't ever get too steep yet has enough of an incline to really haul ass:



-DNA

Death Pedal 2 comin' atcha!!! This trailer gets me pumped. Not like steroids, "pumped". More like, it's Friday and this trailer makes me excited to go ride bikes.

Death Pedal 2 Trailer by Kareem Shehab from Killa Kareem on Vimeo.

For those of you that may not recall, here is the Death Pedal 1 trailer: Death Pedal 1

This trailer is everywhere by now, but I saw it here.

His awesomeness, BikeSnobNYC is giving away a free Scattante Empire State Courier to one [un]lucky person. If you've had a bicycle stolen, enter the Snob's contest - maybe you'll win a new whip.

The following has been shamelessly re-printed from BikeSnobNYC's blog without permission:

Of course, choosing a recipient requires some sort of selection process, so this forces me to run a "contest." As a cycling blogger, I often hear the laments of people who have lost their bicycles to theft, and I figure if anybody needs a free bike it's somebody who lost theirs in this manner. So here's how the contest will work. If you or somebody close to you has had a bicycle stolen recently, please send your story (via words, or video, or narrative cartoon, or song, or whatever emailable medium is most comfortable for you) to me at bikesnobnyc(at)yahoo(dot)com with the subject line "I DISPARATELY NEED A BIEK!" You must send your story before 12:01 AM EST on Saturday, January 30th, and it should address the following:

1) Where you live;
2) How old you are;
3) How many bikes you currently own;
4) How your bike got stolen;
5) What you used it for and why you need a replacement.


Please keep your submission as succinct as possible. While special consideration will be given for entertainment value, the most important factor in determining a winner will be need. (If your bike was stolen despite being securely locked and you need a new one to get to work or school you could win; if your unlocked bike was stolen from in front of a bar and you need a new one for bar-crawling you will lose.) While I have no way of verifying your tale, I urge you to be honest and not to fabricate "sob stories." Also, keep in mind that I may post any entries I receive.

If you enter, let us here at The Bozeman Fix know and if the Snob ends up having folks vote we'll round up the troops for a veritable internet vote-fixing barrage.

This is an awesome prank. I think I would be a little flustered too.

That one guy does not look too pleased though.

Smooth flow. You have to watch the air he does close to the camera a few times because it's just so stylish. And then you need to pause it as he does a tire slide across the other side of the ramp.

Yoooooooooo! from olivejuuuuice.com on Vimeo.

Just too much bike control for any one person, but it's awesome to watch.

this is how the canucks deal with winter.

39C Living Room BMX Jam from Rob Lando on Vimeo.

Yes, back in the days that I don't remember. Though I have a fair excuse; I wasn't born yet. However, I still manage to get all nostalgic when I remember that there were in fact more glorious days of road cycling than what we are familiar with today. That is not to say that the riding today is not exciting, though I must admit that the romance has faded. Im afraid the chances of a photo like this taken of todays PRO circuit riders is slim to none. As I mentioned before, at least we can still remember that it happened. Heres the proof! No helmet, all smiles, 20%+ grade climb, and a hot babe on the side of the road. Epic.

Ben Hucke gettin' PITTED!

Tire Slide from Sputnic BMX on Vimeo.