Sunday, January 30, 2011

Awesome News

CMWC WARSAW pre event is from BERLIN here is the farcebook account.
Myself, well, i have my ticket already.. Europe here I come.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Bike Valet Parking

Bike Valet Parking is becoming a monster indeed. Very popular and almost expected at many places. Just recently we have been running BVP a the Sydney festival Opening night and various Domain concerts.


BVP has also been held at Newtown Festival and various 'eco' fairs across Sydney as  well as many other events and things to do. BVP featured at the Bicycle Film Festival street fair and was truly missed at the movie venues


BFF - Sunny Day Street Fair from Skeleton Key on Vimeo.

Bike Valet Parking is not a new thing here in Sydney. Infact we have won awards and nominations for awards

*Finalist* Environmental Business - City of Sydney Business Awards 2009

*Winner* Special Achievement Award by a Bicycling Organisation - The Cycling Promotion Fund Australian Bicycling Achievement Awards 2010


So what is Bike Valet Parking ?

Bike valet parking is like a coat check for bicycles. Patrons are issued claim checks in exchange for their bikes and our staff guard them in a secure corral

you can find more information on BVP at the BikeSydney website

I have noticed that there are many many more bikes on our streets , cycleways and paths. this is a great thing as far as I can tell. It makes our fantastic city of Sydney a lot more social and friendly and also cosmopolitan too. The new cycleway near Taylor Square has made a massive impact by making the whole area feel so much "MORE" as in nice and more nice.

Mandatory Helmet Laws are still a debacle. With some stats stating how bad they are and others how good. No matter your perspective or bias you will find statistics to suit your message. Although I stand firmly against MHL there will be situations where I would still choose to wear one.. Also I think my kids should wear them too.

With the rise of bikes in public areas you will see a lot of ladies bikes being ridden by stylish ladies of all ages. There is a massive growth in what is called cycle chic.  there are a few local sites around and I do not have much to say about them other than they are not really bike sites but mearly a fashion accessory concept blog. One site does differ in my eye. because they claim to love their bikes and want to ride more and do more picnics and just have fun.  Well done www.featherbrigade.blogspot.com/ I commend you on your efforts and your vibe and enthusiasm. While other local cycle chic blogs seem a tad try hard and very very niche. you do not claim to be something else. Keep it up.


Recently, I was fishing with my kid on the glorious Sydney Harbour when I got a call to do some work. To cut a long story short. I ended up driving Public Enemy (wiki link not band) about for 3 days. I was the guy who saw them off the place and then every time they went someplace in Sydney including lugging their back line and their bags. It was a great gig and I met some interesting people. I got on quite well with a few of the guys but mainly Eric from S1W. I had heard of Public Enemy (since 1982) but I really had no idea how much influence they actually had. Time over Matter I guess.


I was at the concert and I was really impressed. The crowd was awesome and the show was a great vibe. The metro was a great venue too. I noticed that ACDC was one of the tracks they used to create their vibe. Funny enough. I was playing ACDC in the van when I picked them up (nice coincidence ). Watching these guys was inspiring . They where on the FEAR OF A BLACK NATION tour. Thanks guys. all 14 of you.

Last year I met a few guys riding fixed gears from Sydney to Melbourne. They where called Fat Out Fixed. I helped them out for a few days and a month b4 Christmas I got in the mail a brand new steel frame and fork from them. Thank you Patrick. I will be building up the track frame over the next month.

CMWC 2010 is over and I can tell you having a skype meeting every week and doing the website was not really as easy as it could have been. This is not a complaint about any one but more of 'wow, what a task, and I am glad it is over' CMWC 2011 is looking like up to be a 'big' one indeed. It will be in Warsaw. I have my ticket already.

HIPSTERS. who the hell is a hipster anyway? I can tell you a hipster will deny being one with deep conviction. I think I am one ... sort of anyway. Generally this label is hated by anyone on the receiving end of it. But seriously. If you wear tight tight jeans and look mod like and would fit into a design conference, ride without any brakes or a helmet and are new to cycling.. Your a HIPSTER.
If your new to cycling wear a helmet and have brakes and ride and walk on the pavement  you are not. Not even if you are wearing tight jeans and a loose hi-glow WHAM tee shirt.
Something that urked me heavily the other day was some dude who took his fixie and made it single speed. It had a front brake but no back brake... come on now... your face is ok... NOW... get a brake so it stays that way.

Now earlier in this post I mentioned cycle chic and now hipsters. The difference is huge. One is about cycling and one is about a fad.... if you understand this next image your on my wavelength.  This was designed by HOUSE OF PISTARD  . Pistard is a french word meaning essentially 'a track rider' most hipsters will not ride in the rain or on the track. Those of you who do... WELCOME!
It has been a busy year with bikes in mind. A lot of new events have shown some light from the fall from grace of larger and more common types of cycle events. Bike polo is common place and rides for no reason other than hang out on a Sunday.

Recently my Sydney BFF friends where hosting goldsprints for a neat combined gallery exhibit and asked me for help to just do seat height and stuff as we went. I went along on a few Thursday nights when I was either not sick or on daddy duty.
I was on the opening night door list and I did not even know it. I had a great night there.

Smokin Joe the local BMA president made the goldspint finals. Joe is keen on his new idea of a BBCA or a Bearded Bicycle Courier Association. So I went to spotlight and spent seven bucks and made a bunch of beards. We looked great and made a lot of people smile and supported or mate Joe.

Joe's next big adventure is to go to CMWC in Guatemala. This year I have had the opportunity to be the beg monkey for this years event. It has been no easy road being far from the event and never going. Working with this group definitely had it's ups and downs and funny highs and arguable lows.

Meanwhile locally bike lanes have been in the media ups down and sideways too for that matter. All I can add is I am glad they are finally being in our community. The project is still being built and has many haters of the unfinished product. They just wont even find out if it works or not. Just complain of how it fails and it still being constructed.

I have used the contentious bike lanes in question and I felt really good, not because of the spite of Alan Jones but because I felt like I had a spot that was for bikes. I have seen many toobs of busy bike-ways but this was not anything like that.

Welcome to the 20th Century Sydney, even if it is the 21st. I have seen a bike lane in Sydney appear and be useful and then get painted over forever because of IPEC road changes. This was just ultimate bad vibe (man).

Closer to home , my health has been havoc, stopping me from riding and then competing and then leaving me with a week long migraine that let to the final blow. Putting my back out by picking up my kid for a hug.

How mortal we are...

This week i managed to pull together 2 websites and handle a deal for a friend saving him a wad. Re rented NIKITA but for some reason it is just not the same and I am sure the movie I saw this week was different to the original. Particularly the part where she tries to prove she is not worth letting go when she first goes to work against Greenpeace (the french spy section).
Of course the cleaner as THE CLEANER.

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