A Healthy Mix

To anyone who has ridden in Indianapolis before NAHBS rolled into town, it's obvious that thousands of people who love bikes have converged on the city. They are everywhere, small packs of cyclists passing through the Indy traffic. And, they are from everywhere.

Indianapolis has long been known as the crossroads of the United States, and if evidence is needed, a cross-section of this year's NAHBS attendees should do the trick. Cyclists have come in from cities all across the United States, even all across the globe. There are people in town from Lansing, Nashville, Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, San Francisco, and the list stretches beyond to Toronto, Vancouver, and even Tokyo.

"It was a simple drive," says one show-goer. "Indy is simple to access by car, and those who would have flown to Portland have still flown to Indy."

With two-thirds of the United States within one day's drive, attendance has been record-setting, and positively eclectic. There are cyclists from across the spectrums, from urban single-speeders to pannier-laden commuters to carbon-gazing roadies. And Indy has presented something for all of them, whether the shenanigans of the ArtBike! party, or the simple nightlife and restaurants of downtown. NAHBS this year has truly been all things to all people, and Indy hasn't just simply welcomed NAHBS, but facilitated it to the point of embracing it.

(This was written for the NAHBS blog. Check it out for updates throughout the rest of the show.)

ArtBike!, Gold Sprints, and DuckPin Bowling

Some pride is building in Indy among the tired eyes of the builders, show-goers, and ArtBike! revelers. With the record setting 1700 first-day attendees, there was optimism in the streets as people made their way to their evenings. We were running into small packs of cyclists wherever we went, mostly new faces and mostly smiling. The only complaints we've heard so far about Indy are the weather.

Critical Mass was a welcome mass of the standard Indy crowd and a good mix of out-of-towners. The ride was fast lacked solid corking, something that the Indy CritMass seems to always struggle with, but overall a decent time, with about 100 people showing up to ride.

There was a lapse as people split up to get food and drink before converging on the ArtBike! party at Big Car Gallery in Fountain Square. For those who didn't go, you missed out, and for those who did go, I hope you can remember it. Momentum Magazine was in attendance with photo booth in hand--be sure to check their websites for the documented regrets of people making an ass of themselves (IndyCog crew included).

The highlight of the event was the Gold Sprints, with Indy Boosh crew cyclist "Masi Mark" Alford squaring off against Garret Chow of Mash SF in the finals. In the first run, Masi Mark was leading by 1.3 seconds, but a gliche in the gold sprints program threw the race before the 1k was over. Chow's experience and endurance paid off, taking first by .4 seconds in the second run. Chow ended up with a set of Rasta Velocities, and Indy ended up with some pride in being able to hang with the best.

Way to kick ass, all of the riders who pushed it in the gold sprints, and to ArtBike! and Momentum Magazine who made the evening as boosh as it could be.

Opening Day of NAHBS

NAHBS opens today; I'm not there yet. I'm sitting in an office cubicle on the north side, 15 miles away, and itching. But, I will be there soon. For those who can't make it, you can check out the show coverage on the NAHBS site, and Urban Velo. Clicking the above image for the Show Daily will open a PDF version of the daily newsletter, brought to you by the NAHBS online team.

Just wanted to give a quick run-down of what's going on today, and hope that I'll see some of you readers around some of these events:

NAHBS: Obviously. Go to the Convention Center. It goes until 6 p.m. tonight, and then opens again tomorrow at 11 a.m.

Critical Mass: Meets at 5:30 p.m. at the Veteran's Memorial Plaza. There's a big fountain at the corner of Meridian and North. Look for all the people on bikes. It rides at 6. Some passes by the Convention Center will no doubt be made to pick up some stragglers from the show and get some cheers.

ArtBike!: Starting at 8 p.m. at Big Car Gallery, upstairs suite in the Murphy Building in Fountain Square. There will be gold sprints, good times, raffles to benefit worthwhile charities, and on and on into the night. It's going late, rumor has it, all night.

Other satellite events are happening as well, so if you're itching for a ride, you'll have places to party hop. Just fall in with the crowd on the move. I better be seeing you all at least somewhere tonight.

Pre-NAHBS Party at Don Walker's

Don Walker called something of an impromptu shindig at his shop last night for some of the builders and exhibitors who had already gotten into town. The guys from Urban Velo, Laura from O2 Sports, along with a handful of builders--Villin, Zullo Tiziano, and ZIPP are the ones I can remember off the top of my head. Don was also there, obviously, as was his apprentice Alan. Alan and Laura worked together to build up the ArtBike! movement, which has really given NAHBS some pre-show hype in the past month since it kicked off at February's First Friday.

All in all, it was a good night setting aside some of the stress of organizing the Show, and getting to just have some drinks and laughs. I'll say a personal thanks to Don for busting out the Woodford Reserve; he knows the way to a bourbon-man's heart.

In short, the community surrounding NAHBS this year seems tight and optimistic. Don repeated himself a few times last night concerning the numbers this year in Indy, how they're already looking like attendance records will be set. Already, pre-registration numbers have passed anything in the show's history.

And, with IndyCog being new to the whole community, it was great to get the welcoming that we received last night. Thanks to Don, Urban Velo, and all the others who were nothing but encouraging and glad to see something like IndyCog come about.

Lastly, the guys from Urban Velo have already posted their version of last night's revelry, complete with a photo tour of Don Walker's shop, so go check that out.

NAHBS got the cover!

If you find yourself near a NUVO stand this week, check it out. You will see a cover that looks a lot like the cover in this picture:

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After some hard work, we managed to get NAHBS on the cover of this week's issue of NUVO. As I mentioned before, Don is a really great guy, with a real heart for bikes and recently, Indianapolis. He and NAHBS deserved this cover, and a lot of people are happy that he got it, to say the least.

The cover photo, along with the photos featured with the article, are compliments of that one guy we keep talking about on here, Jeremy Albert.

For those of you who don't know much about the journalism world (including myself), whether or not a story gets the cover is about 30% dependent on the quality of the story/writing, and 70% the quality of the photographs taken to run alongside the story. Let's face it: good writing isn't the first thing that captures a person's attention when looking at a newspaper cover.

So, in short, I got the byline, but the real credit goes to Jer. Next time you see him out and about, offer to buy him Yats or a new tube (that Dano will likely need in the near future anyway).

Click here for the full, online article in NUVO.

Click here to see Jeremy's photogallery of Don Walker.

NAHBS Weekend Weather Report

Looks like a chilly, but decent weekend for NAHBS coming up. For those coming from out-of-town, I'd pack your tights and wool jerseys, but unless you're coming early (Thursday set-up, or Friday opening morning), it looks like you can leave your fenders at home.

Ben, Jer, and I rode last night in weather pretty much the same as what's expected for the weekend. I wore thermal bibs under jeans, a baselayer, armwarmers, a wool jersey, a good pair of windproof gloves, a wool beanie, and a bandana around my face/neck; I added a wind-resistant jacket later in the evening after the sun had been down a few hours.

I was a little chilly for the first 5 minutes, but once I warmed up, it was the perfect layering scheme. I was told once by my friend Debra that if you're warm before you start a ride, you're wearing too much. This is up there on the best-advice-I've-ever-gotten list.

Indianapolis Hardcourt Bicycle Polo

After a good while of talk, a group has finally managed to find enough poloists (Poloeurs? Poloids? Um. People who play polo on bikes) together to get some bike polo going in Indy. If you've never heard of or seen bike polo, is a lot like real polo, only on bikes instead of horses.

So, it looks like this:


Instead of like this:


It seems that this has happened at the perfect time, as players from at least 4 other cities have confirmed that they will be in attendance at NAHBS this weekend, mallets in hand and looking for a pick-up game. They are planning to gather at the Waterford booth around 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The only detail they're a little sketchy on is a solid place to play. If anyone reading this knows of a good parking lot, basketball court, or tennis court that would be open through the weekend (the closer to the Convention Center the better), feel free to contribute in the comments section here. Poloids everywhere will be thankful.

For more information, check out the Indianapolis Hardcourt Bicycle Polo club page, and also this thread on the League of Bike Polo website.

Indy CritMass: Feb. 27th @ 5:30 p.m.--Veteran's Memorial Plaza

By whatever stroke of genius or luck, February Critical Mass happens to fall on the opening day of NAHBS. The past few months have been pretty slim, which is usual in the winter, but we should all get out there this month and show the out-of-towners what Indy CritMass could be if we stopped making excuses about not wanting to go out in the cold.

All of the people coming into town with their bikes should feel free to join in on the ride, as well. Perhaps we'll see our Cowtown to Naptown friends from November, in town for NAHBS? And, of course, the group will have to take a couple passes by the Convention Center to get some cheers by the NAHBS attendees who can't partake.

The Indianapolis Critical Mass meets at 5:30 p.m. (ride at 6 p.m.) at Veteran's Memorial Plaza, located in the northeast quadrant of Indianapolis with North street to its North, Meridian Street to its West, Pennsylvania Avenue to its East, and Michigan Street to its South.

Check out the Indy Crit Mass page for more information.

Guilt ridden.

So, I'll admit. I've been feeling a bit guilty since my last post when I took the swipe at Lance's.. parcel. We'll call it that. Especially while he's out riding the ToC and altogether busting his ass to fight what diminished his parcel.

I mean, the dude came out of retirement to help raise awareness for cancer advocacy. He could be living it up with his 7 tours under his belt, drinking gin & tonics (I'm not sure if he actually drinks G&T's, but it makes sense in my head) in Austin and spinning out the MASH crew without a care in the world.

Instead, he's gritting out the climbs, dealing with bike thieves, and effectively chastising costume-clad idiots taking a stab at the doping scandals of the professional road racing--because cycling is the only sports industry dealing with doping claims...

The least I could do is not make fun of his parcel. So, as penance, I'm imploring you, dear readers, to follow my lead and go over to LiveStrong and e-hand some cash to Lance's foundation to help raise awareness for cancer research and patients. I know times are tough, but even a fiver is something.

You can keep up with Lance and Team Astana at Lance's Twitter, if you're into that sort of thing.

NAHBS next week in Indy

Sitting here today, I realized that we've posted about a lot of things surrounding the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS), but nothing specifically about NAHBS. If you're sitting an Indy, and you like bikes, and you haven't heard about this show, then you're already missing out on getting to rub it in to thousands of cyclists around the nation/world who would give a left nut to make it to this show. Um. Women, and Lance, you can give...something else. Your left arm? I got nothing.

Anyway. NAHBS. It's going to be in Indy this year for the first time. Ever. For the past 4 years, it's been on the west coast, and cyclists all over the Midwest and east coast have said, "Damn. I'd give my left nut/arm/whatever to go to that; I wish lived closer." Well, you can this year. It's happening next weekend, February 27th-March 1st at the Indianapolis Convention Center downtown.

It's going to be ridiculous. Some of the prettiest bikes you've ever seen are going to be at this thing. Seriously, if you're not going, you're doing yourself a diservice.

And, if not for yourself and pretty bikes, then go for Don Walker, the owner/namesake of Don Walker Cycles here in Indy and founder of NAHBS, because he's an awesome dude who created something amazing and brought it to Indy for us, and deserves to see it succeed.

And, if not for yourself, pretty bikes, or Don, do it for Indy and the Midwest. We all know how often we are underdogged. I've heard the question, "Why Indy?" so many times in regards to NAHBS being held here; it's almost hard to stomach. Let's answer the question.

Check out more about the 2009 North American Handmade Bicycle Show here.

Indianapolis Really Really Free Market

The third ever Indy Really Really Free Market is this Saturday, February 21st. The past two have been extremely successful, bringing together a bunch of great people in the spirit of exchanging what has become unnecessary for one to another who finds it necessary.

If you don't know what RRFM is, it's an event where people bring stuff, line it up in piles and rows, and other people find it and say, "Oh. I can use this," and take it home. Just like that. There are also cookies, and massages, and good conversation, and laughs--lots of laughs. The Really Really Free Market is held at 237 N. East Street from 2:30 - 6:00, inside the beautiful, warm Earth House.

Here's a shameless plug for a NUVO piece I wrote on the inaugural meeting of the RRFM if you want to know more: The Really Really Free Market.

Some really great people that we ride with attend every month, and there is generally always some bike related stuff here for the taking. The first month, there was a work stand and a load of tools and the offer of free bike maintenance; my buddy Joe gave away an old cruiser bike. Last month, some old bike parts, tires, and winter riding clothes were unloaded.

Check out the RRFM blog, too, if you have a moment.

Bike Lanes in Indy

It's a completely foreign concept to most citizens of Indianapolis. However riding your bicycle in the street is completely legal, and in some cities they actually designate lanes for bicycles. It seems to be catching on here in Indy, and I suppose it better late than never.

On October 15, 2008 Mayor Ballard announced to the citizens of Indianapolis that bike lanes would be installed on New York St. and Michigan St. within 6 weeks. It's now February 16th and the work has been slow and seemingly non-existent.

The DPW has actually already pre-marked the bike lanes with spray paint, and there are several bike lane signs on both Michigan and New York, but no actual painted lines yet. However, I did discover bike lanes painted on Pleasant Run Parkway in Ellenberger Park. They seem to be fairly new and part of this first phase.

Excerpted this from a Indianapolis development message board:
Friday, May 15th is Bike to Work Day and Saturday the 16th is going to be the "Mayor's Bike Ride" - a special event that will be welcoming people to use the bike lanes on Michigan and New York Streets. It will be starting at Ellenberger Park and people can ride the route on Michigan into downtown, through the IUPUI campus and then back on New York to the East Side. People can ride the route any time between noon and 2:00 on that day.

It seems like the lanes will be completed before May 15th.. but probably not before the North American Handmade Bicycle Show makes it way to town (Feb 27 - Mar 1st.) With thousands of cyclists migrating to Indianapolis for the weekend, it would have been nice to have some lanes finished.

I will be updating the progress of the lanes as I ride Michigan St. and New York St. daily; my office is located on Michigan St. I have a feeling one day soon, I'll ride to work without bike lanes and leave riding between freshly painted lines.

Local Celeb: Congrats, Jer.

Our good friend and contributor to our fledgling site, Jeremy Albert, went with me to shoot some photos for a NUVO article about Don Walker and the upcoming North American Handmade Bike Show.

Evidently, someone over at the not-so-fledging site, Urban Velo, stumbled upon his Flickr, and featured him in a post. Check out his feature on UV and show him some love.

And, if you didn't know about Urban Velo before, you should. Great dudes, and great work. Subscribe to them if you can afford it, or you can also read the copy Joe's Cycles always has laying around. They'll be at NAHBS next week, too, so check out their booth.

Why We Ride: Dano

Name/Nickname: dano!

Age: twenty-three.

Main Squeeze: bianchi pista.

Local shop: jeremy and christopher, because i fail at having tubes and other bike tools.

Why I ride: the people, the sense of belonging, the sheer thrill.

Indy in a sentence: indy for me has been many firsts and i love it for that.

*Photo by Jeremy Albert

2009 CIBA Lecture Series--Colombia: Cycling Out of Fear and Into Hope

Adults are invited as author Willie Weir describes how an unexpected email and an encounter with Bogota's world-famous mayor transformed a bicycle journey through one of the most dangerous countries in the world.

This program will be held in the Clowes Auditorium.

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009
Time: 7:00 pm
Location:
Indianapolis Central Library
40 E. St. Clair St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Review: Walz Cycling Caps

This winter I've been donning two caps for my commute to work. A cycling cap, with the sun blocking bill, and a runner's cap to keep my head/ears warm.

I had been eying this cap for a minute and had hesitated purchasing several times due to the price tag. ($29.99) However, in a moment of weakness I gave in and decided to take the plunge in to singular hat territory.

So far I'm very pleased. My head and ears kept quite warm and the bill, while a bit flimsy, is doing the job of blocking the sun on my early morning commute. It seems to be somewhat fashionable as well, I think my girlfriend used the word cute or something of that nature.

So if you're feeling fancy I suggest picking one up, they will even personalize the cap for you at an extra charge.

http://www.walzcaps.com/

"Tess" by Dano Archibee

More by Dano Archibee at her Flickr.

FBM CONTEST: art ain't ill-eagle

From the FBM website.

The recently departed Mike Corts was digging through some boxes of crap a couple weeks ago, pulling out the useful objects and carting the remains to another end of the warehouse, during the process he uncovered a few gems. (He also annoyed Big Dave who questioned the reasoning behind moving loads of stuff that was out of the way, then placing them in a work area. Comedy ensued, and stickering frames was made slightly less mundane for 6 minutes.) I've been ogling the gems on a frequent basis, they have brought great inspiration and joy during the gray days of winter.

Below you can check out some of the pieces of art for yourself. So the deal is, send us your artwork, any medium, any size, anything goes. Well, not anything, NO EMAILS, it has to be sent via snail mail in physical form. Other than that, let the juices flow.

The winner will receive a package filled with FBM awesomeness including shirts, hats, DVD's and an assortment of other goodies. How's that for vagueness? Trust us, it will be worth the victor's efforts.

DEADLINE: February 28th. Get to getting to it.

Submissions should be sent to:
FBM Bike Company
ATTN: art ain't ill-eagle
1 Helen Dr.
1st Floor East
Johnson City, NY 13790

CIBA Swap Meet - Sunday, February 15th 2009.

From the CIBA website:

Do you have old gear you want to pass on? Interested in a good deal? Mark your calendar for the annual Valentine's Day Ride and Swap Meet, Sunday Feb. 15th. Hasten Hebrew Academy, 6602 Hoover Rd. Ride at Noon, Swap Meet doors open at 1PM. Please, no food or drink inside the Academy.

Enjoy past Pres Pat Madaras' hot potato soup and a warm smile on the route.

Tables will be provided first come, first serve. No cost to CIBA members, $10/table for non-members. If you missed the annual membership meeting, this will be a good chance to pick up awards you earned in 2008. Please, no food or drink inside the Academy.

Official Launch

As of today, we've officially launched IndyCog.com! And we bought ice cream!

Actually. That's a lie; this picture was taken over the summer. It is not that sunny outside--it is in fact windy, and kind of cold. We would not treat ourselves to celebratory ice cream today. Celebratory La Escollera or Yats, possibly. Probably actually. You might see us at either establishment tonight.

What isn't a lie is the launch. Feel free to look around; comment on various posts; and submit your Why We Rides, personal work, and events. We've already gotten a couple of submissions of photos and events that we'll be posting in the next few days, so look out for those.

This is meant to be the exact opposite of a secret, so tell everyone you know, and most importantly, keep coming back.

Happening tomorrow in Bloomington, IN

Bloomington is having a 3 event series called the Show Up Classic, the first of which is on Friday Feb 13th. There will be a pairs relay (come paired, or be prepared to be paired), trackstand-off, and skid comp. Most probably it is going to be held entirely in a parking garage, but everyone is meeting at 7pm at People's Park (Kirkwood Ave & Dunn St).

Prizes will be given to winners of the day, and all riders will be competing for points. The points earned carry over to the subsequent 2 events, sprints and an alleycat. After all 3 events, the riders with the most accumulated points will win some substantial prizes. We've been fortunate to get some awesome sponsors.

This is going to be a lot of fun, and we'd love to see a good Indy turnout.

More info at Show Up Alleycats.

Why We Ride: Jeremy Albert

Name/Nickname: jeremy albert / jer

Age: twenty-three

Main squeeze: 2006 bianchi pista concept

Local shop: joes cycles, though it seems i can never get out of work in time to do any shopping...

Why I ride: i can remember my first bike ride, like it happened just yesterday. it started with slight push down a grassy hill, in the yard at my parents house.

even at that young age, i can still recall experiencing the indescribable feeling that is riding a bicycle.

to this day, nothing about that feeling has changed. every single time i've thrown a leg over my saddle and pushed forward on my pedals, i am almost instantly rushed to the feeling that started so long ago.

Indy in a sentence: indy is boosh, but the people i've met while riding are what makes it truly outstanding.

*Photo taken by Dano Archibee

ArtBike! Handmade Bicycle Gallery List

Here's a list of the galleries taking part in ArtBike! this month as a lead-in to the North American Hand Made Bicycle Show taking place the last week of February here in good ol' Indy. As far as I know, these exhibits will be up all month, as well as throughout the weekend of the NAHMBS.

1: McFee Gallery
874 Massachusetts Ave.
Bike by: Bilenky (Blue base mural painted)

2: Art Bank
811 Massachusetts Ave
Bike by: Keith Anderson (as of Tuesday also a bike by Naked)

3: The Alkis Keramidas Museum of Art
401 North College Ave.
Bike by: Bilenky (Red base mural track)

4: AV Framing Gallery
1139 Shelby Street
Bike By: Calfee Designs (Awesome bamboo horn bar cruiser)

5: Dean Johnson Design
646 Massachusetts Avenue
Bike By: Ahearne Cycles ("Knotty" cyclo-fixie)

6: Big Car Gallery
1043 Virginia Ave.
Bikes by: Don Walker (Death tandem) and Bilenky (Fancy-paints mural tandem)

Bikeclicks.com's SafeRides map

Bikeclicks.com has integrated with Google Maps to create what they call their Safe Rides Map. It allows users to report incidents with cars, dogs, what-have-you, so that other cyclists can be forewarned. If a pattern emerges of incidents and accidents on certain roads or areas, other cyclits can be informed to take a different route. So far, it's mainly Louisville that is being reported, but it'd be great to get some active Indy-based users on here sharing road info.

Go here to check it out: http://www.bikeclicks.com/Stuff/SafeRidesMap.aspx

Here is the write up from their page:

Bring us your Buzzings, Dog Chasings & Angry Drivers

Ever been "buzzed" by a car? Yelled at by an angry driver? What about getting chased by Kujo? No matter the incident, accident or worse, we think angry drivers, accidents and badly behaved dogs suck.

Now you can warn other cyclists about your on the road experiences using our Google Maps mashup that allows cyclsits to report incidents, accidents and even (god forbid) fatalities involving vehicles or dogs in one place. And the best part is, rather than leaving this useful information languishing on some police report or only griping about the incident to your riding buddies; you can share it with the entire community so we can all begin to get a clearer picture of what we all experience out there. That really bad corner where there always seems to be an issue with visibilty, or that neighborhood where the dogs have chased down dozens of cyclists, the daily random "angry driver rant" directed at cyclists, or the fact that you have indeed been "running the gauntlet" of morning commuting on that backroad you thought was safe.

So share up friends, and hopefully all of us will ride a little bit safer and better informed tomorrow.

The only Shel possibly greater than Silverstein

Over a year now since ol' Sheldon passed away. I can't count how many times I've needed to know something about bikes, Googled it, and found my answer on his site. Every time it happens, I feel dumb for not just going to Sheldon's site in the first place. If you ever need to know anything, anything, about a bike, do yourself a favor. Forego Google, and just Sheldon it.

For those of you who don't know who he is, check out his page at http://www.sheldonbrown.com/.

I'll let him speak for himself. The bike world misses you, Sheldon.

ArtBike party

Starting at 8 p.m. on Friday, February 27th there will be a super fun ArtBike! party where all artists, bike advocates, friends, media and event helpers will gather to celebrate the unity of ... Art and Bikes!

Venue:
"Big Car Gallery"
The Murphy Building!
1043 Virginia Ave.
Indy, IN 46203
"Music!, Dancing!, Raffle!, Gold Sprints!, NAHBS VIP Room!, Art!, Bikes!"

The party will be hosted by NAHBS and 02 Sports Marketing and sponsors include Momentum Magazine.

Check http://www.handmadebicycleshow.com/artbike.htm for updates.

There will be a raffle at this party that will also raise funds for other cycling and art non-profits. Hoosiers Mountain Bike Association for one.


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Why is ArtBike! happening?
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ArtBike! is an effort to create a community buzz about just how cool it is to be both creative and healthy.

It is a cross-education for two of the most positive and progressive communities in the world!

It will be happening the same month as NAHBS so it is not just a one-night or one- week thing, but a lasting impression on the city of Indy and its neighbors about how awesome a life is when filled with Bikes! and Art!

ArtBike! will be a collaboration of the city, the community, local galleries, NAHBS, artists, bike advocates, visitors and whoever else wants to be a part of creating something to feel good about!