pump it
bike shop’s security camera captures LA temblor
play in the street
$17,000 for a Chanel bicycle
Although the tires on this bike have inverted tread, and thus are able to handle both roads and moderately uneven compact dirt, the Chanel commuter is ideally suited for riding on travertine marble smothered in foie gras while starving African children look on.
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From PurseBlog
When I reported on the $3,500 Hermes bike two weeks ago, I had the feeling that we had not reached the pinnacle in cyclist decadence just yet. Karl Lagerfeld to the rescue! This Limited Edition Chanel Bike is the ultimate in two-wheeled novelty. With only 50 made and less than 20 available in the US, this creation retailed for $17,000, with reseller markups hitting $28,000 already.
At it was the case with the Hermes bike, it is thanks to our fantastic Purse Forum member vernilover that I can present some detailed snapshots of this exclusive piece to our readers.
The Chanel bike aims to impress with very fine detail, like the quilted leather handles, seat (made by the legendary Brooks Brothers), pant guard, even the bike pump is covered in Chanel’s signature quilted leather. The bike also features two quilted flap bags and a jewelry roll behind the seat, all of which are detachable and can be used as individual shoulder bags.
Maybe Karl Lagerfeld will donate any unsold bikes to Bikes for the World.
Thanks to Bryony for the tip.
Bicycle for a Day
The Perfect Circle from Matthew on Vimeo.
Seen at the Bicycle Film Festival
Matthew Modine rides the streets of New York on a bicycle to tell everyone about “Bicycle For A Day.”
“Bicycle For A Day” is a fun, open and proactive invitation designed to inspire individuals, communities, governments and corporations to take a step towards solving the current environmental issues. BFAD is a global initiative bringing together people who choose to ride a bicycle rather than use gas-powered motor vehicles.
BFAD will debut with small, VIP events during Summer / Fall 2008 that lead up to a gathering at The South Street Seaport in NYC, to mark the “official” BFAD day, September 20th.
This is not a bicycle race! BFAD is a day to demonstrate how doing ONE thing can help improve the environment.
Bicycle Film Festival, Los Angeles
The What Cheer? Brigade crashes the 2008 Bicycle Film Festival in Los Angeles. Enjoy the video, complete with a monkey playing drums, nudity, infrared, and a blinkie in the tuba.
Bicycle Film Festival, Los Angeles from Phillip Barron on Vimeo.
Ross Harris has a video of Sunday’s block party.
on the wings of… bulls?
When Durham grows up, will Major have wings?
This winged bull statue (pictured) stands outside Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Other winged bull statues adorn the City of Brotherly Love, next to fountains and atop buildings.
Grassroots Bikes, Durham’s newest bike shop
Durham’s newest bike shop is a mountain bike boutique (i.e. a mountain bike specific bike shop). Located at 5520 Old Chapel Hill Rd., Grassroots Bikes is the retail and bike service effort run by Trips for Kids, Triangle. Profits go to support TFKT, which makes Grassroots Bikes Durham’s first “socially conscious bike shop.” Who knew there was such a thing?
Starting out small, the shop will keep new Surly, Vassago, Redline, and Soma mountain bikes in stock. “We stayed away from the big name brands in order to not directly compete with any of our friends at the local bike shops,” says Andrea Hundredmark, Durham Public Schools middle school teacher and organizer of Triangle Trips for Kids. You can check up on their inventory at grassrootsbikes.blogspot.com.
Hundredmark, aware of the local popularity of single speed mountain bikes, says that Grassroots Bikes will also support the single speed community through sales of new single speeds as well as carrying in stock single-speed parts.
cycling at night
 from Copenhagen Cycle Chic |
After publishing a column on the joys of riding at night, I received from several Herald Sun readers an email-tonguelashing. It seems the idea of cycling at night is anathema to some who prefer the well-lit openness of the day. Well, I stick by what I said then, that cycling at night is a rewarding experience in addition to a practical necessity for some.
Look, I can’t help it if you watch Fox News’ nightly orgy of fear and as a result think the world is out to get you. I find the night to be a beautiful time to be outdoors, and there are few things I would rather do outdoors at night than ride a bike. True, you need to be a little more observant than during the day. But then again, that’s part of what makes night riding enjoyable — your senses are heightened and perception is augmented.
If you’ve never done it, you might start by trying the Habitat Bull Moon Ride on Saturday, July 19th.
Below is a note from Roxanne at Habitat for Humanity of Durham…
Sat., July 19 join Wool E. Bull and Habitat for Humanity of Durham for the Bull Moon Ride! This group ride for cyclists of all abilities starts at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park at 8:30 p.m. Experience Durham sites including Duke Chapel, Brightleaf Square, and Durham’s city center as the sun sets. Return to the ballpark on the American Tobacco Trail as the moon rises!
RIDE DETAILS
- Ride benefits Habitat for Humanity of Durham and helps build homes, hope, and community in Durham!
- 17 mile route (posted www.durhamhabitat.org)
- 6 mile route option available
- 12 mph average rolling speed
- Police escorts
- Helmets required
- Tail and head lights required (for ideas about lights contact Roxanne)
- $20 pre-registration per adult
- $10 pre-registration per child (min. age to ride is 10)
INFORMATION & REGISTRATION
Register today! Early registration deadline is July 17. Walk-on registration is $25 per adult and $15 per child. To register and for additional information, visit www.durhamhabitat.org or contact Roxanne, 919-682-0516, ext. 113 or rhall@durhamhabitat.org.THANK YOU!
Roxanne Hall Little
Special Events Manager
Habitat for Humanity of Durham
215 N. Church St.
Durham, NC 27701
919-682-0516, ext. 113
rhall@durhamhabitat.org
www.durhamhabitat.orgHabitat for Humanity of Durham transforms lives and communities by making homeownership possible in partnership with people who care. Habitat has broken ground on 200 homes in Durham since 1985. Families are selected based on housing need, ability to repay the 0% interest loan in full, and willingness to partner with Habitat. Habitat’s 1700 U.S. affiliates believe decent housing is a matter of conscience and action. Habitat for Humanity International works in 100 countries worldwide and has built more than 225,000 homes since 1976.
And to get you warmed up for a night ride, take a look at local cyclist Adrian Hands’ recently-posted reflection on cycling at night.
Night rides are a great escape from summer’s heat and are always thrilling—especially all-night brevets, where reaching the dawn serves as reward for one’s nocturnal toils. – Read the rest –
Durham ComNet needs cyclists
We should get some cyclists in on this…
Durham residents interested in serving as extra eyes for City government now have their chance thanks to new technology designed to help the community prioritize its immediate, street-level needs.
The City of Durham is debuting Computerized Neighborhood Environment Tracking – or ComNet – that enables neighborhoods to use easily operated handheld computers with digital cameras so that street level conditions, such as pot holes, illegal dumping, weedy lots, litter and vacant houses, can be quickly captured, recorded, and prioritized for action. ComNET adds a new layer of citizen-government communication, accountability, and citizen oversight.
Neighborhood groups interested in scheduling a ComNet survey in their community should contact Jay Reinstein, manager with the City of Durham’s Office of Strategic Initiatives, at (919) 560-4222, extension 226 or by e-mail at Jay.Reinstein@durhamnc.gov.
Cyclists often complain that our needs are different from drivers’ needs and that our needs are ignored in favor of the (perceived to be) larger or more affluent driving community.
Participation in a program like ComNet would be a good way for local cyclists to document and bring attention to the bike community’s needs. Since the City of Durham is initiating the program, they’re more likely to be receptive to what we have to say.
ComNet strikes me as similar to the Durham Pace Car program in that both invite the public, qua average citizens, to join with local government in taking responsibility for the community. Citizen-activist programs like ComNet have the potential to bring fresh attention to issues and neighborhoods chronically overlooked by empowering voiceless members of Durham’s community. The effectiveness of ComNet, which is essentially an exercise in distributed information gathering, will rest primarily on what the City does with the information it gathers.
The City won’t be able to do much if it doesn’t collect good info, and that’s where the cyclists come in. Cyclists are sensitive to changes in the environment (think pot holes and debris-strewn bike lanes), because we’re closer to the environment and just plain more likely to see what needs fixin’. It seems to me that cyclists are ideal candidates for an on-the-ground program like this.
Anyone want to step up and volunteer to participate in ComNet? If so, start by going through your neighborhood association.
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nicomachus.net is the virtual representation of Phillip Barron, who is responsible for all of the writing and photography, unless otherwise credited. Want to know more?
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