Big Apple Blog

I have been spending time on Bike Hacks but I don’t want to neglect bike related content on Pintglass so expect some cross posts.

Brendon wrote a few days ago about ways to “Ugly” your bike. Because I have to lock my commuter bike outside a great deal I have been practicing the art of deceit for some time. It’s not that my commuter bike is all that wonderful anyway, I only paid $100 for it. Actually, that brings up another hack.

When I moved to NYC I wanted a bike that would get the job done as far as commuting but not attract much attention. After a few days of looking on craigslist I found the perfect “mule.” It is a 1985 Peugeot that had been sitting in some closet, untouched for years. It had a thick coat of dust and flat tires when I went to pick it up and looked as if it had been ridden about 100 miles in it’s 20 year lifespan. Perfect! Old but “new” at the same time.

I decided to mix it up a bit and do a combination of “uglifying” techniques. The first thing I did however was to wrap most of the frame with Saran Wrap. This is a good hack because some day you just may want to take the disguise off and this will ensure that it comes off easily.

After wrapping the frame in plastic wrap, I used a mixture of inner tubes and duct tape. I put tubes where my lock commonly rests on the frame when I chain up and duct tape on various portions of the frame.

The inner tubes are secured with zip ties. Then I moved on to the fenders which you also can see in the picture. Now this is where I do have a bone to pick with the Make Magazine article Brendon pointed to on uglifying your ride. It states:

“A can of spray paint is a good start but choose wisely. Black is out. We’re talking ugly here, not cool. Think orange.”

I happen to believe that orange is beautiful so it’s the perfect match. The majority of the population probably thinks my orange spray painted fenders are ugly while they make me smile. Bonus for me. Here is a picture of the whole ride.

I also have peppered it with stickers and even some stuff I have found on the road like this air freshener. Nothing says irony like a car air freshener on a bike.

Supporting the “little guy” can be fun. Major retailers or chain stores can save you a few bones, but when you have a personal relationship with someone it feels good to pay extra sometimes.

If you are into cycling or want to get into it, I recommend stopping by the Hub Station. Some genuinely nice people work there and you will get taken care of. No stale corporate feel, no uppity attitude and plenty of good advice – and more than just advice on bikes. If you are in the hood, stop by to gander and/or chat – it will make you feel all warm and fuzzy.

My friend Andrew recently went to Paris for a work trip (I have yet to see any proof that work was actually done) and like any good tourist, he took some pictures. Knowing my penchant for biking he took this picture that gave me warm fuzzy feelings all over:

A dedicated bike lane separated from car traffic? What a concept! You would think that city planners working in the alleged “Greatest City in the World” would take note. Not only does NYC not have dedicated bike lanes like this, as documented by two tragic deaths this year, cars can actually drive on pathways “dedicated” to pedestrian and bike traffic.

And check out this bike, a tent up front to keep whatever or whomever dry, so cool.

Yet another cyclist was killed by a car in New York City – and on a bike/pedestrian path. Story here. I ride the West Side Greenway to work every day and on this same path, two cyclists have been run down by cars this year. One would think that one death would be enough to institute change. A car driving on a pedestrian/bike path? If cars can get on such a path, there has been an obvious error in planning.

I am not ignorant enough to think that all local governments should go out of there way to ensure safety for cyclists, but an estimated 110,000 people ride their bike daily in New York City. Mayor Bloomberg, please wake up and realize this city would be a safer, cleaner, and greener place if cycling was encouraged. People should not have to fear for their lives if they want to get some exercise. If you want to tell the Mayor to do something, please click here to send a message to Transportation Commissioner, Iris Weinshall. It does not matter if you don’t live in NYC, as a matter of fact, I think a stronger statement will be made if messages come in from people who do not call the city home.

You know it’s getting close to the end of the year when the heavy hitting movies come out. Those films that compete for academy awards always seem to come out near the end of the year. A recent film that was quietly released fits nicely into this category.

Al Gore is getting a lot of Academy Award buzz for best documentary film with An Inconvenient Truth. However, I can guarantee you that Albert recently started chewing on his finger nails with the October release of a movie sure to garner the attention of the voters.

The film you ask, bikecar. Snowboarders are often thought of as crazed, dazed, and a little blazed. bikecar combats this stereotype with a hard hitting look at ingenuity and respect for the environment. What do you get when you mix the concept of bicycle transport with snowboarders? Pure genius is the obvious answer.

Snowboarders would have a very difficult time without snow. The burning of fossil fuels for energy and transport is impacting snow fall around the globe. Are politicians, other than Albert, doing much about this? Nope. Leave it to snowboarders to step up to the plate and do something about problems that could plague future generations.

bikecar should be one those films that cause alarm bells to go off around the globe. Not only is the idea of a bike car genius, the idea of this DVD as a holiday gift is pure genius. Talk about killing multiple birds with one stone! Okay, perhaps not the best analogy, but think about it. Academy Award, alternative transport, snowboarding, and holiday gift all in one package? Who could ask for more?

For the trailer, click here (QuickTime). For the web site, click here. Bike and Board on!