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If you’ve got 19 minutes tonight, you should really watch this documentary on cycling in Brussels. It’s not just your ordinary courier documentary, it’s a story about how the car has created one of the least cycling friendly cities in Europe. I thought all Flemish cities were havens for the bicycle but Brussels only boasts 4% cycling traffic. Some of these shots make Brussels look like Los Angeles at rush hour.
This is great! Thanks for sharing Kyle.
“We are the bicycle kitchen! We’re a nonprofit community organization in East Hollywood and we provide a welcoming space to learn about building, maintaining, and riding bicycles. Our mission is to promote the bicycle as a fun and accessible form of transportation for all Angelenos.
We love bikes and we think that a city filled with bikes is a good thing for lots of reasons. For 9 years our volunteer mechanics have been teaching you, the people of Los Angeles, how to fix or build your own bicycle at little or no cost. Our impact on Los Angeles is visible at nearly any intersection. We have been doing all of this from a rented space and we are vulnerable to the perils of renting.
The time is right to purchase a PERMANENT HOME for the Bicycle Kitchen / BiciCocina. We have found the perfect space, a former bakery at the intersection of Fountain and Virgil. It will give us room to grow and ensure our longevity as an organization. With a permanent space we will have greater flexibility to fulfill our mission in our own unique ways and with greater stability.
We’ve been working hard on raising funds through events and we have received a $100K grant towards the down payment from Metabolic Studio, a direct charitable activity of the Annenberg Foundation. We’re down to the wire and we need a final push to get where we want to be.
Our goal is to raise $30,000. Donate now! Any amount helps. Your donation will help keep us wrenching into the future!”
I have many issues with Critical Mass but it’s hard to argue that events like this aren’t building a strong sense of community. But that’s urban cycling in general. When something becomes popular, it goes through phases and the popularity of singlespeeds, track bikes and fixed gears have helped catalyze that, even in Indonesia. Would this event have such a large turn out, say 4 years ago? Probably not. If you’re in Jakarta, swing through next time!
I can get behind this. Sounds like a mix of Habitat for Humanity and any of the numerous fundraiser cross-country tours.
“This summer Alex Bloom will ride his bike across the United States to raise money for affordable housing efforts.
You can donate directly at bikeandbuild.org/rider/5854, or visit alexbloom.us for more information.”
It’s that time of year again. The 2012 Bicycle Film Festival is coming. Check out more information for how you can submit a piece below!
Krys is a bike mechanic living in Brooklyn where she was recently hit by a car. She’s laid up with a broken leg and can’t work at 718 Cyclery. To help her out, Joe Nocella, the owner of 718c has a donate page up. Anything helps, even a few bucks. Head over to donate if you’d like to. If you can’t send money, send some love via her Twitter.
Flying into Far West Road / Portra 160NC Yashica T4
There’s a great story on Williamsburg Greenpoint News+Arts called “How I Learned to Ride a Straight Line“. Where the author, John D. Eustice (you NYC racers should know that name) relates his years of racing in Belgium to everyday cycling practices. Advice like “steer with your belly button” and “relax your jaw” are things we’ve all heard but the punch-line is a story about how an old Belgian woman taught him how to ride a straight line. It’s worth the read, especially the part about not riding like an asshole down the bridges of NYC…
Thanks for the heads up Affinity!
I’m posting this with the knowledge that the helmet debate is a quagmire. For more info on what happened, head to Mashafix.
