Oh Great, It's Valentine's Day. I Mean, Great! It's Valentine's Day!
The dreaded holiday is quickly approaching, so what is there to do on Valentine's Day this year? Here are some options:
- Sit at home.
- Check out a benefit party at Chop Suey called Dancing on the Valentine, which is a benefit for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The theme this year is Factory Records and there will be live music and deejays and it sounds really fun.
- Northwest darlings The Murder City Devils are playing in Portland at Roseland Theater. That's where I'll be. It looks like tickets are sold out, but you might be able to find a ticket somewhere.
- The Zoobomb Mini Bike Winter Olympics is an event that happening in Portland this weekend. I went last year and had a blast. I'm sure I'll check out some events while I'm in Portland this weekend. How could I miss it?
- And, of course, there is my personal favorite Valentine's Day event: The Stranger's 12th Annual Valentine's Day Bash at Nuemo's. I have been to this gloriously silly event before, and it is an event everyone should attend at least once in a lifetime.
I realize this is not exactly a romantic guide to Valentine's Day in the Northwest. I prefer to have a good time and avoid the pressure to be ultra romantic. Of course, I will gladly accept gifts of chocolate and flowers from anyone who wishes to give me such items.
Mess Man's Messquerade 2008 Halloween Bicycle Scavenger Hunt
Like riding bikes while wearing a costume? I know, who doesn't? The annual Messquerade scavenger hunt and party is happening this Friday, October 31, and you better believe I'll be wearing my Wonder Woman costume while riding a bike on Friday.
The scavenger hunt starts at 7pm on Capitol Hill (1420 10TH Ave) in the lot behind Cafe Vita and Wild Rose. You'll need to get there before 7pm to check out everyone's costumes and get your team registration business taken care of. To register for the hunt, either pre-register on the website or register on Halloween before 7pm at the meeting spot on Capitol Hill.
After the scavenger hunt, the big party will be in Belltown this year at the Underground Events Center, which is the same location as the Punk Rock Flea Market. Party starts at 9pm. The winners of the scavenger hunt and costume contest will be announced at the party.
I went last year to Messquerade 2007 and I had such a great time I think I want to attend this event again and again every year for the rest of my life.
Dead Baby Bikes Downhill Race 2008: The Greatest Party Known to Humankind
It's the time of year again to fix up your mutant bicycle (or regular bicycle) and ride it at the 13th annual Dead Baby Downhill Race this Friday, August 1. Claiming to be the "greatest party known to humankind," the event is more than a bicycle race, it's an amazingly fun party.Last year's turnout was about 1600 people, some of whom traveled from far away lands like Canada. This year over 2000 people are expected to partake in the merriment that is northwest mutant bicycle culture. Fortunately for a crowd fearing gal like myself, there will be plenty of space for the crowds so I won't have to be crammed up against a wall all night trying to avoid the sweaty masses of people. But enough about my social anxiety disorder, let's get to the details of the race.
FAQs about the Downhill
Do you have to be a bicycle person to attend this event?
Nope. You don't even need a bike to attend the party at the end of the ride in Ballard.
Is this an actual race or is it a party?
It's a race AND a party. The winner of the race gets an assortment of cool prizes and, of course, glory. The race ends in Ballard where there will be events like tall bike jousting, bands on three stages, bicycle dance performances, and other bicycle related events. The race is also a fun ride for those who don't care about winning the race. Last year I stayed to the back of the crowd and cruised at a nice, mellow pace with my friends.
What time does registration and the race begin? Where?
Registration is between 5-6:45pm and costs $20. With the registration fee you get a t-shirt and a water bottle and a chance to race or just cruise down the hill to Ballard. Registration ends promptly at 6:45 and the race begins promptly at 7pm. Registration and race starting point will be at El Chupacabra in Phinney Ridge.
Do I have to have a mutant bike to ride in the race?
No, but you'll definitely want to build one after you see all of the cool mutant bikes at the ride.
I personally love the Dead Baby Downhill, but you don't have to just take my word for it that it's great fun. Here are some posts from other blogs about Dead Baby Downhills of the past:
Starting Location: El Chupacabra 6711 Greenwood Ave N (map)
Time and Date: Friday, Aug. 1, 5pm
Price: $20
Ride Green Build Green Bicycle Trip
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Planning is fully underway for this summer's Ride Green Build Green (RGBG) bicycle trip. From July 25th to August 25th, 20 bicyclists will make the 1,000+ mile journey from Seattle to San Francisco to raise funds and awareness for affordable green housing.Prior to the ride, each participant is raising a minimum of $2000 each to support LEED certification for a home built by Habitat for Humanity of East King County. Fundraising will include benefit concerts, T-shirt sales, and donation solicitations. All donations will be tax deductible through Habitat for Humanity. Riders also plan every aspect of the trip, including the route, nightly stop locations, work days at affordable housing sites, community forums, and bicycle and gear procurement.
Along the way, riders will also have opportunities to visit sites and organizations devoted to affordable and green housing and thus gain a greater understanding of the different methods, techniques, and plans for making both affordable and sustainable buildings and housing. Stops might include housing for the homeless, green affordable-housing projects, self-built green homes, and meetings with advocacy organizations to learn about their work.
Among scheduled stops: Olympia Habitat for Humanity (7/26), Cowlitz County Habitat for Humanity (7/28), and Olson Woods Community Partners for Affordable Housing (7/30).
RGBG believes that some of the biggest impacts we have on the environment lie within the structures we build to accommodate our lives. Buildings in the US account for:
- 40% of total annual US energy
- 25% of water use
- 20-30% of municipal solid waste stream
- 30-40% of wood and materials use
- 25% of greenhouse gas emissions
RGBG is seeking financial and volunteer assistance and additional riders. Please visit the RGBG website for more information.
Dead Baby Bikes International Independent Film Festival
There is still time to submit an entry for the first annual Dead Baby Bikes International Independent Film Festival. Entries are due April 1, which does not give you much time to get a film together at this point in time, but your film can be short and sweet (2-5 minutes, please). Anyone is eligible to submit an entry. What are the rules and guidelines? Anything goes so feel free to spread your wings and go for it, just make it bicycle related. Oh, and do not use copyright music in your soundtrack, and please submit your entry in miniDV format, dammit. I'm not being pushy about the format, the flier says "dammit," so I'm just reiterating. This is a great opportunity to show your masterpiece at the first ever event of this festival, so years from now you can say, "I was there at the very beginning, man!" So far, all entries will be shown at the festival. You can mail or drop off your entry at:
The Church of Bicycle Jesus
4341 15Th Ave. S.
Seattle, WA, 98108
Please contact Terry if you have questions about the festival and entry submissions.
The festival will take place on May 1 at the Underground Events Center which is in Belltown next to Cyclops. The Underground Events Center is the same location as the Punk Rock Flea Market, 2407 First Avenue (map).
More information on the Dead Baby Bikes website.
Sunday Night's View of Seattle
Portland Zoobomb
Last weekend I went to Portland for Zoobomb Minibike Winter V. It was awesome. It was crazy. And best of all, it didn't rain. Zoobomb is a bicycle club in Portland in which members and friends dress in costumes and ride minibikes (child size bikes) down the hill towards the Portland Zoo every Sunday. Once a year for the past 5 years, they have hosted the Zoobomb Minibike Winter Olympics, with events such as Ben Hurt Chariot Wars, minibike limbo, live music, bicycle dance troupe performances, and general silliness and fun.
The bicycle festivities took place Thursday - Monday. I arrived in Portland late Saturday morning just in time to grab some food at the potluck brunch. I was really impressed with the hospitality and friendliness of the local bicycle folks I met at the Zoobomb event in Portland. They all are open and enthusiastic to invite other bicycle enthusiasts to join them for their fun bicycle activities. Many bicycle clubs have strict rules about becoming a member, but the Zoobombers seem to hold the attitude that all who love bikes are welcome, and that's an attitude I like.
After brunch, we all rode to the first event of the day: The Ben Hurt Chariot Wars. In order to compete in the chariot race, competitors needed a bike with a trailer and two people: one to ride a bike and one to stand or sit in the chariot being pulled by the bike rider. All chariots were custom made beautiful monstrosities designed in the vein of the mutant bike culture.
The race had rules, but it turned into ridiculous mayhem to the point where I was not really sure what was happening:
The winners were the last team standing.
This guy did not win, although he had spirit trying to ride on a tire that could no longer technically be called a tire:
After the Chariot Wars, I needed a break and took off and got some dinner. I met up with the festivities again that evening at a warehouse space. The weekend Zoobomb events took place at different locations all over Portland, and event maps were distributed which displayed the best bicycle routes to each location. The evening's entertainment including music, dancing, a fashion show, live music, and a performance by the Canadian bicycle dance troupe the B:C:Clettes.
The next day I showed up at Sunday's first event location by the river downtown ready to watch some bicycle limbo and a performance by the Portland bicycle dance troupe The Sprokettes. Things didn't get started until later in the afternoon and I had to head back to Seattle, so I begrudgingly headed home just as the blindfolded minibike race was about to begin.
Last weekend was the first time I have bicycled around Portland, and that town truly lives up to its reputation as being one of the most bicycle friendly cities in the nation. The Minibike Winter Olympics are over for this year, but if you are interested in going on the zoobomb, they do it every Sunday evening. You can check the zoobomb website for details.
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Streetcar Unsafe for Bicyclists; Bicycle Protest Dec. 12
As most Seattlites are aware, there is a new streetcar in South lake Union which has taken on the unofficial name SLUT (South Lake Union Trolley). There has been a lot of media attention* around the silly acronym, but now there is media attention concerning the streetcar that is posing a more serious problem. The South Lake Union Trolley is unsafe for bicyclists, and I can attest to this personally.
SLUT tracks run on the right side of the road parallel to where bicyclists ride, and road bike tires easily get stuck in the tracks. Tracks are not a safety hazard for bikes when cyclists can ride over the tracks at a 90-degree angle, but this is not the case in South Lake Union.
In September, I had my bike accident during early evening rush hour traffic when I rode my bike north on Westlake near Thomas. My tire got stuck in one of the tracks. I crashed. Hard. I walked/limped away with a few cuts and big bruises on my leg. Fortunately, I did not fall into moving traffic, and very fortunately I did not have to go to the hospital. A local business owner saw my crash and told me that he sees bikes go down all the time on the tracks. I told my story to David Hiller of the Cascade Bicycle Club, and he told me to send an email to Thomas Carr of the Seattle City Attorney's Office. I sent Carr an email and did not receive a response. Hiller recently put journalist Mike Lindblom of the Seattle Times in touch with me so my story could be included in an article about the dangerous new streetcar.
Since my accident, I have heard many stories from other people who have become victims of SLUT. There has been evidence of other accidents here and here and here. Bike accidents due to the trolley tracks are so common that I have even heard jokes about potential buttons and stickers for bicyclists that say, "I went down on the SLUT."
I am happy about having more public transportation options in this city, but I am also one of a growing number of cyclists who have been injured by SLUT. I do not understand why we have to choose between riding a trolley and riding a bike... can't we do both? Why does the trolley have to completely eliminate safe bike riding? And why are there no warning signs for bicyclists? The least the city could do is put up a couple of signs that warn bicyclists that there are tire snaring tracks in the road. According to the article in the Seattle Times:
There will be a protest for the trolley's lack of safety for bicyclists this Wednesday, December 12, when the South Lake Union streetcar begins service from Westlake Center to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
* That is, in fact, me in the video praising SLUT. Ironically, the video was recorded about 4 hours before I had my bicycle accident. I am all for public transportation, but not if it is at the cost of bicycle transportation.
SLUT tracks run on the right side of the road parallel to where bicyclists ride, and road bike tires easily get stuck in the tracks. Tracks are not a safety hazard for bikes when cyclists can ride over the tracks at a 90-degree angle, but this is not the case in South Lake Union.
In September, I had my bike accident during early evening rush hour traffic when I rode my bike north on Westlake near Thomas. My tire got stuck in one of the tracks. I crashed. Hard. I walked/limped away with a few cuts and big bruises on my leg. Fortunately, I did not fall into moving traffic, and very fortunately I did not have to go to the hospital. A local business owner saw my crash and told me that he sees bikes go down all the time on the tracks. I told my story to David Hiller of the Cascade Bicycle Club, and he told me to send an email to Thomas Carr of the Seattle City Attorney's Office. I sent Carr an email and did not receive a response. Hiller recently put journalist Mike Lindblom of the Seattle Times in touch with me so my story could be included in an article about the dangerous new streetcar.
Since my accident, I have heard many stories from other people who have become victims of SLUT. There has been evidence of other accidents here and here and here. Bike accidents due to the trolley tracks are so common that I have even heard jokes about potential buttons and stickers for bicyclists that say, "I went down on the SLUT."
I am happy about having more public transportation options in this city, but I am also one of a growing number of cyclists who have been injured by SLUT. I do not understand why we have to choose between riding a trolley and riding a bike... can't we do both? Why does the trolley have to completely eliminate safe bike riding? And why are there no warning signs for bicyclists? The least the city could do is put up a couple of signs that warn bicyclists that there are tire snaring tracks in the road. According to the article in the Seattle Times:
Alan Durning, founder of Sightline Institute, an environmental think tank, calls the Westlake situation one example of "bicycle neglect" — the American tendency to treat bikes as recreational vehicles, not primary transportation. A street posing similar hazards to cars would never be designed, he said.There are other options for the trolley tracks which could make it safer for bicyclists. The tracks could be in the center lane so the tracks do not run in the area where bicyclists are supposed to ride. Another bicycle safety option would be to use a different type of track or use flangeway filler so bike tires won't get stuck in the tracks. And signs. There could be signs warning cyclists of the tracks.
There will be a protest for the trolley's lack of safety for bicyclists this Wednesday, December 12, when the South Lake Union streetcar begins service from Westlake Center to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
* That is, in fact, me in the video praising SLUT. Ironically, the video was recorded about 4 hours before I had my bicycle accident. I am all for public transportation, but not if it is at the cost of bicycle transportation.
Mess Man Messquerade Recap
I attended Mess Man's Messquerade, and, despite the very cold temperatures, I had a blast! I arrived at the meeting spot in Capitol Hill where over 100 costumed bicyclists were already gathered, and I was warmly greeted by The Mess Man himself, "Hi, welcome to my party! Did you get some beer? Here, grab a beer." I didn't have a team for the bicycle scavenger hunt, so I needed to find a team. I joined team Oz. Team Oz consisted of Dorothy (of course), pumpkin head guy, a vampire pirate, a Storm Trooper, and me as future girl with rocket pack. Some teams had coordinated themes: Team Alice in Wonderland, Team Cowboy, Team Awesome.
The scavenger hunt took us through Capitol Hill, Denny regrade, Downtown, Pioneer Square, and the end point was a party at a bar by Home Depot in Sodo. We were required to go trick-or-treating and solve riddles at various houses and businesses, sometimes involving confused residents who seemed like they were unaware of their role in the scavenger hunt. There was bicycle trivia (what is the newest bike shop in town? what is in the window at Reload?) and there was Seattle history trivia.
My team was one of the last teams to arrive at the finish point because we took a couple whiskey breaks at bars along the way. It was a cold night and we needed a warm-up. The best part of the scavenger hunt was riding bikes through Seattle in costume. People on the streets cheered and hollered when they saw us bicycling through the streets.
The party at the end of the race was packed wall-to-wall with people. Outside, there were a couple of people pacing along the fence next to the bar looking at all of the bicycles parked outside. "It's bicycle porn," on of them said. Inside, there was live music, and then the announcement of the winners. Team Cowboy won the scavenger hunt. Best group costume went to Zombie Unicorns on a Cloud, a couple on a tandem bike. My teammate won best individual costume after suffering through wearing a heavy pumpkin on his head all night. I got a guppy light and a bicycle pump in the extra prize free-for-all at the end of the awards announcements.
I was bad about taking pictures at this event, but, fortunately, there is flickr.
Halloween Costume Bicycle Scavenger Hunt and Party
In case you can't read the flier, I will recap. Saturday, Oct 27, 7pm: $20 ($30 with hoodie) provides you with the following entertainment:
- Bands
- Bikes
- Beer
- Zombies(!!)
- Costume Contest
- Cash Prizes
- Pumpkin Toss
- Team Scavenger Hunt
Cyclo-Crossdress
I found this flier on the .83 bicycle club website:
Show up next Saturday, in drag, with your bicycle and enjoy the cyclo-cross race with other people in drag, then drink beer and eat lunch, in drag. NOTE: You must be comfortable looking ridiculous to enjoy this event.
Show up next Saturday, in drag, with your bicycle and enjoy the cyclo-cross race with other people in drag, then drink beer and eat lunch, in drag. NOTE: You must be comfortable looking ridiculous to enjoy this event.
Critical Mass
Critical Mass happens once a month in Seattle and all major cities in the U.S., and it's happening tonight. The last Friday of every month, bicyclists gather downtown and take over the streets normally ruled by cars.
How did this all begin? According to wikipedia:
In Seattle in the summer, there are often hundreds of cyclists on a Critical Mass ride. However, according to faithful attendees of this event in Seattle, there are fewer bicyclists on the ride this time of year, due to rain and bad weather, and it will be a more mellow ride tonight than a ride in the summer.
How did this all begin? According to wikipedia:
The first ride took place on Friday, September 25, 1992 at 6 P.M. in San Francisco. At that time, the event was known as Commute Clot and was composed of a couple dozen cyclists who had received flyers on Market Street.This is a social gathering and a protest. The thing that bothers me about Critical Mass is sometimes some of the bicyclists get all riled-up and pick fights with people in cars, or vice versa. Critical Mass blocks motor vehicle traffic, and this often causes tension between motorists and bicyclists. I love how Critical Mass is a huge presence and makes people who do not ride bicycles aware of bicycles on the road. However, I feel that when cyclists get aggressive towards motorists at bicycle protests, it only angers motorists and, thus, makes them even more disrespectful of bicycles on the road, which is very dangerous for cyclists.
Shortly after this, some participants in that ride went to a local bicycle shop for a screening of Ted White's documentary Return of the Scorcher, about bike culture overseas. In that film, American human powered vehicle and pedicab designer George Bliss noted that, in China, both motorists and bicyclists had an understood method of negotiating intersections without signals. Traffic would "bunch up" at these intersections until the back log reached a "critical mass" at which point that mass would move through the intersection. The term caught on and replaced Commute Clot as a name at the time of the second event.
By the time of the fourth ride, the number of cyclists had increased to around 100 and participation continued to grow dramatically, reaching about 1,000 riders, on average.
The name was soon adopted as a generic label by participants in similar but independent mass rides that were either initiated in various locations around the world at around the same time, or had already existed before 1992 under other names. It is estimated that there are Critical Mass-type rides in more than 325 cities to date. The term "Masser" is sometimes applied to frequent participants.
In Seattle in the summer, there are often hundreds of cyclists on a Critical Mass ride. However, according to faithful attendees of this event in Seattle, there are fewer bicyclists on the ride this time of year, due to rain and bad weather, and it will be a more mellow ride tonight than a ride in the summer.
I Learned How To Ride a Tall Bike
Now I know why there are bicycle clubs nationwide that do this: It's so much fun!
I got the courage to ride a tall bike at Burning Man, and once I was on it, no one could get me off.
Friends, tall bikes are so fun! I encourage you to seek out your local mutant bike chapter (Dead Babies are in Seattle) and find someone who has a tall bike and give it a go. It's actually quite easy to ride a tall bike, except for getting on and getting off. That requires some dexterity and guts. However, after spending just a few minutes crashing into things and people, I managed to figure out how to get on and off without too much commotion.
I got the courage to ride a tall bike at Burning Man, and once I was on it, no one could get me off.
Friends, tall bikes are so fun! I encourage you to seek out your local mutant bike chapter (Dead Babies are in Seattle) and find someone who has a tall bike and give it a go. It's actually quite easy to ride a tall bike, except for getting on and getting off. That requires some dexterity and guts. However, after spending just a few minutes crashing into things and people, I managed to figure out how to get on and off without too much commotion.
Office Chair Downhill
Last Friday I learned that I suck at office chair downhill racing. But, I also learned that Greg (pictured here in the lead) is quite good at it, and he won a really nice prize for being good at it! The Dead Baby bicycle club hosted the first annual Office Chair Downhill, located near Seattle Center in downtown Seattle. I almost didn't get to race because I didn't bring an office chair. There was no time to pick one up after work, and I couldn't take my own personal office chair, because then I would not have a place to sit at work. However, someone brought an extra chair so I got to race!
See more pictures of the race taken by Denny.
Babes and Bikes
This weekend I got my first taste of the Dead Baby bike club. On Friday evening at around 7:30pm, I hopped on an old Schwinn Stingray I found on the street a few months ago (it had a "free" sign on it) and cruised the streets and bars of Seattle with a posse of crazy people on crazy bikes. I ended up getting a flat and I rode half the ride on the rear seat of a tandem bike behind a bad ass babe named "Dark Stephanie." Riding a tandem bike is much harder than you would think it would be.
I recently found out about a dance troupe called The Sprockettes. This all female group specializes in synchronized dance performances on mini bikes. So cool! Part of their mission statement is:
Right on, ladies! They are based out of Portland, OR, and I will definitely check out one of their shows this Spring. Check out the upcoming performances on their April schedule here.
Empower and inspire people to live out their crazy and wildest dreams, therefore embracing the bad-ass-ocity of life and living to their potential.
