The Rebirth of Bashing

The Devil's Advocate's Alleycat is scheduled for Thursday, October 30th. Registration at 8:30pm at Revolutions Co-Op; ride at 9pm same place. In previous races you've been able to select your own route. This race is different. It's set up Basher style, meaning that the course is marked with arrows. At some points there may be two or more arrows and you will have to choose. If you've chosen wisely you WON'T see a sign that says "Turn Around." A Basher race is the perfect way to combine skill and luck; and at the end everyone parties. Bring a messenger bag and a pumpkin. Official flyer will be up hopefully Monday.

The Death of Crunk

...well, at least until next year. Tomorrow night, TUESDAY, will be the last in the series of Cyclocrunk races for 2008. The weather should be super nice so even if you don't have a cross bike or don't have the gumption to race (and I'm partly talking to myself here) then you can come out to Tobey Field, across Central from the Liberty Bowl and watch the race at 7pm. Bring beers and a cowbell. I'm going to try to be there but I might have to ride a Speialized Tarmac on the Peddler Tuesday Night Ride (I know, poor me). Check Cyclocrunk.com for pictures and info.

Highland Walker Festival

This is really going to be fun. The Peddler is having an open house at 7AM followed by a morning bike ride at 8. The ride will take you up East on Quince, North on Kirby and back to the shop via Shady Grove.

The rest of the day is filled with beer drinking and vendors showcasing sustainability. Revolutions will have a booth; if you're always busy during Revolutions normal hours you can drop by their booth and learn about their great program and even become a member.

For more information visit the Highland Walker Street Festival Myspace.

New Velocity Deep-V Colors

While waiting for the Thursday night ride to ensue I checked out Fixed Gear Gallery's coverage of Interbike and saw some fucking sweet new Deep-V's:



Those are probably my favorites because I'm such a hippie. The rest can be seen at velocityusa.com. These should be available now and they are all 32 hole non-machined side wall (NMSW), which means you can't run brakes on them. They are powdercoated images and not stickers (like my Dart Frog junt). I know the Peddler Bike Shop can order some for you and I'm pretty sure other LBS's can as well. I can't wait to see the beautiful creations that you guys and girls start riding around Memphis.

$300 Fixed Gear!

Schwinn is offering probably the most base fixed gear bicycle available for 2009.

Pros: Sealed hubs (The Langster doesn't offer this), the 1 1/8 threaded headset can be converted to threadless with a little bit of money (which I would recommend after seeing Chase's bent fork*)

Cons: Semi sealed BB, crankset is cheap

Projections say the bike should be available now, but at this price good luck getting your hands on one. Here are all of the specs.

See what other people are saying over at urbanvelo.org.

*Caveats: Chase was jumping down a 3-set and his fork is about 20yrs old.

Bicycling 101

Hey everyone! Sorry this is going out so late but whatever...

Revolutions is starting it's Fall Semester of cycling classes tomorrow.

Saturday October 11: Bicycle Safety in the Streets
Should I ride with traffic or against it? Should I ride on the sidewalk? Can I take a left hand turn in traffic on my bike? Is it even legal to ride in the road? How can I safely navigate Memphis’ city streets? Answers to all these questions and basic street safety procedures will be covered in this workshop.

Classes are $10 and usually fill up quick. Check the calendar to the right for a class you'd like to attend and send an email to revolutionsbikeshop@gmail.com

I'm personally holding out for Bicycling 101: SUMMER SCHOOL! in the hopes that Mark Harmon can turn my group of ne'er-do-well and slacker friends into C students.

Going to New Orleans for Halloween

Totes gonna rep Memphis in the zombiecat. If anyone wants to join there are two seats in the car but you have to sit with your bicycles on your lap.

Demon Days

My friend Paul in New Orleans is organizing this one. It should be quite entertaining. Widespread Panic is playing in NO the same weekend. I hope we'll be able to distinguish the zombies from the acid-cracked hippies. More info at nolabikerace.com

Memphis Downs winners Denis Raml and Chase Hardin are putting together a Memphis race for Thursday the 30th. More info on that coming soon.

Where is Section 211?

Kermit texted me to google bailout bill section 211 and while there are many websites showing the text from said section, I can't find it in the actual bill.

Somebody help!

If you have no luck either, this is what it supposedly says:

“(a) In General- Paragraph (1) of section 132(f) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(D) Any qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement.’.

(b) Limitation on Exclusion- Paragraph (2) of section 132(f) is amended by striking `and’ at the end of subparagraph (A), by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (B) and inserting `, and’, and by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

`(C) the applicable annual limitation in the case of any qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement.’.

(c) Definitions- Paragraph (5) of section 132(f) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(F) DEFINITIONS RELATED TO BICYCLE COMMUTING REIMBURSEMENT-

`(i) QUALIFIED BICYCLE COMMUTING REIMBURSEMENT- The term `qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement’ means, with respect to any calendar year, any employer reimbursement during the 15-month period beginning with the first day of such calendar year for reasonable expenses incurred by the employee during such calendar year for the purchase of a bicycle and bicycle improvements, repair, and storage, if such bicycle is regularly used for travel between the employee’s residence and place of employment.

`(ii) APPLICABLE ANNUAL LIMITATION- The term `applicable annual limitation’ means, with respect to any employee for any calendar year, the product of $20 multiplied by the number of qualified bicycle commuting months during such year.

`(iii) QUALIFIED BICYCLE COMMUTING MONTH- The term `qualified bicycle commuting month’ means, with respect to any employee, any month during which such employee–

`(I) regularly uses the bicycle for a substantial portion of the travel between the employee’s residence and place of employment, and

`(II) does not receive any benefit described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of paragraph (1).’.

(d) Constructive Receipt of Benefit- Paragraph (4) of section 132(f) is amended by inserting `(other than a qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement)’ after `qualified transportation fringe’.

(e) Effective Date- The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2008.”