Call for Volunteers

We're looking for people to help run checkpoints for the January 1st Alleycat. This may or may not involve dressing in a costume, taking pictures, getting (re)drunk, or explosives. If this sounds like something you can do then send an email to fixmemphis@yahoo.com.

Dear Person Who Gave Me A Used Sucker

as a spoke card: Thank you. I take pleasure in karma; knowing that someday soon you will be graced with some insignificant inconvenience. Perhaps it will involve sweets, like maybe you will step in some gum or sit on a piece of chocolate, so that it looks like you have a skidmark on your pants. Or maybe it won't involve sweets and someone will piss on the door handle of your car. Whatever happens, I wish I could be there to see the look on your face, that look that says, "Aaarrggh, KARMA!!!"

Fuji Track Frame on Craigslist

A gent by the name of Kenny just moved back from Japan and brought this back with him:



It's a 53cm frame, track dropouts. Wheels not included, but some quality components otherwise. Check the specs here and give him a call if you're interested.

Keep Pedalin' Sean

Some of you were fortunate enough to meet a wonderful man named Sean who drove through town 'bout a week ago. He has a little blogsite with which he is documenting his cross country journey. Well he finally got around to posting pictures of his Memphis visit and the Thursday Night Ride. Here are a few of my faves:





Thanks for all of the beers and margaritas, Sean! Have a safe trip and we hope you'll come back someday.

Couples Trackstanding

Rolling Up:


Hands on saddles:


Switch to wheel, putting leg through frame:


Leg through frame on crank pedal, other foot on other bike's pedal, foot on chainstay:


Deciding how to switch bikes:


This really works better with more people, and I've atually switched to someone else's bike.

Just to clarify: We are not attacking Lew

According to this website: http://roadbikememphis.com/ Memphis Bargain Bicycles (the company that Lew runs) is under attack by someone he assumes is me. While in the past we (myself and Gorman) have had issues with Lew's pricing we have agreed to resolve all issues with a phone call.

I just want everyone to know that we are upholding our end of the accord and also that myself nor Revolutions nor First Congo Church is responsible for any attack on Lew, his character, or his company after our agreement.

I also want to add that my name is spelled Cort, not Corey. It's not a common name and I can understand the confusion.

From the folks who brought you the moonwalking bear

dothetest.co.uk has come up with another cycling awareness test, or rather tests. Here's my favorite:



The other two can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubNF9QNEQLA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cd63P54PaI

These were all produced by Transport for London, a government organization that handles London's transportation issues from subways to congestion and penalty charges (which I assume are the equivalent of traffic tickets) to cycling awareness. The website is extremely easy to use, not like our government websites that look as though they were designed by 1994. And cycling takes a very prominent role on their agenda. They plan to have a hire cycle network (similar to Paris) in place by 2010. That alone makes me want to go to London.

How can we get Memphis (or MATA) to care about us this much?

Ridin?

Hey y'all, I received the following email, from the eponymous Chop Saw today:

Hey, I'll be in memphis on tues. nov. 18th, anybody ridin/beer drinkin?

While I won't be, I'm sure some of you will. I sent him over here, so post any ideas in the comments and hopefully the magic will happen.

Kermit's CX championship pics

Cole mashes Joel's FG cyclocross style.

via Kermit's flickr.

Sunday - Cyclocross Championship

Outdoors Inc. is hosting the 22nd annual Tennessee Cyclocross Championship at Greenbelt Park on Mud Island this Sunday, November 16th. I'm not sure if anyone will be riding fixed at this race but you can still come out and cheer on your friends. Chase will be riding a test bike from Blue Bicycles so when you see him be sure to yell some words of encouragement. He's kinda self-concious about his beard (we're doing this whole No-Shave November thing) so be sure to say something about that. Maybe point out that he looks like an albino lion.

Registration is at 8am and races start at 9am. Details are here. It's going to be cold so bundle up and maybe bring some hot chocolate in addition to your beer and cowbell.

Keep it smooth, y'all

It looks like the roller/trainer season is upon us. Rain and 40º temps (the horror!) for the next few months may keep a few of us inside. Anyway, here's some inspiration for those long hours - keep it smooth, y'all.

Fixed Gear Components at Peddler

It's been a while but we're finally restocking our MKS Sylvan Track Pedals and we're also getting a few Soma Oppy XX Four Gate toe clips in black and the double straps to go with them.



We also have a lot of other stuff in the store. If we don't have it we can always order it, as can any other shop in Memphis. Because it's better support the LBS than to pay the shipping yourself.

Peddler Bike Shop Open House

As some of you know the Highland-Walker area has started a "Night Out" where local businesses are open until 9pm. This is to give the people who work all day a chance to see what's going on in the shops on Highland and Walker. The Peddler usually hosts a bicycle ride that leaves from the shop at 6:30 and travels to Overton Park and back. However this time when you come back there will be Lenny's subs waiting for you. BYOB, of course. I know it's pretty cold but we have plenty of arm warmers, knee warmers, thermal tights and balaclavas to keep you toasty.

And have you ever noticed the shop next door to Peddler: Soma? Well, the lady who owns that is back in town and has been open as of late, so I imagine this will be a great oppurtunity for everyone to see what her shop is about.

Cycleterror Pictures!

The set can be found here.

Better Start Training

A couple of weeks ago I read an article (it might have been this one) about the Rapha Gentleman's Race and was trying to think of something similar we could do in Memphis. Of course the options are few due to our vertically challenged geography. But as I was having some beers and pizza at Memphis Pizza Cafe one afternoon I got an idea; and maybe you can guess where I'm going with this: "We can combine all of these things and have a great race!" So I started planning in my head the route to the 4 MPC's then Emily showed me the menu and there are actually 5 locations!

I went home and sat down with google maps and mapped out a general route that covers 57.7 miles and thought about some general rules:

- Race takes place on Labor Day or some holiday when everyone is closed and the weather is nice
- Team race: all team members must cross finish at the same time (thought about making it a co-ed team race, but I don't know how many girls will be down for this)
- Drink a beer at each location
- Early registration is a must as teams will be chosen at random

You can see by the way the locations are staggered that it won't be a very difficult ride. This is also not a fixed specific ride, none of our alleycats are, but I know that a lot of people haven't done 60 miles on their fixed gear, much less a geared bike. I'm posting about this now because Josh Ryan mentioned doing a longer race today and I was all "I got that shit mapped already!" and secondly to get everyone's input. It's difficult to organize a race by yourself, as a few of us know, and the reason for this blog is to build our community. So let us know what you think.

Couldn't have said it better myself...

Hipster Nascar

Thanks to Gorman for hosting the party last night! My Celebration sweater has never had more fun.

Thank You New Orleans!!

Denis, Erica, Emily and I just rolled in from New Orleans where we had a fucking blast! Our new friend Paul put together one of the most elaborate races: witches brewing in a cauldron, Jason, riding as the "headless cyclist", dancing to "Thriller", getting mummy-wrapped, digging through someone's guts... And those were just SOME of the checkpoints. Denis will have to tell you more about it because my weak gear and my weak legs couldn't hold his pace. Thankfully I didn't get lost. What was amazing was the traffic; the cars are so used to pedestrians and cyclists. We were weaving in and out of cars and buses and people and going wrong ways on one-way streets; so much fun! And the cops didn't give a shit! (as opposed to Memphis, where the first part of our alleycat several of us got pulled over for running a red light!) However the streets are terrible; they should just be called potholes with a little bit of street in them. Regardless, Denis finished 1st out of towner and 3rd overall!

We called it an early night Friday then spent all day Saturday riding around the French Quarter (Emily really liked weaving through traffic!), eating great food and Denis and I picked up on some polo matches while the girls shopped. We each won two of our three matches. We finished the day with beignets at Cafe Du Monde and a chill moment of the levee.

Pictures of the race, costumes, and everything will be up soon. Thanks again to everyone who welcomed us into their community, especially Paul, Russell, Willie, Daniel, Gabe, Lando and everyone who's name I forgot!

Devil's Advocate Results

So from my memory this is how the race ended:

1st: Josh Ryan
2nd: Cort (1st fixed)
3rd: Zac Taylor

Girls:

1st: Alona Lerman
2nd: Emily Greenberg (1st fixed)
3rd: Ray (sorry girl, I don't know your last name)

Thanks to pilot for the snapshot of the afterparty line-up. If anyone has pictures please label them with "Memphis", "Devil's Advocates" "Halloween" and "alleycat". Then let me know 'bout it.

Thanks to Denis and Chase for putting it together. It was tremendous fun!