Ice Cream Sunday

Kyle has asked me to lead this Sunday's Ice Cream Ride from Revolutions to YoLo. It's a bit more involved than just a trip down Cooper St. but I promise I won't lead you down any alleys or trails.

I haven't participated in an ICR since two years ago (time flies!) when we rode to Baskin Robbins on Summer a few times.

Here's a map of previous rides, we might make some slight detours but will generally stick to this:

View Ice Cream Ride in a larger map

Bicycles Flood Pictures & Videos

Steven sent me this pic and video of some BMXers hanging out pre-crest. I can't tell at all who's there, but they did manage to pop off some nice tricks:

Bike Lane Meeting Tonight

Doug has put up a post about the proposed bike lanes on North Parkway. Read it and come to the meeting tonight!

Memphis Brooks Museum Bicycle Rack

Here it is, the catalyst for the bicycle rack mapping project. This bike rack has probably gotten more press than any other in Memphis (I've even mentioned it before). Tootsie Bell (which sounds like candy) won the design contest for the rack back in 2008 and The Flyer covered that well.

If you don't feel like reading the links, the important thing to know is that the Brooks gives a $1 off admission if you ride your bike to the museum.

Here's how it racks up:

Form - Artistic
Function - Pass
Environment - Memphis has a lot of trees, which were the inspiration for this rack(s)
Points of Interest - Memphis Brooks Museum, Overton Park

Some bikes were exploited

If you were part of that unfortunate group that didn't attend the Bikesploitation festival you can check out the Live From Memphis recap.

They were also kind enough to post the winner's video: "Confessions of a Pedalphile" from Corduroy Wednesday



"Solid black, motherfucker!"

Memphis Bicycle 20518

This is the 30 second PSA from TDOT, the Clean Air Board and Live From Memphis. You'll notice that Emily is in there and while it may seem like the Schwinn she's riding has the bicycle registration license plate it, in fact, does not. Not sure to which bicycle it belongs; Sarah was under the impression that it was Emily's.

My friend Steven offered up his opinion on the whole registration thing:
I'm 90% sure that those were plaques from Memphis Bicycle Co. on Summer Ave. Kinda the equivalent to the Peddler, Outdoors, Inc., etc stickers put on bikes when sold. Not sure about the number though.,

Then here's what my friend Jim turned up:
There was a program at one time where you could register your bike with the Auto Theft division of the Memphis Police Department. The cost was .50 and you got one of those cool little license plates for your bike. It was strictly voluntary and the police held registration events around town to sign people up. I don’t know the exact years of the program, but I found a newspaper article from 1964 and one from 1970 announcing registration events. Here’s a photo of a civic-minded young Girl Scout registering her bike in 1964. No idea how effective the program was in deterring theft, but it was certainly a friendlier approach than earlier registration efforts.

Jim Goes on to add:
Back in the dark days of 1940 there was a big crackdown on cycling and a sweeping new Memphis bicycle ordinance was passed. This made registration mandatory. Every bike had to have a license attached and all riders had to carry a registration card. In fact, you had to have your bike inspected at the police garage before getting your registration. There was also a whole list of crazy new rules and regulations for cyclist with fines ranging from $1 - $50. Here are a few of the possible infractions…
-- Bikes must have brakes, horn or bell, and lights required after dark.
-- Bikes must have a seat. (According to the newspaper, seats were considered “sissy” among the rowdy Memphis youth of 1940. I’m not making this up!)
-- No riding on sidewalks.
-- Unlawful to park on any sidewalks in the city.
-- Cannot remove both hands or both feet while riding or practice any acrobatic or fancy riding.
-- No person operating a bicycle upon a public highway, street or alley or place in the city of Memphis shall participate in any race of speed or endurance, or contest with any other vehicle.
-- No riding double.
I can’t imagine those laws being enforceable as I broke half of them just riding to work this morning! Seems like it would have killed bicycle sales, too. That’s about all I can tell you and hope that helps. Take care.

Thankfully a lot of those laws were taken out of the recently updated ordinances because I saw some racing and stunt riding on the way home from Bikesploitation!

Send pictures of your Memphis Bicycle license plate to fixmemphis@yahoo.com

Studio On The Square Bicycle Rack

Originally billed as an "art house" theater (perhaps as just an experiment; a small theater that would show independent and foreign films seemed a logical fit for Midtown Memphis), Studio quickly realized that the location was great and they could show just about anything, even hosting several film festivals. This bicycle rack is one of the few in Memphis where I've ridden up and seen one of my friends locking up at the same time. I'm sure that has to do with the start time of the films but it's still nice.

Here's how it racks up:

Form - Old School
Function - Pass
Environment - Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.
Points of Interest - Studio On The Square, Bogies Deli, Boscos, Dabbles, Memphis Pizza Cafe

And don't forget: another Malco theater: Paradiso will be having a special screening of Breaking Away tonight at 7PM. Get more info on the Memphis Hightailers website.

FREE Trek WSD Ladies Night at the Peddler

FREE Trek WSD Ladies Night
May 25, 2011 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm @ Peddler Bike Shop - Highland
Click here for more info on the Peddler website.

Hey Ladies! Join me this Wednesday evening at the Peddler on Highland for their Trek WSD Ladies Night! They'll be handing out gift bags with free stuff, coupons and more! There will be a fashion show showcasing bike clothing that is women-specific, plus shoes and clips explanations. They'll be providing tutorials so we can learn the difference between clipping in and out, different shoe options and how to change a flat among other things. It will be followed by a Q and A for any lingering questions you may have. Munch on free food and drink while you learn and make new gal pals.

Don't forget to register for this FREE event at the Memphis Hightailers Club website.

Live Blogging on BTWD

Check out the new page at the top - Bike To Work Day 2011. Trying something new. Will periodically be updating that page throughout the day with whatever I deem necessary. Hopefully it will make you say, "Ooh, I want to go to there."

--Ride your bike downtown tonight! Plenty of bike parking at the warehouse and at the powerhouse across the street. If you have to drive there is car parking at the farmers market pavilion.



--Trophies for Bikesploitation. I just realized I uploaded a lot of pics in a smaller size. Bear with me for a day or two, I'll try to fix it soon.



--So this would probably be better if I could have a steady wifi connection that way you could get some real "up to the minute" updates. As it is you have to wait until I find somewhere that I can actually pull out the computer. So here's what you've missed so far: Marty making a smoothie, Phil Jones, and Sam Dunn with Drag'n Frozen Treats. Orange Sorbet. Delicious. After I got it everyone said they like the lemon better so I'll definitely try it tonight at Bikesploitation!

More photos on my flickr.



--We've checked in at the Church Health Center and the Farmer's Market Pavilion (above). We're taking a break at Bluff City Coffee right now. I'm not drinking coffee today - it's a diuretic, and I don't know where I can make pit-stops today.

Huey's tagged on as one of the sponsors for BTWD. Odd, since they don't support bike lanes on Madison Avenue. (they do have a bicycle rack at their Madison Avenue location...) Maybe they are changing their mind? Hopefully...

--Due to a scheduling conflict the bicycle expo has been moved to Civic Center Plaza. (Where the fountains shoot up out of the ground.)

Good Morning Memphis - Bike To Work Day

Bike to Work Day: MyFoxMEMPHIS.com

Toward the end of the segment you might see me riding with one hand. That's when Kermit called me to let me know he saw me on the news.

Otherlands Coffee Bar Bicycle Rack

There has not been a single time that I've ridden to Otherlands and there hasn't been another bike locked up to the rack. It's just your standard old school bicycle rack but for space purposes is pushed up against the deck, making one side inoperable. That's cool, though, they're still representing. But obviously the bike rack isn't the focus of Otherlands; it's coffee. And delicious breakfast sandwiches - cream cheese, tomato and a special sauce on your choice of bagel. So good. Mine is sitting heartily in my stomach right now.

Here's how it racks up:

Form - Old School
Function - Pass
Environment - Nothing doing
Points of Interest - Otherlands Coffee Bar

Bike To Work Day Filming

via Revolutions:

On May 19 at 7:20 a.m., Dawn Vinson from the Center City Commission and Marvin Stockwell from Church Health Center will be on Fox 13’s Good Morning Memphis to talk about Bike to Work Day. They’ll do the interview sitting on their bikes and then pedal off to work on camera. Wouldn’t it be cool if we had a legion of people there on their bikes to pedal off to work with them? It would be a strong statement that a healthy bicycle consciousness is really growing in Memphis. We talked to the producer and she thought it was a great idea.

So, anyone who wants to be on TV with us (no, you won’t be interviewed), please make plans to be at Fox 13 on May 19 at 7 a.m. (20 min. before the interview). The station is located at 485 S. Highland (across from St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, near the U of M).

And if you have friends who use their bike, please invite them to join us.

Emily and I will be there and we will probably get some Bro J's (Brother Junipers) breakfast afterwards.

Crit Race Tonight

http://www.flickr.com/photos/redantracingphotos/5708138444/
Last race's Cat 1, 2, 3 demolisher: Nathan Brown. He's looking forward at the rest of the pack that he almost lapped. See all the race results and info at http://www.memphiscrits.com and click the picture to be taken to the flickr. I'll see you at the race tonight!

Easy Wedges

Hey ya'll, it's Emily! I rode my bike in my best Ebay find to date: my gum sole Cherokee wedges. I love these shoes because they are super comfortable and make me really tall. I hopped on my bike in them and fell in love even more. They didn't slip at all and were so easy to get on and off my bike. I searched Etsy for some similar cuties which you can find here, here, and here.

Here are some other cute shoe finds. Navy find here and a wedge tenny here. Happy shopping and safe riding!

Jesus's Bicycle

Danny Wilson snapped (maybe snaked is a better word) this photo when the Mississippi had yet to crest. He thinks someone else set the bicycle there and was going back for their camera when he swooped in and took the picture.

Any idea on who the original photographer might be?

Got any flood pics with bicycles in them? Let me know! - fixmemphis@yahoo.com

Bridges Bicycle Rack

As opposed to the bank from the previous bicycle rack post, Bridges is the type of place you would expect to find a bicycle rack. Em and I love going to climb night here; one of the only places in Memphis that offers indoor climbing. I got into climbing before I got into bikes so it kind of surprised me how many of my friends were climbers as well. What is kind of sad is that it costs $15 per person to climb. When is someone going to open a bouldering gym? Less insurance than belaying, I bet.

Here's how it racks up:

Form - Artistic
Function - Pass
Environment - Memphis Rack
Points of Interest - Bridges

Help Save Odessa!

Odessa is an essential part of the burgeoning art scene. Located on Broad Avenue it has been home to some of the hippest art shows and wildest parties Memphis has seen in a long time. Before they outgrew the space, Electrocity raged monthly. I consider them an integral part of the Broad Avenue Arts District, and Odessa has been especially generous to the bike community, allowing us to show films, host a swap meet, and party our tires off. We're planning some future bike related projects with them and I would hate to see those not come to fruition. So please, give what you can.

First Alliance Bank Bicycle Rack

If "wtf?" is going through your mind then I'm right there along with you. A Jill Turman Memphis Rack at a bank. WTF? But kudos to them anyway. I know my bank would be so much better with a bike rack. As it is now I have to lock up to a tree and one location (I almost said branch...) or the handicapped railing at another location. One day I was locking up to the tree and my friend Ben rode up and locked up to the same tree. At least I knew him and it didn't turn in to some awkward situation with one of us waiting for the other person to finish. Does your bank have a bicycle rack?

Here's how it racks up:

Form - Artistic
Function - Pass
Environment - Green is the color of money!
Points of Interest - First Alliance Bank

Missing the Mayonnaise

How's your May shaping up?

Bikesploitation - The Bike Project

In the lead-up to Bike To Work Day Live From Memphis has started posting pics and interviews with local Memphis riders.

Check it out here.

If this had happened last year I probably could have told you an interesting story about each of the people featured but ridership has increased so dramatically that when The Bike Project culminates I will probably only know about 2 or 3 people. That fact makes me proud to live in Memphis. Any urban area our size should be filled with cyclists, and that's where we're heading. I was riding the Tuesday night Peddler ride with a gent named John from Shreveport and he praised Memphis for the connectivity and the number of people we saw out riding around their neighborhoods, something that he doesn't see at home.

So kudos to us, and for the everyday people featured in the Bike Project. With their help, we'll hear more good comments like John's.

Seen in the Shop - Caribe Basso Loto

One of the cool things about being in a bike shop most days is that every now and then (this prob happens more in other cities) a sweat-worthy bike comes in for maintenance. Not that I have anything against carbon, but it hasn't had enough time to "age". By that I mean the lines of carbon bikes have yet to considered classic, the paint schemes are mostly annoying (flames? come on!), and they just haven't been around long enough. Hopefully in the future we'll see some carbon frames turning up on CL for a hunny or two, but until that day comes I'll take a steel frame over anything. Like this one: a 1990 Basso Loto in the Caribe color scheme:


Check out more pics of this beautiful bici on my flickr.

Now read more about Basso and see the catalog from 1990 with the different color variations of the Loto here.

Memfixed - a fixed gear forum for Memphis

I saw this over at Gritty: Memphis now has a fixed gear forum - memfixed. Started by transplant Rem, he's Daniel's cousin and will be helping him out in the shop downtown. Head over there to the forum, log on and join the discussion.

Lofts At South Bluffs Bicycle Rack

The Lofts at South Bluffs are river-side of the South Main Arts District so this harp-shaped bicycle rack fits well into the area. Of course this rack was also created by Jill Turman. The rack is tucked away on a back street that sees mostly residents of the lofts and employees of Contemporary Media (Memphis Flyer, Memphis Magazine, etc...). I'm pretty sure it sees it's fair share of usage but was unfortunately empty on the day this photo was taken.

Here's how it racks up:

Form - Artistic
Function - Pass
Environment - We ARE the birthplace of Rock'n'Roll. And you can totally rock out with your harp out.
Points of Interest - Lofts at South Bluffs, Memphis Flyer

Tiger Lane Crit Series

Red Ant Racing has hooked up with the Young Avenue Deli to bring a crit series to Memphis. The Tiger Lane Crit Series has had a few reschedules due to inclement weather but now that it's looking nice outside again the race is back on. It's a wonderful time to hang out with a lot of people involved in the cycling scene and watch some pretty fast racing. At race #2 there was a guy from the Trek U23 (under 23) team who just blew the 1, 2, 3's away; to the point that he was 30 seconds away from lapping the pack. "The only one in the photo" as the saying goes.

Not only do you get to see some good racing you get to see some beautiful bicycles. For instance this custom Speedvagen dressed in Record 11:


I've always been a fan of Sacha White's frames, specifically the cross stuff. Always race quality that doesn't sacrifice aesthetics. Really, he just piles the aesthetics on. Check these:


The next race is Wednesday May 18th at 5:30pm. Check http://www.memphiscrits.com for photos and info.

University of Memphis Law School Bicycle Racks

I'm a little troubled by this bicycle rack. I mean, this rack really has everything you want: created by a once-local artist (yeah, you guessed right, Jill Turman), it draws on its environment and offers plenty of parking. What's troubling is that there are no bikes parked here. For some reason they (they being, I'm assuming, University of Memphis) put another pair of bike racks near these. The Jill Turman Scroll Racks are in the upper left corner of these racks:

You know the three most important factors in real estate and retail? Location, location, location. The wave racks are easier to access: curb level parking vs. carrying the bike up 5 steps. I think it would be nice for the U of M to remove the generic wave racks and replace them with the scroll racks. If not, I'm sure there's a book store or library in town where these would be more appreciated.

Here's now they rack up:

Form - 1 artistic, 1 wave
Function - both pass
Environment - 1 works, 1 doesn't bring anything to the table
Points of Interest - University of Memphis Law School, Confederate Park, The Little Tea Shop

Our Moving Dilemma: Walkability, Rideability and the Old Kind of Convenience

CP and I are looking for new digs to habitate so we can save money for several reasons: to buy a house of our very own, purchase a new car and travel more and far-er. The last time we moved, which was only last year, it was a hurried decision. We had a very hard time finding a cute place at a cute price and landed our awesome house fully equipped with a "cat"io (y'know, for the cat)and backyard. However, those amenities come with a price.

The conversation started and we began looking. In the beginning, we said we'd consider Downtown and East Memphis in addition to Midtown. Our first prospect was housed right smack on the greenline, an obvious bonus we thought. Well, it took us a minute to drive there and once we started thinking about places to eat/go, we figured out we might have to drive part of the way. Then i thought about how i would probably have to drive to work and while Cort was accepting of that (thank you, baby), I didn't like not having more options. So no-go on that place. It even had a pool.

Our second and third looks were both very cute and in Midtown, but with a catch; they were caddy cornered with East Parkway and Union. One even had a washer/dryer. While we liked them, I wanted to be able to walk to dinner or the movies or the park. Living near such busy streets limited this option and quite frankly made it less romantic; dodging cars while holding hands is only sweet the first few times.

We tried several other places that were too small for too much money, really dirty or falling apart (our budget is not huge). We have another month to find a place and now with clearer criteria, I think we'll find a perfect pad. It will be close to my work so I can walk or ride, it will be central to local restaurants so we can walk or ride to eat and it will have a washer/dryer (please)! I didn't anticipate having these standards, I feel like I don't walk or ride nearly enough, but apparently I do. Seriously, me and my (oh my gosh my impulse was to say husband!!!) fiance love walking to dinner or riding to eat. It is really easy and fun-I almost can't believe I'm saying this. We run into people we know all of the time and can have a quick convo at a red light or passing by a restaurant. I don't want to drive everywhere anymore. Hm. Imagine that.<3

Movie Night - Breaking Away

Malco Theaters is once again bringing it to the big screen. This time they have teamed up with the Memphis Hightailers for another bicycle movie screening. What movie, you ask? None other than Breaking Away. Unlike the last event, tickets are only available online through the Memphis Hightailers website so be sure to register as soon as you can. The movie will screen Monday, May 23rd. A perfect comedown after all of the bicycle events from the weekend.

Similar to the last event (where proceeds benefited Livable Memphis) the proceeds from this event will be donated to the National MS Society in the name of Pat Boyd, long-time Peddler employee and friend who recently passed. Pat's sister has Multiple Sclerosis and he was a big supporter of the MS150 ride from Memphis to Tunica.

When you register you can even make an additional donation.

Civic Center Plaza Bicycle Rack

This nine-bike wave rack sits at the northern edge of Civic Center Plaza. If you're not familiar with the name Civic Center Plaza, it's where most of the Shelby County and City of Memphis government offices are located. Still not familiar? It's the place with the fountains that shoot up out of the ground. Yeah, now you got it. Perfect place to lock up, let the kids out of the trailer and let them play around. They go crazy for those fountains. Remember that scene from Billy Madison where the kid sits on the sprinkler? This is like that, but on EPO. I've seen kids do it, too. It probably feels like getting racked. Did you see that? I made a pun.

Anyways, here's how the rack racks up:

Form - Wave
Function - Pass
Environment - By the books, government work, baby. And they probably paid twice the price.
Points of Interest - Memphis City Council

Stolen bike alert

Taken from the UofM library tonight: blue and tan road bike conversion with a campy front wheel and a Michetrack hub laced to a white velocity aerohead. If seen or found please contact me or joel at outdoors.

S. Main / G. E. Patterson Bicycle Rack

So yeah, a pretty generic name for this bicycle rack. There are so many shops right in this area that I didn't want to be unfair to anyone by naming it for another shop. As you can see from the photo the bicycle rack sits right between Delphinium, a long-time South Main resident and Hoot + Louise, a newbie to the area specializing in vintage dresses.

But those shops aren't the big name you think about when people mention this corner. It's not American Apparel, either. The honor goes to Arcade Restaurant, Memphis' oldest cafe. Sure you can get a damn fine breakfast there but what really makes me salivate are their pizzas. Large, loaded, New York-style pies. Don't get me wrong, I'm a regular at Memphis Pizza Cafe. The Arcade pizza is more of a treat because they close early. I think I might have to make a special trip when a beautiful day comes along.

Here's how the rack racks up:

Form - Artistic (Jill Turman)
Function - Pass
Environment - Memphis Rack!
Points of Interest - Arcade Restaurant, Earnestine & Hazel's, South Main Arts District