Curbside Group Ride
Tonight was the Curbside Cycle fixed gear bike show / group ride. I was a little disappointed to find out that the “show†part was just showing off whatever bikes people brought but that didn’t end up being a bad thing at all, people showed up with some pretty nice whips – including the red Bridgestone track that caused a bit of a stir on the Fixed Gear Gallery forum today. The dude that rides it took it down a 10 set of stairs at the Rogers Center Skydome which was probably the gnarliest thing I’ve seen in a while.
Thanks to the dudes from Curbside Cycle (great shop, great bunch of guys from what I can tell) for organizing it and thanks to Andrew from Redbull for hooking up the event – or rather “no thanks†because I drank 2 too many and I’m still kind of messed up because of it. Thanks to Gandhi / New York Sub for catering the event – even though they actually didn’t and there is no way any of them are reading this blog.
Here are a few pics from the group ride tonight:
DIY Bikelane!
There is one story from tonight that I am intentionally leaving out because if I tell it, it will seem like I’m trying to make myself sound like a hero but I think it’s a funny story that deserves to be told so look for a guest blog from MC Hammer Rob Blyth in the immediate future.
UPDATE: Rob’s account of the evening is now in the Comments and the seat is, while not with the original owner, in the hands of an equally deserving cyclist who had to hump it home from Front & River to Kingston & Main on a Trek Cruiser because some dickhead took her seat a couple of weeks ago. She hopefully responded to my Craiglist ad, unfortunately it wasn’t her seat, but I offered her the seat until the rightful owner steps forward and if they never do, she’s got herself a new seat. Her Trek Cruiser seat was stolen – we “stole back” this Trek Cruiser seat (not the same one) – I’ll consider that justice served.
on June 2nd, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Nice px.
Had an awesome ride last night. Great community, nice meeting you all. Felt so good riding past the bar crowd knowing that they were going to be droppin $200 for bottle service. Alll I needed was the wind in my (no)hair.
Saving the whole story for Rob, I had your back with the seat stem
After I tossed the seat into the garden ( a quick move to remove the bone of contention from a child’s sight) I had an instant worry that the individual would tear the park apart (including bikes) to find it in his messed up state. Kinda like a squirrel accidently locked into a tent storrage box for the winter (it wasn’t pretty).
Thanks for taking the lead. I hope some gal gets her seat back.
on June 3rd, 2007 at 7:41 pm
[...] For anyone that missed the Curbside Bike Week Fixie ride, I feel sorry for you. It was likely the finest group ride for fixies and single speed bikes ever. It was like critical mass for fixies only. Wasn’t there something like that before? I forget. Success! Thanks to Andrew from Redbull for plunking down a few cases of pure energy for the boys and girls who came out. I would show some pics, but I didn’t take any. And I would go into more detail, but it’s much better said here. And I was just thinking that I was getting board with my Surly. I guess I just haven’t been out for a decent ride on it in ages. I think it’s been reborn. Maybe I’ll celebrate with some new bar tape. [...]
on June 3rd, 2007 at 8:10 pm
Awesome to meet you guys! That was a lot of fun and should definitely become a more regular thing – not so regular that it becomes boring but regular enough that we feel some semblance of community here.
PS Good work on the stealth-like seat hiding, Mark!
on June 3rd, 2007 at 8:22 pm
The following is my personal account of the transformation of Donald Matthew Rennick into Batman…
Following an urban bicycle massacre in the streets of downtown Toronto, it was decided that we have an impromptu burrito and roti picnic in the park. In the middle of our gourmet experience three scumbags approached us and asked to borrow some tools. Seeing no harm in helping out a seemingly strung out hoodrat in need, we obliged. It wasn’t long before some of us began to find something foul about this kid trying to replace his beat up saddle from an even more beat up Canadian Tire shitbox on two wheels with a beautiful new spring loaded cruiser saddle. Following a brief, yet thorough, interrogation, it was learned that the saddle had in fact been illegally acquired from a locked bike on Front Street.
Matt is especially sensitive to ALL crimes perpetrated against bicycles and their owner and therefore it did not take long for a normally nice, laid back, and reasonable dude to turn into the Incredible Hulk. “That seat’s stolen? That’s bullshit man,†Matt announced. In his current state of inebriation, it was evident this scumbag was in space; you just don’t refuse to return a stolen bicycle seat to the Incredible Hulk, especially when he takes on the form of Matt Rennick with a Kryptonite U-Lock in hand. In the little punk’s defense he put forth a valiant effort when he tried to lift his 75 Supercycle and throw it at Matt. Following a brief conversation, which consisted mainly of four letter words and smoke and fire coming from Matt’s mouth, I guess, what little rational thought left in dickhead’s pea brain kicked in, and he reluctantly agreed to leave without further incident. (It should be noted his two friends were already on their way at the request of some of the other riders).
With seat in hand, and Toronto’s answer to Spiderman guiding us, we headed to Front Street to return the liberated saddle to its rightful owner. Needless to say, we had no such luck, but it has since found a temporary (?) home with a nice woman who lost her seat last week at the hands of the same asshole, or someone equally as inconsiderate and quite possibly mentally handicapped.
on June 4th, 2007 at 1:05 am
FUCK. I missed this to go to a party of full of Queen St tights wearing whores? Goddamit.
on June 5th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
I always thought the rennick was batman/increadible hulk/spiderman all rolled into one. The dude looks so good in tights and ripped clothes AAARHGHGHGHGHG *drool*