Moving to a WordPress blog,

I'll no longer be updating this blog, all further entries will be found here: http://www.laekhouse.com/blog/

Please update your feeds to reflect the new URL.

Thank you.

42 Below, Ride Across America

Starting on June 23rd (I think) from the NYC Bike Film Festival, 42 Below is sponsoring a ride across the USA. Looks pretty awesome, 42 Below is going to be driving a van with everyone's gear in it behind the riders. The 42 riders have already been selected and have picked between a northern (shorter but mountainous) and southern (longer and hotter) route.



Laek House and Velocity, are sponsoring Adrianna Tippit-Martelli as she takes the northern route across the country. She will be joined by a bunch of people from NYC as well as notable people such as Jacqui Phelan. Pretty rad.

More on Adrianna and her build up as it progresses....

More on Jacquie Phelan: Blog
42 Below Vodka ads on YouTube

Dinosaur Jr.

I'm a huge fan of J.Mascis (the bellied dude with the long white hair)and am stoked that Lou Barlow has stopped whining for a second to get the band back together!!! Hell yes!

There are some pretty funny articles about the dynamic of Lou and J from both their perspectives. It mostly came off like Lou was annoyed at J for being too self-involved (this is funny because Lou comes off just as bad, always whining about J being a tool to him and not considering his roll in the morass that is their friendship. Whoops!)

Expect to see me rocking out this summer.

European Hardcourt Bike Polo Championships, London, August 1-2.

Great flier! I love the cardboard texture.

Bike Film Festival, NYC

I think I'm going to be manning a table during the day? Not 100%...

CycleZine

Cyclezine, based out of San Fran, is my new favorite addition to my Google Reader. The posts and editorial are consistently interesting and more importantly, original! It is a tasteful look at cycling, past and present.


Nice review of the new Pushbike shop


Bananas


Tom Simpson

And, well, Moz's 50th birthday! (A very SF thing donchakno)

Cambodian Traffic Vid

Cambodian Traffic from Colby Sue on Vimeo.

There isn't much bicycle content in this vid but it is worth watching none the less.

The density and chaotic nature of Phnom Penh's traffic is really amazing. The moped and scooter seem to be the vehicle of choice. I would rather have an AT-AT (very First World of me) to get around that mess.

NY Post Editorial on Cyclists in NYC

Titled "DANGEROUS BIKE RIDERS RUN WILD WITH IMPUNITY IN NYC" and written by Kyle Smith, the NY Post have published another 5th grade level, whiny and allusion-filled rant about something that irks them. I'm not familiar with Mr.Smith's writing, nor do I make a point of regularly reading the Post (if you are unfamiliar, it is a NYC establishment, a surprising right-leaning tabloid that takes great pride in its punning headlines and always a fun read) but when they attack something I'm passionate about, its hard not to pay a little attention.

According to Mr.Smith, cyclists exist in three categories:
- Messengers of Mayhem
- Szechuan Psychos
- Lance-a-Louts

Yup, that's pretty much all you need to know. Mr.Smith has divided us along sartorial and racial lines. Class.

There is a ton more that could be editorialized here, but really, it would be like fighting a Flaming Dr.Pepper shot with a forest fire.

NY Post piece

A Most Amazing Salsa Fargo

Most amazing! Every aspect of this bike was thought out in such thorough manner.

Custom ELVS wheels. I remember making these rims. I'd never seen the Blunt before, but was impressed.

Off


On


Post paint and with S+S couplers! Zow!


Final build.

Flickr

The 1999 Giro - a short Pantani retrospective from Cyclingnews.com

A quick and touching read on the beginning of Pantani's professional downward spiral.

Pantani had decisively won the last two mountain stages, defeating his closest competitor, Simoni, by over a minute each time. UCI tests showed a suspiciously high hemocrit level (in excess of 50%) and was indicative of EPO usage. Ugh. Pantani was ejected and his whole team followed suit. A horrible moment for everyone, from the fans to the Pros to the UCI...



The 1999 Giro - a Pantani retrospective
CyclingNews' original 1999 report

Look Bike Contraption

Bonkers! I don't think this was a production model (at least I hope not!) judging from all the craziness going on. In fact, I think the only normal parts are the brake levers and the front caliper! Everything else looks like it was inspired by heavy doses of psychedelic drugs... Ah, the price we sometimes pay for progress.

pulled from here

Ross and Keith

This photo kills me. Ross looks like a Ramones roadie and Keith looks like an 80's baseball player.

If you don't know who either of these fellows are and consider yourself passionate about bikes, you owe it to yourself to do a quick bit of research. Ross founded Salsa (one of my all time favorite brands) back in the day and Keith Bontrager founded Bontrager (more info).

Pulled from the HKFixed blog

B43 Laced to a Chub hub

Niiice.

More images from 'Where the Wild Things Are'

God damn, I'm super excited for this...





More pix

Charlie Cunningham and Cunningham Bikes

This is hard. I'm trying to write something on Charlie Cunningham, his current company (Cunningham Bikes,) his involvement with the Cycling industry, Wilderness Trail Bikes (WTB) and it is proving really tough to summarize.



CC is probably one of the foremost innovators and free-thinkers in cycling from the last 30+ years.

His innovations, detailed on his site, are numerous.
- Use of over-sized Alu tubes
- Short wheelbases and far-steeper geometry for MTBs
- Development of roller-cam brakes (again for MTB)
- Aluminum Cam quick-releases.
- 135mm rear spacing for MTBs
- Hubs with cartridge bears for MTBs
- Developed the 'Grease-Guard', for ease of hub servicing

Interview from Rivendell with CC

www.cunninghambikes.com/

Total royalty.

Bike Jumble in The Brooklyn Paper

Reminder, the Bike Jumble is on May 31st in Park Slope. The organizer, Harry S. and the Jumble have a nice write up in the The Brooklyn Paper.

www.nybikejumble.com

See you guys there!


Harry Schwartzman

My Killer New Saddle

Last weekend was the Trexlertown spring swapmeet. I didn't attend, I almost never attend anything actually... But my good friend, co-worker and generally fast guy, Mattio made the trek. He kept an eye out for parts on my behalf and look what he came back with.


Oh shit yes. I'm not going to ride it or even mount it. Its minty.

Mattio's blog on bike racing.

Artistic Cycling Pic

Snagged from Simon's blog, Hipster Nascar. I await the rest of the set!

Photos from ESPIs via Hardcourt Bike Polo

Doug took this series at the ESPIs in Boston. Great idea. It really shows how the scene has grown throughout North America and regional how identities have flourished. Each shirt is either from a club/city or a tournie. Fantastic!

Hardcourt Bike Polo

I POLO NY

More infos as infos are found!

Bike Fetish Day Tomorrow in Williamsburg!

THIS SATURDAY - MAY 9TH - NOON TO 6PM, HAVEMEYER BTWN HOPE AND GRAND!!!

AFTER PARTY 7-10PM, AT THE CITY RELIQUARY!!!

Zach from Trackstar in Maxim?

From here

Its funny cuz it ain't that ironic. I'm suspicious of the spandex and distinct lack of his signature black cut-off shorts. Zack sells out? Hmmmm, at least he didn't cut his beard...

Zack is a worker at Trackstar. Find him there!

More 'Where the Wild Things Are' snippets

I'm so stoked for this movie. Its looks goddamn amazing.

Things I'd like to be able to do...

Found here originally.

Riding up and over cars (parked or otherwise) is pretty high on the list of things I'd like to be able to do.

Brooklyn Bike Jumble and Swapmeet: May 31, 2009 at JJ Byrne Park in Brooklyn

Harry Schwartzman is putting on the first Brooklyn Bike Jumble a bike-specific swap meet at JJ Byrne Park in Park Slope on the 31st of May.

There is still table space available for vendors, so please contact Harry ASAP.

More here

New Squarebuilt Fork

Lance @ Squarebuilt has been up to some serious good. This fork looks killer!

Notes from Joey Krillz on the fork:
- Stainless.
- Sleeved design
- 395mm axle to crown
- 38mm rake

"Thanks man, Lance saw a spot in the market for a really really burly fork. I'm not sure how it was bent, the upper is a stainless u-bend with a steel fork blade sleeved into it. the drops were cut with some type of laser and are really really beefy. i think my man is gonna foam the insides of the fork as well. i should add that while mine is a 1" fork, the others wont be, and the steerer tube doesn't protrude through the bottom half of the 'crown'."

Don't know anything about price or availability yet, but I guarantee you this fork is going to be a highly sought after!

Bike Cult Super Quiz

A Bicycle Quiz for Bike Month NYC 2009

Bike Cult Super Quiz begins Friday May 1, and finishes Sunday May 31.
Every morning of Bike Month NYC 2009, Bike Cult author Dave Perry of Bike Works NYC, will post a fresh set of brain-boggling bicycle-bound questions. Each topic is designed to increase bike and cycling awareness.

As a player you have a whole day to submit your answers, guesses or comments.
Super Quiz answers are posted each morning with a new set of questions.
Super Quiz is free to play. Awards will be prized for astute answers each day and also for best overalls.

Knowledge is Power! Stump da Chump? Here’s wishing the best…

(If you've never heard of Dave Perry or his shop Bike Works, be sure to check out his book Bike Cult. Its a treat and put together by a true bike enthusiast.)

3rd Ward Block Party this afternoon

For when the clouds part:


3rd Ward’s Green Bikes Birthday Block Party, May 3, 2 to 8 p, FREE admission

Good things come in threes. So on our 3rd Anniversary in Brooklyn, we announce Green Bikes! Starting in May, when you sign up for a 3rd Ward membership you get a free bike!

To celebrate we're throwing a massive block party right outside our door. We’ve taken over Stagg Street for a day filled with:

* bike competitions
* films & performances
* music videos from Moviehouse
* a photobooth
* badminton
* drinks
* BBQ
* live screen-printing
* free workshops


Live Music from The Wild Yaks, Pterodactyl, Afuche, Lam, DJ Drew Heffron and DJ Clay Franklin.

Compete in a drag race, bring a t-shirt for live screen-printing, take a workshop or just come for the fun!

This is an Official NYC Bike Month event and includes partnering organizations: Make Music New York, Moviehouse, Transportation Alternatives, NY Bike Share, Empire, Goldsprints and more.

Bike Month Yo

Full calender is up! Its a nice one that lets you sort by theme, location and date. Pretty handy!
Calender here

Handlebar Basket

You've most likely already seen these basket/bar combos posted on other bike blogs in the past day or so. I look forward to the next iteration of the combo where the entire unit isn't supported by the front clamp of the stem. Support struts yo.

Certainly a clever idea and something that we're all guaranteed to see proliferate the next NAHBs.

from here.

Copenhagen is possibly the cutest place in the world

Free helmet and a hug? I want to believe that this is standard operation procedure in Copenhagen.

Seen here.

ESPI 2009 Boston

East Side Polo Invite 4
Bike Polo Tournament
May 2nd - 3rd, 2009
Boston, Massachusetts

Only top 16 teams will play on Sunday!

Boston Bike Polo

A quick update before the roll

The weekend was a beautifully warm one. We saw temperatures in the mid-80's Sat and Sun. Lovely right? Played polo for the second time in 8-9 months (shoulder is really sore now) and easily put down a gallon of water in the heat.

The downside for me though is I got hella-wicked sick! Got a preventive tetanus shot on Monday and am still sickish from it on Wednesday. WTF science! Nothing worse then knowing its a lovely warm day and having the chills.

Oh well. Time passes, wounds heal and chick dig scars.

Kissena Opening Weekend is This Weekend!

Caught sleeping on this one too. Geez. Working on new shirts and fighting with Adobe Illustrator has really taken its toll on me.

The schedule is here

Pre-reg is here. PLEASE NOTE!! – Due to newly enforced New York City Department of Parks & Recreation regulations, they cannot accept any race day registrations. This event is PRE-REGISTRATION ONLY!!!


Group ride!

A pic of the Velocity B43

From HKFixed

Vintage Cycling Shoes Pix

Vintage cycling shoes from all over these internet.

Shoes for clips:


Two different versions of the same shoe. Black is better.


Not the slickest Sidis, I am intrigued by the reinforcement on the top of the foot.



For clipless pedals:



Awesome


More awesome? Quite so!

Bike Month in NYC is May? I totally knew that...

BIKE MONTH NYC 2009 YO!

MAY!

Further details from Transportation Alternatives here. And if you are a NYC local and don't have a membership to this wonderful organization, go here and join!

Fun things like:
Bicycle Fetish Day on May 9th
5th Annual Bicycle Fetish Day
Saturday, May 9, 2008 12:00noon – 6:00 PM
Location:
Havemeyer St at Grand St. In Williamsburg, BK

Commuter Race on May 21th.
The 8th annual NYC Commuter Race is between a car, mass transit and a bike. Its a bit boring cuz the bike always wins, (maybe they'll mix it up and put the rider on a BMX or a Penny-Farthing.)

Bike Month Events Coming Up

In conjunction with the closing of the QI4 biennial, the Queens Museum of Art is hosting a kickoff party for NYC Bike Month on April 26. The rally will include riding lessons, helmet giveaways, live music, free barbecue, and stunt-riding demos by pro BMXers using a 100-foot ramp installation called Fast Forward (free; noon to 6 p.m.; Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing; 718-592-9700).
Pilfered from NyMag

I've never been out to the QMA and really need to make it for this. One of my friends (to whom I'm clearly not the best friend) was part of the organizing body for the QI4 Biennial. I'm going to make it, I swear.

SNAP Delivery in the NY Daily News

Shoestring approach has some messengers pedaling to success

They weave nimbly through traffic, don’t use even a drop of gasoline and can promise speedy delivery, so it’s no wonder bike messengers are in high demand.

Once relegated to rushing documents around the canyons of Wall Street, street pedalers now get paid for deliveries as diverse as cases of wine and DVDs. And since the business essentials are mainly a reliable bicycle, a waterproof bag and a strong dose of fearlessness, many messengers are breaking free from the fleet and working for themselves.

“The only one that makes money is the independent,” said Hugo Giron, co-owner and founder of Snap Delivery of Brooklyn.

rest of the article...

If you are interested in contacting SNAP, look here.

Theo Bos and a dubious crash

Skip to about 3:30 and watch.



I clearly wasn't there (the race was in Turkey) and only have this video, but it looks awfully bad. Bos grabbed the jersey of a fellow rider and caused a pretty brutal smash up. Poor form at the very least and shitty riding at the best.

RVA Lady Race Tomorrow!

Tomorrow yo!