21.1.2010 von Ines.

My friend Mike from Tianjin that rides fixed gear had a day off and came to Beijing by train to ride around the city. He just recently had an article about him riding a fixed gear bicycle in the Tianjin Plus Magazine in their January edition. Unfortunately I was too busy to go on a ride with him around Beijing.

The new blue Luma headset he bought matches his bike perfectly. The Chinese Beijing fixed gear riders were having a small dinner at a restaurant (Kuan Dian) of one of our riders.

The most unusual dish was the frozen green mango. It tasted like artificial fruit in bright green color.

Jiming and 3 guys are soon going to head out to Japan to ride fixed gear bikes there. They want to film it. I am looking forward to see how that goes.

Geschrieben in Fixed Gear, Beijing | 1 Kommentar »

18.1.2010 von Ines.

It has been so cold the past weeks in Beijing. Our Natooke shop is in a traditional hutong building and we do not have any proper heating. We did buy some electric heaters and that gives us some warmth near the heater, for example in our office. But the rest of the shop is around 3 degrees Celcius. But today I finally started taking some pictures of some bike parts. I started with the beautiful chromoly Flying Banana frames. I did not take many pictures because my fingers got really cold.

Geschrieben in Natooke, Fixed Gear, Beijing | Keine Kommentare »

16.1.2010 von Ines.

Last year a Japanese film crew came to Beijing to film me cycling. They have put together a short movie called “Riding in the Circle” about my passion for cycling and my life in Beijing. They put the movie trailer on their website - you can go there and watch it.

They have submitted this movie to the Bicycle Film Festival 2010 as well as other movie festivals and I hope it gets selected.

In November when I was in Tokyo and met with the film crew again they had given me contact sheets with some of the pictures they had taken during the making of the film February 2009 in Beijing.

It was great to see all these pictures that brought back the memory of a really intense but fun  time in 2009. That last dinner we had had some Erguotou (very strong Chinese rice alcohol) to celebrate the end of the filming.

The result was me hugging the bicycle that was painted on the bike lane in front of the restaurant. I have not drunk any Erguotou since then and would like to avoid it also in future.

Geschrieben in Cycling, Japan, Fixed Gear, Beijing | Keine Kommentare »

14.1.2010 von Ines.

This afternoon I took some pictures of our Natooke bicycle and juggling equipment shop. We are currently getting various products delivered and waiting for a lot more that we ordered before the Chinese New Year holiday. I uploaded all pictures of how our store looks like today to this webalbum.

Geschrieben in Natooke, Juggling, Fixed Gear, China | Keine Kommentare »

14.1.2010 von Ines.

For the upcoming track cycling world cup in Beijing there was a press conference today. The organizers, the Chinese cycling association and other officials were present.

The organizers confirmed that everything is prepared for the big competition which is the 4th and last in the series.  They have prepared everything for a safe and smooth event. Cyclists from 38 countries have already registered to compete in the different races. But they did not confirm who of the Chinese National cycling team will compete.

After that official part we were able to go inside the Beijing Laoshan Velodrome and watch the Chinese National track cycling team and members of China Giant professional cycling team train. Here are pictures from the Women’s Keirin race:

And then it was the turn for the men of the Chinese National team as well as the Giant team. I like the Keirin race as the cyclists first have to follow the motorcyclist. I uploaded many pictures to my webalbum, click here.

Since 2007 the Chinese National team has the French coach Daniel Morelon who is a French legend. He is a four-time Olympic champion and won seven world titles during his reign in the 1960s and 1970s. He used to coach the five-time world champion Felicia Ballanger. He has brought especially Guo Shuang to new levels and are looking at good results in the upcoming World Cup.

Geschrieben in Fixed Gear, Beijing | 1 Kommentar »

12.1.2010 von Ines.

The track cycling world cup competition will be held in Beijing in 10 days. I will be going to the events on all 3 days - Friday January 22nd and Saturday 23rd evening as well as Sunday 24th afternoon. I saw the 2008 Olympic games track cycling events and it was a really great atmosphere in the velodrome. I think this will be similar. I am really looking forward to this. Quite some people from the Beijing Fixed Gear Group will be going there together.

The event is co-presented by the General Administration of Sport of China, Chinese Cycling Association, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports, Government of the Shijingshan District of Beijing. Athletes from over 50 countries and regions will take participate in the game.

Beijing 2009-2010 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Schedule:

Friday January 22nd 2010 (18:20-21:40)
10min Women’s Sprint 1/2 final Round1
15min Women’s Individual Pursuit 3rd-4th place final
10min Women’s Sprint 1/2 final Round2
45min Men’s Points Race 30km Final
5min Women’s Sprint 1/2 final Round3
5min Women’s Individual Pursuit Medal Ceremony
20min Women’s Scratch 10km Final
10min Women’s Sprint
5min Men’s Points Race 30km Medal Ceremony
10min Men’s Team Sprint Quarter final
5min Women’s Scratch 10km Medal Ceremony
10min Women’s Sprint Quarter final Round2
15min Men’s Individual Pursuit
10min Men’s Team Sprint Medal Ceremony
5min Women’s Sprint
5min Men’s Individual Pursuit Medal Ceremony
5min Women’s Sprint Medal Ceremony

Saturday January 23rd 2010 (17:20-20:25)
15min Women’s 500m t.t. Final
10min Men’s Team Pursuit
5min Women’s 500m t.t. Medal Ceremony
10min Men’s Keirin Round2
10min Men’s Team Pursuit Medal Ceremony
30min Women’s Points Race 20km Final
5min Men’s Keirin 7th-12th place final
5min Men’s Keirin 1st-6th place final
5min Women’s Points Race 20km Medal Ceremony
25min Men’s Kilometre t.t. Final
5min Men’s Keirin Medal Ceremony
10min Women’s Team Sprint
5min Men’s Kilometre t.t. Medal Ceremony
25min Men’s Scratch 15km Final
5min Women’s Team Sprint Medal Ceremony
5min Men’s Scratch 15km Medal Ceremony

Sunday January 24th 2010 (15:50-18:50)
10min Men’s Sprint 1/2 final Round1
50min Men’s Madison 40km Final
10min Men’s Sprint 1/2 Round1
15min Women’s Team Pursuit
5min Men’s Sprint 1/2 Round2
10min Women’s Keirin Round2
5min Men’s Madison 40km Medal Ceremony
10min Men’s Sprint 3rd-4th place; 1st-2nd place Round1
10min Women’s Team Pursuit Medal Ceremony
10min Men’s Sprint 3rd-4th place; 1st-2nd place Round2
5min Women’s Keirin 7-12 place
5min Women’s Keirin 1st-6th place
5min Men’s Sprint 3rd-4th place; 1st-2nd place Round3
5min Women’s Keirin Medal Ceremony
5min Men’s Sprint Medal Ceremony
10min Winning Nation Medal Ceremony

Geschrieben in Cycling, Fixed Gear | 1 Kommentar »

9.1.2010 von Ines.

Today was Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) talk series “China Story 6” that they invited my do on “Unstoppable: Fixed Gear Bike Culture in Beijing”.

Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) is a non profit, comprehensive art center founded in Beijing by collectors Guy and Myriam Ullens in November 2007. UCCA presents exhibitions of established and emerging artists and develops a trusted platform to share knowledge through education and research. The core of UCCA programs includes conferences, lectures, special events, artistic performances, and films. UCCA activities are a magnet for many kinds of audiences, from art fans and specialists to families and children.

We had arranged with the UCCA management that we could bring some of the fixed gear bikes inside and display them during my talk and performance.

It was nice to see that many people came out to the contemporary art district despite the cold weather, snow on the roads and traffic jams. Even though some came a little bit late. This picture shows part of the audience before I started my talk.

And it was very nice to see some of my friends come, even from as far as Germany.

My talk started with a brief bicycle history explaining that the first bicycles were fixed gear. Then showing the bicycle messenger scene around the world and how that created a sub-culture with many people doing urban cycling and wearing messenger bags. Then I showed how the first people started riding fixed gear in China and how big the Beijing fixed gear group now is with over 80 cyclists.

I then also asked some people of our Beijing Fixed Gear Group to come on up and explain why they ride fixed gear bicycles. The first one was my friend GMing.

And then I took off my clothes and did a trick bike performance. Well of course not all clothes. My bicycle show was very well received and I had many people come up to me afterwards.

In the question and answer session one Chinese person made a nice comment saying that he hopes that I can inspire people to follow me and ride bicycles like Forrest Gump in the movie when he started running across the USA and then had many people follow him. All in all it was a very nice event.

Afterwards I went with my friends to eat some cheese fondue. Julien found a nice way to explain to geeks what fixed gear bikes are. They are like Linux: Most people do not understands why people use it but the people using it have huge fun. And there are more and more people using it. And actually I am a linux user too.

Just recently I uploaded my talk I had given last November at the Beijing TED event up to slideshare. You can click here and have a look at that presentation. The topic I had chosen for that event was “Changes of Perception - Bicycle Culture in China”. At that TEDxBeijing conference I wanted to inspire people to ride bicycles and change their perception of bikes being something for poor people.

Geschrieben in Performers, Cycling, Fixed Gear, Beijing | Keine Kommentare »

1.1.2010 von Ines.

What could be a better way to start the New Year than joining a bike ride? I think there is nothing better But it seems some people did not agree on this sunny and not too cold day. It seems most people decided to drive their cars on this public holiday in China and sit in traffic jams. There was so much congestion as there were no driving restrictions today - that means cars with any license plate were allowed to drive. But at least in some areas in Beijing there is a fence between the car lane and the bicycle lane so that no car can just use the cycling lane.

We were just a small group of 6 cyclists ranging from hard core triathletes, fixed gear cyclists to leisurely riders. We headed out for the peloton Wenyu river loop. We went along the Beijing canals. As the temperature was just around zero the canals were not frozen. Some of the bridges are actually very nice.

We did a short break to look for some not too dirty plastic bag to cover the feet inside the shoes so that they do not freeze so much. It is a very easy and effective solution that I still have not tried. Next time when it is colder I will try that before I leave the house.

We continued along the Wenyu river towards the South.

We found a not so well maintained golf course a long the way. We fixed gear riders decided to check if it is nice to skid on the green. And it is! You should try it. Just go to your nearest golf course. The grass on the green is really smooth and enhancing the ability to skid.

Then we rode in the winter sun along the canal back to the city center. It was so nice and peaceful.

In the city we went to the Jamaica Blue peloton cafe South of the Chaoyang Park to meet up with other cyclists, have lunch and defrost our fingers and toes. It is great to see that at least some of the cyclists do not care about it being winter in Beijing and still coming out on bike rides like some of the fixed gear riders.

Geschrieben in Cycling, Fixed Gear | 1 Kommentar »

23.12.2009 von Ines.

Nico had been waiting for this Chinese chromoly track frame for many months. Finally it arrived. So he came to my shop to put the bike together with the parts he had chosen from my Natooke bike shop. Here it is:

It has golden Luma headset matching to the golden Formula Luma track flip flop hub, Lasco track cranks and chainring matching the front silver hub and white rim, Brooks B17 special saddle, white Oury MTB grips and a yellow PYC chain.

And here is the happy new member of our Beijing fixed gear group with his bike.

When we finally finished at 11pm I was slightly late for the party that had started at 8pm. And unfortunately there was no more food so I had to eat on the way as I was starving as hell. But the small Christmas party was still going on when I arrived.

Geschrieben in Natooke, Fixed Gear | 1 Kommentar »

21.12.2009 von Ines.

On January 9th 2010 the UCCA Lecture Series “China Story” 6 will be: Unstoppable: The Birth of Fixed Gear Culture in Beijing

Ines Brunn (German fixed gear champion and artistic cycling champion) has launched the first fixed gear bike races, performances and store for fixed gear bicycles in Beijing. Recently she has been featured in TED conferences in Beijing.

Track bikes are single speed bikes without the ability to coast. Therefore they are called fixed-gear bikes. This type of bike is quite unusual: You can ride it backwards, it often has no brakes and the simplicity makes it attractive. Fixed-gear zealots are a growing presence on the streets of Beijing and are defining a new urban lifestyle trend to the city. World famous fixed gear bike rider, Ines Brunn will lead you into the fixed-gear bike culture.

Geschrieben in Fixed Gear, China | 1 Kommentar »