Archive for the ‘Fixed Gear’ Category

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Bike Accident and Stoneboat Concert

Freitag, Mai 16th, 2008

Today I had my first accident with my Corima track bike. I was going straight when suddenly an elderly guy on the right side of me decided to turn left with his bike. I was not riding very fast as the traffic light ahead was red anyway but surely much faster than him. He bumped into my back wheel and then fell on the street. I said sorry when he stood up and he started saying I should take him to hospital. I said everything seems to be okay as he can move and stand and there is no blood but he insisted that I need to take him to hospital (which means that I should pay for his health check up). By that time we already had a huge quiet crowd gathering around us waiting to see what will happen. Finally a lady on her electric bike stepped up and said she saw the whole thing and it is actually the old mans‘ fault to turn without looking. Then another guy also said that you have to look what is coming from behind you before you turn and then another person… So yes, I was allowed to leave while they kept on telling him that it anyway was his fault and he should be more careful in his age.

Stoneboat

In the evening we went to the Stoneboat for a small concert – Hedgehog was playing. Hedgehog a Beijing band with a female energetic drummer. They played acoustic guitar versions of their songs at the Stoneboat. And it was a nice evening for sitting around the lake.

Hedgehog

Hedgehog playing at the Stoneboat

Posted in Fixed Gear, Music | 516 Comments »

Interview on Beijing Radio

Montag, April 28th, 2008

The dual language channel of Beijing Radio at 77.4 fm asked me to come to their studio for an interview about the bicycle games and my riding around Beijing. I usually ride to office on my commuter fixed gear bike from Corima. He a picture of that track bike in front of the famous Gate of Heavenly Peace, the Tiananmen.

Fixed Gear Bicycle at Tiananmen

Posted in Beijing, Fixed Gear | 253 Comments »

Beijing Radio Green Bicycle Games 2008

Samstag, April 26th, 2008

As posted the Beijing Radio is organizing a GREEN event to promote bicycling in China versus other transportation methods. In order to be selected to join this big event it is required to participate in some bike related games. At least that was I was told before the games.

So yes I did participate in the fun games today even though they were not all related to bikes. We had to do track stands on cheap small wheeled bicycles, had to carry as many boxes of milk while running backwards over a small balance beam, had to ride cheap small wheeled bicycles slalom around 3 boxes of milk, had to blow as many small balloons as possible and answer questions related to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Balance Beam Milk Game

Milk Bike Slalom

And in between there were Chinese singers to make the crowd coming out of the shopping mall happy.

Chinese Pop Music Performance

You can have a look at more pictures if you click here. They had asked if I can do some tricks on my bike so I did that at the end as well. Click here for more pictures of this event.

Ines Headstand on Bike

At least I won the Games. That brings me closer to the goal of being chosen to ride from one of China Olympic Games‘ cities to Beijing as a sign to promote bicycling in China.

Ben (the other half of the Beijing Fixed Gear Group) had come to watch my tricks at the bike games. I then took some pictures of him skidding.

Fixed Gear Skid by Ben

Ben Skidding

And actually the whole day was quite booked out: A speech training in the morning – participating in the bike games – doing some tricks for the audience at the bike games – riding fixed gear with Ben in the streets and on some urban slopes (but I forgot my camera) – missing out the photo exhibition of a friend of mine in the art district – Chinese barbecue (羊肉串) party in the traditional courtyard of the Hutong School – another Chinese barbecue (羊肉串) party with the Beijing Linux User Group (BLUG).

Here are two beautiful picture Ben took while I was practicing wheelies (I forgot my camera…) while riding our fixed gear through the Central Business District:

Fixed Gear between the Legs

Fixie Bike between the Legs

Posted in Beijing, Fixed Gear, Green, Performers | 2.460 Comments »

Beijing Radio Bicycle Event and Trick Bike Performance

Freitag, April 25th, 2008

I have been contacted by the Radio Beijing Co (RBC). They are planning on organizing a big bicycle event in this Olympic year. And for that they are searching for more bicycle lovers or passionate cyclists or people who ride bicycle because they think it is s great thing for our environment.For those of you who can read Chinese, here is a link to this year’s event of Beijing Radio.
They are currently urgently looking for people to participate in fun bike games scheduled on weekends to decide who will be riding from various Olympic locations to Beijing to promote the use of bicycles in China as an alternative transportation method. This weekend the games will be at:

4/26/2008 & 4/27/2008 14:00-17:00 万达广场新世界商场 Wanda Plaza

Me and some friends will participate in the fun games (they provide bicycles for that, you cannot use your own) on Saturday April 26th. So please come by and cheer for us!

Also I do not know exactly what time, but I was asked to give an artistic bicycling performance on my trick bike. So you can also come and watch that some time between 2pm and 5pm at the South side of Wanda Plaza on an open air stage.

Posted in Beijing, Fixed Gear, Performers | 2.285 Comments »

Fixed Gear Bike Interview in Magazine

Donnerstag, April 24th, 2008

Wow, I did not expect it this big! I was asked some questions from one of the employees of the magazine „That’s Beijing“. They printed pictures of me on my trick bike with an interview in the April 2008 edition that you can get free of charge at many locations around Beijing. If you cannot get a copy: Click here to read the online article.

Thats Beijing April 2008 Cover

Posted in Beijing, China, Fixed Gear, Performers | 953 Comments »

Kryptonite Breaks Valve

Donnerstag, April 17th, 2008

Yesterday I had my first flat tire on my commuter track bike. but it was not a hole in the tube. No. It was the valve that got cut off when the Kryptonite lock touched it. Well – the lock is a huge chain and actually really heavy. But I was astonished that with one touch the valve broke off where it come out of the rim. And what a clean cut:

Kryptonite Bike Lock

I was carrying all the tools with me (as every day) as well as the stuff to patch an inner tube – just not any spare tubes. Lesson learned: From now on I will carry a spare tube, especially when riding longer distances.

Posted in Cycling, Fixed Gear | 488 Comments »

Urban Wheels Magazine

Dienstag, April 15th, 2008

If you are Italian or if can read Italian or if you do not mind not understanding everything, then check out this link to the April issue of the Urban Wheels Magazine showing my pictures and an interview.

Urban Wheels

Posted in Fixed Gear, Performers | 11 Comments »

1st Beijing Fixed Ride

Sonntag, April 13th, 2008

Today was the first ride of the Beijing Fixed Group. We managed to gather all the fixed riders of Beijing that currently have a fixed gear bike. And then the same amount of bike lovers that do not have a fixed gear bike joined as well.

Pictures of 1st Beijing Fixed Group Ride

Trick on a Fixed

Well, if you look at those pictures you will find only two people on fixed gear bikes (me and Ben). Also you might have noticed that the route we took was maybe not what you would expect. First we wanted to ride around in one of Beijing’s famous art districts in Dashanzi called 798. We did not know that they are re-doing all paved roads in that district at the same time. While we were stanidng around we bumped into one of the guys from the Hong Kong fixed gear group that I would have rode with 10 days ago in Hong Kong if the weather had been better. And furthermore it turns out his friend has the same friends as Ben. The world is a village!
BJ Fixed meets BJ Fixed

Then Tim suggested we ride in the direction out of the city. We went till North fifth ring road to a market. You can have a look at the above link to the pictures of what kind of market we went to. Getting there was a bit rough as not all paths were paved.

Dirt Path with Fixed Gear

If you are a fixed gear rider and you are in China and drop by Beijing, then please join us. We promise that we can stay on paved roads. If you are on Facebook then please join our Beijing Fixed Group there. You can also find us in the magazine CityWeekend Beijing.

After the ride today I went to the house warming party of the famous musician Guo Jian of the Chinese reggae band Longshendao (LSD). After a few drinks they started making music. The famous Ember from Canada was also there. It was fun for a Sunday night party.

Longshendao

Guo Jian

Posted in Fixed Gear, Music | 337 Comments »

Fixie Tricks and Chinese Rock

Samstag, April 12th, 2008

Today I got my back wheel spokes of my pink track bike tightened, changed the handlebar and put in my smaller front wheel. Then I went out to play around with my friends who were inline skating.

Saddle Handlebar Scale Trick

I uploaded some videos to youtube. Sorry but the formatting of this blog is still horrible if I try to display the videos embedded – so here are the links:

Link to Video: First try of headtube seated wheely with support of a friend
Link to Video: First try of regular seated wheely with support of a friend
Link to Video: Being interrupted while trying to do backward circles
Link to Video: 4 backward circles on my beautiful pink track bike
Link to Video: First saddle handlebar stands on real fixie

We had dinner in the Japanese lounge just to find out that everything has become incredibly expensive. Now I do not really recommend coming here for food. Maybe just for a drink and enjoying the nice view of Beijing.

Margarita

After dinner we went to a listen to some live music in a small bar near the ancient Drum and Bell tower of Beijing. Tonight folk rocker Ma Tiao and his band were playing Chinese rock music. That was a good mixture of traditional Chinese sounds and hard rock music that went well with my Margaritas.

Beijing Rock Band

Posted in Fixed Gear, Music | 4.806 Comments »

Riding in the Rain Without Fender

Donnerstag, April 10th, 2008

So now I know how it feels to get wet and dirty between the legs. It did not look like it would rain today. I was wearing a short skirt and high boots and riding around the city on my Corima track bike. In the evening when I was hurrying from one appointment to the next it was raining – well actually just drizzling. I have often been cycling in the rain, even in Beijing. But this was the first time I rode my Corima bike in the rain – it does not have any fenders. So yes, I knew I would get wet from the front and back wheel. I wore my messenger bag a bit more loose so that it could touch the saddle. I was hoping that the bag would protect me from all the water coming up from the back wheel. But that was not the case. Not only was my skirt soaked around the bum, but also the front of my skirt got wet. The water running down my legs ran inside my boots (not a nice feeling).

But the most shocking experience was the amount of black dirt. Sure my boots and the messenger bag were dirty. The white top that was under my jacket and tucked into the skirt was black at the back. At home I realized that also my black skirt would have been black color just from the black dirty water. I rinsed the skirt and top for quite a while till the black dirt was all gone. That must be all of Beijing’s pollution that contaminated the rain. I have never seen such black water before.

Dirty Boots

I had to shower to get the black stains even off my bum and legs. But at least we have hot water again!

Posted in Beijing, Fixed Gear | 3.648 Comments »

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