How wonderful it must be to have a boyfriend that is preparing a bike as a birthday gift. I would love such a gift. And what the colors he chose are very playful:
I like this Flying Banana fixed gear bike a lot.
And the even better thing is I know the girl! It is amazing how small Beijing is. Happy birthday Martina! Enjoy your great Natooke bike!
Natooke shop is glad to have a new employee helping is out in the shop. Thank you Dupree! Dupree and I put a bike together for a customer. It was an alloy frame fixed gear bike.
It has a very classy look with the silver and chrome.
Dupree was super happy to have built his first fixed gear bicycle. And he waited for the customer to come to hand it over himself.
This evening I was extremely tired as my stomach was not well, but we still went to Jess’s birthday party. It was nice to see friends and have a relaxing evening together despite the continuous rain.
I am happy that we again got the chance to build up a cool Flying Banana bike. This was for a Korean friend that had a great taste of purple and bright green.
Thanks to Brad we have the bright green brake cable that goes well with the hubs and outer tires.
I really like this color combination. Kevin and his new fixed gear bike:
Our Natooke shop was mentioend yesterday on the famous blog of the New York City Bike Snob. Here is the link to the full length blog article. But I did copy some parts of that blog entry into my blog:
Systematically and mercilessly disassembling, flushing, greasing, and re-packing the cycling culture.
As we move inexorably forward like cartons of eggs on the supermarket conveyor belt of life, there are three sure signs at autumn is imminent: an invigorating chill in the air; plumbing problems caused by flushing leaf piles down the toilet; and of course the bike industry trade shows. Outside of the cycling world, people have the good sense to ignore trade shows unless they actually work in that industry and are forced to go to them. This is true even if the trade show involves something they use….
… Speaking of putting your hands on throbbing things, a reader informs me that pants behemoth Levi Strauss recently decided to „get their finger on the pulse of the fixed gear and commuter bike movement in an authentic way,“ presumably so they could sell them more stuff:
Apparently, Levi Strauss decided to do its pop-cultural „fingerbanging“ in Denver and Boulder instead of New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles „because the scene is still young and developing organically in Colorado,“ and its worth noting that some lonely middle-aged men hang around schools and playgrounds for exactly the same reason. …
… It’s inspiring to see that fixed-gear crews are reinventing themselves as focus groups, and it’s reassuring to know that young people are more willing than ever to leap to action when a company with over $4 billion in annual revenue asks them to „help us help you spend your disposable income on crap.“ I’m sure Levi’s left after the weekend with a greater understanding of cycling and some great new product ideas (fixed-gear specific jeans with integrated bottle opener and dedicated cigarette pocket?), though the city of Denver might want to consider issuing an AMBER Alert for their „bike culture.“
Of course, if Levi’s really wanted to do some cutting-edge „fixie“ market research, they should have gone to China, where a reader informs me that fixed-gear cycling and juggling are coming together in new and exciting ways:
Yes, for Beijing „fixters“ the light-running antics of America’s „urban“ cyclists simply cannot rival the excitement and agility of circus-like riders such as the great Serge Huercio. Also, they forego skid-patch calculators in favor of juggling patterns:
Though stopping is still called „skidding:“
Ah, the fixed-gear world, where stopping is called „skidding,“ conformity is called „individualism,“ and scavenger hunts are called „races.“ …
… Posted by BikeSnobNYC
At least there is already a positive comment about us:
September 9, 2010 10:13 AM Fergie said:
That Natooke link is the site of Ines Brunn – The best artistic cycling rider to perform in NYC since the 1800’s! She also rocked out on the very same Penny Farthing you rode at the BRA. Real cool person, and the best fixed gear rider around.
Thanks Fergie 🙂
Today was a really busy day at the Natooke shop. We had many people come in. There was a performer from one of the professional artistic groups that also trains a lot on his own juggling skills as a single performer. He does bouncing balls and juggled seven in the shop bouncing them on our piece of marble to test our Italian bouncing balls that we sell.
And we also had people buy bikes, like e.g. our Italian bike.
The bike is not from Italy, but the colors were chosen like the Italian national colors. Fede had even made the chain in the colors of the Italian flag red-white-green.
Also another two built up bikes were sold. Our ready-made red aluminum fixed gear bike.
But he changed some things on the bicycle like the handlebar he changed to the straight white one which looks good on this bike.
This guy changed the handlebar on this light urban bike.
And he wanted platform pedals with the great Holdfast straps hand made in Brooklyn. They are really comfortable and he chose the special edition version which is really cool.
We also were building up this colorful fixed gear Flying Banana today. That is so much more fun than just a black or white bike.
I really like the front wheel with the white spokes on one side and the black spokes on the other side. It makes it look like just half the spokes are there depending of you eyes focus on the white or on the black.
And this Flying Banana belongs to a woman! I think Vera looks very good on her new bike. Ride safe girl!
Reporter and a photographer from CityWeekend had come and interviewed me and taken beautiful pictures around the forbidden city. There was an article in the printed City Weekend magazine. I also found this article on sina.com:
City Weekend goes full throttle all this week
2010-08-17 08:49:46 GMT2010-08-17 16:49:46 (Beijing Time) City Weekend
After the adrenaline-fuelled excitement of Fixed Gear Revolution 2 last weekend, City Weekend feels the need…the need for speed.
Accordingly, throughout this week we’ll be introducing you to those in Beijing who were born to roll. From full-throttle speed demons to pimped-out cruisers, we’ll be featuring daily posts on the various ways that expats hit the road.
Today, we’re catching up with a growing group of two-wheeled daredevils who don’t know the meaning of the word ‚brake’…
Fixed Gear Revolution
„On a fixed-gear, the pedals are constantly moving. It’s like the bike is talking to you,“ says Ines Brunn, fixed-gear cyclist, acrobat and co-owner of Beijing’s only fixed-gear bike store, Natooke.
Bicycles have long been the vehicle most associated with Beijing, but fixed-gear is a new arrival. With a single gear attached directly to the rear wheel, the pedals on a „fixie“ spin constantly as the bike moves forward. Advanced riders can even pedal their fixie backwards or maintain a still, standing „track stand“ pose when waiting at a red light. Beijing riders are learning that these lightweight bikes—long used for acrobats and in training for serious cyclists—are perfect for getting around the city.
Beijing’s fixed-gear community numbered about 60 when Brunn and her partners launched Natooke and the first Fixed Gear Revolution Festival in summer of 2009. Since then, fixed-gear bikes in Beijing have skyrocketed, with more than 300 riders, fixie polo matches and weekly community rides.
Join in the madness with a fixed-gear bike at Natooke.
DETAILS:
Vehicle: Custom fixed-gear bike from Natooke
Cost: ¥2,800 and up
Perfect For: Hutong hipsters and serious cyclists
Get Rolling: Pick up a fixie at Natooke, 19-1 Wudaoying Hutong, 五道营胡同甲19-1号, Tel: 8402-6925
Today a nice article about my person was printed in the China Daily newspaper. The interview had been done a few days ago by William Axford. The online version of the China Daily article is here. The pictures I gave them were taken by the photographer Simon Lim. On the cover of the metro Beijing section of the newspaper it says: Peddling her Love of Bikes – German cyclist wants to share her two-wheeled passion.
Here is a copy of the online article:
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Merely peddling her bike from A to B isn’t enough for Ines Brunn.
In addition to navigating her way through traffic, the German-born cyclist likes to perform gymnastic moves while zipping around on her bike.
She says for her, her bike is like a mobile balance beam. „I quit gymnastics when I was 13 because I wasn’t happy with the coach,“ she said. „By chance, I came across trick biking and I’ve been doing it for 21 years.“
From performing a handstand on the seat to standing on the handlebars, the acrobat, who has impressed countless audience, has done things most people would think impossible on a moving bicycle.
With the fusion of her gymnastic talent, Brunn has even created new tricks and her rare skills have taken her all over the world.
„Once I cooked dumplings for a segment on CCTV while riding my bike. It took a lot of picking things up, putting them down, building up speed and then going back to cooking.“But such impressive feats come with a price.
Brunn says that an extensive amount of practice has to go into mastering the moves. A wrong mindset or the slightest mishap can be devastating.
„You have to be focused. During one performance in Beijing, I tried to tell people I needed space and taped off a circle. Someone didn’t listen and I crashed, chipping my tooth on my handlebars.“
She hasn’t let the experience ruin her passion.
„My tongue touches the chipped tooth every five minutes or so, reminding me to keep my cool.“
Brunn stretches herself and rides her bike constantly in order to practice her amazing feats. Even the weather can’t keep her from peddling around.
„I rode my bike from the Fifth Ring Road to the Second Ring Road in the rain for a meeting recently,“ she said nonchalantly.
„My colleague was baffled but I didn’t mind. I love riding my bike.“
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Brunn brought her enthusiasm for the fixed gear bike to Beijing by opening Natooke, China’s first fixed-gear bike and juggling shop. With the ability for customers to pick out every part of their bike and customize it to their liking.
Brunn predicts fixed-gear biking will become more popular in the coming years and she hopes that her shops and bike outings with other enthusiasts will rekindle an interest in bike riding.
„My friends and I just want to inspire others to ride bikes again,“ she said.
„It’s so environmentally friendly and a real smart thing to ride.“
Q & A
Q: What makes fixed-gear bikes so special?
A: The back gear of the bike is fused to the wheel, so the bike is capable of pedaling forward and backward. The petals turn with the wheels. There’s no gearshifts or cables.
Q: Have you ever had an accident that made you think about quitting?
A: No. I think some things are addictive. People told me that I would quit after I got a job. If you have a passion for something, you’ll do it.
Q: What are some tricks that people commonly do?
A: One is called skidding, where you lean forward to stop the bike, causing the back wheel to come off the ground while riding. There are competitions to see who can skid the longest. There’s tricks too involving putting your legs over the handle bars, riding one handed and switching your feet on the pedals.
Q: Where do you get your parts for the bikes?
A: We order them from all over the world – America, Europe, Australia. Most of the parts have come from Taiwan but more are starting to be made on the Chinese mainland. I don’t like mass-produced bikes that are one color and just one style.
2010 BEIJING FIXED GEAR REVOLUTION II
The Fixed Gear Revolution II will be held in Beijing on August 13th to 15th 2010. This is the second time that there is a domestic professional Fixed Gear competition held in the capital. The Fixed Gear Revolution II is divided into a SCRATCH race, an ALLEYCAT race, TRICK CONTEST-BUNNY HOP CONTEST, JISU PK (gold sprints) competition with party and BIKE POLO match. These major competitions mainly for Fixed Gear bicycle fans (only bike polo is open to any kind of bike) are interesting and huge prizes are waiting for you! The ALLEYCAT race includes a game at each of the eight unknown sites, each site will have different difficulty and cultural characteristics. The map and the address of the eight sites will be distributed 1 minute before the start of the alleycat. The other three competitions also have great prizes waiting for you. Or just come and watch the event.
On the Friday August 13th at night there will also be a 19km fixed gear scratch race where it is just a matter of cycling speed and no knowledge about Beijing is required to win it. The fastest will get prizes.
Fixed Gear Revolution II Event Schedule
Friday August 13th
Event: SCRATCH RACE around the Olympic Forest
Location: North 5th Ring Road Northeast Corner of Olympic Forest
Time: 10pm
Saturday August 14th
Event: ALLEYCAT RACE
Location: Start at Worker’s Stadium East gate, then 8 undisclosed stamp points in Dongcheng District and Chaoyang District
Time: Afternoon
Saturday August 14th
Activities: TRICK CONTEST-BUNNY HOP
Location: Workers Stadium Southwest gate, open space outside of MGM Garden bar
Time: Evening
Saturday August 14th
Event: JISU PK (goldsprints) & PARTY
Location: MGM Garden bar (Worker’s Stadium Southwest gate)
Time: Night
Sunday August 15th
Event: BIKE POLO Match & FAIR
Location: To be determined
Time: Early Afternoon
Note: All participating bicycles must be Fixed Gear (no bikes with gears or freewheel), except for the BIKE POLO. Any bike can be used for BIKE POLO. If you know who you want to play with please sign up for BIKE POLO as a team of 3-4 people.
If you would like to participate (for free) in the Fixed Gear Revolution II, please contact Maggie to register or send me an email.
Registration phone number: 010-64075030 (Maggie 12pm-8pm)
Information required for registration: name, phone number, city
Special thanks to: adidas, motorola, SAG, Mess, Natooke, Flying Banana, STC
大家期待的Fixed Gear Revolution 2将于2010年8月13日至15日在北京举行。这是在国内第二次举办Fixed Gear专业性比赛，比赛分为ALLEYCAT、TRICK CONTEST-BUNNY HOP、极速PK、BIKE POLO四个大项，其中ALLEYCAT作为参与性最强的一项比赛被很多Fixed Gear爱好者所期待，这同时也是最具有趣味性与难度的一项比赛，丰厚的奖品正在等着大家！比赛里我们安排了八个站点，每个站点都会有不同难度和具有北京文化特色的游戏需要你完成，为了公平起见比赛的路线图和各站点地址将在比赛前1分钟公布。其他三项技术性比赛同样也有丰富的奖品等着大家，希望各位喜爱Trick的骑手们踊跃报名。
2010年8月13日晚上还有Fixed Gear自行车19公里比赛.
Fixed Gear活动日程安排
活动日期：8月14日
活动内容：ALLEYCAT
地点：东城区，朝阳区内共8站
活动内容：TRICK CONTEST-BUNNY HOP (技术比赛)
地点：工人体育场西南门空地
活动内容：GOLDSPRINTS (极速PK) & PARTY
地点：MGM花园（工体西南门）
活动日期：8月15日
活动内容：BIKE POLO (自行车马球)
地点：待定
如果您想参见本次比赛，请速与我们联系报名（免费）
注意：所有参赛车辆必须是Fixed Gear,参见BIKE POLO可以使任何自行车，但尽量请大家在比赛前以3-4人一队的形式报名
报名电话: 010-64075030(Maggie 12:00-20:00)
提供资料：姓名，电话，城市
特别鸣谢：adidas、motorola、SAG、Mess、Natooke、Flying Banana、STC
Saturday in the store with 2 guys.
We got some bikes ready for the bike parts swap meet tomorrow. One was this pink girls bike.
The bike that was almost sold and the almost customer requested to have the horn added.
Or Quinn’s converted bike that he sold back to us when he left China.
And we also some special beautiful bikes like this red Flying Banana with Modolo wheels.
A group of young Chinese fixed gear riders came by and hung out at the shop for a while. The one kid is 15 years old and just won first place in the Chinese National drawing competition. Samantha is asking him to draw the shop for us. His friend has this bike.
And onother friend has this bike that we built up here at Natooke:
There they went.
In the evening we went to a rooftop party in Chaoyang district of Beijing. It was a great night to be outside.
From here you have a great view over the city and the central business district. And we could even see the moon that is on the top left corner of this picture.
Mark passed by the Natooke shop with his elegant matt black Flying Banana fixed gear bike.
I like the Oury lock on grips that he chose to have on his bike. Actually after taking this picture he decided for a new more classy Selle Italia seat.
Due to the upcoming bike parts swap meet on Sunday we decided not to do the monthly STC Friday Light Ride tonight. But next month we will have it again on the last Friday of the month.
