Ryan Leech in Prague:

Redew:

...So my long time good friend Turnip drops by after work last night, and asks me when my birthday was.

"June?" I offered, wondering why he was asking.

"Oh.. --Well, I got you something."

I'm thinking 'right on, I got a chocolate bar' or something.

"It's in kitchen"

Wondering why he would leave it in the kitchen, I went to go get it.
The only thing that had been added to the kitchen was his new bike. So I scratched my head a couple of times, and he says to me "This is your new bike"

"Whaaaat? Nooo!" was my reply, "I'm not taking that!"

"It's yours, I bought it for you."

"Ummm...Really?"

...So, in the end, he wouldn't let me refuse, and it looks like I've got a new bike! (Which is the coolest thing anyone's ever bought for me! Thanks man!!)

Meet Redew:

Kona Dew ('Dewey') - R.I.P.

I really enjoyed my Kona Dew, and would highly recommend one for commuting, work (if you're a messenger), lightish off road, and general zipping around. It's a relatively inexpensive aluminum bike with 700c wheels, a stiff sturdy frame, and nice geometry. With a few minor upgrades (both derailers, brake pads), the bike is really quite worthy, and capable of holding its own against its more expensive brothers.

I bought the whole bike (not just the frame) almost a year ago to the day in a pawn shop for $200(CDN$) as a work bike, and it sucked up all the punishment and neglect that I dealt it remarkably well: ridden 8-9 hours a day with heavy loads, 5 days a week through a Calgary winter for work, some off road in my off time, and transportation where ever I needed to go, and finally, being set up as a single speed with quite a stiff gear (quite hard on a frame). "Better" bikes haven't done as well; I would definitely buy another one.

You can see the crack just about the whole way around the bottom bracket. (the last picture is a bit over exposed, but...)

Ryan Leech - Manifesto:

Ryan Leech is a major pioneer in the sport of bike trials, and is a master on a bicycle! He's even performed with Cirque du Soleil (and here). Stunning. Simply mind bending!

Make a spoke POV for your bike:

Spoke POV is an easy-to-make electronic kit toy that turns your bicycle wheel into a customized display!

Make a belt:

I like this! Make a belt out of an old bike tire and cassette. I'm always wondering what to do with this stuff after it wears out on my bike. Throwing it out seems like such a waste.

If you're not going to ride it, then you might as well sit on it.

Fix your bike:

Sheldon Brown The guru: Sheldon Brown. Just about anything you need to know about bikes, and bike mechanics. Also has really good articles on the elusive art of wheel building.

Go Play In Traffic!!

Want some excitement in your day? Do you just want to be who you want to be, and not who some guy in a cornflower blue tie tells you to be? Become a bike messenger!! Fun, adrenalin, freedom, amazing exercise, beautiful scenery. "It's the best job in the world!!" some of our local messengers can be quoted as saying. I almost wish that I didn't call in sick today! Watching these guys splitting traffic makes me all tingley inside. Although there's a lot of assholing going on, which sucks.

This looks to be an alleycat race in New York.