Rock The Bike: BLOG
DPW and DLG
I got a call from a customer named Frank who wanted to see the Down Low Glow in person before buying. We made an appointment to do so at my home office in the Mission while he was on break from work.
At 10:30 this morning, Frank arrived, in a DPW Street Cleaning truck. This is what I saw when I opened the door.
Frank up closer.
Frank is a street sweeper who commutes to his job from the East Bay on BART and bike. He rides a basic, heavy full suspension mountain bike. I’m pretty sure the Down Low Glow he bought today cost more than the bike he rides! Frank said he saw someone rocking the Down Low Glow on Valencia st. and flagged him down to find out about the lights.
I installed the single tube version installed on his bike in about 3 minutes. Thanks Frank — hope to see you on the street soon.
Muscle Cars for Fear
I went to Napa on the 9/11 5th anniversary to work with framebuilder Curtis Inglis. On the way back, Ed and I were picking up some snacks at Safeway when this guy started broadcasting a tape of Michael Savage through a megaphone strapped to the hood of his muscle car.
When we walked up to ask him about what he was playing, he was holding the mouthpiece of the megaphone up a boombox. The tape he was playing was vitriolic “Close the borders!” stuff.
I appreciated the irony of the moment, because I had been working with Curtis on frames for Soul Cycles and this car was like, this guy’s Soul Cycle. Except instead of playing Marvin Gaye, he was playing right wing radio. And it had no bass.
Reggae DJ Trike
Apparently, it’s not uncommon in Jamaica to see guys rolling around with sound systems on their tricycles, and not only that.
Turntabling while Cruising?
Peter Eland of Velovision Magazine emailed me this photo of a sound system, taken at the Eurobike trade show a few weeks ago.
The custom fiberglass work is very clean, with the rounded corners, and trap doors. I also like the choice of speakers — the aluminum cones look very sleek and integrate well with the white cabinet. The design for the top surface is simple and looks very stable.
Is it stable enough for the needle on that turntable to stay in the groove out on the street? Or does it only work on the carpeted halls of the trade show? I’m very curious. Perhaps DJ Jojo can tell us if it’s possible to roll while turntabling. If you set the needle to the heaviest setting, perhaps?
Adding any instrument to a cruiser ride is a great way to take the creative potential higher. The turntable may not be the most practical choice, but since when is Soul Cycling about practicality? The iPod is practical, but isn’t itself very interactive.
This sound system also gives us a chance to talk about one of the hardest challenges in bicycle audio: form vs. function. The bicycle is such a beautiful, iconic form. As a designer, I want to compliment it, accentuate it, emulate its simplicity. But the demands of audio are such that we need large speaker cabinets in order to achieve good bass.
Bass is so critical to feeling the music in your body, which makes you want to move and dance. It makes you feel like you’re cruising ‘in the music’, not listening to music on your bike.
Reproducing good bass requires a resonating chamber. I can’t tell you how big because it depends on the size of the woofers you use and their electomagnetic properties. I use the Loudspeaker Design Cookbook as a guide. What makes this challenge harder is that bass gets lost in the street because you don’t have the walls of a room to reinforce it. It’s not enough to not scrimp on bass; you have to overcompensate.
Ultimately, this sound system, despite its professional execution, looks fairly blocky. Sometimes this is unavoidable, particularly if you want to have a powerful system. I think these guys could have done a little better to avoid their sound system dominating the bike. But maybe that’s not the aesthetic they were going for.
Rock The Bike message spreads to Australia
We got this fantastic email from a potential customer in Australia, who’s been following our progress on the web:
“I like your philosophy — over the last two years I’ve got into
bikes in a big way, I gave up cigs for it, it’s helped my mental health,
my relationships and I’ve re-discovered my competitive spirit by
entering a few mtb and road races. Now I’m gearing up to make my
commute more like a lifestyle rather than just something I do when I
feel like it.
Your journey has inspired me further along those lines. Cheers,
Tim”
One of the most satisfying aspects of being in this business is knowing that we’re inspriring people to change their lives for the better.
Thanks, Tim!
Kryptonite lock as self-defense for cyclists?
Last night Thao and I biked to Yoshi’s in Oakland and caught the last set, a tribute to jazz drummer Elvin Jones.
On the BART on the way home, we sat across from a couple of stylish hipsters on fixed gear bikes. We did the obligatory mutual inspection of each others’ bikes for a few moments and then settled into the ride under the tunnel.
A few minutes later I noticed the couple was holding their Kryptonites, passing them back and forth, comparing the size. Both of them had one of the smaller U-lock models, about 6 inches in length and 5 inches wide. Next thing I know, the guy was demonstrating how to punch someone by using the lock as extra weight in his fist.
The extra weight, he said, made the punch that much harder.
She said “I always thought it use it more like this…” and swung it by the U part.
He said, “No you still want to hold it by the barrel. When you go for the punch, if the guy ducks, you can let the shackle swing around. That way you get an extra six inches of reach he wasn’t expecting.
So I was thinking about this and wondering, is it beneficial for cyclists to even think along these lines. None of us wants to think about needing to defend ourselves when we’re riding our bike. But occasionally, cyclists do get attacked. In my immediate area around Berkeley, San Francisco, West Oakland, I have heard of several muggings happening to cyclists for no apparent reason. I wonder whether I should even write this on a web site where we are explicitly encouraging people to ride their bikes at night.
First of all, everybody assumes certain risks throughout their daily lives. If you stay home and watch TV all day, you risk terminal boredom. If you get out and ride your bike, you risk an accident or *very rarely* an attack by strangers.
I want to emphasize that this phenomenon is very rare, but has happened often enough to people in my direct circle of friends, that I think it is a real phenomenon. I have no statistical evidence to say whether bicyclists are more likely to be mugged than walkers or drivers. Also, none of the people I know who have been attacked while riding were seriously hurt.
Unfortunately, each of these attacks fit a similar pattern — a group of guys in their young 20’s steps out of a car or off the sidewalk, blocks the way of the biker, and then either verbally hassles or physically attacks them. The motive seems to be more ‘something to do to prove one’s manliness’ than theft. However, the attackers will probably take what you have anyway. One of my friends was carrying vinegar to a dinner party and the attackers demanded it, thinking it was liquor.
So what should you do to prevent this from happening to you?
First, examine your regular routes and consider the risk level. Ask others about the safety issues… “Have you ever had any problems in _______________ ?”
Don’t ride in stealth mode. Lights are good for your safety. You want to be seen by vehicles. The danger of being attacked by muggers is very minimal and not well established. It’s not known whether bright lights are positive, negative or neutral. However, the danger of being hit by a car is well-documented and easily preventable with lights.
Trust your instincts. If you don’t like a situation you’re riding towards, turn around and take another street. Recently I was on my way to West Oakland, I didn’t like the way a group of guys was walking across the road, because one of them wasn’t crossing with the others. I was scared they could surround me. So I turned around and took another street. I was close enough for them to realize why I was turning around. I heard them making fun of me. I have no evidence they wanted to attack me, but it didn’t feel right, so I turned around.
Don’t whip out your kryptonite and start swinging, unless your name is Jackie Chan. Using a weapon creates the possibility that the weapon will be used against you. This is especially true if you encounter a group.
Practice your verbal defenses. “Stop!” seems like an effective one, but I’m not a self-defense expert. One of my friends was able to escape a threatening situation by yelling “WHERE is the LOVE in your HEART?!!” at the top of his lungs.
Be a positive member of your community. Volunteer. Meet the neighborhood kids when they’re 10, 13, and 15. Work on your bike on your front steps and offer to help them with their bikes. When they’re 18, 21, and 23, they’ll know you as a cool person (and they’ll be into bikes.)
I welcome comments on this topic and think its valuable for cyclists to share experiences.
Hip Hop in the Park Cruiser Ride!
Where: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco CA
When: Sunday September 3 2006 1PM Beach Chalet San Francisco
Starting at:The Beach Chalet, riding along JFK, to King Jr Drive, to MLK Jr Drive, pass Mallard Lake, arrive at Elk Glen Lake Cove. If anyone can clarify the route for me. Please post a comment! The party is at Elk Glen Cove.
The event is free, so tell a friend!
Check the flyer out at http://true-skool.org/index.htm
Fremont Cruiser Routes/Meet Up Spots
The Fremont Cruiser rides are not official yet. I have just been getting together with a couple of friends and doing rides to get some dinner and roll around the area. The blog title says “Fremont Cruiser Routes” but the main emphasis for this blog is to list and describe the places we usually ride so that other interested riders might be able to catch us on any random night. The “Fremont” ride actually included 3 different cities which border my area; Fremont, Newark and Union City. Some of the places we frequent on our night rides are Paddy’s Coffe Shop (Union City), Tapioca Express on Decoto Road (Union City), the Lake in Newark (when the sprinklers aren’t dousing us), Tapioca Express at Pacific Commons (Fremont), Suju’s Coffe Shop Thornton Avenue (Fremont), Juan More Taco Thornton Avenue (Fremont), during the day time; Lake Elizabeth in Fremont, Paseo Padre loop up the hill past Mission Blvd with a stop at Mission Coffe House (Fremont). These are a few of the places we ride so if you see us out there, link up and roll! I’m hoping to make the LAST SATURDAY NIGHT of EACH MONTH an official night. Look out for flyers at local bike shops and cafes. If you are interested in doing the rides, bring your blinkies, helmet, a repair kit (just in case), proper clothing and an open mind for some bike fun!
To sum it up: When: September 30, 2006 7:30PM, Where: Juan More Taco Restaurant (Fremont, Ca), What: Fremont Cruiser Ride! Bring a friend!
