Information

Bikeology Festival is Edmonton’s premiere bicycle celebration, with dozens of free, public, bike-cultural events in and around our city throughout the month of June. Visit the Velofest table at Earth Day to find out what’s new for Bikeology Festival and Edmonton’s Bike Month 2013. We’re looking for pedal-powered volunteers who want to have fun and help spread the velo-love!

IF you are able to help with website updates, website design, event organization, come on down!

Edmonton Earth Day Mini-Festival Pop – Up Event
April 20,2013
Earth’s General Store and
Parking lot of Earth’s General Store (www.egs.ca) and Adara Hair & Body Studio, 9605 – 82nd Avenue (corner of 96th Street and 82nd Avenue).
Parking generously provided by Sai Baba Centre of Edmonton (http://www.saibabacentre-edmonton.ca/) 9619 – 82nd Avenue.
11-4pm
Twitter:@earthdayedm

Interested in finding your perfect bike for the cycling season?

HERE IS THE CYCLING EVENT FOR THE REST OF ALBERTA

If you just need to clear a path in the garage, or you need a better bike for a great cause; Alberta Bike Swap is THE event to sell and or buy a bike.

Alberta Bike Swap Ltd. is a registered non-profit that runs the bike swap as a one-day-bike-buy-and-sell event in Edmonton on May 11, 2013.  In 2012 there were over 4000 attendees.  Every good bike that is priced right will sell.

The Alberta Bike Swap offers quality bikes at reasonable prices.  While there are thousands of new economy bikes available from a number of outlets, these economy bikes are often referred to as Bicycle Shaped Objects (BSOs).  These BSOs are better to look at than to ride.  If you want that lime green ersatz mountain bike, we’ll see you next year…

The Alberta Bike Swap’s partner, Alberta Motor Assocation (AMA) is participating, and providing information about their road bike assist program at the swaps.  (And, AMA members get a deal to sell their bikes at the swap).

HOW DO YOU PARTICIPATE?

• Contact the Alberta Bike Swap for more details (see below) –  used-bike sellers get a safe and convenient venue for access to thousands of buyers (typically there are 10 buyers for every bike, ~90% of the bikes brought to the swaps sell).
• A basic safety check will be done on the bike.  The Alberta Bike Swap’s squad of volunteer bike techs, led by Mechanahands, perform a basic safety and mechanical check of each bike.  As a result, the bikes sold at the swap are safer than an online purchase, however, we ask that you get a more thorough check of the bike at Mechanahands or at a participating shop.

Why should you participate?

• For yourself – find that perfect bike you have been looking for, OR, help someone else find their perfect bike!
• For the community – the Alberta Bike Swap pledges $20 to any cyclist in the Ride to Conquer Cancer, any of the MS Tours, or the Branch Out Neurological Foundation rides, when they bring in a bike to sell.
• For your favourite cycling group – The Alberta Bike Swap donates half the proceeds from every swap to local cycling organizations and safe cycling causes.
• For your local economy – The Alberta Bike Swap does not compete with bike stores, every bike shop is asked to participate.  Participating shops are listed on the Alberta Bike Swap website http://albertabikeswap.ca
• For others – You can bring your bikes to the swap for donation.  The donor is offered the opportunity of donating the bike to the MS or Cancer Society, or donating the bike to a local charity.

The few bikes not sold are either returned to the owner, if requested, or donated to the following groups:

IN Calgary:

• Good Life Community Bike Shop
• Two Wheel View

IN Edmonton:

• Edmonton Bicycle Commuter Society.
• Bicycles4Humanity

Contact:

Alberta Bike Swap, Ltd (non-profit)

email:  albertabikeswap(at)gmail.com

telephone: 587 707 4250

NOTE: The Alberta Bike Swap records the serial numbers of the bikes,  with is logged with the National Bike Registry.  This process keeps stolen bikes at bay.

The Otesha Project is seeking open-minded volunteers to dig into issues like natural resource extraction, climate change, and food production.Along the route your team will explore the interplay of factors like policy,governance, ecology, and grassroots organizing, and will facilitate creative and interactive outreach in high schools, elementary schools, and community centres.

Oh – and did we mention you’ll do it all travelling by bicycle? But don’t worry – you needn’t start the tour an experienced cyclist – you may finish one, though!Training in bike maintenance and repair, touring, facilitation and presenting skills, and oh-so-much more, is provided.

Where: Alberta    When: May 11-June 20

How: Submit your online application by March 1; telephone interview to follow

For more information, check out www.otesha.ca.

YOU are invited to the Bikeology Volunteer Recognition Party, at Bohemia – 4-7 p.m. Sunday, October 21, 2012.  Particularly if you volunteered! We LOVE you and are so thankful for what you bring to our festival!  Please do come… Here’s the address:  10217 97 Street Northwest  Edmonton, AB T5J  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bohemia/158443797513825?fref=ts

Looking forward to seeing you there…

xoxo the VELO Team

Heyo folks… you thought that Bikeology events only happened in June… Well, you were right, up until tomorrow! We are hosting another Bikeology: Mocktails on the Bridge Wednesday, August 8, at Ezio Faraone Park from 4-6 p.m.  Join us for a smoothie…

We here at VELO are so grateful to our many sponsors, volunteers, donors, participants and other bikey folk.  We exist because of you, and for you.  Without you, Bikeology and Bike Month would be nothing.

Keep an eye on this space for an official Volunteer Party towards the end of July.  We’ll have one when we have all recovered from our various bikey vicissitudes of the past few weeks… We’ll also be sending invitations, so watch for them as well.

See you soon!

Don’t forget, the Bikeology crew are plotting ever more cycling events during the year, so stay tuned for those too….

Help improve the City of Edmonton’s bike map.

The City of Edmonton is currently collecting feedback to improve the City’s online and printed cycling maps. Your feedback will be used to help improve the maps. There are two ways to join the discussion:

1.  Take the online survey and provide input here

2.  Drop in to the bike map session at City Hall on July 24, from 4:30 – 8 p.m..  You can look at sample maps from a variety of areas and provide feedback on what you would like to see in Edmonton’s new bike map.

We all ride for one reason or another, and here are some of the fabulous reasons Edmontonians ride… wahoo!  Ride On…

Bike Month has ridden off into the sunset, and a fine, fine time was had by all.  The Bikeology: Festival organizers are sad to see the month over, have put our heads together and realized that there is no need to stop every event dead in it’s tracks just since June is over… Stay tuned for more events throughout the year, all geared to making cycling in Edmonton pleasurable, entertaining and easy…

Willie sure knew how to turn a phrase, although he probably didn’t know about bicycles, back then!

Join us at the launch of the 2012 Shakespeare in the Park Festival by riding with us from Ezio Faraone Park to Hawreluk Park. We’ll leave @ 7:15 for sufficient time to cycle there, park, and get a grand seat!

Edmonton’s inaugural Steampunk Ride is nigh.  Tomorrow in fact from noon to High Tea.  If you haven’t planned your Steam-y Punk-y costume out yet, there is still time, as Sanctuary will be open prior (at 11) to the ride (which is at noon).  You can find out more of the details here…

Not sure what is meant by Steampunk?  Check out Gigcity’s article.

Ha! the weather today is going to be fabulous for the Edmonton Famous Outdoor Ride in Movie at the Victoria Cricket Pitch… Where is that you ask… it’s on River Valley Road, just before the Victoria Golf Course.  Here’s the address for you folks more address inclined – 12130 River Valley Road Northwest.

Bring your own snacks, mozzie repellant, blankets and something warm and dry to sit on. Come at 8:30-ish p.m. for live music and games, then when it gets dark, enjoy the classic 1969 movie where bank/train robbers also use bikes…really…

Music, smoothies, repairs, things to see and do, dancing, races… all our cyclist-y dreams came true yesterday when the Bikeology: Festival Day took over Beaverhills House Park.  We rocked the square with the sweet sweet sounds of wheels spinning our energy into electricity, transforming electricity into sound and thence back into energy. Glory, glory, all hail the bicycle…

Perhaps you know that bikey love takes many forms, however this here link proves it.  We ask that you journey down this rabbit hole only if you are over 18, mind.

Saturday is going to be fabulous!  Velo love will abound from noon to four p.m. at BeaverHills House Park, on the corner of 105 Street and Jasper Avenue.  It is the Bikeology: Festival Day in all it’s bikey glory.  What’s that you ask! Well, every year since 2001, cyclists in Edmonton have been gathering to listen to music, make smoothies, look at displays that are bikey related, and generally bask in the glory of the invention of the bicycle.

Check out previous year’s festivals to get a sense of what is in store…

Cycling is always fraught with weather, and we here at the Velofest HQ recognize that cyclists are a hardy bunch.  We want to honour that hardiness, and, in the past have had no real chance to do so because we were lousy with fabulous weather at all our events…. Yup, good weather was thick on the ground for the first 10 years of our festival.

It’s only lately that the weather gods have looked down upon us and decided to mix things up a bit.  Like last year’s Bikeology: Festival Day, the Bikeology: Outdoor Bike In Movie and this year’s Bikeology: Mocktail Series.

What to do, what to do… Why, continue with the show of course… It’s all a matter of risk management and understanding your audience.

Risk management is clear – When the weather is too extreme or (as in the case of the Outdoor Bike In Movie) too wet from previous rain, making it uncomfortable to sit for long periods of time, we will cancel, and we will let you know via all our usual channels (here, Facebook, Twitter, word of mouth).

Our audience is equally clear – any one who rides a bicycle presently, desires to ride a bicycle, or has just started riding a bicycle… these people are our people. And it turns out they ride during all sorts of weather conditions, so do we.  No cookie cutter cyclists, no cookie cutter weather… so we’ll see YOU on the trails, out at the events, decked up in rain gear or not!  Promise.

Tonight we are watching the gorgeous 87 minute “The Kid With A Bike” followed by the make-up screening of the mountain bike film “Life Cycles” which is 47 minutes long… That will totally fill your evening and there’ll be popcorn and beer!

See you there…

Wee details

LIFE CYCLES - CANADA 2010, 47 MIN, DIGITAL, DIRS: DEREK FRANKOWSKI & RYAN GIBB - Life Cycles tells a spectacular, visually stunning story of the mountain bike, from its creation to its current world-wide popularity.

THE KID WITH A BIKE - BELGIUM 2011, 87 MIN, DIGITAL, DIRS: JEAN-PIERRE & LUC DARDENNE - Bikeology presents the Edmonton premiere of this 2011 Cannes Film Fest Winner. For more information, check out this program guide & it’s encore screenings of this film June 15-21.

If you are thinking about coming out to the Bikeology Art Project nights, delay no longer!    Our resident artist – Jan Przysiezniak of Jelly Parrot Trash Crafts – has worked in the bicycle art creation field for decades and can be trusted to help you develop an idea then see it to fruition over the remaining Bike Month weeks!  To get your creative juices flowing, here are some photos of snazzy art that has gone before you!

The Bikey Breakfast today was a relaxed affair,  with lovely weather and folks kicked back, enjoying Da Capo’s offerings.  What a wonderful day: slept in, tootled over, set up, hung out, visited with bikey peeps… ah, Fridays in June rock.

While many people have a favourite bike store (for various reasons, of which they may tell you about at length), I myself look upon local bike shops as though they were different types of candy.

Let me explain – like choosing between all the many flavour of candy that exist, there may be some that you go to for gear, another for clothing, another for bicycle parts, another for snooping ’round checking out what they have and for what you might start saving up.  Some specialize in tri-bikes, others in commuter bikes, still yet others feature a brand to which you may be loyal, others offer up a broad swath of general cycling accoutrements…

Today we celebrate each and every Local Bike Store.  Go to your local bike store and show them your love.  Go now.

What’s this you say? A song about a river featured predominantly on a bicycle festival blog?  Indeedy do… Check out this event – the  Rolling Down the River Healthy People, Healthy Communities, Healthy Watershed Tour.  The Tour Objective:  To collectively ride 1 km for each km of tributary feeding the Battle River (7500km)… If you want to participate, contact the tour organizers at the Battle River Watershed

Tour Dates:  Sunday June 17th- Thursday June 21st

Tour Summary:

• Distance Travelled: 541km
• Elevation change (west to east):  951 to 533 m decrease
• Max hours in the saddle: 36 hours
• Cycling calories burned: 32,400 (equals 81 cinnamon buns or 60 Papa Burgers)
• Bagels eaten: Too many
• Times crossed Battle River: 7
• Litres of water consumed: 54 litres (some in the form of beer)
• Memories for a lifetime; Many, many, many

It was a damp lot of cyclists, LRT riders and car drivers that competed for the most efficient and the fastest mode of transport today at the Bikeology: Commuter Race, I’ll tell the world.

The fastest cyclist, Daniel, came in at 9 minutes and 1 second, for a bagel unit per person of .501.  In fact we were barely set up before he arrived!  Clearly fast and efficient… Daniel also informed us that he spent a good two minutes looking for the finish, so it was good we arrived when we did…

The second most efficient cyclist/LRT rider was Andreas Hengst, whose bike riding time was 7 minutes and LRT riding time was 15 minutes… Seems odd to be the second most efficient contestant, however THERE WERE 500 PEOPLE ON the LRT this morning, reducing Hengst’s bagel units/person to .604.

Here are the results for all the riders:

results of race

Sweet… This race is a clever indicator that whether you go multi-modal or by bike, you are more efficient and faster (or as fast) than if you were travelling by automobile, even one as efficient as a VW diesel…

RAPID FIRE THEATRE PRESENTS:
THE IMPROVAGANZA MUSCLE BEACH AND BOYS BIKINI BIKE WASH!
JUNE 9, 2012
WILBERT MCINTYRE PARK
8331 104 STREET

We may live in Edmonton, but on June 9th Rapid Fire Theatre is kicking it California-style with the first annual IMPROVAGANZA Muscle Beach and Boys Bikini Bike Wash.

Pedal on down to Wilbert McIntyre Park on June 9th at 12pm to have your bicycle buffed by the bikini-clad boys of Rapid Fire Theatre. While your wait for your wheels to dry, kill some time watching the fantastic RFT ladies pump iron like nobody’s business – seriously these gals are ripped!

This sweaty soapy velo rubdown comes in preparation for the launch of the 12th annual IMPROVAGANZA Festival which runs in Old Strathcona from June 13-23.

IMPROVAGANZA is Edmonton’s premiere alternative comedy festival, and we’re pulling out all the stops to bring you a star-studded line up of performers from around the world including Maria Bamford and The School of Night form London, UK.

however the Bikeology: Salon was only from 3-5 and if you missed it, you missed Adrian Pearce’s fabulous chat about what to take when you are going out into the wide world o’camping by bike in the backcountry… You can find Adrian at this here website, where he talks about cycle touring and adventure travel…If you aren’t inspired to go out cycle touring, well, we can’t help you then…

In the great 19th Century tradition, a salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine the taste and increase the knowledge of the participants through conversation… yup, that’s right.  A gathering of folks, indulging in bevies, maybe a snack participating in that age old communication thang face to face.  No internet searches that end in frustrated howls, no plaintiff laments to the twitter feed asking what for people’s thoughts on various topics, no skulking in dark alleys trying to meet up with someone who knows…

Our Bikeology: Bikey Salons are held at Credo Café – 10134 – 104 Street – every Sunday from 3-5 p.m. (after your morning ride) and we have a range of topics to pique your interest.

Today (Sunday June 3) we will be talking about Bike Packing, the essentials you need for getting where you want to go with the stuff you need to take with you.  What do you take for a tour? What gear do you use for commuting? How do you pack it? Where do you put your laundry? Your food? Your shoes? Is is feasible to take a computer?  Find out this or share what you know

Sunday, June 10 we’ll be chatting up…whoops, chatting ABOUT Gender and Cycling.  The bicycle was introduced (in it’s present state) to the world around 100 years ago and was a vehicle of liberation for women.  Clothing standards changed, conventions changed, women started voting… Why, if it was such a spectacular motivator of societal change do very few women cycle?  Why are women considered an indicator species for whether a community is not only bike friendly but safe overall?  Tell us your thoughts

Sunday, June 17, finds us venturing into a contemplation of winter cycling and all that it might entail.  And what is that?  How do you dress for it? Why would you? Where do you? What’s the appeal? What about ice and snow and other potential hazards?  Tell us your thoughts…

Sunday, June 24, is our final Salon, all about Advocacy.  We’ve come a long way baby, but the stereotype still prevails that if you are an adult on a bicycle, you are either a) poor, b) unable to get your driver’s license, c) lost said license in a drunken binge…  As well, if you ride a bicycle, you are subject to close calls, random undecipherable yells, getting cut off, bike lanes ending inconveniently thereby punching you into traffic.  How do you envision this changing? What can you do to help? Find out today and get involved…

Awash in the glow of the bikey love, we drink coffee and eat cinnamon buns from the FABULOUS Sugarbowl Cafe… Yes, that’s what I said, Sugarbowl Cafe cinnamon buns… FREE, FREE, FREE… for you, you, you… why? Cause it is June which is Bike Month… Cause we love you… Cause you love cycling…

And the day was glorious… 200 cyclists, 200 spanky bikes, tunes, sunshine, all our peeps…

oh, and if you had your photo taken with our “I bike because…” sign, drop us a line and we’ll get you a copy…you can reach us at info[at]bikeology[dot]com

NEXT BREAKFAST – Da Capo Lifestyle Caffe, just a titch south of the bottleneck, STARTING AT 9 A.M. as that Da Capo only opens at 9 now… so be patient….

I cycle because… riding a bike gives me great joy

I cycle because… I can eat or drink anything I want with impunity

I cycle because… it is the best way to get around my community

Why do you cycle?  We want to know.  We want you to tell us and the world.  To that end we made lovely laminated posters that you can fill out, wave around…

Get your photograph taken with it, frame that there photograph and you have a permanent reminder of why you ride as incentive on those low energy days…it may be the prod you needed to get out and ride…

Here are some of the results of our project!

A local school also came on board, as each year they celebrate the Safe, Healthy, Active People Everywhere (SHAPE)’s campaign “Wheel to Wherever”.  Above you’ll find the reasons the kids at that school wheel to wherever! Yay!

Sunny summer mornings, the smell of fresh baking on the air… yes, that is what is in store for you for Friday morning at the Bicycle Bottleneck, June 1, 7-9 a.m.  There will be coffee, a mechanic, some tunes, and a chance to check out bikey things to do in Edmonton for the rest of June…

yes, yes, they do, however that doesn’t stop Bikeology and Bike Month planning.  We have some lovely events for you to plan your June riding around.  They include, but are not limited to….

• Breakfasts – yummy, yummy food to keep you going on your bikey way
• Art Projects – haute bike culture at its finest
• Movie Mondays – ahhhh, cycling movies, feeding our need to fill our lives with bikey love
• Salons – harkening back to the 19th century, we’re going to do something crazy… we are going to talk to each other… face to face… for real
• Mocktails – pedal powered smoothies at the end of a long day of whatever keeps you occupied
• Festival Day – oh, yeah, an afternoon dedicated to our very favourite,  most efficient mode of recreation and transport, hooyah…
• Outdoor ride in movie – music, games, movies, picnics… with a pre-and post event ride to get there and back –  all the elements of a glorious time packed into a few great hours

The month also includes events for which you can pay, to which you can ride…  These lovely events include, but again are not limited to…

• Bike to the Symphony – June 8
• Ninja Circus Film Fest – June 10
• Shakespeare in the Park – June 26 to July 22

Interested?  Intrigued?  We hope so!  See you there…

Ah, the weather might be a bit crappy today, but we have spectacular things lined up for the coming month, and you should get on board!

If you want to volunteer for Bikeology, please let us know at info[at]bikeology and we’ll hook you up with fun things to do for the month… trust us…If you want to plan an event for Bike Month and get our help in getting the word out, again, you know the drill… drop us an email.  Just wanna attend? well, there’s that too!  Come on out….

See you out there…

Wheesht, sorry for the delay folks, we have been working in the background to get Bikeology and Bike Month up and running with all your old favourites, sprinkled with new and exciting bikey things to do…

What’s coming back?  Let us tempt you with this smattering of return events…

• Bikey Breakfasts (of course) – each and every Friday between 7 and 9 .m.  in June, stop by at a location near you for a coffee and a snack, then wend your way into your day…
• Salons (try, try again) – we have moved these events to Sundays at 3 to see if a change of time/date will perk them up.  Join us for a lovely intimate chat about our beloved bicycles and the various things to which they can be put to use.
• Mocktails on the Bridge  - a perennial favourite for a Wednesday afternoon from 4-6 p.m.; meet us at the High Level Bridge near Ezio Faraone Park where the Handlebar is always open!
• THE FESTIVAL DAY – woot woot… an afternoon of bikey fun, brought to you by Edmontonians and their bicycles… We’ll see you at Beaver Hills House Park on the 16th of June from noon to 4 p.m.
• Monday Night Movies at the Metro – yup, the return of the velo-love movies… every Monday, with a 7 p.m. start, at the new Metro space on 109 Street you can watch velo-oriented movies for FREE, yes FREE I tell you…
• Jewelry and craft sessions – dust off your  creative thinking cap, because Thursdays in June you can pick your parts then create your art (or craft) then wear it proudly the rest of the year…
• the Outdoor Ride In Movie – barring bad weather, we’ll be down in the park at the Victoria Cricket Pitch the night of June 23rd with a film, popcorn and music to get the ball rolling beforehand..

What’s new?  Well, we have some ideas (below), but really, you tell us! Want to host a bikey event, let us know the deets and we can help get the word out…

• Bikereel.com – Velofest Edmonton League and Organization (VELO) is delighted to join forces with BikeReel, a group presenting both local and international independent short films, Wednesday May 9, 7 p.m. at Metro again… Bike Reel Filmfest is a showcase of local, national and international talent both behind and in front of the camera. These bikey films give us a glimpse into bicycle culture and our complex relationships with bicycles, weaving together a tapestry of beauty, laughter, sorrow, wonder and adrenaline.
• Steam Punk Ride – dress up and join Bikewriter’s Blog author on Edmonton’s first ever Steam Punk ride, deets to follow
• The Edmonton Bike Swap – May 12 at the Edmonton Sportsdome, 10104-32 Ave. This is the place to safely sell your old bike and / or to buy a bike. The goal is to have all bikes in the swap able to be safely ridden away, so they are all tech checked for safety. Sellers pay a rack fee to get into the event and then a percentage when their bike sells. Bikes are taken in from 8:00 AM-11:30 PM. The swap runs from 12:00 – 4:00 PM. There is $2 admission for adults, while kids 12 and under are free.

Note that a few of these events are happening fairly soon!

There’ll be plenty more things to do with your bike in June, so check here often for updates!

Heyo cyclists, ssooooooooooo, technically, Bikeology and Bike Month is over, and WE believe it was a glorious month of velo-love; however, we want you to tell us how YOU think it went!

Everything will help us improve the month, so dig deep and let us know about your Bikeology and Bike Month experience.  Tell us a story. Suggest some changes. Compliment our effort.  Propose some events.  Volunteer your opinion… We want to know… REally..

We can be reached at info[at]bikeology.ca

Perhaps you know that Edmonton offers great cycling year around.  Perhaps you know that Edmonton has a robust cycling community.  Perhaps you know that Edmonton’s river valley is the longest and biggest parkland found in city limits in North America.

Did you know this? Edmonton holds an annual, National-level mountain bike race attracting international acclaim and world-ranked top talent from all across Canada. It’s the Edmonton Canada Cup…As a Canada Cup Series venue, Edmonton offers something truly unique, treating racers and spectators to the only stop on the Canada Cup circuit with a centralized urban course, perfect for both racers and spectators, right in the heart of the Edmonton River Valley.

Join the gang, as either a participant or a spectator, at the Kinsmen Field House on July 23rd, starting at 9 a.m. when the elite racing begins and continuing throughout the day!  There is something for everyone, whether you want to show case your wheelie popping talents, your single speed cunning, or simply want to hang with folks.  It’s going to be grand and we’ll see you there!

Bike Month as bounded by the month of June is, for all intents and purposes over.  However Bikeology has drifted past the boundaries on either side of June and we are pleased to let you know there are still MORE things we have arranged for cyclists in Edmonton over the summer…

These include:

Rides to the Pay-What-You-Will nights and matinees for the Shakespeare in the Park festival –   Pay-What-You-Will performances are on Tuesday evenings (8PM) and Saturday matinees (2PM).  ALL matinee performances are Twelfth Night. If you want to volunteer to host a ride or just want to participate in the ride, contact us at info[at]bikeology.ca for more information!

Cars and Capitalism – July 3, 7-9 p.m., Hear co-author Yves Engler discuss how the automobile’s ascendance is inextricably linked to capitalism and involved corporate malfeasance, political intrigue, backroom payoffs, media manipulation, racism, academic corruption, third world coups, secret armies, environmental destruction and war. Ride your bike!

An Edmonton Bike Month event sponsored by the Council of Canadians-U of A Chapter and Edmonton Bicycle Commuters.

Event Location: Room 201A, Law Centre, University of Alberta
Event Admission: Free
Contact for More Info: 780-433-BIKE (2453) or info@edmontonbikes.ca
Event webpage/website: http://stopsigns.fairtrademedia.com andhttp://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=156535557750564

Rescheduled Ride In Movie – meh! the weather was so miserable on the 25th of June, we cancelled and are intending to reschedule for another, more convivial day… Stay tuned… We hope to have all the same folks show up to entertain you, including the Triplets!

The final two days of Bikeology and Bike Month are here and they are SUNNY!… which is handy since all the upcoming events are out-of-doors…  Not got your calendar handy?  welllllllll, here’s what’s going down:

Wednesday (today) June 29 - Bikeology: Mocktails on the Bridge – the Handlebar is open, stop by for a pedal powered smoothy, catch some tunes, hang with your peeps…

Thursday (tomorrow) June 30 - Bikeology: Fare thee Well – 6:30 ride to Hawrelak Park to take in the inaugural night of the Shakespeare in the Park Festival.  There are a few free tickets left (just a few) so if you want to get in on that, email us at info[at]bikeology.ca to scoop them!  Otherwise, join us at BeaverHills House Park for the ride down.  There’ll be prizes for cyclists, including a grand finale prize of a bicycle from Mountain Equipment Coop, throughout the festival run… see you at the park!

The original program for the Bikeology movies has been altered quite a bit. We’re improvising too. It’s a video jam. I promise to introduce you to some people who are serving up a remarkable new menu of locally produced bike movies. We have glimpses into this bike-cultural phenomenon, with never-before-seen Edmonton bike movies and previews. Want to be a bike-movie maker? Come down tonight and hear the first official call-out for Edmonton bike movies for Bikeology 2012. And that’s all I’ve got for now.

Historical perspective:
Tonight is Metro Cinema’s last screening in their long-term home in the Citadel Theatre. I intend to celebrate by having a good time thinking about all the good times. RBCC has found a screen for some of our most important movie events in that theatre – Bikeology, Tooker Gomberg Memorial, Made-in-Alberta – Green Monday pilot, to name a few. There’s been hot popcorn, hotter conversations, and warm seats to put bums in. Knowledge of where we’ve been shines a light on the future. Thank you, Citadel Theatre and to all of you who keep that facility going!

Viewer guidance:
There may be a quick swear or two this evening, but nothing that should deter bringing children. My main bit of guidance is that some viewers appreciate this sort of creative anarchy more than others.

Hope to see you tonight. Admission is free, and there’s door prizes!

Barb Allard,
Bikeology Movie Director

Sad news! Ride In Outdoor movie cancelled (June 25, 2011). Sadly, we can’t risk electrifying our fine local musicians in rain. Besides, any drops of rain on the screen and you would not be able to see the movie. Stay tuned for more bike-o-licious events this month.

Sex up our barren bike racks in Edmonton by helping out the Yarnbombers create lovely covers for them at every Bikeology: Monday Movie.  What is yarnbombing you ask? Well, check it out… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarn_bombing

Don’t knit but want to learn?  The Yarnbombers will help get you up and perling like yer grandma… Just show up ahead of the event and learn which way is up with a set of needles!

It’s the penultimate opportunity for free movies, tonight!  Check out the Bikeology: Movies, tonight – June 20 at 7:00 PM – at Metro Cinema, at Zeidler Hall in the Citadel.  Please remember that the south entrance is under construction, so access is only from the west off 100 street or from the north off 102 Avenue.

Our feature tonight is “Veer,” a documentary about community bicycle activism in North America. Just as with “Where Are You Go?” last week, we are screening a high-definition tape for a viewing experience that is not only meaningful but beautiful too. Ride on down to Metro Cinema in the Citadel Theatre  and get connected.

NOTE: Due to a time restriction, I have to move the opening feature, the screening of the Alberta cyclocross documentary, “Cowbell,” to next week, Monday, June 27. This way, there will be lots of time for door prizes tonight.

Viewer guidance:
Unfortunately, I was not able to get viewer guidance info for “Veer” so I can’t say whether there is swearing, violence or nudity. The movie promises an accurate rendition of life as a community bicycle activist. Life experience tells me to expect – anything  It does have the Bikeology: Movie three bike rating indicating that lots of bikey-love is present in the movie!

For the full program of Bikeology Movies in June click http://www.bikeology.ca/bikeology-information/bikeology-monday-movies-at-metro

Barb Allard,
Bikeology Movie Director

The Bikeology: Festival Day is over and the original plan was to meet up at Credo after the event and ride over to the SNAP Gallery fundraiser – Love Those Clothes: Riding Pretty – HOWEVER!

We have barely enough energy to get ourselves there, so how about we meet you there, instead of at Credo?  See you there, kind folks..

Oh my heavens, what a fabulous day.. We had a grand (albeit damp) time pedalling to power the music, rocking out to tunes all afternoon, drinking pedal powered smoothies and indulging in velo-love…

Thank you to everyone who put up tents, cycled gear to the event, participated, donated, sponsored, volunteered, displayed their goods, wrenched, expostulated, plinked, plunked, pedalled, demonstrated, trialled and balanced, cycled over, dropped by painted, was crafty, decanted, powered, mastered the music, celebrated, informed and photographed our event!  It’s because of you our events are so fabulous, and it’s because of you we do this… so once again…

thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou….

It appears that the weather has set in, however that is not going to deter us.  The 10th Annual Bikeology Festival is a go!  This is recognizing, of course, that perhaps only a few hardy souls will venture out to hang out with us…

We’ll be ready for you!  We have very large tents, we have music, we have poetry… and best of all, we’ll have bicycles.

EVERYTHING

That’s right… all the Bikeology: Festival events are free.  We will always gratefully accept donations, however any event put on by VELOFest Edmonton League and Organization will be free

If you come across an event that has a cost, it is because we have partnered with them in some way, and some aspect of the event is free (as example: a ride to the Society of Northern Alberta Print Artists Fundraiser, although their event is $25, or you come to a Bikeology: Bikey Breakfast and decide to upgrade your coffee from what is offered to, say, a cappuccino)

Otherwise, come one, come all to the various FREE, fun cycling events put on during Bikeology: Festival and Bike Month.

Hi folks – our feature tonight is “Where are You Go? – Cairo to Capetown by Bicycle”. One of Canada’s premiere bike-movie-makers, Benny Zenga, takes you on the ride of a lifetime along the 7000-mile route of the Tour d’Afrique.

Technical difficulties last week interrupted the world’s most fabulous DVD mini-compilation, “Edmonton’s Bike Shorts 2011”. So I’ve decided to screen it again tonight, rather than the archival Barb’s Bike Shorts I had planned. Check those out on-line on the Rainbow Bridge web site instead. (It is all so good!)

Click here for directions and the full Bikeology Movie program:
http://www.bikeology.ca/bikeology-information/bikeology-monday-movies-at-metro

Viewer Guidance Message:
Unfortunately Benny Zenga is currently in a remote part of the world, and so we were not able to get any viewer guidance info for the documentary feature. I would wager it is safe to bring your teenagers, but I can’t promise there is no violence, nudity or swearing. TheEdmonton’s Bike Shorts DVD is sweet as pie and good as gold.

See you tonight.

Barb Allard,
Producer, http://RBCC.ca
Bikeology Movie Director

Summer days, espresso, cycling, fine discussions about building community by cycling versus driving, cycle touring, mocktails on the bridge, movies, rides, jewelry, bike repairs… if you haven’t found something to do in Bikeology and Bike Month… well… it’s time to bring your event to the table and we’ll see if we can stick it onto the calendar so you can get other like minded folk involved!

Here are a few images from recent events…

Yup, you heard it here first!  Dacapo Lifestyle Caffe generously hosting the second Bikeology Breakfast of the month, so be sure and stop by to say hello to Tony and his crew!  A big thanks to DaCapo for coming on board with Bikeology! XOXO – the Bikeology Gears

What do town bike Miss “Pashley Princess Sovereign” and racing bike Ms. “Hakkalugi” have in common? They both appear in a a scintillating new movie compilation, entitled Edmonton Bike Shorts, screening this evening, Monday, June 6 at 7:00 PM at Metro Cinema, Citadel Theatre.

And then it’s the Edmonton premiere of “Small Changes Add Up”, the RBCC documentary depicting the LocalMotion: Parkallen 2009 community-based, eco-mobility program… a truly global-to-local partnership featuring the Global Alliance for Eco-mobility (also ICLEI), Transport Canada, City of Edmonton (multi-departments) and the Community of Parkallen.

Viewer Guidance Message: smooth sailing. Bring anyone of any age by any transportation mode.

We have door prizes! We have inspiration like maybe you haven’t felt in a long time.
Click here for the full Bikeology Movie program for June:
http://www.bikeology.ca/bikeology-information/bikeology-monday-movies-at-metro/

Some more references about LocalMotion and eco-mobility:
Local Motion, City of Edmonton http://edmonton.ca/localmotion
Parkallen Community League http://parkallen.ca
Global Alliance for Eco-mobility http://www.ecomobility.org
ICLEI: http://www.iclei.org
Transport Canada, eco-Transport (scroll down to find ecoMobility) http://www.ecoaction.gc.ca/ecotransport

This morning’s Bikeology: Commuter Race was practically a photo finish between several cyclists, one of whom cycled all the way from the West End to the starting location on 109 street and 71 Avenue to participate…  The very scientific ISO9000

approved method of calculating bagel units is based on the 90 calories you gain from eating a bagel.  Once you know

how much energy it takes to propel a bicycle, or a single occupant vehicle or a longboard, or a LRT/bike trip or a bus or a hybrid vehicle (based on our best guesstimates taken from the web) we do some fancy math and figure out that the bicycle is by far the most efficient vehicle, unless of course you have a tandem…

We enjoyed eating our bagel units per minute at the end of the race, as well… yummy cream cheese and jam bagels…

You wake up to bird song, you hop on your bicycle and tootle down to the Downtown Farmers’ Market at 104 Street and 102 Avenue.  Pick up all your comestibles for the week to come and at noon meander over to  join the festivities at Beaverhills House Park.  Here’s the Bikeology: Festival Day Itinerary:

• 11:45   Welcome and thank you, with directions to the Pedal-powered smoothies, and safety check of bicycle
• 12:00  The music of  Paula Kirman
• 12:20  Chat with Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society, then find the bus rack demo area for the upcoming race.. you decide to meander over to the Park(ed) Day on 102 Avenue and 104 Street, heading east… but you come back for
• 12:30  The music of  Jesikah Holtby and Jesse Cunningham
• 12:50  The City of Edmonton’s Bicycle Racks on Buses – Display & Time Trials Race
• 1:10    The music of Escola De Samba De Edmonton
• 1:30    Description of displays and audience participation telling bicycle stories
• 1:40    The music of Owls By Nature
• 2:00    Helmet fitting and displays of BMXers and Trials riders (fingers crossed)
• 2:10    The music of Paul Bellows
• 2:30    Bicycle loading on Bus racks demonstration and race
• 2:55    Anna Marie – Bike Nic Poet Extraordinaire
• 3:35    The music of Locution Revolution
• 3:40   Announcement of scavenger hunt winner, Big “Thank You”s and reminders about the rest of the Bike Month activities

Check it out bicycle lovers!

If you didn’t go to Bohemia Variety Venue last night to watch RAD, you missed meeting a member of the original cast, “Captain” Kurk Bihun and some friends.  Turns out “Captain” Kurt heard about the screening and attended the film!  That’s right, there was a movie star at the Bohemia screening!!!!!

“Captain” Kurk and his crew setup a bmx bicycle display complete with uniforms AND then held a meet and greet aftewards… We were simply agog at the sheer coincidence of it all and how all the bikey love comes together in such a glorious way!…

The Bohemian Variety Venue had such a good time they added another movie screening to the Bike Month roster and are offering up BMX Bandits on June 23.  Check the calendar for details.

The scent of coffee wafting on the air, fresh fruit and muffins, a hint of rain… The first Bikeology: Bikey Breakfast was marvellously mellow.  Rain before and rain after, but dry as a bone in the desert during!

Turns out after seven years of power bars, we were… well, in a bit of a rut…

We also realized that we were catering strictly to those cyclists whose route went north or south, over the High Level Bridge.. It is by far the most famous Edmontonian pinch point for cyclists in the city, however we were missing out on a demographic that travels east/west for their commute… What to do what to do…

Well, we contacted Elm Cafe, one of our favourite local haunts and asked Nate if he’d be interested and, glory be, he was…Nate and his team put on a fine spread for Bikeology: Bikey Breakfasts and we are proud to partner with them on the new face of Bikeology: Bikey Breakfasts.  Nate provided a lovely spread for the cyclists that dropped by and we are already planning next year’s session…

Enough of next year… what of next Friday?  stay tuned and check back often…

Bikeology and Bike Month is formally launched!

CAUTION:  SUPERLATIVES FOLLOW…

It was the first Waving Wednesday, which was very convivial.

Early in the day it was Wheel to Wherever for all the school children – scuttlebutt is that it appears to have gone very well – check out this post at: http://ravingbikefiend.com

The flash mob at noon was a hit with 30 or so people coming and going and parking their bikes in the parking stall grabbing a coffee from Credo, then lingering to visit over lunch or tootling off to see the world from the seat of their bike.

The Ride to the Symphony was spectacular – the weather held, the Da Capo Caffe espresso was very fine and the actual Symphony was extraordinary.

And the backstage tour afterwards…well, all we can say is a huge “THANK YOU Gerald”, what a wonderful space and your knowledge of all it’s nooks and crannies is tremendous and you were very generous in sharing it!  Let’s do it again next year…

For those of you who missed out last night, check out other upcoming events on our google calendar, and be sure to register for the things that require pre-registration…

We’ll see you on the trails, or the roads, or at the venues, and as always, on your bike!

On my way home yesterday I spotted these workers!  It’s official….. JUNE is Bike Month…..

check out the June is Bike Month sign installation

the medium is the message!

Bikeology and Bike Month starts NEXT WEEK!  Do you have your tickets to the various events? There are so many, and you can find out about them here.

Do you have your routes mapped out for the maximum breakfast enjoyment?  Breakfasts have changed you know, and you can find out about that here.

We’ve added several really delightful velo-love events, and have brought back (by popular demand) the Commuter Race,which you can find out about here.

Wanna volunteer?  Not sure about what’s involved?  Check out our handy google document here, and be sure to indicate whether you can come to the Volunteer Dance Party on July 1

AND, if you have ever wondered why Bikeology and Bike Month… well, we thought about it and provided these reasons…

Remember, Waving Wednesdays are the easiest way to participate, so if you are out and about on your bike on any Wednesday in June, wave at the cyclists you see… try it today!

The fabulous Bikeology: Festival Day is nigh and we are looking for velo-oriented folks to come out to show us their goods made of or by bicycle… or maybe you have bicycles you want to display… either way this is the place for you…

June 18 we will once again be at our beloved BeaverHills House Park between noon and 4 p.m.  and you could be there too!

If you are interested, please contact the VELO team at info@bikeology.ca

Bikeology Movie Mondays at Metro celebrate the bicycle as a people-powered, culture-jamming, nature-loving, technological marvel. Juxtaposed against the post-industrial bleakness of the auto-matic world, the bicycle is a vehicle for the imagination. Each evening is co-hosted by a local bicycle organization, and we give out lots of cool door prizes. Join us. Bring your imagination. Bring your kids. We are introducing a new rating system to help you pick the right evening for a bicycle-oriented family evening out.

New This Year – Made-in-Edmonton Bike Movies!

We are offering an unprecedented amount of new, local content all month long. Two documentaries and one comedic feature film are made-in-Edmonton premieres. We are off to a racing start with a brand new mini-festival called “Edmonton’s Bike Shorts” on June 7. Ride on down and help us grow this emerging bike-cultural event!

June 6 – 7:00 to 9:00 PM

“Small Changes Add Up” – a made-in-Edmonton documentary premiere!
Director: Barb Allard
Released 2011
TRT: 55 minutes
Country: Canada

The challenge: how many people from one Edmonton neighbourhood can leave their personal automobiles at home and get eco-mobile for the month of June 2009? Several City of Edmonton departments partnered with the Parkallen community in order to find out. “Small Changes Add Up” documents the trials and triumphs of the people involved in this groundbreaking, successful eco-mobility project, which received worldwide attention when the ICLEI congress rolled through town.

Screens with “Edmonton’s Bike Shorts” mini-festival!
Director: various
TRT: 20 min

Edmonton bike shorts arise from the experiences of the people who ride bicycles in Northern Alberta. Meaningful, exciting and inspiring, they cycle from art to sport to education. In compilation, they represent the cultural leading edge of our transportation transformation. Check back often for updates on selected shorts.

Bikeology, Edmonton’s premiere community cycling festival, is kicking off on June 1 and features free bike events almost every day! Whether you cycle year round or are simply bike curious, there are events that will satisfy your velo-craving:

• Monday Night Bikey Movies at Metro Cinema
• Tuesday Bike Saloon Discussions/How-To Talks
• Wednesday Bike Blender Smoothies
• Recycled Bike Craft Workshops
• 24 Hour Bicycle Repair-a-thon at BikeWorks
• Bike to Work Breakfasts hosted by local cafes and restaurants
• Bikeology Festival Day on June 18
• Ride-In Outdoor Movie
• and splashy mix of events all over town!

Have an idea for a bike event? Get inspired by Cyclepalooza (Calgary, June 17-26), Bike!Bike! (Texas, June 23-26) and Pedalpalooza (Portland, June 9-26) and bring the action to Edmonton. Host a free bike event and make it part of Bikeology! Contact info@bikeology.ca to discuss your bikey dream.

Want to volunteer for Bikeology? Attend the May 24 volunteer orientation. More info here.

May 24: Bikeology/Bike Month Volunteer Orientation
More info here..

Anna Vesala
Executive Director
780.433.BIKE
edmontonbikes.ca
.

The Spring Thaw Triathlon 2011 peeps are looking for volunteers. Just use the email address below and put “volunteer” in the subject line, and presto-bammo, one of their lovely volunteer co-ordinators will get back to you!

Psst, June is Bike Month and the Bikeology: Festival is ramping up, so check out our calendar and be sure to come out to all the fabulous events… We have something for everyone, promise…

We want to know:

Do you have a project that involves cycling?  We invite you to come out and feature it at the Bikeology: Festival Day.

Do you have an idea about what else could be done during the month (AND are willing to help make it come to be!) be sure to contact us…We can be reached at info[at]bikeology.ca (be sure to remove the square brackets…)

Do you want to volunteer for Edmonton’s premiere cycling festival?  Again, contact us, we’d love your assistance and we look forward to hearing from you!

Oh my oh my oh my… Spring is so close you can see it in the rabbit hair, and the bare pavement, laced round with ice of course, but bare nonetheless…and that means a couple of things, cycling is becoming less of a dream for those who stow their ride in the winter AND becoming easier for those that do not…

Something else that is coming closer is Bikeology and Bike Month! Harooooo! We have a great month planned… All the usual favourites, a few of them with some new twists, and a few lovely additions to the whole mix.

Do you remember your favourite event from last year?  Was there something that you missed from years past? Tell us what it was, we’d love to know..

the Bikeology Gears

Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of EBC and the 10th Anniversary of Bikeology

My, my, time whizzes past like a yellow jersey breaking free of the peleton when you are biking about creating velo-love.  30 years for Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society and 10 years of Bikeology… Amazing.  EBC has grown from a wee glint in someone’s eye to be North America’s oldest volunteer bike shop and the festival has transformed from a one-day pedal-infested bacchanalia with a strong eco-consciousness to a month of give or take 27 bikey events luring people away from their auto-centric lives.  Glorious… but more importantly what does that mean for you?  IT MEANS A BIKEY PARTY!

If you have a hankering for decorating your home with all things bikey, this is the event for you.

This fundraiser celebration will directly support bicycle love in Edmonton.  Indulge in the amazing, locally-made bike art showcasing over 25 artists.  Bid on original prints, sculptures, tshirts, posters, handmade bike accessories and more!

As well there will be music,  powered by Music is a Weapon and their contingent of 10 bike-powered generators of electrical wizardry that will energize live music, literally!  Join a team of friends to ride for a 15 minutes shift of no-snow winter biking.

Allez! Allez! Allez!

We are looking for you!  You love bikes, we love bikes.  You want to promote cycling culture in Edmonton, we want to promote cycling culture in Edmonton.  You think there should be more things to do during June that revolve around bikes, we too think so…

Come out to the Dish on January 31, at 7 p.m. to find out where in the planning process we are with our festival and our events…Help us make cycling in Edmonton a sweet sweet ride!

Details:

Location:  The Dish Bistro, 12417 Stony Plain Road

Time:  7 p.m. onwards

Agenda:

• Updates
• Celebrations
• Movies (previews)
• Future plans
• How you can help

Your VELO gears

Along with encouragement to fix up your summer bicycle, Red Bike also offers the following reading suggestions for your winter months:

Good read

There’s snow on the ground. Not a lot of snow, but it looks serious; like it’s fairly committed to seeing things through until spring. So now what? There are lots of ways to get through. Personally, I’ve eaten A LOT of berries and salmon this summer in the hopes that all that food might make me REALLY sleepy. So far, I feel quite alert: fat, but alert. I may have to default to my usual winter activity, reading. I did make a visit to my local Edmonton Public Library yesterday and borrowed twice as many books as I did at my last visit. I’m also busy bookmarking my favourite web sites for daily visits. Amazingly, I’ve also renewed subscriptions to a couple of print magazines. Yes, in these modern, paperless times, print still has some appeal. At the shop, we’ve found a couple of magazines that are very much the answer to the modern malaise that print media suffers from. Print simply can’t keep up with the webs when it comes to current reportage, so these mags; Rouleur and Privateer, are almost more celebrations of the cycling lifestyle. And they are beautifully done. Come have a look. A quick look.

Strathcona County is in Budget meetings for next year and Councillor Gariepy is going to request money for the bike park be allocated in the budget process.
This will be at 10:00 to 11:00 am this Monday and we need as many people sitting in the chambers as possible, I will be giving out free t-shirts to everyone that comes so that we all look the same and the councillors know why we are there.
Strathcona County council chambers, 2001 Sherwood Drive, Sherwood Park, 10am -11am Monday.
thanks,
Paul
Mud Sweat and Gears

There are so many great projects and fun activities organized by bike shops around town. Bikeology.ca is going to let you know what’s going on around town and how you can help out. Here’s a first instalment of our bike shop update. If you know of other activities, send us the info at info@bikeology.ca

Here are three really important things I would like you to read about Mud, Sweat and Gears.

First – On Dec.4 they are having a big promotion in store with former Oiler and Battle of the Blades star Georges Laraque in store from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. to sign autographs and take pictures. They invite you to come and meet one of the most gregarious characters to every play the game of hockey. Also, they will be hosting a large sale event on Skis and Snowboards with $100.00 being donated to the Northern Alberta Make a Wish Foundation for every Ski or Snowboard Package they sell on the 4th.

Second – As some of you know they focus most of their Fundraising and donations towards the Make a Wish campaign. On Sept. 25th they held the 3rd annual “Ride for Wishes” and their final tally was just over $ 13,000.00 raised. They send a big thanks to all of you that helped out. To date they have donated/raised over $ 30,000.00 for the Northern Alberta Make a Wish foundation.

Third – As the New Year arrives, Mud, Sweat and Gears has put together a “Learn to Tri” Triathlon club. Please read their Top Ten reasons to join…. http://www.mudsweatandgears.ca/news/88-daves-monthly-blog.html

They hope you can come out and support their event on Dec.4th. The average cost of a wish is $ 8,000.00 to grant and is given to a deserving child by selection through the Northern Alberta Make a Wish Foundation. Many times these children have had to undergo or are in the midst of life threatening medical conditions. The Staff and Management of Mud, Sweat and Gears enjoy the young clientele they are involved with through the store and feel that this is a great way to give back to youth that need something positive to focus on.

–
Paul Burgess
Mud, Sweat and Gears
133 Main Blvd.
Sherwood Park, AB
T8A 3P3

Friday, November 12, 2010
Time: 7pm-9pm
If you’re thinking of starting winter cycling, or would like to come and share your knowledge of clothing, snow, and roads, come to the winter cycling discussion night.
Take it on timidly, or take in on like a storm – there are many approaches to choose from. We’ll talk about keeping your mighty steed in shape, how to dress for comfort, and how to get to work or school safely and in style.
Event Location: “BikeWorks (10047 80 Ave, entrance through back alley only)”
Event Admission: $5 for members, $10 for non member of the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters. You can purchase a membership that night
Contact for More Info: courses@edmontonbikes.ca

Sunday, November 14, 2010
Begins: 1pm-7pm
Learn how to build custom bike lights. You’ll learn basic electronics including circuit design and soldering, and build custom, high-power LED lights for a fraction of the cost of commercial lights. (A few dollars for a basic light, or $25 for a high-power, 400+ lumen light.) For details about our previous lighting workshops, please check out this post. Note that prices and options may have changed (but not by much).
Event Location: 9023 142 St
Event Admission: Free for members, $20 for non-members
Contact for More Info: Register (mandatory) by contacting courses@edmontonbikes.ca. Limit to 3 people per course.
Event webpage/website: http://edmontonbikes.ca/home/more/bicycle_lights_workshop/

Sunday, November 21, 2010
Begins: 1pm-7pm
Learn how to build custom bike lights. You’ll learn basic electronics including circuit design and soldering, and build custom, high-power LED lights for a fraction of the cost of commercial lights. (A few dollars for a basic light, or $25 for a high-power, 400+ lumen light.) For details about our previous lighting workshops, please check out this post. Note that prices and options may have changed (but not by much).
Event Location: 9023 142 St
Event Admission: Free for members, $20 for non-members
Contact for More Info: Register (mandatory) by contacting courses@edmontonbikes.ca. Limit to 3 people per course.
Event webpage/website: http://edmontonbikes.ca/home/more/bicycle_lights_workshop/

Starlight Ride

Monday, December 13, 2010
Begins: Depart BikeWorks at 6:20pm. Observatory from 7pm-8pm.
Join the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ for a short winter ride to the University of Alberta Observatory, followed by a private tour of the night sky. See the surface of the waxing gibbous moon, the belts of Jupiter, and the Andromeda galaxy. This is a special free event for the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society.
Please dress for temperatures 10 degrees colder than the forecast night temperature. Check Environment Canada for weather conditions. The observatory will be open (and the event will go ahead) in most weather conditions (up to 90% cloud cover, or “Mostly Cloudy”, is still acceptable), but you can contact Chris at 780-700-5564 the day of the event to verify.
We’ll be riding from BikeWorks to the U of A campus. Please be prepared for a (relatively short) winter bike ride. We’ll leave BikeWorks at about 6:20pm.
If you can’t join us for the ride, you can still participate and just meet us at the observatory at 7pm. For directions and more information about the observatory, please visit http://www.phys.ualberta.ca/observatory/.
NB: we only ask for registrations in the unlikely case that we need to cancel the event due to weather (that decision would be made just after 4pm on December 13, which is when the weather forecast is updated).
You don’t actually have to register to come. We just won’t be able to contact you! But the weather in December is usually clear and cool, and it would have to be completely overcast (100% and no less) to force a cancellation.
Event Location: BikeWorks (10047 80 Ave, entrance through the back alley only) at 6:20pm, U of A Campus Observatory on top of the Fine Arts Building at 7pm
Event Admission: Free
Contact for More Info: info@edmontonbikes.ca to register. On the day of the event, you may call Chris at 780-700-5564 to check weather/sky conditions.
Event webpage/website: http://www.phys.ualberta.ca/observatory/ , poster: http://edmontonbikes.ca/downloads/Starlight%20Ride%202010.pdf

And the summer goes on, with more phenomenal ways to celebrate the bicycle…
Ladies only Polo velo at Richie. Join the doodle poodle or the facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/l/09002mj_zKVGNRSUjGoIZ1fFHUg;doodle.com/2yk2b7he6pmcrwe3

Ladies Army Edmonton facebook group – here it is! Join today!

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/group.php?gid=120620137990473

A night of basic bike jewelry. We will be taking reclaimed bicycle parts and incorporating them in to inspired wearable jewelry. Basic jewelry techniques will be used and all supplies are included. Everyone will have their own original piece to take home at the end of the evening.
Harcourt House: 10215-112 Street in the building to the South – the Annex. Watch for the signs!
7-9:30 pm

So soon our events will wrap up. Come out and enjoy an engaging film tonight. Details below. Also do note that we’ll have a DIY reflective clothing Tuesday – registration at courses@edmontonbikes.ca
and there will be another jewelry made from used bike parts course on July 6th.
In the mean time….

Date and Time: Monday, June 28th – 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Location: Rice theatre in the Citadel Theatre: (in the Citadel Theatre) 9828-101 A-Ave

Description:

Feature: ‘O Caminho Das Nuvens’ Brazil, 2003, 85 minutes, Portugese with English subtitles

directed by Vicente Amorim. All movie events start with “Barb’s Bike Shorts” (22 min), prizes and more. ‘O Caminho das Nuvens’ Romao is the father of a family of seven from Paraíba, Brazil. He decides to hit the road to Rio in search of a job that will pay a salary of one thousand dollars a month, thus providing decent life for his family. To achieve this dream, he decides to travel 3200 km on bicycles, with his wife Rose and their five children, facing hunger, heat, fatigue and violence .

The film is based on the true story of Cicero Dias Ferreira, an unemployed truck driver who, along with his wife and five children, rode from the Santa Rita , Paraíba, to the Bangu, Rio de Janeiro.

The film title’s literal translation is “The Trail of Clouds” but it’s official English film title is “The Middle of the World”.

before the feature, we’ll play:

‘Girl and a Bicycle’ USA, 1995, 15 minutes, directed by Jon Behrens

This film is a collaboration between Jon Behrens and fellow filmmaker and friend Rasha Refaie.The film was inspired by a dream that Rasha had about a girl, a bicycle and a silver colored egg. The viewer sees Rasha peddling all over Seattle through city streets, parks, and ultimately ending up a graveyard were she begins to experience the nosebleed of her life. Rubato composed the films sound track. This is the rare solarized version of this film.

STEVE RUSSELL – Cyclists cut across Queens Park after being turned around from going south on Queens Park Circle. From the Toronto Star Photo Blog of the G20

If you woke up this morning to the sound of rain and thought the Ride-In Outdoor movie is cancelled – you’re wrong.
Please, for the sake of having a good life, remember that our summers are short and can be full of marvellous adventures, if you only you are prepared. Read the list of how to prepare for tonight below, come out to enjoy a field full of bicycles, a self-packed picnic, live local music of the James Clark Trio and
Doug Hoyer and Mitchmati, ‘Pee Wee’s big adventure’. Then, if you stay to the end of the show, you’ll see the enchanting sight of hundreds of blinky red lights ascend through the trees, out of the valley, seeking their cozy beds.
If you’ve been watching the weather, you may have noticed that we’ve had many days with a bit of rain followed by glorious sun and warmth. We’re not sure what the weather is going to do, so we’re planning to go right ahead.
If we cancel, we’ll post something by 6pm so stay tuned.

Because of the morning rain, the valley will be chilly when the sun goes down. Here’s how to prepare for the Ride-In Outdoor movie tonight.

1) Pack mitts, a touque, long underwear, two pairs of warm sox (in case one gets wet), a cozy sweater, and a rain shell – pants and jacket. Even though it won’t be raining (that’s my plan), the rain gear helps keep the moisture and wind out.

2) pack extra high-calorie food for your picnic. It’s time to make or buy cookies, crackers and a high-protein dip, or left-over lasagne.

3) find your sleeping bag. Make sure you bring something to keep it dry from the ground…

4) bring something to sit on: A tarp, a little chair, a big plastic bag

5) extra to drink. Dehydration can make you feel colder than you need to be. Bring the cocoa, bring the tea, but also bring water.

Scroll down this blog page to find a map on how to get to the site. We’ll have a sign or two coming in from the River Valley Road.

Come out and play!

A guest post by Barb Allard, Rainbow Bridge Communications, for everyone who has supported Made In Alberta.

New Release! “Radical Retro-fit” (4 min) http://madeinalberta.ca
Saskatchewan’s home energy pioneers have proven that you can reduce energy consumption in many older homes and buildings by at least 80 percent. Harold Orr discusses his latest radical retrofit of a four-plex apartment building, and whether an energy crisis is necessary. And, bicycle billboards roll through Edmonton.

Bikeology Festival runs free events all month long! June 26 to July 1 …
Just a reminder, tomorrow – Saturday – evening is the Bikeology Ride-in Movie. We’re on for a musical picnic in the park, starting at 8:00 PM (or as soon as the cricket game ends) with the James Clark Trio, followed by Doug Hoyer and Mitchmatic. As soon as the sun goes down, catch a few of Barb’s Bike Shorts, then enjoy “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” (A festival favourite because the star is really the bicycle.) The whole event ends at about 2:00 AM. On Monday, the fourth Bikeology Movie Monday features “O Caminho Das Nuvens”. Set in Brazil, this dramatic film is based on a true story about a family that cycles 3200 kms in order to find employment. We open the evening with 20 minutes of really artsy Barb’s Bike Shorts, followed by door prizes and informative banter. (Bike movies are in the Rice Theatre this year, downstairs in the Citadel.) Tuesday evening the Bikeology Dialogue moves over to EBC’s BikeWorks for a hands-on “DIY reflective clothing” workshop. That officially wraps Edmonton’s Bike Month 2010, but without even stopping to put a foot down, Edmonton Bicycle Commuters are entering the Silly Summer Parade on Canada Day. They invite you to bring your silly cycle to BikeWorks on Thursday morning and join in, or cheer them along during the parade on Whyte Avenue. Check out the Google Calendar on http://bikeology.ca for addresses and times. Read event blogs on the home page.

Barb’s Field Notes: Riding into summer
Bike month fun carries on right into the Silly Summer Parade on Canada Day… and all year long. Any time Whyte Ave is closed to cars is worth checking out in my books Beyond that, VELOfest is exploring new ways to celebrate the bicycle beyond the month of June. Some ideas include expanding our event calendar, a bike shorts competition or call-out, and a fall or winter bike-cultural event this year or the year after. There’s still time to catch the Critical Mass Ride today. Meet at City Hall at 5:30. Warning: this is a non-officially-sanctioned, anarchistic-type event (unlike the Bikeology Festival events). Ride at your own risk, then dance at your own risk until midnight at EBC’s BikeWorks. Me, I’m hanging in until July so I can just ride my bike for pure pleasure all summer long…

Today we’ve got another round of Mocktails on the Bridge lined up! Join us at Ezio Farone Park on the north side of the High Level Bridge from 4-6pm for pedal-powered smoothies and bike checks. As always, everything is free!

Just available: We have the list of performers for the 2010 Festival Day tomorrow – Saturday, June 19th! Check below the fold for bios!

Read the rest of this entry »

Two upcoming events put on by affiliates – join in and help out! Both take place concurrently with the big Bikeology festival this Saturday, so if you’re coming to one, come out to all! Check below the fold for video and details!

Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s a great group of bicycle enthusiasts who are putting on quite a happening tonight. They’ve told me that they’ve really liked Bikeology events, especially the Ride-In-Movie and so wanted to add to the calendar of phenomenally fun things to do for free in June – to celebrate the bicycle!
Blue Skys BBQ & Bicycle Show & Shine
Date and Time: Wednesday, June 16th, 4:00 pm – late (enjoy part or all of the evening)
4:00pm Film: “Bicycle Thieves” Director, Bittorio De Sica. See full description below
6:00 pm BBQ
8:00 pm live local music with the stylings of Babe Lloyd & Personal Beef
Location: 10575 114st
Cost: Free!

Event Details: Come explore a slice of edmonton’s history and tour a former
factory from 1930 turned arts lofts! featuring a bicycle show & shine, a
free screening of the classic film “The Bicycle Thief” at 4pm, tours of the
building including the Edmonton New Technology Society’s bicycle repair &
machine shop, a community BBQ at 6pm, and a special free live music show by
Babe Lloyd & Personal Beef at 8pm – we’re pleased to celebrate with our
neighbours and the fine folks at bikeology! bring your bicycle down and
have a blast with us! FREE!

Some tour for the feeling of independence, some to face physical challenges with a group, some to
face their demons.
Join our panel of touring experts for the discussion tonight on touring. Focus will be on non-supported touring. The packing challenges, the route planning and the thrill of being independent and self-propelled.

Tonight, Tuesday, June 15th – 7:00pm – 9:00pm

At the sublime Credo Café 10134 104 Street (780) 761-3744

Once you’re done at the repair-a-thon, head to
Ritchie Community League Rink: 98 St + 77 Ave Sun, June 13, 1pm – 4pm to watch or play bike polo. Mixed game: men and women welcome. This is a hardy but kind and gentle lot who play polo on bikes. Grace and beauty on bikes for a perfect summer’s day!!

The second Bikeology Movie Monday features “Pedal”, a fast-paced documentary of cycle messengers in New York City. The opener is an eclectic 20 mins of Barb’s Bike Shorts, with medics on bikes, punk rockers and a crazy (even for Barb bicycle training film for kids. It’s an evening of fall-down, near misses – without even spilling your popcorn. (Bike movies are in the Rice Theatre this year, downstairs in the Citadel.) Tuesday, Credo Café is the scene of a moderated Bikeology Dialogue about bicycle touring. On Wednesday, there’s a new event: Blue Sky’s BBQ & Bicycle Show and Shine. Enjoy the classic film “Bicycle Thief” and live, local music. On Friday from 7 – 9 AM the mobile Bike2Work Breakfast is at the north end of the High Level Bridge. Get your bike tuned up while you drink coffee and eat muffins. Saturday, June 19, is the big one. Bikeology Festival Day is at Beaver Hills “Bike” Park from noon to four, and this is the exact same time as the City of Edmonton’s Park(ed) , MEC BikeFest, the Downtown Farmers Market and Rock the Square. Leave the car at home. All five events will be linked by a car-free network along 102 avenue. Check out the Google Calendar onhttp://bikeology.ca for addresses and times. Read event blogs on the home page.

In honour of the 24 hour Bicycle Repair-a-Thon we bring you: Bicycle Repairman!

The repair-a-thon is in full swing. A ton of helpful mechanics are awaiting your visit. Come to 10047-80 Ave ******entrance through the back alley only ******.
For no shop fee, they will help you fix and maintain your bicycle. You need no mechanical knowledge to use Bikeworks, Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ shop.
It’s on until noon tomorrow and there’s a handful of mechanics that are doing the full 24 hours!

and pancakes… so too are 200 other folks who joined us in the Square this morning for vegan pancakes, coffee, fruit and fruit juices.  Yummy…  As well, we had four mechanic stands – count them 4 – that rocked out all morning long, ensuring that everyone that came by was able to cycle away secure in the knowledge that their ride would get them where they were going…

The day was made possible by the astounding dedication of our volunteers, relatives and friends.  It’s always cool to see a community come together to put on bikey endeavours even if they have to get up at 5 a.m. and haul 300 pounds of ceramic plates (or coffee, or tools, or … you get the picture) to the site, by bike…. good effort everyone.

Well, folks, another successful Bike jewelry session wrapped up on Thursday evening.  Dylan led 12 people through the various steps to making their own marvellous jewelry from old bike parts.  In addition to marvy reflector bling broaches and rings, we saw pendants, earrings, bracelets, and many more lovely, innovative pieces.  Dylan and his brother photographed those pieces the creators agreed to share and they will be featured here, and on Dylan’s blog.  I’ll find and post it presently.

In other news, Dylan agreed to host another Bikeology Jewelry session on Thursday, June 24, same time and location.  If you didn’t get registered the first time, or are hearing about it for the first time, don’t hesitate… email info[at]bikeology.ca to register today

We’re off to enjoy pancakes downtown at the North side of Churchill Square. This is the first year we’ve done this on the closed street between Churchill Square and City hall – quiet nice space

Mock=pretend
Tails= things you wag when you’re happy
Mocktails on the bridge is a happening where you get on a bike hooked to a generator that’s hooked to a blender and pedal yourself a non-alcoholic smoothy. Hits the spot after a long day of work!
…..and the weather for this afternoon is looking fine!
Date and time: June 10th –4:00pm – 6:00pm

Location: Ezio Faraone Park, North West side of the High Level Bridge, at 109th Street – Edmonton, AB

Description: Stop by on your way to/from your commute for a smoothie made in a blender powered by bike! Meet other bike ridin’ folk! Snacks, information and fun times will be provided.

Due to popular demand, we’re looking at running a jewelry making class on June 24th at 7:00pm.
Tonight we have a full class and fine weather for the class

So, you love cycling. I’ve got to tell you that going to the Tuesday night discussion last night was delicious. Alan Schietzsch, president of the Alberta Bicycle Association drew us in with historical notes, shocking and heart warming stories, and personal anecdotes that made the world of racing so real for us. Although I don’t race, this evening let me into the part of that world that is core to all cycling-lovers’ reasons for riding. The personal relationships, the joy of company and of solo riding, the fun of how the bike moves and what crazy diverse ways we use those movements to have little and big adventures. Along the way, during another riveting story, Alan mentioned that “cycling is a passport” – meaning where ever we go and however we bike, there’s a common understanding of the love of cycling in other parts of the world.
This is true when you travel to race, or travel to travel. Join us next week for the Tuesday discussion on touring. Bring your stories, or sit back and soak in ours.

Tonight! Tuesday, June 8th – 7:00pm – 9:00pm

Location: Credo Café – 10134 104 Street Edmonton, AB (780) 761-3744

That’s right – racy racy talk with the president of the Alberta Bicycle Association, Alan Schietzsch. Freeriding, cycle cross, off road, road. The world has some fascinating racing scenes for you to explore through Mr. Schietzsch’s experience and Edmonton has some of the most exciting racing in Canada

There are a few event time changes on the google calendar and a couple typos corrected on the events listing. See the full descriptions of events by clicking on the ‘events’ toggle. This is what we have so far this week: A movie, discussion night, pedal powered smoothies, jewelry making, repair-a-thon, and a polo velo game. Eat your vities and pump your tires up – there are tons of free bicycle-love activities to partake in!

Today is the first of our Bike to Work Breakies. There’ll be a breakie from 7am-9am each Friday at a  different location. Today, we’ll be at the bicycle bottleneck which is at the South West end of the high level bridge. Get a free check up of your bike, eat and drink, find info about cycling events and resources, and enjoy the cycling community on a beautiful summer’s morning. 7am-9am

Check out the events listing – details on movies – polo velo event – Park(ed) street closure and public displays of human-centred spaces – jewelry making, we got it all! The google calendar has the basic information and the events listing tells all.

See a film tonight, be blown away

Date:
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Time:
7:00pm – 10:00pm
Location:
BikeWorks
Street:
10047-80 Avenue
entrance through the back alley only
City/Town:
Edmonton, AB
www.imdb.com/title/tt0091817/

Look – the calendar is filling – the events listing is replete! Rejoice! Bike Month is full of Bikeology events and events put on by other bicycle enthusiasts city-wide! Sing your favourite bikey song, ring that bell loud and strong! Ride with conviction and seek out an event where you’ll find info to help you cycle and you’ll find velo love!

Daily we feel the benefits of riding bikes. Here’s a short clip from Streetfilms where people from the Bronx tell us why they cycle:
http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/05/21/bike-to-work-day-finale-why-the-bronx-commutes-by-bike/

Donations to help the family of Roman Cutillas bring his remains home to the Phillipines can be sent to:

Westmount Community League

10824-125 Street NW Edmonton, AB
T5M 0L4

Dinner and Fundraiser for Roman Cutillas, Cyclist killed on April 21 in Westmount

Sunday May 2, 2010 at 5:00pm

Everyone welcome

Cross-cultural, potluck dinner – please bring a dish of food.
If you are Filipino, please bring a Filipino dish.

Filipino music!

All funds raised will go to the family of Roman Cutillas in the Philippines.

Location: Westmount Community Hall
10970 127th Street, Edmonton

Admission $5. Additional donations are welcome.

Roman Cutillas was a 49-year old Filipino man with a wife and four children living in the Philippines. He was in the temporary foreign worker program, and had been working here to support his family. In order to save extra money for his family he rode his bike. He had just sent $200 to his family and was riding home on April 20. He was struck by a pickup truck and died of his injuries.

We’d love to see cyclists come out and support his family and showing solidarity for other cyclists.

EBC and the ESO are partnering to offer $25 tickets (incl. all fees) to EBC members for the June 1 performance of Cameron Carpenter and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
Tickets will be on sale until April 30.
If your membership is expired or you haven’t become a member, you can buy a combo: a new individual membership and symphony ticket for $35.
Please go to BikeWorks prior to April 30 to purchase your ticket.
We’ll gather at BikeWorks (10047 80 Ave) between 6:10-6:30pm on June 1. A second group will also gather at Beaver Hills Park (105 St and Jasper Ave) between 6:40-7:00pm. You can meet at whichever location is most convenient to you.
The BikeWorks group will depart at 6:30pm and ride to Beaver Hills Park to join with the downtown group. At 7pm, the whole group will ride together to the Winspear.
The concert will begin at 7:30pm.
Please try to wear your dress clothes for the bike ride, if possible. However, dress clothes are not required: if you prefer not to, or if you wish to change once we arrive at the Winspear.
Event Location: BikeWorks (10047 80 Ave, entrance through back alley only), Beaver Hills Park (105 St and Jasper Ave), and the Winspear Centre (#4 Sir Winston Churchill Square, corner of 99 St and 102 Ave)
Event Admission: $25. Purchase at BikeWorks until April 30.
Contact for More Info: info@edmontonbikes.ca
Event webpage/website: http://www.edmontonsymphony.com/the-eso-presents/2009-the-eso-presents/cameron-carpenter/

Teams of motivated and energetic young people aged 18 to 30 will set off on cycling and performing tours in 2010.

You can be one of them! Yes, you!

This year we are offering three tours departing from three different cities across Canada: Vancouver, Ottawa and Fredericton.

Apply Now!

* May 3 to June 25: Ferocious Farm Tour, Ottawa to Toronto and back (2 months) – Status: Full
* June 25 to Oct 31: Coast to Capital, Vancouver to Ottawa (4 months) – Status: Spots remaining
* Sept 7 to Nov 2: Highlands and Islands, Fredericton to Halifax (2 months) – Status: Spots remaining

For more tour info, check out:

http://www.otesha.ca/bike+tours/our+2010+tours.en.html

Position: Outreach Coordinator
Type: paid employment, May-Aug., 30 hours/week
Organization: Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society
   http://edmontonbikes.ca/home/more/ebc_is_hiring1/
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Posted: March 16, 2010

Position overview

The Outreach Coordinator is responsible for developing
programs to improve our services and strengthen our programs
as they relate to communities and needs not currently
well-served. The position aims to further EBC’s goal of
encouraging and facilitating bicycle use in Edmonton and
promoting and strengthening our organization.

JOB POSTING

Position: Summer Programs Director
Organization: Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society
   http://edmontonbikes.ca/home/more/ebc_is_hiring1/
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Posted: March 16, 2010

Position overview

The Summer Programs Director is responsible for program
development, volunteer management, and coordination of
special events. The position aims to further EBC’s goal of
encouraging and facilitating bicycle use in Edmonton and
promoting and strengthening our organization.

Position: Project Coordinator
Organization: Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society
   http://edmontonbikes.ca/home/more/ebc_is_hiring1/
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Posted: March 16, 2010

Position overview

The Project Coordinator is responsible for developing,
implementing, and overseeing the projects and operations of
EBC. The position aims to further EBC’s goal of encouraging
and facilitating bicycle use in Edmonton and promoting and
strengthening our organization.

Scroll down on this site to find instructions on how to make your own courier bag from old plastic bags!

Here’s an instructional video on how to safely cross train tracks on your bicycle.
Take time to explore more Streetfilms videos – there’s a whole world of cycling infrastructure news, cycling politics and cycling culture out there. Enjoy!

Design and build your own custom bike lights: wearable lights, colourful LEDs, ultra high-power front and rear lights, neon lights, helmet lights, dynamo LED upgrades—EBC’ll teach you how to make whatever you want.
The course will go over circuits, LEDs, batteries, soldering, weather-proofing, and help you design and construct your own custom lights. No tools, soldering, nor electronic experience necessary! Just bring your ideas of what you want to build.
To register for the bike lights workshop, please e-mail courses@edmontonbikes.ca. The workshop will be on Saturday, February 20, 2010, from 5pm-9pm.
The cost of the workshop is free to Edmonton BIcycle Commuter members, and $20 to non-members. You will have to pay for any materials you require for building your lights. You can look at the preliminary price list, but in general, the most expensive, high-power lights will cost you about $25 to build, and another $25 for a lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack and charger (if needed).
Depending on the complexity of what you design, and the availability of parts, we may schedule later small-group sessions to do the actual light construction.
You can also view a comparison of some of the front lights, some of which are available for immediate purchase (i.e. you don’t have to do any work, but the prices will be higher than what’s listed).
As a bonus, there will be free button/watch/coin cell batteries available, so bring your dead watches, mini-electronics, and valve stem lights for a free replacement.

Please contact olympic-bicyclevalet@best.bc.ca

—
Better Environmentally Sound Transportation is seeking Bicycle Valet staff for our bicycle parking program during the Olympic and/or Paralympic Games.

The Bicycle Valet is like a coat check for bikes (or any self propelled transportation) — people show up, hand over their bike to our Bicycle Valet attendants in exchange for a claim-check. Participants are then able to enjoy the Olympic events without worrying about the safety of their bike!

We will have a number of SHIFT WORK positions available from February 11 – March 21, between the hours of 5:00 a.m. through to 1:00 a.m.

You must be available to work at up to 7 different Olympic Venue sites within Vancouver.

The Bicycle Valet is position that requires a basic level of physical fitness & tolerance for outdoor work.

Rate of pay will be between $15-$18 per hour; with a differential for early and late shifts.

Preference will be given to applicants that can work during both Olympic and Paralympic events.

Please send 1 paragraph indicating your suitability, skills and why you may be interested in this position to the following email address with “Olympic Bicycle Valet” stated within the subject line: olympic-bicyclevalet@best.bc.ca

Date: Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Time: 6:30pm-9pm
Location: BikeWorks (10047 80 Ave, entrance through back alley only)
Cost: Showing up to talk or ask questions is free. If you want to stud a tire, it costs $5 for members (to cover materials), $10 for non-members. Supply your own tire, or buy used ($5) or new ($10) tires at the workshop.
Registration: courses@edmontonbikes.ca (registration for tire studding is required)

Do you fall down a lot? Do your fingers and toes go numb in the cold? Did your eyes freeze shut last night? Do you think people that ride bicycles in the winter are crazy? Did you know that the average daily temperature in January 2009 was -10.5C, and that the average daily high in February 2009 was -4.1C?

Come talk with us about how we do it. While you’re at it, put some wicked studs in your tire. It took me ~45 minutes the first time I made one (and I’m awful with a drill), and I enjoyed it so much that I studded 4 more tires, and I’d do it again sooner than repack my bottom bracket. Didn’t even get dirty.

Seeking Motivated Bike Tour Members
The Otesha Project’s 2010 Bike Tours http://www.otesha.ca
Location: various locations across Canada

Combine sustainable living, community building, theatre,
leadership training and phenomenal bicycle touring!

Teams of a dozen or more motivated and energetic young people,
aged 18 to 30, will set off on cycling and performing tours in
2010. You can be one of them! As a tour member you will share
an incredible experience as they live as a mobile sustainable
community. You will cycle from performance to performance,
connect with communities along the route, brave the elements,
and explore all the ups and downs of directly addressing
environmental and social justice issues through your everyday
actions. No bike touring or other experience is necessary,
just a willingness to give it your all! Apply now – first applied
first considered. Applications due by March 15, 2010.

WHAT IS THE OTESHA PROJECT?

The Otesha Project is a national youth-run charitable
organization created in 2002. We use theatre to mobilize
young people to create local and global change through their
everyday consumer choices. To date, we have reached over
100,000 Canadians directly with our theatre presentations
and workshops that inspire youth to re-evaluate their daily
consumer choices to reflect the kind of world they want
to live in.

WHAT TOURS ARE OFFERED THIS YEAR?

* May 3 – June 25: Ferocious Farm Tour (Ottawa to Toronto and back)
* June 25 – Oct 20: Coast to Capital (Vancouver to Ottawa)
* Sept 7 – Nov 2: Highlands and Islands (Fredericton to Halifax)
For more tour info, check out:

http://www.otesha.ca/bike+tours/our+2010+tours.en.html

See this website for details on this exciting photo contest.

capture.krisholm.com/

if you haven’t heard of Kris Holm before, google him for videos featuring his tremendous unicycle feats. The sound tracks are righteous too.

This is a friendly reminder that spring will come soon, especially if you ride all winter and have so much fun that time flies. If you have a bike that you intend to use in the spring that needs work, now is a good time to get it fixed up. The shops are slower now and your trusty steed will get attention quick and be ready for the first signs of spring. If self-help is what you want, the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ shop, Bikeworks, is a good place to learn how to fix your own bike. Volunteer mechanics will share their knowledge with you and the shop has a great vibe. Check out the details at www.edmontonbikes.ca
Enjoy planning for the spring.

Where: Bikeworks 10047-80 Ave *** entrance through the back ally only****

Time: 7-9pm on Friday, November 6, 09

You don’t have to register for this one. Come to gain knowledge and/or share some. Come if you want to ride in the winter just a little or all year long.

Experienced cyclists will guide the discussion through mechanical considerations, clothing, route finding, fancy dress destinations, visibility, kinds of snow and anything else you’re curious about.
See you tonight!

Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society offers another cool experience….

Studded winter tires can add a significant improvement to one’s winter riding experience and add a high degree of safety when one is faced with riding in icy conditions… and let me tell you that pulling away from cars as they spin out at intersections can be very gratifying.

Did you know that  you can make your own studded tires for a fraction of what commercially available tires cost ? These are tires that work just as well and will give you many years of reliable service.

We’ll provide the sheet metal screws and old tubes for lining the tire. Used and new tires will be for sale and will range from $10 – $25. Feel free to bring your own supplies if you like. We’ll have a couple electric drills, but please let us know if you can bring your own and if you can share.

Date: Friday, November 20, 2009

Time: 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Space is limited. Register: info@bikeology.ca
Cost: $5 for members $10 for non-members. This cost covers instruction and sheet metal screws only. Cash only for course and for tire purchases.
NOTE: you may not be able to finish a whole tire, so don’t plan to ride out on it.
Location: Bikeworks, 10047-80 Ave entrance through the back alley only.

Come to discuss the thrills and avoiding spills of winter cycling with seasoned winter cyclists. We’ll share information on clothing, route finding, preparing and maintaining your mighty steed and identifying conditions. We’ll have an open discussion, welcoming input from all. We aim to cover basics for those who are beginning to those who want to increase their riding – for those on tight budgets to those with coin.

Date: Friday, November 6th, 2009
Time: 7 pm to 9:00 pm
Register: info@bikeology.ca
Cost: Free.
Location: Bikeworks, 10047-80 Ave entrance through the back alley only.

I like how the author of the blog linked here explains the use of statistics to measure the health of the urban landscape for cyclists. Enjoy!

October 24th

Meet at the U of A ‘Quad’ 114st 87Ave. It’s the green space to the North of the Administration building.

Just a reminder for those new to this site, there’s a link to our icalendar to the right. We post bike culture events in and around Edmonton that are free! Races, demos, mechanics’ courses, rides, parties, talks, and of course, the whole month of June is filled to busin’ with cycling happenings.

For those interested in transporting infants by bike, here’s a good discussion about the health and legal concerns from Portland.

Note that most manufacturers of kids’ bike trailers recommend that a child be 12 or even 18 months old before being pulled in a trailer behind a bike.

The Canadian National Cyclo-cross Championships on October 10th, and the UCI Jim Horner Grand Prix on October 11th. Both races are being run at Argyll Park in Edmonton, Alberta. Organizers are expecting close to 200 competitors at the biggest weekend in Canadian Cyclo-cross!

Race organizers are currently recruiting volunteers to assist with all aspects of the race. If you are interesting in working on a national-level race, this is a great opportunity to meet the best cyclists in Canada, have some fun, eat well, and get a great t-shirt.

You don’t need to be a cyclist to help out with this event and if you are interested, please contact don.fox@cyclocrossedmonton.com.

Finally, there is a need to provide housing opportunities for those competitors travelling from all parts of the country to compete in these national championships. If you are interested in providing accommodation for a competitor (or two?), please contact don.fox@cyclocrossedmonton.com and he will take care of matching a competitor with your generous offer for accommodation. Show the hospitality of Edmonton’s cyclists!

We hope that you will all come out and enjoy a fantastic weekend of racing in Edmonton.
visit cyclocrossedmonton.com for more information _______________________________________________

ok, ok, it’s not so racy. Have fun taking bikes apart (stripping) so that parts can be reused and recycled.

October 04, Sunday, 2009 @ 5:30 PM:Bicycle Stripping and General Cleaning Work Bee

EBC is hosting their fall clean up work bee. If you are interested in helping us get ready for winter please drop by .

Light refreshments, gloves and music provided.

Location: Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society, 10047 – 80th Avenue (enter through Back Alley only)

Address: 10047 – 80th Avenue (enter through Back Alley only)

Cost: Free

Contact: Alex Hindle

Contact Phone: 780.433.2453

Website: http://www.edmontonbikes.ca

Provided here for your convenience is the link to 1 new recall notice

2009 Burley d’lite ST and Solo ST Bicycle Child Trailer

See also: www.healthcanada.gc.ca/cps-recalls

Theoretically, bike month is done. We like to laugh and giggle at the phrase ‘bike month’, because every month is bike month for us, not just June. There are lots of events put on by Edmonton organizations throughout the year that celebrate cycling. Keep posted with some of the links we offer on this website. I’m hearing rumors about some fun business that’s still not posted such as polo velo (yes, that’s polo played on bikes), a winter bikie breakie, and a perogie ride to the Ukrainian Village.
I think the most obvious celebration of cycling happens when we just get on our bikes. At the mechanical fascinations discussion, we talked with a fellow from the United Cycle race team who was going to race in the criterion the next day, Canada Day. Rigged out in full spandex with a bike that I could lift with two fingers, he happily told us “I ride all year. I don’t see the point of owning a car.” Training is everyday and velo love is everyday. As I watched the racers mash up the hill at the race the next day, I wondered if there are many racers who share the same sentiment. Perhaps we can explore that for a Bikeology Salon night next year.
The Canada Day parade was so fantastic. The Edmonton Bicycle Commuters had a float that consisted of about 30 cyclists, all of whom I think are year-round cyclists. We put on a great show with some fantastic attention-grabbers: a bouncy bike called ‘the slug’ that has a 12′ fork that juts the front wheel waaay out; a long bike made from a frame and a half with a skateboard rack pulling an 8′ loaded trailer; a bike with no seat and cranks that are level that you jump up and down on instead of spin ’round; a couple of families with kids cycling and in trailers; a tandem decked out like a whale, with a shiny plume of pretend water sticking out of one of the riders’ helmets; a recumbent tadpole electric assist bike (tadpole= two wheels up front, one in the back); a mini bike with 14″ wheels – 3 wheels in a row; a tall bike with one frame on top of the other; a trailer with a bike on a repair stand; and another trailer with the bicycle and generator and blender set up facing opposite the rider with a person happily blending a drink sitting high on the saddle.
If you can’t imagine all this bicycle joy, stay tuned as we’ll have pics posted pdq.
We cycled in funny circles, weaving in and out with skills gained from daily rides. As commuters we cycle predictably and safely day in and day out. It was a delightful change of pace to provide a visual feast of bazaar bicycle flavour. On one of the trailers we hung our “Edmonton Bicycle Commuters” sign on each side, proudly acknowledging that cycling isn’t just what we do to look fun, it’s what we do daily with passion. “Bike Lots” says Eddy Merckx. Join us.
Ride On!

Tomorrow night is the Salon discussion night of mechanical fascinations. If you like to hear people talk about interesting bike bits, or if you have facts to share, meet at Decapo Café at 7 pm – 8738 109th St NW. Participants might be seen riding in on a fascinating bike, fondling loved bike parts, and chatting about the minutia of bike bits from 1905-2009.
If you’d like to be part of the silly summer parade on Wed, July 1st, meet at Bikeworks, 10047-80 Ave, at 10 am to join other cyclists. It’s your chance to enjoy a ride down Whyte Ave without motor vehicles!

This is the organizers’ favourite event. The forecast says it’ll clear up and we’ll have a clear evening. I love to see the field filled with bikes laid down beside picnic blankets, with cyclist descending into the valley all night. We have fantastic local music lined up:
Jill Pollock is a seriously funny entertainer and after we have
Aroot Bazaar who will offer up energetic world beat music that’ll fill your heart
We’re so thrilled to have such fantastic performers.
After the sun goes down, we’re playing some bike shorts and then our feature, E.T.
If you’re there ’till the end, there’s a joyous screen of flashing red lights meandering up the trails and out of the valley.
Bring a picnic, buy some popcorn while there, bring suncreen, bug spray and lots of layers for late at night. See you there!

Mocktails on the bridge today were delicious. Cool smoothies were appreciated under the intense sun and dramatic sky.
Come tomorrow for our last Bikey Breakie at the bicycle bottleneck – the Southwest side of the high level bridge. Organic fair trade coffee from Earth’s General Store, bars and juice from MEC, and doughnuts from Cram Dunk, the UofA student’s union coffee shop. Breakie is from 7-9

We’re off to the Mocktails on the bridge. Come out and pedal a bike to power a blender to make a pedal-powered smoothie! It’s at Ezio Farone park, NorthWest of the High Level Bridge.

Want to know what it takes to ride in the winter? Check out the Winter Cycling Salon tonight 7-9pm at the Parkallen Hall Skating Shack 11104-65th Ave.

Route finding, clothing, special care and feeding for your bicycle. Learn what you need to know to start winter riding, or come share your experiences as a seasoned rider. What better time to reminisce about winter riding than one of the longest days of the year.

(One of the presenters: Molly Turnbull and kids. Credit: Edmonton Journal)

I hear that city employees were just sent an email about bikeology. If this is your first intro to us – welcome! We’re here to provide free events for cyclist. We’re all about making community and providing resources through celebrating Edmonton’s cycling culture.

For your rainy day pleasure today, we’re having the Writing/riding circle. We’ll meet over coffee or tea and weave stories about bikes. Bring nothing but your imagination.

Look for details of the event under ‘events’
If you can’t make it today, please note at the top of the events listing, that we’ve described an on-going writing competition and there’s also a ton more events in June for you to come out and express your velo love!

The repair-a-thon lasted more than 24 hours as the mechanics and people learning mechanics were so into it, they just kept on wrenching.

The twilight ride was lovely. A hot night is a delightful time to weave through the river valley, enjoying the gift of wafts of cool from the trees and river.

FIX: The Repair-a-thon lasts until noon today at the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Shop, Bikeworks: 10047-80 Ave ****entrance through the back alley only****. Once your noble steed is all fixed up, you can attend the….

RIDE: The Edmonton Bicycle And Touring Club is hosting a twilight ride. Enjoy a pleasant summer evening ride in Edmonton’s River Valley. This approximately 30km ride will go towards Rundle Park and back. Meet at Louise McKinney Park for a 7:00pm departure. Bring your own water and snacks, if needed

We look forward to seeing all of you there.

Doughnuts, juice, bars, fair trade organic coffee, free tune-ups, give-aways, the company of cyclists and velo love. Come out tomorrow between 7am and 9am at the bicycle bottleneck – the Southwest side of the high level bridge.

www.commuterchallenge.ca
the whole week of Monday, June 1 to Friday, Saturday June 6th

Throughout this mighty land, people are registering and logging their commuter kilometers. If you commute by anything other than a single-occupancy vehicle – by bike, bus, walking, skate board, roller blades, car pool – you can log your km as an individual, part of a team, or for your community. Register as an individual or register your school or place of work. Let’s show how hip Edmonton is on the transportation front! (yes, you can sign up late in the week and still record you’re whole week’s efforts)
www.commuterchallenge.ca.

Alternative Video Spot will have a special shelf of very cool bicycle movies for the month of June. Hey, fun!

Kids can ride free!!
Kids 4-13 come try out the course!

Just before the official race, a kids fun ride and race will allow kids to try the track that the adults will later ride. Any type of bike can be used.  
 
 
Pre race kids event details:
Free!!
Kids 4 to 13
Kids must wear closed shoes and helmets to ride
Any kind of bike can be used
Medal awarded to each participant.
Hot dogs
Free!!
 
For more information on the race visit http://albertamtbracing.wordpress.com/edmonton-canada-cup/

The June 1st event – the City of Edmonton Proclamation – has been changed. It’s no longer on June 1st. We’re changing the event to be closer to the middle of the month. Details of the event will be posted soon. Stay tuned and set your sites on our first Metro Cinema movie on the evening of June 1st – Free!

The Tweed Ride was absolutely fabulous, darling! 31 riders enjoyed a jaunty ride and libations at Steeps tea house. Prizes were awarded for style and poise. Well done, tweed ride organizers! The San Fransisco, SFTweed.com, people tweeted us saying: “A big Tally Ho to the Tweed Riders in Edmonton who embark on their 1st Tweed Ride tonight!”

Tweed ride tonight! Come out in your best tweedy outfit and cycle on parade. We’re stopping for libations here and there, darling.
See the events listing for more details.

The Jewelry making course is on the calendar! Register or miss it.
The Tweed ride is also listed – May 24th!
Click on the ‘events’ button above and enjoy the velo love!

Click on the Events button! Do it now! Bikey fun – oh dear me, it’s so exciting.

Got your summer bike out yet? Remember to clean the drive train on your winter steed before you hang it. We’re solidifying our dates for Bikeology events. Check out the link to Google Calendar to see the updates. We’re also working on getting a Fashionista event to make jewelry from salvaged bike parts and possibly a repair-a-thon at the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters.

From the San Francisco Bay Guardian

Hollis Hawthorne, a major force in the San Francisco art and bicycle scene, is in critical condition in India. The 31-year-old dancer, artist, and activist was in a tragic motorcycle accident near Pondicherry last Tuesday, February 24, which left her with severe head injuries and in a coma.

If you would like more information and/or to help out then check out Friends of Hollis Hawthorne.

We’ve been strategizing, booking venues, applying for funding, meeting with bike geeks – all the good stuff that happens before we can have another Bike Month.
So, what can you do? here are a number of ways you can get all bikey:
1) send us an email with your contact info if you want to volunteer during Bike Month
2) Send us ideas for Bikey Movies at the Metro – deadline Feb 20
3) Send us ideas for the Ride-In movie – it has to be cheezy and have some bikes in it (no necessarily bike focused)
4) email us if you’re interested in helping with media during Bike Month. We’re working on a concise list of directions for someone to follow
5) Let us know what ideas you have for Bike Month. Please keep in mind that we already run 27 events – so any further activities will need some people power behind it. We’d love to help you gather resources and promote your stunningly wonderful event
6) stay tuned for more additions to the Bike Month 2009 calendar – found to the right under ‘google calendar’

have you read the report on the recovered stolen bikes in Toronto – all 1,500 of them? I was blown away by this report. Imagine all those stolen bikes. Some people are recovering their bikes – even some bikes that had been stolen 3 years ago. 

Riding in the rain builds character, I always say. Still, my “character” is wearing just a little thin from all the downpours we’ve been getting lately. So here’s some advice on ways you can stay safe and dry while rolling to your destination.

Clothing:
There are two universal laws of physics when it comes to rainwear. The first is that if too few of us are carrying rain jackets or pants, the cycling gods become angry and make it rain. The second is that as soon as you fish your jacket and rain pants out of your panniers and put them on, the rain will stop.
Waterproof, breathable fabrics like Gore-Tex will keep all but the most torrential rainstorms from soaking you. The “breathable” claim is accurate only up to a point — if you’re pedaling hard and tend to perspire a lot, you may still get a buildup of sweat. It’s still better than the cheaper alternative, which is rubberized nylon. That stuff keeps the rain out, but moisture builds up quickly underneath.
Also, full-length fenders on both the front and the back are the best way to protect your feet from the spray generated by your tires. They also prevent dirty road water from coating your bike (and you).

Cargo:
Plastic bags from the supermarket are bad, bad, bad, bad, bad. Except they’re really good for keeping things in your panniers or backpack dry. Keep a few handy in your pack, If it’s raining, insert your stuff into the bags, and tie shut. Reuse often.

Safety:
Fortunately, most rainwear is bright yellow, red or orange. This makes it easier for cars to see you, and helps rescuers spot you if a flash flood washes you away.
Watch out for puddles — potholes are known to hide in them. Remember, too, that you should be careful if you’re using a hood to keep your head dry because your range of vision will be reduced. Turning on your flashing lights also helps cars see you.

Your Bike:
Braking in the rain may be more difficult, particularly if you have steel wheels. (Steel has a shiny, reflective appearance compared with alloy, which has a buffed look.) A brake tune-up may be needed to make sure you have enough stopping power.
Water also washes the lube off your chain. The solution: lube regularly.

Lightning:
Will your rubber bicycle tires protect you from a lightning strike? According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the United States, they do not! FEMA says that car tires don’t provide any protection either, but that the metal body of a hardtop car provides more protection that if lightning struck your body.
FEMA says that you should avoid objects like bicycles, golf clubs, and lawn mowers during thunderstorms. Taking shelter under telephone booths and large trees is also bad.
What FEMA doesn’t say is that riding a bike during a thunderstorm can be very exciting! But now that you know the dangers, you can make up your own mind.

“Lightning’s unpredictability increases the risk to individuals and property.” — FEMA

The Edmonton Journal featured cyclist Chris Chan in today’s edition. Read it here.

No news on new events yet – we’re still hashing out the details. In the mean time, I thought I’d let you know a few ways you can help the cycling community of Edmonton.

Yesterday I saw a fellow on his bike on the multi-use path that runs from Oliver Square to way past 118 Ave on the converted railway corridor along 122st, otherwise known as the bike highway. He was stopping now and then, pulling out pruning sheers and trimming all the branches that cyclists otherwise would have to duck under. Random acts of pruning. 

I also know a chap who frequently plans on taking a few more minutes on his commute so that he can stop and sweep up glass he sees on the path. Isn’t that grand? I’ve always admired him for doing this.

I tried this the other day spontaneously when I saw an entire whisky bottle smashed just North of the High Level bridge. I was lucky to have a good garbage bag on me, ‘though I recommend a broom and dust pan for this activity. It didn’t take too long, and I got a good stretch to boot. 

Other things you can do are phone when someone is parked on or across the access to a path, phone when you see damaged pavement on a path, and phone when someone is parked in a bike lane – even if they’re just going to be there to drop someone off – get their license number and whatever description of their vehicle you can muster. 

For on-road cycling inquiries, contact Claire Ellick, City of Edmonton Sustainable Transportation at 780-496-2615. 
Roadway maintenance inquiries (potholes, gravel, glass) can be directed to the Roadway Maintenance Hotline at 780-496-1700.

Do it. There are many at the city level who try their best to improve cycling in Edmonton. They need to say they’ve heard from citizens that cycling is important. If we all speak out, things will change.

Update (June 2010): This is a post from 2008 and is not current. Check the date of any post to avoid confusion.

We’ve been working on a date for another Ride-In Movie. It looks like the Victoria Cricket pitch, where we show the outdoor movie, is used a bunch for cricket in the summer – go figure. We’re looking at some August dates, as none are available in July. We’ll keep you posted

Is anyone interested in another Jewelry class? We’re assuming we need one – and I mean need – nearer the December festivities. Would one in September or October appeal to folks. Feel free to email with feedback

info@bikeology.ca

Soon we’ll have formulated another writing competition too.

Oh, and just to keep you on your toes, we’re talking about a tire-studding session in August. Hey, why wait until the snow flies to get your steed in gear for snow fun?

Here’s a little comment from one of our local couriers about the film we showed called ‘Pedal’. He said “that was a bit depressing -I hope people don’t think we’re that miserable” He was referring especially to the courier drug addicts they interviewed. He said that one of the companies that the film focused on hired drug addicts on purpose because they know they can work them to the bone – the drug addicts need more $ for drugs, so will work beyond what is physically healthy. Nice, eh? We don’t have any such company in Edmonton. We do have a lively courier community who sometimes arrange to have races, sometimes meet for beer or coffee after work, and have always seemed friendly and chatty to me. And we owe them thanks for bringing the North American Cycle Courier Championships to Edmonton in 1991 – that’s where we had our first Bikeology Festival and we haven’t lost our momentum since. Ride On working cyclists!

The Bike Coalition who brought you Bike Month strongly recommends the class detailed below – like all Bike Month events – it’s FREE.

The Edmonton Bicycle Commuters will be holding a one-day course to  
teach anyone how to run a basic children’s bike safety course. It  
will include a manual, sources and how-tos for necessary resources.  
The course is FREE and will be run on Saturday, July 19, 2008 in  
Edmonton. For more information, please contact John Collier at  
jbcollier@shaw.ca 

don’t let us fall off your radar. Now that Bike Month is done, we’re making plans to celbrate bikes some more this summer and beyond.  Stay tuned for an announcement of another ride-in outdoor movie in July…..and we’re thinking about when to have the next jewelry making class….and writing competition….

we had an amazing day at Bikeology, a relaxing informative ride at John Jansen Nature centre yesterday, and tonight we have our last Bike Month event. Come to cool off at Metro Cinema tonight in the Citadel and see ‘Pedal’ 

@ 7:30 at Metro Cinema, in Zeidler Hall Main Floor– Citadel Theatre, 9828 101A Ave. 

 the movie’s free and we have a whole bunch of prizes to give away. See the ‘donors’ section of the website above for a list of all the generous bikes stores that donate really nice prizes throughout the month – let’s hear it for a vibrant cycling community!

more infor on Pedal:

http://www.powerhousebooks.com/titless06/pedal.html

It’s an inside look at the New York Courier scene, filmed during the Cycle Messenger World Championships. From the website above:

“ in motion and at ease, checking out each other’s bags, lingering over modifications to bikes and bodies. Between events like sprints, distance racing, and skid contests, Sutherland shows us the riders’ elegant physicality, complex individuality, and unique community that crosses boundaries of race, gender, age, and class. And he doesn’t shy away from the blood and bruises that come part and parcel with the messenger’s life.”

oh yeah – the movie’s free and we have a whole bunch of prizes to give away. See the ‘donors’ section of the website above for a list of all the generous bikes stores that donate really nice prizes throughout the month – let’s hear it for a vibrant cycling community!

Guided Bicycle Nature Tour

June 29th
1 to 3 pm
A nature guide will take us on an easy trip – this ride is for everyone – easy. Children on bike and trailer are welcome. We’ll start at John Janzen Nature Centre and meander at a leisurely pace. This ride is rated for novice cyclists and will include lots of discussion stops. Bring water (lots of water), food and sunscreen. A fresh look at Edmonton’s natural landscapes and responsible bicycling in our natural areas.

This will be a perfect way for some of us to mellow out and simmer down after a lovely, exciting day at Bikeology.

Remember your first bike? Your ride down to the corner store? The first time you fell in love with….riding? Come to Beaver Hill’s Park, 105 st and Jasper, between 12 and 5 today and recapture your youth. Reinvent your passion. Resuscitate your joi de vivre. Bring your bike for a free tune-up and refresh your ride.

Bikeology this year will be having many of the old favourites and some new events:

Local musicians powered by Solar Energy Society’s solar panels

Bike-nic poetry and other ’spoke’n word

children’s entertainment

craft table for all-ages bike bling

local stores’ information booths

pedal powered smoothies

free mechanic tune ups

and eco fair

wide range of bike information and bike enthusiast to chat with

scavenger hunt

self-guided tours of historic downtown Edmonton

quizzes and prizes

more prizes!

Bring your bike, there’ll be plenty o’ bike parking AND free mechanical checks.

See you there!

tomorrow at the Bikeology Festival we have some sweet local bands. Come out and enjoy. The festival runs from 12-5 and is at Beaver Hills park on 105 st and Jasper Ave

Lara Farascan 

The Ferris Wheel 

 Joe Nolan 

Paper Ghosts 

The Bummers 

Daniel Moir 

Bikenic Poetry

Andrew Pahl 

          Rob Taylor 

We were warmed and enchanted with a visit from Momentum Magazine’s Ilrike Rodrigues yesterday. Momentum is a magazine out of Vancouver that you can pick up for free at Earth’s General Store. It’s all about cycling, especially commuting – and it’s a fun read. Ilrike, or Ile, is a columnist for the magazine and writes about a broad range of subjects, including traveling by bike.

Ile traveled here with her folding bike to explore part of the cross-Canada trail (pics on flickr scroll above). She also checked out the massive multi-use trail we have in the valley. Sometimes we forget what a gem our river valley is. If you’d like to find out more about Ile’s opinion of the trail, stay tuned to Momentum magazine and Ile’s own website:

http://www.miteymiss.com/

I like living in a Northern city, where people show up and have a great time in high winds at +12 C to drink pedal powered smoothies. There was more than a handful of toques at the Mocktails today. As you might see in the pictures on the flickr stream above, we used some ‘road closed’ road signs and many bungie cords to hold down the tents in the wind. Interesting imagery there. Lots of people nonetheless lined up to have a smoothy made from frozen berries, bananas and soy milk. 

Tomorrow we’re lined up for a visit from Don Iveson, a fabulous cycling city coucillor, for our bikey breakfast on the Southwest side of the High Level bridge between 7 and 9 am. See you there!

two fabulous velo-love events have already happened this week. Here’s the next 4 (!) for this week:

Mocktails on the Bridge

Thursdays June 26th
4-6pm @ Ezio Faraone Park, North West side of the High Level Bridge, at 109th St
Stop by on your way to/from your commute for a smoothie made in a blender powered by bike! Meet other bike ridin’ folk! Snacks, information and fun times will be provided.

Bikey Breakfast

Friday June 27th from 7-9am.

Stop by for free coffee, juice, granola bars, cinnamon buns with a side of velo love! Mechanics will provide free bike maintenance checks. Cinnamon buns don’t arrive until around 8 ’cause we like ‘em fresh out of the bakery

 @ 109 Street & 88 Avenue – The Bicycle Bottleneck on the South West side of the High Level Bridge

Rumour has it that Don Iveson, city councilor is coming down on his bike commute to work. He’s well versed in matters of sustainable transportation and how more people cycling make a city cleaner, healthier, quieter, safer and generally a better place to be. If you’d like to see a wee video where Mr Iveson presents Bike Month with a city proclamation to kick off the festivities, scroll down to the blog entry “Barb’s Bike Shorts from June 2″

Owen Richel Memorial Critical Mass

Friday June 27th @ 5:30pm
For Owen Richel’s Story see this short video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oTF-jXCwFw

Meet outside of city hall to take to the streets! Critical mass rides are a fun way to demonstrate use of the bicycle as an efficient and freeing form of daily travel. Dress up, dress down, tape flowers to your bikes for Owen or just come out and ride from Edmonton City Hall to Gazebo Park in the Strathcona area.
www.edmontoncriticalmass.com

Bikeology Festival – all free!

Saturday June 28th from Noon – 5pm
Beaver Hills House Park at Jasper Ave + 105th St

Edmonton’s Wild Ride Festival! Contests, local live solar-powered music, free bike tune-ups, trials team (jumping and dancing with bikes), cyclists of all nature to talk with, pedal powered smoothies, and eco fair and more! Bring your bike, your friends and your sunscreen for a fantastic velo party! 

Home-built trailer competition

at the Bikeology Festival 

show your home-built bicycle to judges between 2:30 and 3:30
$200 prize at 4:00
special note will be taken for bikes made of reused parts

Guided Bicycle Nature Tour

June 29th
1 to 3 pm
All riders welcome. Children on bike and trailer accompanied by adults are welcome start at John Janzen Nature Centre, leisurely pace. This ride is rated for novice cyclists and will include lots of discussion stops. Bring water, food and sunscreen. A fresh look at Edmonton’s natural landscapes and responsible bicycling in our natural areas.
 

The Bike Month Coalition would like to extend a huge amount of velo love to our amazingly supportive bike stores. These stores have provided promotion and a ton of free stuff for us to give away at many of our events.

• Cranky’s Bike Shop
• Relics Bicycles
• Pedalhead Bicycle Works
• Velocity Cycle
• Belvedere Cycle & Sports
• Klondike Sporting Goods
• Pedalhead Road Works
• Western Cycle
• Revolution Cycle

Tonight we’re at the Three Bananas Bistro and Café again tonight from 7-9pm. It’s on churchill square. We’re talking about fascinating bike mechanic stuff. Some of our panel members will bring cool things to look at and poke and talk about. Bring your own or just come down for the discussion. Perhaps there’ll be heated debates about free wheels, fixies, sealed bottom brackets, slicks, and cog ratios. Don’t know what any of these mean? Come down and learn something and enjoy the velo love.

Tonight’s movie, for June 23, was ‘You never Bike Alone’. I highly recommend it. It’s a balanced look at the Vancouver Critical Mass (edmontoncriticalmass.com): history, conflicts, bike activist who hate or love it, reasonable arguments for and against it and, best of all, the weird and wonderful collection of things and people  - tall bikes, trailers, small bikes, car bikes, choppers, naked riders, underwear riders, costumes, signs, jugglers, trick riders. And the people who stop to do twister on the Lions’ Gate Bridge. And the people who take up a parking spot with a garden planted in the engine block. And and and. It’s a visual inspiration of cycling as normalcy and cycling as an artistic expression. If you want a copy, the Edmonton Small Press Association (edmontonsmallpress.org/links.html) who hosted the evening still has a few copies. They’ll bring them to sell at the Bikeology Festival on Saturday, if they have any left. We ought to play it again for next Bike Month. I’d see it again and again.

The Ride-In movie was a great success. Check out the photos posted above on a flicker stream. Send your photos to info@bikeology.ca if you want them on this site. The only real glitch, I think, was that I forgot to point out where the port-a-potty was.

It was great to have Jesse, one of our most dependable star bicycle trailer hauler, performing on stage with his family. His band, the Cunningham Family, was a good match for a mellow evening in the park. Next time I’ll request that they play some of their Métis stuff – they didn’t ’cause they had played for Aboriginal Day earlier.

Doug Hoyer was incredible – and was graciously not put out at all that he had to play in the dark. I had told our great sound guy Bill Karly that we wouldn’t need lights.

The give-away blinky lights and patch kits from the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters (EBC) set out on the information table went like hot cakes. Also fun, the wrenches holding down the propaganda were used a number of times for bike fixing.

Attendance. I’m thinking we had 100 + people. Andy counted 70 before the first band started. We had a number of blinky light parades of cyclists swoosh in after that. Beautiful site against the backdrop of the downtown skyline.

Reading the writing competition’s finalist entries was a perfect addition to the evening. The audience looked please to participate in judging the entries. Great idea, Robert. Writing as a community builder has definitely been established  as a staple for Bike Month. Prizes for the three finalists included a penny-farthing pizza cutter from EBC, a Park Tool mechanical guide from Cranky’s bike shop, a hep cycling t-shirt from Velocity, a chain cleaner system and oil from Western Cycle and and autographed “the Bicycle Book: Wit Wisdom and Wanderings” book edited by Jim Joyce. Thanks so much to all our generous prize donators! 

To all the people who put the night together, thanks for the cooperative effort. I’ve forgiven you all for not dressing up in ’80s garb. Warning – I now have a taste for pulling an 8′ long and 4′ wide trailer in a Cindy Lauper skirt.

Finalists will be selected and the winner will be chosen at the Bike-In Movie picnic this Saturday evening. You can still get a last-minute entry in by e-mailing drinkwaterrobert@hotmail.com.

And now, for fun, here is my own badass story..
I was at a stop sign waiting for the traffic to clear in front of me, when a woman in a car behind me honked the horn and screamed out her window that she had the right to pass me and be first at the intersection. She swore like a sailor, her face was contorted and red, and she appeared on the verge of having a stroke. I had Gatorade in my water bottle — undiluted — and squirted it onto her windshield. She made the mistake of turning on her wipers, which turned the sugary drink into a sticky sheen on the glass. I heard the car’s washer-fluid pump buzzing, but the nasty hag appeared to have forgotten to fill the tank. I pedalled off, while she was stuck at the stop sign with an opaque windshield.

so someone commented that I didn’t post the time of tomorrow’s breakie. It’s from 7-9, with the cinnamon buns arriving at 8 or before.

If you need more details of any event, please check the calendar on the right column of this web page. To find out more about any event, click on the event on the calendar and a box with more info will pop up.

We’re meeting tomorrow at Ezio Farone park on the Northwest side of the High level bridge for breakie – wanna come? There’ll be independently certified fair trade coffee from Earth’s General Store, bars and juice and fruit rolls from MEC and then – as soon as their out of the oven early in the morning, a cyclist packs the organic spelt cinnamon buns from Breadland and sprints to our breakfast. It’s very exciting. Get a free tune-up while there and let us fill out a tardy slip for you to hand to your boss. It goes something like “Please forgive your employee, [name], for being tardy as he/she has stopped for a healthy breakfast and participated in a healthy form of transportation. We know that these things increase productivity, so please encourage all your employees to do the same…”

Today at Stantec, 10160-112 st, between 4pm and 8pm the City of Edmonton Sustainable Transportation Department is having an open house. The display and discussion will center around the city’s larger policies for bicycle transportation. come out to wrap your head around the big issues, the long term and hopes for the future

as usual, our bike Salon was a success. Despite torrential rain, we had 20+ people come out to share their winter stories and a few were there to learn. those of us out there in the winter know the joys of winter riding and reminiscing in June is just so sweet. Thanks Robert and Ketih for leading the discussion, offering technical advise and showing us your warmest underwear (I averted my eyes, of course). Also a big thank you to Three Bananas Café who stay open late every Tuesday in June so we can vibe out on talking about bikes. 

Next week, come and talk with a panel of mechanics who’ll bring fun mechanical fascinations

that’s right – tonight we talk about snow. The winter cycling salon will be at 3 bananas on churchill square at 7 tonight. Several winter cyclists will impart their knowledge on the subject. We’ll have winter bikes there to show you how to gear up, an underwear display to show you how to stay warm, and discuss route finding and snow skills – and all the fun that goes with it. come learn or share your experiences

Less than a week left to enter your badass bike vs. car stories to drinkwaterrobert@hotmail.com for the contest. Here are a few more that came in…

Greg Hendricks offers a poem on the battle between cars and bikes..
They have horns,
I have bells.
My breath is ‘Winterfresh’!
Their exhaust, it smells.

Reflections in their mirrors
Reflectors on my shoe.
While they burn fossil fuels
My thighs are burning too.

A mere five gears is what they have
But I’ve got twenty-four.
My pedals, they go round and round
Theirs just go to the floor.

Their heaters keep them nice and warm
I’m kept warm by MEC.
They get to work in 20 minutes
I’m only slower by a sec.

They hunker down in traffic snarls
I whiz by them on the right.
They might develop ‘road-rage’
Fatigue’s my only fight.

Air-bags will protect their noggins
A helmet’s all I’ve got.
y body’s slowly getting fitter
While theirs just goes to pot.

So many perks to the bike commute
And I’m choosing here to boast.
But once it snows and hits -40
I know that I’ll be toast.

 
An anonymous cyclist shows us that you’d better be careful who you get badass with…
In downtown Calgary, while working as a courrier, I was clipped by a mercedes convertible driven by a grey-haired, cell-phone talking, sunglasses-wearing, no-look-lane-changing prince of a fellow. Due to luck more than to anything else [I didn't see him coming], I stayed up and squeezed against a curb as I hit the brakes and let him go by. I may have exchanged some form of witty pleasantry — I’m not sure. But as I pass him on the driver’s side, I note that HE is yelling at ME! 
He is left behind at the next red light, and I start trying to figure out why he was yelling at me.  I believe he was either just angry that I was on the road in the first place, or perhaps he thought that I was somehow at fault, or maybe he just lost a big case, or maybe he was off his meds, or maybe he was born with this personality. I turn down an alley, and I hear an engine revving behind me, tires squealing, and I pull to the side to let some wannabe racer pass me without getting clipped yet again. The car keeps speeding up, and I stop behind a concrete post because, holy s&*#, this guy must be in a hurry. The car locks the brakes and slides to a sideways stop just in past me. It’s the same guy. 
He starts SCREAMING at me and gets out of the car with his hand in his inner suit pocket. I’m still on my bike so I ride around him and past his car as fast as I possibly can.  I hear the door slam and the tires squeal, I make some quick turns, go down some one-ways the wrong way, and finally find a space between buildings too narrow for a car to follow. I come out the other side and run my bike into the used sporting goods store. I sat in the corner for a bit while my heart slowed down, and then tried to ride the unicycle they had on display.  I learned that ineptitude + adrenaline = ineptitude. Then I spent the rest of the day ready to bolt every time I saw a silver convertible.

 
Karly Coleman rode up the Coquihalla, she found that drivers got friendlier as the altitude increased…
All the way up, as motorists passed me slogging on and on, they’d honk and wave. At rest stops they’d inquire if I wanted a ride, or if I needed food or water. No wild humans here, just your good ol’ boys and girls, marveling at the crazy s&$@ some people get up to. The Coquihalla Toll Plaza (as the name implies) collects monies from the various vehicles that choose that route. The fees range from $5 for motorcycles to $50 for those vehicles with 5 axles. It appears from their rate list that $10 per axle is the going rate. Curiously, they don’t get many cyclists, so when I arrived exhausted and exhilarated, they lumped me in with the passengers, who don’t pay any money. They are, like me, just along for the ride.

Today is our second anual Repair-a-thon, run by the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters (www.edmontonbikes.ca). 10047-80th Ave, entrance through the back alley ONLY. Come in and learn to fix and maintain your bike – shop fees are waved today. Mechanics will be helping people from noon today until noon tomorrow – there’s so much velo love, we can’t stop giving it out!

Also, we have the world’s most funky Bikeology posters, designed by Rainbow Bridge Communications. We’d absolutely love it if you could take a few and get them around town for others to enjoy. If you’re into it, please pick some up from the Bikeworks shop during the above described Repair-a-thon.

the People’s Pedal put on a wonderful pancake bikie breakfast this morning. We were please that cyclists came down by bike in droves, despite the weather forecast for rain. So, who is People’s Pedal and what can they offer you? Check out the link to their site on the sidebar and the following survey offered up by Rob Butz:

Hey folks. People’s Pedal has a social research survey we’re doing set up online, to help us determine which ways to grow Edmonton’s shared bicycle network. If you can help out by taking a 10-minute survey, just click the green “take this survey” button on

http://www.peoplespedal.org

Last night we discussed road bikes vs touring bikes, assisted ride vs non, randoneering, 20 km rides and 1200 km rides, and rides through Africa or close to home. Ed Weymouth from the Edmonton Bicycle and Touring Club, or, what they call the eating club with a cycling disorder, brought his years of experience as a commuter and a long-distance rider to discuss all questions posed. Thanks, Ed!

This Thursday June 12th and Friday June 13th look like they’re going to be great weather for our mocktails at Ezio Farone park on the Northwest side of the high level bridge and our pancake breakfast at Churchill Square. Look at the calendar in the right column of this page for more details. Both these events will have mechanics to offer you a bike tune-up.

Tonight, like all the Tuesdays in June, is a bike salon at Three Bananas Café on Churchill Square downtown. We’re talking about touring with a detailed and highly informative presentation by Ed Waymouth from the Edmonton Bicycle and Touring Club, EBTC. EBTC offers a great diversity of tours throughout the spring summer and fall and Ed will present a great wealth of knowledge about touring and tours. As with all of Bikeology events, it’s free!

Here are some very good entries in the Bike Month Badass Contest. You can enter, too, by e-mailing drinkwaterrobert@hotmail.com with your own bike vs. car encounters. Three finalists will be selected, and the winner will be chosen by audience response at the Ride-in-Movie, 12130 River Road, on June 21. You can enter right up until then. Power to the pedal people!

A very badass entry from Michael Halliwell:
I was riding westbound along Whyte Avenue last summer when a little sport truck passes me at about 108 St.  Out of the passenger window an empty Red Bull can gets chucked at me as this little truck goes by.  Well, they sort of forgot that red lights happen on Whyte Ave, so I caught up to them at the corner of Whyte and 109th. I wasn’t vulgar, didn’t loose my cool… in fact I didn’t say a word. I just pulled up alongside the truck, leaned over towards the open passenger window, tilted my head down to get a better view and stared right in at both the passenger and driver.  Neither would make eye contact with me….kinda the whistling-and-looking-everywhere-but-at-me thing. I guess this is when I should include the fact I’m 6 feet, 235lb and look a lot like a cop

Not every driver is bad, according to Marcel J. Huculak:
I didn’t end up throwing anything at a driver or even say anything, but it was the funniest thing that has happened to me on my bike. I was leaving a friend’s house in St. Albert on a late Sunday morning. I had to turn left from Hebert Road to St. Albert Road – the intersection of two very busy arterials. After executing a fine CANBIKE left turn and lane change to the right lane on St. Albert Road, a mini-van which had also turned left behind me pulled up in the lane beside me. The passenger had rolled down the window and shouted to me “Excuse me!” I turned my head toward the passenger and was expecting the usual diatribe from him, like, “get off the road loser,” or, “get a car.” Instead, he surprised me by saying with a smile on his face, “My wife thinks you have sexy legs!” I don’t know if the man was teasing his wife, but I made the rest of the trip back to Edmonton with a huge smile on my face.

Molly Turnbull writes about her “shameful” badass behavior:
I happily glide along the contriflow lane running along the promenade between 121 st and 116 St. overlooking the golf course. Even though drivers drive dangerously close to the line, even though there’s sand in the lane for 3/4 of the summer, even though there’s a construction or city maintenance truck parked in it half the time — despite all that — I love to drive against traffic. It appeals to my desire to fight back, to freak ‘em out, to rage against the machine.
Sometimes, though, those drivers get just a little too close to my lane. Sometimes they’re not paying attention and I worry that I won’t be able to jump the curb while riding parallel to it. Once I was riding there with my kids in the trailer. An approaching car’s wheel was riding the line and I was staring it down. It inched into the lane and was coming closer, faster. Fear welled up in me as I rang my bell and shouted. I thought of how I could jump to the curb, but my kids would be smashed.
At the last minute, the driver skidded to a stop, window open, inches from me. I looked down and screamed “What the @#$ do you think you’re doing? Get off the @#$% public road if you can’t pay attention. You almost creamed me and my $%^&ing kids with your @#$% car.”
After the rage had subsided, and I rode away shaking, guilt began to creep it’s evil way into my heart. I had just chewed out the cutest looking, apple-faced, blue haired grandma I’d ever seen.

This badass figures it’s best if we don’t print his name:
I once caught a lit cigarette thrown out of a window, and promptly returned-to-sender’s lap. Anti-car, anti-litter, and anti-smoking vengeance coupled with couldn’t-do-it-again reflexes made for ultimate satisfaction. I felt like an eco-ninja.

Keith’s entry is “Monkey Warfare” league badass:
I am probably lucky I haven’t been arrested. Last fall I was making a left turn onto Argyle Road from 99 Street and was waiting in the turning lane for the light to turn green. It was a quiet Saturday morning. Some guy in a Suburban Assault vehicle pulls alongside and starts moving into the turning lane and was basically trying to push me off the lane into the median. Thinking that he may have been asleep, I punched the side of his truck.  He then rolls down the window and tells me to get my f%&*ing bike of the fucking road.
I got off my bike and set it to the median and must say that if there is a good life rule, you don’t want to make me get off my bike. I should also say this incident was preceded by several close calls where I came pretty close to becoming roadkill. Each one involved Suburban Assault vehicles that were being driven recklessly.
So after dismounting and setting my bike to the side, I proceeded to kick the crap out of this guy’s $50-60k SUV and devaluing it in the process, and all the while was inviting him to call the cops or get out of his cage. He rolled up his window and drove off before the light turned green.

The first Bike Breakie was a smashing success. We love the drama of the thunderstorms at night, and are glad it’s fair riding all day. About 130 people stopped by to enjoy independently certified fair trade coffee from Earth’s General Store, delivered by bike, organic spelt cinnamon buns from Breadland Organic bakery and sponsored by the City of Edmonton, delivered by bike, bars and juice and give-aways from Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), delivered by bike, and free mechanic check ups, tools and stands and parts delivered by MEC  and Edmonton Bicycle Commuter’s society (EBC), by bike. See a pattern here? Our events are all free and all car-free. It’s really not that hard. We have strong trailers and strong cyclists who know how to haul safely in traffic. Want to know about cycling visibly and predictably in traffic? Drop by any of the Bike Month events and have fun gabbing with other cyclists of all natures. Or just come out for the velo love. We’ve got lots of that.

We had a total of 26 participants for the commuter race. Bicycles, tandems, bikes with tag-along bikes for kids – ya, a whole family raced together! – roller blades, a long board, a scooter, a car pool. Everyone put in a great effort to see how fast their way of travel was. The fastest was the bicycle, but all ways of getting downtown were quick, showing that you don’t need a car, especially for short trips. All ways of travel were also calculated into bagels per Km per second. That’s right, we can even calculate the energy used by a bus into bagels!

The bicycle won again, being a truly amazing steed. Breakfast was provided by 3 bananas muffins and Earth’s General Store certified fair trade coffee. 

Up and coming this is week are some ways to explore your inner bike love. Trashanista recycled bike parts jewelry class on Thurs night, writing circle on Thurs morning. Also note that until June 21 you have the chance to prove what a bad ass you are on paper. See event details under ‘events’ above.

While on stage I counted 56 people in the audience – I’m calling it
60, including volunteers. That’s the highest turn-out we’ve had,
possibly.

Despite the grueling nature of the film, many said they’d be back next
Monday.

Keegan, our new hired volunteer coordinator stayed at the front and
met many key EBC and Bike Month coalition organizer – and got a movie
viewer to volunteer to haul a trailer for this Friday’s bikey
breakfast!

$130.25 was put in the donations pot at the door. That’ll be split
between the UofA non-profit group, ECOs and the People’s Pedal.

Thanks to Scott Kelly for speaking on behalf of the Alberta Bicycle
Association, and to Barb for the great Bike Shorts!

We’re a few weeks away from the June 21 Ride-In-Movie (see ‘events for details). There’s just enough time to start raiding the second hand stores in search of a perfect ’80′s get-up. Cindy Lauper skirts, deck shoes, big pastel necklaces, mesh muscle shirts  with numbers, long earrings and really tight Levi jeans. Come dressed to do the time-warp! 

There’s a really exciting fund raising ride next week. It’s a chance to ride with fellow Edmontonians, folks from the Edmonton Bike and Touring Club, and 60 national riders – all in support of Edmonton’s Stollery Hospital.

Please note that we don’t have the info on our events list or calendar only because Bike Month events are all free and there’s a registration fee for this ride.  Please see details below and help out if you can!

When: Wednesday, June 4th
Rider check-in is 8:00 am with opening ceremonies at 8:30
Ride begins at 9 am. 

Where: Start and Finish is West Edmonton Mall Sears parking lot. 

Why: For our kids with cancer!  Not to mention Sears is providing breakfast, and you’ll receive neat items such as a hat, T-shirt and water bottle – and after your morning ride is over, you can be back at your office in time for lunch!

Registration fee is only $45.00 with minimal fundraising goal. 

Your Edmonton ambassadors have raised $32,000 for our kids, and would love to see that number skyrocket to our goal of 50,000 and beyond. Please register online, you still have time!  See you there!

Carrie Warkentin and Daniel Lynch
www.nationalkidscancerride.com

Bike Month is fast approaching and we need your help! Please let me know if some of the following volunteer opportunities resonate with you. 
info@bikeology.ca

1. In groups of 2 or 3, distributing leaflets to LRT commuters on Thursday May 29th and Friday May 30th. Info will include Bike Month events, ETS bikes on buses, the commuter challenge (commuterchallenge.ca), Clean Air Day events and more to inspire Edmonton to get involved in making this a better city!

2. Clean Air Day Commuter Race and Breakfast. Want to race by bike, multi-modally by bike and bus? We also need help to set up the breakfast, to help the racers start and to greet them at the end. The race is from 72 ave and 109 street to the concrete public area on the south side of the Stanley A. Milner Library downtown.

3.Bike Movies at Metro Cinema. Each Monday night in June – sign up for one or as many as you like. Someone to give out tickets for the free give-away draws and to let people know that the movies are free. 
June 2, 9,16, 23, and 30

4. Hauling bike trailers to events. EBC is proud to be running this Bike Month car-free, just like last year. If you’ve got the thigh strength and can ride in traffic calmly and responsibly, please let us know if you can haul for us. Dates for hauling include 
Bikey Breakfasts June 6, 13, 20, 27 
Clean Air Day June 4 
Mocktails on the Bridge June 12 and 26th 
Bikeology June 28th

5. Bikeology Festival – lots to sign up for here! All positions include set-up and tear down, many hands make light work. 
help the children’s entertainer, be a float to relieve table sitters, help with the bike-on-bus race, help take results for a survey, help hand out prizes, and many other jobs

6. Postering and Handlebarring! If you’d like to put posters up for Bike Month and Bikeology Festival (two different posters), please let us know. We’ll let you know if there’s a place that needs postering and keep track of where our posters go up. FYI we’ve hired a professional poster person to poster on Whyte and Downtown!

Please note that the city is now fining groups $250 for postering inappropriately, so please get permission or stick to official postering locations.

Handlebarring is taking a long slip of paper with Bike Month details, wrapping it around bicycle handlebars and stapling them. This can be done throughout bike month anywhere in the city where there’s a congregation of bikes – in your office or apartment building, at libraries, Nait or U of A, King’s college. 
You can also take them on the road and hand them out where many bikes pass, or to all the cyclists who pass you on the trails (careful, now!)

Let us know how you’d like to be involved

Molly Turnbull 

780 264 9752
info@bikeology.ca

Well, the Bike Month calendar is looking mighty full. Mighty Mighty Bicycle Full. On the right column of this page, click on the google calendar to see the events. When the calendar is open, click on any event and you’ll get more details of that event. Need more info? Click on the events category at the top of this page for more details. You’ll find some exciting stuff there. Vue weekly this week will have an article about Bike Month in general and have a spread on the bike films. I can’t wait!

Job Posting: Volunteer Coordinator Position
Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society

Contact: Molly Turnbull
info@bikeology.ca
780-264-9752

Promotion and support of utilitarian cycling in Edmonton

The summer volunteer coordinator will be responsible for organizing volunteers and materials for a number of Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ summer events, including Bike Month and Bikeology Festival (bikeology.ca)

$15/hr, 30 hours a week, 16 weeks, starting June 1st, 2008
closing date, Monday, May 26th 2008

The job:

1. coordination and supervision of volunteers
2. supervision of supplies for volunteer events
3. coordination of EBC summer events and festivals, including Bike Month and Bikeology Festival
4. liaising with City of Edmonton, non-profit organizations, and businesses
5. guided promotional work, including connecting with the media

skills needed:

1. enthusiasm – these are fun events
2. comfort in cycling to and from appointments and to event – these are car-free events. Several volunteers will assist with pulling the trailers.
3. interacting with volunteers to set up event schedules
4. training volunteers to do uncomplicated tasks
5. supervising volunteers
6. communication with events coordinators – you’ll be under the supervision of one person, but there are many people who make these events happen and provide input
7. minimal computer skills – email, creating schedules
8. managing the set-up of information tables and promotional materials

Bike Month Volunteer Meeting 2008

Volunteer to help Edmonton come alive with a velo-love vibe. Come to the Bike Month and Bikeology Festival volunteer meeting.

We’ll have:

• a discussion of Bike Month and Bikeology past and present plans
• descriptions of volunteer positions
• sign up sheets for volunteer positions

April 30th, 7 pm to 9 pm
Stanley A. Milner Library
7 Sir Winston Churchill Square (102 A Ave + 100 Street)
6th floor meeting room

go out, go out, where ever you are. Get out on your bike. Bike month is over but the vibe can still be felt all over Edmonton. A fellow in the movie “The Return of the Scorcher”, a free movie at Metro Cinema, said that the world would be a better place if people rode their bikes. Every week I pass at least one cyclist beaming – smile stretched uncontrollably from ear to ear. Often, especially in a rain when fewer are on the road, cyclists greet each other. I love to look out over the river valley while crossing bridges, to breath in the smell of wet soil when cycling on trails, to pass and feel engaged with people walking in neighbourhoods, to take my appropriate place in traffic. I love trip planning, going slower when I need to show up not sweaty, taking the long way when I’m in the company of less-experienced riders, or to really kick-it when I have to get there. I love to park my bike, my quiet quiet bike. Rolling into my garage, careful to not scratch the well rested car with my utility trailer, I love the peace and quiet of arriving at home full of the rush of a beautiful ride.
I invite you to contact the folks who have links on this site. If you need help to use you bicycle more, there’s a whole bunch of us who would love to share the velo-love. See you on the road or trail and definitely see you next June for bike month
Bicyclegal42

This fri – June 29 – is the last bike month event. Come to Ezio Farone Park on the North West side of the High Level Bridge for Mocktails. 4-6 – music, pedal powered smoothies, cool bikes, happy cyclists, lounging and frollicing. Feel free to wear gaudy clip-on earings, flashy, fancy, or flakey dress….or sweaty t-shirts, doesn’t matter.

After the Mocktails there will be a memorial ride with Critical Mass across the High Level Bridge. Please read below an invitation from Daryl and Charlotte, parents of Owen who passed away after a brave fight against leukemea

200 June 28, 2007 at 01:40 PM MDT
Greetings,

COME TO THE OWEN RICHEL MEMORIAL CRITICAL MASS BIKE RIDE

A critical mass is a monthly gathering of cyclists who ride together on the streets to demonstrate that bikes are a great way to get around. It’s sort of a political parade of bikes. Last year Owen rode his bike across the High Level Bridge during the June critical mass. This year the critical mass is dedicated to Owen. Here are the details:

WHERE: Meet in front of City Hall by the fountain
WHEN: The ride starts at 5:30 pm tomorrow Friday, June 29th
ROUTE: The ride usually goes down Jasper Avenue, over the High Level Bridge and then east along Whyte Avenue finishing at Gazebo Park. It’s a slow easy ride that ends around 6:30 or 7 pm. The ride is a lot of fun. You can ride all of the route or just part of it.

Owen loved riding his bike so hope to see you tomorrow on your
two-wheeled friend as we ride in Owen’s memory.

Love,

Daryl and Charlotte

Tonight’s the last night to enjoy free bycycle films. Metro cinema – 7 pm. Be there! Velo love forever!

The nostalgia of a drive in movie experience was recreated and improved for the second annual Ride In Movie. Projecting against one of the white backboards at Victoria Cricket Pitch, the features were Barb’s Bike Shorts and the cheesy 1983 Australian flick, BMX Bandits. The latter film follows a teenage Nicole Kidman and her BMX riding mates as they stumble upon then thwart the plans of the sketchy bank robbers. Plenty of surprisingly good bike-cam cinematography plus the excuse for flour bombs and foam bubbles fights. Some of the dialogue and comedy were also better than expected, though there was plenty of groan-inducing moments that allowed full audience participation. It is grand to sit outdoors with a bunch of bikers yelling and laughing along with the film!
Prior to the movies, CJ organised two bands to perform (Aurora and the 7-minute band), which passed the time before Edmonton’s late sunset (circa ~10:30 pm). The bands had quite the hipster following, some of whom rode down on bikes, but few stayed for the ride in movie. Counted about 100 during the bands and picnic, and about 60 for the movie. Picnic fare, as always, was good. Farmers’ Market treats were shared, along with bug repellent and mozzie coils. A cosy evening was enjoyed by all and despite the looming rain clouds, no more rain until we arrived home at 2:30 a.m.

2007 marks the 3rd annual Bike Month and 6th annual Bikeology Festival here in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. We are excited to bring you over 10 velo-tastic events to take place throughout the city during the month of June. All of which are FREE and family-friendly!

14 May 07: You may have noticed the fabulous ‘JUNE IS BIKE MONTH’ signs that have been put up around town. If you weren’t able to make it to the Earth Day festivities at Hawrelak Park to pick up a pamphlet, the calender of events is now online (or a google version if you’re so inclined)! As well, keep an eye out for posters and handlebar bills by local designer/illustrator and all around awesome dude Raymond Biesinger.

…and as always, bookmark Bikeology.ca for updates on all things Bike Month in Edmonton.

Ride on!