Politically-themed alleycat I’ve been wanting to do for over two years.
(click for full size)
(click for full-size)
Race 9pm, 8:30pm Registration
HJ & State at the Memorial, Albany
Because cops won’t expect zombie shenanigans this far away from Halloween.
As always, we shall be ending at my favorite little corner bar with cheap eats and plentiful beer.
There will be art! Scene kids! Drunk trashy people! Bike cops on poorly fit rebadges! Math! A great carrying of things! And some of the finest tarmac in the city of Albany. Ride any uni or bike or trike you like; as long as it’s got wheels and pedals and is you-powered, it’s all good. You will not be turned away for excess spandex or your lack of white belts.
Entry fee gets you a neato handmade spoke card and a shot at being the baddest ass in the Capital Region.
Pre-registration via email to soze@fork-bomb.com is encouraged for planning purposes. Dear god help me make a better guess at how many of these damn cards I gotta make.
PS – please don’t get me arrested.
Hey you! Got game?
Good! Come to the summer’s first bike polo game in Troy. Don’t worry if you have never played before; you are not alone. Come on out, have a beer, and kick some ass!
The date: this Sunday, June 1st.
The time: 3pm till whenever.
The location: Russell Sage parking lot in downtown Troy, on 1st St in between Division & Liberty.
Fine print: BYOB (bike and/or beer) – ALL BIKES ARE WELCOME. Fixed/single speed not required. Polo mallets & balls will be provided, and if you don’t want to scratch your precious bike’s paint job, well…bring a different bike. It can get rough out there. Finally, for rules (what rules?), the ones laid out on Jeff’s site are pretty damn good.
Group ride out from Gavin’s place at 2ish.
Straight off New York Bicycle Coalition’s Website:
Just a reminder that NYBC’s Commuter Contest is tomorrow (Thursday, May 15th) starting promptly at 5:00PM. NYBC is thrilled with the number of inquiries we’ve been receiving and encourage all cyclists to come join us for this fun event.
Start location:
Starbucks, downtown Albany (corner of State and Pearl Street inside the Citizen’s Bank building)
10 N Pearl St
Albany, NY 12207
(518) 463-6990‎End location:
Starbucks, uptown Albany
Stuyvesant Plaza
1475 Western Avenue
Albany, NY 12203
(518) 489-1064Claire Nolan is going to start the contest at the downtown Starbucks with cyclists, driver (in one of Albany’s very first Smart Cars!) and a CDTA bus rider. Yours truly will be waiting at Stuyvesant Plaza with my stop watch and timing each rider as they come in.
Starbucks is offering free drinks to all participants and Steiner’s Sports is graciously co-sponsoring this event by offering an array of fabulous prizes to our winners.
Rules: all cyclists are welcome on rides sponsored by the New York Bicycling Coalition, members and non-members alike. All riders must wear helmets. A rider will not be allowed on a ride if he/she does not have a helmet. Riders are expected and required to follow all traffic rules and regulations. Examples are stopping at stop signs and red traffic lights, as well as riding single file when being overtaken by traffic. Remember: Share the Road.
For the past four years, the cyclist has proven to be the fastest mode of transportation when commuting in rush-hour traffic.  Let’s champion the bicycle and make it 5 years in a row.
Come support!
The screening is taking place at Upstate Artists Guild on Lark Street. Come out for the group ride at 5, the art show after that and stick around for the documentary!
On Friday August 27, 2004 just days before the start of the Republican National Convention, a massive police operation was underway. By the end of the night 264 people were arrested. It marked one of the largest mass arrests in New York City’s history – and the arrested had done nothing illegal.
For many New Yorkers, August was the first time they heard of what has become a monthly ritual for New York City’s bike community; a free-forming ride called Critical Mass.
Still We Ride is a documentary that captures the joyous atmosphere of this August ride before the arrests began and the chaos that followed. It recounts how this ride first started in San Francisco over 10 years ago and chronicles the police crackdown and resulting court battles in New York over the last twelve months. The movie takes on issues of civil liberties, surveillance, the power of mainstream media, and the benefits of alternative means of transportation.
More info at StillWeRideTheMovie.com
Being held at the UAG Gallery, 247 Lark Street, from 5/2 to 5/23.
On May 2nd there is going to be a ride to celebrate the grand opening of the exhibit. The ride will leave the Henry Johnson monument at 5:30 (plan arrival time accordingly) and do a 12 mile loop around Albany, to return the the gallery for the opening. Hope to see everyone there.
Head over to the UAG Dreamwheels website for more info.
A gigantic list of Albany related bike activities shamelessly copied off the UAG website:
CONNECTIONS – During the three weeks of the exhibit, there will be a number of tie-ins with bicycle-related activities. These include the local Ride of Silence on May 21. This ride commemorates those bicyclists who have died in accidents and encourages awareness by all road users to the vulnerability of bicyclists and pedestrians. An urban ride is planned to start at the Upstate Artists Guild gallery on May 2, opening night. (There also related “urban rides” planned for Schenectady’s Art Night (May 16) and at Troy Night Out (May 30).) The exhibit will be open during Albany’s premier cultural event, the annual Tulip Festival held in the city’s historic Washington Park, just a few minutes walk from the Upstate Artists Guild gallery (May 9-11). See below for a full schedule.
SUPPORTED ORGANIZATION – Proceeds from fund raising at the opening of “Dream Wheels” on May 2, 2008 will be split between the Albany Bicycle Coalition (ABC) and the New York Bicycle Coalition (NYBC). ABC promotes bicycling issues in Albany and the Capital District and host rides and other bike-related activities. NYBC is a statewide organization that promotes legislative change to support “bike-ped” issues and offers educational programs on safe cycling. ABC and NYBC coordinate on many activities.
FULL SCHEDULE OF RELATED EVENTS
May 1st-31st: “Let’s Celebrate Bike Month!” Poster Contest for kids. Submissions accepted 5/1/-5/28; awards ceremony 5/31 during bicycle safety education class at Guilderland Public Library (see 5/31 entry below). Co-sponsored by the Guilderland Public Library and Altamont Free Library. Free and open to all children ages 4-17 throughout the Capital District. Prizes & giveaways sponsored by Plaine and Son and the Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club.
Friday, 5/2: 5:30-9PM: Urban Ride & Grand Opening of “Dream Wheels” exhibit at UAG Gallery, 247 Lark St., Albany. http://upstateartistsguild.org/DreamWheels (show runs 5/2-5/23). Proceeds benefit NYBC and the Albany Bicycle Coalition. Urban ride departs at 5:30pm from Civil War Memorial in Washington Park (intersection of Henry Johnson Blvd. & State St.). 12 mile route featuring ABC’s Albany Bike Map and proposed bike routes; returns to UAG gallery for Grand Opening Gala.
Sunday, 5/4: 10:00A.M.-3:00PM: Free “Open House” Day and BBQ at SMBA Trails. Team LUNA Chix of Upstate NY and the Saratoga Mountain Bike Association (SMBA) will be co-hosting several mountain bike rides throughout the day for various ability levels on the SMBA trails in Saratoga Springs. [NOTE: you are not required to be a SMBA member to attend this event.] Beginners, intermediates, and experts all welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information, visit www.saratogamtb.org or contact john@saratogamtb.org or treesawmtb@yahoo.com.
Monday, 5/12: MHCC presents “Warm up for Bike to Work Day” Ride. Check your legs and practice your commuting route with the added benefit of increased safety in numbers that fellow cyclists can provide. Meet at 5:30pm at CDTA Delmar Park & Ride (intersection of Route 32 & 52, Delmar) for 13 mile round-trip venture from Delmar to Empire State Plaza in downtown Albany. Ride departs at 5:45pm. See www.webmhcc.org or contact kjempie@earthlink.net for more details.
Tuesday, 5/13: 9AM-10:30AM: Legislative Breakfast. 10:30AM-11:30AM Ride Around the Capital. LOB Room 211A. Similar to the League of American Bicyclist’s National Bike Summit, this is an opportunity to hear about the latest state legislation pertaining to bicyclists and pedestrians. There will be time to interact with your local representatives; following the breakfast, there will be a short ride around the Capital and the downtown Albany area. RSVP to nybc@nybc.net by Friday, May 9th
5:00-8:00PM: “Tune Up Your Bike Night” and Free Repair Clinics at Troy Bike Rescue, 15 Trinity Place, Albany, NY 12202. For more information, call 518.986.2256, email troybikerescue@gmail.com, or visit www.troybikerescue.org.
Wednesday, 5/14: 5:30pm-8:00pm: Bicycle Rodeo for Kids and Families. Free bike safety checks and helmet giveaways for children; one child’s bike will be donated to recipient of “Citizen’s Award,” chosen by Boys & Girls Club (B&GC). Location: Boys & Girls Club, 400 Craig Street, Schenectady. Co-sponsored by Plaine and Son and the B&GC of Schenectady.
Thursday, 5/15: 5:00pm: Commuter Contest: car vs. bus vs. cyclist. Location: Starbucks to Starbucks (downtown Albany to Stuyvesant Plaza). Fabulous prizes & swag sponsored by Steiner’s Sports. For more information, visit www.nybc.net or email nybc@nybc.net.
Friday, 5/16: Bike to Work Day. 4 staging areas with mapped routes and bicycle escorts to downtown Albany; “commuter buddy” program offered to cyclists in the area who choose not to ride alone. Co-sponsored by Downtown Albany BID. For more information, visit www.nybc.net or email nybc@nybc.net.
7:00pm: Film showing of “Contested Streets” at Guilderland Public Library (2228 Western Ave., Guilderland, NY 12084). Brief Q&A and discussion to follow. Free and open to the public. Co-sponsored by GPL & NYBC.
Saturday, 5/17: 10am-3pm: LCI “Savvy Cyclist” Road I Class. Location: University at Albany, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, College of Arts & Sciences Bldg. Room 123. Instructors: Claire & Bert. This course is offered free of charge and brought to you by NYBC and a grant from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. RSVP to nybc@nybc.net by Thursday, May 15th to reserve a space.
Wednesday, 5/21: 6pm: Ride of Silence (Albany). Start location: Corning Preserve. www.rideofsilence.org Organizers: Sue Troll and Claire Nolan. Email cbnolou@yahoo.com or trollasko@aol.com for more details.
Saturday, 5/31: 10:30am-12:30pm: Safe Cycling for Kids (and Their Parents) Workshop. Guilderland Public Library. Winners of Bike Month poster contest announced and prizes distributed. Fun for the whole family! For more information, contact Jennifer Ogrodowski, Guilderland Public Library, at (518) 456-2400, ext. 34, ogrodowskij@uhls.lib.ny.us or Judith Wines, Altamont Free Library, (518) 861-7239, winesj@uhls.lib.ny.us.
