Considering that you can now find fixed gear bicycles in Wal-Mart, this book seems to be a perfect compilation of amazing bike posters at a time when they may be at the height of their newfound resurgence. This version was released in 1973 and serves as a rare 1st edition.

According to a brief excerpt from the preface:
“This year marks the one hundredth anniversary of the two machines that have had a profound influence on us. It was roughly in 1872 that color lithography, which made colorful pictorial posters possible, came into popular use; it was also about 1872 that the modern bicycle evolved. It is the coincidence of these two inventions—the modern bicycle and the modern poster—converging and maturing at about the same time, that interested me. It is this founding and parallel growth, as evidenced by the bicycle posters, that this book illustrates.”

Retails at $130 USD. Cop it!

After the highly successful $0.99 Recession Case for your iphone, which is made out of cardboard, case-mate has decided to hold a photo contest where you can add your own artistic flair to the case, take a pic, and upload to their site.  Whichever picture gets the most votes will receive the Grand Prize of: a sweet ass retro 1982 Suzuki FA50 moped and the runner’s up will get a shopping spree in the case-mate store.  Not enough bang for your buck??  Well if $0.99 is too much for you, you can download the plans for building the case for free from their case-mate recession case contest site.

More images on the flizzzip…

Streetwear brand Crooks & Castles has collaborated with SE Racing to come up with a dynamic, cleanly designed 26″ Flyer BMX Bike for limited release. Only 300 were made and they are retailing for around $750. The white color gives way to intricate little designs and detailing from the embroidery on the back of the full grain leather diamond quilted seat to etching in the handlebar end caps, its a pretty flashy bike no matter how you break it down.

Garrett Chow is a member of the world famous Mash SF Crew

When did you start riding bikes with no brakes?
I started riding track bikes five years ago, while still living in Holland. I’ve never had brakes on my track bikes.

What was the hardest part about adjusting to a fixed gear?
The hardest adjustment is weathering the petty comments and hateful leers from within the “community/scene.”

What kind of bike are you riding right now with what parts?
Mostly, I ride a 2007 Pinarello Paris fitted with a full Campagnolo Record gruppo; Zipp 404 tubulars mounted with Vittoria Corsa EVO-CX tires; and finished with a Deda Newton stem, FSA K-Wing bars and a Selle Italia Gel Flow SLR saddle. I rode this bike from Portland to San Francisco last summer. My track bikes are a Ciocc Enemy pursuit with Campagnolo Record; a Gilco-tubed Colnago Master pursuit with Campagnolo Record; an Eddy Merckx Corsa track bike with Campagnolo Record and a Record wheelset.

What is your favorite city to ride your bike in and why?
Hands down, I would choose Barcelona, Spain. It has the terrain and traffic-flows variously of a small village, a town and a large city.  There are the steep hills; long sections of open flat; fast-moving boulevards; quiet, narrow lanes; roundabouts; the beach promenades…Berlin or Paris are close seconds.

Do you or did you ever skateboard? If so, did that affect your biking in any way?
The obvious translations are reading lines in and through traffic, and looking at the potential of riding (and non-riding) surfaces with the creativity of a skater’s eye.

Darin Howard is a Team Manager at Deluxe Distribution (Real, Krooked, Spitfire, etc.) and works with the riders for all of their brands. He’s also a fixed gear nut.

When did you take the brakes off?
About three years ago I bought a bicycle from Gabe Morford; it was a single speed bike. I used it to get to work and back. Gabe was into track bikes and kept telling me to try it. So I did, bought a bike and got rolling.

What was the hardest part about adjusting to a fixed gear?
At first it was the peddling through turns.

What kind of bike are you riding right now with what parts?
Custom Kierin Shark Island, Chris King head set, Sugino cranks, Phil Wood hubs on Deep V wheels.

What is your favorite city to ride your bike in and why?
San Francisco, for sure. Hills. Good rides to the beach.

Do you still skate?
Yeah, all day every day.  

Did that affect your biking in any way?

It’s easier to deal with having no brakes and to find the lines to keep going without stopping.

Mike Martin is the director of the Mash video, which has enjoyed worldwide success and is considered the most innovative bike video ever released.

How did Mash start? Whose idea was it and what was the original vision?
The Mash project started in 2004. When riding with friends, you get to see how each rider uses the same bike in a very different way. Their riding style is very defined from rider to rider. We wanted to record each other and put together something small to showcase this. We submitted a one-minute video to the Bicycle Film Festival in hopes of getting a longer project in the festival for the fall of ’05. That fall is when things really began to grow. We began to see more kids on these bikes in SF, and in return, communities growing internationally. Japan was a great example of the popularity coming to the front.
Is there anything that you did differently with Mash to document biking that hadn’t been done in other videos that you’ve seen?
There had been a few documentaries about messengers prior to the Mash video. There were just a few pure riding videos. Lucas Brenell’s videos were capturing the closest content we were into. His videos are helmet-cam alley cat race videos. They take any viewer willing to watch through the experience of what it feels like to be at the front of the pack in a street race, all the sketchy moments, the speed. Our goal was to develop some filming techniques that were more filmic then helmet camera footage. Another goal was to show the non-messenger side of these bikes. The freeriding, transportation side of these bikes. The video is a good mix of messenger and non-messenger riders, racing, working and freeriding.

What are the plans for the Mash line?
We originally made some t-shirts to help raise some money to produce the DVD. We’re grateful people support us on this level; it helps make the creative side happen. We continued to produce a few items as the video came out: tees, sweatshirts, arm warmers, socks, and a collab with Phil Wood, a hub company we’ve always believed in. We are now shaping plans for the future, and will introduce some things we feel are missing from the marketplace. There has been an incredible amount of companies jumping on board and trying to cash in on the rise in popularity of track bikes on the street. So much of the end result is just landfill. How many single-strap bag companies does this planet need? These bags were designed to swing from the front to the back of your body all day when you’re working. Beyond that necessity, it carries weight unevenly, and most are over-built, heavy bags intended to be abused during this ten-hour workday. I would guess one-percent of these bags being built today are being used for their original intent.

Are there plans to make another Mash DVD?
This project took three years because the level of riding was growing as we were filming. The project felt epic in the end because it cataloged this progression, and it was untimely made for the love of cycling. We had no idea it would carry some of the importance that has come from the end result. We’re continuing to tape now, and are shaping up some plans for the future, but I’m not ready to talk about those plans. Gabe and I both have day jobs.

Benny Gold is the design genius behind the Benny Gold line as well as Mash SF, and has done work for DLX, Huf, Nike, I-Path, and many other respected brands. He’s an avid skater and fixed gear fanatic.

How did Mash start? Whose idea was it and what was the original vision?
Mash started as Mike Martin’s vision. I met Mike when I tried to buy some bike parts off of him from an advertisement he put on craigslist. I went into his studio and I was amazed at all the cool things that he had in there. His office was filled with vintage skateboards, bikes and camera equipment. I was riding skateboards and bikes a lot with Gabe Morford at the time and quickly introduced the two of them. Mike and Gabe partnered up to work on Mash. I was lucky enough to help them out with art direction and logo.

Is there anything that you did differently with Mash to document biking that hadn’t been done in other videos that you’ve seen?
Mike and Gabe wanted a cleaner aesthetic to the film then what was currently out there for street bike-related features. At the time, everything that related to this type of riding was focused on the messenger lifestyle. They all had a grittier, dirtier street punk feel to it. Mike and Gabe consciously wanted to showcase all aspects of the people that are into these bikes, not just bike messengers. Mash had everyone in the film that represented street cycling in San Francisco including the bike messenger. When I was working on the logo for the project I wanted to illustrate that togetherness with the style of the mark. A clean military-inspired logo is what I came up with to represent the team aspect of Mash. The street bike-related films that followed Mash are now clean and have a similar approach to them. For the record, I hope that people remember that Mash was the first.

What are the plans for the Mash line?
I am excited to keep building the Mash line with Mike and Gabe. As far as my plans for the line goes, I just want to put out the best art I possibly can and see where it goes.

You guys recently did a tour of Japan; how was it and what’s the craziest thing that happened on the trip?
This recent Japan trip with Mash was amazing. The craziest thing for me was seeing how many people are into bikes in Tokyo. I traveled out there previously with Mash two years prior and there was not nearly as many people on bikes then. I was blown away by how much the culture and fascination with bikes grew in such a short amount of time.

Are there plans to make another Mash DVD?
There has been talk about future projects and how to build on what has already been established. Whatever happens with Mash, I’m proud to have been a part of it and I am always down to help out with the art.

Someone sent me some pics of Greyboy racing this custom sidecar BMX. I’m ashamed to admit I had no idea these existed. Might as well ask.

What do you call this thing?

It’s called a sidehack, piloted by yours truly, Greyboy. Truly Odd rides sidecar.

What possessed you to build a sidecar BMX? Getting groceries? Because I’ve gone to the grocery store on a bike, I felt like a triage nurse trying to sort out what I could carry.

BMX sidehacks were actually pioneered in the early ‘70s by Rick Twomey and his Rick’s Bike Shop team.  Originally they were raced on downhill dirt tracks, but faded into obscurity in the early ‘80s.  When I was growing up in San Diego racing BMX, my nextdoor neighbor and race buddy had a Gary Littlejohn sidehack that we used to fuck around on.  Fast forward to 2006, I find my own Littlejohn sidehack. Me and Truly Odd were itching to do something new and we both love bikes, so I asked him if he wanted to take the hack to the skatepark to see if we could rip it there. We did.

Is this a big underground scene, like S&M, just something that I’m not even aware of or attuned to?

It’s a very small underground scene right now, mostly racing on BMX tracks. I think we’re the only ones riding the sidehack in the parks or on transition.  We dig both though and would like to get a downhill dirt racing scene happening since it’s all on flat tracks right now.

Are there companies or individuals making these, or is the payoff only for those willing to do the dirty work?

There are a few garage companies that make them, but most of the time they’re custom.  We have one hack for skateparks and one for racing, both custom fabricated by 3-D Bicycles in Socal.

Anything else you want to say to your adoring public? Feel free to plug something. Can you still profit from selling music?

Well I’m finishing up a couple of new albums right now, so look out for those in a few months. But in the meantime check out GREYBOYMUSIC.COM and HEAVYWEIGHTS.ORG for a fix.  —PJC

Photos courtesy Eric Anthony/Girl Skateboards

What started off as a bunch of London skaters riding their bikes soon evolved into Fixed Gear London, which is both a club for riders and a team of bike builders. Now a couple of years older and ever more crafty on two wheels, we spoke with founder Andy Ellis about FGLDN and the fixie scene in jolly ol’ London.

How’s a skater end up in London?
I came here to study and just ended up staying.

When did you get into fixed gears?
I’d spent a long time looking at the fixedgeargallery.com. I liked the simplicity of the bikes at first, but then I got fascinated by how they work and I wanted to see if I could ride one. It was three years ago when Ted and I went to the local Sunday market. I got myself an old frame and wheelset, then put the bike together when I got home. Haven’t ridden anything else since.

What was the impetus for starting the Fixed Gear London crew?
It just naturally happened; we met, rode together and discovered that we all have a lot in common. Skateboarding seems to be the main link.

What was the hardest thing to adjust to once you took the brakes off? What mistakes do you still make?
Just the thinking… I mean, at first you doubt that you can do it. I saved to get myself a Nagasawa and I’d promised my old bike to somebody else. As soon as I got my dream frame, I was like, there is no way I’m gonna drill that for a brake! So I just got on with riding it. I was a messenger at that time and the job got harder to do as soon as I got that bike. I didn’t want to crash ever, so I was concentrating like crazy. That experience made me into a super aware rider. You can only make a mistake once—after that, you better have learned your lesson. I’ve not crashed yet, if I do, I’ll know it wasn’t my fault.

Are track bikes common in London? Is there a reason they’ve become more popular, like the taxes on driving into the city center?
Common as pigeons now! Everyone and their mum’s got one. It’s good though. It could be something to do with the congestion charge. It’s not one reason, but if I had to narrow it down, I’d say it was the best machine to travel on through the city. Also it’s something different from the mainstream; that’s always a puller.

What’s the best part about riding in London?
The best part is that London is an old and intricate city. We’re always winding our way through traffic, you never know what is round the corner, you have to be aware and it keeps you on your toes! The worst part is our famous London weather.   

]]> http://www.vaporsmagazine.com/2008/08/fixed-gear-london/feed/ 6 http://www.vaporsmagazine.com/2008/08/the-encino-velodrome/ http://www.vaporsmagazine.com/2008/08/the-encino-velodrome/#comments Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:30:15 +0000 Greelydaysace http://www.vaporsmagazine.com/?p=1297

While there are many who see the track bike as the newest complement to their limited edition, hyperstrike, florescent Dunks, and the newest accessory to their head-to-toe streetwear or hipster look, there is a small community of people that actually ride fixed-gear bikes for reasons other than fashion.

As you’re cruising down Sunset on your $3,000 import with your matching T-shirt and New Era, there are riders on far more serious bikes, in dorky aero helmets and spandex bodysuits riding laps around a velodrome not concerned with looking cool (and no, they don’t look cool), but concerned with preserving the history and learning the true origins of the track bike.

A mere 10 miles away from the heart of Hollywood lies the Encino Velodrome. For 45 years, the concrete racing track has played host to cycling’s version of the horse races (you best be gambling), including the 1965 US National Championships, the 1968 US National Championships and US Olympic Trials, and the 1972 and 1973 Grand Prix of the United States. The Encino Velodrome Association is a nonprofit organization that manages the educational and competition programs at the velodrome.

So next time you find yourself leaning on your track bike as you camp out in front of Supreme, consider heading out to Encino, the heart of the San Fernando Valley and the home of the Karate Kid! If you think camping in H-Wood is rugged, try riding a bike in the Valley in the summer!

The Encino Velodrome also offers a comprehensive training schedule five days a week, including time trials, Madison practice, and even Keirin training. With a minimal track usage fee of only $7, you really have no excuses. Yeah, you might not look that cool with the required helmet, but you will have a lot of fun… You might even learn something in the process.

Check it out at EncinoVelodrome.org.