The New York State Armory on 26th and Lexington Ave in Manhattan, is a fairly traditional looking building. But, on this particular evening, its appearance shrouded by some fairly non-traditional looking people, is unquestionably gothic. Cyclists, not particularly slaves to convention, line the streets. Fire engine red hair, tribal tattoos, ZZ Top-esque beards, facial (and probably many hidden) piercings, typify the people who are all arriving on two wheels. The power of cycling resides in the community which surrounds it. Entering the dungeon-like caverns of the Armory, one overhears conversations, such as the one between a punk'd out, mohawk coiffed messenger and a burly, salt and pepper, down to the waist bearded, activist leftover from the radicals of the 60's, about how NY Trans Alt had made both their lives easier, making certain that bike access to the Brooklyn Bridge is maintained...
Inside look:
As you stroll further into the Armory, into the exhibit area, a lowrider bicycle, replete with a cylinder of swirling pink liquid mounted on its rear fender, whizzes by. You later find out that the cylinder is a bike powered blender, tied to the motion of the bike, and that the pink stuff is a made to order smoothie. This seems a fitting greeting for the show, which is itself, a tasty hodge podge of venders, manufacturers, advocacy groups, and a test ride track thrown in just for fun.
Sometimes an old dog can teach you some new tricks:
Stopping by the Calfee Bicycle booth our reporters experienced first hand one of Craig Calfee's newest experiments. Calfee's bamboo framed, carbon lugged roadie is a totally unique design, which makes use of an old materials in a new way. Bamboo just isn't found in anyone else's bikes.
When asked about the unique creation, Craig had this to say: Reporter:
How's the ride? Craig:
The word here is "Smooth". It's one of the smoothest riding bikes out there.
Reporter:
What about road feel? Craig:
It's surprisingly lively. Strangely enough, it's not wooden like some carbon fiber can be. There's an appropriate amount of road feel but the ride is super smooth.
Reporter:
Do you find that the oversized tubes have aerodynamic drawbacks? Craig:
There are slight drawbacks to the fatter tubes but, in general, the rider that's going to buy this bike isn't looking to shave a two seconds on a 180k event.
Reporter:
Where did you get the idea to use bamboo? Craig:
My dog gave it to me! I was playing fetch with my dog on the beach. He brought back a piece of bamboo and I was swinging him around with it and I noticed that "Hey, bamboo is strong stuff and it didn't break easy".
Reporter:
Good dog! Thanks Craig. Craig:
Thank you!
The taste of the NY Bike Show:
Scattered about the show were the usual "Off-center" crowd. Chromed-out, gold plated bikes and tricked out Roadsters littered the aisles. Independently produced BMX's added to the mix to make for an impressive, interesting amalgam of two wheeled metal. The strong contrast between these - some of the more traditional names such as Giant Bike, or White Lightning - and high end offerings such as Kestrel, Calfee and Topolino - made for an elegant "7 Course meal for the eyes." Top it all off with a dolop of bike advocacy and a splash of charitable groups such as Trans Alt, Time's up!, Tour de Cure, Braking the Cycle and Bike for SCORES and you have a perfect mix.
A run in with the locals...
Winding along through the last corridor of the show our roving reporters ran into Paul Falvey of C.L.I.M.B decked out in his Hawiian shirt. After speaking for a while they were joined by Michael (C.L.I.M.B.'s Stillwell Trail Steward) and Christine (the Editor of C.L.I.M.B.'s newsletter). Michael had some really great news about government plans for some new trails and bike paths throughout Nassau and Suffolk County. Look for more details on these pages coming soon!
Beer and Charity:
The Brooklyn Brewery was on hand dispensing one of the world's favorite energy drinks, along with an assortment of soft drinks. Sharing the Brooklyn Brewery booth were reps from the two charity rides that Brooklyn Beer sponsors each year, The first is the "Braking the Cycle" AIDS ride, the second is the "Bike for SCORES" ride. The 275 Mile rides from Maryland to New York share a similar route and both cover 5 States in 3 Days. Eric and Blake from Global Impact Productions (The organizers of the two events) were accompanied by a cast of volunteers describing the rides and hawking beer. Needless to say, their booth was a popular one.
Declaration of Independence: A few words from Steve Faust - New York Bicycle Coalition
"The public highways are for the safe movement of people and goods, and though motor vehicles may be common and make up a large part of that movement, it should be possible for anyone to travel across this country under their own power, on foot or bicycle, without undue restriction. Pedestrians and bicycles are traffic...
Cyclists require adequate access to all roads in order to get from where they are to where they want to be. It is not possible to create a system of entirely separate off road paths, therefore cyclists will have to share the motorway roads. Separate but equal does not work.
Bridges in particular are either gateways or corked bottlenecks. All traffic funnels to a bridge and then fans out again on the other side. There are no alternatives. Some level of crossing must be maintained for non-motorized traffic."
The Wrap Up:
To summarize, the New York Bike Show experience would have to be called 'eclectic.' Everything that is New York is there, edginess, attitude, innovation and extreme bike tricks. Messengers, advocates, manufacturers, and the media were all on hand. It was about the people. it was "Not about the Bike."
The New York State Armory on 26th and Lexington Ave in Manhattan, is a fairly traditional looking building. But, on this particular evening, its appearance shrouded by some fairly non-traditional looking people, is unquestionably gothic. Cyclists, not particularly slaves to convention, line the streets. Fire engine red hair, tribal tattoos, ZZ Top-esque beards, facial (and probably many hidden) piercings, typify the people who are all arriving on two wheels. The power of cycling resides in the community which surrounds it. Entering the dungeon-like caverns of the Armory, one overhears conversations, such as the one between a punk'd out, mohawk coiffed messenger and a burly, salt and pepper, down to the waist bearded, activist leftover from the radicals of the 60's, about how NY Trans Alt had made both their lives easier, making certain that bike access to the Brooklyn Bridge is maintained...
Inside look:
As you stroll further into the Armory, into the exhibit area, a lowrider bicycle, replete with a cylinder of swirling pink liquid mounted on its rear fender, whizzes by. You later find out that the cylinder is a bike powered blender, tied to the motion of the bike, and that the pink stuff is a made to order smoothie. This seems a fitting greeting for the show, which is itself, a tasty hodge podge of venders, manufacturers, advocacy groups, and a test ride track thrown in just for fun.
Sometimes an old dog can teach you some new tricks:
Stopping by the Calfee Bicycle booth our reporters experienced first hand one of Craig Calfee's newest experiments. Calfee's bamboo framed, carbon lugged roadie is a totally unique design, which makes use of an old materials in a new way. Bamboo just isn't found in anyone else's bikes.
When asked about the unique creation, Craig had this to say: Reporter:
How's the ride? Craig:
The word here is "Smooth". It's one of the smoothest riding bikes out there.
Reporter:
What about road feel? Craig:
It's surprisingly lively. Strangely enough, it's not wooden like some carbon fiber can be. There's an appropriate amount of road feel but the ride is super smooth.
Reporter:
Do you find that the oversized tubes have aerodynamic drawbacks? Craig:
There are slight drawbacks to the fatter tubes but, in general, the rider that's going to buy this bike isn't looking to shave a two seconds on a 180k event.
Reporter:
Where did you get the idea to use bamboo? Craig:
My dog gave it to me! I was playing fetch with my dog on the beach. He brought back a piece of bamboo and I was swinging him around with it and I noticed that "Hey, bamboo is strong stuff and it didn't break easy".
Reporter:
Good dog! Thanks Craig. Craig:
Thank you!
The taste of the NY Bike Show:
Scattered about the show were the usual "Off-center" crowd. Chromed-out, gold plated bikes and tricked out Roadsters littered the aisles. Independently produced BMX's added to the mix to make for an impressive, interesting amalgam of two wheeled metal. The strong contrast between these - some of the more traditional names such as Giant Bike, or White Lightning - and high end offerings such as Kestrel, Calfee and Topolino - made for an elegant "7 Course meal for the eyes." Top it all off with a dolop of bike advocacy and a splash of charitable groups such as Trans Alt, Time's up!, Tour de Cure, Braking the Cycle and Bike for SCORES and you have a perfect mix.
A run in with the locals...
Winding along through the last corridor of the show our roving reporters ran into Paul Falvey of C.L.I.M.B decked out in his Hawiian shirt. After speaking for a while they were joined by Michael (C.L.I.M.B.'s Stillwell Trail Steward) and Christine (the Editor of C.L.I.M.B.'s newsletter). Michael had some really great news about government plans for some new trails and bike paths throughout Nassau and Suffolk County. Look for more details on these pages coming soon!
Beer and Charity:
The Brooklyn Brewery was on hand dispensing one of the world's favorite energy drinks, along with an assortment of soft drinks. Sharing the Brooklyn Brewery booth were reps from the two charity rides that Brooklyn Beer sponsors each year, The first is the "Braking the Cycle" AIDS ride, the second is the "Bike for SCORES" ride. The 275 Mile rides from Maryland to New York share a similar route and both cover 5 States in 3 Days. Eric and Blake from Global Impact Productions (The organizers of the two events) were accompanied by a cast of volunteers describing the rides and hawking beer. Needless to say, their booth was a popular one.
Declaration of Independence: A few words from Steve Faust - New York Bicycle Coalition
"The public highways are for the safe movement of people and goods, and though motor vehicles may be common and make up a large part of that movement, it should be possible for anyone to travel across this country under their own power, on foot or bicycle, without undue restriction. Pedestrians and bicycles are traffic...
Cyclists require adequate access to all roads in order to get from where they are to where they want to be. It is not possible to create a system of entirely separate off road paths, therefore cyclists will have to share the motorway roads. Separate but equal does not work.
Bridges in particular are either gateways or corked bottlenecks. All traffic funnels to a bridge and then fans out again on the other side. There are no alternatives. Some level of crossing must be maintained for non-motorized traffic."
The Wrap Up:
To summarize, the New York Bike Show experience would have to be called 'eclectic.' Everything that is New York is there, edginess, attitude, innovation and extreme bike tricks. Messengers, advocates, manufacturers, and the media were all on hand. It was about the people. it was "Not about the Bike."
Reporter:
How's the ride?
