Good things

I've been in the countryside this weekend... took the train to Cambridge way and then rode out to a little village in the middle of deepest darkest nowhere. Lots of funny looks, fixed is officially yet to make it big in Suffolk.

Anyway, back to the real world on Monday morning ish and some good stuff to share with you - general stuff about how great bicycles are.

1.  My friend's blog (which I never even knew she wrote - didn't even know she had a sodding bike) - Gutter Bunny - check it out there's some pretty entertaining stuff on there.

2.  This is a good 'un - the aptly named 101 wankers locates and shames a variety of total twats that shout things like 'ey up I'd like to be your saddle' at girls minding their own business riding around town on a bicycle. Get involved and lets bring them wankers down.

3. The Bristol Bike Project continues to totally rule the world teaching people that have had a raw deal in life to fix up bikes that they can then keep for their own.  Check out this testimonial from Sean a guy fighting addiction, who's life has been dramatically improved by his new loverly wheels.  The best.  If you're in the area and have any bike related bits and bobs to share please do get them down to these guys they are doing a truly amazing job.

Sean - Bristol Drugs Project from The Bristol Bike Project on Vimeo.

We have a winner...

Yep yep - the i heart Charge party was a lot of fun last night...

We had this bad boy up on the stage all night - ready for one lucky winner...

 

People came, ate burgers, drank beer, danced around in circles.. the usual... we gave away over 450 raffle tickets so I guess there were a fair few people through the door...

Here are some of them.  Having fun I think.

 

And then around 1am we did the draw... first ticket pulled out was 125 but whoever that was had gone home already (weakling) so missed out as you had to be there in person to win it... so whoever you are Mr 125 BAD LUCK!!!

Good Luck though for Yu-Kuang - our lucky second winner... who was pretty stoked on his new toy.  He says  he never wins anything... Juliet got crazy and threw all the tickets around like we were on the National Lottery or something.  It was pretty exciting.

Ace night.  Thanks everyone for coming down, thanks Charge for the bike, the Macbeth for the closing time rum shots and all the DJ's for the relentless hip hop bangers...

I'm back

Ok - so this has been super lame of late - mostly due to loosing my beloved camera in Barcelona in may which has left me a little stumped for blogging.

However - I'm back on it.... and the most important thing to post here is Juliet and I are hosting an epic I HEART CHARGE BIKES party this Thursday the 12th August at the Macbeth on Hoxton Street London where we'll be giving away one brand new Charge Plug to one lucky attendee...

Yeah - people are stoked on it like 5th Floor and Cyclechic, it's gonne be rad so please come down, have a beer and maybe wobble home with a brand new ride...

new wheeeeeeeeeeeeelllsssssssss and tiger in japan

 

My wheels got nicked the other night.  My own fault for not locking them properly but the SPEED at which these pikeys are working these days is unreal.

Anyway, new set of Dishes arrived today, when I get a spare moment I'm giving my Plug a real over haul, new chain, new tyres, new wheels, cleany clean clean... I'm hoping spring is finally here so it'd probably time to wash the winter grot away.  And yes.  More locks more locks...

On a lighter note one of my besty friends Tiger has recently moved to Tokyo where Love Bikes have kindly given her a Charge to get around on - here she is on the Modern Fuss website, bigging up Charge as her new favourite brand.

Tiger still hasn't sent me a photo of the bike, and I'm not sure what it actually is - here is the email she sent me about it

"my charge bike is awesome.

i have two breaks and what seems to be gears.
I haven't had a proper bike ever. bmx then scooter then that green small bike.
So i basically have a normal bike with a super light frame. no fixed
and not single speed.
i thought it was going to be single speed.

im cycling to shibuya tonight. man its nice to have a bike that goes fast."

Can you guess what it is yet?
he he....

Bristol Bike Project

Yesterday I went down to Bristol to visit the Bristol Bike Project, a group run entirely by volunteers that takes in unwanted and trashed bike from the public, and then teaches disadvantaged groups (asylum seekers, recovering addicts, those moving back into the work place after a shitty time in life) to fix up a bicycle to then keep for their own.

I had an amazing day with the guys, totally blown away by the level of commitment by those running the project, and the friendly positive attitudes of everyone there... 

I've been learning how to video edit this year, so took the opportunity to make a short (and not polished) film about the project - it's scrappy I know.. but hell I'm learning. 

They are always after parts for the bikes, literally anything, and donations as they need to give a lock and working set of lights out with every bike... so check them out and if you want to support an amazing sustainable charity who are using bikes to really improve people's lives, they're definitely a good choice.  Charge kindly sent down a box of bits and bobs so thank you v. much.

The Bristol Bike Project... from posy dixon on Vimeo.

parrrrriiiis

So just back from Paris, and although I didn't take my bike... we rode the entire weekend on these totally amazing death-charge-tank free city bikes called the 'Velib' bikes.

The basic deal is that there are over 10 000 of these tank like three geared machines at stations all over Paris, and as long as you only use them for 30 minutes they are totally free of charge.  Which is amazing, no need to carry a lock or anything, you literally pick one up, ride to where you want to go and dump it again.  Any technical issues like flat tires / gear issues, again you can just dump it back at a bike parking bay, where one of the Velib technicians will come and fix it.

These bikes are by no means a replacement for a lovely speedy Plug that you can get around super fast on - they do weigh a total tonne, but otherwise are pretty functional... if someone car-doored you on one of these you'd definitely win, which I think is why they are so popular with everyone in the city, not just those who are already cyclists.  The 'sturdiness' of the bikes along with the fact that there are loads of bike lanes all over the shop (on the pavements) has made cycling in the city totally accessible to all sorts of people, even people like my mum - who generally is scared to death of bikes and thinks that me riding one in the city equates near death every day.

So massive points to Paris and the Velibs for getting the whole city on wheels and creating a system that finally stops people being petrified of cycling in busy cities... I really hope the London equivalent launching this summer works out too, but somehow think they are going to struggle if they don't sort out their bike lanes.

The other highlights of Paris was a trip to the Catacombs - miles of tunnels under the city full of skeletons from all the thousands on Frenchies killed in various wars and plagues.. met a pretty hot dude down there... def worth a visit if you go, it's a pretty amazing sight.

Back in London now and pretty happy to be on a light bike again... also got a box of tyres in from Bontrager to greet me on my return... thank you, mine were getting well holey so good timing...

 

San Fran San Fran...

So been a long cold few weeks skidding around London with fairly slick tires, lots of snow and ice... actually quite enjoyed it as the cities been empty so at least we've had the streets to ourselves..

So Jules and I wrote a cycle guide to San Fran for the Guardian when we were over there and they've just got it up on line... so anyone after a bit of inspiration for a Spring holiday to warmer climates check it out here...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/jan/13/san-francisco-city-cycling-tours

Coffee and bicycles...

So been super bad on the blogging front over the past few months - I have genuinely been so busy I've felt like I might explode - 24 obtainable hours in every day don't you know!

But yep - not complaining.. too busy to blog isn't the worst thing in the world...

anway - I had a right shitter of a day yesterday - got snowed on, lost a glove, got shouted at by a taxi and then got my THIRD flat of the week on my way into town - and had no tools on me, running late, serious bad move vibes central.  so in a strop I headed down to Leather Lane in Farringdon where this incredible oasis of bikes and coffee has been set up - going by the name of FULLCITY

I can't find a website for it - but it's basically London's low key answer to the Kierin cafe in berlin - and an awesome friendly dude there lent me his tools, sold me a cheap tube and made me a delicious coffee for a pound. 

so if you're in the Farringdon area and need a bike shop or coffee fix get yourself down there now - my new favourite discovery in the city

Tokyo Flashback..

My photographer friend Dan Medhurst just happened to be in Tokyo when I was there so we met up for a beer and he took this rather atmospheric picture of me posing like a bit of an idiot on the colour co-ordinated baby blue and white Grinder.  We did spend about 2 hours skidding up and down that alley way in the rain with U.V. raver glow sticks weaved into my tyres trying to create light trails but it didn't really work out as planned.  Regardless we did have a whole lot of fun. 

Anyway, Dan's been half way around the world since and just got back to Blighty to get his shots developed and send me the image.. thanks Dan.  And thanks again to the incredible Love Bikes who hooked me up whilst I was over there...

day THREE...

Kind of loosing track time in San Fran already due to the fact that we've slept in a different house every night since we've been here... but if you want to check out day TWO .. and other San Fran blogs - have a look at Juliet's as we're doing alternate days here...

so .. day three, I think... and we are both HURTING from riding up and down hills after Cardiel the day before.  Woke up on a couch at our friend Josh's house getting humped by his cat... so got up pretty swiftly and hit the road... needed coffee.  Coffee here is good and plentiful.

shot back through San Fran down Haight street and had a browse through the epic Amoeba Records..  which is amazing, they seem to have every record in the world in stock and keep all their second hand and used records together so you can find everything you need.  I am totally taken.  Going back for record binge on my last day. 

On from there I rode all the way downtown again.. and back to Bayside where we're staying.  The whole of San Fran is only 7 miles square, so you can everywhere pretty fast as long as you avoid the hills. Hit the wrong wrote and you're up shit creek.  Sans gear.  After a quick wash and change I rode back out to the Mission to meet Juliet who was asleep face down in our new home from home Dolores Park - aka London Fields in San Fransisco.

We met some friends there and saw some pretty awesome dogs...

before heading to a 'free beer Thursday' party at the Mission skate shop, which is also home to Pushbikes.  Frieght Baggage were having a launch party there for their new line of hand made courier bags which are actually super nice... there were loads of bike kids, skate kids, free but WEAK  - American beers (I hate American beer) - we even managed to bump into some girls we'd met in New York - Gina from King Kog and a few others. The vibe was super nice and Freight raffled away a few bags and that... I think between us we bought about 30 raffles tickets but of course managed to loose.

Look how Mission Skate encourages the kids to get smart and get rad at the same time.  Good shit.

After lots of watery beer consumption we went for stupidly good vegan Japanese food around the corner, before heading to Pops bar for more beverages and pool.  I am proud to end this blog with the fact that I whipped Juliet's ass at pool TWICE.  We then slept on another random mattress with a collection of random household pets.  Ace is my favourite - very warm bed friend.

The people of San Fran are nothing but hospitable.. thank you all.