SOUTH AFRICA BICYCLE PORTRAITS • SAN JOSE FIXED GALLERY

Bicycle Culture on the Skids

9

Issue #20 • July 2010

Tips for a
Successful
Bike Event

Headset & Fork Installation • German Bike Culture • Download this issue free online URBAN VELO.ORG

Torker Graduate • 5 speed with drum brakes • MSRP $ 499

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Subscribe toIssue #20

July 2010

SINCE 2007
WWW.URBANVELO.ORG

Brad Quartuccio

Jeff Guerrero

Editorbrad@urbanvelo.org

Publisher
jeff@urbanvelo.org

On the cover: Lexington, KY local Patrick Garnett leadsa group of visiting Pittsburgh cyclists to some affordable
downtown dining. Photo by Brad Quartuccio

BicycleCULTURE
On TheSKIDS

Co-conspirators: David Munson, Alex Hansen, Crystal
Ruiz-Mills, Bum Ariffin, Stan Engelbrecht, Nic Grobler, Eric
J. Herboth, Annamarie Cabarloc, Roger Lootine, Stephen
Cummings, Adriane Hairston, David Hoffman, John Cameron and Andy Singer
Urban Velo, PO Box 9040, Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Urban Velo is a reflection of the cycling culture in current
day cities. Our readers are encouraged to contribute theirwords and art.
Urban Velo is published bi-monthly. That’s six times per year,
on the odd months. Issues are available for free download as
they become available. Print copies are available online andat select bicycle retailers and coffee shops.
Printed in Pittsburgh by JB Kreider - www.jbkreider.com
All contents © 2010 Urban Velo, no unauthorized reproduction(online or otherwise) without written consent.

6 Issues = $18 US/$40 WORLD
6 Issues = $18 US/$40 WORLDURBAN VELO.ORG

Features
Features38

Bicycle Portraits

Stan Engelbrecht & Nic Grobler
The Bicycle Portraits project is as much an investigation into South African bicycle culture as it is an excuse to ride bikes and take photographsof people from different walks of life.

50

Das Rad Ist Gut
Eric J. Herboth

There’s a lot more to German cycling than the disgraced former Tour deFrance champion, Jan Ullrich. In fact, the German public once had a greatlove of cycling. And now, it seems, that feeling is coming back.

66

The Sky is Falling
Stephen Cummings

Unlike you, Steevo was forced to quit his day job and had little else to doother than pursue a life of competitive bike racing. It may sound like anideal situation, but he did have to get knocked unconscious by a brick to
the head before realizing his lucky break.
Michael E. relaxing in Sangnam-dong in Changwon, South Korea, in the shineof endless neon signs. Photo by David Munson, www.davidrmunson.com

Departments
Departments

10

Editor’s Statement

78

Brad Quartuccio

12

Publisher’s Statement
Jeff Guerrero

14

I Love Riding in the City

Brad Quartuccio & Jeff Guerrero

Sage advice and common sense to help you run a successful event.

84

Gallery: San Jose Fixed
Annamarie Cabarloc

Not surprisingly, city cyclists often make fast friends of other riders.

86

Residue
Roger Lootine

72

Invasion of the Bike Lane
Snatchers
David Hoffman

Be afraid. NEVs are coming to snatch up your bike lanes!

8

URBANVELO.ORG

Headset & Fork Installation
Brad Quartuccio

Cycling is truly a lifestyle for this tight-knit community.

64

Bicycle High Fives
John Cameron

Readers share their tales of city cycling.

58

9 Tips for Running a Successful
Bike Event

Headsets are fairly simple, until you screw things up. Read this to
avoid that tragedy.

92

Home Shop Strategy
Brad Quartuccio

Here are some simple tips for building up your home bike shop.

96

Bicycle Helmet Evolution
Andy Singer

Photo by Alex Hansen

Brainiac in Taipei
Kristin of Vélo Vogue, San Francisco
ISPO girls, MunichJack, Boston

Cheeeeze!, Australia

London Rollergirls, London

Eva & Martin, Austria
Cal Poly Human Powered Vehicle Team, San Luis Obispo

Iron Mike Ketellapper, the Netherlands

Wheelies in New Zealand

Miriam in Munich

Camilo, Colombia
Swims with Sharks, France
Red Carpet Superstar, Friedrichsafen

Three amigos, somewhere in Europe

Fly Girl, Essen
Little Nutty Early Rider, Austria

Head Butt, Portland

Jennifer, Tucson

Karate Kids in Tokyo

Elladee & Nikki, Canada

Editor ’s Statement
By Brad Quartuccio

M

y flat luck has run thin. Perhaps my luck was at an
all-time high for an unusually long time, the latest batch of flat proof tires really are that good,
but a couple of recent ones have put me back on guardand quelled any bravado that a relative few successful trips
without a pump may have brought about. Out on a quick
spin around town to test a camera from the junk bin or
towards the end of the second century in as many days ona solo camp trip, they all sting.
As night fell, as a far off storm brewed, as I stoodon the side of the trail an indeterminate distance fromthe next campsite, I broke off the valve of my remaining
spare tube. I cursed myself for not properly dealing withthe swapped out puncture from the day before and thenwatched as my second attempt at patching a tube bubbled

and hissed as my calmly shaking hands gave it a pump. I
figured I was no less than a mile from camp, no more thantwo, and about 20 minutes from sundown and 40 fromcomplete darkness. Riding on the rim into camp with timeto heat up dinner in the twilight was a treat in itself. The
storm blowing up the next ridge over but ultimately neverreaching my bivy at least kept it comfortable overnight.
No rain. Even the last few days of the journey playingout of town polo under threatening forecasts proved dry.
Some seven nights of camping in a month’s time without
more than a few hours rain, and even that while hunkered
down. I’ll gladly trade a few flats for the perfect weather.
The camera? Junk. The lesson learned? Even being prepared for everything doesn’t solve the simplest problem.
Let the glue dry.

We want your words. Send your editorial contributions to brad@urbanvelo.org

10 URBANVELO.ORG

Photo by Brad Quartuccio

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Publisher’s Statement
By Jeff Guerrero

Self-portrait with the family. Photo by Crystal Ruiz-Mills, www.cruizphotography.com

The “I Love Riding in the City” department is mybaby. In a sense it defines not only this magazine,
but the entire urban bicycling culture that we’re alla part of. Because despite the vast differences between
all of us—physically, mentally, culturally, spiritually—we’rebonded by the common desire to ride bikes in our urban
environment.
After twenty issues, you would think that I may havegrown bored of sorting through all of the submissions. The
truth is, I’m still happy every time another one turns up in
my inbox. And sometimes the correspondence transcends
the ordinary Q&A format and deserves special attention,such is the case with the following passage sent in by Ryan
Alexander of Ft. Lauderdale, FL:
About a month ago, during our group ride my friendand coworker was hit by a motorist and broke her back.
The result is unemployment, surgery, and further lessons
from the city of, “This is what happens when you ride on

the road.”
There are an ever-increasing, brave few who continue toride our streets day in and day out. A group that uses theirbikes for transportation, for community, for tricking, for polo
and for the fun of it. The result has been at least 12 people
I see everyday heading to the local shop and picking up abike or two.
The days of using your bike for solely one purpose (be ittransportation or polo or one of the several others) are coming to an end. Our weather is gracious enough to let us rideour bikes year round. What a blessing!
If the safety of cyclists becomes an issue that isaddressed, more people would ride. If the cops would stop
telling cyclists to get off the road every time they pass one,
more people would stay on the road. If a mother of two
can safely ride around town and not have her back broken,
chances are her children will do the same.
Well said, Ryan. Well said.

Urban Velo issue #20, July 2010. Dead tree print run: 5000 copies. Issue #19 online readership: 55,000+

12 URBANVELO.ORG

Readers can donate to the Crystal Ruiz-Mills relief fund by visiting www.southfloridafixed.com.

iriding in the city
NAME: Raina
LOCATION: Long Beach, NY
OCCUPATION: Student
Where do you live and what’s it likeriding in your city?
I live in Long Beach. It’s really fun
to ride my bike. I ride it everywhere.
I usually ride my bike on the boardwalk. I love looking at the ocean.
When there aren’t a lot of people
on the boardwalk I like to ride really
fast. Since everything is so close
together I can ride my bike to thepark or the store. Or sometimes I
just ride to anywhere or anyplacethat I want to go to that is nearby.
What was your favorite city to ridein, and why?
Long Beach is my favorite city toride because there are many many
places to go like the park, the store,
or on the long boardwalk. I ride tolots of places in the city of Long
Beach. It’s a lot of fun.
Why do you love riding in the city?
I love riding in my city because
I like to see what other people aredoing. I love to watch the surfers
from the boardwalk. Sometimes
when I am riding on the boardwalk I
might take a break if I get tired. But
most of the time I dont take a break.
Or just say whatever you want
about riding in the city…
I just love to ride my bike anywhere and get fresh air. It is so relaxing to me. I love it.

14 URBANVELO.ORG

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iriding in the city

Photo by Bum Ariffin, bum.kliqueimages.com

NAME: Faradian A.K
LOCATION: Singapore
OCCUPATION: Operations Manager
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
Singapura is a Mecca for food and shopping. We have all
the hustle and bustle of other cities, but we’re also known
for fines, hence the traffic laws are pretty heavy. We’rekind of micro-chipped—you hit a cyclist, you’re in fortime. You stay out of our way, we stay out of yours.
I ride to work 95 percent of the time. Two words todescribe it—humidity battle.
What was your favorite city to ride in, and why?
Singapore is the city by itself. You can basically ridefrom one end to the other. Though my darling area would
be the central business district—dodging people in suits,smooth surface tile to skid on, and little roads to navigate

16 URBANVELO.ORG

like rats in the sewer.
Why do you love riding in the city?
Riding is addictive. I love fitness—I do yoga andpilates—but riding makes me feel kind of crazy. Like in a
good-girls-gone-bad kind of way. I get to work faster thantaking the bus, plus it gives me a good workout.
On the other hand, riding is calming. And I feel somuch freedom and independence when I pedal. Somepeople might find it silly to do so but I’m content with thesimple pleasures in life.
Or just say whatever you want about riding in the city…
Ride on, and beware of “door-prizes.”
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ian dowden
Upstate NY transplant living in Columbus, OH

photo Adam Lowe

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iriding in the city

NAME: Michele Monti
LOCATION: Forlì, Italy
OCCUPATION: Sales Clerk
Poetry anyone?
rumore.
tutto è tradotto in rumore.
ma io ho bisogno di qualcos’altro che non sia rumore.
qualcosa che non abbia a che fare con il rumore.
ci sarà qualcosa che non sia rumore?
dal mattino alla sera rumore.
il risveglio è rumore.
la colazione è rumore.
la strada è rumore.
il lavoro è rumore.
silenzio.

18 URBANVELO.ORG

La più grande rivelazione è il silenzio, dice il saggio.
Se riavvolgo fino allo zero il nastro del mio cervello di
una qualsiasi giornata. è amaramente piena di solo rumore.
Giorno dopo giorno perdo la percezione del silenzio, equei pochi istanti di pace sono trasformati in ansia.
Quindi, salgo sulla mia perfetta dannata bicicletta escappo il più lontano possibile. Ma dove vado, che la stradesono solo pezzi di asfalto in mezzo a scatole di sardine
andate a male a quattro ruote? Più pedalo e più m’accorgo
che la mia è una fuga, non so da cosa e non so da chi,vado verso il boh! Non ha importanza, so che primo o poi
troverò un posto, un angolo di pace, o una bolla di sapone
dove potrò fermarmi, far riposare la mia bicicletta e le mie
gambe, e provare a non sentire altro che il battito del mio
cuore, unico rumore disposto ad ascoltare.
Check out cosmicabc.blogspot.com

not just another pista crap

the Big Blockallcitycycles.com

iriding in the city
NAME: Tommy Riemenschneider
LOCATION: Long Beach, NY
OCCUPATION: Electrician
Where do you live and what’s itlike riding in your city?
I live in the city of Long Beach,
NY. Long Beach is amazing, it’s abeautiful place to live and ride. You
can see people pedaling all sortsof wild rides anything from really,
really tall bikes to pimped out
beach cruisers. It’s a lot of fun riding in my ‘hood.
What was your favorite city toride in, and why?
Long Beach, NY. Riding in Long
Beach is a blast, we have a 2.5 mileboardwalk with a really wide bicycle lane with plenty of bike racks
outside the local hangouts andfor the most part the local drivers watch out/share the road andeven yield to riders! Long Beachis completely flat so riding fixed isa breeze. I love ripping down theboardwalk on my track bike atnight in the dead of winter, there
is not a soul out around and I canpedal as hard as I can.
Why do you love riding in the city?
I love riding in the city because
I can get anywhere I need to go
really fast.
Or just say whatever you want
about riding in the city…
There is nothing in this worldthat I enjoy more than riding mybicycles with my two daughters.
We are all crazy about our bicycles
in my family. Ride on!

20 URBANVELO.ORG

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iriding in the city

NAME: Rachel Service
LOCATION: Wellington, New Zealand
OCCUPATION: PR/Creative
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
At the moment I have just returned from living inEurope back to my home city of Wellington, New Zealand. New Zealand doesn’t have such a big bike culture asEurope but it is growing.
Unfortunately New Zealand doesn’t have the historyof cycling so much as Europe or other countries, so I sensethat both drivers and riders are sometimes unsure as how
to navigate the road. Certainly, we have a long way to go interms of giving cyclists enough room and respecting them!
Wellington is known for its hills and windy weather—so just getting from A to B can be a workout in itself! The
crew I ride with, Dame Truth, have shown me some neathills to bomb and just getting up them is a work out anda half.

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What was your favorite city to ride in, and why?
I loved riding in Berlin, Germany because they havesuch a rich bike culture there. The bike lanes are guarded
with police-like authority by the cyclists—heaven forbid apedestrian should walk onto a cycle lane!
One time I got hit by a car in Berlin—I wasn’t looking
the right way and I was completely in the wrong—but the
car stopped in the middle of the motorway to check I was
OK. They have the culture of giving cyclists space, which
was something I had never encountered before.
Riding in Berlin in the summer is like nothing else—
everyone is on bikes. And it doesn’t matter what kind ofride you are rocking, if it has two wheels and is remotely
functional, it’s game!
Check out 2wh.tumblr.com

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iriding in the city

NAME: Ryan Alexander
LOCATION: Fort Lauderdale, FL
OCCUPATION: Barista, Musician
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This place seems to
be a place where culture comes, screams really loud fora year or two, and then lays down and dies. It’s not thatthe city has no culture. Rather, it’s the idea that the existing culture has had no competition for a really long time.
Old money and old town industry are only getting older.
Central to the idea of old money is the idea that the moremoney you have the nicer the car is and the bigger thehouse and the hotter and younger the wife.
Fort Lauderdale is an aging urban sprawl very muchoverrun by BMWs, Jaguars, Mercedes and the entitledowners that make their way through town in them.
Fort Lauderdale is a really dangerous town to ride in.

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Pedestrians yield to vehicles ten out of ten times. Everyone is wheeling and dealing behind the wheel via texting
and gabbing. So people just drive. It’s easier than biking.
It’s more convenient. It’s safer. It’s not frowned upon.
Why do you love riding in the city?
I love the challenge of riding in the city. Brakes give
you the ability to race to the white lines of the intersection and stop if necessary. Not having brakes presents
the challenge of riding in a state where you are constantly
aware of what traffic and pedestrians are doing. Blowing
yellowish/reddish lights is also a blast. I also love seeing
all the guys that ride around stolen BMX bikes and beachcruisers. Makes me laugh.
Check out www.southfloridafixed.com

DUROBIKE.COM

iriding in the city
NAME: Shawn Soria
LOCATION: Salinas, CA
OCCUPATION: Limousine Detailer
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I live in Salinas, California. Nothing too fancy aroundhere except the Steinbeck Center I suppose. But riding
around town is always a fun time; tons of interesting people you can see, and many of the roads here are prettysmooth. Drivers are a little on the dangerous side though(texting, eating, “California rolls”).
What was your favorite city to ride in, and why?
I’d have to say that Santa Cruz is my favorite city toride in. Haven’t ridden in too many cities yet, but Santa
Cruz has tons of hilly roads that are fun to shoot down
and climb up.
Why do you love riding in the city?
I love riding in the city because I love to just weave inand out of traffic, drafting off of cars, and passing them up.
It’s laughs to see some of their pissed-off faces as I passthem up while they sit in one place. Traffic is the best.

NAME: Raeesa Sya
LOCATION: Subang Jaya, Malaysia
OCCUPATION: Graphic Designer
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I live in Subang Jaya, Malaysia. The city of Kuala Lumpur
is 40 km away. My city is really hot during the day—34
Celsius on average—and very humid. So we mostly rideat night. We have crazy traffic, no bike lanes, rude drivers
and a lot of potholes.
Why do you love riding in the city?
The culture and the things to see at night. My mum
doesn’t know I have a bike, so I cant ride near my house(the city is dangerous).
Poetry anyone?
Kuala Lumpur the city full of desires,
riding past fat policemen and crazy drivers,
potholes and rude taxi cabbers,
yet my love for this city is totally endless.
Check out sheandroid.blogspot.com

26 URBANVELO.ORG

iriding in the city

NAME: Jeffers Lennox
LOCATION: Montréal, Quebec
OCCUPATION: Student
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I live in Montreal, which aspires to be Canada’s Portland (only with more snow and fewer theme rides). Having moved here after living in Toronto, Halifax, Paris, andLondon, I’d say this is one of the most enjoyable cities I’ve
ridden in. We have a decent system of downtown bicycle
lanes, hundreds of kilometers of paths and trails, and a
relatively comfortable balance of hipsters on fixies, business-types on hybrids, bearded men on recumbents, andtourists wobbling around on rented BIXI bikes.
What was your favorite city to ride in, and why?
Ottawa, hands down. It doesn’t win any points forflash or speed, but it never lets me down.

28 URBANVELO.ORG

Why do you love riding in the city?
I love riding in the city because of the variety. If I want
to work hard, I’ll climb the mountain (it is MONTreal,
after all); if I want a rush, I’ll zip through some traffic; if I
want to relax, I’ll do the Lachine Canal route. Cities arealso the great leveler, forcing cyclists of all stripes to shareresources and find common ground. Of course we mockeach other and engage in stereotyping—surprise, thoseroadies didn’t acknowledge me or I hope that courier can’ttell that all I’ve got in my messenger bag is cookies—but
we also realize that, at root, anyone on a bike is doing agood thing. Riding in the city makes getting anywhere thehighlight of your day, even if you’re numb from the cold
when you arrive.
Check out youaretheengine.wordpress.com

John Cardiel and Emmanuel Guzman on their way
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TMiriding in the city

Do you love riding in the city?
NAME: Sarah E. Krahel
LOCATION: Columbus, OH
OCCUPATION: Sewer at Seagull Bags
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I live in Clintonville, and I can get just about anywhereimportant on my bike in 10-20 minutes. I love being on mybike, riding the streets, I love the buildings, people, thefellow cyclists…
What was your favorite city to ride in, and why?
New York City is fun, always something new to see.
Traffic is killer, you have to focus all the time with pedestrians, cars, everything. I like to take it all in.
Why do you love riding in the city?
I love how riding puts my mind at ease, it can make any
day better. Just finding new routes to get places, taking in
the world in while flying down the street.
Check out www.seagullbags.com

30 URBANVELO.ORG

Can you answer a few simple questions andfind someone to take your photo?
We want you to represent your hometown.
NAME:
LOCATION:
OCCUPATION:
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in yourcity?
What was your favorite city to ride in, and why?
Why do you love riding in the city?
Or just say whatever you want about riding in thecity. Poetry anyone?

Email your responses to jeff@urbanvelo.org

iriding in the city
NAME: Mark Isaacson
LOCATION: Stockholm, Sweden
OCCUPATION: Manager of the 3
Stooges
Where do you live and what’s itlike riding in your city?
Stockholm kicks ass. I’ve had
the opportunity to ride in most ofEurope and the United States, andStockholm is my favorite. Everyone rides bicycles in town to thepoint where it is over congested
in the bike lanes during the short
but wonderful summers. Politicians also ride, so there is awareness from the system to increase
bicycle lanes, infrastructure, public air pumps, etc. Since everyone
rides or knows someone whorides, most drivers are also more
conscious and considerate.
What was your favorite city toride in, and why?
Stockholm, Sweden. Copenhagen, Denmark. Santa Cruz,
California. These cities are similarfrom a bicycle perspective with agreat mixture of nature and city
life. Metropolitan Stockholm issimilar to the structure of New
York City in that it consists ofseven islands all connected bybridges to keep getting aroundsimple and efficient, and more
importantly, car-free.
Why do you love riding in the city?
Wind in my face, bugs in myteeth, cold mornings that make myeyes tear, angry car drivers, blindbus drivers, me and my silly grinfrom ear to ear. In a word, freedom with the gift of captivating
and focusing my mind on what is in
front of my wheel.

32 URBANVELO.ORG

iriding in the city

NAME: Andy Karr
LOCATION: Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
OCCUPATION: Masters Dissertation Student
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I live in the middle of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the edgeof the medieval old town. Riding in Edinburgh is tough, pot
holed streets, cobblestones, steep, steep hills, crazy taxi
drivers and cold rain nearly every day. But nothing beats
the feeling of freedom of the cold air on your face anddodging between the crowded streets and dirty sidewalks.
You can cross the entire city on a bike faster than you
could ever hope to drive.
What was your favorite city to ride in, and why?
I love riding in Winston Salem, NC. It’s my hometown
and it’s nearly as hilly as Edinburgh but warmer and dryer.

34 URBANVELO.ORG

The tree-lined boulevards are hard to beat visually. My
favorite part of riding in Edinburgh is how easy it is to get
into the countryside though, in 20 minutes you have views
you would never be able to find in the States.
Why do you love riding in the city?
It’s a feeling of freedom that sitting in traffic or slogging down crowded sidewalks could never give you. And
the gratification you get when you pass the car that angrily
beeped at you to get out of the way only 30 seconds earlier while they are stuck in traffic is hard to beat.
Or just say whatever you want about riding in the city…
People say I’m crazy for riding fixed gear in this town
but I run front and rear brakes (too wet to rely on skipping) and when I go home to my Cannondale in the fall it
will be like riding on air.

iriding in the city

NAME: Bill Koonce
LOCATION: Seattle, WA
OCCUPATION: Police Officer
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I live in Seattle. Riding here is great and getting better. There are several excellent bike paths and more on
the way. There are some cool dirt trails inside the city
limits and we have a ton of great bike shops. We are close
to Portland and Vancouver, two other great bike towns.
People in cars are pretty courteous for the most part. The
rain gets some people off their bikes but I’ve found fenders
and quality gear can make riding in the rain cool and fun.

36 URBANVELO.ORG

Or just say whatever you want about riding in the city…
I’m getting old (46). I’ve been biking since I was 4 or
5. I’ve literally ridden bicycles throughout my entire life.
I don’t need a field, or teammates, money, or a bunch ofequipment. Just me and my bike. There aren’t many things
that you enjoy as a kid that you’re still into as an adult. I’ll
probably be one of those old coots cruising around on
a big wheeled trike 40 years from now… And I’ll still beloving it.

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E V E RY DAY S O U T H A F R I C A N S A N D T H E I R B I C YC L E S

By Stan Engelbrecht & Nic Grobler

The “Bicycle Portraits” project
was initiated by Stan Engelbrecht (Cape Town, South Africa)
and Nic Grobler (Johannesburg,
South Africa) in early in 2010. Whenever they can, together or separately,
they’re on the lookout for fellow
commuters and people who use bicycles as part of their everyday work,
to meet and photograph. They’refinding out who rides bicycles, why
they ride bicycles, if and why they
love their bicycles, and of course why
so few South Africans choose bicycles as a transport option. There isno specific range of questions asked,
they'd rather just establish a conversation around the rider’s life andwhere his or her bicycle fits into it.
Being avid cyclists themselves, thisproject is as much an investigation
into South African bicycle culture as
it is an excuse for them to ride theirbikes and take photographs.

Remo Baker
Western Cape, South Africa“Why do I cycle? Because it’s fun!
Also some exercise and I mean, there
is lots you can do with it. Been cycling
about 5 years now. I use it to go totown now and then. I bought thisbicycle there. I’ve modified the bike alittle, putting in the extra pipes anddifferent tires. It means everything tome.”

URBANVELO.ORG

39

Stephanie Baker
Pretoria, South Africa“I'm limited to about a kilometer in view of my age,and I use it, well, certainly every other day… about a kilometer uphill in Pretorius street. I keep on the pavements,
they're in a terrible state with chunks missing, but cycling
is awfully good for public relations. I know the area's cleaners at the flats on my way to church—I get a greeting fromthem. The security men at the forensics place always wave,
and going along you sort of get to know people, often you
see someone really looking quite gloomy and you sort ofgive a smile and say dumelang and get a smile back. I thinkit’s wonderful for public relations! I really do. I enjoy it,
I'm happy on the bike. I don't find this area hostile, I really
don't. Some people living here get a bit frightened and well,I don't think you can go about looking over your shoulder
and expecting trouble. I've only had one incident years ago

40 URBANVELO.ORG

where my bag was snatched, out of the basket, it was a gift
actually when I look back and think, but that was the only
time. That was retrieved fortunately. No, I'm not going to
go around being frightened of things. Most people havegood will. Some people here are very scared, even to walk
down to the shops. They sometimes ask me if I'm alright. If
I didn't have the bicycle, well I'm not very good at walking,I'd be more or less in retirement. At least I can get aroundand see the beauty of the place too. This bike suits me, it’squite old now and I'm 82 and three quarters. I'm not sure
if I'd manage with the new bike having all the gears. You
know I'm from England, I often think when people see you,and you hear ‘haauw’, that it is only mad dogs and English
women that ride a bicycle. People know the bike aroundhere now.”

David Mufamadi
Pretoria, South Africa“My bike is good for me, if I want to be somewhereon time I can be there on time, not using the taxi. It
doesn't give me any problems. This bike was a present
after my last one was stolen—my old one was too fast,
an old road bike. This one is okay, but the old one was
my baby. I've been in Arcadia today, just visited a friend
and we went to see some chicks... you know they drive
you crazy without using their license! My bicycle means

42 URBANVELO.ORG

a lot to me, it’s like another part of my life. You know
when someone wants to borrow this bike, I just say no…
because it’s like giving someone a newborn baby, scared
they don't take care of it. Even when I'm sleeping and I
hear something I'm just thinking of my bike. I can tell all
people that if they're thinking about getting a bicycle thatit’s a great idea, and that they shouldn't fuck with thetaxis man.”

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KLASSICSKADENCEMorné Hendricks
Prince Albert, South Africa“I’m here from Prince Albert, but originally from Cape
Town. I was about 5 when we moved here, and I’m 15 now.
So it’s been 10 years now. I like it here but I’d rather livein the Cape—there are more amenities, sport activities.
Here there isn’t much of that. I’ve had this bike for, say,two years. I’ve just been to the bank and to the chemist. I bought some aqueous cream for myself, for my body.
I have some friends that also ride their bicycles. It’s sonice to ride down the road, there down the tar road. I
ride about 2 or 3 kilometers outside of town. Sometimes
we race each other, and sometimes we go jogging. I likesport, but chess is my favorite sport. I’m the best amongst
my friends. It’s only me and my brother in our family thatplay chess, but we’re busy teaching my mom. She likes it

44 URBANVELO.ORG

when we’re alone at home. I bought this bike second hand,from an uncle. I paid R150 ($20 USD) for it, but it didn’t
have brakes. I don’t like new bikes. This bike for me isin a good condition. I prefer this one. But I don’t ride toschool—the other kids puncture my tires with scissors, ordeflate them, if I do. It’s happened once, so I’d rather walk.
It’s luckily very close. It happens to other kids as well, so
now there are very few who ride their bicycles to school.
There are over 1000 kids in my school. In my class we are
50. Next year I’m going to Cape Academy, in Cape Town.
I’m going by train so I hope I can take my bike with. WhenI finish school I want to become a mechanical engineer, I
want to go to Maties in Stellenbosch, or Potch.”

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Graham Holmes
Cape Town, South Africa“I’ve been riding bikes now for over 20 years. I’m 45.
I’m a harbor forklift operator. I’m coming from work now
and I’m going home to Goodwood. I ride my bike every
day—rain, snow, if there was snow! But you don’t get snow
tires here! I ride a bike so I can save more money thanother people do—and then I drink more on the weekends! I save the fuel but then I drink it out! They don’t likeit when I come to the bar on the bike. When you come out
drunk then the people don’t want you to ride. Then I walk!

46 URBANVELO.ORG

But it’s not far... just around the corner. My late wife picked
this bike up for me and I built it up. Some people threw it
away. That’s how I pick my bikes up. Here in Parow, at themarket, the guy sells parts there and I buy my spares thereby him. Cheaper than the bicycle shops. I did the American
flag paint job myself— ‘The home of the free...’ how it’ssupposed to be. Nobody’s got this paint scheme aroundhere. The kids, they say, ‘We like your bike...’, I say, ‘You
can’t smack the bike, it’s the owner you must like!’”URBANVELO.ORG

47

Elliot Muthethe
Noordhoek, South Africa“This bike belongs to my brother. He just lent it to
me to go to the shop. I don’t have my own bike. I like riding bikes, but this bike is too small. My brother is a real
shorty.”Stan Engelbrecht and Nic Grobler are turning theirinvestigation into South African bicycle commuter culture
into a full-color photographic book. They are currently ona countrywide bicycle journey to meet fellow South African
cyclists, to find out who they are and where they are going.
They hope that this project will lead to the kind of infrastructure development that is designed with all people in mind,

48 URBANVELO.ORG

not just cars, but also wish to give people a glimpse into
each other lives through a well known object of movement,
practicality and joy—the bicycle. Looking at individuals
through their sometimes unconscious involvement in bicycle
culture, they will inadvertently touch on many charged issues
like the implementation of public space, lack of infrastructure development and also social problems like class division and unequal wealth distribution, but also perhaps bringthose unfamiliar to each other together in their love for a
simple thing… Go to www.bicycleportraits.co.za to see thisconstantly growing, frequently updated project and discovera true profile of contemporary South African bicycle commuter culture.

NYC Soho 45 Spring Street West Village 49 8th Ave SAN FRANCISCO Level 3, Westfield Center, 845 Market St

Das Rad
Ist Gut
GERMANY’S CHANGING BICYCLE CULTURE
By Eric J. HerbothFor most casual cyclists the popular visibility ofGerman cycling does not extend far beyond
Jan Ullrich’s escapades at Le Tour or perhaps
the Hochdorfer girls on their dance bikes. Dig deeper,
however, and the rate at which Germans ride will disclose
the long history of the bike in their country, a heritage ofcycling with distinct icons and elements of tradition thathave informed what they do today.
Though race bikes are still a mainstay in the nation’s
cycling industry, more and more two-wheel converts are
emerging from Germany’s urban centers. On some level
one could argue that the surge in urban-oriented cycling,
though happening everywhere at once, has in Germany
been driven in part by the much-publicized downfall of the
T-Mobile professional team. Beyond the disgrace of doping, the curtain call on the country’s pro racing dynasty
sent ripples through the lower echelons of the racing circuit and turned off many of the cross-promotional opportunities with sponsors. Mix that with the democratizationof media and information, and it isn’t hard to imagine fewer
German kids spending July in front of the television watching the Pink Kaisers jockey with the Tour de France elite.
Maybe some of those kids are digging up old VHS tapes
pornographizing the exploits of mountain bike legend
Hans Rey (from Kenzingen, near the country’s FrancoA true feat of German engineering, the BierBike. Photo by Eric J. Herboth

Swiss border) and heading into the woods, but a growing
number of others are keeping the dust off their bikes bystaying close to home, racing and riding with exploits inand around the cities.
To be sure, the “dismal future” that Cycling News said
was gripping Germany about two years ago hasn’t spilled
out of the peloton and into the bike lane. Instead, in every
city and town around the country bikes are as much a partof the culture as ever. Though they are suffering the samedecline as their contemporaries in the US, many mom
and pop bike shops still operate in villages with only a few
hundred residents, and the country has maintained its
momentum as a destination for bicycle tourism.
The news with the health of cycling in Germany isthat it really isn’t news. While not quite to the trademark
degree of its Northwest neighbors in the Netherlands, thebicycle has always been a relative constant in German society, as much a part of daily life as a part of sport. Like mostnations without great landmass, Germans take congestion
seriously, but as a nation as under the influence of Americanism as any, over the years Germany has given in to someof the conveniences of sprawl. Around services-oriented
cities like Cologne and Frankfurt rush-hour traffic jams
turn the Autobahn into gridlock. Hence most commuter
trains are packed as well, and though full-size bikes are no
URBANVELO.ORG

51

A freakbike rider from Heidelberg pedals his tall ride through the streets.

problem for most regional and municipal public transportation systems, folding bikes have a strong footprint with
commuters in Germany. In my years traveling the country
I saw as many Dahons as I did Colnagos or even chunky
Diamant track frames from the former GDR East (which
may be no coincidence, as the US/Chinese Dahon openeda European Service Centre near Stuttgart this year), andthe collapsibility of a quick-release folding bike can save a
few scowls per day on the way to work.
Otherwise, there are generally no charges for taking
bikes inside trains, trams, subways or even most buses
within cities, and most regional trains include a dedicatedwagon for bicycles (which often are stuffed with baby
strollers). Generally speaking, while it hasn’t been as internationally renown for cycling as it has for soccer or tennis,
Germany entertains the velo in recreation far more thanmost countries.

***
Rest assured that there are enough tight-jeaned youths
in Germany toting elfin u-locks in their back pockets tosatisfy even the most ardent coolhunter, but suffice it to
say that Germans have a tradition of no-freewheel excel-

52 URBANVELO.ORG

lence that peaked with 7x champion and GDR East tracklegend Michael Hübner.
Besides that, fixies don’t just live on the track in the
Fatherland. For one thing, those amazing bicycle ballerinas-slash-gymnasts, Carla and Henriette Hochdorfer, fly
the black, red and gold flag. The YouTube celebrities are
not only European Junior Champions of Indoorcycling (itdoesn’t get more urban than that) but also hold the Guinness Book of Records title for vertical gymnastics on a single bike (“Kehrsteuerrohrsteiger-Schulterstand”). Fixedgear or not, their feats are unbelievable and their passion
for the bike is as infecting as Jan Ullrich’s.
Another surprise pursuit in Germany is Cycle Ball,
known locally as “radball” (the German word for Bike isRad) and arriving at what one might argue is a more socialist appropriation for the urban cyclists. After all, isn’t polo
a sport of the bourgeoisie? In cycle ball the Germans (andtheir spirited friends across Europe) replace the stickswinging of polo with incredible no-hand bike handlingskills in a no-foot, pedal-powered two-on-two soccer
match.
And who could forget Albert Einstein, the Germanborn, Swiss-educated, American-buried scientist who
famously mugged for the camera while pedaling his cruiser
in Santa Barbara and equated cycling with the essence ofexistence, saying “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep yourbalance you must keep moving.” Words to live by, if only
cycling hadn’t run full-steam into another tradition: beer.
Portland may have the Hopworks rolling keg cart, but
leave it to the Germans to create the BierBike, a rolling
pub that combines pedaling and boozing for more than adozen people at once.

BerlinFor a number of outsiders the misperception is that
the German bike scene begins and ends in Berlin. A forgivable offense for as William Powers wrote of his “Spontaneous Eco-Wander Through Germany” in Slate, bikes are
the norm in the capital. Several years ago Berlin made amunicipal decision to facilitate 15% of city traffic by bikea rule of city planning for 2010. The ensuing explosionof bike lanes and segregated paths had Treehugger calling
Berlin “Bike City” and prompted Powers to note, “Amidhundreds of others bikers, I two-wheeled it through large
swaths of the city in these safe, convenient lanes.”
And of course Berlin has the graffitied Keirin Cycle
Culture Cafe, a café and bike shop southeast of the city
center that has a direct line to Tokyo and a tight pulseon the track bike scene in Europe. The space is smaller
than its reputation would have you believe, but inside you

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can find just about anything related to fixed gear culturethat you might desire, and if it isn’t on hand they’ll be sure
to track it down. Newer in town is Cicli Berlinetta, theuptown shop with a hankering for Italian tradition.
Keirin Cycle Culture Cafe and its network of friends
and followers are indicative of why Berlin was the logicalspot to premiere Fixed City, a documentary on the country’s fixed gear culture circa 2009 that switched “between
velodrome and traffic lights, messengers and fakengers,
inspiration and revolution, trick riding and speed addiction, pragmatism and passion, purism and a very own
poetry.” When it comes to their city, the film team of Kristian Ansand and Martin Gilluck say that “Berlin is definitely
one year ahead” of most urban cycling movements in the
country.

Köln
Down toward Germany‘s former capital is Köln, or
Cologne to Westerners, a savvy and prolific nexus of media
and culture that, at under a million people but spread out
over 156 square miles, is reminiscent of a more modern
urbanist Seattle. Which isn‘t to say there‘s no old-world
influence; the city‘s enormous cathedral is an international
photo spot for skateboarders and, increasingly, urban bikers. On my trips through the city there were a healthy
number of velos rolling about, from the iconic Dutch stylebikes to fixies and even a few unicycles. Somewhat unexpected was the number of urban freeride bikes with their
distinctive low saddles, fat tires and beefy suspension.
Unexpected, that is, until you consider the city‘s mainstay
WeThePeople, a freestyle brand that has made a name foritself in the world of BMX. The aforementioned BierBike
sells franchises in smaller cities from its home in Cologne.
One focal point for the city‘s urban riding scene isBike Syndikat, a messenger dispatch center and bike shop
on one of the many geometrically skewed blocks on thewest side of the city centre. Another recent highlight on
Cologne‘s bicycle calendar was Cyclodonia, an industry
trade fare in March that covered city bikes, mountain bikes,
family bikes and, increasingly, e-bikes. Though it doesn‘t
yet have the profile of Munich‘s Bike Expo or the Eurobike
tradeshow, Cyclodonia hosts enough workshops, exhibitions and resources to deepen Cologne‘s dent on the German bike map.
Online, the city has had an English blog documenting the various rides, alleycats and polo matches around
Cologne, from the perspective of a track racer for the RC
Adler team who decided to ride to London on a 1980s era
Raleigh frame that he‘d found via the legendary Sheldon
Brown. The velodrome veteran was perhaps lured to the

54 URBANVELO.ORG

touring life with inspiration from Brian McCulloch, whorode his fixed gear the other direction, some 840 miles
from Bristol to Berlin in 8 days.

MunichMunich, which hosts the industry focal point Bike
Expo, has been a powerhouse in bike polo for the past
several years. The city claimed the 3rd place team at the2009 European championships and at the 2008 Hardcourt
Showdown in Zurich the Müncheners, took second andfourth (with a Berlin squad in third). The city hosted its
own Bicyculture Festival last year, and this 27th of June will
mark the 2nd Bavarian Super Sprints races.

Frankfurt
Just by dint of proximity, while living in Germany I did
most of my urban riding in Frankfurt, the airport-fueledbusiness centre on the banks of the Main River. Thoughtraditionally known as a center of commerce and finance,
the city (known colloquially as Mainhattan for its plethoraof skyscrapers, a rarity in Europe) is seeing the fruits ofa long bender on cultural rejuvenation, and the bike has
played a roll there too. On the administrative level thecity has a fairly extensive network of bike lanes on major
throughways and dedicated loops in some industrial areas,
not to mention the GrünGürtel, a 75km greenbelt thattakes bikers on a circular route around the entire city.
On the hipper side of things, Frankfurt just played
host to the German qualifiers for the 2010 World Hardcourt Bike Polo Championship, taking place in-country inAugust. The prelims and finals to determine the nationalteam for 2010 were hosted by the local cadre known as
Frankfurt‘s Finest Messengers, and the local malleteers ofTeam Polosynthese will be the only northern influence on
the team. The rest of the German contingent will consistof three outfits from Karslruhe and a squad from Munich.
Off the court, Critical Mass enjoys a cult following inFrankfurt as well, with two regular monthly rides that cannumber just half a dozen participants in the dead of winter but swell to several hundred when the skies clear togive glimpses of the surrounding Taunus mountains and theskyline ironically punctuated by the Europaturm, the towering space needle with its rings back-lit in the once lofty
Team Telekom pink.
The core of traffic corkers from the Frankfurt‘s Finest
Messengers and its Critical Mass group lent a strong presence to Umsatteln (meaning “dismount), a massive twowheeled protest ride cum rolling carnival that demanded“a person-friendly future” for the city, organized in
response to the annual Frankfurt Auto Show.

RUSH HOUR FLATBARRALEIGHUSA.COM

Hamburg and Beyond
Oddly off the radar to most American travelers seeking excitement in Germany, Hamburg is a sprawling hubof culture that many consider a legitimate rival to thenation’s capital. The city hasn’t flourished in competition
like teams dispatched from Munich, but Hamburg has
spawned an urban bike scene of its own. Like many othercycling communities, the city has a shop at its core, and up
north that shop is Suicycle. Catering to track bikes and thesinglespeed culture at large, the shop stocks parts and gear
to go along with a few major-brand resells and their own
handcrafted Columbus Zona steel frames.
Also headquartered in Hamburg is Bergamont, who
I remembered from their mid-90s mountain bike frames
and who now sell a broad line of bikes for trail and treelined streets alike. Their lugged-steel single speed frame
might make for a nice cruise along the Elbe (or maybe
a sneak ride through the St. Pauli Elbe Tunnel that runs
under the river not far from Suicycle), but down south in
the city of Freiburg, Kai Bendixen would not be impressedwith your bike. “Apart from aesthetic concerns,” he states
in an FAQ primer on his handiwork, “there is not muchspeaking to the merits of a lugged frame.” For the past few
years Bendixen has been TIG-welding steel bikes under his
own name, using the same mix-and-match recipe with tubing from Columbus, Dedacciai, Reynolds and True Temper.
Along with an early apprenticeship, Bendixen’s own artistry is improved by inspecting the works of other builders, which he does when doing repairs on steel frames ofother provenance so that he “can learn from the mistakesof others.”
Not far from Bendixen is Fixie Inc., an online retailer
and frame mark from Karlsruhe that has become one of
the country’s largest clearinghouses for urban bike culture.
Launched in 2003 with a “velosophy” informed by “an irrepressible drive to combine unique design with innovativeengineering,” the company currently lists six bikes in theirlineup. The majority of their wares are drawn from anassortment of “aircraft steel” tubing, with a Reynolds 953
racing tubeset thrown into the mix. As their name implies,
the company found their footing in the decade’s burgeoning fixed gear renaissance, and half of their fleet rolls on
symetrically dished wheels, but where the Karlsruhe outfit really nails it is with their cyclocross setup, the Pure
Blood, a frame built with an “Interchangeable Dropout
System” that allows ambitious multi-class racers to switch
between geared and single speed setups on the same bike.
Southerners in Germany must play bike polo likeSoutherners in America play the moonshine jug because

56 URBANVELO.ORG

like Munich to the East, Karlsruhe has been gripped byhardcourt fever and routinely sends teams to tournaments
throughout Europe. Fixie Inc. has naturally establishedinroads with the polo community, and to that end they’ve
begun producing Mo’s Mallet, their polo sledge.
Back up north, Hase Bikes make a wickedly-engineered
three-wheeled recumbent from their home near Dortmund. Say what you will about recumbents, but anyone
with the experience can attest to the potential of the Hase
trikes to completely change the demographics and thepace (and height) of bike traffic. The Fixed City crew also
points to RetroVelo in Leipzig as a tastemaker for their“retrofashioned city bikes” and noting the PONYVELO,
their BMX-inspired cyclocross bike.

***
By the way, that Bike Polo Championship happening at
the end of summer? That goes down back in Berlin, which
sure enough does seem to find its way into the center ofthings. The city also hosted the European Cycle Messenger
Championships last year (where Fixed City was filmed), a
return to roots for an ECMC that kicked off in the formerly divided city back in 1993. The Berlin Bike Messenger
Association hosted the festivities, boasting of “the most
exciting racecourse ever seen at an international event”
and backing it up with a 1km+ length looping course at the
famed Tempelhof Airport terminal. A stunning backdrop
for bike racing, at the time of its completion the Tempelhofbuilding was an icon of Nazi Germany’s swelling ambitionin the early 1940s; last spring it welcomed a new breedof brash warrior to “a once-off, staggering, spine-tingling,
nerve-jangling, goose-pimpling” course that included steep
ups and downs, hairpin curves and tunnels.
But before the top mallets are awarded for Polo, Berlin
will be hosting yet another event, the 2010 DMFK German
Bike Messenger Championships at the fabled Potsdam in
July. Beyond the racecourses the ECMC and DMFK, likemost urban cycling events, make a point of schedulingactivities for the untrained competitor; the skids, trackstands, backward circles, foot-downs elephant-legged ballet moves of best trick throwdowns. The things that, given
a positive have-fun outlook, anyone with a bike can do.
And perhaps that is why bikes are doing so well in thisnew century in Germany, a nation that spawned and succumbed to chaos in the previous 100 years. The bicycle...
le velo... das Fahrrad... so simple and peaceful. With thebike in hand all one needs is the Earth, and that is a basic
treatise that everyone in Germany can understand, from
Berlin to Leipzig, Dresden, Münster, Frankfurt, Karlsruhe
and Munich.

www.skully.com.tw
by S-Sun

SanJose Fixed
Photos by Annamarie Cabarlocpresented bywww.panaracer.com

J.P. Flores holding his Starfuckers frame.

58 URBANVELO.ORG

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SanJose Fixed
Photos by Annamarie Cabarloc

60 URBANVELO.ORG

Check out www.iminusd.com

presented bywww.panaracer.com

Left: San Jose Fixed holds Thursday night sprints on a weekly basis
during the summer. It gives riders a chance to socialize, and it’s an ideal
excuse to barbeque. Meghan Luoma and Jared Mendiola met through
San Jose Fixed and are now getting married. Behind them Darin Wadeis about to get a push from Kevin Slavin.
Top: Four year old Aidan Mao at Thursday night sprints.
Bottom: Carl Dolatre at a monthly San Jose Fixed trick competition,
which draws people from all over the Bay Area.

URBANVELO.ORG

61

San
Jose Fixed
Photos by Annamarie Cabarloc

Above: Tina Tru (aka Tinaballs) at one of the
San Jose Fixed alleycat races. San Jose Fixed andiMinusD throw alleycats every couple of months
for the “Relationship” series. Riders from all overcome to attend this race and trick competition,and compete for year-end prizes.
Left: J.P. Flores sitting on the street, enjoying his
breakfast after a museum ride. San Jose Fixedholds social rides on certain days so they canmeet, get to know one another, share personal
interests and get everyone on their bikes.

62 URBANVELO.ORG

Check out www.iminusd.com

presented bywww.panaracer.com

Right: Reggie Ballasteros in front ofiMinusD, a regular spot for riders to
tarck and hang out.
Below: Dan Freudenblum tarcking infront of iMinusD.

URBANVELO.ORG

63

64 URBANVELO.ORG

Check out www.residuecomics.com

66 URBANVELO.ORG

The SkyIs Falling
By Stephen CummingsL

ife is good. I have not worked full time in over four
years, my life consists of stringing gigs together that
fit into my schedule as a full time amateur bike racer. I
have done everything from cleaning out a hoarder’s houseto wearing a hard hat like the people in the Honey Bunchesof Oats commercial and handing out free samples. I pull it
all off by living cheaply and having the ability to procure
things (like 400 boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats) at cheap
prices or free. I think most people plan on walking awayfrom their jobs someday, but few can actually go throughwith it. I was forced to walk away.
On my last day of full time work, I had been earning a living as a bike messenger for about five years. The
romance of the job was all but gone. The work had becomeroutine. When each call was given, I had a good chance ofcorrectly guessing where it was going once the pick up
was announced. I could tell the dispatcher who signed formost packages without looking at the manifest. I had all of
the daily, weekly and monthly scheduled runs memorized.
My dispatcher always described people in my position as,“being on the verge.” On the verge of what? Quitting? Killing a rude motorist? Fighting the boss? Freaking out on aclient? Yes, all of them. I ended each day by turning off

Illustration by Adriane Hairston

my radio and riding home, rather than being dismissed or
waiting until there were no calls coming in.
As a messenger, spring is the best time of the year.
Most things about spring make a messenger happy for having put up with the frozen hell that is winter. In a deep
freeze, Pittsburgh’s three rivers can be frozen solid. The
city can be gray with ice and snow. Everything seems quieter. There are no pedestrians. The city itself seems toslow down when the temperature dips below 20°F for aweek straight. As spring rolls in, messengers get to wear
less clothing, worry less about changing flat tires outside
in freezing temperatures, and business starts to pick up
as tax season hits. Early spring marks the first days where
bike commuters don’t have to ride home in the dark as
well.
My last day was like any other sunny spring day. I was
picking up a routine package, at a routine client. I got tocross the river to the north side of town, which meant
more riding, and more money for me. The afternoon temperature had risen to the point where I took off my underlayer shirt, exposing my pale arms for one of the first timesof the year. Days like this made me appreciate my job, myhealth, and the fact that I was alive.
URBANVELO.ORG

67

I rolled up to the office building like I had
done probably a thousand times before. The
building has a three story parking garage
attached to it, each level adjoining the threestory office building. The building itself has
a hill next to it, and there are entrances tothe different levels of the garage off of thehill. To get to the second story, I had to ride
past the entrance to the first story and turnin before the top of the hill that leads to thethird level.
I was working on autopilot. The upcoming hour looked to be so routine that one ofthe only variables was going to be what kindof snacks the company was going to have intheir candy tray. I rode through the parking garage, dismounted my bike, and leaned
it against the same wall that it had leaned
against so many times before. At this point
in time Pittsburgh was a safe place for bikes.
I routinely went weeks without actuallylocking my bike. This building was as safe as
it got, so I rode up, dismounted a few feetfrom the door and started walking.
At the time most guys wore helmets
at work. Occasionally somebody would
be spotted cruising around without, but
it was pretty standard to have one. I liked
the vibe a lot of the seasoned messengers
gave. One common saying was, “Don’t bea hero.” Basically this was saying, “It is not
worth dying to deliver a zip disk to a design
firm for a deadline.” Previously in the year,
a veteran messenger was hit by a speedingcar, and almost paid the ultimate price forit. After that, it seemed most guys at work
were especially cautious.
So I dismount my bike and am walking
the five steps to the door.
Then I am on the ground with people
around me shouting.
The first thing that I remember hearing
was, “Don’t move him, his neck could be
broken.” Fuck. I remember hearing my dispatcher over the radio talking to somebody,and the sound of an ambulance in the background. I guess I was out for a bit of time.
The clients were some of the people huddled around me. There were three of themin the office, they were always kind to us. I

68 URBANVELO.ORG

felt embarrassed, but still had no idea how I
ended up on the ground, what knocked meout, or how badly I was injured.
The paramedics quickly arrived. At
this point I realized that I must have been
unconscious long enough for somebody tocall 911, and for them to be there already.
I figured this to be at least a few minutes.
As the EMTs stabilized me to a backboard,they asked questions that I had heard on TV
before. “Can you wiggle your toes? Can you
move your feet…” I fought back the tears
that were building up in my eyes. I didn’t
want to cry in front of this crowd of people.
The tears started rolling down my cheeks
anyway. “Yes. Yes.” I knew these were thegood answers to these questions.
Then I heard somebody telling the paramedics the reason I was laying there on the
ground wearing a messenger bag, bike shoes,
and a bike helmet. “Somebody dropped thatbrick from the third story right onto hishead.” Fuck.
It turns out that the maintenance manfor the building was moving a wall from thethird story parking garage to the second.
Apparently there was a giant pile of Belgian
block above me that I obviously could notsee from below. As the story goes, the man
looked over the railing, saw nobody there,
picked up a block and dropped it over theedge. In the time that he was bending overto pick up the roughly cubic foot sized block
I quietly rode up on my bike and hopped off.
He released the brick without ever evenseeing or hearing me. Common sense saysthat maybe he should have put up cautiontape, or a sign, or used a wheelbarrow. I
had seen the maintenance man practicallydaily for the previous five years, and had
always thought he was kind of rude. He
never acknowledged me or had ever been
remotely cordial. Now he dropped a fucking
brick on my head.
So I am taking my first ambulance ride,with my body strapped to a backboard,
including my forehead. The paramedics
are asking me questions about insurance,allergies, next of kin, etc. I was so overwhelmed that I could barely answer any of

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them. Lucky for me, Pittsburgh has a ton of
hospitals, and quite a few trauma centers.
Straight to the CAT-scan / MRI machine
thing for me, then to a room.
The bullshit begins. The social worker
for the hospital comes to speak with me
about a few things. First she feels that I
should be on anti-anxiety medicine. This
just makes me angry. The sky just fell on myhead and she thinks I might have an anxiety
issue? I would compare having something
fall from the sky onto your head to stepping out of bed in the morning and not having the ground there. I’d imagine this would
make most people anxious. I have a raging
headache and am hoping for some ibuprofen, which she can’t provide.
She then tells me that my company’s
workers compensation insurance has
expired. This is a big deal. She said it had
expired nine months prior. This happened
to be right after the one guy at work got
horribly injured. A doctor came in to informme that I was ok. He didn’t seem to careabout the cuts that were exposed throughmy torn shirt, from where the brick rolled
down my body. He did not provide me withanything for my raging headache. He justtold me that the social worker would beback in a few minutes with discharge papers.
Within an hour I went from thinking that I
might be paralyzed to being rushed out of
the hospital.
The social worker then told me that I
had no insurance and would have to cover
all costs myself. If I had been permanently
injured, it would have been on me. My boss
was committing a felony, and it seemed that
nobody really cared. This was all obviously
going to be a very big issue. This also meantthat the hospital was not going to give meanything for my headache.
I went home from the hospital and saton the couch taking in everything that had
just happened. I was about to owe the hospital four or five thousand dollars. I had amoral decision to make as to whether I
should turn my employer in for not having valid workers compensation insurance.
I went to “base” a few days later to pick up

70 URBANVELO.ORG

my bike and my helmet, and tell them that I
was going to take some time off.
The brick hit my head and split anddented my helmet. I had not seen the damage until I picked it up that day. I would havebeen dead if I was not wearing it, or if I had
taken it off when I got to the building. The
brick then hit my shoulder and tore my shirt,
and gave me what can only be described as
road rash. I must have only been a foot awayfrom my bike when it hit me, because it thenhit my front wheel and completely folded it.
“Some time off” turned into never going
to work as a messenger again. Because I
liked one of the three owners of the company, I never told on them. They switchedall of the couriers over to independent contractors, meaning that they were responsible for their own insurance. I still sometimes wonder what would have happened if
the injury had been worse, or if it had been
somebody not wearing a helmet. A few of
the couriers would often take their helmets
off before going into a building. I guess that
I am kind of glad that it was me that the sky
fell on.
I was also fortunate enough to have alawyer as a good friend. He made sure thatmy bills were paid by my former employer.
I could have pretended that I was hurt andtried to get a giant chunk of change fromthe building’s insurance, but instead took
the high road and went on to pursue road
racing more seriously. My lawyer friend
would constantly tell me that the insurancecompany could Google me, find my name inrace results a few weeks after the incident,
and contend that I was barely hurt. I kept it
honest, got a few grand and never lookedback.
Stephen Cummings is a frequent contributor and lives but a block from Urban Velo
HQ, currently competing as a Cat 1 road andInternational Elite cyclocross racer and in PRO
level mountain bike events as his road schedule
allows. See his other contributions; Riding is My
Religion in Urban Velo #7, The Million Mile
Man — Danny Chew in Urban Velo #10 and
Crit Racing in Urban Velo #14.

FFMANBY DAVID HO

The Invasion Begins…
Green transportation is the new marketing Mecca, and it looks as though times aregood for vendors and manufacturers of alternative transportation. To be sure, there has
been a recent (relatively) surge in bikes here in
the US that have car-like abilities such as cargobikes and Dutch-style child transporters. It’sa great time to expand your horizons and try
a new bike that will help you to reduce yourdependence on oil—either foreign or domestic. This has no doubt been brought even more
sharply into focus with the explosion of, sinking and resulting environmental disaster of the
BP Deep Water Horizon. This tragedy on theseas will be capitalized on by folks who want tosell you something that isn’t petroleum powered. It was the best of times; it was the worstof times…

72 URBANVELO.ORG

Global Electric Motorcars,
LLC, a Daimler Chrysler company headquartered in Fargo,
N.D., is a manufacturer ofneighborhood electric vehicles(NEVs) such as this e4 model.

In addition to the newer, lighter, more powerful andcheaper electric bikes that are hitting the market andelectric and gas-powered scooters, a new breed of lightaround town type of electric vehicle is being adopted
by eco-conscious urban and suburbanites. All of thesevehicles are ending up in the bike lanes—the catch-all forvehicles that planners and regulators deem to be too slow
or too fragile to mix it up with larger, faster, heavier traffic. Of course, that’s why we ride in the bike lanes whenthey’re available. But should we be forced to mix it up withall of these Johnny-Come-Lately invaders?
Are these bike lane snatchers really the enemy? No,
they’re not. The truth is that we’re all in this together.
Many people who choose to use alternative transportation do so because it’s better for the environment,
cheaper, and less impersonal—when you’re traveling at
human speed you can really enjoy the world that you live
in. Nevertheless, problems do arise when we start forcing
all of these vehicles to use the same space.
Neighborhood Electric Vehicles(NEVs) and Bike Lanes
For the past century, the US transportation system
has been largely designed to accommodate quick movement of motor vehicles, and up until the 1970’s bicyclists
were forced to share the road with all types of traffic inmost circumstances. While retaining a right to the roadway is important for bicyclists, transportation engineers
have spent the past several decades working on ways tosafely retrofit existing roads and provide designs for new
roads so that bicyclists have the safest space for sharing
the road with motor vehicles. Some of the engineering has
resulted in the creation of bike lanes (“Class II” facilities in

74 URBANVELO.ORG

places like California)—especially along roads where there
is a relatively high flow of and/or fast moving traffic.
Bike lanes are treated as protected space for nonmotorized vehicles. Mopeds, motor scooters, and small
motorcycles are not allowed to use bike lanes in mostplaces, because of safety issues associated with speed andmass. These small, motorized vehicles use the same road
space as motor vehicles. Additionally, new electric mopeds
and scooters are becoming commercially available; thesevehicles are also to use the same portions of the roadway
as motor vehicles. Typically, this category of small, motorized vehicles are not allowed on freeways or expressways,
as they cannot safely move at the same speed as motor
vehicles.
A new type of small electric vehicle has become popular recently, most frequently seen rolling along in retirement communities and/or planned communities in thesuburbs—the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle, or “NEV”.
These new vehicles are federally restricted to travel nomore than 25 miles per hour, and are relatively light compared to traditional motor vehicles. NEVs can seat up to
four people, and as they are gaining in popularity, so is thedesire to treat them as a special class of vehicle.
Just like bicyclists, NEV users want to feel safe on theroad. Some planners and transportation advocates havebegun to implement community-wide plans for NEVs,
including newer, wider travel lanes to be shared with bicycles. In California several pilot programs have been put inplace to test these plans and new facilities. For example,
in Lincoln, CA (just north of Sacramento) new 7-footshared-use bike lanes have been installed. Bicyclists andNEVs share this space.
As of this writing, there are a handful of communities
in California that are currently in, or about to embark on

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a pilot program for NEV use. Some of these communities place NEVs in shared-use bike lanes. To date, none ofthese communities have completed their pilot programs.
Some mid-point reports are already out, and others are
due to the state legislature early next year. Additionally,
there are several more communities that want to institutetheir own pilot program.
The Lincoln Pilot Community
As noted above, Lincoln, CA is in the middle of a pilot
program. A mid-point report has been submitted to thelegislature. The Neighborhood Electric Vehicle Transportation Plan Evaluation notes that during the pilot program, noaccidents or injuries were reported. This is, in fact, good
news. However, it is probable that the pilot community in
Lincoln does not represent all of the challenges that NEVs
will face in urban environments elsewhere within California. It is important to note that I’m not attacking the Cityof Lincoln, or their plan. I reviewed the report, and formed
the following opinions.
The number of cyclists using the roads in Lincoln was
significantly lower than in urban areas, and thus is not agood sample of the true numbers of cyclists that a NEV
may encounter during travel. Several years ago, Davis,
CA experimented with placing NEVs in a shared lane withbikes. After a short time, Davis abandoned the experimentconcluding that it was a bad idea.
A survey of bicyclists from the area indicated that they
were not at all comfortable sharing the NEV/bike lanes
with NEVs. Several indicated that they encountered “close
calls” where the driver of the NEV failed to see the bicyclist ahead of them slowing, and as a result had to swerveout of the shared use lane.
But Really, What’s the Solution?
Regular readers of the advocacy articles know that I’m
big on a concept called “Complete Streets” (see Urban
Velo #1). In short, a complete street is one that has been
designed to be used by everyone—cars, bicyclists, pedestrians, transit, etc. A good rule of thumb is to ask the question, “Would I feel comfortable putting my 8-year old childor 80-year old grandparent on this road if they weren’t
in a car?” If the answer is “yes”, then you’ve probably got
a complete street. Transportation advocates have lately
taken to calling this the 8/80 rule. Complete streets are
typically slower and more accommodating for all modesof traffic.
As a long time complete streets advocate, I personallyfeel that:

76 URBANVELO.ORG• With a width of nearly five feet, NEVs cannot safely pass abicyclist in a bike lane, as bike lanes are four feet where there isno parallel parking, and five feet where there is parallel parking.
• NEVs are too wide for bike lanes (55 inches on average for
NEVs vs 48 inches on average for bike lanes).
• NEVs should share the same road space as other motorized
vehicles—which is the same practice used by mopeds andmotor scooters. As the maximum speed of a NEV is limited to
25 mph, they should simply be treated as any other slow moving
traffic, and occupy the right-most lane on any multi-lane roadwith speed limits of 45 mph or less.
• If NEV drivers act as curb huggers rather than as operators ofvehicles, then they will have the same problems faced by bicyclists, with right hooks, left crosses, turning left, driveways, etc.
They should simply travel in the center of the roadway, and pullover when there are too many vehicles behind them.
• In a collision with a bicyclist, an NEV is much faster andheavier, so the increased risk is significant. As such NEVs should
not share space in a bike lane or a shared NEV/bike lane.
• If operators of NEVs can drive in bike lanes, they may believethat they can also drive on shared-use paths (this has alreadybeen reported in Beaufort County, South Carolina). This creates
additional conflicts as these pathways are almost always only to
be used by bicyclists and pedestrians. In Marin County, CA, as
in many places, electric bicycles are explicitly prohibited fromuse on multi-use pathways.
• Studies have shown that wider streets create conditions thatencourage speeding. In addition, excess pavement reduces thesoil surface area in a community, which is important for drainage and other environment consideration. As such, I am not infavor of separated NEV lanes—which I believe is a poor choice
for land use when NEVs can simply share the regular motorized
travel lane.
As newer and more diverse forms of green transportation become available, splitting up the public space foreach type of transportation is not sustainable. Complete
Streets help to provide a shared space that can be used beeveryone. Slower, human scale streets will help users to
be and feel safer. NEVs and other alternative transportation vehicles will help us to slow our streets, reduce ournational energy needs, and provide options for people
who do not want to, or cannot bike. But putting them inthe same dedicated space as bicycles so that automotive
culture may continue to flourish is not the answer.

9

Tips for Running a
Successful Bike Event
By Brad Quartuccio & Jeff GuerreroWhile we’ve been to countless awesome races, rides, festivals, and other bike events, we’ve unfortunately been
to more than our share of shitty events too. In addition to making magazines, we’ve each run our share ofless-than-official bike events in the past and at risk of sounding conceited, none of them have totally sucked.
We think it’s fair to assume that most anyone promoting a bike event is doing so with the intention of providing a fun
and safe experience for everyone involved, but some people just have more enthusiasm than experience. So it’s with thepurest of intentions that we present the following tips for putting on your own successful bike event. It’s up to you andyour local laws to determine if your gathering needs any sorts of permits, insurance or other formalities.

1

Promote The Damn Thing

This is probably the most obvious suggestion, but perhaps the most vital. And it’s theone aspect where people tend to fail most miserably.
If nobody comes to the event, the event will most
likely suck. Additionally, you want to make sure theright people come to your event. A Halloween alleycat is more fun if the outgoing members of the local
bike coop show up in full costume. A bike polo tournament is more memorable if the loudmouths fromacross the state show up and heckle. And a trick contest just isn’t going to be exciting unless you can getsome of the major players to make the trip to yourcity to strut their stuff.
So how do you do this? First, you have to be on
the scene. Believe it or not, it’s even more important
than the internet. Word of mouth hype is key for
local events. Get the word out to all the blogs, websites, message boards and social networking sites thatyou can without turning it into spam. Facebook is not
the only place to promote your event, so if you’re notin the know, ask people for suggestions. You have toactively promote the event to your friends—don’ttake for granted that they’ll just show up. Make flyers, put them in every shop and bike hangout, and ask
people to help spread the word. Paper still works,
and shows a certain commitment to things.

78 URBANVELO.ORG

4

2

Do Your Homework

A few hours of planning and preparation cansave you hours of trouble on the day of theevent. Not only do you want to consider logistics related
to your event you want to be aware of things going on in
the outside world that might affect your plans. Are you
trying to run an alleycat on St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago?
Maybe there’s a better weekend when there won’t be agigantic parade, massive traffic jams and hordes of drunken
people in green infiltrating the city.
While you can neither predict nor control theweather, it’s never a bad idea to consider the possibilities.
Will a severe thunderstorm wipe out your polo tournament plans? And if dozens of people come to town for an
outdoor event that isn’t happening, can you at least entertain them until the storm passes?
Again, you can’t plan for every possible situation, but
a successful event promoter is going to have their bases
covered, and a Plan B.

3

Communication is Key

There’s probably nothing that makes people
more upset than a lack of communication.
Thankfully, most communication failures are easily avoided
by simply putting forth an effort to do so. This includes nottaking it for granted that people will read printed materials or listen to verbal commands. As the saying goes, “Youcan lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.” But
it pays to consider the lowest common denominator, andmake critical information as readily available as possible.
An element of mystery is desirable, but participants are
more likely to show up if they have some idea about theevent. Alleycats can be a few miles around town full of facepainting or all day affairs leaving even the best winded—asa racer it’s good to know what you’re getting into.

80 URBANVELO.ORG

Location, Location, Location

An event’s location can be as crucial as anyother factor, and for a multitude of reasons.
Contrary to the popular saying, familiarity breeds goodattendance, not contempt. Do all of your local alleycats
start at the same place? If so, it’s for a good reason. And
the fact that people are used to going there makes it alogical choice for your event, too. Even if the event itself
can go off in foul weather, people will need somewhere
to congregate at the start/end. Sometimes you can’t avoid
hosting an event in a bad location. It just so happens thatsome of the best places to hold under the radar events
are in less than savory neighborhoods. When this is thecase, it’s a good idea to make your out of town guests
aware of their surroundings, and if possible make adjustments and accommodations accordingly. For example, if
bikes are likely to get stolen, remind people to use theirlocks. Even though it’s technically not your fault, you don’t
want everyone’s event recap to include, “and then Joey
Bagadonuts’ bike disappeared.” If you are expecting out of
town visitors few things can make their stay better than agood map and a listing of grocery stores, restaurants, bikeshops and even local’s contact information.

5

Volunteers

Few successful events happen without a small
army of people pitching in behind the scenes.
While doing it yourself is truly the only way to be sure it
is done right, including others will spread out the workand bring enthusiasm about the event to that many more
people. In some cases creative checkpoint planning can all
but eliminate the need for more than a few night-of volunteers, but other events leave no way around volunteers
actually on-call during the event. Keeping them dry andsafe at their appointed spots is key, with some system tocall them in from far off posts. It should go without saying,
but you shouldn’t have anything going on at checkpoints
that could land someone in jail. Expect your volunteers tobail or be late, build some stand-ins and extra time intothings and avoid fighting with your friends.

6

PrizesPeople like going home with something, but
don’t overburden yourself with trying to makeyour race the one with custom hipflasks or some otherridiculousness unless you really know what you’re getting
into. Spoke cards for everyone is a minimal upfront cost toabsorb, and prizes can be found through local shops anddirect company contact. Don’t be overly ambitious in prize
requests, and be sure to include an answer to the sponsor’s ultimate question, “What’s in it for me?” How many
people are you expecting? Do you have a website that thesponsors are going to get additional exposure through?
Following up after the event with thanks and photos makes
your request the next time around that much easier to fill.

7

Bread & Water

While most event promoters tend to concern
themselves with things like spoke cards, t-shirts
and prizes, the most important thing people go home withis the memory of a good time. And while prizes and memorabilia are great additions to a well-run event, nothing
makes people happier than taking care of their basic needs.
If your event is going to last more than a few hours,
especially if it starts in the afternoon and runs into thenight, it’s almost essential to either provide food andwater, or make it readily available. The same goes for restrooms and shelter.
Providing water is not only a courtesy, it can be asafety factor. And we all know how thirsty cyclists can get.
Which brings us to our next tip...

82 URBANVELO.ORG

8The Ups and Downs of Booze

Let’s not beat around the bush—a lot of urban
cycling events are largely an excuse to host anafterparty. And there’s really nothing wrong with that. But
whenever you bring alcohol into an event, you have liability
issues to contend with. Especially if you, the promoter,are providing the alcohol. As the organizer it’s probably
in everyone’s best interest if you save your drinking until
after the party, in the hotel lobby.
Even if your event is BYOB, you should still consider
the legal ramifications and do your best to make surenobody’s going to spend the night in jail. This isn’t reallyas difficult a task as it may seem, though you may have to
awkwardly enforce underagers to take it elsewhere. For
everyone else, you just need to consider the location andwhether it’s legal to drink there. In the case of many public
spaces like parks and other outdoor gathering spots, it’scustomary to “bend” the laws a little, but while beer iswonderful it’s not so good as to deal with the police over.

9

Safety First, Not Last

While it’s true that we, as event promoters,
have to operate under the assumption that all
participants in an urban cycling event are consenting adults
acting under their own volition and responsible for theirown well being, it’s still our responsibility to take reasonable steps to ensure everyone’s safety. There’s nothingworse than having the memory of your event marred by
the stories of someone getting sent to the hospital (orworse).
It’s difficult, if not impossible, to make everyone wear
a helmet and obey traffic laws, but you can at least recommend it. You can, however, typically choose locations thatavoid dangerous roads and neighborhoods. And you can
exercise some personal responsibility for those who can’t
manage to do so for themselves—by telling them when to
say when.

Bicycle
High
Fives
By John CameronE

van glanced over and gave me a simple "yo" as wemashed our bikes across town. We had never met
before but were instantly connected through a bond
we had as injury defying, weather chancing, traffic dancing city cyclists. "What's happenin'?" I forced the reply
between pedal strokes. We introduced ourselves, reachedover at speed and clinked our fists as if to make a toast.
In 2009 Philadelphia made steps to make the city morebike-able and conducive to human power. Two major eastwest roads were retrofitted with bike lanes. One car lanein each direction was converted to a bike only path. The
tree-lined streets of Pine (eastbound) and Spruce (westbound) allow enough room for what has become the eastwest bicycle highway. It is the fastest and easiest way tobike from one end to the other and the efforts made by
the city are greatly appreciated.
Slightly to the north of the bike highway, however,through the sky scraping center of the city lies a maze ofmoving cars, curbs, trolleys, holes, bigger holes and steam-

84 URBANVELO.ORG

ing chaos are Chestnut street and Walnut street. They arethe "king lines" for city cyclists and are equivalent to black
terrain in the eyes of a skier. Lines that bikers travel are
subject to the yawing and waning of traffic and a moving
puzzle of route deciphering as a biker unlocks the path ofleast resistance within the cluttered road. The east-westroutes of Chestnut and Walnut are far different than thetree lined counterparts to the south but change a ride
across town from a task into a game.
It was somewhere on Walnut that Evan and I foundourselves riding side-by-side-by-back-by-front. Suddenly another cyclist was in the mix as I anticipated clogs
between taxis and timed cars to beat them through lights.
We swooped through, carving hard to make the tight turnthrough the cars. The turns a cyclist makes are tightenedwhen a car pulls closer to the vehicle in from of them while
stopped. A swoop between cars can quickly change into a
series of hard right angle turns as a biker negotiates thecleanest line.

PR
YM
EG
EA
R.
CO
M

GOOD DAY GLOVE

Available at Bikethreads.com

Evan and I carried on a conversation through it all
while occasionally pausing as our paths digressed too far
for conversation. We talked through short gasps about
how we both enjoy biking, especially when it became sucha mind trick and a total concentration puzzle. We squeezed
through more cars and people who stepped out so close to
us that our elbows brushed their coats. "Hey," Evan yelled"do you ever try to high-five people when they reach out
to hail a cab?" The open hand of someone stretched out asthey leaned over the curb to catch the attention of a cabbie
is always too much to resist as I bike by. The unexpectedhigh fives usually are received with mixed reaction but I've
always wondered if other cyclists are as tempted as I am at
the sight. "Every time!" I yelled.

John now writes and rides from West Philadelphia where hecontinues to put off getting a real job.

Headset & Fork Installation

By Brad Quartuccio

H

eadsets are fairly simple—a bearing on either sideof the headtube that the fork rotates within—but
installation and removal require dedicated tools.
Many find headset and fork installation one of the first
obstacles to overcome when building up a new frameset.
Starting with a blank canvas, this article covers the basics
of how to install a headset and fork, using the most common 1 1/8 ” threadless example with conventional press-fit
bearing cups.
Before you begin, you’ll want to make sure you haveall of the parts, and give them a quick inspection to understand how it all fits together. Inspect the headtube of theframe and base of the fork crown for excess paint or burrs,
and otherwise to make sure the surfaces are clean. The
importance of “facing” the headtube—grinding the opposite faces of the headtube absolutely parallel with a special
facing tool—is real but debatable in most cases, few shops
do it for every frame in the door and even fewer homemechanics have access to the proper tools. Besides common shop tools, you’ll at least need access to a headset
cup press, with both shop and consumer models available
and a number of DIY versions out there. I’d suggest sticking to the purpose built models or borrowing the tools
through a local collective before risking damage with ahomemade press.

86 URBANVELO.ORG

1

Loosely assemble the headset cups and press, being
mindful in your selection of tool inserts to pick one
that does not press directly on the bearing surface,or on the bearings themselves of integrated cartridge models. With the cups aligned properly and sitting straight,
slowly start pressing the cups into the frame while making
sure they enter the frame straight. If alignment is a problem it may help to push the cups in one at a time. It willtake some effort to push the cups into the frame—if theyslide in too easily or feel like they don’t want to fit at all it
is best to consult a shop for advice. Make sure the cups areseated absolutely flush with the frame.

2

Install the crown bearing race on the fork. Anothertight fit, there are tools available to make this process easy but many find that a section of pipe, an oldstem or a hammer and punch can do the job. Whatever
the tool of choice, be careful not to mar the surface thebearing rests on. Press the crown race flush.

88 URBANVELO.ORG

3

With a new fork you’ll most likely need to trim thesteerer tube. Assemble the frame/fork/headset andadd the spacers and stem you plan on using on thebike. I always err on the side of too much steerer tube
on new builds, trimming them and removing extra spacers
later if needed. The old adage “Measure twice, cut once”
applies here, as you can’t make a too-short steerer any
longer. Mark the steerer at the top of the stem.
Photos by Brad Quartuccio

100% PURE CRANK

6

Reassemble the fork/frame/headset with your chosen spacers and stem, this time finishing with the
top cap threaded into the starnut. Adjust the bearing via the tension on the top cap before checking stem tofork alignment and tightening the stem clamp bolts.

There is a wide variety of headsets available beyond
the design shown here. Besides the common 1” threaded
and 1 1/8 ” threadless designs (shown), there are othersteerer sizes and threading combinations out there, alongwith newer models with integrated bearing cups and evennewer tapered steerer tube designs. When in doubt, consult a shop mechanic.

4

Using a sharp hacksaw blade, cut the steerer 3-5mm
below the line marked by the top of the stem toaccount for the space needed for proper bearing
adjustment. Before making the cut it is worth holding thesteerer up to the frame one last time to make sure thelength still makes sense. Cut it straight and clean any burrs
with a sanding block or flat file. A pipe-cutter can be usedand ensures a straight cut but may require more post cut
clean-up.

5

Installing the starnut of a threadless headset
requires nothing more than a hammer and a straight
hit, though there are tools and guides to make theprocess easy and the alignment straight each and every
time. The trick without a guide is getting the first row of“stars” to bite into the inside of the steerer at the sametime on one shot, and then slowly tapping the starnut instraight. If the first row of teeth grabs at the same time
but the starnut is not perfectly straight, I’ve found that you
can straighten it using a hammer and punch to push on one
side or the other before engaging the second set of teeth
and sealing your fate. You’ll want the starnut to sit about
15mm below the top of the steerer.

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PeoplePoweredMovement.org

Home Shop Strategy
By Brad QuartuccioI

t looks daunting at first, but while there is a certainly
a buy-in factor to having a completely outfitted homeshop, over time the purchases pay for themselves
through both direct hourly labor costs and the unquantifiable satisfaction of working on your own equipment.
Beyond the basics (hammer, hacksaw, screwdrivers, etc)
there are a handful of tools that are essential for basic
repairs and adjustments. Purchasing what you can at the
hardware store and buying one small tool per shop visit is
one way to make the whole process that much less painful financially. Save the pricier purchases for opportune
times of either cash on hand or a deal you can’t refuse and

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sooner than later you’ll find that you have a pretty stockedhome shop.
Even more so than in other aspects of life, you getwhat you pay for when it comes to tools. Money spenton quality tools is rarely wasted, whereas cheap tools not
only wear out faster but in some cases can actually damage the parts you’re trying to repair. The sky is the limit
on both tool cost and depth of repairs—there is no shamein having to visit the shop from time to time for repairs as
there is ultimately little reason to have the most expensive
bike tools around at home, ex. thread taps and frame alignment gauges.
Photos by Brad Quartuccio

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C

M
www.majortaylorassociation.org

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photo: demon cats

the VIGILANTEMYCYDistribute Urban Veloin your bike shop!

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Email brad@urbanvelo.org

MESSENGER BAGS

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Indispensible
The following tools are what is necessary for the
majority of repairs. As you start off, only buy the ones that
fit your bike—there is no need for a cassette removal tool
if you only ride fixed, and no need for headset wrenches if
all of your bikes have threadless headsets. You should be
able to outfit the applicable below tools for a single bike
for $150 or less.
• Allen Keys
• Metric Open-end Wrenches• Chaintool• Spoke Wrenches• Cable Cutters• Cone Wrenches• Crank Puller• Bottom Bracket Removal Tool
• Chainwhip and Lockring Tool
• Cassette/Freewheel Removal Tool
• Headset Wrenches• Pedal Wrench• Floor Pump
• Tire Levers• Waterproof Marine Grease• Chain Lube

Next level
Beyond filling in the gaps above as your bikes change,
and buying the other non-bicycle specific tools you’re after(bench grinder, pipe cutter etc.) there is no getting aroundspending some real money on the below items. While inthis second category of “next level” tools, a repair standshould be one of the first things to purchase if you areserious about maintaining your bike. They can be pricey,
but they pay immediate dividends when wrenching anddouble as a secure place to store your bike when not inuse. Keep your eye out at bike swaps and Craigslist, sometimes repair stands come up for well below market value.
• Repair Stand• Truing Stand• Headset Installation/Removal Tools• Torque Wrench• Digital Scale

For more tech articles visit
www.urbanvelo.org/techbrowse and buy photos of bikes and bicycling

BicycleStockImages.com

GIVE A

BIKE!

88Bikes provides a simple, direct
way to donate bikes to kids who arechallenged to be their own heroes.
Join us on our journey at www.88bikes.org

96 URBANVELO.ORG

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