RIP Jeff Hanneman
Not everyone who rides a fixed gear likes skinny jeans and Skrillex…Skillets….whatever.
Anyway, metal lost a great soul.
Alleycat Life
Can't Stop Don't Want To
My Bicycle Has a Bell
Seattle’s Bike Expo is the highlight of my year. But it’s been getting smaller and smaller every year. Fortunately, it’s no less entertaining.
My brother convinced the owner of this restored automatic exercise bike to let him take it for a spin.
.83′s 8th FHR
With a fun loving middle finger aimed at Cascade Bicycle’s annual Chilly Hilly, the assholes from .83 Bicycle Club have taken the (some would say) overpriced “season opener” classic ride and turned it into a race full of whiskey and chili…which are included with the $7 entry fee. Cascade’s ride does not feature whiskey and you have to pay extra if you want chili at the end.
I have a handful of friends who ride with.83, so I was familiar with the laid back anti-Spandex attitude of the club in contrast to the weekend warrior Spandex-clad people that tend to gravitate toward Cascade. As a former Cascade member who is still disenfranchised about some of the culture within the club, I thought this would be the perfect chance to get out and have some fun with people who ride year round, all the time, and not just during the warmer, drier season here in Seattle.
We met under the ever crumbling viaduct at 8:00 am for registration, donuts, coffee and Jolly Roger race bibs. Beers, 4Lokos and whiskey-spiked coffees were openly consumed as part of the breakfast regiment. After registration, we boarded the ferry bound for Bainbridge Island. On said ferry, we holed up on the top observation deck where more coffee and whiskey was consumed. A cold wind rocked the boat….or maybe it was just the whiskey that made it FEEL like the boat was rocking.
Anyway, we managed to squeeze through the mass of Cascade freds to the “official” starting point. After a quick group-up, we were off like a turd of hurdles, making our way through Cascade weeble wobble newbie traffic.
Some guy almost slid into a mailbox. Not sure if he was an FHR rider or not, but he looked okay despite the fact he was sprawled out on the ground. Ambulances were called. Cops came.
At the whiskey stop nearest the finish line, again, cops came. We got shut the fuck down.
Finish line gathering produced some chili, tons of prizes and schwag.
And again, cops came. We were shut down.
Despite the B.I. fun police, I had a great time riding with some really cool people and can’t wait to do it next year.
Fucking Hills Race 2013
The assholes from .83 are hosting the 8th annual Fucking Hills Race next Sunday, the 24th.
With a middle finger to the Cascade Bicycle Club’s Chilly Hilly, the Fucking Hills Race is a race, not a family friendly fun ride like the Cascade event. The FHR features prizes, and FREE chili…unlike the Cascade version which you have to pay $6 for your chili. Plus, the FHR is cheaper:
Check it out: Chilly Hilly $28+$6 for chili=$34 and no prizes.
FHR $7 +$7.50 ferry ticket+free chili+prizes= $14.50 with prizes included.
It’s sort of like an alleycat on the open roads of yuppie infested Bainbridge Island.
I hope to see all you assholes there.
Alleycat Commute
My Redline 925 daily rider with a Sturmey-Archer S3X fixed gear 3 speed hub. I was running Soma Sparrow bars on the bike at the time as well as a Wald basket.
People ask me why I commute by bike all the time, and I tell them it’s because I’m in no rush to get to work but I’m in a hurry to get home.
Seattle Bike Blog’s Cranksgiving
Filmed by fatguyonabike for alleycatlife.com. Featuring Madi from Family Ride
Seattle Bike Blog Holds Cranksgivng 2012
Like many cool things bike, Cranksgiving started in Noo Yawk. It’s a fun ride that’s more about givign back to the community than it is about racing.
Here in See At Hole, Tom Fucoloro from Seattle Bike Blog conducts Cranksgivng along with Detours bags, Full Tilt Ice Cream, Caffe Delia, Bicycle Benefits and more. This year, I left the fixed gear at home and hopped on my townie bike, and along with Madi from Family Ride, took a leisurely tour through the rain and the wind that is Seattle in November.
The ride started in Gasworks Park, wandered around town, ending at the Rainier Valley Food Bank in Columbia City.
It was nice to see so many people who came out despite the wonderful rainy, windy weather to haul food and take funny pictures.
Cranksgiving 2012
It’s been awhile since I’ve updated the blog. Back to working full time again, as well as going back to school full time doesn’t leave a whole lot of blog time. That, and the alleycats are few and far between this time of year in See At Hole.
However, one ride that’s in the spirit of the alleycat as well as the spirit of giving, is CRANKSGIVING!!
For those who don’t know, Cranksgiving is a pedal powered food drive that happens in various cities around the country. It’s like an alleycat in that you are given a manifest of places to go and types of foods to buy. There is a time limit, but being that the ride is geared more toward hauling stuff than hauling ass, it’s a pretty lax pace. This year, however, it sounds like Tom from Seattle Bike Blog has some additional adventures in store.
Come on out to Gasworks this Saturday. Registration is at 11 and the ride starts at noon.
Come out for food driving, bike riding, ice creaming fun!
Choose Your Own Adventure Alleycat Sept. 22nd
From the guys bringing the NACCC to Seattle in 2013 comes the “Choose Your Own Adventure” alleycat this Saturday. The same team of guys put on the Premium Rush race. Seemed like a good, high speed course. Of course, I crashed out in the first turn, so I can’t say first hand. But I heard it was a fast, mega danger kill the pedestrians kind of race.
The chaos starts at noon. Details below and on Facebook.
“The title says it all, a choose your own adventure alley cat a fundraiser for the Seattle 2013 North American Cycle Courier Championships. This race will be taking place September 22nd, registration will be at the monorail espresso (510 pike) at NOON the race will be leaving at 1 PM! SHARP! The end of the race a the after party will be at the Comet Tavern 922 E PIke with rad bands
Bottle Nose Koffins
The Walk Home
Junk Drawer Vibrator
the flier is on its way
10 bux to race which gets you in to the show as well
5 bux just for the show”
Bike MS Team Pro Bono
I am captaining the Bike MS team for 2013. We’re a great group of people who like to have fun while raising money for Multiple Sclerosis research.
