Bike Psyched

So, the last few days have really been all about making my quads as sore as possible, trying to put some mileage on my new friend.

When the legs have felt too heavy to lift, I've been busy working out my mouse-hand on the interweb, searching for interesting places to ride to, people to ride there with, and otherwise intriguing bicycle-related stuff.

Here's some of what I've found:

Commuter Profiles
To promote Bike Month (May), Transportation Alternatives offers up some very interesting profiles. It's a cool way to make commuting to work seem more do-able (and to read about some nasty crashes). See them here.

Five Boro Bike Tour
Presented by Bike New York, the Five Boro Bike Tour is a pretty rad event. 30,000 cyclists of all levels ride a 42-mile, traffic-free course across each of NYC's five boros (Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island). Traffic-free means the city shuts down major roadways and bridges for this event, including 6th Ave in Manhattan, parts of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, and the Verrazano Bridge. Nuts. It goes down on May 7, but you should register before that here.

Abandoned Bicycles
A photo blog/gallery of bikes left behind throughout the city.

Time's Up!
An environmental non-profit looking to improve the sustainability of our city. Time's Up! does a lot for bike advocacy, from group rides to mechanical clinics to legal advice. Lots of neat stuff. Plus, as part of their Recycle a Bicycle campaign, you can volunteer to fix up some beaten rides. Fix two and the third is yours!

Messengers
Want to learn more about those crazy bike couriers? Check out the New York Bike Messengers Association.

Fixed Gear, Here
Speaking of messengers, a lot of 'em ride fixed gear bikes. What's that, you ask? It's century-plus-old technology! Essentially, it's a one-gear bike that affords you more "feel" and control of the bike. The downside (or upside, depending on who you ask)? You can't coast. You have to constantly pedal. Mostly, these bikes are built or converted from the frame up by the riders themselves. However, as they grow in popularity, various shops and mechanics are beginning to cash in on the fad. I am terribly curious about riding one. Check out some individual fixed gear masterpieces at Fixed Gear Gallery.