December 8/06 11:23 am - Specialized Christmas Card, Velolove News

Posted by Editor on 12/8/06
 

Holiday Greetings from Specialized

Specialized Bicycles has a very cool Christmas greeting on their website - all sounds are made by bicycle parts. View it at www.specialized.com/bc/microsite/holiday/index.html


Velolove Announcements!


Bike route remains unplowed?

Although bike routes are not a priority during the initial days following a snowstorm, they should now be cleared or at least have received cursory salting. If not, contact the City of Vancouver's Neighbourhood Transportation Branch of Engineering Services at 604-871-6070 or at cycling@vancouver.ca.

And remember, many European cities keep bike paths clear in the winter. Make sure your mayor and council know that. You can send an email to mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca or contact individual councillors at vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/councilmembers.htm.


BEST Open House
Friday, December 8, 2006

Come by and visit Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST) at their open house.

From 4 to 7 pm
At the BEST offices at suite 822, 510 West Hastings, Vancouver

For more information contact Deanne LaRocque at deanne@best.bc.ca or 604-669-2860. www.best.bc.ca


Margaret Charles Chopper Collective Ride
Friday, December 8

On the Second Friday of every month, Vancouver's freak art bike collective invites you to ride with this post-apocalyptic gang of delimitation riders.

Meet 6:30 pm at the Science World Gazebo (1455 Quebec Street) and ride at 7:00 pm or so.

For more information, visit www.mcthree.ca
Blog spot: http://mcthree.blogspot.com


Premiere of Bike-ish Movie "Monkey Warfare"
Friday, December 8

Monkey Warfare, a film partly inspired by the Vancouver bike scene, opens this weekend in our city. (Starring Don McKellar & Tracy Wright.) You won't see your buddies on-screen, but you'll be entertained....

The Pedal Revolutionary show featured an interview with the film's director, Vancouver ex-pat Reg Harkema. He was accompanied by actor Cindy Wolfe & man-about-town (and Velolove contributor) Flick Harrison. Bike theft confessionals, Molotov cocktails & revenge fantasies. The things that made college radio alla rage!

The film opens December 8 at Empire Theatres (855 Granville St).

www.monkeywarfare.com


Free Black-tie Bicycle Tuneups
Saturday, December 9

Please inform everyone that there will be free bike tune ups offered at the Cooperative Auto Network's sustainable transportation open house on December 9, 2006 from 1pm to 4pm at the Oakridge Centre (West 41st Avenue at Cambie Street) mall's auditorium. There will also be fun activities for kids as well as information booths by civic organizations at this event, about diverse topics, including balcony composting.

Anybody can bring their bike for a minor tune up. (Parts, if necessary, will not be included in this free service.)

This black-tie bike tune up service will be performed by Steve Sutherland, a master mechanic, and proprietor of the Atomic Bike Shop in uptown Vancouver.

Event information: 604-739-7717. Tuneups contact: Atomic Bike Shop 604-714-0158


Climate Change Rally
Sunday, December 10

You are all invited to the first of a series of community-driven events aimed at increasing awareness of the urgency of climate change and to demand deep reductions in our country's GHG emissions. Our first focus: outrage over the BC government's decision to start messing around with obsolete coal-fired power plants. What * were * they * thinking?

Say "No Coal For Christmas!" in Premier Campbell's Riding!

The problem is serious, but the atmosphere will be festive and family-oriented when concerned citizens meet in Gordon Campbell's Point
Grey riding to protest plans for coal fired power plants in BC.

11 am, Sunday December 10 at Kits Beach in Vancouver.

Music, hot chocolate, games, speakers, face painting and a "climate dinosaur" awards ceremony are all planned. It's hoped Santa will show
up in his zero emission sleigh to lend support and help banish the Grinch. The group will also be announcing the winner of their first "Climate Dinosaur" award at the event.

For more information contact Donald Gordon, 604.732.1374, emailfordonald@yahoo.ca or Quincy Young, 604.732.3477, qryoung@telus.net


Bike Bee Potluck Meeting
Sunday, December 10

Yesss more talking with your mouth full! Yummy goodness cozy style. All are welcome a'course!

5:30 pee emm
1843 William (at Commercial Drive)
That's rob & adam & jackie's house

For more information, email bicyclebee@gmail.com or visit bicyclebee.blogspot.com


Intro to Bike Mechanics for Women
Wednesday, December 13

Empowering women one bike at a time! Jett Grrl Bike Studio offers intro classes, covering flat fix, drivetrain maintenance, and basic brake adjustments. Advanced classes offered as well, plus a full service repair shop. All classes are hands on, 5 people max, w/ detailed written handout provided. Cost is $30/class

Boys are welcome too :o)

Time: 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Place: 1925 Adanac Street near Victoria Drive (back door)

Check out www.jettgrrl.com for more details. Call 604-255-5097, or email jett_grrl@hotmail.com to reserve a space in one of the workshops.


Pedal Galactic
Wednesday evening, December 13

Esoteric bike culture with the fossilosopher! Share some fossilosophical meditations for the deeply bikey on a
cosmological date people.tribe.net/fossilosopher/blog/b5e9fd1c-64f8-4c70-b568-f56758da17e1

Bikey friends and neighbours are invited into the bike church.
RSVP with foss@vcn.bc.ca for the address of Dec 13 gathering.


Midnight Mass Bike Ride
Thursday, December 14

Do you have a bike? Do you like riding it? At night? Pack some warm socks, dig up some bike lights, and start thinking of tasty ways to make booze hot -- the next midnight ride is the 2nd Thursday of the month.

Meet 11:45 pm at Grandview Park (Commercial Drive at Charles Street -- across from the Havana and Turks) and ride at midnight.

The Midnight Mass Bike Ride happens on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month. So mark your calendars, tell your bike loving friends, and hope to see you there!

www.midnight-mass.blogspot.com


Harmonizer Momentum Party!
Saturday, December 16

Celebrate Momentum Magazine's 25th issue with the debut performance of CLANCY"S ANGELS, a post-modern rock gospel supergroup.

Anza Club, 3 west 8th Avenue at the Ontario Bike Route, 8pm till 2am

The evening features a performance by the all-woman bicycle dance sensation, the B:C:CLETTES, and the REVOLUTIONISTS will rock out at the end of the night with their booty-boggling quadruple DJ action.

Don't miss this chance to boogie down with your bikey homies!

Plus... win mouth watering raffle prizes from Norco, Chrome, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Denman Island Chocolates and Terra Breads...

For more information, contact Amy at self-propelled@telus.net or 604-669-9850. www.momentumplanet.ca


BikeCraft Call Out
Sunday, December 17

S.G. Sahulka & C.G.N. Fisher present a craft event celebrating the art of bikes and bike riders.

Spartacus Books, 319 West Hastings Street
12 - 5pm

Do you want to be a part of the action? Send your name and contact inforamtion, what you make (description), and the space you need (i.e. table, wall space, hanging, creative displays) to xxbikecraftxx@gmail.com.

We will be charging participants $10 for space in the craft event. Al this money will go to Spartacus Books, a non-profit, volunteer and collectively run bookstore and resource centre. We will also be collecting donations of warm clothing, food, and blankets, to be shared between the Anti-Poverty Committee and the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre.

Please let us know if you want in by Wednesday, December 13.

For more information, visit bikecraft.blogspot.com


Pedal Revolutionary Bike Radio!
Thursday, December 21

And every other Thursday, from 5:00 to 6:00pm, on CiTR 101.9 FM

News about bike civic politics, chopper bikes, legal issues, bike maintenance, culture, fun and of course Critical Mass! Your hosts: Ifny, iamlachance@gmail.com, and Conrad Schmidt, ninemonkeys@blaze.ca, 604-537-2044.

Pedal Revolutionary Bike Radio needs to hear from you! If you have a bike related event or announcement, email pedalrevolutionary@gmail.com or during the show phone 604-UBC-CiTR (604-822-2487).

Web site: www.bikesexual.org/cm/radio


On-line Petition Asking For Cycling Tax Incentives

An on-line petition has been created that calls for the Canadian Federal Government to create cycling related tax incentives. Please consider signing the petition and passing this on to your friends and other lists.

www.gopetition.com/online/10170.html


Eco-rage and Idling Hot Line

A reminder that there's an idling complaints hotline at 604-257-2404 where you can phone-in licence plate numbers of offenders. The City is not giving out tickets yet -- but are gathering data and the Hotline welcomes information on idlers. Better to make a quick phone call than suffer a coronary from Eco Rage!

In July, 2006, Vancouver City Council unanimously passed an anti-idling bylaw to cut air pollution. Drivers who leave a car running for more than three minutes face a $50 fine and the fine doubles to $100 for anyone caught leaving a car running. However, fines were not to be imposed until January, 2006 -- a six month period. The District of North Vancouver passed a bylaw against idling in 2000, but has yet to ticket anybody with a $45 fine. The City of North Vancouver has had the bylaw on its books for a year.

For more information, visit the website at www.idlefree.ca