Support Local Community Bike Shop

A couple of community bike shops are going on some long rides to raise money. Do you want to sponsor them and help raise funds?


Check here for The Beltline Bike Shop and here for the South Atlanta Bike Shop.

The Beltline Bike Shop says:

2011 Fundraising Bike ride

I wanted to let everyone know that your very own Beltline Bike Shop is having a fundraising ride on the Silver Comet trail November 5th. We will be riding 50 miles in an effort to raise money for our 2012 operating budget. The Beltline Bike Shop takes in donated bikes and then invite kids to earn a bike of their own through community service in the neighborhood. The shop, open three days week , is then available to them to keep their bikes up and running.
I will be doing the ride and others are welcome to join in. I think we now have 7 riders. We have a fundraising goal of raising 100+ dollars each for the ride. If you are interested in joining in, volunteering that morning of or making a donation that would go toward our ride let me know and I will send you an invitation to the event. If you would like to make a donation towards the ride please click the link provided. DONATE

 And the South Atlanta Bike Shop says:

Cycle of Love 2011 – Team South Atlanta Bike Shop

October 23, 2011

Last year Evan and I joined Cycle of Love to ride from Birmingham, AL to Atlanta, GA (160+ miles) to raise funds for the bike shop.
For Cycle of Love 2011 (Nov 5-6) our bike shop team has five teens plus two volunteers and me embarking on this life-changing journey. We are asking for donations for our youth development program at $1/mile (or more if you’d like). You can sponsor as many miles as you would like!
Our first pledge came from GA state representative Margaret Kaiser for $1/mile for the entire trip. Please join Mrs. Kaiser in supporting the at-risk youth of South Atlanta by supporting the work we do!

ABC 20th Anniversary Celebration

ABC's 20th Anniversary Celebration

November 4, 2011 at 7:00 PM

Five Seasons Brewery - 1000 Marietta St - Atlanta, GA 30318
Register Now!

Sopo bike co-op needs new home, asks for your donations

From Creative Loafing…

Sopo bike co-op needs new home, asks for your donations

Posted by George Weidman on Fri, Oct 21, 2011 at 3:35 PM

 

The lease is up and so is the rent. The Sopo Bicycle Co-op, the East Atlanta nonprofit which has provided Atlantans with cheap-as-dirt bike repairs since 2006, has to move.

"Although we have had the luxury of low rent since our founding, we anticipate increased costs with a new space, thus we are writing to ask your support for our first ever SOPO RENT FUND," the volunteer-run bike repair shop says in an email and blog post. Concluding the news release is a link for paypal donations.

"We are needing to move because the space we have is being renovated, and is intended to be used as a larger retail or commercial restaurant," says Tito Sands, a Sopo board member.

For the past five years, Sopo has operated out of a cramped shop space in the back of the Blue Frog Cantina. With the end of Sopo's five-year-lease, some EAV restaurants are looking to expand.

"It's not a bad thing, not a negative," Sands says. "We understand the situation they're dealing with in terms of making the most out of their space."

In fact, Sopo wants to use the opportunity to upgrade.

"We have been looking for an opportunity for growth in the past two years for a larger, more sustainable space," he says. "It's not surprising us, but it's not something that we think is going to be detrimental to the co-op."

Believe it or not, says Sands, Sopo's current space wasn't intended to be their permanent location in the first place: "When the co-op was originated, we didn't have the scope to search for a permanent space. Only in the last two or three years have we addressed that issue."

With the recent need to relocate, Sopo is hoping for an opportunity to move into a space that might be less cramped, and perhaps not located in a back parking lot facing away from the street.

Sands says the co-op's new home will be "within the village area preferably, but we’d ideally like to stay in the village, or just in greater East Atlanta." As it will mostly be an impromptu mechanic's shop, Sands isn't worried about aesthetics. Sopo is ready to fix up a rough or dilapidated space into whatever is practical for housing the donation-driven collective of bicycle fixer-uppers.

Even if a new location isn't found, Sopo has contingency plans ready that, frankly, are cool as hell. According to Sands, mobile containers could be purchased to build an open-shop space, or Sopo could temporarily operate out of existing bike shops.

"We are more or less willing to be flexible for two or so years so that we can be happy with what we get," he says.

Read here.

Laengen and Rosskopf sign for Team Type 1-Sanofi

Local makes good, from Cycling News online…

Laengen and Rosskopf sign for Team Type 1-Sanofi

By: Cycling News

Published: October 25, 13:11

Calabria and Callegarin renew for 2012

Team Type 1-Sanofi have confirmed the arrival of Norwegian talent Vegard Stake Laengen as well as the promotion of American Joey Rosskopf from the team’s development squad.

Laengen joins after three years at the Bianchi-Joker squad, which culminated with a fine fourth-place finish at September’s Tour de l’Avenir. A solid time triallist, the 22-year-old took bronze in the discipline at the European under 23 championships this season, as well as second place behind Alexander Kristoff in the elite road race at the Norwegian championships.

“We’re pleased with the arrival of Vegard,” said Team Type 1 general manager Vassili Davidenko. “He’s a very strong climber and an intelligent rider.”

Rosskopf has competed as a stagiare for Team Type 1 in the latter part of the 2011 season, and will make his full-time graduation from the development set-up next year. The Athens, Georgia, native impressed at the Tour de Toona in July.

“Rosskopf is the symbol of the next generation of riders from the United States,” Davidenko said. “We’ve seen some great results from Joey and we’re very happy to welcome him to the team.”

Team Type 1 have also confirmed that Daniele Callegarin and Fabio Calabria will remain at the squad next season.

Read here.

DIY Balaclava

I am not a big fan of fleece. I am probably one of the few. But I do like balaclavas and gators during cold rides. I found this through Bike Commuters and then Bike Winter. I may have to make a couple of these because it’s that easy.

Bike Winter link for fleece

Bike Winter link for balaclava

Bike Winter link for a gator

Broken Glass

Watch Out For Bike Riders

People For Bikes: If I Ride

No Handed Bike Moves

"Golden Tree" by Martin Brooks from Ninian Doff on Vimeo.

Outdoor Gym

I never realized but this is an outdoor gym at Coan Park. This is pretty cool.

Occupy Atlanta at Woodruff

You Go Girl

Graf @ Linden and Courtland

Cycling For Everyone by Amsterdamize

Cycling For Everyone from Dutch Cycling Embassy on Vimeo.

Computers are like a bicycle for our minds.