Hardshell helmets like those from Bern have taken the bike industry by storm in some cities. Where just a couple of years ago it was rare to see anything but race inspired road helmets or cheap store-brand mushroom like foam pieces, now it’s hard not to notice the number of new school hardshell helmets [...]

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On August 31, 2009, Toronto bike messenger Darcy Allan Sheppard was run over and killed by the unrepentant former Attorney General and former Aboriginal Affairs Minister, Michael Bryant. This is the Toronto messenger community’s tribute to their friend and comrade. Read more here.

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LA County has a flavor that everyone tastes differently. We all come to it for different reasons, united by the bicycle. For some, LA might be a Bukowski poem or a passage from Fante. For others, it’s a Tom Waits song. It can be punk rock, it can be competitive, it can be political. It’s [...]

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The Second Annual Femalley Cat returns September 11, during the three-day Bicycle Film Festival in Denver. The Bicycle Film Festival runs September 9-11 with films at Starz FilmCenter at the Tivoli. At the same time the Broseph Invitational will go off for the guys, both at 3pm at the Denver Performing Arts Center.

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We have to admit, this labor day weekend, the editor and publisher of Urban Velo were not at our computers creating fresh new blog posts for you to read as you get back to work on this Tuesday morning. No, we were selfishly out of town, riding our bikes, spending time with friends and loved [...]

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Velo Transit bags are proudly made in Seattle, WA and feature a lifetime warranty. Their site has a somewhat lighthearted, but undoubtedly serious note on the warranty page: The best warranty is a well made pack. For this reason we use the best materials available with the best construction techniques. If you wash your pack [...]

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It’s no secret that cycling is an ever-evolving sport. When broken down into specific species of bicycles, one can track their phenotype by a time period. Rigid mountain bikes, steel road bikes and tank-like BMX bikes are all signifiers of their place in history. Evolution in cycling, just like in nature, occurs when natural selection [...]

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Welcome To Beautiful Denver, Colorado We are smack-dab in the middle of the United States at the foothills of the magnificent Rocky Mountains. Denver is a short drive from many cycling destinations like the epic Mt. Evans, the city of Boulder, and Winter Park, just a short 15 mile ride from the city you can climb [...]

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The Bike SongUploaded by rockohoward. – Explore more music videos. Via Zlog.

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I’ve been watching bicyclists climb a long hill from the lower neighborhoods to the upper neighborhoods. The road is fast and narrow, and the cyclists sometimes ride the sidewalk, dodging mothers with wheeled shopping baskets, young children, and joggers. The cyclists struggle up the hill—it’s hot and humid here making the extra physical exertion all [...]

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週に二、三回、気の合う仲間たちと町中の校庭で集まる。缶ビールが回し飲みされ、タ バコの煙が辺りに濃く漂う。皆それぞれが軽口を叩き合い、下ネタが敬遠されるどころ か、積極的に歓迎される雰囲気。もし誰かが新しいパーツやメッセンジャー・バッグ、 自転車関係のアクセサリーを持ってきたなら、それを中心に品評会が始まる。 しかし、この集まりのメインはバイクポロ。競技の起源はインド北部で盛んだった 「Sagol Kangjei」というスポーツらしい。現代版は馬の代わりに自転車にまたがって校 庭やテニスコート、バスケットやホッケー、とにかく固くて平らな広場があれば試合が できる。都会のど真ん中でも意外と放置されたスポーツ用広場というものはあちこちに あって、そこから新しいサブカルチャーが始まっている様子を目の当たりにするのは興 味深い。現代社会にはあまりにも無駄が多く、誰も使わなくなった土地や施設を再利用 するのはその地域に住む普通の人間たちの独創力やたくましさが感じられる。 こうしてバイクポロについて思考してると、やはりスポーツの持つ人を一つにする力と 敵味方に分ける力に感心せざるを得ない。ここピッツバーグから車で二時間の距離にあ るクリーブランドという町があるのだけれど、この二つの町はアメフトのチームがライ バル関係にあり、とにかく仲が悪い。けれど、ピッツバーグでバイクポロをやってる奴 でクリーブランドのポロ・プレイヤーを仲間だと思っていない人間は俺は一人も知らな い。そして向こうの連中も同じ思いだと確信している。 だから先日日本で初めてのバイクポロ・トーナメントの知らせを見た時、俺はその場で このイベントのスポンサーになることを決めた。世の中は不景気でこの雑誌も始まった ばかりの小さい規模のものだけれど、気持ちを込めてTシャツやキャップ、それにこの 雑誌で日本のポロを応援したい。まだ会ったことはないけど、Rikiをはじめ東京でバイ クポロをやってる奴はみんなもう仲間だから。

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Via Prolly Is Not Probably.

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It’s hard to imagine, but the same year I was born (1975) the Oakley brand was born. And they didn’t come out of the gates with exotic eyewear. No, they started out making BMX grips. These grips marked the first use of Unobtanium in the cycling market, and were undoubtedly the coolest grips on the [...]

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These are some of the people who helped bring you Urban Velo #21. Check out their websites and let them know you like their work. Ed Glazar – www.tedwardglazarphotography.com Brad Quartuccio – www.randomprecisionphoto.com Jeff Guerrero – flickr.com/urbanjeff David Hoffman – www.marinbike.org Lenny Maiorani – www.lennym.com Eric Matthies – www.emp23.com Chikara ‘Riki’ Taniuchi – flickr.com/rikitko Jennifer Nordhem – twitter.com/mshurricane John Prolly – www.prollyisnotprobably.com Martec – www.NNTF.mx Roger [...]

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The CogNation Commute Tee shirt features art by Ft. Collins artist Bryan Collins. It retails for $15 and is available from www.cognationclothing.com.

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Contents include: Do It By Bike In Denver, Fixed Freestyle Evolution, Countywide, I Love Riding in the City, From Cradle to Pave: Planning Your Bicycle Network, Gallery: Torneo de Bici Polo Tapatío, Residue, NYFC, Brake Lever Compatibility, Quick Release History, Maximize Solvent Use, No Exit. Download it for free, or order a printed copy online.

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As seen on the streets of New York City, the Beyonce Knowles bike. Chalk this one up to the “I wish I had thought of that” department, a repaint of a Bianchi Pista with the correct font and everything. This ain’t a shoulder with a chip or an ego… let me upgrade you.

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The Bianchi Pista Concept has been a desirable frameset for some time, even more so since it became hard to find and was eventually discontinued a year or two back. I picked up the pictured 2006 version brand new in mid 2007 and have put a couple of thousand miles on it since, using [...]

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On a jaunt for coffee what did I stumble upon but Rapha Cycle Club NYC, a temporary storefront that opened in May of this year and is scheduled to close down towards the end of September. Not only that, but the very same day on August 26th they held a competition to determine the fastest [...]

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Taking more than just a cue from the most highly respected foot strap manufacturer, Pryme entered the market with a comparable, more budget-friendly version. Though a lot of independent bag makers are producing foot straps, not all are created equal. Compared to the ones I had been using, the Pryme straps feature considerably stiffer construction, and [...]

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