Well, that was awesome.

Wow, that was a terrific junkyard cross. SO MANY PEOPLE came out! We can't thank you all enough-- the racers, hecklers, drinkers, and volunteers-- you all are just amazing.

Here's a great video from CXHairs:


Bilenky Junkyard Cross 2011 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

Did I meet the CXHairs photographer? I don't know which one it was. CXHairs photographer, YOU ARE AWESOME.

And here's another great video, of the A class guys getting all Dukes of Hazard on my carefully arranged slalom:

Untitled from Erik Silverson on Vimeo.

I love the guy saying 'Hold this...' and handing off his bike.

Now look here, kids, the junkyard guys were up in arms about the damage we did to their cars. Apparently someone was going at hoods with a saw? Also, we definitely told you not to climb on the trailers and you all did. So please behave a bit better next year, it took quite a few cases to placate them and we're only able to do this because they're awesome and move the cars around for us. All clear?

There are amazing photos all over the internet, but here are a few I like a lot:

Mr Safety Firth, MCing in British

The men's A winners-- all completely nuts if you ask me!

The Alt-est of the Alt bikes. Photo by Stevie Sax.

Three dedicated guys got cowbell tattoos!

We're already planning for next year. New obstacle ideas include a fire trap and a bear. 

In completely different news, cross country rider, BMXer and selfless volunteer Lowell Smoger is reviving Philadelphia Critical Mass.  This is a great idea and a good cause and you should all go. Here's the facebook invite.  Be there! I can't go! Be there for me!

Thanks again, guys. You make our cycling community the best in the whole world. 

And wait till you see our NAHBS bike....

Isis

BCW

Help!

We need a few sturdy, hardy volunteers....

To help set up the junkyard cross..... 

We'll buy you beer....

And let you test ride the course and stand on cars...

This should be a lot of fun, and we can't do it alone. The majority of the set- up should take place on Saturday the 17th. Phone or emails us (artistry@bilenky.com 215 329 4744) to let us know when you're free.

STEEL TOED BOOTS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!

Thanks soooooo much. 

Isis 

BCW

....And now what?

First of all, a HUGE THANKS to everyone who made the Bike Expo so amazing. Vendors, sponsors, visitors, seminar givers, racers, hardy folk who braved the snow, you are all FANTASTIC and we couldn't have done this without you. And thanks to Steve who let me display his Bar Mitzvah photo in our booth. No clear photographic evidence of it remains, however. Coincidence? I THINK NOT.

It's that blurry beardless picture in the back

Here's a great video by Road Holland about the whole thing.


Highlights from the 2011 Philly Bike Expo from Road Holland on Vimeo.


Now that the booth is dismantled and the hangovers are a distant memory, what's on our minds?

Well, kittens,

I hope their new adoptive parents kept their names: Spartacus, Cadel Evans and Victoria Pendleton

Our awesome new addition to the team, Naomi Littell, 

That's her looking colorful on the right

And....

THE JUNKYARD CROSS!

Hopefully the see-saw will return.

This year we'll be concentrating on a little more safety (our goal is to have as many toes and fingers leave at the end of the day as arrived- no more, no less) and a LOT more speed. That means smaller heats and better organization. There will be an online registration option up soon, which will make things cheaper and smoother so please use that. 

If the above makes it sound like we're getting stodgy and boring in our old age, no worries. There will be plenty of mud, unpleasant obstacles, bonfires of questionable safety, good music and great company. SPEAKING OF MUSIC, if any band wants to provide live musical encouragement, get back to us. 

And if you're not into racing there's always....

Beeeeeeer!

So no excuses. See you there. 

Isis

Epic Expo Events Eeeeeee!

Three weeks till the Expo! We're all so excited, and you should be too. Here's the website, in case you've been living under a rock and don't know about it.

There are so many events I can't even think about it (especially since I haven't finished organizing a couple) Here's a preview:

THE FASHION SHOW

This is the Interbike one. Ours will be better.

Check out the latest in hipster essentials and congratulate the fastest urban riders because the fashion show is also the finish line for...

THE ALLEYCAT

Ride faster than this guy!

It's an all-levels race, so you can go for speed or try to get top points in all the zombie-themed checkpoint activities. Fake blood and a passion for brains encouraged. Sweet prizes guaranteed. Then head over the river for

THE COSTUME PARTY at Keswick Cycles new West Philly location! Extra points for going as Steve  Bilenky: 

That's not him.

AND, here's just a few of the daytime events:

Bike Snob NYC is giving a talk about dirt, 

Ruchama Bilenky is teaching a cycling specific yoga class,

Drew Guldalian will be discussing mountain bike design,

And speaking of mountain bikes....

Our special guest is the elusive Gary Fisher himself!

This is how it's done...

AND, before I forget, there will also be over eighty exhibitors, a swap meet, plenty of rides, great food, fancy beer, and the best company in the world. 

Ya'll better come. 

Isis

P.S. Good to see so many people at the swap... and my bench remains miraculously free of Vintage Steve Junk. It did get a new addition though:

Oh Steve, really?

The 2006 winner was Fabian Cancellara, AKA Spartacus. The Spartacus Stone makes an excellent pedestal for my coffee mug. 

Wow Interbike!

I'm back from the sunny West Coast where everyone walks slowly and smiles a lot (it's kinda creepy, actually).  Interbike is HUGE. I walked diligently around for three days and didn't even see everything.

There was an awesome mini velodrome,

These guys have nerve. I kept falling off.

Really stunning carbon fiber work,

Photos don't do it justice. This thing glowed.

Steampunk downhill bikes,

It's all about attitude, says Steve. Check out that banana seat!

Gigantic Surlys (if they get much chunkier they'll be cars)

Handles like a truck, but I bet it would be awesome in snow or sand.

I went to the world's biggest cyclocross,

Ding ding ding rattle rattle ding!

And an awesome social ride (the locals gawked. I guess dozens of cyclists blocking the roads off and blasting bad music is an unusual sight in Nevada) 

Thanks for the video link, Trina!

Then I rode around the extremely bike-unfriendly strip with fine upstanding members of the polo community like this one: 

This one is from Eureka California and has a daughter named Cadence.

There was a beautifully overproduced fashion show:

Gave me way too many ideas for the expo...

And some pretty embarrassing training equipment:

I didn't try it.

And then I went to San Francisco and got bitten by a pelican: 

Get this bike away from me!

But that's another story.

Hella awesome!

-Isis

BCW

OH P.S. Come to Trexlertown this Saturday to buy mad stuff and say hi and take a look at Steve's Pile Of Epic Vintage Bike Parts (and buy them please so they don't wind up on my bench). Deal? Deal! See you there. 

End of Summer

The track season is over and the 'cross season hasn't started yet and we are kicking into high gear. So far the deranged weather has left us unscathed, but Steve is prepared anyway:

I told him he looks like a flying pasha. Perhaps that'll be our next type of bike.

AND.....

Less than two months to the Expo! This year is going to be bigger, better and more varied, with some extremely exciting guests and a mountain bike theme. Steve won't let me put a singletrack in the armory though, even though it would be super rad.

Check out the website, and keep checking back for new events and exhibiters. We're filling up fast, so if you want a space get in touch now. Now's also a good time to volunteer - flyers won't distribute themselves (and if they did I'd be nervous).

Meanwhile, Steve just got back from the Heartland Velo Show, where he somehow got stranded on a lot of unexpected trains in the midwest with several times his volume in bikes:

Very precious cargo.

The show looks like it was amazing. I'll put up pictures when I get 'em.

Next week I'm heading toff to Interbike!  I'll be more diligent about taking pictures than Steve is (Ahem).

I leave you with a  disembodied viewpoint:

Isis

BCW

You Should Be In Madison Right Now

Because Madison is hosting the Heartland Velo Show! 

I designed this to be a postcard. Steve sent me a picture of it on a BILLBOARD. Gyahh.

It's going to be awesome-- exhibitors, seminars, and excellent company. Steve is going to give a lecture, which I am terribly sorry to miss. 

We'll be displaying some fresh and new bikes that haven't even been photographed in their entirety:

Whose tail is that? Better go to Wisconsin...

There will also be an enormous maximallist touring bike I built for my charming and patient gentleman friend that has a compass painted on the back so he never gets lost. Not to mention the goldest Motobecane ever.  Pictures to come. 

Here's that lightning bike all built up:

SO FAST!

But then it turned out the owner wanted a white bike with blue lightning. Oh no! Fortunately for my sanity he's willing to wait till winter.

That's all for now. Go to Wisconsin!

Isis

BCW

Bike Up your Thursday Afternoon

Philly just keeps getting hipper. There will be a mobile bike shop at City Hall tomorrow (4:00-???) where you can get your bike tailored and your pants tuned up, for free. Here's the website. And here's a video: 

No comment!

Even if your bike fits nice and skinny and your pants are well oiled and silent, you should come by anyway. We'll be representing with some pretty bikes to show off and maybe some swag to give away. We don't venture into Center City too often!

Blair's gopher-inspired driving style doesn't work too well on crowded streets.

And I leave you with a Sachs restoration. This is so vintage it's not even red.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

Hope to see you all tomorrow!

Isis

BCW

Bugs and Lighting and Tandems

In these hottest months of the year, with the thermometers exploding and the roads melting all over the place and rim strips actually liquifying (true story. An ultramarathon racer told me) I'm impressed how many people are still out riding. It's really hot. Those of us with beards have shortened or removed them, and I took EIGHT WHOLE INCHES off my hair (no one noticed). So let's concentrate on temperature-neutral things:

A few weeks ago Bina and her fiance Justin got married in a lovely ceremony up in the Poconos.

Look! We all clean up so well!

Congratulations, Bina and Justin!

In other news, we have acquired another painter: 

Wait, that's the shop leafhopper. His name is Herman.

It's this dude.

 His name is Blair and he likes Frank Zappa and obscure rappers who sing about being chased by possums. We think he'll be a perfect fit. 

Plus, he is enthusiastic.

Remember that eyeball bike? This week I did a lightning bike: 

SO MUCH FASTER!

There's also a camel bike in the works, pictures pending. I would be thrilled if someone requested a leafhopper bike. 

This friday is Tandemonium at the track. We will be representin' so come say hi. No one has been able to talk me onto a track tandem yet. 

Can you blame me? It looks terrifying!

And I close out with a fish. There MUST be a leafhopper bike in our future. Antennae crossed...

"My manta ray's/ ALL RIGHT!"

Isis

BCW

The Dog Days Aren't Over

....Unfortunately for us, though they abated long enough for me to paint (when it's over 95 degrees in the booth the paint gets lumpy and I get cranky). Fortunately there are high powered air conditioners all over the shop and everyone but Weller stays cool.

This weekend is the Rocky vs. Godzilla alleycat! It's the biggest informal race of the summer, and a lot of fun. You do it in teams of two, relay style. It's a good race for out-of-towners, since one of the partners just sprints up and down the parkway from the Art Museum to Love Park and back.

Check out the spoke card!

And the best part? The winner gets a free paint job from us. Here's what last years' looked like:

Shamelessly ripped off Justin Swain's Facebook

Sam and I are going to be racing and representin' so waft good karma at us (or rather, at me, since he doesn't need it and I'm slooooooow.)

Speaking of Sam, here is his Recommended Part of the Day. 

That there is pivotal technology seat post.

Throw out your Brooks! This is cheaper and better! Also he wants to put 48 hole radial laced front wheels on his polo bike. Since it's his birthday I am not gonna set him straight quite yet. 

It seems that despite our efforts he has not gotten any more sensible or opaque. Here he is holding a retrofitted Soma:

Yeah, I don't see him either. 

Finally, we seem to have acquired a full keg of Yards but no tap. Anyone want to lend us a tap? Your reward will be lots and lots of Yards. 

Speaking of beer, it's Friday and I am OUT of here! Here's some hand detailing to start your weekend off right.

TGIF!

Films! Films!

Steve came back all glowing from the Stonehenge Solstice Ritual NYC Bike Film Festival. Despite missing the Junkyard Cross movie (we all missed it, actually. Did anyone see it? Is it awesome?) he had a great time and brought back a ton of pictures. 

There were epic BMXers,

Riding up things and then down things.

Little Bromptons,

The Bentley of Foldies.

Patriotic Hipster Trick Track Bikes,

Breaking collarbones for the USA.

A bike towed pole dancer, 

Note the helmet. So safe!

And Steve's favorite, tiny little bike part jewelry! 

Aw!

Aww!

AWWWW!

In other film news, you should come to the World Cafe Live on Wednesday to watch Bicycle Dreams, an epic film about racing across America in ten days. 

I feel wussy just looking at that picture.

Here is the invite. Watch the film, feel wussy, drink cheap Sierra Nevadas, and try your luck at winning some sweet Schwalbe tires we'll be raffling off. Not everyone thinks riding 32,00 miles in ten days is a good idea, but pretty much everyone thinks nice tires are good to have. There'll be a lot of other swag, too! 

See y'all there.

Isis

BCW