Rock The Bike: BLOG
Fossil Fool teaches workshop on Hi Fi Bicycle Cruising Systems at Maker Faire May 20, 21
At the Maker Faire (www.makerfaire.com) May 25 and 26, Fossil Fool taught a workshop on how to make a one-of-a-kind bicycle audio system.
Topics included:
- Overall concepts
- Picking amps and speakers and batteries.
- Designing a wiring harness and front mounted controls. Jacks, connectors, wire gauges, switches, etc.
- Building a music cabinet. Overview of the different cabinet making options — wood, fiberglass, etc. How to deal with ports, calculate speaker volumes, and make airtight cabinets for good bass response. Also, a few topics on 3D design.
- Picking a good base bike (no, not bass bike). What makes a bicycle suitable for a Soul Cycle mobile audio system? We’ll review the options: Xtracycle Sport Utility Bikes, Side By Sides, Commuters bikes, etc.
East Bay Bike to Work Day After-Cruise with late night dancing at Luka’s
This ride already happened. Here are some pictures:
Celebrate a successful Bike To Work Day and a beautiful May evening with the Rock The Bike crew (Fossil Fool, the Juice Pedaler, and friends) as we take a tour of East Bay hot spots after dark.
The After Cruise will kick off with beers at Lanesplitter’s Pizza on Telegraph in Oakland, then head through Temescal, Piedmont, Lake Merritt, and other barhoppy neighborhoods in the East Bay. We’ll be starting the bike ride around sunset. Show up by 7:30 and you won’t miss us.
I’m particularly excited about this cruise because it’ll be the first night out for my new Soul Cycle Chopper. Follow the progress on Flickr and you’ll see that this has been quite a prolonged effort. Come Thursday, it’ll all be worth it!
Late at night we’ll end up at Luka’s Tap Room for House and Techno dancing. Voted East Bay’s best club by Express readers.
Bring some fluids for refreshment and lights for decoration and safety. And a lock for stops.
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Beach Impeach Morning Ride
Posted by fossilfool
Time:
04/28/2007 – 10:00
Sorry for the late notice everyone, but tomorrow is the Beach Impeach, when thousands of people will arrive at Ocean Beach to spell out the word IMPEACH with our bodies. Meet at 18th and Valencia at 10 and look for me on the chopper.
More info: http://www.beachimpeach.org/sfa28.html
Seriously people, what do you have to do to get impeached around here?!!
read moreBonfire & Drum Circle Ride
The Southbay Cruisers ride to ocean breezes as we listen to music coming from our bike stereos. We have themed rides in the southbay cities of Los Angeles,CA. This ride will be a special “Bonfire” ride. We will start and finish at Dockweiler Beach in El Segundo.
After riding through Playa Del Rey we will finish back at Dockweiler where we will unload firewood from the xtracycle and build the first ever Southbay Cruiser community fire. We will have a drum circle after the event so feel free to bring drums, or other musical instruments-marshmellows and a stick too if you want.
Anyone is welcome to our ride provided that they respect the communities that we ride through. If you are under 16 years of age, please bring a parent or guardian. Maps of the ride and more details to follow. QUESTIONS? Please see our website at www.southbaycruisers.com or email us at info@southbaycruisers.com
Location
- Dockweiler State Beach
- 8555 Vista Del Mar
- Playa Del Rey, CA
See map: Google Maps
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Taste of Finland’s bike culture: Jopo Freak
Check out the full description of Olli Erkkilã at Bike Rod ‘N Kustom.
The linkage system creates an amazing sense of space in the front of the bike. Could be perfect for a compact sound system that flows with the lines of the boom tube. Nice stuff, Olli!
Jo Kreiter Strikes Again 10000 Views on Flickr
I was booking it on my Xtracycle to catch the last transbay shuttle when I saw people looking up, pointing at a skyscraper. I turned quickly to see this — dancers performing beautiful flowing choreographed routine on the side of a building. Check out the rest of the photos in this Flickr photoset to see more of Kreiter’s amazing work. Also check out this video!
Also, today we passed 10000 views on our Flickr photostream. We use Flickr like a photo blog, to show you the world through our eyes. Life in the Rock the Bike workshop, what we see on our way to work, Custom projects, and of course shots from last night’s cruiser ride. Thanks everyone, for checking out Rock The Bike’s photos on Flickr.
SHAKE YOUR PEACE! your underway in Utah, crowds “Awed” by the band and their human power
Here’s a Gmail chat transcript with Gabe today, reporting on how our sponsored Human Powered P/A is doing:
me: What’s up Shake Your Peace?
Gabe: waddup Rock The Bike
me: I’ve been following the blog — nice work so far! Peace to your pops.
Gabe: right on. I’m updating it right now pics from the Salt Lake shows etc It’s been way harder to keep it updated then I thought it’d be
me: Sweet, well I’m working away too. Just wanted to say hi. Also, I had a great music session with your man Aaron. He’s totally the guy i Need on my Soul CYcle project.
Gabe: right on slick. Lemme tell you about the pedal-generator though real quick. First, people LOVE the DLG
me: Right on!!!
Gabe: I’ve found that having a voltmeter right in front of the pedaler is a pretty crucial design element we’ve had the power go out about 6 times or so ~ all quickly remedied by an immediate burst of quick pedaling but having that there to show the pedaler where they are in relation to 12V would be pretty bad ass if I have time I might rig one up myself this week ~ After every show there’s an explosion of rubber shavings all over my frame, gears, and all around the bike the side wall of my tire is totally flat
me: whoah
Gabe: I’ve had to move the generator unit almost a centimeter more over when I screw it down, the tire’s so far eaten I’m going to have to start flipping my tires, front to back, and rotating it etc
me: Got a spare? How many shows so far?
Gabe: I’ve done 6 pedal shows 2 non pedal radio appearances 8 total about 12 hours of pedal-powered music
me: That’s got to be a record.
Gabe: I think the side wall engagement for the generator could definitely be improved. Having an assembly that resembles a biketrainer stand would take care of that… but I’m super proud of the speaker cabinet, generator, your wiring, and all the pieces and parts. It’s solid, and it’s doing a great job People are totally awed. Tons of people are super inspired.
me: Yeow! You’re like the piper for 2007
Gabe: And Utah’s the rats [smile]
New Worldbike prototypebeing born in Kisumu
New Worldbike prototypes sweep Juacali district in Kisumu, Kenya
Ed Lucero’s been ripping it up at the Worldbike workshop in Kisumu. Check out the beautiful curves on the cargo rack section. When bent right, curves are strong, light, and reduce the number of welds. They also reduce the number of poky things sticking out from the side of the bicycles.
This photo is unusual for another reason. The woman in the foreground is one of the only female Juacali workers in Kisumu.
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Does that thing fit on the bike shuttle?
We often get this question from peope who use BART and the bike shuttle. And I’m happy to say, yes. An Xtracycle fits on both BART elevators (tipped up) and on the bike shuttle. It takes a little finesse to go on Caltrain with an Xtracycle, because it exceeds the 80 inch length limit, and many conductors are strict. City buses can work if you remove the front wheel, and place the hook over the top tube of the bike.
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