Leonid Meteor Shower

From National Geographic:

"During the 2009 Leonid meteor shower, you may see anywhere from 30 to 300 shooting stars an hour, depending on whether you're in the right place to see tonight's showy peak, experts predict.

With the highest number of meteors streaking across the skies around 4:45 p.m. ET on November 17, the full Leonids peak will be effectively invisible for viewers in North America and Europe.

In those regions, sky-watchers are advised to venture out away from bright city lights between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. on the 17th, when they should see 30 to 50 meteors an hour."

I suggest riding to Pinecrest, Coral Springs/Parkland, the end of Loxahatchee (which leads to the Everglades, probably the best view of the sky, in my experience), and if anyone has any other suggestions for rural areas, post 'em up!

Enjoy.

(via Flickr)

i c u

What a surprise, Portland, Oregon is #1..



(strongly suggest you click on it to see it full-size)

That's awesome, though- good job, Portland.
Maybe one day Miami will be on the map...hehehe.

(via GOOD.is)

mars.

There seems to be an influx of futuristic designed bicycles lately.
I'm sure most of you by now have seen this one, but if not..
apparently it's a bicycle with no chain, for 'comfort':



Does this look comfortable?



Hmmm...
(via Geekologie)

Now check this one out, designed by Nenad Kostadinov.
The "Furious Sports Bike" is claimed to be ergonomic AND aerodynamic..



It even has a computer integrated into the stem that tells you
your time, speed, a map, and more. Now that's some smart
thinking right there, basic needs.




(via YANKO DESIGN)

Honestly, I appreciate the efforts designers are putting in, though
I can't help but wish they'd leave bicycles the way they are...
Even the newer ones are pushing it (for my taste!), but that's
coming from someone who loves vintage steel frames, and
classic road bikes. That's not to say I don't embrace new materials
and designs being used today, these obviously help performance
but shit, these bikes from the future look almost alien like.
Hey designers, can't we at least agree to make them look not
so intimidating and ride-able? Maybe I'm just being a baby about
this all, but nothing replaces that warm nostalgia only lugs and
ridiculous clearance can bring.

(click to enlarge for details)

CRANKSGIVING '09 is coming up!
Sign-up is at 2:00PM signup
Starts at 2:30PM sharp!

Manifest (checklist) given out at 2:20pm

Meet at:

Government Center
101 NW First St
Miami, FL. 33128

Floridian Bike Polo Players UNITE

All Florida Bike Polo Tournament hosted by FTL! Hope to see everyone come out and play!

more info can be found on flfixed.com or bikepolo.ca/all-florida-bike-polo-championship-dec-5-6-2009.

Midnight ALLEY CAT after saturday games! - all bikes welcomed!

FTL Monthly Ride 10-25

Pictures Here v

FTL MONTHLY RIDE 10-25-09

Pictures from last week's Scavenger Hunt in the Grove
right here!

Such...a fun night.
Props to SoFlo Skate Shop for putting on an awesome event!
Mucho amor.

OH, and VIDEOS here:

uno
dos
tres

Midnight Movie Ride Tonight 10/15

"Where the Wild Things Are" midnight showing:

Meet at Island Water Sports in Deerfield Beach at 10 PM.
Ride out around 10:30 PM
Taking A1A to the Pompano Beach Muvico on Copans and Federal Hwy.

ΔΔΔ

S C A V E N G E R ≡ H U N T i n t h e G R O V E

Tonight, October 15
8:15 PM- 11:15 PM
Captains and teams assigned at 8:30 PM
On the road by 9 PM
Should last about an hour & a half- two hours
Bring a bike, helmets, lights, and definitely a digital camera (that also takes video).


Check it out at SoFlo Blog

And here's the list, taken from here:

HUNT LIST! SUGGESTIONS WELCOME!
also here are some ground rules:
the minimum number of team mates in a picture is your team minus the photographer and the person watching the bikes.
no sabotaging other teams like removing stickers or anything of that nature (NO DIRTBAG SHIT!)
for every minute your late after the time limit is up you loose 3 points

Pictures to be taken:
picture of your team on a swingset/playground equipment.
picture of a flyer for a lost pet
picture with Jackie Jones (bonus points if you get two pictures each in different neighborhoods
picture with a dude wearing an afliction/tapout shirt
picture of your team laying down in a four way stop (bonus point for holding up traffic)
picture of your team taking shot/drinking a beer (if team members dont/cant drink do it with water)
picture of team toasting
picture of a sign in creole
picture of your team in a pool
picture of your team with naked (female) boob
picture of your team with a dude with a fadepicture of your team with a dude with a chinstrap beard
picture of your team with a garden gnome
picture of your team with a dude wearing a dragon/anime shirt/ed hardey shirt
picture of your team with a dude with sick tribal
picture of your team with the grove krishnas
picture of your team in a bathroom stall
picture of a member of your team kissing a total stranger (bonus points the farther it goes i.e. making out etc.)
picture of your team in front of a cop car (bonus point if the lights are on, another point if the cop poses in the the picture with you)
picture of your team with roadkill
picture of your team with jeff from the ‘cuda
picture of your team on train tracks
picture of your team team in front of the infamous HEART graffiti
picture of your team with an aholsniffsglue sticker
picture of your team with a homothug (thanks orlando)
picture of your team in thier underwear (bonus point for the photo being taken in a public place)
picture of a team mate getting a piercing
picture of your team indulging in some reefersmoking
picture of your team standing in a dumpster
picture of a team mate spooning a stranger on the sidewalk
picture of your team in a shopping cart
picture of your whole team hugging a taxi driver
picture of your team in a rickshaw (bonus point if a team mate is pulling it)
picture of a guy in a fraternity shirt (must have the greek letters on it)
picture of your team behind the counter of a pizza place (bonus for a team member throwing dough)
picture of a team mate drinking a fat tuesdays drink (bonus point for a floater)
picture of your team with a transvestite
picture of your team on a balcony (bonus points for all the bikes in the photo)
picture of your team and thier bikes on the roof a building.

items to retieve:
coasters (no repeats)
10 beer bottle caps (at least 5 different beers)
a pint glass from a bar (bonus point for a glass with a logo)
a new sleeve for a starbucks cup
wristbands from bars (a point per band)
a poster or flyer for an event at a bar
a piece of food
a handful of cocktail straws
a single cocktail sword (bonus point for a pink one)
a single cocktail umbrella
a menu from a restaurant (not a togo menu bonus point for the menu brought back with the highest priced item)
a condom from condom usa
movie popcorn
college flair from a bar

video challenge!
film your team having a dance party in a business
film your team busking (singing or performing in public for money)
film a member of your team giving a jumping high five to a stranger
film your team doing a clothing swap in front of the movie theater
film a team member booty dancing with a stranger

LET'S DO THIS, WHO WANTS TO BE ON A TEAM?

Also, right afterwards, Neon Indian is playing at Rokbar in South Beach.
Will be riding out from the Grove right after the hunt.
Come to ride or to the show, if you're into that!

Juzt reminding:

Get loose tonight in MIAMI.



Also, in Orlando on November 22, '09:
Defense Against the Dark Arts Alleycat



More info coming soon,
but you know.

Becoming bike-friendlier.

An interesting approach in Japan to becoming more bike-friendly: parking for bicycles. If you think about it, one of the many concerns (excuses) people have about riding is not knowing where to lock up, or feeling unsafe about leaving their bikes outside without supervision. This solves that by protecting the bike from theft and from possible bad weather conditions. It also provides the luxury of safely parking your bicycle in a 'lot', just like a car.



Another interesting approach, the solar-powered "Bike Tree".



I believe there a few in Geneva, but the website implies there are still plans to be made. I'm not sure how I feel about this bike tree, but it is shaded! It actually seems high enough to not be tampered with, although there HAVE been instances of people stealing bikes in broad daylight in NYC.. What do you think?

Trick or treat

FTL Monthly

Meet at the hockey rinks, as usual.
Race ends at Mickey's 19th Hole Bar & Grill

Notes:
+Mickey's will buy everyone their second round (!)
+Bringing a lock is strongly suggested as we will have to park the bikes outside of the bar.


*ALSO
Don't forget this Thursday, trick seshhh going down.
Please refer to this post for details.

with the quicknezz

8pm Meetup at The Bicycle Spot
9PM Race!

Finish at Downtown Brew

No prize. Just bragging rights.

Happy Hour Extended to close for all on a bicycle

Sounds awesome, who needs a prize as an incentive to ride bikes anyway?
Ride for fun, for the feeling, ride because it's a beautiful thing.

via ARKITIPINTEL:

Copenhagenize

"Each and every day 500,000 people ride their bicycle to work or school in Copenhagen. This blog highlights who they are, why they do and how it was made possible.
Forty years ago Copenhagen was just as car-clogged as anywhere else but now 55% of the population choose the bicycle."

Check out COPENHAGENIZE, a blog by Mikael Colville-Andersen, with focus on bike culture.

"Oohhhh yea!" -koolaid

Starting this Thursday (uhh, today)
minus Loose Cannons Thursdays

There will be a little trick night going down in downtown FT LAUDERDALE every week.
Meet at Jeremy's around 9pm

This is how it's going down:
"a few of us have plans to meet at my house at 9PM and soon thereafter, roll-out for a mini throw-down at a few choice spots in FTL..." -Jeremy

Details here.

I hope you all realize how exciting this is considering,
a) I haven't seen a trick night go down since Tuesdays with Thriller Crew
b) who the * has trick jams down here anyway?
c) these guys are awesome, never a dull night with them.