this weekend's haul

this weekend we got this much done:




which brings our grand total thus far to something like this:



the grid is closing in!


thank you to all of those who come out, and those who don't but still theoretically support us.

Activist Kirsten Brydum was murdered while biking back to her friend's house

Anyway, I recently learned about the murder of San Francisco activist Kristen Brydum.  I get pretty shaken up every time I hear about a young, innocent woman my own age being murdered in New Orleans.  Usually I wouldn't try to talk about murders that happen in our city on here, but there is a detail of this story which I think is really important that cyclists in New Orleans know about.

Kristen was murdered while biking back by herself from a bar.  This is something all of us have probably done at one time or another.  Another important fact - she was a visitor who had just gotten into town.  This was her first trip to New Orleans.

This is what I'm trying to say - being on a bike can make you fell safe, untouchable, but you're not any safer than walking if someone has a gun.  

You're not safe if your traveling alone, say at 5 am, coming back from the bar. You're drunk, you might get lost, and you're not going to as aware as you usually are.  If you have to, leave your bike locked up the Quarter and take a cab right to your front door.  It's better that your bike get stolen then someone to hurt or kill you.  This is especially true if you have to bike home through neighborhoods that are dangerous.  I don't want to say that it's safe to do so through Uptown or whatever, you need to use your own judgement.  This is just my advice.  I've biked damn near everything in this city during the day without trouble, but it's always good to be with someone else.  You're always safer than way.  

Take care of your visitors!  I really have to thank my friends I stayed with my first overnight trip to New Orleans.  They drilled it in me not to walk alone anywhere anytime (this is a good rule for people who don't know where they're going and might get lost) and told me what roads to take to get everywhere I needed to go.  Their advice - stay on main streets like Royal, Canal, and Magazine - well-light and well-traveled - these are pretty safe roads to send your out-of-town friends on.  They didn't encourage me to explore the 9th Ward without them.  But the didn't scare me senseless - they just told it to me like it is.  You need to do this when your friends (or friends of friends, or couchsurfers, or whoever) are in town.  If your friends are traveling on bike, encourage them to bike in pairs or groups and avoid dangerous neighborhoods, especially at night or in the early morning.  I've been up by where Kristen was murdered on my bike before, but with 2 people from the neighborhood in the afternoon.  If your friends what to bike out to 9th Ward or whatever to see the Katrina damage, take them in the afternoon or around dinner time when people are out on their porches and cars are on the roads.  Don't let them go on their own.  Many people who live in the Upper and Lower 9th are great, friendly people and it can be a pretty enjoyable ride, but at night those good people are asleep or working 3rd shift and its people who are taking advantage of the neighborhood's dark streets and empty homes that are out.  

Give your visitors a map and mark out easy and safe routes from your house to popular destination if they're going to be going around town on their own.   While I don't know the details of the case, I'm going to bet Kristen got lost and ended up in the wrong place and the wrong time, alone, without any protection, and no one around to help her.  There is almost no one living in that area right now - it's a ghost town.  Probably not somewhere she meant to end up.

People - be safe.  Take care of one another.  Inform visitors of dangers and don't let them travel alone - on foot or on bike.

If you want to learn more about Kristen and her really amazing ideas and actions, check out her friends' memorial site.    She was a core organizer of SF's Really Really Free Market, which people come with stuff to give away and you take whatever you need - there is no money and no trading.  Just giving and taking.  Personally, I think it'd be a really wonderful idea if people in Nola could do a Really Really Free Market in her honor.   She was really into bike co-ops, radical health collectives, book collectives and Food Not Bombs.  It's so terrible that such an active, inspiring young person like Kristen was murdered.  Everyone has such great potential, so please, please, look out for one another and try to keep visitors safe. 

crunkical mass?

while i was bumming around jackson square last friday night before critical mass, a friendly mysterious girl handed me THIS:



crunkical mass? bicycles? costumes? booze? sign me up!

i'll be heading out here after Saturday's mapping event, and i suggest everyone shows up to map and then head down to washington square park for this most momentous event. (it's okay if you want to wear your costume during the mapping event, too.)

this saturday, october 4th! party ride!


edit: actually, i'm making $75 calling in election results from voting places for WWLTV on the 4th. but i still endorse this event. hell, i'll do my own party ride calling in the votes.

look at what we got done this weekend!

it looks like the profile of a man's head.

"Get on the sidewalk!" aka, why I miss New Orleans.

Ug, let me tell you guys how much I miss biking in New Orleans.  First, I can't breath here.  Cincinnati has terrible air quality, and now I remember why I was pretty much convinced I had asthma before I went to New Orleans.  After breathing in diesel particulates and nasty, stale Ohio air, it actually hurts to cough.  I'm not quite in hill-climbing shape right now, so that might have something to do with it, but I can recall that same painful cough from last winter on my ride to school everyday.  I've seen people ride with masks and bandanas here before, but I never broke down and bought one.  Maybe I'll have to now that my lungs don't know how to deal with terrible air quality anymore.  

Alright, second - Cincinnati Critical Mass.  New Orleans Massers - I love you guys.  You might be a small group sometimes, but you're a fun group, a friendly group, and even if you gear-heads speed ahead, you eventually slow down and wait for people.  Cincy CM was a big group of kids I've never met before, minus about 7 people who have been riding CM for years.  Maybe it was a bit too big of a group for serious socializing.  Also, the group got separated because the fast kids didn't want to wait.  It makes no sense why these boys have to ride this way because they do fast group rides about 3 times a week in Cincinnati.  CM is not a training ride, its a time to slow down, hang out, and make new friends.  It's cool to ride ahead a bit, but you have to slow down and wait up sometimes.  When I was in better condition to deal with hills, I'd almost always ride at the front, but I'd never leave anyone behind.  Just bogus.  No wonder we always end up with a different kids every month - no one wants to deal with that shit.  Okay, also, I miss my old bike buddies.  I have no idea where they are these days.  Maybe they moved away, but people have told me they really just don't ride CM anymore. 

Finally, stupid drivers.  I've gotten a hard time for not wearing my helmet religiously in New Orleans, but it's only because I don't feel scared.  Cincinnati drivers can be a pretty mean bunch and I don't leave home with it out now.  I think a lot of it has to do with a lot of people coming from the burbs and learning to drive in the burbs where there are no bikes on the street.  Also, it has to do with people being jerks in general.  Alright, get this - I was walking with a big group of kids yesterday and someone threw a can at us from their car.  Pop can attacks on pedestrians!  What is the world coming to?  Biking home today on my neighborhood street, a lady told me to get on the sidewalk.  Usually I'd yell back, but I couldn't breath (see paragraph 1), so I'll just have to yell at her another day.  Drivers in the Nati seem to be getting a bit better, but seriously, don't tell me to get on the sidewalk, give me a some room, and stop honking your horn.  If it wasn't from all the air pollution from your car you drive EVERYWHERE I could probably bike faster.  

Finally - hills.  Pretty to look at, terrible to bike on.  

Alright, my rant is over.  New Orleans cyclists - you guys are awesome, I miss you, and you're part of one of the best bike communities I've come across.  Also, New Orleans is a great city for cycling, and don't ever forget it (or decide to move to the midwest).  

Jeff Davis clean-up day October 19th at 11 am

Everyone who bikes from Mid-City to Uptown knows Jeff Davis is really notorious for trash and broken glass. Lacy Underalls from the Big Easy Roller Girls is organizing a clean up for the bridge so we don't all have to suffer from the risk of flat tires anymore!

Hi

My name is lacy smith, also known as lacy underalls of the Big Easy Roller Girls (BERG). BERG is organizing a clean up of the S. Jeff Davis Parkway overpass by Xavier.

Although the bike path running in the middle of the overpass is a great way to connect uptown and midcity, it is often littered with trash and glass, making it dangerous for cyclists. As a group that understands the need to have a hazard-free surface to roll on, we rollergirls want to clean it up!

The clean up will take place on October 19 at 11 am. We will meet at the statue at the foot of the overpass on Tulane Ave. We'll bring some push brooms and trash bags, but encourage everyone to bring their own brooms, bags and dustpans! (In the event of rain, we will reschedule).

We're inviting Tulane Law School's Environmental Law Society, Critical Mass, Metro Bicycle Coalition, MidCity Neighborhood Association and you! Please pass this along to anyone that may be interested.

Thanks!

lacy underalls
Big Easy Rollergirls

New Meet-up Times: 4pm

Since fall is setting in and sunset is getting earlier, all scheduled NolaCycle events will begin at 4pm instead of 5pm.

bike auction! wednesday, sept. 24.

Hey all. I just wanted to point out an opportunity that is coming up that I greet with a vast ambivalence. Loyola requires a registration to park and keep bikes on campus, and at the end of every year, the University Police clips those bikes that are not claimed from the bike racks around campus and throws them into a big cage in one of the parking garages. The bad thing is that your bike disappears if you're not careful. The good thing is that they auction all of these bikes off for cheap to the community. And the bad thing again is that this money goes to the police, who can nary lend you a patch for your bike, nor even a bike pump or a wrench if you're ever having trouble. Ya dig?

Here's the info, straight from UP:

UNIVERSITY POLICE BIKE AUCTION

University Police will hold a bike auction on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 beginning at 5:30 p.m. on the 4th floor of the Freret Street garage. Viewing of the bicycles will take place from 4:30 p.m. until auction time. Bid opening will range between $20.00 and $50.00 depending on the condition of the bicycle. All bikes will be sold in an AS IS CONDITION and ALL SALES ARE FINAL. Checks will only be accepted from Loyola University community members. All other must pay CASH. Bikes must be removed immediately upon purchase.


Check it out if you've got a few bucks and want to look for some buried treasure. Skip it if you'd feel awkward buying some random kid's bike from a cop.


ALSO. This Friday is everyone's favorite day of the month!! Critical Mass meets at Jackson Square at 6 p.m. on Friday! Come and we'll have fun.

More meet-ups scheduled

Well, Lauren is headed back to Cincinnati for a few months, but Tom and I will be keeping NolaCycle going strong. We had a great group of people, mostly Tulane and Loyola students, help out this past weekend. We'll be doing a lot more mapping in the Uptown area over the next few weeks, so we look forward to seeing y'all some more.

We're gonna take a week off and then start mapping again on Sept 27 & 28. The full schedule through mid-October is below:

Saturday September 27th, 4pm - Freret St. at McAlister Dr. Mapping Freret and Uptown.

Sunday September 28th, 4pm - Freret St. at McAlister Dr. Mapping Broadmoor.

Saturday October 4th, 4pm - Comiskey Park. Mapping Mid-City/Treme.

Sunday October 5th, 4pm - Park at Esplanade and Grand Rte St John. Mapping 7th Ward/Fairgrounds.

Saturday October 11th, 4pm - Palmer Park. Mapping Hollygrove.

Sunday October 12th, 4pm - Samuel Square. Mapping Central City.

Hopefully we're done with hurricanes and we'll be able to get a couple weekends of good fun meet-ups complete. We plan on having events through October and then take a weekend off for Voodoo Fest. See y'all on the 27th.

Highway to Hope - Life & Times

Highway to Hope - Life & Times - Loyola's Kevin Zansler reports on alternative transportation in New Orleans.  More love for NolaCycle and cycling in New Orleans!

Wonderland Alleycat Race!

Big bummer I'm not going to be in town for this.  But, you should go because it'll be fun and money goes to help feed the homeless of New Orleans. 

What's done so far

Blue = completed

Red = almost completed had it not been for rain/flat tires

New flyer!

Here's a new single flyer for Loyola and Tulane. Let's hope Ike likes Cuba so much it decides to hang out there as a tropical storm and not come to Louisiana so we don't have to postpone again!

New days for Loyola and Tulane events

I hope everyone had a safe trip home and there isn't much damage to anyone's home. I know a few people had some roof damage, but it looks like our city is in really good shape!

Tulane and Loyola don't start up school again until Monday, so it doesn't make much sense to do events this weekend. So next weekend we'll be on campus. This will hopefully give people time to come back, clean up their yards, see all their friends, and catch the Saints game tomorrow!

Saturday September 13th, 5pm - Loyola University at the Residential Quad bike racks. Mapping Uptown and Carrollton.

Sunday September 14th, 5pm - Tulane University in front of the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life (LBC). Mapping Uptown and Fontainebleau.