Last night’s Peel Sessions saw a massive turnout, with riders representing NYC, Philly, and Jersey coming out to show off the fixed gear skills they’ve been honing and win some prizes (and there was a pile of prizes). Some highlights were seeing Felipe pull some ridiculous backwards skids, a half dozen riders pulling short stop skids into a tiny box, Tony punching pavement until he successfully landed a 360 tail whip, Julie with some nice one foot trackstands, Tom dropping 360 pivots and Willis with a perfect lay down during the freestyle section. Get Sum and Get Pitted did a great job organizing the competition.

Click here for more photos of last nights action.

More photos and recap:
Photos from JohnProlly/Flickr
Photos from MelvinLewis/Flickr
Recap from Prolly
Photos from J. Martinez
Photos from edglazer/Flickr

Even though we’re not in the market for $360 jeans to rip up riding bikes, we’re intrigued by the Self Edge jeans designed for cyclists. Hypebeast provides the low down:

For an avid cyclists [sic], crotch blow-outs and accelerated wear are all too common of a problem. With that in mind, Selfedge, one of the leading denim shops in the world took into account the inadequacies of current denim related to cycling and created the all new SEXIH03 model with the help of Japanese denim makers Sugarcane. The end product is one that harbors both fashion and functionality. Some key elements of this design includes [sic] 21 oz sanforized Japanese denim, dark indigo stitched half arcuate pocket design, spring loaded clip metal key fob and a relaxed thigh fit with a super slim fit below the knees.

We got distracted thinking about crotch blow-outs and lost in language like ‘sanforized’ (pre-shrunk) and ‘half arcuate pocket design’ (curved pockets), but we’re sure a small legion of bike and denim enthusiasts are quietly celebrating somewhere. It’s great seeing manufacturers give more attention to the niche needs of their customers, but we’d rather drop $360 on a really nice wheelset, a pair of Levis and a carabiner (aka “spring loaded clip metal key fob”). And since denim isn’t always ideal for biking, we’ll throw in some of these jean-print lycra shorts too.

If crotch blow-out is a chronic problem you should really see a doctor.

Images from Self Edge and Velogear.

The new issue of Brutus Magazine features older photos of NYC messengers, shot by David Perez Shadi. For a closeup look you’ll have to check it out on the newsstand.

Image and info from Kyle.

City Room tells the heartwarming tale of our friend Jack returning a stolen track bike to its rightful owner, a stranger no less.

When Agata Slota’s bicycle disappeared from a spot near Union Square one day in September, the odds were that she would never see it again. About 60,000 bikes are stolen in New York City each year, and only 2 percent of them are recovered by their owners. Because the bike was distinctive –- her brother had built it himself –- Ms. Slota, 27, posted an ad and photograph on Craigslist in the hopes that someone would notice it.

That is where it would have ended, except that a friend of Ms. Slota’s had also posted a notice about the theft on an online chat room for fixed-gear bike enthusiasts. Such postings are common on the chat room, which serves mainly as a place for, in the words of one regular user, “geeking out over fancy bike parts.” Weeks later, someone posted a response after spotting Ms. Slota’s bicycle locked up outside a Quizno’s in Midtown. This set off a flurry of messages that continued for weeks and, eventually, led to Ms. Slota getting her bike back.

While less aggressive approaches like negotiating a deal to reclaim the bike are great, we would prefer the “ill-formed plan that involved a group confronting the man while wearing underwear outside of their pants and then stealing his watch” if only for the laughs.

There are two morals to this story. First, the Union Square area is the Bermuda Triangle of bikes. If you lock up around the park there is a good chance your bike will disappear. Second, locking your bike to scaffolding, especially the horizontal pieces that can be easily unscrewed, is an open invitation for thieves.

If you’re hard up for safe bike racks around your apartment or work, take a moment and fill out the NYC Bike Parking Survey. Then get excited about DOT’s new covered bike shelters, nicely rendered with a rack full of track bikes.

Image via City Room and Department of Transportation.

NY Glob takes an exclusive stroll around the studio space of Dash Snow and notes, “It’s always intriguing to get a peek into the process.” However, the process doesn’t involve the usual piss and cum so the studio tour is not only exclusive but safe for work.

Photo from NYGlob.

The wind is blowing and the rain is coming down, so here’s a couple videos to get you psyched for tonight’s Peel Sessions. This past weekend, the Slow Sunday/Cadence crew came in from Philly to film some tricks at the Brooklyn Banks for their Bootleg Sessions with a few NYC locals. Thanks to John Prolly, one of the NYC riders, and Luke Stiles for shooting video at the Banks.

Get out there tonight and bring your bike. It starts at 8pm at Meeker and Jackson underneath the BQE, where it’s nice and dry. There will be prizes from Crumpler Bags, Dave’s Quality Meat, Mishka, Continuum Cycles, BoundlessNY, Laek House, and Lunar Lover.

The Politics of Power

Brooklyn Artists Gym
Brooklyn Misc.
168 7th Street, 3rd Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11215

November 19 - December 8, 2007
Opening: Saturday, December 1, 6 - 9PM

Power is the marked ability to accomplish and to possess or exercise authority or influence. The politics of power is the mechanics of this action.

The artwork in the show Politics of Power at BAG Gallery is a collection of thought provoking work that focuses on power.

While some artwork make strong statements, others question.

Can an artist at the crossroads of art, politics and truth help decipher the mechanics of power? Or does the mixture of politics and art manifest political correctness and censorship? Where is the room for risk?

In the present political climate politics has been commercialized and handled down to the last detail. The consequence is that controversial issues of our time are migrating to art. The art in this show provokes reflection. It does not allow you to be a passive participant.

An important role of art is to stimulate reflection and debate about the key issues of our time. The work in the Politics of Power show meets this need. The artists in this show support active discourse and inspire thought and the collectors who buy these works show support for the ideas expressed.

Early Worm Gets the Bird
Brian Chippendale, Jung Hong, and Kevin Hooyman

November 16th - December 30th 2007

Opening Reception Friday November 16th 7-10pm

Fantastical forests that hold many secrets, human-animal-alien hybrids asking existential questions and an infectious obsessiveness for dense repetition are all common traits amongst the work in this 3 person show. Each artist creates their own imaginary other-worlds that go beyond their own realities to tap into a collective subconscious that reveal truths about what’s happening around them. Gentrification, waste, human-made destruction, and a love of plants, animals, and discovery are all shared sentiments throughout their work.

Kevin Hooyman’s drawings cover every available inch of the page in densely beautiful line work that often tells stories of animals waxing philosophical with each other deep in the forest where bearded wise men seek refuge amongst the magic of nature to ponder existential dilemmas. We first encountered his work through his self-published comics, entitled Themes of the Day and Language Change.

Brian Chippendale’s eye peeling candy colored cut and paste silk-screened collages feature hypnotic patterned backgrounds that create intergalactic industrialized wastelands for broken down cars, flowerbeds, machine guns, animals, and bobbly-headed dudes to inhabit. Reminiscent of the fun in reassembling G.I. Joe figures to make new ones, the characters often appear clumsy and uncomfortable with mix-matched body parts while exclaiming hilarious and sometimes serious political sentiments like, “Hello poor people, we are here to exploit… I mean invest, in your neighborhood.”

Jungil Hong’s work, similar in her methods of silk-screening and collage, create darker more ethereal landscapes with lots of animals and bird-headed humans, exquisite trees in black forests and deep red volcanic mountains. Surreal scenes emerge where often a foreboding doom seems to be on the horizon. Jung’s work feels gothic, as well as a fresh take on more traditional printmaking and tapestry work that she infuses with bold colors and psychedelia.

Brian and Jung live in a warehouse in Providence, R.I. Brian was co-founder of legendary art compound Fort Thunder and is the manic drumming half of the bass/drum noisy duo Lightning bolt. Jung has like 150 plants. Kevin lives in a shack in a small town in Climax, NY. Kevin used to live across the street from Fort Thunder. All three artists went to RISD. We are excited to have them all under one roof. Finally.

Rabbit Hole Studio: Jason Gandy, Atixip: Te Foxl

Rabbit Hole Studio
33 Washington Street, (between Water and Plymouth), 718-852-1500
DUMBO
November 15, 2007 - January 10, 2008
Opening: Thursday, November 15, 7 - 9PM
Web Site

Younity Presents:
“Crossover”
Female Stylez, Ideaz, and Skillz

Friday November 16th 2007 - Dec 5th
6-9Pm

Music by Dj Elle and Dj Laylo spinning the best of Hip Hop, Classics, Reggea, Rock, and more…

Lady Pink(NYC), Martha Cooper(NYC), Swoon (NYC), Alice Mizrachi (NYC), Toofly (NYC), Queen Andrea (NYC), Faith 47 (South Africa), Shiro (Japan), Amanda Lopez (LA/SF), Mama (SF), M.I.S.S Crew (SF) Alexia Webster (South Africa) Alexandra Kiesel (Berlin), B.I.C (Netherlands) Cece Carpio (TYS) Diana McClure (NYC) Diana Schmertz (NYC) Flo Schapiro (NYC) GMO$ (NYC) Helene Ruiz (NYC), Jennifer Grant (NY/SF) Laylah Amatullah Barrayan (NYC) Lexi Bella (NYC) Lisa Case (NYC) Meredith McNeal (NYC), Muck (NYC), Niz (TX), Not Bad for a Girl (UK) Petra Moser (Linz) Paulina von Ahistrom (NYC) Vanilla Medallions (NYC)

Showroom Gallery
117 2nd Avenue 2nd fl. ( on 7 Street)
F Train to 2nd Ave, or 6 train to Astor Place
The art will be on view (by appointment) in the gallery until December 5, 2007.
www.theshowroomnyc.com
www.theyounity.com