Greasy Fixins Meet n Eat

Hello everyone!

As the snow melts and sun gets higher, bikes are slowly thawing out all over Eau Claire.  That means it is time to get Greasy Fixins back rolling down in Banbury!  Many of you attended a meeting about the project back in September, and there were some really exciting ideas thrown out about the future of Greasy Fixins.  In January, we (myself and Zac Barnes) were able to get a group of 4 students from UWEC to work on Greasy Fixins as their project for Scott Lester's Community Leadership class.  Here is a brief summary of what they are/will be working on:

1. Community Survey-- look into who's interested, what they want out of Greasy Fixins, will they pay $/donate for services, create calling list to contact for regular events.

 

2. Improve the Space -- organize, clean out junk, put up bike diagrams/pictures, more shelving, printed manuals?...

 

3. Fundraising and Advertising -- Earth Day Celebration activities, bike/supply drop offs, contact university/city for abandoned bikes, put together a regular schedule/calendar, get local bike mechanics to help/offer services

 

4. Business Plan -- Use survey results to develop a plan for the future, possible student organization on campus?

Our goal is to give the student group a chance to sit down and discuss the project with people (you all) who have had some part in the project - to share ideas, get support, and for them to get a better sense of who is involved in Greasy Fixins (since I'm still pretty new to the project).  It would be awesome if you could come meet with them and share your bike wisdom and support!

We will be meeting on campus in the Human Sciences and Services building (on Water St.)
Friday, March 5th from 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Room 227 As usual, bring something to share for lunch if you can!  And please spread the word to others that are involved that you don't see on this email list!!  Thanks so much and I hope to see you next Friday!  Any questions ask myself or Zac Barnes. 

Happy Biking!

Sam

--
Samantha Phillipps
Americorps*VISTA
UWEC Center for Service-Learning
Human Sciences and Services 227
(715)-836-3988
phillis@uwec.edu

Bicycling Contributes nearly $1.5 billion to Wisconsin's Economy every year.

http://volumeone.org/blogs/The_Daily_Shakedown/post/1468/Bicycling_adds_about_1_5_billion_to_the_Wis_economy_per_year.html

http://www.bfw.org/education/index.php?category_id=4746

good discussion hosted at volumeone link above...

An Electric Boost for Bicyclists

good or bad?! talk amongst yourselves... or comment.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/business/global/01ebike.html?pagewanted=allhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/business/global/01ebike.html?pagewanted=all

Ice Race!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=278560904345

Event: Ice Race


What: Sporting Event

Start Time: Saturday, February 13 at 2:00pm

End Time: Saturday, February 13 at 6:00pm

Where: Half Moon - Birch picnic area

Meet at the Birch picnic area below Carson park on the east side by the road. Course will be long, short, or both depending on lake conditions. Bring a couple bucks, we might have throw in for winner takes all. Drinking beer later as well. Self studded tires are highly recommended. Tire studding clinic the night before at Mags. 6ish. If you're in the know you'll know where to go otherwise ask him to see if it's cool. Post if you need crap tires to stud and see if anyone has anything laying around. Don't forget to mention the size. As you can see, 23s can be done and still fit a Pista.

Bike Inovations and UpCycling

http://www.asgreenasitgets.org/
New Machines

Everyday items reconfigured into a cocoa grinder. The producers of Chivite grow plenty of cocoa beans, but have trouble getting them to market. The average consumer has no interest in cocoa beans, but is very interested in buying chocolate. The process of converting cocoa beans to chocolate is technically demanding. The Mechanical Engineering students at Texas A&M tackled one part of the problem by designing a bicycle-powered chocolate grinder. It is a ball mill, or rotating cylinder filled with cocoa beans and steel balls. The cocoa grinder with the drum removed is able to roll oats and other grains. AGAIG farmers planted oats and wheat for the first time this Fall. The tumbling balls grind the cocoa to a very fine powder for use in chocolate products. Our producers can now make fine chocolate powder, with more products on the way. The device is many machines in one. By making simple adjustments, it can change from cocoa grinder to chocolate melanguer, to sugar cane press, to rock tumbler to oat roller. The development of technology like this helps us develop new opportunities in business for Guatemalan farmers and helps them open up new markets for products...only possible with the support of people like you through donations and project sponsorship. http://www.asgreenasitgets.org/

GhettoCross Tomorrow!

http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readmessage.php?t=1199965690851#/event.php?eid=167989176066

Hey everybody, (no workshop this saturday at banbury place as wel will be at this event)

Dont forget ghettocross is going down Saturday. Group ride to Sherman Creek leaving from Racys at noon. be prepared to get wet and muddy if you are racing and be prepared to have fun even if you aren't. This is an awesome excuse for everyone into biking to get together have a fire, drink some beers, and ride our bikes. It is suppose to be a beautiful day so be there or be square!

If you aren't sure if you want to go because you don't know what to expect. Come and find out.

Ghettocross

Type:	Sports - Pick-Up
Network:	Global

Start Time:	Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 12:00pm
End Time:	Sunday, November 8, 2009 at 3:00pm
Location:	Sherman Creek Park

Description

It's a cyclocross race hosted by EC Velo. it will be muddy, cold, wet, and fun.

If you're not familar with cyclocross watch the videos, or just show up.
All bkes and all levels of riders welcome. Have fun!

Nov. 7, race starts at 1. Meet and register at 12.
Sherman Creek Park
3-5$
Cash purse and prizes.
fire and beer throughout.
Spectators welcome and strongly encouraged to cause trouble.

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USGP of Cyclocross - Portland '08

Source: vimeo.com

This is an homage to the USGP of Cyclocross and all the athletes, sponsors and fans that make this such a jewel in our sport! How can you not want to go out and race cyclocross after watching this video? Portland here we come!!!!

Posted by David Smuhl

TRANSITION: An American Cyclo-Cross Season TRAILER

Source: www.youtube.com

cyclofile.com - Experience an entire season of cyclo-cross, each race a sixty minute slog fest. This award winning documentary is a behind the scenes look at the most exciting form of cycling. Get to know ...

Hipsters, be not afraid Admitting your stereotype is first step to self-acceptance

http://media.www.spectatornews.com/media/storage/paper218/news/2009/11/05/Editorialopinion/Hipsters.Be.Not.Afraid-3823439.shtml?reffeature=htmlemailedition

Hipsters, be not afraid

Admitting your stereotype is first step to self-acceptance

Thomas Fountain

Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: Editorial/Opinion

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Let me give you a tad of insight into my life: I listen to the Smiths. A lot. I exclusively wear Levi's skinny jeans. I could pick out Helvetica from a mile away and explain how its simplistic, sans-serif nature makes it an absolutely groundbreaking font.

If it is not apparent to you yet, I am a hipster.

Criticize me all you'd like, and I'll just ironically mock you in one of my many blogs.

If you are particularly getting on my nerves I may even tweet about you, and you don't want to find out which 140 characters I'd viciously employ.

Still a little hazy on what exactly a hipster is? Just walk around with a Sam Cooke album on vinyl, and they'll flock towards you.

I wouldn't necessarily say that I'm proud to be a hipster, but I've accepted that fact and realized that I am happy with my choice of stereotype. I mean, lattes are actually pretty enjoyable.

However, I've noticed an extremely annoying trend amongst my fellow Ray-Ban advocates of Eau Claire, and that is that hipsters refuse to acknowledge themselves as such.

In fact, some even ridicule hipsters (though this is ironic enough to be considered hip, causing a tricky paradox). Admitting to being a hipster and embracing that fact is a pretty liberating feeling.

You no longer have to hide your fake glasses when you see people who have known you your whole life.

You're allowed to despise Dave Matthews with no justification other than your Sperry Topsiders.

If for no other reason, just think of how ironic it is to be true to yourself.

C'mon now, people, this isn't Brooklyn. We're in the minority here. We need to band together, or soon we will be enveloped by the overwhelming majority. The consequences are bleak. Have you ever listened to Jack Johnson on a Zune player? It is hell.

This is our time to bust out the cardigans, the Kurt Vonnegut novels and the iPhones. The time to quote lyrics in our Facebook profiles and discuss the merits of Wes Anderson's filmmaking.

And so, I implore you, hipsters of Eau Claire, Wis., be not afraid! Ride your fixed-gear bicycles along the mighty Chippewa River, with your right pant leg elegantly rolled to the knee! Tweet the fact that you are sitting mere feet from Justin Vernon of Bon Iver when sipping your coffee at Racy's! Blast Kanye West from every speaker and stay adamant that Taylor Swift deserved it! And by God, check Pitchfork on an hourly basis to find out Vampire Weekend is touring Europe in three months.

If you continue to hide yourself behind layers of secondhand flannel, you will never realize that it is completely acceptable in society to be a hipster, and truthfully, it's pretty rad, too.

Trust me, I listen to the Smiths.

http://media.www.spectatornews.com/media/storage/paper218/news/2009/11/05/Editorialopinion/Hipsters.Be.Not.Afraid-3823439.shtml?reffeature=htmlemailedition