Projector Bike

"What is this bizarre contraption?" I hear you all crying out.

"Calm down, Why are you yelling at me? You're so melodramtic!" I reply, "Oh, and it's a bike! (Duh...)"

A few weeks ago, during Sydney Fringe Festival, there was a super cool little project called Projector Bike. The event was a short film festival on wheels that rolled around the inner-west led by this cool 'pimped-out' (i can't believe i just used that term...) cargo bike. The plywood box on the bike hid a projector, sound system, and a little lappy to run the whole show.

Kathi, explaining the finer points of ________ to Brendan and Lucy. (fill in the blank)

We met up with Brendan and Lucy and about 30 other bike and film enthusiasts in Newtown where the ride started. The stops along the route including Camperdown Memorial Rest Park, Carriage Works, and quite a few back alleys, and at each stop we watched a few funny/freaky/cute/gross short films.

While the film tour portion of the ride was great and made use of all of the back streets of Newtown and Erskineville, the ride back to our starting point was coincidentally one of the most interesting parts of the night, as 30+ cyclists took over King St. I've never been on a Critical Mass ride, but I think I can understand now how much fun it can be. King St on a Saturday night is a busy street, full of night life and revelry, It felt like every person stopped what they were doing to watch us cruise on by (hopefully thinking we were all damn cool, and that they should get a bike too. Or maybe that's just my own wishful thinking...) It was almost a little weird, when bikes are usually so overlooked as a part of Sydney traffic, to be the centre of attention for all the kids in Newtown as we rolled down King St for those few minutes, but fun nonetheless.

Anyway... Gummi Bears on film on the side of a building! (I think that sums it up nicely)

j.xoxo

A lovely sunny Sunday!

Meet one of the newest members of the Feather Brigade....

No its not your neighbourly creepy dude, but Brendan our new friend! After discovering a mutual love of bikes at a recent party we have new people in our bike gang. The lovely Lucy (who's bike is arriving soon), Brendan (with his trusty sidekick with wheels) and Georgia (who we are working on to grow wheels). Todays bike ride was an educational experience for our young friend Brendan who attends Whitehouse. To show him the way to his educational facility we headed to Reverse Garbage for a shopping trip!

We found treasures, stuff and things. Truly! Jai also practised her best 5yr old impersonation!

There is only one thing on our mind once we left Reverse Garbage and that was ICE CREAM.. !! This might be because I yelled out that I wanted some several times while shopping, but I prefer to think it was a befitting suggestion made by a respectable individual on a hot day after a bike ride.

Anyway I got my way! And then Jai got hers and we went a-Funkis-Clog-a-shopping! With a detour to Hyde Park fountain of course. Take a close look at the following photos because according to Brendan "Everybody is getting married today"!

Hmm.. Jai bought shoes..! We then wanted hot chips as they were all we could smell on the way home.
We headed over Prymont Bridge, riding our treasures home to horde. More adventures soon.. sigh.

Go 1920's boy Go! Pish Tosh!

Ride to... Work?

This Wednesday just past was the annual bike extravaganza that is Ride to Work day. Everyone with a bike hanging out in a dusty shed, all those people who reserve their two wheeled adventures to the weekends were encouraged to hop on their bikes and support the idea of cycling as a part of everyday life. There were markets and physiotherapists and bike tune-ups on offer if you made it to Union Square in Pyrmont or Hyde Park in the morning...

I was super excited about the prospect of hanging out with like minded bike peeps, but isn't it just typical that Wednesday was the one day-off I get this week (and I make a point to not be up before 10am on my days off... or at least, that's how it usually works out).

So my slovenly ways meant i missed out on the bike action, boo me. Check out Sydney Cycle Chic's write up of the event. Our dear Saskia, always casting a stylish eye over two wheeled events, spotted some tres chic cyclists amidst all the lycra.

I did manage to make my way into the city, at a fashionably late mid-afternoon time, to sit in the park, eat onigiri, and knit in the sunshine. i had all of my new favourite things with me- fantastic hippie bag via Vinnies (thank you K-star), funkis clogs, and bamboo needles.

Another thing I am excited about, and not planning to miss, are the Night Noodle Markets. I encourage all stylish cyclists to head into Hyde Park for a twilight bike ride this weekend and get your noodle on! Thanks to daylight savings magically granting us an extra hour of precious sunlight, right now the city at night is fantastic!

One of the things I love most about this time of year is the slow emergence of events in the city as we gear up for full on summer festival season.

Speaking of summer... CLOGS! Can you even get enough? The correct answer is no.

j.xoxo

Bike Nomad

Artist Kevin Cyr's Camper-Bike

Sometimes the urge to drop everything and explore the desert on some sort of "vision quest" in a gypsy-bike-caravan is almost overwhelming. But then I think I would miss friends and family, and I remember that I like things like food, and even $5 treasures found at markets cost $5...

So I sigh, and make sure my alarm is set to wake me up for work tomorrow, and keep my secret wishes safe until I can live them out.

j.xoxo

HalloWheel ( A spooky bike riding picnic!!)

The Feather Brigade invites you to HalloWheel!

When: 31st of October (you know.. Halloween!)
Starting at: 12.00 pm at Pyrmont Bridge opposite the Pyrmont Bridge Hotel
Heading to: Jubilee Park, Glebe (Be there from 1.30pm for non-wheeled friends).

Cycling leisurely from Pyrmont to Glebe foreshore along the waterfront bike paths and enjoying a picnic in the sunshine with friends. Dress up as little or as much as you want... We will be!! And am creating a few prizes for outstanding costumes! Bring a container (not a plate because we are travelling by bike) of food to share and the tipple of your choice, and something to sit on! Invite who you would like and non-wheeled people are still welcome to attend by meeting us at the Glebe foreshore from 1.30pm. Please rsvp below to our facebook invite so we know approx how many people to wait for... http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=158478367514404#!/event.php?eid=158478367514404

Stormy

Clickety to see it bigger.

The only good thing, sometimes, about a storm rolling in over the city during the day- apart from the tres dramatic pictures just waiting to be pict-ed (see above)- is the dreamy afternoon light it leaves when it passes on by. The light is especially nice if you're with friends, on your bikes.

j.xoxo

Tiny Itty Bitty Camera captures the big picture!

Take 1 tiny ridiculous looking camera...

Use it despite the quizzical looks and strange grimaces you attract...

And then laugh about it as you check out the beautiful pics that it takes!

Because its so small it is perfect for bike ride-picture-taking.

It has the ability to surprise you... making ugly things beautiful.

And to make beautiful things.. more beautiful!!

Even its flaws are quirky..

And sometimes when you take photos of behind you without looking you may just get a shock when you see them for the first time...

Plus its so easy to use even a monkey like Milky Joe could manage it. Visit Milky Joe's facebook page to see his photo adventures! For those of you interested the camera is called a FDC01 X Version. Cheers!

Surry Hills Chic

This Saturday the Feather Brigade finally met up with those stylish ladies from Cycle Chic Sydney. Saskia, Sydney's Cycle Chic ambassador, organized a ride through Surry Hills and we we're more than happy to attend.

There was such a great turn out. Fellow blogger and anti-helmet law advocate Sue was there as well as people from Sydney Cycleways, Sydney Vintage Bikes, City of Sydney; even everyone's favourite Lord Mayor, Clover Moore turned up to show her support.

We started at Tokyo Bike, where free bike checks and little magnetic silicone leaves were on offer, then headed down Bourke St (using the cycleways when available) to Remy and Lee's and Bourke St Bakery. We stopped for lunch and photo opportunities then moved onto I Ran the Wrong Way, before we turned around to head back to the Beresford Hotel for a drink and a chat.

It was a lovely slow ride with lots of lovely people through a great little stretch of Surry Hills. And it was a beautiful warm day. It couldn't get more perfect!

We also had a new member of Feather Brigade along for the Ride. L and her gorgeous bike George Micheal. Not only does she have a bike but also a Holga. She's like the sister we never had (if K-star and I were sisters to start with...) Either way we were more than happy to welcome her into the Feather Brigade, and then make her pose for bizarre pictures.

This wont be the only post from the day's adventures. Thank goodness we're all so frightfully chic, you won't get bored!

j.xoxo

Gonna Tackle Young Girls Off Their Beautiful Bikes

The National, Blank Slate. Is everyone else excited that the National are coming to town for new years? I know I am. Apart from beautiful bikes (duh), the title doesn't have that much to do with this post, i just thought that was a cool line, and felt I should bring it to everyone's attention.

K-Star and I went rampaging through Sydney Uni the other day, doing laps of the lovely main hall/green thingy that they have there. We did it all in black and white, 'cause we were feeling "artsy"...

We then went home to swap pictures and upload things to the inter-webs. How exciting is technology?

That exciting.

j.xoxo