Grease Rag Ride & Wrench

Via: http://www.flickr.com/photos/offshore/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

This is the Grease Rag events schedule for Fall 2010 and Winter 2011.

Join us for a Grease Rag group ride from 6-7 PM, or wrench with us during our open shop nights from 7-9 PM.

Or get involved by participating in our monthly organizing meeting.

Stay in the loop about WTF cycling events on our Events page, and learn about WTF projects, groups, and regular rides/ shop nights on our Friends page.

We meet on the first and third Thursdays of the month:

October

10/7, 10/21

November

11/4, 11/18

December

12/2, 12/16

January

1/6, 1/20

February

2/3, 2/17

March

3/3, 3/17

I rode in this race last year with Shayne and some of her friends- we had a good  time, despite how COLD it was!  I did the "Virgin" route last year, and I'm not quite sure I'm up for the "Harder!  Faster!" route, so I think I'll be a virgin again (?) this year.  Any lovely Grease Rag WTFs planning on coming out?  (Heh, "coming out"...)

From E.G. of the Queer Bike Gang, organizer of CdSGII:

#1. Routes: Virgin comes out around 14 miles and H!F! around 24. Depending on what route you take, of course! Prepare to be dazzled and take in the queer scenery!

#2. Award categories (or some variation of...) in no particular order:

Most Radical Queer
Hardest & Fastest (1 & 2)
Virgin (1, 2 & First-time racer)
Hottest Outfit (must include helmet)
Twink Prize (under 21 only)
Group Sexiest (Team Spirit; up to 4 ppl)
So, do you come here often? (out-of-towner)
Divine, Fabulous, & Last (DFL)

Plus:

SURPRISE prizes based on performance at stop challenges & a whole bunch of random giveaways

Free gifts at select race stops, plus handouts from Pizza Lucé, Red Stag, Bryant Lake Bowl and the Hub.

and..........

The time has come for you to LIP SYNCH FOR YOUR BIKE.

Challenge winners and non-placing participants drawn at random will compete for the Steamroller and to be crowned Cirque du SoGay Trampion. It’s anyone’s game…so bring you’re A-Game, betch. If you don't win a prize, at least get a date.

Yes it is unconventional; this is a queer event. duh.

#3. We will have the hott jams at registration; please join us early and dance in you hott pants.

#4. All you can drink Summit Extra Pale Ale with purchase of $5 wristband. $$ goes to charity! Drink up!

#5. Event is $5. If you are unable to pay, please contact QBG asap. Pre-register  before 11:59pm on Friday to save $2 on a t-shirt and save time at the race start. More time for cruising!

#6. Questions/comments/insults/pick-up lines/accolades to queerbikegang@gmail.com.

See you soon!

Excitement!

EG/QBG

Um... WOW.  Count me in.

Queer Bike Gang

Queer Bike Gang (QBG) consists of a bunch of Queers who wanna ride bikes together around the Twin Cities. You're perfect for QBG if: 1)You're a homo/lez/bi/trans/genderqueer/label-free or ally 2)You sort of know how to ride a bike 3)You want to hang out with others like you.

Why a bike group for queers?  QBG was created in part to break away from the bar culture that LGBTQ people rely on to connect to other queers.  We seek to create a healthy and economical alternative where queers can connect.  Many of us also consider riding our bikes to be a reflection of our political beliefs on a culture of consumption and the environment, to name a few.  But most of us just join to have fun.

QBG gets together for rides about once a month and often incorporate social activities or volunteer work.  In the past year we have had outings to Northstar Roller Girls bouts, tons of beaches, and community biking events including ArtCrank, Brake for Breakfast and the Bike Film Festival.  We also make periodic trips to deliver QBG branded safer sex kits, courtesy of Minnesota AIDS Project.

QBG is best known for its annual race/ride Cirque du SoGay: “The Gayest Show on Earth,” which seeks to connect LGBTQ individuals to community resources and each other.  The “race” route features LGBTQ landmarks and requires participants to do goofy challenges along the way.

Information about Queer Bike Gang’s activities and annual race can be found at http://www.queerbikes.org, on facebook (Queer Bike Gang) and Twitter (qbg).

Thank you, EG, for the text and photos.

There is a new ride in town!

Freewheel Women's Ride:  This ride leaves from Freewheel Bike's midtown location every Wednesday at 6 PM.  We usually ride about 30 miles, but   a shorter version of the week's ride is available upon request.  The pace of this ride is between 15 to 20 miles per hour. This is a no drop ride. We want this to be an inclusive fun ride for everyone.

We take turns leading the ride each week.  We show each other our favorite routes.  If you are new to cycling or Minneapolis, this is a great way to make friends and find new places to bike.  If you have been riding for years, please come show us your favorite routes!
This ride is tentatively scheduled to be a year around ride.  I expect it will become abridged to about 10-15 miles and hot chocolate come winter.  If you would like to be a part of this group just show up or send an email to FreewheelWomensRide@gmail.com. We usually send a weekly email to everyone on the listserv describing that weeks ride. We also use the e-mail as a way to notify each other of other rides we are doing that week if anyone wants to join in. Cancellations due to weather happen through e-mail as well.  Feel free to send an email with any questions or concerns.  Thanks!

Amy

This post is also under the page nuts'n bolts, cups'n cones-

The most integral part to a bike as a whole, is the frame. The rest is a  conglomeration of pieces and parts (some of which work better than others). In summation, they all work together to create a simple machine for transportation. You put in the energy and the wheels will take you wherever you want to go!

Frames are made of different materials, the main 3 being steel, aluminum alloy, and what's known as carbon (which is really a composite of woven sheets of carbon fiber and apoxy of various strengths, stiffness, and weight). Within these 3 categories there are multiple variances that determine the way your frame feels (stiffness, weight, steering) when you ride it. Some are more comfortable than others- the winner generally being steel for its durability and soft, reliable ride. Aluminum became really popular in the mid-80's to early 90's as a frame material because it is slightly lighter than steel and a lot stiffer, which makes the bike ride feel faster, esp. in handling. Mid-90's, carbon also started making it into higher end bicycles and is now kind of the standard for anything 'racy'. Alright, where does that leave your frame?

If you've never serviced your frame with an overhaul- now's the time. You will be able to determine several things. If you're feeling the wobbles when you ride, you probably have a loose hub on your wheel, a loose headset, or even a loose bottom bracket. The headset and bottom bracket are not part of your frame. They are parts attached to your frame either by threading on the frame or the fork. Take out the BB, seatpost, and the headset and check to see if the threading is damaged in any way (if they have siezed, they will be impossible to remove w/o significant effort and possibly ruining the frame). If the threading is damaged,  you can chase it (although, the fork is better replaced with a new one. Once those threads are gone, it will change the diameter of of the stearer-tube. It is easiest and safest to replace the fork with one that has the same rake and diameter (either 1" or 1 1/8"). Take this opportunity to replace your BB and headset (each about $20 for a standard, cheapo replacement) so you have new ball-bearings and races. This will make your ride smoother and safer!

While you have your frame open take the opportunity, again, to observe a few things that effect the integrity of your frame. Look for rust or corrosion at the weep-holes or inside the tubing. If the inside of your frame is starting to rust, it could very well be deeper that you think and your frame probably has a limited life expectancy. If your frame is not steel, look for signs of cracking in the paint. If your bike has ever been crashed, pay close attention to damage that may not be immediately visible. Also check the exterior of your frame for dings, divits, or large patches missing paint (esp. if they've started to rust). Surface rust can be polished off with steel wool and then given a base-coat of matching fingernail polish or even clear polish. This will keep the elements from continuing to eat your metal!

Sometimes, even when the damage isn't that bad, you should assess your bike from the standpoint of function and and cost to fix it and make it safe to ride. If your drive-train is not functioning safely and you need to replace it, this would be the time. Usually it's easiest and cheapest to convert to a single-speed. If your brakes aren't the best, take them off, clean them, check the springs. If you can find good replacements, you're lucky. Older frames are drilled for a different type of brake than is standard now, so if you want to get new brakes, you may be looking at compatibility issues.

If repairing the bicycle is going to cost MORE than the bike is worth, or what you can afford- sometimes it is best to let the poor beast go and either get a new frame in better condition, or start saving for a new bike altogether. It is not safe to continue riding a bicycle that has been compromised unless you are willing to put in the time, effort, and money to continuously care for it and wait for the day when it's no longer tenable.

One more option comes to mind, since you all live in a wintery place. Having a winter bike is a great idea- use your oldest bike or the one in question and don't worry about the fact that after riding it all winter it will probably be finished.