#dnsbikegang

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Why Do You Ride?

I got interviewed for this lovely blog out of Australia not too long ago.

"What's the best thing about cycling?" they asked, and I gave a cheeky answer....

Thursday, September 13, 2012

THOMAS DAGG VS. PAINT BIKE

So we are getting super amped up for the Toronto premiere of PAINT BIKE - our latest film. As well as all the films we curated to be screened at the very first Toronto Veloreel this coming Saturday in Liberty Village. There are some real gems. To see Toronto Veloreel's full program line-up and events go here! It's going to be a great night!

We filmed the intro for PAINT BIKE last week, along with the help of the ever so talented Thomas Dagg. The following are portraits he shot amidst the chaos of the evening - and they act as a great sneak peak for what's to come on Saturday night.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Get Excited About Bikes

FOR IMMIDIATE RELEASE

Toronto VeloReel
Get Excited About Bikes

Just in time for TIFF! Toronto VeloReel, is a one day film festival working toward cultivating community & celebrating bike culture through film. The festival debuts September 15th in historic Liberty Village.

This year's program is guest curated by The Deadly Nightshades, Toronto's only all girl bike gang/arts collective. The Nightshades are known for organizing many cycling and arts events in the city, including Ring My Bell and Style Spin through the Drake Hotel. They hope their international and Canadian reel selections will include a snapshot of various histories, communities and viewpoints that will entertain all audiences and contribute to the successful birth of VeloReel.

To kick off the days events, there will be a peepshow film loop which includes the feature length films; Hit ‘Em in the Mouth, a Seattle Bike polo documentary, Cycle Me Home, the tale of Levi and his bike ride home to Budapest after studying abroad in Madrid, and I Felt Your Pulse, a Super 8 film dedicated to Darcy Allan Sheppard plus a few more.

While hanging out in the courtyard, be sure not to miss the various bike art instillations, a short play entitled “Cadillac Kills” and a drop in from the Bicycle Music Festival with musical performances by the Complete Street Band and Garbageface in the afternoon.

As night falls, projections will light up the big screen outdoors for a bike-in style theatre at 7 Fraser.

It will begin with a mixture of short films including; 10 Things: I Have Learned About Mountainbiking, Paint Bike and Sex On Wheels, to name a few. The audience’s heart will get pumping with 10-20 Berlin, a film made of the 1993 Courier World Championship, featuring many original Toronto names. To end off the evening, the audience will awe at Line of Sight, directed by Ontario’s own Benny Zenga, featuring world renowned Lucas Brunelle, “the gnarliest bike videographer in the world.”- Rolling Stone Magazine

VeloReel is in it's first year, but it intends to become an annual event, and a staple for the cycling community in Toronto. Please join us at 7 Fraser Ave., on September 15th. For more information and a full line up, please visit: www.torontoveloreel.blogspot.ca

Thursday, September 6, 2012

#knogblinder4v posthumous review

So another not-so-awesome thing about Carebear being taken was I had all my rad new Knog Blinder 4V lights on them. In a nutshell, they are excellent at being very bright vertically on your seat post, and lend themselves perfectly to the Nightshades #1 rule: Don't die.

I kept meaning to write a review, but with everyone from the Bike Snob to your mom doing a review I thought no one would notice my opinions. People did notice them on the road and at parties "AH MY EYES- what is that cool thing?" was often the remark I got. I'm telling you, if you want to talk to strangers daily- be a Knog product tester.

Anyway, in true Nightshade fashion I began to compile all the uses for them that weren't just being seen by motorists on the road.

#1- Bike Rave enabler. I powered a mini break dancing session with my blinders at the 2012 Vancouver Bike Rave.
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#2- Finding crap in your bag. Sometimes finding things in your bag at night is just hard. Just drop your light in and problem solved!

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#3- Bling bling! When you take it off your bike to go inside and boogie, you can wear your super duper bling ring. In some smoke the light beams look like Wolverine's talon thingies. I wish I had gotten a picture of that.
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#4- Hypnotize cute bike boys with your awesome blinky bike swag.
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#5- Is it too dark to climb that 50 foot tree? Not with your Blinder mouth light!

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#6- Who needs a real fire when you can make a bike light fire? It's cop friendly version of the real thing.
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Also, you can:
- Unlock your door when your automatic porch light just doesn't feel like working!
- Find thing in the dark on the beach/park/dance floor!
- Fight back against that stupid little barking dog.
- Feel superior to all the puny bike lights around you.

That is all. I also have their cool Bouncer lock and it worked especially well when I actually used it. Actually, it was kinda funny as I'd come out from whatever building I was in to see someone staring at my bike. I would get rampantly paranoid they were thinking about cutting the lock and say something aggressive/mean/crazy, but they were always just admiring the funky design and the conversations with strangers never ended.

Now I'm going to go back in a corner and hate myself for at least another two weeks. Is it true there is life after love? Cher isn't reassuring me. Oh Carebear, I'll wait for you forever...