Emails brighten my days... some-days.  I will be honest, like everyone in the world I receive too many junk emails from spam bots, people looking to make a quick buck and people asking me to teach them everything there is to know about a fixed gear bike - to the latter I say take some personal initiative and use the magic of google there are lots of resources out there.

However,  every so often I get a genuine request that I can quickly help out, today is one such day (I am a sucker for lines like "your excellent wisdom").

Right now, as part of Bike Month in Vancouver, there is a crack down on the helmet law. The police are handing out tickets, as my roommate just got one and I just got an email for someone who has been ticketed 2 days in a row. So what gives? Is this right or wrong? Well like most things I have an opinion, but its not as straight forward as some might think.

I have been told before I am a giver, although not in the same context as here. Ahem. Anyway, I got an email request a few weeks ago to use one of my critical mass photos (Lions Gate Bridge) in a small, socially conscious, publication out in Ontario. I hadn't heard of them before, but they seemed legit so I gladly passed along a copy of the original. As part of the usage, was a fee they pay to photographers. Since I license all my event photos under the creative commons, I didn't feel right taking money, so I got them to donate the fee to a local bike advocacy charity.

I found out today where they sent the fee...

Wanna make some changes in the Vancouver area? Well read away:

So its been a while since I have posted anything here on FG. Its not that I don't have anything to say, but I have just been rather busy the last month or so and since I do this as an on going hobby... well you just have bare through the ebbs and flows with me. Its the down side of the non-corporate DIY approach. You have an honest venue for discussion, but consistency in content just can't be assured. (For example read the complaint below)

The one thing about the FG DIY approach is clear wlll never be a sell out bike site. You have my word. Strong words I know and guess what I just keep turning aside request for advertising more and more and with each moment my conviction becomes stronger.

For example, I just received another handy dandy email asking if I wanted to partner for advertising.

From: Adam
Subject: Hey dude, come to midnight mass

Yo, I met you outside of MEC and heard about your blog. I really dig it. Me and a bunch of other kids go on another ride thats kindof like critical mass, but its also kindof diffrent. Basically, we dont crawl at the speed of wood. Theres always a mix of styles and ability levels, but alot of people are fixie riders or aspiring roadies. You have mad skills. Wanna come bless us? Come to the midnight mass.

midnight-mass.blogspot.com

Hey... I do recall our conversation of a while back and the fun, funky, folk down at Momentum Magazine have mentioned your rides to me before, so yes I would love to bless your mess this coming thursday. Plus it will be good for me, so I can get my mind off the fact I totalled my race road bike this weekend in the Crit stage of the Fantastic Four Stage Race!

From: Evan
Subject: Contact Form Results
Found your Chrome bag reveiw and took a vacation on your site. I dig your writting man; very in my face. thats all I got. Don't scrutinize my blog. I'm a lazy bastered who hasn't updates the thing for months.

Website: www.evansharp.ca

Thanks man... I like to call it as I see it. BTW no scrutinizing on my side as I too am a lazy bastard. Which gets me thinking that yes, I should really write more reviews. I have an opinion on most things I have bought that are cycling related and the truth is most things are a waste of money. They are too often more an exercise in branding rather anything you really need. Even the chrome bag.

Subject: Contact Form
From: monks

G'day Weasel, how are you going, im a courier from sydney, aus and moving to Vancouver in a week and a little, sounds like you guys have just about the same amount of laughs as we do in syd. just checking out the site, top notch. can you give me an idea of what companies are around and where i can get my hands on a decent second hand fixy?ive been off the bike for over six weeks now and im going insane without my wheels, i even dream about them during the day now..after your drinks and sober time, it'd be greatly appreciated if you could hook us up with some info should be in by the 13th of Aug, ready to roll again...

thanks mate, monks

Website: not that computer literate

G'day back at you. How am I doing? Right now I am feeling a wheee bit sick today after a hard weekend of racing. I was able to snag a 2nd in Tour de Delta category 3/4 criterium, and 5th in the 30 to 34 age class for the gear jammer offroad enduro. The crit hurt but the enduro was nasty as hell. I haven't been on a mountain bike forever (actually last week was the first time in over a year). This combined with the fact the course was comprised entirely of relentless pounding single track (3 hours of single track), I was riding a short travel hardtail, it was like 104 °F (40 °C) and I ran out of water almost 1 hour before the feedzone some friends were manning. I think it all caught up with me as you can put yourself out only so many times in a row. So how sick is sick? I had a dangerously high fever earlier today (i.e. hospital visit high) and slept the entire day. I just got up, and got back from buying myself a booster juice and now I feel like tackling your email.

Readers are kind enough to pass on tidbits of information and when I have my act together (such as now) I get to post it up for everyone to read. So todays interesting bits are

1. Vancouver to Mexico Bike Tour
2. Wheels of Justice

There is much concern over the upcoming highway expansion and rightly so. The issue really sits at the edge of a much bigger precipice; deciding the future of Vancouver transportation. To we side on the side of cars and have a car centric city like the rest of North America or do we fight develop more people scale transportation (i.e. like many European cities).

The first public hearing is of course held in a venue that is WAY too small, so there will be a street party outside. For those not in the know the Dinosaurs will also be making an appearance. They are hilarious, bunch of dinosaurs riding around on bikes. Hey what can you say Mr and Mrs SUV, they may be a bunch of extinct reptiles but even they know an over dependence on driving is hazardous to both the environment and public health.

Date: Tue Nov 01 16:34:29 PST 2005
From: "Critical Mass Vancouver" spam[at]bikesexual.org>
Subject: street party to stop the highway saturday

STOP THE GATEWAY PROJECT!

PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW.

It's time for East Van vs Godzilla...the first "public consultation" about the Highway Expansion in East Van will be held this Saturday, Nov. 5. The church is far too small to hold everyone who will come, so we may just have to throw a street party! please bring your hackeysacks, instruments, sidewalk chalk, and lots of SIGNS -- cuz the media will be there, and it's a great opportunity to let the Province (that is, Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon and Gordon Campbell) know just who they are dealing with here. Libby Davies is hosting this, and really it'll be much more of a rally than a consultation. It's gonna be fun. There WILL be dinosaurs. Be there at noon-12:30, with (bicycle) bells on!