Tag Archives: music

Me and My Bike: Teen video from Africa

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Tim K | 7 comments

The problem with having a single-topic blog (family biking in case you’ve forgotten … it has been a while), is that sometimes we run out of things worth saying out loud. Do any of you really need to hear about our heaviest Trader Joe’s run ever? Or that we finally sold our car? Or that we still love our Xtracycles (a lot)?

I don’t know about you, but for me it gets kinda old and preachy.

So we give it a rest.

But as the gap between posts grows, we start second guessing every potential idea (“it’s been a two weeks since we blogged. It’s gotta be something good” and “it’s been a month and a half since we blogged, better be AWESOME”). The larger the gap, the tougher to break the cycle.

Luckily, busting out of our slump this time is a no-brainer. Check out some amazing kids from Kenya and the fun & inspiring hip-hop bicycle music video they created video for the 1 Minute to Save the World video contest (yes, they won)!

via HuffPost

The video has it all – kids, bikes, mobility, and saving the world. What’s not to love? And it fits with our recent media and bike-music themes, too.

–Tim

Note to self: … remember to help Tom the next time he’s soliciting donations/volunteers for the Village Bicycle Project!

7 Comments

Posted in bigger than here, bikes, kids

Tagged bikes. videos, kids, music

The Bike Song (advocacy+hipster UK dance music)

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Tim K | 5 comments

I got Mark Ronson’s “Record Collection” a while back. Since then, this song pops into my head nearly every ride. But I kept forgetting to look for a video (I think I actually may have been a tad frightened of what I might find; at least after viewing the “Champagne Bike Party” video Ryan hosted on Go Means Go!).

But thanks to a timely Facebook update from my library school pal Abby (whose taste I trust implicitly), I’ve now got visuals— including some ’80s Brompton-based, retro-’80s Night Rider-style special effects, bicycles coming to life to stop a bike thief, and a parade of UK hipsters reveling in the joy of bikes—to go with a great song.

Beyond the cool factor of just being a good song about bikes, the The Bike Songs spins a really positive advocacy message, too. I especially appreciate this gem for every teenage boy who feels pressured into ditching his bike so he can get girls:

“I can’t understand it, but i can’t really stand them
Girls love cars, but cars cause harm to the planet
Don’t you wanna take a joyride on my tandem
Humming on a huffy, don’t i look so handsome
Bass to bikes they’re so nice they’re priceless”

That’s right, young man. Keep the faith. The ladies worth having are going to find your bike sexy!

-Tim

PS – Portland bike advocate/planner wunderkind Mia Birk at REI tonight. Maybe she’ll share a little Portland-style bicycle secret sauce? I’d be happy with some tips to help us take our local car v. bike rhetoric down a notch or two.

I’ll be heading down there w/ Julian from Totcycle. We’ll either be the dudes on the really big (Madsen/Xtracycle) or really small (Brompton) bikes. I bet Mia likes “the Bike Song!”

5 Comments

Posted in bikes, Events

Tagged advocacy, bikes, music, ronson, video

Car Free Days is Clinging to a Bikey Summer

Posted on August 20, 2009 by Tim K | 4 comments

Faster, the Night is Catching Us

It feels like Summer is fading around here.

Quickly.

Maybe it’s the way it changed from tank-top weather to sweater weather in about two hours this afternoon. Or maybe it’s the way I’ve decided that lights are now a prudent addition to my evening commutes.

Whatever the reason, the Car Free Days family is feeling some serious pressure to do something, anything, fun in the last couple weeks of summer.

Luckily for us, the Seattle bike scene has stepped up to provide some pretty family friendly, bike on music action this weekend. Continue reading →