Yehuda Moon: The bike shop cartoon

If you are a cyclist and have any pleasure of comics at all - you'll most probably love the Yehuda Moon series by Rick Smith. It's available online for free, but can also be ordered as a collection in two paperback books.

Frankly, I must admit I don't know much about Rick Smith - and only recently stumbled upon the series about Yehuda Moon and his work and life at Kickstand Cyclery.

In short: I love it. Rick Smith obliviously knows the ways of the bike shop life, and not only delivers solid artwork - he also manage to combine humour and bicycle activism in his very own way.

Besides: Any cartoon revolving around utility bicycling, cargo bikes and alternative transportation deserves a big plus in my book...

You may read the strips online, and it's up to you whether or not you want to donate or pay a monthly subscription fee to support the cartoonist's work. So far, the strips are collected in two books that can be ordered on this site.



Here's how he introduces the second book collection of his strips, published February 2009:

"Yehuda Moon lives on his bicycle. With his buddy Joe, the intrepid Moon runs the Kickstand Cyclery, a bike shop that caters to a variety of bicyclists. Together, they advocate for the bicycle as a means of transportation and fun. This is the first album of collected comic strips. You’ll meet a bevy of characters whom Yehuda and Joe encounter: the bike ninja, the bike hypochondriac, their elderly compatriot Fred, the Shakers who build the bicycle frames, neighborhood kids starting riding clubs, roadies, commuters, and many more."

Recommended!

Follow Yehuda Moon on Twitter



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It's Your Ride: 3 min 47 sec of cinematic bliss

It's Your Ride from Cinecycle on Vimeo: I have never seen the beauty of urban bicycling captured on film like this before. Made by Cinecycle, sponsored by French tire maker Hutchinson, this short film is worth spending four minutes on.

Who are the folks who made this? Answer: Cinecycle is a film and video production company based in Brooklyn, New York.

Acccording to director Daniel Leeb, the filmmakers are all first an foremost cyclists and bicycle enthusiasts - and currently in post-production of a feature documentary of bicycle messengers. But first they let this Hutchison-sponsored short film out on on Vimeo, showing all the world the beauty of being a bicycle rider in a flat city...

Director is Daniel Leeb of Cinecycle Productions, director of photography is Bill Winters, editor is Adam Barton, and composer is Alan Wilkins. The music "The Hustle" was written specifically for this film.

Check out what Daniel Leeb himself have to say about the film, and enjoy the spring that's in the air!

"This short film features Alfred Bobe Jr. and Fatimah Durkee. The film spins a visual ballad between the two cyclists experiencing the city in their own unique ways. Both cyclists are city dwellers who amidst the chaos of the concrete jungle have created a private and peaceful psychological space as they traverse the streets. They are both alone and yet they are both very much aware of each others presence. The film speaks to the harmony with one's environment that can be found while riding a bicycle in a city and the synchronistic connection we can have with those we have not even met. The short was commissioned by Hutchinson tires".
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Contrail: Color your way through town

Have a look at this elegant idea, named Contrail: US product designer Pepin Gelardi shows how cyclists can color their own space on the road while riding, creating a visible, colorful trail of chalk lines - silently showcasing the community of urban bicycle riders.

First of all: You can't buy this product yet. The illustrations here are a contest entry found at the social design network Design 21, whose mission is "to inspire social activism through design". According to the UNESCO-partnered project's website, they "connect people who want to explore ways design can positively impact our many worlds, and who want to create change here, now".

Following their own mantra "better design for the greater good", Design 21 announced the design contest Power To The Pedal - closing for entries in April 2008. Pepin Gelardi and his co-author Teresa Herrmann didn't make it all the way to the podium with the Contrail concept, but ended up as one of a few finalists, among a total of 221 entries.



Gelardi reports that he will be doing a working prototype before summer 2009, and have already got loads of positive response.

No wonder.

Check out the Contrail idea in his own words:

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THE ROAD: A bicyclist on the road often feels that they are under assault by passing vehicles. Particularly in cities where bicyclists seem rare, motor vehicles aggressively dominate the road, discouraging potential bicyclists from joining in.

THE CONTRAIL: Contrail is a small bright bike accessory that allows bicyclists to color in their own space on the road. It’s like playing with sidewalk chalk, but faster.

THE WORKS: Contrail holds 200 grams of chalk, enough for about 20 miles (32km) of riding. It functions much like a carpenter’s chalk line: A small amount of powdered chalk is filtered through a brush inside the device and picked up on a felt wheel. The felt wheel transfers this chalk onto the rear tire leaving a fine layer. As chalk builds up, the tire leaves a faint line of color on the roadbed. This is you contrail. It is a colorful and ephemeral representation of your path.

JOIN IN: Making your mark is easy. (1) The device snaps onto the rear seat tube just below the seatstays with the felt wheel resting lightly on the rear tire. A custom molded rubber band holds Contrail in place. Rubber shims may be used to insure a tight fit. (2) Once you begin to ride, you’ve already started to contribute to the strength of the community and the safety of your fellow riders. Your path becomes evident and lets others know where you’ve been. (3) The more riders present, the brighter the community’s paths become. Motor vehicles become more aware of our presence and potential riders find themselves encouraged to join in.

NOTES: The housing is made from durable recycled HDPE and the felt wheel from recycled cotton. We chose chalk because it is eco-sensitive, non-toxic and temporary. Like a jet’s contrail, the lines on the road will fade with time and rain. Chalk powder refills are already available in red, white, blue and green at hardware stores world-wide. Or they could be purchased in a full rainbow of colors online.

["skittle bikes" photo by Jessi Pervola, used with permission]








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