We ran across one Pieter Blokker, on a little cycling beach session while working in Vancouver last weekend. Pieter claims to be one of North America’s top bike polo players. He’s sponsored by Pilsner beer, has a hot girlfriend and was recently given a Kula by Bow Cycle for bike polo playing. He just sent us a link to his new website, which features this video. Question is, should Kona be making a custom polo bike? Let us know.
Another interesting cycling sidebar story we found in our digital wanderings. The bike portable coffee bar, only in NYC…
Kickstand is committed to providing the best possible cup of coffee to community events in NYC with the smallest environmental impact possible. We achieve this goal by using bikes not only for all of our transportation needs, but also for a portion of the power we use in brewing the coffee we serve. At Kickstand getting people outdoors and bringing them together over coffee is our primary goal.
Tuesday night was my night to pick the ride, and it was an easy choice if you know where I come from. Anmore BC is sandwiched between Indian Arm and Port Moody on the north side of Burred Inlet. It’s a cute little village away from the craziness of Van-city, while staying close enough to be able to make it to work on time in the morning.
I get the same question every time I tell people where I live….”Where the hell is Anmore?!” they’d say. And after explaining it for the 12th time, I just started replying with “It’s an hour east of Calgary….minus the C”….Which would usually result in that head-cocked-to-the-right look that my dog gives me when I pick up his leash.
It’s actually the reason why I live there. As close as it is to Vancouver, no one seems to know where it is. No one except for the long time Kona staff used to ride out there, and those who still do. The group for Tuesday night was Smiley, Michelle & I. We met at my place, where Michelle mentioned she was hyperventilating from all the fresh air, and Smiley, who lives on the infamous Commercial Drive looked around the neighborhood with realization that we didn’t have a restaurant or coffee shop from every European or Asian country within a 5 minute walk.
The interweb is a very interesting place, full of oddly construed products that just make you want to go…”Huh?” Hark, the Spongy Wonder Bicycle Seat and its claim that normal bike seats diminish your potency (ouch). Read more about it (if you dare) HERE.
“(H)e lays bare the athlete’s peculiar mixture of arrogance and terror, viciousness and camaraderie, and the result is one of the more convincing love stories of recent memory.” – The New Yorker
Kona’s Product Manager is a huge moto fan. He recently travelled to Ireland’s Isle of Mann for the world’s craziest motorcycle race. Here’s his report. To see Pat shred all things bike himself, watch the second video.
Our man Jimmy Moore, owner of 6 Konas, finished top American again, 2nd best privateer (non-factory team) for the week, and an 11th place in the final event Friday, the Senior TT. Jimmy rode for the East Coast Construction Yamaha team this year. His crew chief Colin used to be the crew chief for the late Joey Dunlop and then for the Kenny Roberts MotoGP team before it disbanded. Colin brought some of the old bikes he wrenched on for the parade lap including one of Rutter’s and one of Dunlop’s.
Here’s a link to a video from 2009 that I think reminds me of my experience there the most. Paddy
