Bike Hugger 

My friend posted this funny card on her Facebook page. It’s available for sale on Etsy, and before you get hot-and-bothered, it’s a joke. As a fixed gear rider who is a tired at times of the hipster collective and their fixie riding ways, it gave me a chuckle.

This press release just hit the newswire: FITC Amsterdam 2010 Takes To The Streets With Bike Hugger

Bikes, technology and culture intersect at The Felix Meritis European Centre for Arts and Sciences, Sunday, February 21, 2010, when FITC Amsterdam and Bike Hugger team-up to present FITC Mobile Social, a group ride that combines community and conversation with artistry on two wheels.

FITC commissioned two bicycles from Champagne Valentine based on artwork developed by the duo for this year’s event graphics and we’ll ride them during the Mobile Social. Marc from Amsterdamize is our guide and we’ll arrive at WorkCycles for a reception.

I haven’t seen the bikes yet, but the technical execution of the concept was done by Fietskoning. The bikes will be on display at Felix Meritis during the two-day run of FITC Amsterdam, an annual conference for interactive designers and developers.

RSVP for the ride on Upcoming or Facebook. More details are on the Mobile Social page.

Interested in getting involved with out Mobile Socials, we’ve got a sponsor page just for you.

The S&S coupling joins and splits the top and down tubes of a road bike like the Modal.

This hinge folds and unfolds a Dahon

Despite the proximity of Oahu to the Big Island–home of Kona and the Ironman–and the constantly-beautiful weather here, biking is not big in Honolulu or any of the more rural parts of the island.

Up on the north shore the Surfboard is king, and the occasional bike stays primarily to the paths. The roads here have very narrow shoulders and no real accommodations for road riders.

Even rental bikes lay fallow here. This sad-looking collection chained up to a fence are yearning to go out for a ride but alas stay roped down, without a Japanese or American tourist even glancing at them.

This island is a perfect example of infrastructure done wrong for pedestrian and cycling access. Despite the big-ass mountain in the middle of the island, the weather in Honolulu is vastly better than that of Portland or Seattle and the number of cyclists on the roads is down near zero.

Meanwhile, driving anywhere on H1 around 4 PM on a work day is darned near impossible thanks to all the gridlock.

Commute Seattle is a new resource for commuters in Seattle. Today they held an open house at lunch downtown that was standing room only. Lots of commuters, and lots of people looking to make the jump to being a bike commuter. It was good to see such interest and good resources.

Cover of Honolulu weekly. Story is about entrepreneurs In the city. This is Brandon Reid. He owns two businesses in Chinatown.

Uploaded by Hugger Industries | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

An Ultan Coyle graphic for Rapha’s Paris Roubaix ride.

Uploaded by R A P H A | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

As reader bpotstra said on Flickr, “those are some insanely nice wheels dudes!”

Mark V explains the build in this video.

In this photo from Reuters Pictures, a man walks with his bicycle along barbwire blocking a road near Vice President’s office in Jakarta. Anti-government protesters will rally Thursday to mark the first 100 days of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s second term.

I noticed the bike is a Dahon and can’t say our commutes or rides on folding bikes have been interrupted by barbed wire. We’ve certainly seen our share of interestingness, including paved-over Hudongs in China, like the ones NYT just wrote about. Also saw the contrasts of wealth and poverty in India during our Mobile Social Worldwide.

Cause this old-school tricycle freakbike has got the flooded intersection problem solved for you. Just add a canopy and you can wear your work clothes. This pneumatic tire beast, definitely one-ups the Cyclomer.

Uploaded by omahgarsh | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.