Yesterday I had the awesome opportunity to attend the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500, billed as the greatest spectacle in racing. Being from out of town, and attending the race with some people that aren’t regular cyclists, the bikes were left at home which was extremely unfortunate. During the race almost every street around the Oval is closed and parking is at a premium. After parking miles away, it was a very long walk on what was officially the hottest race in history. What I would have done to have my bike with me to make that journey that much easier.

However, locals and those smart enough to bring a bike to the race were in for a treat. Located one block south of Gate 2 on Polco Street, the Speedway Trails Association was on hand to staff a free Pedal and Park bike check!  This brilliant idea is being made possible in the Indianapolis area by a sponsorship from the Metropolitan Planning Organization. The idea is to take the worst parts out of using alternate transportation to major public events, and by doing so increase the amount of people who would consider it.

Read on, for more on this amazing idea!

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I didn’t even have a basket on my bike until Tara, the owner of Betty Basket Liners sent me one of her bags, then I had to go get one just so I could use it…and I’m so glad I did. The Betty Basket Liner (Bag!) is quite handy as a purse for everyday use, and easily fits into my bike basket when I take the cruiser out for a trip to the Farm Market downtown.

Betty Basket Liners are durable fabric bags, made in the USA, with long handles and a wide elastic band around the edge to fold over the rim of your bike basket–perfect for holding your bag secure in the basket and open so you can put all your things inside. Tara started out like so many of our homegrown entrepreneurs, she made some bags for herself to keep small items from falling out of her basket and, when friends and family started asking her to make bags for them, a business was formed…

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Happy Memorial Day!

This is Gijs and Pien van den Abeele mountain biking on a trip to Sweden. Gijs and Pien are from the Nederlands. If you can read Dutch, here is their family website.

To see more Pics of the Day, click here, and to submit your own photo to be shown to the world, go here.

At first glance you could be forgiven for thinking that this is just another car manufacturer’s attempt at producing a bike, however what VW are offering is a bit different. This isn’t actually a bike at all but rather an electric scooter, see there are no pedals! The concept is that it will fold neatly and occupy the space normally taken by the spare tyre in your car’s trunk. As you drive along the car will charge the bike so that when you arrive at your destination you can unfold the bike and zoom about the city.

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Aric from Cycles Papillon sent us over some photos of their new bikes with the following note:

Founded with passion for all things two wheeled and designed with functionality, aesthetics and craftsmanship in mind, Cycles Papillon is offering complete titanium commuter frames, as well as, full custom 29er, cyclocross and road frames. Several finishing options are available, including a proprietary wet/powder coat paint process, detailed etching, hand brushing, and more. Prices start at  $1600 for custom frames.

Check out the photos after the break for some of their ready-made and full custom bikes…

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Poster Cabaret’s 2010 Bicycle Print Collection

This sweet little print is available on the Poster Cabaret website, along with a bunch of other bicycle themed prints (and more that aren’t that are nice, too). This print is titled “Birdcycle” and is by Robert Lee of Methane Studios. It’s a handmade, 3-color 24″ x 18″ screen print for only $25. In fact, all the other prints in the collection are only $25, too. Gotta love accessible (affordable) art!

via: ubanvelo.org.

Photo submitted by Lloydy from the MTBberkhamsted cycling team. Check out their website if you’re in the Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, UK area (or even if you’re not) it’s chok-full of information about group rides, photos and race reports of recent rides, even a gallery of team injuries (not too bad. Hopefully, Ann gets better!).

To see more Pics of the Day, click here, and to submit your own photo to be shown to the world, go here.

This fixie caught our eye as we were walking by the Masi tent at the Tour of California. We stopped to check it out, and learned that Masi is launching a new fixie parts line, branded as “Brev M.” The parts are available in a variety of colors, and are all “fixed gear specific,” designed for the rigors of fixie riding. While they are pretty standard aluminum parts, their availability in several colors should make them rather attractive to the fixed gear crowd. Check out all the parts and color options after the break.

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Sunday, August 8th, will be the Larz Anderson Bicycle Show and Swap Meet put on by Classic Rendezvous. The show will feature bicycles from all periods…from antique bikes, balloon tyre, vintage lightweights, to whatever you want to show off…

Entries for the bike show and spaces for the swap meet are being taken now. Only $35 for a 10′x10′ vendor booth space for the swap meet (includes 2 passes for the show), and $10 to enter your bike in the show (includes your pass to the show). For an entry form, click here.

Vendors enter at 8:30 am
Public opening at 9 am
Trophies awarded at 10:30am
Auction at 11:30 am

*The Larz Anderson Museum has requested that Bicycle Show & Swap Meet folks do not arrive prior to 8:30 am as this is a residential area. Please no setting up to Swap on the street. Violators will be barred from the event.

Rickshaw Bagworks just released their new iPad sleeves to keep your precious conversation piece / status symbol / portable Bikerumor.com reader safe and sound.

Despite what that graphic above says, prices are $40 to $60, but you can get free shipping on them until June 15.  Materials range from Cordura to organic cotton to waterproof XPac, as well as some unique “luxe” fabrics.  They’re made in San Francisco, CA, and you can also build your own by picking the colors and materials.

When the original Orbea Alma 29er debuted at Sea Otter in 2006, it was the first production monocoque carbon 29er anywhere.  Some four years later, they’ve completely redesigned the frame, and it’s gorgeous. This time, the new bike is making its world debut at the Mellow Johnny’s Classic this Memorial Day weekend.

Billed as a 2011 model, the new Orbea Alma 29 takes a lot of the carbon frame technology from their similarly shaped Alma 26″ hardtail, like the Size Specific Nerve (SSN), which means each frame size has a different carbon layup and structure based on the different rider weights and strengths likely to be on various sizes.

They worked with Gore to develop DCR Cable Routing, part of which is the sexy machined cable guides you see on the headtube in the photo above.

Performance-wise, the new frame uses a BB30 bottom bracket, tapered headtube, shortened chainstays and a curved seat tube.  All that, and they dropped 150 to 200g from the original frame (depending on size).

Make the jump for full specs, builds and pricing…plus closeup and full bike photos…

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