Monday, March 29, 2010

Globe trottin'

The folks at Specialized hooked us up with a killer fleet of Globes for the UAR season.
First up - the LIVE - a beautiful ride with a built in front rack.
...and not just any rack. Check it out - a wood base with tubular tray. The whole bike is a really nice shade of creamy red. Very classy.
I also like the chain guard and chain ring set up. This way, your pant leg will never get caught in your chain and it makes for a super clean look.
Here's some nice attention to detail. Check out the spring between the frame and the fork. With a loaded front rack, the steering can be a bit squirrely. But not with this spring steering dampener. This keeps you steering straight when loaded. You'd probably never notice this little touch unless you built the bike. Nice work Globe product managers!
There are very few logos on the Globe line, which is nice for the city line since a lot of folks want subdued looks when around town. Another nice touch is the head badge which allows you to slide in your own personal touch. It can be a photo, business card, or a one of the designs that the Globe folks send with the bike. All the bikes in the line have this feature.
Also check out the integrated headset. It makes for a nice clean line along the frame.
You've probably seen the ROLL. Without a doubt, one of the best designed, coolest fixies out there. I really dig the whited-out color scheme. The frame is actually powder blue. Check out this front drop out. A couple cool things: 1. it's flush and integrated - no other bike has this. 2. It uses an allen wrench to take off. This way you don't need to bring a big 15mm wrench with you. A normal multi-tool will do. Other nice touches: the rear hub is flip flop (so you can run it fixed or freewheel), deep dish rims, high flange hubs, and an old school plastic seat which reminds me of my BMX days (surprisingly enough -it's pretty comfy!)
The bar/stem is totally flush and integrated. If the brake levers were not on it (which you can remove of course if you ride it as a fixed gear), it's a perfectly flat line. A nice modern design and a work of art.
Another beautiful bike in the line, the HAUL
It's the cargo bike of the line - thanks to this beefy frame with built in wood rear rack. It's set to run dual panniers. Also part of the rack is a blink that molds in perfectly (there's also a blinky on the stem). There are two models of this bike. One has disc brakes (which I think is the way to go since you could be carrying a heavy load). Both models have integrated headsets, internal cable routing (very clean looking) and very comfy grip and saddles.

I'm going to be doing a thorough test of the Roll very soon and I'll give a report! You can test out these Globe bikes at any of the New Belgium Urban Assault Rides this year!

If you're reading this before April 4th, you can win your choice of one of these Globes in this contest!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Check out the march UAR Newsletter

You can join the eNewsletter list here.






2010 banner
Gettin' all reved up!

We're less than 1 month away from our kick-off event in Tucson and the 2010 UAR season is going to be soooo awesome. This newsletter is full of free bikes, team entries, and things you should know about. Read up! - The UAR Crew

Check out the happenin's....
  • 2010 New Belgium Brewing Urban Assault Rides
  • Want a new bike?
  • Do you love the Urban Assault Ride?
  • Do you like BEER?
  • Our Hero!
  • Do you want to save some $$$$?
  • Things we think are cool....

  • Want a new bike?
    win a GLOBE

    The 2nd of many killer contests, this month we present the, "I WANT TO WIN A NEW GLOBE BIKE!" contest. We LOVE the 2010 Globe Bicycles line and you will too. Check it out. If you win this contest, you can choose a Haul, Roll, or Live of your very own. And don't think about being stingy and keeping this contest to yourself - in order to win you have to tell your friends. Good luck - this is a sweeeeet contest


    Do you love the Urban Assault Ride?
    big  wheel pink

    If you had a great time at the UAR and feel like shouting your love of beer, bikes, and big wheels...we've got the job for you!
    We're looking for people to join the Urban Assault Ride Street Team in each 2010 UAR city.
    If you are chosen, you'll get a free team entry, all the beer you can drink (on race day), and free UAR clothing. You'll be expected to hang some posters, spread the word locally online, and tell lots of friends.


    Do you like BEER?
    Darft cover

    LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL WITH A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO DRAFT MAGAZINE. GET A FREE 4 MONTH SUBSCRIPTION TO DRAFT MAGAZINE: A BEER ENTHUSIASTS GUIDE TO THE GOOD LIFE.


    Our Hero!
    damage

    We like to celebrate people that live the UAR dream. Coreen Puetz of Madison, WI is such a person - and is the latest UAR hero. She did the Madison UAR in 2008 and learned the virtues of a bike-transportation lifestyle....then she got run over by a SUV.
    But that won't stop her! She's back and badder than ever. You'll find her back on two wheels at the 2010 Urban Assault Ride in Madison. We applaud you Coreen and you're our latest UAR hero!
    Do you live the life of Beer, Bikes, and Big Wheels? If so, tell us the story of you and your bike. If we choose you as our next hero, you'll win all sorts of bike gear to keep you rolling (and we'll make you famous;)


    Do you want to save some $$$$?
    Sliding to the finish

    Did you know that we offer discounts if you sign up sooner than later? Of course you did - that's always the case, right? So...what's stopping you? Oh...I guess you like to waste your money, right? Do you know who your teammate is for 2010? Have they committed yet? Do you want to sign up before the UAR sells out? Did you turn off the stove before you left the house? Do you know the meaning of life? We do. It's Beer, Bikes, and Big Wheels. See you at the New Belgium Brewing Urban Assault Ride


    Things we think are cool....
    2010  shirt

    - Keen's "Pedal" line of ladies shoes
    - How to avoid an avalanche
    - Lots of pressure and never breaks!
    - Would have LOVED to see this show
    - Our 2010 shirt design




    2010 New Belgium Brewing Urban Assault Rides
    new color logo

  • Tucson, AZ: 4/18/10
  • Berkeley, CA: 5/2/10
  • Seattle, WA: 5/16/10
  • Portland, OR: 5/23/10
  • Charlotte, NC: 6/20/10
  • Austin, TX: 6/27/10
  • Ft Collins, CO: 7/18/10
  • Denver, CO: 7/25/10
  • Minneapolis, MN: 8/8/10
  • St Louis, MO: 8/15/10
  • Des Moines, IA: 8/22/10
  • Chicago, IL: 9/12/10
  • Madison, WI: 9/26/10
  • Sign up here...
    Quick Links...

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    Presenting Sponsors

    Keen


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    Wednesday, March 24, 2010

    Want a new Globe bike?

    Check out the latest contest presented by the good folks at Globe Bikes. We ALL want to ride more and one of the best ways to get in more rides is to use our bikes to get around town. Globe bikes are perfect for this. The 2010 line as some killer cargo bikes, very well-designed fixies, and even low maintenance belt drive (chainless) bikes.


    Pretty simple contest: become a UAR Facebook Fan, answer 3 questions, then tell 2 friends. If you win, you get your pick of a ROLL, HAUL, or LIVE. Pretty sweet, huh?
    CLICK HERE TO ENTER OUR LATEST CONTEST...

    Thursday, March 11, 2010

    A new UAR HERO!!!!

    I'd like to welcome Coreen Puetz to the small, elite group of Urban Assault Ride heroes! UAR heroes know what life is all about. Maybe they can pull a big wheel back flip, maybe they spread the gospel of bike love, or in Coreen's case - experienced a scary bike on car rumble (and lived to tell).
    Here's how it went down in her words:
    Hello Sharon my name is Coreen and this is my UAR story.

    I rode the UAR with my soon to be roommate in 2008 in Madison, WI and had a blast! Ty (my roommate) and I decided if we could get through the ride we would be good roommates and we did and we were.

    Prior to the ride a was a fair weather biker. If it was a nice day and within 7 miles I would bike it. Otherwise I had a car. What the UAR taught me was I don't need a car in Madison. That day we went from east to far west and back again. It was no problem. After the ride I bought myself some pretty hard core panniers and some adverse weather gear, and from that point on I was cyclist. And I loved my new identity.

    I don't need to tell you there was no UAR in Madison last year, and I seriously contemplated riding in Minneapolis, but my less than stellar sense of direction stopped me.

    Then on September 17, 2009 at about 7pm I was biking home from work. I had a green walk signal and the SUV that inevitably ran me over had a "no turn on red" red light. The truck ran over my left calf. I was in between the front a rear tires when he (thankfully) stopped. My pedal impaled my calf in 3 different places. My MCL, ACL, PCL, patella and meniscus were all torn or damaged. My ankle was sprained, my hips were in the wrong place, my left leg was now shorter than my right one.
    And worst of all my bike .... it was ruined. (I still get a little weepy over my bike).

    I did not break a bone. I did not require any surgery. I am already more functional then the doctors originally thought I would ever be again and I am still healing. This has been attributed to the shape I was in prior to the accident. Because I was literally biking everywhere (thanks in part to the 2008 UAR) I was part super human.

    This years ride in Madison is exactly 1 year and 9 days after my accident, and I cannot wait to ride it! Just the fact that I will be physically able to is a huge victory for me.


    Thanks,
    Coreen Puetz

    Coreen - in our eyes, you truly are a hero! Unfortunately, most riders have a rendezvous with a motorized vehicle at some point in their riding career. Luckily, you escaped and are ready to ride in the UAR again! We're also really happy that the UAR showed you how great bikes are for transportation - in Madison or in any other city. And most of all, we're so happy that you're able to pedal again at all!

    Coreen will receive a UAR Care Package with some great things to help her get back on the road. With the support from our friends at New Belgium Brewing, Specialized, and Timbuk 2, your next rides will be way better than your encounter with that nasty SUV.

    IF YOU HAVE A STORY THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE (and it doesn't have to be about surviving a bike-on-car encounter;) LET SHARON KNOW. If you're selected to be our next UAR hero, you'll be profiled in our eNewsletter and you'll win lots of great cycling gear!

    BE SAFE OUT THERE!!!!