From the local rag:

Hellbound And Pedalling
Just so everyone knows, there will be registration available on the Saturday for the SS Nats! No problem if you want to wait, although advance rego makes things easier for us. I’ll be posting up an itinerary tonight with the plan for each day, I’ve just been too flat out!
The weekend is going to shred!
We’ve also got some bloody awesome prizes coming in. A VOODOO SINGLESPEED bike, holy fuck! Thanks to Treadlies down in Kingston. Plus a shitload of other good gear including t-shirts, shoes, records, helmets, tools, clothing, gloves, and heaps of other good gear. Everyone loves to win free shit!
BnC HQ had a bit of a shindig last night to celebrate Monday’s launch of the brand new album from Hobart punks Ballpoint. It just so happened that Ben and I had spent the day commuting to Devonport and back to pick up the LCCC’s roller racing set up and arrived back just as the party was kicking off. Naturally we’re in our element when beer is onsumed in close proximity to bikes (ask Ben, Nic and Rozzi about their recent drunken crashes and resulting cuts/grazes/bruises/destroyed helmets). One thing lead to another and before we knew it the rollers were in the lounge room, the clock was set to go, and Nic and Ben had stripped down to their underwear for a true BnC style battle to the finish line.
Unfortunately neither were sober enough to stay upright for very long and the race was soon abandoned so that more beer could be consumed. Regardless, the impromptu event was a sure sign of the chaos and bedlam that will undoubtedly occur at the BnC Roller Derby on April 19, as part of the 08 SS Nationals. In Tasmania we get serious about our racing, and clothing is optional and definitely not encouraged.
On another somewhat related note, if anyone has some good advice on getting vomit smell out of a couch, please let us know as we’d like to be able to hang out in our lounge room again some time soon.
*IMPORTANT*
If you downloaded the registration form prior to 10:30pm on Thursday night, please download it again! Some payment details were updated!
Aiiight suckers! Registration for the 2008 AUSTRALIAN SINGLESPEED NATIONALS is finally open. Yeah, I got my shit together eventually. Break out your pen, bust open your wallet, then go pay the post office a visit. Tell all your friends!
Alright you slags! The 2008 Australian Singlespeed Nationals poster is finally online (again). I had to take it off the first time because it had some wrong info on it and we got some new sponsors. Fuckin’ radical! Anyway, that shit’s online now and it ain’t going anywhere. So click the preview above, download the big, fancy, print resolution one and throw it up at your LBS, every bike shop in your area, all cafes, and on every telephone pole and traffic light box you can find. Promotion ain’t easy but tha people got tha power, man.
Keep it unreal.
Advanced registrations have closed.
Anything sent after today won’t arrive in time! You can register on the Saturday morning, download the itinerary for all the details.
FRIDAY NIGHT RIDE
The One Gear, More Beer crew are doing a ride on Friday arvo for the early birds, followed by food and drinking. Starts at 4pm and leaves from Salamanca Lawns (the starting location for BnC’s infamous Silo Runs). The itinerary has been updated with details (ctrl-refresh if you still get the old one when you click the link)!
Click below to download the map.
That’s right folks, the 2008 Australian Singlespeed Nationals are on like Donkey Kong! The Devil’s Isle is the venue and Hobart is going to sweat beer for two days in April. It’s a weekend of bikes, BBQs, parties and debauchery. It’s all about having a good time, hanging out with a good bunch of people and getting a little loose for the weekend. You don’t need to be a race-warrior, you don’t need to own a singlespeed bike, and you sure as hell don’t need to take anything seriously. Sign up, throw down, join in and rock out.
You’ll be guaranteed to have a shitload of fun with a heap of good crew, there will be bands to keep it kicking, 16″ BMX racing to test your skills, a ROLLER DERBY to get your legs spinning, spot prizes for best costume, nudity, loose antics and anything else we feel like.
We’ve even got a VOODOO singlespeed bike to give away to the winner (or who ever impresses us the most), thanks to Treadlies bike shop down in Kingston. Go and tell them how radical they are!
Date
APRIL 19 & 20 (Saturday/Sunday)Location
Hobart, TasmaniaParty Venue
The Brisbane HotelRace Venue
Glenorchy Mountain Bike Park
Click to download the flyer! Spread the word, tell your friends!
Virgin Blue, Qantas and Jetstar offer flights into Hobart. The airport is 20 minutes from the city centre.
The TT-Line sails twice a day and offers passenger and car transport from Melbourne to Devonport (3 hour drive to Hobart).
The Glenorchy Mountain Bike Park is approximately 15 minutes drive from the centre of Hobart. It’s an easy ride from the city and we’ll have a guide to take you there if you want to ride out!
To get there follow the Brooker Highway for approximately 5km. After the second roundabout take the next left at Elwick Road. Proceed through the roundabout, at the end of Elwick Road, onto Eady Street and follow Eady Street as it swings round to the next roundabout. Go left at this roundabout (Tolosa Road) and proceed to the end of the road.
There are Tolosa Park signs from Elwick road and the Bike Park is situated just behind Tolosa Park.
The Brisbane Hotel is at 3 Brisbane Street. From the Hobart Mall travel up Elizabeth Street for 3 blocks then turn right into Brisbane. The pub’s at the end of the second block. Don’t stress, there will be a map in the itinerary, and we’ll be guiding everyone around anyway! This info’s just in case you loose us.
Anywhere you want! You can try for a room at The Brisbane Hotel (get in fast!) by calling them on (03) 6234 4920.
Other options are:
The New Sydney – (03) 6234 4516
The Pickled Frog – (03) 6234 7977
Central City Backpackers – (03) 6224 2404
All are close to the city/venues and will probably give you a cheaper rate if you grab some mates and book as a group.
We’ll be having a BBQ and some other random shit for lunch on both days (including vegan, ya hippies!). The Brisbane Hotel do a bunch of kick arse counter meals (including vegan) for bloody cheap and there will be time on Saturday put aside so that everyone can eat. There should be a special 08ASSN dish that’ll fill you up and sex your tastebuds for super cheap too.
If you’re arriving early and want to sample some other places, follow Elizabeth Street up until you reach the North Hobart main strip, there are plenty of food places there. Or go in the opposite direction down the the wharf/Salamanca Place and grab some fish’n’chips and other assorted stuff.
You’ll need your bike (no gears!) and a helmet. Anything else is optional but we’d suggest gloves, your wallet, clean underwear and clothing suitable for any weather (or something revealing and a little creepy, whatever!). Use your head, bring the important stuff.
You can ride anything so long as it’s pedal powered and only has a single working gear. Keep in mind that the race itself will be on an XC course so you’ll need to be able to ride (or push) it around some dirt. A SS mountain bike is the obvious choice but cruisers, lowriders, BMXs, fixed gear track bikes, clown bikes, tall bikes, SS conversions, 1980 full-rigid Repco conversions and anything else with one gear will will be ridiculous and highly encouraged.
You can modify a geared bike so that the gears don’t work (and be able to prove it), but that’s kinda boring.
Don’t worry stress too much though. Bring anything you want and we’ll figure out how to make it singlespeed on the day. Cutting cables is fun!
If you’re a local, or arrive early, head to the Tip Shop at McRobbies Gully in South Hobart (follow the signs to the tip), find the roughest looking bike you can, rip the derailleurs off, paint it black and ride custom!
For more information or a good time, call Mischa on 0438 599 147 or e-mail info@bottlesandchains.com.
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