Category: Random Crap

All’s quiet on the BnC front by the seems of it. We’re at that part of winter where the cold weather is no longer a new thing, but part of the daily routine. The icy morning commutes are getting a little tedious down here, and night rides seem to have lost a little of their excitement for me. It’s a two-thirds slump, and the thought of standing in the cold hosing down a mud covered bike seems to be enough to keep me off it completely. It’s completely soft and weak, but then I’ve never claimed to be a hard man. Much easier to sit inside where it’s warm, dreaming of hot weather and new bikes whilst reading about glory through suffering on the internet. Glory through sloth, much more likely.

So what has been happening? The secret project has been clawing its way towards completion. Wheels laced, frame painted, parts gathered. The final pieces are not too far away, the final prep-work is imminent, and the anicipation is building. There’s no doubt that the wallet has taken a hefty hit, and I may have gotten a little carried away, but that’s half the fun of it right? Right? Oh god.

The Hobart BnC crew rolled out a few weeks ago for a Winter Solstice ride. A multi-story carpark skid session sent Nathan sliding across slick concrete and the Newtown velodrome witnessed some hefty spin-outs from the SS/Fixed crew. In fact, the ride included only one geared bike. While we’re by no means a one-gear exculsive gang (despite many peoples mis-conceptions!), it was an interesting development.

On a global note, BnCs international borders are expanding. Early moves are being made towards the establishment of a Columbian chapter, marking the start of BnC’s South American domination. Mad kids from the shores of the Carribean, rolling wild, worldwide!

BnC caps should be sent out very soon. Once they’re away, hoody and t-shirt pre-orders will be kick started. Check behind the couch for change.

For now, that’s about it. Maybe the rest of the BnC kids have more to report? I know Gus is prepping early ingredients for the Bike Kitchen, and Ben’s been doing his best to get lost in the desert. Matt’s downing beers and listening to good tunes across the ditch, and Dicko’s probably passsed out in a gutter somewhere in France. What’s happening in Melbourne? Someone let me know! Dave’s over in London using his camera to good ends, and I’m sure there’s plenty going on everywhere else. Let me know, I’ll tell the world.

BnC caps are underway. More info as it emerges!

People of Bottles And Chains, I have a dilemma. I need your help, advice and knowledge.

Bottles And Chains hoodies and t-shirts are very close to being available for pre-order, but I’ve hit somewhat of a snag. Getting hold of sweatshop free gear that’s ideally made in Australia has been a major factor as far as getting things up and running. Previously I’ve used Qualitops gear, which is Australian made and owned, and certified No Sweat Stuff. The garments aren’t bad by any means, but the cut leaves a little to be desired.

For those who lean towards the barrel-chested or erm…squat body shape, then they’re not to bad. For those of us who suffer from puny upper bodies and spindly arms, they aren’t so great.

When it comes to a good cut, Gildan shirts seem to fit the bill perfectly. It’s good quality gear and looks the business. The thing is, they’re not an Australian company and I really can’t seem to figure out if their current clothing production is completely sweatshop free.

So, does anyone know if all the talk on the Gildan website actually means anything, or is it just the usual side-stepping and self-monitoring that most of these big companies do?

More ideally, does anyone know of a good quality, reasonably priced sweat-free clothing manufacturer? Based in Australia would be for the best, but at the moment I’d be happy with anything. American Apparel is no good, as their pricing is just a bit too high.

If you can offer any advice, please e-mail me or leave it in the comments!

I have to admit, I get a little wigged out at the places that BnC randomly shows up. Strangers in distant pubs, stickers in obscure places, random newspaper articles, and links from strange websites. I think this latest appearance takes the cake for me though.

I always spot the Bicycling Australia magazines at the newsagent, as I’m picking up my copy of Dirt (to prove I’m hardcore), Singletrack (because it’s good) and AMB (to prove I’m an idiot). I always write them off as boring mags for weekend cyclists with very little of interest given my particular tastes. I’m pretty sure I’m still right. Regardless, the ol’ BnC Team Kit has somehow made its way onto the BA Gear website, surrounded by TdF merchandising and guides to the best bike paths around the country. I think Ben and his lack of concentration may have had something to do with it, combined with his love of e-mailing people and talking smack with anyone who’ll give him 30 seconds of their time.

Either way, it does give BnC that ‘super commuter’ cred that we’ve always been looking for. I guess now that we’ve hit the mainstream I’ll have to give up all hopes of becoming an underground hipster merchandise mogul and instead start pushing for more on-air promotion from Phil and Paul. “Now Paul, I may not have mentioned it yet but the top 20 riders in the bunch is really where you want to be. It’s much safer up there and you can really show off your team kit, be it Silence Lotto or Bottles and Chains.”

I am a little curious at to how we somehow ended up in the ‘Training and Nutrition’ clothing section. I suppose someone got confused between drinking sessions and training sessions, or took our talk of hydration at face value. According to the discerning editors at BA Gear, “this jersey is an innovative and fresh design suitable for every cycling enthusiast” and will allow you to “wear a jersey with an exciting and unique design on your next training ride!” Not only that, but we’ve come in at number nine in the category’s top 10 items list, beaten only by a few far more clever and witty jersey designs. I only wonder if being in that list means that someone’s already bought a jersey through the website? Unfortunately, as I tumbled through the list trying to pick my next purchase I realised that the gripping editorial attached to our innovative and fresh design was a little less unique than I originally thought.

Anyway, if you haven’t got a BnC rag already, I’d suggest you “enhance your cycling experience” as quick as you can and go buy one now! Just give it a week or six.

There are fell voices on the wind…

Shifter Dan runs a damn fine emporium of bicycle goods, with a heavy bias towards all things single and all things pretty. He also reps the BnC Melburn chapter, which means he’s good bloke, a sexy motherfucker, and all round approved. I was just over on the Shifter Bikes blog and noticed that he’s got a few snaps up of some damn sweet looking gear that’s in stock at the moment. Heaps of coloured bits and things that aren’t so readily available in most bike shops. I tried to steal all his photos to post them here but his HTML code is all whack so instead I’m going to have to do the decent thing and link you to his website so you can go and check it out, which you should do, because it’s good.

Ooo, light it up. Mischa’s got a noisy drivetrain.

The internet has finally dragged its sorry arse back into my home life folks, rejoice! Ever since moving into the stinking hovel of eniquity that is the Viper Den (actually probably the cleanest house I’ve lived in for a while, but why ruin the fun?) I’ve been slumming it with the technophobes and luddites whilst only using the internet at work. I’d like to say it’s been rough times, but to be honest it’s probably been for the best. There’s more than enough shit to keep me entertained without the heaving juggernaut of time wasting that is el interwebo. Being the long standing internet junkie that I am, I thought this long-awaited day of glory would result in a massive flurry of activity and visits to many an abandoned site to proclaim my return.

However, I’ve found myself faced with a 1,500 strong pile of unread mail (most of it spam I hope) that I really can’t be bothered facing, as well as a complete lack of interest in revisiting any of my old haunts. It’s almost as if I’ve forgotten how to use this thing. I get the feeling that it will only be a matter of time before I re-acquaint myself with the convenience of the internet and the many pleasures that it holds, no doubt including massive amounts of time reading and looking at worthless shit that I really don’t care about. Hopefully in there somewhere I’ll find some time to post more random shit on this here website so that you can have the occasional relief from Ben and his sick obsession with deep sand, scorching heat and bizarre looking bikes. We may have hosted last year’s SS nats, but I’ll be damned if I have come around to the idea of riding up steep, rocky hills with only one gear. Maybe it’s because I now own one of those bikes with 12 possible suspension combinations, more travel than Peter North’s member, and enough gears to pedal on water. Either way, I’ve got the internet back and stuff will probably happen.

Oh yeah, buy a jersey and look cool. You know you’ll be sad if you miss out.