Bottles And Chains – Page 2 – Hellbound And Pedalling

Monday

A dreary and overcast Monday in Hobart. Stuck in a drab, fluorescent lit office in the northern suburbs. Needing a break from the screens I slipped outdoors, threw a leg over my track bike, stomped the pedals and rolled away into the urban expanse. For thirty minutes I hopped off curbs, slid between cars and coasted through a maze of side streets. My mood immediately lifted. With each rotation of the cranks I felt better. I watched the shadow cast by wheels play across the pavement, a flickering film of dark and light. The buzz of my freewheel in sync with the industrial sounds of this northern neighbourhood. A beautiful window of time to play and feel. With a smile I returned to the workplace, rejuvenated and ready for another stint on the keyboard. What a panacea a bicycle is.

Wizards of Dirt

The ‘Wizard of Dirt’ alley cat race was run (and won) this past Saturday on a blue-sky spring afternoon. 17 Adventurers set out on a quest to locate 5 scrolls scattered across the land… On each scroll was recorded a single word of power, collect the 5 words to form a spell needed to defeat the Wizard of Dirt and claim his magical sword. Adventurers had to memorise the spell and quickly cast it, or risk being struck down by the Wizard. What ensued was a very fun afternoon of riding and laughs. Adventurers were stumped finding the Trolls Lair scroll (hidden INSIDE the old Beaumaris Zoo site) and anyone over 40 struggled to memorise the words of power. Paul was first to defeat the Wizard and raise the sword but nearly all successfully completed the quest.. (…do recall Matt, Jack, Kiwi and Mitchell cooking their spell casting). Thank you to all that attended and to Tinker General Store for being the major sponsor. Love!

Thank you:

Mischa Pringle – event admin.
Loki Carey / Tinker General Store – major sponsor

Checkpoints:

City of the Dead (Gas Road) – ‘ALAKAZAM!’
Forest of Doom (Northern Fire Trail) – ‘ABRACADABRA!’
Wizards Tower (TCA Ground) – ‘SIMSALABIM!’
The Trolls Lair (Beaumaris Zoo) – ‘HOCUSPOCUS!’
Mermaids Rest (Gunpowder Jetty) – ‘KABLOOEY!’

Results:

Paul Kennedy – 47m
Loki Carey – 47m
Arwen Atkinson – 50m
Brodie Atkinson – 50m
Chris Atkinson – 50m
Evie Atkinson – 50m
Nic Fitzgerald – 59m
Samm Atkins – 1:30
Rowan Trelibco – 1:23
Laurel Trelibco – 1:23
Myrtle Trebilco – 1:23
Juniper Trebilo – 1:23
Dan Panek – Dead On Arrival (DOA)
Kiwi (John Bown) – DOA
Matt the Hooligan – DOA
Jack Deformed – DOA
Mitchell Wednesday – DOA

Patches!

Screen printing production has recommenced. Want a Bnc ‘ Magic Forest’ patch for your battle jacket or mess bag? Come win one at this weekends ‘Wizard of Dirt’ alleycat race.

Team BnC – The renaissance

Our little bike gang is certainly going through a renaissance. In 2024 we’ve hosted the monthly ‘The Last Thursday’ social rides, played a major role in delivering the Australian Single Speed Nationals, threw the first of two AlleyCat races, and later this month we’re putting on an old school CX event out at Dodges. ….but what I’m liking best about this hubbub of activity is the regrowth and gathering of our alternative cycling community. You can feel the love for bikes and their people in Hobart right now.

A Wizard of Dirt

Bottles and Chains present ~ ‘A WIZARD OF DIRT’ Alleycat Race.

Saturday 19 October.

15:30 @ Queens Domain Water Tanks
All welcome – Free entry
Prizes for 1st / 2nd / 3rd
Mixed surface ride

Sponsored by Tinker General Store
#bottlesandchains #bottlesandchainsracingdivision #alleycatrace

Saving the track bike..

Tarn Mott (Primate frames) whipped up this custom track bike for Melbourne based courier Corey Putkunz back in 2007. It spent a few years on road as a work bike before being hung up in the shed to gather dust. I purchased the frame from Corey last year, built it up and returned it to a life of urban jungle adventures. The tyre clearances are TIGHT by current standards, I can squeeze a 28c into the rear but not more than 25c up front. Thin slicks make my dirt forays a little exciting… Rollin’ on 58 gear inches the whole show is ‘spin to win’ but in hilly Hobart this is a sensible choice. Fabricated from Dedacciai steel so it sings under pedal (Jan Heine would say it ‘planes’). Thomson cockpit. Lovely Australian made Velocity NMSW rims laced to Surly hubs (one modern, one NOS). An original Skin Grows Back top tube pad (complete with the texta mantra ‘Prettyboy sucks’) illustrates the frames late 00s vintage perfectly. A beautiful bicycle.

Team BnC, saving one track bike at a time.

What is best in life?

“The open steppe, fleet bicycle, Yoshida grips at your wrist, and the wind in your hair“.

Team BnC present a social ride this September to discover what is best in life. Thursday 28 November. Meet 17:00 @ Franklin Square. Primarily rollin’ on tarmac. Post ride burger munch at the Overland Brewery. No drop. All welcome. CRUSH YOUR PEDALS!

#bottlesandchains #bottlesandchainssocialdivision

‘The Last Thursday’

The last Thursday of the month @teambnc social ride is inbound – Thursday 29 August, meet 17:00 @ Franklin Square. Mixed terrain social ride – no drop – all welcome.

Post ride plan is to find some pizza and a few drinks, probably hit @deepsouthbrewingco again, the half price pizza is killer.

Hope to see all your faces there! Benny

#bottlesandchains #bottlesandchainssocialdivision

Alleycat Race!

Saturday 27 July 2024 – That was ALOT of fun. Big smiles all around. Kudos to Loki and Paul for flying through the checkpoints, Matt the Hooligan for his amazing capture of a double fisted Flippers Fish-punt ‘flip off’, and all the crew mad enough to swim in the frigid waters of the fountain (it’s mid-winter, brr!). Eating at Mykonos during daylight hours (and whilst sober) must have been an experience…. Great to see some new faces and the second-generation B’n’C riders schooling their parents. Keep your eyes peeled like bananas, next Alleycat Race inbound October 2024. Big love, Benny.