Wow, it's already been a year since we first wrote about that gnarly unauthorized no-brakes bike race through Red Hook! Last Saturday night they did it again, holding the 3rd Annual Red Hook Criterium, which takes place on a "quarter-mile course which features several hairpin turns, a fast sprint through the parking lot of a chain retailer, a cobblestone stretch, and a sprint finish." (The winner after 16 laps got a six pack of beer and an "extremely rare" bicycle frame.) This year they had volunteer marshals helping stop traffic; one of them was BikeBlogNYC, who posted a detailed account of the race, with Ed Glazer's stellar photos. Velo News also has a full report, and here's the NY Post's informative video segment about the Criterium: more ›

Back in 2008, we shared some exhilarating video of cyclists peddling through NYC at breakneck speeds. The hardcore footage is part of a documentary called Empire, which director Luke Stiles tells us is almost finished. The hour-long feature will resemble a "BMX or skate video; music-driven action sports stuff," says Stiles. "All fixed gear, all NYC, with traffic and tricks. No one has been injured to date except for the occasional shin burger or twisted angle by one of the trick guys. Everyone's pretty good at what they do." They better be—as you can see from this gnarly new video, serious injury is just one handlebar twist away: more ›

Summer may not start until June 21st, but with all the warm weather we've been enjoying you may have noticed an increase in the number of cyclists on the streets—that is, unless you're too busy speeding past cars and dodging pedestrians on your own set of wheels. Clearly, this is going to be another big summer for biking, with the city already predicting a large increase in riders. Jeff Underwood has been part of the biking scene in this city before most of us knew there was a scene. Tucked away in the East Village, Continuum Cycles is packed with bikes both new and old: bikes, frames, and various other parts can be found hanging from the walls, leaning against each other on the floor, even spilling out into the street. more ›