Freedom Thighs 2012

I couldn't tell you specifically what I like so much about the Freedom Thighs bike ride. There's an inexpressible feeling it gives you, something pictures and text may not have the ability to convey, but I'll try.

Outside the Birdhouse

The bike ride happens each 4th of July, meeting at the Birdhouse around 4pm. Bikers line up in the street, listen to a rendition on the Star Spangled Banner (this year, Dolly Parton's), and begin their patriotic cruise through the neighborhoods of Knoxville.



Most attendees are decked out in American themed apparel. I myself bought a flag vest a couple years back for my first Freedom Thighs, and it's become a go-to for this ride each year. This year, two synchronized boom boxes towed behind bikes busted out jams ranging from Ludacris's Roll Out to some USA themed songs sung in Spanish.

Eagle on Rollerblades!

I couldn't tell you either, if there is any common thread that runs through each of the bikers who come each year to ride this ride.

 I overheard one hipster-looking biker say to his friends as I slowly meandered past them, "I can't tell if this race is satirical or not. It seems like there are a lot of truly patriotic people here, but I know there are some anarchists here as well... and just so y'all know, I bought this (American flag) t-shirt at Wal-Mart."



Sidenote: I don't know much about this subject, but it's true that there is a small contingent of anarchists that like to ride bicycles in Knoxville. They're some real nice people, yet would a true anarchist attend an American-themed bike ride? Are anarchists known to be especially ironic?*

Maybe what I like about the ride is the simultaneous delight and confusion I feel.



Freedom Thighs does mostly draw a bunch of white hipsters, it's true.

Part of the route winds through some East Knox neighborhoods which are predominantly inhabited by African Americans. These are some of my favorite streets to ride through because there is such a great community presence there. So many families came out on their porches to cheer on us white kids dressed like idiots.

And together, we all cheered on America.

 If that's not patriotic, I couldn't tell you what is.

Babe-raham Lincoln

We made a stop at the Pilot on Magnolia. That Pilot made a billion dollars yesterday, and so did the ice-cream man who stopped there when he saw all of us.

Love grows at Pilot

Then some idiot started shooting fireworks. Really? At a gas station? I can't say everyone on the ride is the brightest.




I saw many faces on the ride that have moved away from Knoxville over the past few years. They come back for this ride, and that's saying something.




I didn't end up finishing out the whole route. I think they went about 10 miles in all, making various stops to rest, consume cold beverages, and eat hotdogs, but I had a cookout calling my name.

The Ice-Cream man found us

If you have been intrigued in the slightest by this post, you should consider taking a chance on shenaniganery and joining the ride next year. No one fits in, but we all do because we're American, you know what I'm saying?



 Wherever the 4th of July took you, whether you were enjoying a/c with normal, calm people or with a bunch of hooligans on bikes, I do hope it was as merry one.

Facilitators of Freedom Thighs

*Questions for another time.

Trying to press on: Yee-Haw's last day

I've never been the type of person that wants to meet a band or musician after a show. I find it awkward, no, impossible, trying to verbalize my inexpressible feelings about something that has stirred my soul.

I've found myself waiting outside a tour bus parked in an alley, however, to appease giddy friends with albums in tow. When it's my turn to shake the artist's hand, my default phrase is something like, "Thank you for what you do," and then I'm out of there. No gushing, no awkward lingering. It's not my style.

***

This morning, I biked downtown to run a work errand and saw the doors of Yee-Haw open, clothing racks lining the entrance. I locked up my bike and walked inside.

Kevin Bradley was off to the right, sporting his plaid pant uniform, sifting through prints, and filling a long list of online orders. He looked up at me and said, "Hello, honey," and gave me hug. "How are you?"

"It's a sad day," I said.

His response: "It's beyond that."

I picked through the prints, finding ones I've always wanted but have never gotten around to buying- the lady that's an ice-cream cone, a Farmer's Market strawberry card, mini cards reading "Te Quiero." I also picked up a journal and a postcard that says "Knoxville Girl," because I had to. I lusted after the larger, more expensive prints, wishing I could indulge.



A few other customers came through while I was there- an older couple shuffling through the endless array of prints and a woman in a dress suit who walked in knowing exactly what she wanted- a tote bag with a pink ice-cream cone printed on it.

When I had made my choices, I walked up to the counter to a voiceless Julie Belcher (she lost it yesterday) who hand-wrote my receipt and whispered my total. She smiled as she bagged up my items.

While I stood there, I wondered if I should say something encouraging or complimentary.

I've really appreciated your work.
You're going to be missed. 
Y'all... y'all are awesome.

What came out instead was, "I wanted more than this, but I'm on my bike. How long will y'all be selling online?"

"Til midnight," she whispered.  (Kevin will be at the shop until at least 7 this evening, too.)

As she handed me my bag of goodies, I thanked her and walked out the door, signifying the death of my longest Knoxville business crush.

***

Going against my normal protocol, I'll linger here a little longer to give a few thoughts about the closing of Yee-Haw.

My personal praises for Yee-Haw are mostly in regard to how they have ridden the impossible line of making good art that sells in Knoxville. They have transformed a creative passion into a viable business, basing it in Knoxville but extending their talents internationally. When the art-scene looks bleak (because it does more often than not when you are a working artist here), I'm reminded of their presence and it puts me at ease. They have been a role-model by consistently inspiring me to stay and encourage the contemporary art scene here. They've inspired me to work harder.

And while I think Knoxville needs Yee-Haw, I know I can't force it to stay. I can, however, be thankful for what they have done for Knoxville and the art scene here. I am and will continue to be long after their doors have closed.

Another Knoxville Halloween down

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween yesterday and this past weekend. I love how when the holiday falls near the weekend, Knoxville spends night upon night in festive attire. This city has taught me a lot about Halloween, and I know if I ever move from here, it will most likely be on Halloween that I'll miss it most. Many thanks to all those who dressed up and made it a good one this year.

I noticed a strong Dia de Los Muertos presence this year. Also, lots of nerds and bloody people, even bloody nerds. I like, too, how lots of people wore normal stylish attire but had dark makeup around their eyes- Halloween's fashion models.

Here are some photos taken before the TVB Halloween Alley Cat Race last night. These crazy people rode about eight miles around town in their costumes. Pretty awesome.

All I have to say is: girl on right with unibrow.

I assume the guy on the left is dead somewhere in a ditch. How he rode on a bike in that thing, I don't know.

Can you guess what Wild Bill and I are? Btw, I think he just wanted an excuse to bare his chest.

In other news, they started decorating for Christmas today in Krutch Park

Friday Nights

Two big things are happening tomorrow night, and they can (and will by myself and a few others) be combined! Tomorrow night is the Knoxville Bicycle Collective's Tour De Knox. The ride starts at the fire station in the fort (by Highland and 17th across from Redeemer Church) at 6.30. It will be a giant group of bikers going to seven different locations, hanging out, and drinking some libations. At each location different bands will be playing. It will end outside of the fireproof gallery later that night.

One departure that I am going to be making is to see local artist Seth Collins' opening at 1010 (100 block Gay St.) He is a fantastic video and graphic artist. He describes the project as, "A video installation combining projected image with suspended vellum to create a visual environment."

Sounds great to me.

The opening at 1010 will be from 6-9p.m.

Even if cycling is not for you, go to 1010. But if you like art, music, riding, and fun then tomorrow night is going to be the best.

the summer too shall pass

I've been pretty lame this summer, deciding to be super American and drive my car everywhere rather than ride my bike at all. Continuously blasting fake cold air in my face has taken its toll on my psyche, however, so last Tuesday, when the air cooled off a bit, I got on my bike and headed downtown. I realized it had been forever since I've taken time to enjoy an evening on Market Square, so with no plans, I biked up Gay Street to see what would unfold.

Divine providence would have it that The Pol was window shopping at Noveau Classics, because that is apparently what the Pol does when he locks himself out of his apartment. We decided to go have a drink on the roof of Pres Pub because he hadn't been up there yet.

Once on the roof, we were able to find a table close to the Square. The weather was pitch perfect and from the stage, there were jazz musicians playing. We couldn't tell from there if it was an official performance or some buskers, but there were spectators below, enjoying it all the same.

After our drink, we walked out into the Square where The Pol ran into a freshman he had met a few days earlier, and a group of his friends. They would be starting class the next day. Even if no one told me they were freshman, I would have known because one proudly wore a bright orange lanyard around his neck featuring his dorm key.

As the jazz played and I breathed in the sweet, autumn-like air, I was a little jealous of the group of new students. Walking around a bustling downtown Knoxville in college wasn't an option during most of my college experience, let alone before my very first day of class. I looked into their cherub faces, into their deer-in-headlight eyes, and decided it best not to tell them how lucky they were.

As they walked off, The Pol and I sat on a bench to listen to the rest of the set. It was then I realized the trumpet player was my old landlord, Vance Thompson, who is the director of the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra. When they finished, he thanked the small crowd and said they would be playing every Tuesday until September (or maybe through September, I'm not quite sure).

So if you've been hiding under an air-conditioned rock all summer like me, I encourage you to take a stroll through Market Square this Tuesday evening and have a listen. Even if it's hot, the tunes are sure to be coooool. 

lose some weight, fatty

Hey Fifth Avenue! Why don't you go on a diet? You're WAY too big. Do you really need those extra lanes? You look like a road that goes somewhere, but really you just link some neighborhoods together. Not that I can fault you for that, Fifth Avenue. I use you everyday to circumnavigate downtown. But why do you have to be so fat? You could easily be a svelt two driving lanes with a turning lane and bicycle lanes! If only you'd lose some weight...


Fifth Avenue is an essential part of the Knoxville bicyclist's strategy to get around the inner neighborhoods around downtown. For our purposes here, I'll call it the Great Northern Transverse Bicycle Route. No other cross street works quite so well and crosses all the major routes into downtown- Broadway (Homeless Dodge 'em Course), Central (clever name TBD), and Hall of Fame (The Senor Taco Expressway). The Great Northern Transverse Bicycle Route provides a good way for the not-so-inner neighborhoods of Mechanicsville (where I live) and Parkridge to connect into downtown via the Grand Hipster Bicycle Meridian (aka Gay Street). If you want to get to a friend's house in another neighborhood and don't want to have to handle downtown traffic, it acts as a good inner bypass for bicyclists.

The Great Northern Transverse Bicycle Route

So why is it a four lane?! No traffic I've ever scene on the Great Northern Transverse Bicycle Route would warrant this Middlebrook Pike-esque streetscape. As the Regional Bicycle Program looks for roads to put on a "road diet" let me respectfully submit this huge fatty. It's just screaming for bicycle lanes. Let's get the paint truck out there and make this happen.

Octoberpalooza

It's Friday and holy moly is there a lot going on this weekend. I'm having a hard time prioritizing my to-do list, that's for sure.

It's also Oct. 1, so you know what that means -- First Friday!! How beautiful is the weather? And the 100 block of Gay is open. Seriously, there is no reason not to be out tonight. Here are a few things you might want to catch:

• Ashley Maynor's award winning documentary "For Memories' Sake" is being screened at 6p and 7:30p at the East Tennessee History Center. The film is a half-hour long and explores Maynor's grandmother's passion for photography and home videos and a bit on how to preserve and interpret memories captured on film. You can bring your own photos or film for advice from Maynor on how to preserve.
• Also, Abode is possibly closing (more on that later). Catch one of their last First Fridays, where the shop will feature paintings by local artist Lauren Karnitz. You can also get 10% off purchases.
• When you head to Magpies to try out their Pumpkin Spice super deluxe flavor (psych! I'm going to eat them all before you get there!) check out Newisher Works by our friend Dale Mackey in the small hall between Magpies and the Glowing Body.
• And if that isn't enough, swoon over Duckie and indulge in your love of '80s by catching "Pretty in Pink" as part of Movies on Market Square tonight. Starts around 8pmish.

So, that takes us to Saturday, and there's no rest for the weary on Saturday either.

• Kick off Saturday by participating in the the regional bicycle program's 10th annual neighborhood bike ride. The ride starts at 10 a.m. at Central St. and Baxter Ave. in Happy Holler, and you can park at the Knox Central building at 1000 N. Central. There will be snacks from Three-Rivers Market at the beginning and discounts at Magpies, Time Warp and the Freezo after. The ride is for people of all skill levels and ages and will take you through Old North, Parkridge, Old City and Mechanicsville. Lasts about an hour, and BRING YOUR HELMET (can't ride without it).
• After that's done, it's Happy Hollerpalooza time! Things will be going on in the 'hood all day, but N. Central will be closed down from 2p to 8p for this sort of block-party festival. All the Happy Holler businesses will be open during this time as well.

You think you've got Sunday off? Think again. Sunday brings the annual Hank Day, honoring Hank Williams, who possibly died here or at least on his way to Knoxville. WDVX's Red Hickey will host the festival, which runs from 1p to 7 p at the Candoro Marble Building at 4450 Candora Ave. There will be live music, cooking and I hear B will be hawking some salvage wares.

Cades Cove Full Moon Bike Ride

It hasn't been scientifically proven, but I think there is a strange correlation of humidity and hills to how many mason jars there are present in Knoxville that can make its inhabitants get a little crazy-eyed, a little hillbillier, if you will. If you stay here long enough, and allow it, it will get you, and you may find yourself walking around outside barefoot or jumping off a thirty or fifty foot cliff into water-filled quarries. During a full moon, it can pull a person all the way to the mountains.

I've ridden the 11-mile loop in Cades Cove three times by bike, but never in daylight. I've only done it at night during a full moon.

The first time I went was about three years ago. I met up with the group I was going with in Maplehurst. I immediately stood out in the crowd with my athletic looking attire. Everyone else was in plaid shirts, jeans, everyday clothes, and they were packing large amounts of liquor into their backpacks and saddle bags. All I had with me was water. It was going to be a different kind of ride than I had expected.



The first time you ride the loop in the moonlight, you may feel a whole range of emotions. For me, it was, "This is the greatest thing I've ever done," to, "We're all going to die." If everyone turns out their flashlights, your eyes adjust to the moonlight. You can see the road pretty well, until you enter a patch of road covered in trees. Then you're just winging it. You may hear the thumping of fast-moving hooves (or paws) next to you, and you hope it's a smallish baby deer. The second time I went, my group lost Max, and I was certain he had been eaten by a bear. Thankfully, he was waiting for us at the car when we finished.



Three years ago, the road was full of pot holes. Thankfully I had a mountain bike. Some of the hills are excruciating for an ever novice like myself, but you make it to the top, and without effort, coast down the following hill, out into the moonlight. Fields and distant mountains are detailed in a way I can't describe in words.



The last time I went was this past Tuesday. The weather was perfect and the road has recently been paved so I took my road bike this time. It was a little cloudy, but beautiful. Our group stopped in at some of the churches and cabins, settings at night that are eerier than any other place I've been.



The hills were still hard for me to climb this time, sadly, but everything else cancels that out. In the daylight hours, sitting at my office desk, I wonder when the next time will be when I can feel that cool mountain air tousle my moon-kissed hair as I descend a long winding stretch of road on my bike.



Photos 4, 5, and 6 are by Kat Campbell

Aislenine + Glowing Body =

First, let me say again, how grateful I am to have a grocery store in downtown. Last night, I needed laundry detergent and bacon, hopped on my bike, and had it in moments at Aislenine in the Old City/ Bowery.

While there, I was offered one of The Glowing Body's newest offerings in their food line up. They are unofficially called Readymade's, i say unofficially because they dont's have a label or anything as of yet. This is all in its infancy and so could have a different name soon.

So the Readymade is a raw, organic, uber-healthy, grab and go dish. The one I had consisted of quinoa (had to wiki that one), feta, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, mint, something else, and a vinaigrette. It is a hearty and satisfying dish that carries easily and eats on the go.

Swing by Aislenine, ask about them, try one out, and see for yourself. The bacon I got is delicious as well.

Duck and Cover

Ok this whole, "lets run over cyclists" thing is getting out of hand.

Most of you know about CK's recent run-in with a KAT bus, but there was a second accident, just as bad, that happened recently as well.

If you go to the downtown wine store frequently, or infrequently for that matter, you'll have gotten to know Matt. He is not the guy with the funny mustache- he is the mild mannered, knowledgeable, and friendly guy who, if you're willing, will send you on oenological excursions into the wide world of wine (and whiskey, gin, ect.)

About a week or so ago, Matt was riding from SoKno to downtown and had an unfortunate experience with a car and driver who did not take into account the rules of the road when it came to bikes. Now Matt has a broken knee, destroyed bike, and a long recovery period.

photo by max.

This sort of thing has to change. There are too many people riding bikes in the city center now for there to be so much ignorance on the part of drivers when it comes to interacting with cyclists. It is clear that there is still a huge knowledge gap on the part of both regular commuters (the person who ran over Matt) and professional drivers (the KAT driver who you would think would know better and yet still tried to kill CK).

I'd like to propose a campaign to educate the public. Lets pick the innermost zip codes and have the city begin public service announcements. They can send out mailers with magnets for refrigerators laying out the rules of operation of vehicles around cars and with a phrase that will encourage people to keep and eye out.

This is where i need help, I'm still lacking in the slogan front.

"Don't throw down on K-town... bikers."

"Live and let Bike"

"Knoxville Bikers are People Too"

"Biking: It Isn't Just for Hippies"

Help me out with some slogans, themes etc. and we'll get the ideas to the right people in city or county government. This is important to everyone who bikes, knows someone who bikes, or drives a car. As the number of bikers increases, as it will, the amount of considerate drivers needs to increase necessarily, or they'll need to reopen to Baptist emergency room to deal with the consequences.

beware the buses

So yours truly is typing this sentence in a wheelchair. Never fear, dear readers, I'll be back on two feet in six weeks or so. Pelvises take a while to mend. What happened? I've done got a case of "KAT scratch fever" on Friday.

I was riding my usual bicycle commute to downtown on Western Ave. The traffic was light and I was going fast down a hill. I hear rush of wind and look over my shoulder and a teal KAT bus was RIGHT THERE. Moving fast (over the speed limit) and filling the whole lane we were supposed to be sharing. To avoid getting hit I tried to move as far to the right as I could. With the roar of the engine right beside me I hit the curb, hit an awkward drainage vent, and jackknifed my front wheel. I went flying and hit the street hard, and broke my f'ing pelvis.

I feel fortunate that I didn't get hit. I'm an experienced cyclist and have ridden that route hundreds of times in all weather and traffic. All kind of cars have passed me, some cussing at me, but most doing the right thing. This bus driver, who ought to be one of the best drivers around, dangerously disregarded the rules of the road. Is this a trend?

Let's get this straight: bicycles are allowed on the road. They are legally considered vehicles. Cars (and busses) have to slow down to pass bicycles and give them a three foot buffer zone when they do. If a car can't pass safely, they have to remain behind the bicycle until they can. This is similar to how tractors on the road are treated in rural areas. If you have a problem with the current rules, contact your state representative have them try to change it. Until then, this is the law.


Those of you who drive out there, be careful around cyclists- especially Downtown. One feature of our recent urbanization is that there are are more people using bicycles to get around our town than ever before. So please watch out for us.

And for those of you who are bicycling out there to get to work, go to a show, or do your errands- don't let your guard down. Even places you bike everyday can suddenly become dangerous if one yahoo driver is added in the mix. Assume they're going to not see you. Get blinky lights for nighttime. Get a good helmet. And watch out for huge streaks of orange, teal, and silver.

a holistic approach

Furthering the discussion from yesterday's post, I thought I'd show here what I thought a comprehensive bicycle lane system in Knoxville would look like. The current piecemeal approach has left us with good bike lanes that go nowhere:


I know funding has been a limiting factor, and also that some roads don't have much room (see Kelley Segars's comments) but what should we be aiming for? As the city redevelops major streetscapes (like the upcoming Cumberland Ave. Strip makeover) bike lanes need to be included by default.

Hall of Fame Blvd. is good example- great bike lanes, but they don't push through and connect with downtown, Broadway, or the Magnolia Ave. bike lanes. Actually making a comprehensive system will mean threading sometimes difficult connectors between paths, at expense of (gasp!) automobile traffic. The new Henley Street Bridge bike lanes are great, but what happens when you reach the end of it and plunge into that snarling mass of automobiles? What if it was more like this:


1) Extend the Hall of Fame bike lanes to Broadway and to the new transit center.
2) Extend the current Magnolia bike lanes to Broadway
3) Extend the Central St. lanes to the Old City
4) Introduce new bike lanes on Western Ave./Summit Hill to make a main east-west route. (Jackson Ave. could be an alternate if Summit Hill is unfeasible.)
5) Introduce bike lanes starting on Chapman Hwy. from Disc Exchange to Henley St. and up Broadway to Hall of Fame, creating a main north-south route. (Gay St. could be an alternate, but it doesn't really need lanes since it's the most bike-friendly street in the city.)
6) Introduce bike lanes on Cumberland Ave extending all the way to downtown. Make a connector to Western Ave. via 17th St.
7) Make an east-west connector to the new transit center on Church St. through the middle of downtown.
8) Tie in Sevier Ave to Gay Street and the Henley St. Bridge lanes

One could bike into downtown from Parkridge, 4th & Gill, Old North, Mechanicsville, Fort Sanders, the UT campus, and the South Waterfront on a dedicated bicycle infrastructure. I know this won't happen immediately, but all these roads will need to be rebuilt at some point. We need a city policy that includes these lanes into street design by default, not just as an incidental extra if its convenient. If there's no more right of way, we need to consider putting our roads on a "diet" eliminating wasteful lanes. Central St. was trimmed down from a four lane highway to make room for parking and bike lanes and seems to be working beautifully. I think many routes through downtown are eligible for similar diets. What do you think?

[edit] If you agree with me about the importance of this, be sure to check out the city's Regional Bicycle Program here and fan them on Facebook here. Kelley Segars is coordinating lobbying our city officials to make bicyclists a priority.

Into the great bike lane beyond

You've probably heard by now that our voices were heard, and TDOT has agreed to include bike lanes as part of the Henley Street Bridge renovations. On two of our earlier posts, we had a discussion about such bike lanes, and several people mentioned some other ideas about them, like extending them up Henley to Broadway.

That got me thinking about bike lanes and the city of Knoxville. The idea of extending bike lanes up Henley seems good in theory but scares the crap out of me in practice because of the traffic volume and sheer size of the road. But bike lanes on Broadway I'd like to see, although I'm not sure there's enough room for them.

I guess what I'm getting at is to ask everyone where the city could feasibly stand to have some bike lanes, sidewalks or more greenway space. I realize it might be fruitless to dream about these things, but it's not going to stop me. I say feasibly because as much as I think Sequoyah Hills needs some sidewalks beyond the boulevard, I know there's no room for them on most streets and it's never going to happen. But the Henley Street bridge was a feasible option, and it might actually come to fruition. What other ideas like that is the city missing out on?

Bike Lanes Have your Say

Just saw this on Flory's Blog.

I missed the meeting but emailed the guy.

You can email him too at dmassey@cityofknoxville.org.

Please email him if you would like to see bike lanes up and down Henley. Imagine how nice it would be to actually be able to ride your bike to Rally's to get a burger, or just truck straight through Summit Hill on your way to Old North.

Let your voices be heard people and email this guy.

Tell him the Wigshop sent ya. (or on second thought, don't say that)

Tour Delight

For the most part, I maintain a quiet love for Knoxville, but every so often that love grows more exuberant. Last night was one of those times; I attended the "Tour de Lights" neighborhood bike ride hosted by Knoxville Regional Bicycle Program.



I'm not positive how many cyclists showed up, but it had to have been at least 200. Man, woman, child were decked out in Christmas attire, their bikes adorned in lights and tinsel.





The route started in Krutch Park, weaved through downtown to North Knoxville, and back again. Police stopped all vehicular traffic as we rode though intersections. People came out of their homes or stopped on sidewalks to wave and shout, "Merry Christmas!" which we gladly shouted back. It's probably the closest I'll ever feel to being like George Bailey running through the streets of Bedford Falls.



To top off the experience, there, waiting for us at the finish line, was hot chocolate and cookies. All of it made me quite happy to be a Knoxvillian, to be a part of what's going on downtown, and to know that there are many (crazy) people who feel the same way.



If you're interested in knowing when the next ride is, might I suggest befriending the Knoxville Regional Bicycle Program on Facebook. Otherwise, check out their website.

Knoxville's Secret Society

Traveling home along central at 12:30 last night I saw something that surprised and intrigued me.

What looked like a troop of renegade bicyclists terrorizing an empty parking lot, actually was an organized sporting event typically consigned to trust-fund babies.

There is apparently an underground bike polo scene in this city that needs out attention. How on earth could this go on, under our noses, without any of us noticing it? What other sports do people play in this town that are done only in the dark of night away from prying eyes? Is there a group of hooded cricketers out in Sequoyah? Do squash players break into the Y at 2 AM to satisfy their need for a more cultured for of racquetball?

Please, if anyone out there knows about this polo group or any other not-so-illicit late night sports we at the Wigsphere would love to know about them.

Tennessee Valley Bicycles (moving)

Your friendly downtown bike shop Tennessee Valley Bicycles at 214 W. Magnolia is moving! Don't worry. They're only scooting over a unit or two to a bigger space. If you haven't had the chance to stop by and check the place out, go on down and meet Scott Smith. Basically he's the man in charge and will take care of your bike needs. If you don't know where it is, remember Marie's Olde Towne Tavern? Same block.

The new digs.




I stopped by last Friday to buy a lock because my old bike was stolen. That's a whole other story. Scott mentioned that they are moving and handed me a flier for what looks to be a fun weekend of bikes and skinned knees. Just kidding.

Their Grand Opening party takes place May 1-3. Here's the rundown.

May 1 : Music, art and drinks. It says 5pm to whenever. Bar tips go to AMBC-SORBA. Musical guests include Steve Greene, I Need Sleep, and Three Man Band. Artists include Sarah Shebaro and Eric Lee.

May 2 : Bicycle photo scavenger hunt: 2-6pm, meet at TVB. Woohoo!

May 3 : Kona bike demo at Haw Ridge: 10am, meet in the parking lot.

Or you could just read the flier at the top of the post.

The new space is bigger and will have more bikes, more gear and a big garage door that opens the front of the store to the street. After driving by Sunday I noticed that the old place had already been cleaned out and the new one was in the process of being stocked. Bicycles for all ya'll!

This is the old space.

If you build it, will they come?

Some comments on B's busy spots post got me to thinking the other day. Let me preface this by saying I'm not disagreeing with any of the comments that were made, I just like to be difficult sometimes.

Pianoman mentioned that Knoxville didn't do the best job with its urban planning a few decades back, leading to a number of wonderful buildings being torn down (I quite agree and am not here to argue that point) and an influx of ugly parking garages and poor transportation options.

We obviously can't go back in time to fix that, but I wonder what could be done in Knoxville now that isn't already being done or considered?

I can't tell you how many times while sitting in traffic on Kingston Pike I've cursed the city of Knoxville and prayed for a subway system to magically tunnel its way through the city. Obviously that's out of the picture.

What would it take to get Knoxvillians (I mean the greater community, not just the smaller group of progressive-minded individuals) to rely less on their cars and more on public transit or their own two feet? A better KAT system? A downtown streetcar? A commuter train? More sidewalks? Overhead moving walkways? Hovercrafts?

How many of those options are actually feasible for this city?

In my humble opinion and to its credit, I think Knoxville tries to promote better transit options. Consider this KnoxSmartTrips website and the greenway system. I appreciate the free nights and weekends parking downtown because it allows me to park and leave my car without fear of towing while I hoof it around Market Square and Gay Street.

But even if the city found money to spend on a fabulously improved transit system, would enough people take advantage of it to make it worth it?

Just some thoughts I've had. Discuss amongst yourselves.


/// ck update:

an interesting video from Pianoman's blog, analyzing what makes a good downtown (using Ann Arbor):

Tour de Lights

I don't have a bike here in Knoxville, but if I did, I would totally be participating in the Tour de Lights tonight. It starts at 7 p.m. at Krutch Park and includes an easy, 6-mile, fairly flat ride to see the lights of downtown and Island Home. There will be cookies and hot chocolate at Mast General Store after it's over. Don't forget your helmet!

For the especially enterprising soul, they're also having a contest for the best decorated person, bike and bike helmet.

What to do this week

There's a lot of stuff that's going to be going on in the coming week here in K-town. Check out the offerings:

• The HoLa Festival at Market Square, Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. It's a festival to showcase Hispanic culture, traditions and heritage. There will be food, music and children's activities. More information at the Hora Hora Latina website. FYI: There's NO farmers market this weekend.
• The 8th Annual Neighborhood Bike Ride, starts at Market Square, Saturday, 10 a.m. The annual bike ride visits North Knox, including Emory Place, Fourth & Gill, Edgewood Park, Fairmont & Emoriland and Oakwood/Lincoln Park neighborhoods among others.
• Scootin' Around Knoxville, Market Square, Sunday, 1-5 p.m. You can learn more about scooters at Scooter School. New scooters from local businesses will be on display. If you've got a scooter, you can ride in the Scooter Scavenger Hunt. (Anyone got one I can borrow?)
• The Big Read, Wednesday, noon-1 p.m. This is an initiative by the National Endowment for the Arts to make reading a larger part of American culture once again. The Big Read will offer community discussions about a particular book, and this year it's John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. Knox County kicks off its Big Read during Wednesday's farmers market. Local important people will be there, the Tennessee Children's Dance Ensemble will perform and the first 75 people will receive a free copy of the book.

Don't forget that next Friday is First Friday and the Movies on the Town selection will be Napolean Dynomite.

Anything I'm missing that should be included? Let me know in the comment section and I'll update the post.