Mission Mission

Have some old bike parts lying around that you haven’t figured out what to do with? Might I suggest taking a page from Picasso’s book of interior design, and making this sweet bull’s head sculpture? Less creepy than a real animal’s head, and more macho than one of those Paxton Gate plush animal head trophies.

See this piece (and many others) in person at the de Young through October 11th.

… either that, or there are some bad drivers near the Zeitgeist bike racks.

Zeitgeist is up for best SF bar in some poll by SFist, by the way. They are up against Smuggler’s Cove, which has fruity tropical drinks and pirate stuff. Fair comparison? Vote for them, if they haven’t already alienated you with their surly demeanor.

Although the Mission seems to be rife with stolen bike news, sometimes the neighborhood’s cycle thieves aren’t always on their A game, as MM’s own Erika found out last night:

Locked bike, went to dinner. Left keys IN THE BIKE LOCK. 2 hours later, bike not stolen. Miracle on 16th Street.

Maybe they thought it was a sting operation?  Although I’ve never done this exactly, one time back when I had a car in the city I left it parked on the Panhandle for a whole week (when you find a parking spot, you DO NOT move it until street sweeping forces you to) with the passenger window wide open.  Miraculously, nothing was disturbed, save for a few twigs and leaves on the seat.

[Photo by unaesthetic]

Found on the bathroom wall of a secret pupuseria. So simple yet so shiny.

JB’s bike was stolen yesterday. Pictured above, it has a black deep V to Suzue carbon hub, Deda oversized bullhorns, and a black Thomson post. If you’ve seen it, holler at him or us!

[Photo by John Reiss]

Even though it might not seem like your bicycle has a kickstand, the knowledgeable folks at Mission Bicycle were kind enough to let everyone in on this sparsely-used feature:

Using your crank arms and a curb, you can keep your bike standing tall. So rather than risk dings or scratches from posts and trees, try this clever technique. Your bike will remain pristine and your manipulation of gravity will be undeniable.

Read on.

Previously:

Locking up through the rear triangle

Streetsblog made this illustration of how bike lanes are actually smaller than they might look, because you have to avoid doors. Here’s a good factoid:

According to the SFMTA, dooring is the second most common form of injury collision involving cyclists, behind unsafe speed, though the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC) points out that dooring is the highest injury collision type caused by motorists or their passengers.

For goodness’ sake, don’t get doored! I see so many people riding really close to parked cars, traveling at high enough speeds that if a door pops open they’re fucked.

Read on for news about some possible changes coming to SF bike lanes. But the main thing is, stay out of the door zone, for goodness’ sake!

[via jwz]

Forget your lock and your buddy’s U-lock wont fit around both of your frames? Try this method, which was observed at Make-Out Room last night:

Be sure you have secure bolts on those wheels, though. Otherwise someone might quick release your rear wheel and Mission Mission may pose for a team photo in front of your bike while you look on dejectedly.

An email from reader Cat:

Someone (ostensibly a neighbor, since only they would have access) hopped my fence in the Mission/Potrero area, busted into our garage, and stole a bike from our Canadian friends who had ridden down here from Vancouver, as well as 2 guitars. I spoke to a cop who recommended the Laney Flea Market, by Laney College in the East Bay. Apparently, there are tons of stolen bikes there, and mostly if you show the guys a picture and tell them it’s your [stolen] bike, they’ll give it back to you to avoid trouble. The cop I spoke to was actually really committed to recovering stolen bikes, though he said that they only have about a 10% success rate. Still, better than nothing, right?

Also, the officer told me he recently recovered a Bianchi and a Fuji, so if anyone got one of those stolen recently, send me the details and I can let you know if it matches the description. Attached is a photo of the bike that was stolen. If anyone sees it, there is a reward, as it’s something a friend custom built.

So if you see Cat’s, get in touch, and if Cat’s talking about yours, get in touch!

Smart move, but he still should’ve locked through the rear triangle.