Massive Bike Build Goes Live For Sandy Relief

 

Our live coverage of Bike NYC Forward was an adventure in technology and people. We were ready for glitches like the vaporizing of our bandwith from LTE to 4G and back. Everything worked out well, and we also found ourselves working side by side with some of the best people serving the cycling comunity in metropolitan NYC.

 

We were going for a 15-minute broadcast and were happy with our six-minute live show - which left us more time to assemble bikes for people in the NYC areas hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy.

 

Our next live show will be in our own bike shop, with BikemanforU, Mr. Pump, SonofA, and BMX Boy. Tune us in Saturday at noon, US Eastern time, on the live network at YouNow or fan our page for chance to win prizes and giveaways. Log in with facebook to be part of the show or sit back and enjoy it.

 

Below is the fast-mo 100 Bike Build video with stellar music playlist that BMFU edited and posted on our YouTube Channel after he got home.

 

 





 Bevan Harris, our Giant USA rep, organized the bike build with support from Transportation Alternatives and Recycle-A-Bicycle, two NYC bike advocacy groups.

 

Bevan and BikemanforU

The RAB work shop received 100 new Giant Revel 2 mountain bikes, along with helmets and locks. Bevan reached out to the community for help and bike mechanics, including our crew, jumped in to donate their time.

 

Our crew arrived Saturday morning at RAB's large brick warehouse in Long Island City, Queens, stoked for this massive bike build, dubbed Ride NYC forward.

 

Many hands make light work. All 100 bicycles were assembled and ready by 4pm that day.

 

The bikes will be distributed through community groups serving NYC, the Rockaways, Red Hook, lower east side, and coastal Staten Island. Sign up your group as a distribution point. Bikes and gear are being given away through Jan. 31, 2013.

 

As part of our live coverage, BMFU chatted with RAB mechanic, Chris, and Susan, who runs the DUMBO shop in Brooklyn.

 

A non-profit, community-based bike shop, RAB offers full service repairs and refurbishes donated bikes for sale. Proceeds directly support the organization's youth programs, which its website says include job training, environmental education, recycled arts, and its Ride Club.