Dimension of the Blackest Dark
Clark here. Bike zombie apocalypse here at ground zero, Union Square. Send supplies. The UN denied our request for aid. I have seen the heart of darkness, it is cold. Tell my family I love them.
Archive for the News category
A.N.T. and OPEN?
The distinguished framebuilder Mike Flanigan dropped by last night with some nice ANT (Alternative Needs Transportation) goods for me and a few ideas up his sleeve… hopefully we’ll be seeing some OPEN x A.N.T. collaborative efforts very soon.
Mike has been diligently building his distinctive but utilitarian bikes since 2003 after leaving IF (he was one of the original founders) and is now out in Holliston, MA. If you haven’t seen his rideable works of art, be certain to check out his current models.
PS: Note the Weekly Dig placard in the background of the photo- we’ve been shortlisted for the “DigThis 2009″ awards for Best Bike Shop! Pop over to the survey page to vote! (For us, if you feel so inclined…)
We have Facebook, Twitter & Myspace
Open Bicycle now has Facebook, Twitter and Myspace. Come follow us, join us and be our friend!
You can also follow Joshua individually on Twitter.
Chorus Gallery also has a Facebook page. Come check it out.
For future reference you can find these links on the contact page.
Grand OPENing Recap
This last Saturday, Zack, myself, and an awesome crew of helpers officially welcomed the public into OPEN’s newly-renovated space in Union Square, Somerville. We cleaned the place up, hung the gallery, chilled the beers, polished the bikes, and made some spoke cards:
Early in the evening, the shop began to fill up- locals, racers, friends, couriers, frame builders, artists, out-of-towners, and a few dogs mingled amidst the shiny components and locally-crafted bicycles.
The latest custom fillet-brazed steed from Icarus:
3RRR owner and artist Nao Tomii:
A bit after 7pm, the enormous raw steel door that separates OPEN from the Chorus Gallery was raised. The gallery’s inaugural show, “Keep it Down,” is a new exhibition from local photographer Justin J. Keena that showcases the artist’s past and current work via a diverse range of study, and the public seemed to be enjoying the new space and the evocative photographs:
Shortly after the gallery opening, the video kicked off. There were a few technical hitches, but our man Jon knocked out some quick technical debugging and the show began, with people covering the floors, stairs, and furniture.
A short film we produced last winter started the series, followed by another short that showcased a day in the life of Geekhouse builder Marty Walsh. (Both films were shot and edited by local videographer Steve “Stebs” Shinnerer of Quarter Productions.) The Boston premier of Macaframa followed- the hi-def shots of smooth riding in warm air got everyone hyped up for spring. The movies went over well with the crowd and the party began in earnest. Dom, Maggie, and Stebs held down the bar:
Free Narragansett, Fisherman’s Brew, and Redbull & Vodkas kept the kids happy and everyone took turns playing records, dancing, and generally cutting loose:
We had a wonderful time, met a bunch of great people, and saw many friends we haven’t seen for the last 4 months as we’ve been building the shop. More events are planned for the near future- we’ll post info as it becomes available. Thanks to all that helped out and supported us; we couldn’t have done it without you!
Photo credits go out to Kirsten Tamme! (Yes, we gave Justin Keena the night off..)
Oh, and…..
OPEN is open.
The last few weeks we have spent laboriously completing out build-out, launching our new design studio, superbe collaborative, sourcing a great assortment of awesome bikes, frames, components, apparel, and generally hustling like mad. Saturday we quietly opened the front door and full service repair shop.
Our official grand opening will be the 11th of April- until then we’ll be open 10a to 8p during the week and 11a to 7p on the weekends. The goodies are filtering in and new stock will be added every day. Repair turnaround is same day as of now and we are offering special spring pricing on tune-ups.
Please come by and see us in Union Square in Somerville- we’re on the corner of Washington Street and Hawkins Street. We’re quite happy with how the shop turned out and we’d love to have you all over- stop in and chill in the lounge for a bit, admire the shiny vintage components and local hand-brazed steel, and tell us what you think!
Bike to work pants…
I’m Really liking this design…
Bike to Work Pants from Cordarounds on Vimeo.
From the website… “Since launching these pants in October, the response has been tremendous — no, ridiculously, mind-bogglingly tremendous. Most every day, a new blog talks ‘em up and we keep cranking out production run after production run to keep up with demand. A sampling of this growing pants phenomenon: Gizmodo, Bike Hugger, Tree Hugger, Boing Boing, Eco Velo, Thrillist, and more. Best of all, they’ve inspired fun things like this instructables contest and the great (though wet) Rollin’ Lightnin’ time change ride. Seems like we’re on to something here, and we look forward to expanding upon this idea. As always, we love your photos and feedback. “
In the words of Lupe…
“We tryna go up in this club
Show a little love
Get a few drinks
Holla at some girls
Snatch up a pair
Leave outta there
Put some dro in tha air
And then go and get some grub.”
Talent
J.D.O. just released his latest and (in my opinion) greatest album to date. The very East Coast sound of J.D.O. is a complex amalgamation of fresh beats and dynamic lyrical texture, all of which is ‘rapped up in every track from the underground drives to the slow jams. There’s even some bonus/hidden tracks, some live and some produced, that are sure to make you bounce.
Here is a sample from J.D.O’s album TALENT
Title: The Come Up
