Streetfilms

Bike! Bike! is an annual international conference organized by and for not-for-profit bike projects. It takes place in a different city each year. These conferences are a time for folks working on bike projects to come together and share ideas that will help them better serve their local communities.  In between the annual meet-ups some groups have been hosting regional Bike! Bike! Conferences.

I had the chance to attend and present on "Bikes and Media" at Bike! Bike! Northeast host by Troy Bike Rescue. Besides giving the low down on what we do at streetfilms, I screened a few streetfilm treasures including Cooking Up Bike Co-Ops in Los Angeles.

Some other workshops included an intro into welding, tips and rules for urban riding, turning non-recyclable bike parts into fun & useful things, and a presentation of the Albany Bike Master Plan. Parallel events included a youth Bike Rodeo,  where children practiced riding and could get their bikes fixed up. This event culminated with the local police officer trying out a tall bike that was built during the welding workshop!

(Watch video below the fold)

On Sunday, participants set out on a 10 mile bike tour of the region, stating on the Uncle Sam rail to trail, visiting the first lock on the Erie Canal, Cohoes Falls,  an abandoned cemetery, and ended up on Green Island to play bike polo and final barbecue. For a full visual report back from Bike! Bike! NorthEast check out the Sanctuary for Independent Media's Blog post.

Finally,  if you are a not-for-profit bike shop you might want to consider attending the Annual Bike! Bike! Conference that will be hosted by Bike Pirates in Toronto, Canada from August 12th - 15th.