Hip hop in the park! - Berkeley, CA

Student's for Hip Hop's annual Hip Hop in the Park is back again for 2010! For the 14th year in a row, come chill in the grasses of People's Park in Berkeley to hear extraordinary music from local acts and beyond, including alternative hip hop artists Blue Scholars!

Also, enjoy hip hop culture at its finest, with a live Bboy/Bgirl stage, fly turntablists, and a separate venue for LIVE graffiti art!

In the spirit of Berkeley and all things hip hop, this event is FREE and WELCOMING to everyone! Bring your friends, your family, and your frenemies.
Someone said Hip Hop was Dead...they need to come to hip hop in the park! come out and see it vibrant and alive in its various forms!

This year's event will be hosted by the Bay Area's own Do D.A.T.
Lineup:Blue ScholarsInvincibleMacklemore and Ryan LewisRocky RiveraOtayo DubKurseRaw-GLyrical Minded 415

Also in the spirit of International Workers Day, we ask you to come ready to reconnect hip hop as a tool for solidarity and movement building. All you political heads, I see you!

_____________
Let's ride!

~Verb

Store shout

Valencia Cyclery, San Francisco CA

My dear homie Mario introduced me to this local bike store. Definitely one of the best local bike shops in SF. VERY friendly service, and they carry a lot of parts for track bikes! Luuuuv me some o' dat!!!

Visit them on Valencia St. and if you need service ask for Pete <--- great guy!

-Verb

Sunny days

Another good weekend. from Verb1der on Vimeo.

A casual ride on a Saturday, about 75 degrees, with endless sunshine!


Shot in San Jose, CA.

-Verb1der

The essence of

Vuelo Velo from Vuelo Velo on Vimeo.

I think this is a great video that captures the essence of track cycling, and the very reason why I have so much fun riding.

-verb

Music Plug!

Songs like these keep me in love with hiphop.

Quotable:

(MC: Shad)
Every season is a season of change.
Rap I always dug now I'm deep in the game
I love when crowds repeat my refrains
but I aint seeking the fame, if the rhymes leave the reason remains!
Be a light, to my sun down, but now I'm like the sun at sun up
just getting a bit of shine on a come up.
But come what may, I can behave like the unjust and treat
everyone like numbers that you can sum up!
Subtract and divide, with math on they mind still not seein half of the signs
The sign being "=" a symbol of the people He designs
to be peaceful and divine.
I'm reaching for the skies...
Blue like the Scholars on the stage
Blue like the waters on the bay
Blue like the collar of my father's trade, all I wanna say...
Is all praise due for the new dawn here's a new song.

We focus
They focus
We folded
They fucked us
they lucky
We sleepin
We tired
We dreamin
but one day everybody gonna wake up
and that day everybody gonna say fuck
and one day everybody gonna wake up
and that's why a brother stays up..huh!

JUNKUN Part 1 of 2 from GOOD.is on Vimeo.

JUNKAN Part 2 of 2 from GOOD.is on Vimeo.

As a rider, something like this would be the ultimate experience. A great short documentary film about an extremely adventurous ride. Just watch it.

-verb1der

Store shout

photo taken from their website.

iMiNUSD, San Jose CA

If you didn't know, the fixed gear culture in San Jose pretty massive, and these guys at iMiNUSD represent that properly. I recently paid a visit to their store and was very impressed with the merchandise, along with the complete bikes they sell, and just the overall style of the store. Plus the younger brother of one of my very good childhood friend designs their stuff.

Support!

http://iminusd.com/

-Verb

While you were sleeping....

A ride to the sunrise from verb1der on Vimeo.

This is my very first video, ever. I normally do rides early in the morning for cardio purposes. Ever since the first day I rode out to this local lake, I've been inspired to show people how awesome and peaceful my morning rides are. So with help from a couple friends, we sacrificed sleep on a Friday morning to catch the sunrise as it peeked over the hills. The results are satisfying. There will be plenty more videos to come. Enjoy!

Keep ridin =D

-verb1der

Fixed gear bikes, are official.

Finally, fixed gear bikes have been embraced by all of America. See this bike, looks pretty cool, single speed, looks like an aero fork, riser bars, straight laced rims, etc. All this for $149.00!

Click here

Fixed gear has arrived! lol

-Verb

I can ride my bike with no handlebars...

Put your fist in the air for this one!

-Verb

Massan for Leader Bike from Dan Arel on Vimeo.

An SF legend that inspires the culture. Massan!

Sunday Streets - San Francisco!

If you love riding, you gotta love this. The city of San Francisco has put together a monthly event called Sunday Streets, promoting good health activities for the people. Every month they close certain districts from cars and make it exclusive for biking, running, etc. How can you not love this event, that allows you to freely explore one of the most beautiful cities in the world, on bikes! WOOOOO HOOOO!

-Verb

Smash Killer

So there's this hill I love to smash down on my ride home... Nothing too beastly, but it lasts for about a mile or so, leveling out in the middle, then continuing a the grade at the end. If the two stoplights are in cooperation, the entire ride can be a blast.

Yesterday though, I was in a bit of a rush to get home and didn't check my laces. Total noob move. About 25% the way down, I felt my left shoe get tighter and tighter for some strange reason... Turns out, my shoelace got caught up in the pedal and was threatening to cut off the circulation to my left foot. In the process of slowing down, the lace promptly SNAPPED and my super fun bomb down the hill was cut short so I could pull over and fix it.

Lesson of the day: There are a bunch of moving parts on BOTH sides of the chain where your legs are spinning aboout. So don't just worry about your right foot, but check everywhere to make sure there aren't any dangly bits. I got lucky... My brake slowed me down and I have shitty shoe laces that snapped when it got pulled too tight. Lesson learned!

-Mynt