Tennis By Bicycle

Cool to see a woman in Summerlin who uses a bicycle for practical transportation purposes. She rides it to the tennis center in Summerlin and parks it inside the fence.

Las Vegas Cyclery Wednesday Morning Ride

Huntridge Theater Renovation Group Breaks Out Amazing Bicycle Rack Crafted by Artistic Iron Works

On a gorgeous unsually cool night in Las Vegas, I biked a mountain bike converted into an urban chariot -- a GT Zaskar -- to ride to the Faciliteq building, which is on Main Street in Las Vegas in a tough neighborhood and no man's land between the redeveloping downtown and the evolving hip arts district. On First Friday, Faciliteq's owner, Quentin Abramo, has a happy hour for his dozen green, environmentally-minded business tenants. I did a story on Quentin marking eight years in the building this month.

After chatting with some of the commercial tenants, I biked about a half-mile to Amie Pellegrini's unqiue boutique bike shop called Town Bike. Amie mentioned there was a celebration to mark the debut of an amazing, giant bicycle rack near the Huntridge Theater, a historic theater getting a rehab on busy Charleston Blvd. A company known for its great iron work jobs -- Artistic Iron Works -- crafted the new bicycle rack. 

Here's Amie in her bike shop getting ready to bike to the bike rack event.

Then it off to see this amazing bicycle rack. Channel 8 was there and the local neighborhood was celebrating with cool Mexican eats.

The giant bicycle rack was amazing.

A guy named Lance saw my GT Zaskar and said he did the same thing that I did -- convert the 1990s-era mountain bike into an urban bike complete with tire slicks and rear carrying rack.

The bar near the Huntridge Theater is a hangout for bicyclists on low riders and coasters. Like this guy.

More Bicycle Culture Coming To Las Vegas

Every time I visit downtown Las Vegas there's another sign of a developing bicycle culture. First, it was a new bike shop.

This morning I saw some cool bikes with a trailer for Rachel's restaurant.

Boutique Bicycle Store Opens In Downtown Las Vegas

Conventionality works if you have the resources to do the best "conventional normal." Sometimes, the ol' thinking outside the box -- as in original thinking -- can make up a lot of ground. That's what came to mind when I saw Amie Pellegrini's new bicycle shop in downtown Las Vegas.

It's more boutique and whimsy than regular urban bicycle. She's near the art district and younger people, too. So her offbeat bike shop might just work. I caught up with Amie when she was walking the floor at Interbike.

 

The Gathering Of The Bicycle Tribal Members Of Interbike

Interbike means gathering of the tribe -- the bicycle tribe. I used to go to Vegas to see Interbike. Now that I live in Las Vegas, Interbike comes to me.

I spent this week reporting business news on Interbike for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The assignment allowed me to catch up with so many wonderful people from around the country.

Here's Ira David, my great pal from Chicago who created and produces the PBS TV show, Pedal America.

Then, there's the famed "Ghost Rider," Jack Sweeney, my former Seminole Heights pal.

Steve Toll from Tampa has created a mini-empire and cult following with his nose-less ISM bike seat. Here's Steve with daughter Lindsay.

Tim Blumenthal of People for Bikes is a national bicycle leader from Boulder, Colo. Dynamic speaker leading the way with other national groups.

Great to see David Hurst of the Tampa Bay Bike Co-op.

Love seeing Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists, along with Ira David.

Joe Kurmaskie, of Portland, is the "Metal Cowboy" -- a great book writer who has written about his around-the-world bike travels and now he's a partner in the Arkel bicycle pack and gear company. And Joe is from Tampa, where he learned to ride and gave him the ability to handle any biking situation in the world.

Close to home here in Las Vegas, there's Ron Floth, who does bicycle outreach for the Regional Transportation Commission.

Time For Interbike

Interbike showcases the most amazing latest and greatest in the bicycle world, including essential safety products that can help save your life.

Interbike also will allow consumers in the show for the first time on Friday.