Over the weekend TRAFIK attended “Movies About Bikes”, a short film festival brought to us by Funwunce. Rick Darge, the Director, Producer and coordinator of the event presented some great locally made short films like Monday Night Rehab, Los Angelopes, West Side Mosey, and the much anticipated Wolfpack Drag Race promo. It was a rainy night, but that didn’t stop the bike crowd from showing up and virtually selling out the beautiful Vista Theater in Echo Park.

This is an event Rick (seen in picture above^^) and his Funwunce team would love to do at least twice a year to encourage filmmakers and bike enthusiasts to create more short films. Rick said, “We’re already talking about making this kind of our own little L.A. bike film festival because there is the BFF and other things that happen, but Los Angeles really doesn’t have its own niche bike film scene and i think it’s there.”

The screening kind of reminded us of that scene from Gremlins where all the monsters are going crazy in the theater. Don’t feed Midnight Ridazz after Midnight. And whatever you do, don’t get them wet.

Pics by Allaudin Hightower. See more on TRAFIK’s FLICKR

And just in case you missed it, here’s the trailer:

It’s finally here! We are happy to announce that To Live & Ride in L.A. has just been released on Netflix to WATCH INSTANTLY! Thanks to all the fans who posted their reviews on Netflix, the powers-that-be took notice and now the #1 Fixed Gear movie on iTunes is available to the widest audience possible!

Fixed Gear culture has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past 3 years, and us here at TRAFIK have been stoked to see so many new people on bikes, posting videos, creating blogs, and making Global Fixed Gear Culture what it is today. With the release of TL&R on Netflix, we are hoping to open people’s eyes to this emerging lifestyle and show them that is is not just a trend, but a lifestyle and culture that is here to stay.

Stay Tuned for More to Come from TRAFIK.

Our friends over at State Bicycle Co. are running around the nation on the LOOPS tour, bringing together fixed gear riders from across the USA to do what we do best…ride bikes and drink beer. TRAFIK is a proud sponsor of this debauchery, although we never drink (light) beer and ride. The first installment of this event will take place in the weird capital of Texas, Austin…

Check out the FB event here, according to the organizers this event should be BIG/ROWDY/FUN. Sounds just about right. So come out to Austin and support the FG scene.

It’s Friday in L.A. and time for another street race. Get yer fixies lubed up and roll on over to Sunset and Western (OSH parking lot) for a 5 Checkpoint alley-cat that will determine the KING OF HOLLYWOOD (and Queen). TRAFIK crew will be there with prize bags for the winners and some special surprises for the crowd. Ladies are encouraged to come out. Win dat Christmas money $$$

Registration is at 8pm, race starts at 9pm SHARP! $5 entry fee, money goes to winners. This is a fixed only race, sorry roadies, go on a ride up the PCH or something.

Info from the FB Event page…

No route
No order
No cheating
5 check points
$5 bucks entry fee
First racer(s) with His/Her slip completely signed and back to the start wins
Winners take the cash and title of King & Queen of Hollywood
Fixed Only
Helmet is MANDATORY / Ride at your own risk!!!
Anyone under 18 needs to have a waiver signed by their parents. There will be waivers on site.

RACE START
5525 Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood, CA
90028

Registration: 8:00 PM

Race Starts: 9:00 PM SHARP

West Covina is a long way to drive in L.A. traffic, but worth it to attend another ill event from Store 13 and Leader Bike that brought out all the homies from the IE. Bikes, cars, food trucks, girls, it was all there jammed in Store 13′s parking lot for TAB Tuesday.

Team Leader riders Michael Chacon and Jesus Lizama came thru to show off some of the new frames, Mike with his 2012 Hurricane and Jesus with his newly minted Kagero that had some heads turning. Mike is really getting out there, check out that swarm of riders getting autographs on their wheels, bikes, babies. Good looks Michael!

TRAFIK was stoked to see many of the riders rocking our decals, looks extremely clean on Leader’s 735 frame. Head over to TRAFIK’s Flickr (TRAFIKPIX), to see all the pics from the night. Also, if you get a chance to stop into Store 13 in West Covina OR Pasadena pick up a copy of To Live & Ride in L.A. or other TRAFIK gear. Thanks!

Introducing the TRAFIK homie in Tokyo, ITTA, who will be working with us to make sure we are up to date on all things going on in the land of the rising sun. This is his first report from this past weekend’s CYCLEMODE convention in Tokyo, one of the largest bike conventions in Asia. Enjoy…

THE BIGGEST BIKE SHOW IN JAPAN – CYCLEMODE

Words and Pics by ITTA.

Cyclemode is the biggest bicycle show to hit Japan. Once a year thousands of people make the train ride to CHIBA (right outside Tokyo) to attend the convention. What’s different about this convention as compared to Interbike in USA is that anyone can attend for only 1200 yen ($15 USD), so inside there are not only buyers and sellers, but families, kids, fixie riders, Keirin racers, basically everybody.

There are two huge halls and all brands are represented, but the 2nd hall is where all the real fun happens. Here you’ll find all the Japanese brands and a huge test track that circles the convention. This is what many people come for. You can test ride ANY bike you want…even the most expensive ones. The line for this is long, but worth the wait to ride a bike you can probably never afford!

Some of the highlights of this year’s convention:

* At Panasonic’s booth, you can customize your frame with your favorite color. 32 to choose from. That is awesome!!

* KEIRIN virtual game. This is very fun!!! It’s a head-to-head racing game (like Gold Sprints) but around a virtual Keirin track. Mostly non-racers were trying this out, but then a professional female Keirin racer showed up and beat everyone. That girl is so fast and look at those leg muscles!!! Amazing!!! I heard she still only 16 years old too!

*Childrens Half Pipe – This was new this year and shows that trick riders are getting younger and younger. There was a line of children waiting to try this mini-half-pipe. This is the future of Japanese trick riders.

Bicycles have always been popular in Japan, but this convention gets bigger every year. Now many people are riding fixed gear when it only used to be Keirin racers. Can’t wait to see what next year will bring. From Tokyo, for TRAFIK – ITTA.

Fixed Gear is popular in all corners of the world, and tomorrow our friends in LATVIA will be premiering To Live & Ride in L.A. in the capital of Riga. We had to Google map this one, located on the Baltic Sea between Estonia and Lithuania, Latvia is a former Soviet republic that re-gained its independence in 1991. Now they are the coolest Eastern Bloc country, evident in their choice of fixed gear movies! What goes on in Latvia??? – Read more after the jump…

We had a chance to talk to Andris from the fixed gear group MiiT. Here’s what he had to say about Latvian Fixed Gear…

What’s the fixed gear scene like in Latvia?

Miit: Fixed gear riders in Latvia especially in Riga significantly increased in the last two years. Before that there was a small group of less than 10 riders, today but it could be even 20 or 30 times more.
Of course most people ride in early spring and summer because of the warm days but there are a small groups of riders who ride even in winter when Riga is coated with a lot of snow – this is real fun to ride in winter.

Are there any popular Latvian Riders?
Now Latvian fixers can be proud of Toms Alsbergs who set a new world record and took a #1 place in RedBull minidrome in Glasgow. He also won in Manchester as well. Maybe you know Maris Strombergs – the first Olympic gold medalist in BMX, he comes form Latvia.

What is it like to ride in Riga?
Riga is flat and full of cars. Lots of car drivers usually ignore cyclists and you always have to watch out for them but every ride gives you some good dose of adrenaline.

If a rider from USA visited Riga, where would you take him?
The first Monday of each month there is group race called Sanitary Monday (Sanitārā pirmdiena – in Latvian). Roller Racing and Bike Polo are also popular in Riga. Of course every fixed gear rider likes parties and we have a few good places in Riga to go including our own MiiT.

Do you want to shout out any shops, groups or riding crews?
There was couple of riders who in end of 2009 created the first Latvian fixed gear web page called FGR – Fixed Gear Riga www.fgr.lv (in Latvian only) currently there are more than 700 users. This is the main site about events and to buy and sell parts.
MiiT www.miit.lv (in Latvian only) is first bike cafe, shop, workshop created in Riga in summer of 2010. We are 3 owners, me, my brother and cousin. Me and my brother have raced in bmx for more than 15 years. We mostly work with fixies and single speed bikes now.

Thanks TRAFIK, you should come visit us someday. To Live & Ride in Riga!!

Our friends Robert and Sean in conjunction with Orange 20 threw an awesome Halloween alley-cat and block party this weekend. It was the place to be on two wheels. Everyone was in the party mood, great costumes and fun-as-hell games, contests, and prizes, prizes, prizes! TRAFIK was a proud sponsor of the event, check out our FLICKR page for the full set. Photos by Allaudin Hightower.

What Are You?

Robert organizing the racers

See the full set HERE!

Jesus is co-founder of one of LA’s longstanding weekly rides K-town Wednesdays, a bicycle activist, and a street racer. It’s no wonder he’s on Team Kagero. Find him burning up the dark streets of LA every Wed. at 10pm (see MR for more ride deets). Congratulations Jesus! Keep killin ‘em.

More from the set here.

…at Trafik! We finally have organized a screening in BERLIN, Germany. It is being thrown by a group called Goldsprint.de You probably know that Fixed Gear bikes (without brakes) are illegal in Berlin, so it is fitting that they are screening a movie about the most dangerous streets. To all German fans, don’t let the law stop what you love doing with a passion! Can’t wait to see pictures of the premier. Feel free to shoot us leads to the photos on our FaceBook Page.