Science Friction in KC

When people have affordable rent they may spend their time making art... and making weird. 

Here we have the Stray Cat Film Center. A fantastic space for exploring art and making kickass parties. Which is what you want to do following Critical Mass! You wanna feel free! Free to ride your machine and not get hassled by the man. And you wanna party! And that is what we are going to do!

Bike Smut 9: Science Friction

Friday April 26

Stray Cat FIlm Center

1662 Broadway Blvd, Kansas City, MO

9pm, following Critical Mass (prizes for best costumes on ride)

18+ , $10

Performances by Drugs & Attics, Riki Wallen, KC Roller Derby
Space Kink Costume Contest
Beer by Cinder Block, Brewery Emperial, Torn Label

CRITICAL MASS!

COSTUMES!

BONDAGE!

BEER!

BANDS!

PERFORMANCES!

When the book of Bike Smut is written there may well be an entire chapter on Kansas City. The term "fast friends" makes sense when people are engaging in provocative art that allows them to question things as basic as how they move and how they fuck. But sometimes, some communities in some places look beyond the surface of Bike Smut and explore the depths.

Thus we are moved to present Jackie Danger with our coveted "Hero de Bike Smut" award for excellence in bringing joy and comfort to the weary traveling artist. You know that feeling you get when someone asks you if you need something not out of a sense of obligation but out of genuine desire to be helpful? Well if you dont make some rad as fuck art and bring it to KC because it feels great!

Of course she is not alone. A community does not just appear out of nothing. Cinephile, Matt Loyd puts in time behind the projector and brings technical excellence to keep their collective vision chugging along. Exploring the beautifully absurd and spell-blindingly horrific in celluloid and performance. Of their duo it is written:

Jointly they promote the visibility of queer culture through films that challenge mainstream societal and cinematic expectation as well as provide a platform for traveling film festivals and filmmakers.
From sailboats to haunted drain tunnels, the Cannonball Roarers have showcased memorably strange events in a variety of strangely memorable locations! Collaborating with performers, musicians, dancers and so much more, they strive to change the way our community engages with great cinema.

We are reminded of the words spoken just before a screening of Charles Lum's provocative work during Pornotopia (Albuquerque's semi-annual festival of hidden erotic gems hosted by Self Serve):

"The history of experimental cinema *is* the history of queer cinema."

Because how much examination of truth at 24 frames per second can you do if you haven't ever examined your own butt?


Exploring hidden spaces and forbidden places with friendly faces. Thats what visiting KC feels like.

Carbon Life vs Silicon Valley. The Last Ever Bike Smut in SF

Time to Back that Bay up! We got a hard drive in our bike shorts and we know where to put it

This Cinco de Mayo (5/5) will be the last ever presentation of Bike Smut in San Francisco!
Our last ever show in LA is just two days later!

photo of our fab tourista in Delores Park

SF is where an extraordinary number of cultural bicycle phenomenon has its origin. Specifically there are two major events that overlap their idealism of decentralized organization and helped Bike Smut grow and disseminate across the planet.


#1 Critical Mass
The world's largest, most common and least centrally organized group ride. It was originally called "Commute Clot" but it seems the original organizers were again ahead of the times realizing that alliteration has its downsides, an awareness we hope to never need negotiate. For those who are uninitiated it has helped connect bicycle enthusiasts around the world. The ride had a substantial effect on cities, not just because cycling is cool but because making space for humans transforms how a city feels.

two posters from the influential Mona Caron

In fact Critical Mass was so important, so formative that we made a feature-length documentary about its effect and why it no longer exists in Portland, the most active city for bicycle culture. Aftermass is a fascinating exploration of a community taking back the streets in the face of brutal, militaristic actions and illegal spying via the Portland Police Bureau. Thankfully Critical Mass still happens in San Francisco on the last Friday of the month: Friday, April 29th!

#2 Bike Summer
Local bike groups worked together to create and inspire their respective communities (roadies, commuters, wonks and whathaveyou) to host rides, workshops, potlucks and really anything that could involve traveling from point A to B on a bike. This took some organizing but the results were immediate. A new community would be born with awareness of itself. Before there was only awkward glances while waiting at traffic lights but now there was the impetus to engage and celebrate and support. Each year a month of events in a North American city helped galvanize the locals and each year the locals would look around after a month of delirious bike-fun people would realize Bike Summer was about to end and ask the question, "We don't have to stop doing this do we?"

From SF to Vancouver BC, to Chicago, to Portland, to New York City, to (almost) Seattle, to Los Angeles and on! We are unsure if Bike Summer still exists but we recently spoke to people in New South Wales, Australia about them hosting something similar in the future (making

But even if BikeSummer never officially happens again it has already inspired many reoccuring events around the world including Chicago's Bike Winter which has been doing it since the end of the 20th century, the short lived MiniBikeSummer, which has since morphed into the month long mindfuck of bike events that is Pedalpalooza, (last year there was 300 events in 24 days) and one of our personal favorites: MiniBikeWinter, where all good ideas go to die:



This event which was cofounded by revphil and has been organized by Zoobomb every dead president's weekend for 12 years; because you don't need dead presidents for free fun... but you should consider health care.

These events were seminal to the founding of Bike Smut. Not only did they help install our film festival with excellent values (creating space for others to share challenging ideas... seems more radical than ever) but more crucially Critical Mass and Bike Summer helped form a bikesexual culture around the world that contributed to Bike Smut. The ideals of the xerocracy, egalitarianism, and DIY all made it easier for artists to feel comfortable by being supported in their respective social groups. These principles help challenge the status quo norms and are essential to building healthy communities to replace the patriarchal dependence, shame and discouragement that comes when we don't take control of our mobility or sexuality.

Bike Smut as a touring film festival is ending with this, our final program.

Lets help these ideas flourish for the next generation

• Bike Smut 9: Science Friction
• Thursday, May 5 - Cinco de Mayo
• El Rio
• 3158 Mission St
• 8pm
• $10-20 at door (no one turned away for lack of funds)
• Limited Seating, 21+
• FetLife Sure! https://fetlife.com/events/443203
• Facefuck? Sure! https://www.facebook.com/events/874221469354599
• Live Performance? Fuck yes!
• Limited Seating? Unless you can stack in another bikesexual's lap, yes.  
  

Come Again, in June!

What a bikefucking delight! Packing in hundreds of queers, bike punks, film geeks, and community activists into a rather cozy warehouse space in Kansas City, Missouri! We wish all of our first shows in a city could have that degree of appreciation from people we have never met before. There was a line of people walking up to us to thank us for making it happen and we were only 30 min into the show!

 We expect to be sharing a lot of great photos from the Critical Mass bike ride, screening, performances and dance party, but first we gotta go get more of that fine KC lifestyle!
 
We have a hot series of shows coming up soon! Take note and share the bike love with someone today!

 6/6 Memphis: https://www.facebook.com/events/1440107969623754/
 6/9 Peoria: https://www.facebook.com/events/1529293124006097/
6/12 Chicago: https://www.facebook.com/events/951621538193080/
6/16 Milwaukee: https://www.facebook.com/events/457641487747681/
6/17 Madison: https://www.facebook.com/events/805118646251414/
6/20 Minneapolis: https://www.facebook.com/events/874093689314968/
6/26 Portland: https://www.facebook.com/events/670815259716491/

Packing the Euro Sausage

From Brats to Wieners this dick on a bike is rolling across sausage country!

What support we got from our return to Germany. First a fabulously debaucherous screening in the former East German town of Leipzig. Sometimes we do free shows (okay often we do free shows) and we usually get a lot of thanks and some sticker sales. But they really dug deep into their beer fund. Then an afterparty at the neighborhood bar turned into naked dance party because, "well we did all just watch some great porn together, so ..."

Bavaria was also fabulous in a completely different way. Leaving Leipzig after midnight then riding from Munich to the suburb of Augsburg on no sleep and just the promise of Bavarian Brunch was a delightful suffering. But white beer, white (brat)wurst, soft pretzels and a hot shower got me in the mood. The Bike Kitchen in Augsburg were really into it they even made this promotional video:



Pretty fucking cool eh? The show was also exciting. We had a massive audio blow out in the first 20 min which resulted in the speakers screaming more than 120 decibels of pain... for 3 minutes  Yikes! But after pulling all the cables (yes even the projector) there was silence. A few words of patience and the audience waited on the streets outside while we scrambled to fix the power/audio issues. another 30 min and we were back on it and the room was maybe even more packed! A very good sign. They screamed with delight and because we had never been to that town before we showed some videos form the archive we don't but out very often including  a "bike snuff" vignette from the early days. Another dance party and tall bike rides around the city ensued.

 The next day we were in Munich where the Academy of art students were presenting their final works. Really fun to have many rooms of thematic art. In a bizarre moment an artist, who wrote a great story about our first screening in Munich three years ago saw us in the halls of the Academy and showed us her art. Her room ended up winning the best in show which is pretty fucking cool.

 
It was a really hot night. We were planning to do it inside the Kulturjurte (Culture Yurt) but that was gonna be a sauna so the rad bikesexual folks at Bike Kitchen who made a good poster and organized it help us set it up under the stars. It felt great!

Our Bike Smut Munich office got some photos too!

Then a gloroius ride along the Danube which has a excellent bike trail...

Now we are about to have 3 shows in 3 days!

Thursday at the Bike Kitchen in Linz

Friday with Critical Mass in Bratslava

 
Saturday in Vienna

FUCKING w00t!

bicisessuale d Italiano!

Blast it! We had a great screening in Amsterdam and Zurich and between the excellent history tours and having our handlebar bag stolen on the night train we didn't even make blog posts about them!

Well even if you miss out on info here, the column on the right is usually up to date.

So now would be a good time to look at that calendar and see what dates are coming up and what people you can invite to enjoy sex-positive, human powered entertainment!

This Saturday we are blessed to be in Catina, Italy on the island of Sicily. We have got Critical Mass, Bike Polo, Downhill XC Race! It is a pretty excting place with a lot of great events coming up!

Venerdì 25 aprile
Rock the Park, Xc Eliminator
https://www.facebook.com/events/657606177608219/
 
Venerdì 25 aprile, ore 21:00 in Piazza Duomo
Critical Mass special edition CBF2014
https://www.facebook.com/events/399872420152589
 
Sabato 26 aprile, ore 22:00 ℅ Zeronove
Bike Smut video festival e party CBF2014
https://www.facebook.com/events/1386394051643060
  
 Sabato 26 e domenica 27 aprile
Salvaiciclisti 3.0
https://www.facebook.com/events/229258207272276
Group Cycling®
https://www.facebook.com/events/1384290351815726/?ref=5

Sabato 26 e domenica 27 aprile
Bike Polo Tournament
https://www.facebook.com/events/474682642661677/?ref=5

Domenica 27 aprile
Junior Bike Race
https://www.facebook.com/events/1431333357006758/?ref=5



everybody get that? Do we need to get your attention again?

Bike Smut in Sicily!

Saturday, April 26

Zeronove

Via Opificio 12, 95131 Catania, Italy

 

Blowing up the Windy City

Dropping right out of Wisconsin's mitt into the industrious machine of northern Illinois, Bike Smut continues to roll! We are doing a human powered tour of North America from Minneapolis to Montreal to (maybe) Mexico (which unless someone comes up with a better name) is called the MMmM Bikes Tour!

We are powered by delicious meals so you should feed us!

Also there is one of North America's great vibrant Critical Mass happening this Friday!

Also we have great pornography, and for the 1st time (ever?) Chicago has made a movie for us!

We expect pretty exciting things as this program may make even the most unflappable Chicago bikesexuals do a double take. Expect to read more about your local filmmaker later this week in our upcoming segment, "Filmmaker Focus"

But for now, please save this fucking date

Saturday, September 28th
Co-Prosperity Sphere
3219 S Morgan St - in Bridgeporn... I mean Bridgeport
Doors at 8, Show at 9
$5-10 Suggested Donation

*smartypants viewers will note we used a similar title for this when we came thu several years ago. But most of you have internet-style short term memories so whatever!

Beth and Bike Smuts Excellent adventure: Getting windy in Chi-city. (kinda rhymes?)

We left of in Wiconsin 
Which was awesome, I might add.
And from there we traveled to The Windy City aka Chi-city aka The Big C.... or to call it by its more conventional nam, Chicago!

     First of all I would like to give a shout out to these three adorable cats. The fat one and the fluffy one belonged to our host, Steven, and the kitty in the cone was his ladies. Thank you for the cuddles guys!

   

Second of all... WOW! Chicago. Is. So. Much. Fun! the first day we got there was the 15 year anniversary of Critical Mass. Luckily our host, Steven, was also the ride leader. His apartment had been  turned into a print shop as they had made hundreds of anniversary Tshirts, I got one in salmon pink!

Critical Mass shirt! 

We met at the Daley Plaza at 5:30 pm. Same place, same time every month. As thousands of cyclists of every age, color and creed milled around we set out to tell people about our show the next day. After about twenty minuets of handing out flyers and making new friends the ride set of. With thousands of riders, it was hard to move very far and at certain points I was certain it would have been faster to walk, but thats the joy of Critical Mass. Its fun even when its frustrating and you walk/ride your bike when you have to with a smile on your face. The ride ended at an open parking lot/pit area with a giant mural on the wall by an artist called Roa. I took a bad quality picture that you can see below, but I suggest you click his name, its linked to his work and you will not regret it. 

Roa's work at Chicago CM

After critical mass, Steven, Poppy Cox and I got hot dogs from an all night cafe called Duks. We ate, we laughed and we sang along to Three Dog Night. Amazing end to an amazing night! 

Steven outside Duks. 

The next night was the show and also the annual slut walk. During the day we were a little too sleepy from the night before to make it to the slut walk, but we did however manage to make it to the slut walk after party. We got there with a few hours to go before the show and passes out fliers. Met some wonderful queer folk and introduced them to the world of bike sexuality. We left with little time to spare for the show but somehow managed to get to the theatre early. We were doing our show that night at a space called The Music Box Theatre.  The people trickled in and the show went quite nicely. It was a large theatre, so it seemed a little spread out, but overal we had a good turn out! 

Steven taking a tomato break

The next few days we spent time riding around the city, visiting new friends houses and dinner parties. I used a laundromat for the first time (huzzah!) and Poppy and I spent some time hanging out checking out local cafes and clothing shops. Overall Chicago was an amazing city, such lovely people and such a fun city to ride bicycles in! 

After leaving Chicago with some fond memories and another good show under our belts we set of for Detroit, Michigan. On the way we decided to stop of to see the sand dunes on Lake Michigan. We packed a picnic of sandwiches and vanilla lavender toffee and ate on the sand. Absolutely stunning. If you ever get a chance to check out one of the great lakes sieze it! 

                                       
                                     This is what we looked like when we went to Lake Michigan. 

Check in next time for all the crazy fun shit we did in Detroit. It inclues pepper spraying a wall, urban spelunking and not geting let into Canada!

Wanton in the Windy City

When I think of Chicago, the first thing that comes to mind is the neon rainbow lit walkway at the airport. While the connection between bikes and sex to this big piece of public art in the biggest city in the midwest might seem tenuous, when you think about it, it actually relates quite well. First, it being a rainbow, which is now synonymous with a representation of a variety of sexualities in the LGBTQ community, and second it being a walkway at an airport, which is all about transportation, albeit not human-powered. 

But enough with my mumbo jumbo, all you need to think about when you think about Chicago this week is super hot bike sex! 

On Friday, Chicago will celebrate 15 years of riding in the streets with Critical Mass. The ride will start at the usual spot which is:

Daly Plaza

5:30 pm

AND THEN......

Bike Smut 6 Turning Trixxx happens on:

Saturday September 29th

at the Music Box Theater

3733 N. Southport Ave

11:59 (midnight)

18+

Thank you to Kristina Hill for the great local poster art. 

After you get all worked up from the screening, it's advisable to take a bike ride over to our wonderful local sponsors, Early to Bed. (Or be prepared and ride over there before the show!) Early to bed is Chicago's local sex-positive and female friendly sex shop. Not only do the serve their community by helping to support more sex-positivity, but they also supported Tour de TriXXX in Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago and Detroit!