The Radavist

I thought I lost this roll of film somewhere overseas but as I was cleaning my office, I found one last roll from Bali. So I dropped it off to get developed and viola, vacation vibes all over again. These are all completely random and the film crops are all off (gotta fix that setting on my scanner) but they’re all pretty good!

I’m still kinda buzzing from my time in Indonesia and these photos from my T4 in Jakarta aren’t helping. Riding around a city like this, with 20 people can be a bit nerve-wrecking at times but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun. We all had a blast and as these photos show, were smiling ear to ear the whole time.

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Rocket Company is a rather unique shop. It’s not exactly a bike shop and it’s far from a motorcycle garage, but it’s a healthy mix of the two. Oh and add in some insane autos on the side. That pretty much sums up how this hub in Jakarta appears on the surface. Even when you walk in the doors, it’s hard to tell what’s for sale and what’s for display. The MG is certainly not for sale, but the Stanridge and the LOW are.

Rocket’s clientele seeks high-end and unique track frames and builds. As all my coverage from Fixed Fest shows, the people in Jakarta love their balleur track bikes. But they’re also a fully-functioning motorcycle shop. It’s safe to say if it has two wheels, Rocket’s there to keep it moving. These guys were fantastic hosts and I highly recommend you swing through their doors if you find yourself in Indonesia.

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In the time I have been running this blog, I have never been to an event like Fixed Fest in Jakarta. It’s not just the scale of the event, it’s the overall execution. Each event started on time and went smoothly, as planned. But that’s how it has to be with 100’s of people waiting for their chance to compete. The day began bright and early, 7am to be exact, with an alleycat. The out of towners would normally be screwed racing in a city like Jakarta but as with all foreign alleycats, they stuck to the locals and snaked their way through the crowded streets.

Then, there was the mini-races, the bunny hop contest, track stand, freestyle, polo and countless other side events. As the day went on, more and more people showed up and it didn’t dwindle until after the awards ceremony. Out of all the foreigners, it was Tyler Johnson who surprised everyone with a meter-high bunnyhop, a solid run in the freestyle and the best time in the mini-race, beating the competition by over 10 seconds. MASH SF repped hard as well, bringing in 5 medals and Sean Martin even won the alleycat (was that his first?).

Bottom line is, Fixed Fest was a blast. I have never signed so many autographs on bags, hats, shirts, jerseys, rims, bikes and anything else the attendees could get their hands on. I met some incredible people, who did nothing but smile and welcomed me to their city. It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun and today we leave for a 4-day trip to Bali for some much-needed relaxation.

I would like to thank Rocket Company, Woof, and everyone who made this possible. Fixed Fest was the best event I’ve ever been to!

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Track bike criteriums are really gaining momentum. Today was the 2012 Fixed Fest Criterium and it was unlike any race I’ve ever been to. The traffic in Jakarta is unpredictable, so could you imagine racing a crit through live traffic. Even at 7am on a Saturday, the streets were mobbed with scooters, taxis and busses.

But that didn’t stop people from all over the world to show up with their track bikes and race. I was amazed at the amount of pristine bikes ridden by teenagers in the U18 race. Once the main event started, the crowd was thick, so I hopped on the back of a scooter and shot photos. The main event was 8 laps around the downtown area, outside Rocket Company.

After the neutral lap, Walton, Marc and Chas broke out in front of the chase group, sending them to the podium. Walton finished 1st (even after wrecking), then Chas and Marc. It was a fast-paced race, filled with close calls with scooters and cars but everyone had a blast!

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Last night was the opening party for Rocket Company‘s Fixed Fest 2012, Velo Vriday. The night kicked off with a film festival, prizes, drinking and a lotta Goldsprints. There was a great turnout and everyone had a blast!

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Let me just preface this Photoset by saying this was the most sketched out I’ve ever been riding around with my camera on me. Ever. Jakarta’s traffic is best described as Intra Chaos, or order within chaos. There are no traffic laws, just thousands of scooters, busses and cars that somehow move and shift into place. The best metaphor would be schools of fish, effortlessly flowing together in the ocean. With all the madness, there’s still an understanding of space and a respect for all vehicles.

We woke up this morning and rode to breakfast. After refueling, we took off and tore around the city. It really was amazing and these photos don’t even begin to touch how incredible riding a brakeless track bike is in this city.

Tonight is the official Fixed Fest opening party, put on by Rocket Company…

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Well, after a long 28 hours of travel, I arrived in Indonesia with Jason, Chas, Walton and Tyler, who I met up with in Taipei. Ochi and Mamad met us from Rocket Company and after building our bikes up, we all hit the streets in search of food. I’m too tired to write much else, so it’s off to bed for me. Tomorrow’s schedule is packed, so expect more later.

I do want to thank Rocket Company and all the organizers for making this trip happen. It’s really incredible to be here riding with everyone and I cannot wait for Fixed Fest.

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