Back to where was I?
Not really. I was supposed to get back to the adventures in breakfast an d other tales from NAHBS; but a phone call this evening changed that. Ri chie Ditta called me and told me there was going to be a private screeni ng of the bike movie he is in. Here we go again, in that I'm not trying to sell anything to you guys just because I know this guy and he's one o f the younger framebuilders that occupies space in the paint shop in San tee. His name is Richie Ditta. He's originally from Brooklyn and moved t o San Francisco and worked/rode as a messinger in both places for about 15 years. Sometime between 2003 and 2006 or so this film that Richie is a part of was filmed. Anyone who has ever ridden a bike, and a fixed ge ar in particular, absolutely MUST see this film. The big screen(theater) would be best; but even on a large TV this movie is EXCITING to watch. This movie is the bicycle equevelent of the cult classic amongst car gu ys known as "Rendezvous".
This movie was filmed in San Francisco and the riding is just flat out u nbelievable. This is pure insanity, the way these kids ride their FIXED gear bikes with no brakes down steep hills and through traffic and inter sections at FULL SPEED. It's nuts! No one was hurt or killed during the filming of this movie. After a while of watching this movie and you've a lready crapped your pants a few times; you suddenly ask yourself "how th e hell are they filming this stuff?". Once you find out that it was film ed aboard a small moped and some from a skateboard!! you are suddenly in awe of the filming. This film has plenty of cute and character shots of all sorts of funny and odd stuff, lots of trick bike riding, moments of insanity, and few classic spills. This film is great and I think every bike rider will totally freak when they see how crazy some guys can get on a bicycle, a fixed gear bicycle.
The title of the movie is "MASH". (Not sure why). A theater screening is being arranged here in San Diego. The CD is in a booklet full of color pictures (one of which is Richie Ditta doing a track stand on a bike wit h his infant son strapped in a pouch on his back, taken during a track s tand contest in San Francisco) for around $40 or so. I will bring a copy of this movie to the Cirque and maybe you guys can check it out.
Brian Baylis La Mesa, CA Holy Crap! I had no idea THIS is what these guys do.