TNR 07242012 Recap

We had 20+ riders. 25 mile loop. Hayden Run Falls. Mad Mex for some. Junior's Tacos for others.

Scioto Trail New Construction Update

New Construction---Scioto Trail

 

Grandview Avenue to Central Post Office/910 Dublin Road

We are excited to announce that construction is now beginning on the gap in the Scioto Trail between Grandview Avenue and the Central Post Office.  This linkage is being built by ODOT, and will connect the entire path between downtown and the Grandview/Hilltop area.  Construction includes two bridges over the Scioto River.  During this 18 month time period, users will not be able to access the path @ Grandview Avenue, and the path will be barricaded near its current end @ the Post Office.  Users will still be able to use the path from the Confluence to the Sauder Avenue bridge and cross to the Floodwall Path.  Users can also still use the north segment of the trail from McKinley Avenue, the new Hilltop Connector bridge, and a 0.5 mile section to Riversedge.   

Riversedge to Fifth Avenue

Construction starts in September on a new 1 mile extension of the trail north to Fifth Avenue.  This will not involve any detours or closures.

Brad Westall,  PLA

Greenways Planner

(614) 645-2441

2012 London Olympics: Bicycling Events Guide [Bicycling]

Photo: Garmin-Sharp’s Tyler Farrar is considered America’s top sprinter. (Dirk Waem/AFP/Getty)

Men’s Road Race – July 28

Speedsters such as reigning world champion Mark Cavendish, André Greipel, Peter Sagan, andTyler Farrar hope the race stays together for an all-out bunch sprint at the end of this 155-mile affair that starts and finishes on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace. But in between is an arduous out-and-back loop that includes nine trips up the short but tough Box Hill climb. That ascent could serve as an ideal launching pad for one-day specialists such as Philippe Gilbert of Belgium, Sagan, Swiss star Fabian Cancellera, or even American veteran Chris Horner, who received his first Olympic berth. Cavendish took a sprint win at last year’s Olympic test event, but that race included just two trips up Box Hill. “More teams will want to obliterate the race than keep it together for a field sprint,” says Christian Vande Velde, who raced for the U.S. in Beijing. “If there is a sprint, it may be just 20 to 30 guys instead of the whole peloton.”

Americans to Watch: Farrar, Horner, Taylor Phinney, Tim Duggan, Tejay van Garderen

2012 London Olympics: Bicycling Events Guide -->

New for 2013: Introducing Vaya Travel [Salsa]

The journey to bring the Vaya Travel to life started way back at the origins of the Vaya itself. The Vaya originated as our all-surface road and touring bike. It came out of our quest for durability, versatility, and great ride quality. The Vaya quickly became my go-to bike for the majority of my non-trail riding.

My job involves handling Salsa product from concept to first delivery, and with this I travel the world visiting suppliers and customers, seeing some amazing places, and logging around 75,000 miles a year on an airplane. With all of these great places, I longed to have my Vaya with me to ride.

Continue reading and see the specs at Salsa -->

First ride: Salsa's 'racing' fatbike, the Beargrease [DIRTRAG]

By Maurice Tierney,

Unveiled in Utah for the 2013 model year, the Beargrease is Salsa’s new lightweight racing fatbike. Those of you in southern latitudes may not know this but there’s actually lunatics out there who ride and even race bicycles on snow, and they need fat, fat tires to do so. Fatbikes, with their 3.8” and larger tires are gaining popularity for their floatation abilities over sand, snow, any any other surface for that matter.

I have demo’ed (never raced) a fatbike or two here and there, thinking they were a bit cumbersome. Salsa is addressing this, as well as the needs of actual racers, with the Beargrease. Based on Salsa’s Mukluk fatbike yet five pounds lighter I am told, a ride on the Beargrease changed my mind about the viability of fatbikes in general.

Read on...

10th Annual DCFT Community Ties Bicycle Tour Presented by OhioHealth is Saturday, July 28th

The 10th Annual DCFT Community Ties Bicycle Tour presented by OhioHealth promises to build on the break-out success of previous years, with well-marked routes through scenic Delaware County, multiple snack stops featuring homemade cookies, and another delicious and healthful, locally grown and made lunch provided by the Glass Rooster Home Canneryunder a large outdoor tent.

Date: July 28, 2012

Time: 7 - 9 a.m.  (10 a.m. for Family Ride)

Location: Northside Fellowship Church
                6841 Freeman Road Westerville, OH

Thanks to our additional 2012 sponsors:

        

More than 275 riders participated in the 2011 ride -- the largest turnout ever with all proceeds going to support multi-purpose trail development in Delaware County connecting with the statewide Ohio to Erie Trail. The ride features options of 31, 62 and 100 miles as well as an 8-mile Family Ride, and includes scenic areas, rare bird habitats, parks, new sections of the Ohio to Erie Trail, well-marked route maps and SAG vehicle. Registration is from 7 - 9 a.m. except for the Family Ride which starts at 10 a.m.

The ride will start/end at Northside Community Church, northeast corner of S.R. 3 and Freeman Road in Westerville, site of the homemade lunch. Pre-registration cost is $25 per rider, or $25 per family participating in the Family Ride. Day-of-ride registration is $30.  
Some riders enjoyed last year's ride so much that they wrote to tell us: "I must compliment you on your tremendous bike tour. This spring, at age 57, I decided that cycling was going to be my new fitness endeavor. I have participated in 5-6 organized rides and I have to say that I enjoyed your ride the best. All of your volunteers were as welcoming, friendly and informative as could possibly be. The many water stops were much appreciated. The lunch back at Northside Fellowship Church was homemade and perfect and delicious and the women that served the meal were awesome and so much fun to talk to."
"Thanks for a great ride! The food was fabulous! The best I've tasted in decades."

Registration includes a one-year membership to the Delaware County Friends of the Trail. Click on the green button below for online registration or print the mail-in brochure by clicking PDF here. 

Rock 'n Road 700c All Terrain Tire

After years of being locked away in a dusty corner of the shop, we have decided to bring back the original Rock n' Road tire - along with a host of improvements. Built by Panaracer in Japan, the new tire is ideal for all-purpose riding. Not a full road tire, not a full dirt tire, but a great all-arounder.

The things you need to know:

• The new tire measures out at a nice 43mm ( or 1.72" for the Imperial folks) x 700c.
• It's lighter than the original. Our 43mm x 700c samples all weighed right about 540g.
• We paid extra for top quality! Japanese-built by Panaracer, the tire has a nice kevlar folding bead and a classic gumwall.

We are doing introductory pre-order pricing of $100/set delivered for the first 100 sets - that works out to less than $50/tire. Try and find a tire this nice for under $50/ea. The tire is expected to land the first week of June and will ship as fast as we can stuff them into a box - pricing will change after June 1st!

Pre-Order the Rock n' Road Tire

Don't know about the original tire? Then here is a quick trip down memory lane:

The original tire was designed by this mountain bike guy named Joe Murray (you might have heard of him). It was designed to be a large volume, fast rolling tire that could handle all conditions - jack of all trades master of none. That's not the most interesting part. What made is tire unique (and of the reason it wasn't as popular as it should have been) is that it was built for 700c wheels. That's right, this was a  29er tire before 29ers became all the rage. How early? Try 1988...

Few imported bikes from that era would fit such a wide tire due to import duty issues. While that sounds ridiculous, it made sense to some as the only other bikes that could fit such a big tire were Dutch bikes. The logic was simple: to protect a US manufacturing segment from overseas competition (or just a company that started with an "S" and ended with an "N"), create an import tax (based on certain dimensional criteria) so high that it prevents the import of a competing product (before their production was sent to the far east...but that's another story).

Bruce Gordon Cycles 

Limited Edition HELIX OS - Only 30 Hand Signed

Lynskey Performance Designs announces it's 2013 Limited Edition SRAM Red Helix OS. Working closely with SRAM, Lynskey developed the paint scheme that perfectly matches the colors and design aspects of the highly anticipated 2013 SRAM Red Groupset.  Each frame is built per order and hand numbered and signed by David Lynskey, the bike's designer, just before the frame recieves it's final two layers of clearcoat. The Helix OS is Lynskey's premiere pro series titanium road racing bike.  It provides all the stiffness required for responsive gap closing pushes while maintaining a level of comfort that is unparralleled. Many current Helix OS owners say it is their favorite bike. Period. 13 of the 30 LTD Helix OS's have already been signed, sealed and delivered... I'm yours. Click Here to see more of the Limited Edition Helix OS === Sales Contact: Don Erwin don@lynskeyperformance.com 423.499.5815 Media Contact: Matt Richardson matt@lynskeyperformance.com 423.499.5815

TOMS LIKES BIKES!

[Tom's]

How Cars Drove the American Dream to Nowhere, U.S.A. [Huff Post]

Americans love their cars. I'm not entirely sure whether this bond was forged out of some vague sense of American individualism or perhaps was simply the offspring of our nation's industrial genius, but it is indisputably a part of our national character. Maybe the car is so beloved because it is the legacy to our pioneering history -- the idea that anyone can hop in the Chevy and go almost anywhere, especially since Americans hold the concept of social mobility so dear. From any perspective, owning a car has become an indispensable piece of the American Dream.

However, our love affair with automobiles doesn't come without a cost. Many problems have come to be closely identified with the ways in which we use our cars, which has included everything from the damaging pollution of our environment to frustrating traffic backups in major cities to tragic levels of vehicular homicide caused by drunk or reckless driving. In my opinion, however, America's infatuation with cars has produced an even more devastating consequence: the degradation and demoralization of civic life in our towns and cities. I argue that this single, particularly insidious outcome of American car culture is, in many ways, the ultimate source of a whole slew of societal ills that plague us today.

When was the last time you really walked somewhere? If you're like most Americans, you probably spend more time going up and down the stairs in your house each day than purposefully using your legs outside to get from Point A to Point B. Most roads aren't safe for pedestrian travel anymore, and there are several reasons for this. But, most importantly, people don't walk anywhere nowadays because there's nowhere to go.

[Keep reading at Huff Post]

Legal Brief - Claiming Bike Damage (US) [Momentum]

If your bicycle is damaged by a negligent driver, you’ll probably want to make a claim against the driver or his or her insurance company for the cost of repairs or a replacement bike. First and foremost, if you are injured, it is a good idea to speak to an attorney before contacting the insurance company. But if you are sure you are not injured, it’s probably fine to handle your claim for property damage yourself.

If the bicycle can be repaired for less than its market value, whatever you pay for repairs is your claim for property damage. If your bicycle is totaled, you are generally entitled to recover the bike’s reasonable market value. The reasonable market value of a bicycle can be established through testimony of an experienced bicycle salesman/ mechanic who has knowledge of local market prices for comparable bicycles.

Take pictures that show the whole bicycle from the drivetrain side. You’ll want to take close-up pictures of any specific areas that are damaged. You should get one or more damage estimates from different bike shops – often there is no charge for this service. Sometimes the shop will point out damage that you didn’t notice initially. Take more photos of additional damage.

[Keep reading at Momentum]

Columbus T&PC Bicycle Subcommittee Meeting Recap 07252012

M-E Companies is discussing alternative connectors for Hudson and Mock roads to the Olentangy & Alum Creek trail and connecting Northtowne across to the Alum Creek trail through the neighborhoods.


Columbus Greenways Trail Development. 2012 is the most aggressive trail development ever in Central Ohio. 


Alum Creek is still struggling to be finished. The smallest piece will take the longest. 22 miles when completed. Ohio Dominican is in design. Brittany Hills & Innis Park under construction. Innis Park to Easton under construction. 


Camp Chase is getting closer to becoming a reality. There is a planned bike bridge to cross I-270 in the Georgesville Rd area to finish out the Camp Chase Trail. Brad was really excited about this bridge.

Henderson RD from 315 to Kenny Rd will be updated with bicycle facilities.

Goodale Ave will be getting a BIKE/PED ONLY bridge over 315 and Olentangy to connect with Harrison West Connector. This will be a showcase piece!

Missing trail link between Dublin and Grandview Ave construction is starting SOON! Dublin Rd - Riverside to 5th too



There are TWO proposals, B-Share & Alta, to handle a 300-400 bikes and 30 station bike share system in Columbus.  Bike share is planning to be launched next spring or summer in downtown Columbus. They will be using a non-profit to manage the system instead of the city.

Betabrand's Huckleberry Bike To Work Pants [video]

More parking coming downtown on High Street

The City of Columbus will be holding a public meeting regarding
the addition of parking spaces on High St on August 2, 2012.


The City of Columbus is adding approximately 130 new
parking spaces on High Street between Goodale Avenue and
Mound Street starting later this year.

When installed, customers will be able to park in front of
stores and restaurants. The result? TBD.

Public Meeting & Open House
August 2, 5–7 PM • Presentation at 5:30 PM
Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission
Scioto Conference Room
111 Liberty Street, Suite 100 • Columbus, Ohio 43215

Questions? Learn More.
Contact Jessica Kendrick, P.E., Traffic Safety Engineer
614-645-7882
jskendrick@columbus.gov

Salsa Full-Suspension Fatbike

Salsa Full-Suspension Fatbike from Dirt Rag Magazine on Vimeo.
We caught Salsa's Mike Riemer on the trail with a very unusual bike beneath him...

More Surly Krampus 29+ Goodness!

First ride: Surly's new Krampus, a '29 plus' with 3-inch tires [DIRTRAG]

With all the buzz over Surly’s new platform, I was quite excited to get a chance to ride one at Snowbasin Resort near Ogden, Utah, where it was to be unveiled. I had seen the fuzzy, grainy spy photos and had some clues as to what was going on. I knew it involved yet another new tire size. What new trend were the folks in Minnesota cooking up now?

I had thought the Krampus was going to turn out to an extension of the fat bike genre that is sweeping the nation, but no. The Krampus is a mountain bike with 3-inch-wide tires, that’s all. A fun and versatile mountain bike.

I spoke with Adam Scholtes, Surly product manager, who filled me in on everything. The core value in the design process was starting with MTB standards: A 73mm bottom bracket shell, 100/135mm front and rear axle spacing, and while the headtube has a 44mm inside diameter for use with tapered forks, headsets will be available for straight 1-1/8” forks like the one that comes with the frameset.



I wasn’t sure what this bike was about until Adam pointed out that you could put whatever mountain bike parts you like (or just have sitting around in the garage) on the 4130 steel frame. You could put any 29er rim and tire combo on there; a great starting point; but the frame is really built around a brandy-new Surly rim and tire, which are designed for each other for easy, correct bead seating. Adam went on about how you must be able to put the tire on the rim by hand, while at the same time you don’t want the tire unexpectedly coming off the rim after a blowout either.

The Rim is called the Rabbit Hole. Gotta love the names, eh? It's 50mm wide 7000 series T-6 Alu-minimum. 699g light I am told. I did note that the rim is concave so it may attract mud under certain circumstances...

Read the rest at DIRTRAG

Here is some Krampus video action.

and another video…

Videos found through The Lazy Rando

Columbus Transportation & Pedestrian Commission Bicycle Subcommittee Meeting is TONIGHT [7/25-5pm]

COLUMBUS TRANSPORTATION AND PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION BICYCLE SUBCOMMITTEE
REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
109 NORTH FRONT STREET, GROUND FLOOR, ROOM 100 WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 2012
5:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. ______________________________________________________________________

1. Call to Order
   
2. Previous Meeting Notes
   
3. New Business
   
   1. 2012 Columbus Recreation & Parks Projects
      
   2. Recreation & Parks Bike Share Briefing
      
   3. Hudson – Mock Connector Overview
      
   4. Olentangy to Alum Creek Connector Phase 2 Overview
      
4. Old Business
   5. DowntownActionPlan
   6. HendersonRoadSUPUpdate
   
5. Parking Lot Issues
   
6. Other Business
   
7. Adjournment 
   
   
   [T&PC website]
   

Bike Works NYC Bicycle Saddle Archive

Sausage-shape Bunker saddle (USA), from 19th Century anatomic craze, or was it 20th Century?


[See more at Bike Works NYC Bicycle Saddle Archive]

Daily Motivation [The Berry]

[The Berry]

Police ID 19-year-old woman hit, killed by SUV [Columbus Dispatch]

Columbus police have identified a bicyclist killed in a Far West Side crash on Sunday night as Elissa Hatfield, 19.

She was riding a bicycle on Hilliard-Rome Road when she was struck by an SUV as she crossed Fisher Road at 10:53 p.m.

The SUV, driven by Casey Hakes, 38, was westbound on Fisher Road, police said.

Hatfield died in Mount Carmel West hospital at 11:18 p.m. Sunday. It was the city’s 35th traffic fatality this year.

Columbus Dispatch

Salsa Cycles - SaddleDrive 2012 :: New models for 2013!

FABIKE frame

The dropouts are the core of the FABIKE frame.

They have been designed in a way never seen before. This great innovation means that you will be able to change the dropout spacing from 120 mm to 130 mm in order to mount different kinds of hubs onto the frame. But, this is not all.
The FABIKE dropouts have vertical insertion. This means that you will be able to mount the rear wheel as easily as on a road frame, without the need for a chain tensioner as the two dropouts will be able to slide horizontally, obtaining optimal chain tensioning. Additionally, the sliding factor is regulated by a high-precision micro-adjustment integrated inside the frame.

This is of course the best solution if you want to use the bike as a single speed/fixed gear bicycle, but it does not prevent you from equipping it with a cassette and derailleur if you wish to have more gears.

The dropouts will be produced using CNC machinery, out of 7075 aluminum alloy (ergal) and titanium locking bolts.

Please have a look at the following video to better understand the cutting-edge innovation this new system brings
to urban cycling.

FABIKE frame

FABIKE dropouts - registered patent from FABIKE on Vimeo.

Crankworx Mountain Of Hell with GIANT [Crazy video]

Crankworx Mountain Of Hell with GIANT from Lucas Stanus on Vimeo.

2009 Specialized Hardrock Sport Mountain Bike - $300 (Grandview)

2009 Specialized Hardrock Sport. Aluminum hardtail with suspension fork, 26 inch wheels, and SRAM drivetrain. Great to excellent condition. Very clean and ready to ride. Mechanically solid, maintained at Paradise Garage. New Maxxis Aspen tires @$58 a piece, ridden twice. 17 inch (medium) frame, fits person between 5'3-5'8.

Please let me know if you have questions.

Thanks,

Maxxis Aspen Tires:
http://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/maxxis-aspen-tire-26

Bikepedia Profile:
2009 Specialized Hardrock Sport
MSRP (new) $500.00

Frame & Fork
Frame Construction - TIG-welded
Frame Tubing Material - Specialized A1 Premium Aluminum
Fork Brand & Model - SR Suntour SF8-XCT-V2, 80mm travel
Fork Material - Hi-tensile steel/alloy, single crown


Components
Component Group - SRAM Mix
Brakeset - Alloy Linear Pull brakes, Specialized linear pull levers
Shift Levers - SRAM X.4 trigger
Front Derailleur - Shimano Altus
Rear Derailleur - SRAM X.4
Crankset - SR Suntour, 22/32/42 teeth
Pedals - Steel cage, plastic body
Bottom Bracket - Shimano BB-ES25, 113mm spindle
BB Shell Width - 68mm
Rear Cogs - 8-speed, 11 - 32 teeth
Chain - KMC X8
Seatpost - Specialized alloy two bolt, micro adjust, 30.9mm diameter
Saddle - Specialized XC Body Geometry
Handlebar - Specialized low riser
Handlebar Stem - Specialized 3D, 25.4mm
Headset - 1 1/8" Specialized loose ball

Wheels
Hubs - Front: Specialized forged alloy, Rear: Shimano FH-RM30
Rims - Specialized RH, 32-hole
Tires - New 26" Maxxis Aspen
Spoke Brand - Stainless steel, 15ga. (1.8mm)

[CraigsList]

Doctor sentenced to 5 years in prison for assaulting bicyclists in Brentwood [LA Now]

A doctor convicted of assaulting two bicyclists by slamming on his car brakes after a confrontation on a narrow Brentwood road was sentenced today to five years in prison.

Christopher Thompson, wearing dark blue jail scrubs, wept as he apologized to the injured cyclists shortly before he was sentenced.

"I would like to apologize deeply, profoundly from the bottom of my heart," he told them, his right hand cuffed to a court chair.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Scott T. Millington called the case a "wake-up call" to motorists and cyclists and urged local government to provide riders with more bike lanes. He said he believed that Thompson had shown a lack of remorse during the case and that the victims were particularly vulnerable while riding their bicycles.

The case against Thompson, 60, has drawn close scrutiny from bicycle riders around the country, many of whom viewed the outcome as a test of the justice system's commitment to protecting cyclists.

Millington said he did not take into account more than 270 e-mails and letters from cyclists that were filed with the court urging a tough sentence.

The July 4, 2008, crash also highlighted simmering tensions between cyclists and residents along Mandeville Canyon Road, the winding five-mile residential street where the crash took place.

One cyclist was flung face-first into the rear window of Thompson's red Infiniti, breaking his front teeth and nose and cutting his face. The other cyclist slammed into the sidewalk and suffered a separated shoulder.

[Keep reading at LA Now]

National Women's Bicycling Summit is September 13, 2012 | Long Beach, CA [Hopefully more than Cycle Chic]

Get ready for the first National Women's Bicycling Summit to be held onSeptember 13, 2012 in Long Beach, California (at the conclusion of the Pro Walk Pro Bike conference). The Summit will provide a unique opportunity to network, share best practices and develop action steps to get more women in your community out riding. It will provide the space for us to create a bike future where women of all backgrounds are equally represented on the streets and in the movement! Registration is now open: Click here to sign up! Tickets are $35 and include admission to the Cycle Chic Fashion Show for the first 150 registrants! Can't make it? Help us provide scholarships and make this event a huge success: Donate here! [More at Bike League]

Street Brew Coffee Trike - Time is running out to help Solar Cafe

We designed an eco-friendly food trike. Help us finish building two tricycles to serve coffee on the streets of Columbus, Ohio.

• Launched: Jul. 06, 2012
• Funding ends: Jul. 26, 2012
• Remind Me

We are bringing Solar Roast coffee to Columbus, with our first café opening in Hilliard this August.  We want to start serving coffee in the under-caffinated areas of our city.  Our tricycles are small enough to serve directly on the sidewalk, too.  Help us finish building two eco-friendly coffee trikes and support our Kickstarter project.   

The coffee we serve is roasted with the heat generated from concentrated sunlight.  Roasted in Pueblo, Colorado, the brothers that invented the Helios solar consentrators used to roast the beans have made their technology openly available for a variety of uses.  We take inspiration from their mission, adopting the same philosophy of reducing environment impact and consider it in all that we do.  For that reason we believe tricycles are the most efficient and convenient ways to serve coffee, especially in areas that do not have coffee available!!!

We need help finishing the second tricycle and adding solar panels to each of the tricycles.  Our Kickstarter campaign to collect $1,500 will give us enough money to build each tricycle.  Anything additional allows us to buy a trailer and make further additions to the trike.  

We want to share what we are doing with you, whether you are in Columbus or not.  We have rewards that let you try the coffee we are so proud of bringing to Columbus!  Your contributions allow us to finish our eco-friendly tricycle project by August 15 and immedietly start making coffee service more convenient in downtown Columbus.

About the Street Brew trikes!

We designed the tricycles based on available parts and materials!  Because we have a light frame without any heavy appliances, the frame does not require structural modifications to be used for our trikes.  

Each tricycle is going to be able to serve for 2 hours without refueling, coffee.  It will be operated by pedals and solar panels, making it perfect for mobile coffee service.  We plan to equip each trike with on-board brewers so we can extend coffee service and stay full during the busiest times of day.

For now we are taking the trike around on a truck, once we get more than two out on a daily basis we will purchase a trailer to haul the bikes around.  If the Kickstarter campaign is a wild success, we will be able to purchase the trailer immedietly.

What we need the money for

Metal - the bikes don't use a lot of it, but we do need to buy enough aluminum to build the serving box for the second trike.  We build the bikes in such a way that there is minimal waste and we re-use as much as we can.

Solar Panels -  After our first day, we realized we need to be able to constantly brew coffee.  We want to brew right on the bike.  One small solar panel will be enough to power a small brewer on each trike.

Fabricator - We did pretty good on the first bike, but we want the second one to look perfect.  We need to pay a fabricator for a few hours to do some welding and metal work.  That will be the finishing touches (and if you know a great fabricator, email their contact info to Blair ( blair@solar-cafe.com ).

We hope you can donate, even $1 is awesome.  Our beans and coffee is our own production and the trikes are our own design.  Let's kickstart this project!

You can like us on Facebook.

You can follow us on Twitter.

You can read more about Solar Café's Street Brew Tricycle project on our website - www.solar-cafe.com