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Looking at the flickr spoke card gallery, I have some questions to ask you cyclists if you've created spoke cards. And here's my reasons below to carry a legacy.
I recently had a good friend, co-worker, and confidant pass away in the most unfortunate time of events. His name was Dinesh Bajania. He died on Thursay, Nov 15, 2007 of breathing complications. He was only 35.
It was him who on my last conversation with him in the Kitchen, because we always have kitchen conversations at the office, who praised my rides to work on the bike everyday for health and clean air reasons. Our last kitchen conersation was two days before he suddenly died. He too rides a bike to work, but as a family man, he only did it on sunny fridays during the spring and summer. He sadly left behind a 9 year old daughter and a 5 year old son.
I'd like to help acknowledge his passion of encouragement for cycling with a spoke card and ride it to my first critical mass at Southern California next friday at Los Angeles and maybe an another one at Santa Monica the following friday. So I have some questions.
1. What's the typical dimension size of a spoke card?
2. Should spoke cards be lamininated with holes for small cable ties?
Make sure the pouches are at least a quarter of an inch bigger on all sides, to make sure there is room to seal.
I use GBC Heat Seal brand (look up) 7 mil (2 9/16" x 3 3/4")
they seal business card sizes perfectly.
Sorry to hear about your good friend. He left far too soon.
If you are making something rather special, go with a lamination that's a bit thicker than thinner. I know this doesn't exactly give you a mil, but I'll get it or someone else would know.
Booglaao is good at spoke cards - ask him for help!
If you want to come to the first Venice CM on Friday, November 30th we can start the ride with a a few minutes of silence in honor of your friend . . . and then commence to crazy and the hijacking of the ride as the RNC by SKIDZ. Email KNITTENS@gmail.com . Sorry to hear about it - that's tragic.
Its times like this that the inner art-teacher comes out ... so forgive the lengthy post.
I got my first spokecard just over a year ago and since then I've seen them in many shapes and sizes. typically they are on 1/8 or 1/6 of a sheet of 8.5x11 paper.
Its nice to get a think lamination which can be had at any copy shop.
I have found that Staples and Office depot tend to be easier and less expensive than working at Kinkos ... but there are always exceptions.
If the place you are laminating doesnt have particularly thick lamination you may want to use carstock so your spokecard is nice and sturdy.
I have to recommend against the type of adhesive home lamination material that requires no heat. Its ok but not nearly as sturdy as the real stuff.
when you do your design, keep in mind that you will need to leave spaces between each card so that you can cut them out and have at least 1/8 to 1/4" space around each card when you lay them out on the laminating sheet.
I think it is super-rad that you are making a spokecard to honor your friend!
Since this is a memorial card may I humbly suggest that you keep a few things in mind.
Archival materials >> make sure that the ink or paper you will be using does not fade easily.
Your design >> most spokecards serve at least a minor utilitarian purpose. Yous serves only to commorate your friend, so keep in mind that you are not limited by the same restrictions that other cards might have in terms of providing information, or producing cards for 200 riders on a $20 budget. You have much more freedom to play with the design.
I'd reccomend considering the colors, type, size, and shape, (and of course content) of the spoke card and how those things might refelct your friend.
Also, always make a few extra ... you never know when Roadblock is gonna pop out of nowhere claming he needs one for his spokes and another for "The Shoebox".
Condolances on your loss.
Best of luck with your spokecard making mission.
I have access, I think!!, at my office to a lam machine, It does the wee little id type card sizes but also A4 or whatever you call it.
THose of you who make tthese cards, do you do them individually or on large A4 type sheets and then cut them out?>???? Lemme know.
Sorry to hear about your friend, I hate platitudes like 'things happen for a reason' but it's true. I wish I was there to do the ride with you. I'm stuck working for 18 days on the road. My commiserations...
Standard procedure for me is to use the 8 1/2" x 11" 5 mil laminating pouches, six spoke cards to a sheet, leave enough room for a good border, then cut them out by hand.
You are all incredibly awesome and the response has been very helpful. I've attached a picture of Dinesh (but this is not the picture I plan to use for the spoke card cos there's a few more where he smiles in hi-res).
I'm also hoping in the end, I've done a few diy bike messenger bags from the courtesy of my fellow HoAP buddy and passenger Bre. After some design planning and stuff, I'd like to imprint the spoke card (front and back design on each card design) to my first msgr bag i created last week out of trash bags.
And if you need to know how, here's how from Bre's Podcast.
I'll post my pics of my diy messenger bag next week. It's very awesome and it only took me a day to do. well 4 hrs =)
I'm gonna leave the office now and ride back but i'll see some of you at the Venice Critical Mass :D
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Ridazz Roulette!
You are all incredibly awesome and the response has been very helpful. I've attached a picture of Dinesh (but this is not the picture I plan to use for the spoke card cos there's a few more where he smiles in hi-res).