Remember what it felt like to ride a bike for the first time?

When I think back on it, the words that always come to mind are “flying” and “free.” Picking up speed on the slight downhill of our sidewalk, feeling every crack in the concrete with a mixture of fear and fascination. Looking up to see the mailbox at the corner looming ever closer, and realizing that we hadn’t really covered the part about stopping. No matter — I was hooked.

That feeling is a singular rite of passage in childhoods the world over. While no two people have the same experience, the sensation is almost universal. And every time we throw a leg over a top tube and start pedaling, we catch a glimpse of that first ride. Traveling at the speed of memory, always just over the horizon.

Since I put together the first ARTCRANK show in 2007, hundreds of artists have shared what riding a bike means to them through more than 600 posters. And just like bike rides, no two are ever alike. When I stand in a room surrounded by all that creative energy, it’s impossible not to feel inspired.

Late last year, we were presented with an opportunity to channel that inspiration into a new creative vehicle. My first call was to Rob Angermuller (a.k.a. Lifter Baron), who’s lent his gargantuan design talents to the ARTCRANK logo, three iterations of the website, and some of my all-time favorite posters. Working together, we’ve created something that I’ve dreamed about for a long time, probably ever since that first wobbly flight down the sidewalk in St. Louis.

We’ll share the finished product with you next week. But frankly, I suck at keeping secrets, and this one’s been especially hard to muzzle. So over the next few days, we’ll be putting out a few sneak previews here on the site.

Pedal on,
Charles K. Youel
Founder, Director & Curator