Unorthodoxy on a Sunday

The Bamboo Bike Studio in Brooklyn lets you build your own bike outta bamboo.




I'm just in awe.


And, just to keep the non-theme going, Oscuro Como Boca DeLobo Parte One is by Roberto Carlos Lange who did the sound for the above video and offers this 30 minute MP3 free from his website so I'll assume it's okay to post here. (right click/save target as)

Run (me) Down

Might have damaged my ACL while training. Self imposed restrictions, frequent ice and continual venting on the orthopedic who told me years ago "oh, it will be FINE, just FINE, don't worry about it" after my leg was run over by a truck. Who am I to question a doctor, after all?

This week my inbox produced this message from Dawn:

Our Pet Whitetail has something to say...

NIBBLES SAYS "KISS THIS!" to DEER HUNTERS!!!!! ; )
Muaw! :*

One of the more polite "Kiss my ass" moments ever.

There are no adventures to write about this weekend, unless you count the all-nighter on Thursday. And even then, all involved would be happier to not have it written about. In summary- there was a Loch Ness Monster sighting, silent Karaoke, a few PBRs were consumed, and we all learned that people who are crazy and move to Montana remain crazy.

Back to life.

Empty Stomach on Coffee

With winter beginning to settle in, bike riding has slowed. I was able to conquer Rum Village in South Bend last week though. It's a bit more challenging than anything ridden previously. As such, I plan to use this location to build some skills since it is relatively close, isn't overly long and offers a good mix of terrain. Here's a fun piece of construction along the path:



Then there is this gem of a commercial. If only the RV/Man. Housing industry in Elkhart were so damn honest.



Speaking of commercials, my butt stayed in last night to catch up on some TV viewing. Or, if you prefer the truth, I found less money in my checking account than previously thought and no friends wanted my poor-ass as company last night. In either event, I had a hard time choosing which clip to post from the episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia I watched- The DENNIS System, Product Ideas, Dee's Place... I settled on this one:




Finally, in my first attempt to post a music link, I give you The Fucking Eagles. (Click it for a QuickTime player, right click/Save As to download.)

About A Beer

I was screwing around last evening with this site that allows a user to write a script and make a video. The end result is a bogus annimation about getting a beer with friends.

Truth In Labeling

Many of the household cleaners we take for granted are quite harsh and can actually cause health problems. You should look up more info on that. Personally, I try and use as many products as I can that only include natural ingredients, are biodegradable and have not been tested on animals. That said, please enjoy this woman's WTF moment.

Tuesdays Are Depressing

So go out and get your self a new chair.

Change of Plan

In my search for a new bike, I had considered many brands and finally settled on the Sette in the previous post. Or so I thought.

In one last search of local bike shops I came across a Jamis Dakar. In 2008 it retailed close to $2k. The same new bike was being sold at a fraction of that cost this year since, well, it's almost two years old. They made me a deal and that was it. For everything it has on it as well as the brand's reputation, it would have been difficult to pass up.



Yesterday found me on the trails at North Liberty (Potato Creek State Park). The trails are listed in most mountain biking forums and reviews as "beginner". However, almost every reviewer commented on the fun of the trail and some "not-so beginner" sections. My experience was on par with the reviews. It was a fun ride with plenty of switchbacks, climbs, fun fast decents, a mix of tight and open wooded areas and a couple of rock sections. I found it very well designed.

As far as the new bike- I'm loving a full suspension with good geometry! I rolled through the 6.8 mile course once to get a feel for things, took a break and hit it again. The second time was much better. I even passed a few people. To my credit, though, I managed to get passed in the last mile by a guy wearing boat shoes on clip-less pedals. My legs gave out completely and fatigue had set in from not eating all morning/afternoon. I'm an idiot. But the bike is fabulous!

Indecisiveness Reigns

Roadie or Off Road? Back and forth, back and forth... The decision is final- Both. But the road bike might have to wait a few more months for the weather to get nice.

The itch for off road has hit and hit hard. The discovery of three decent trail systems nearby as well as riding six models of mountain bike last weekend has about sealed the deal. These trails, not to mention my vacation condo in Raleigh (thanks Matt) and the area around Asheville may have a new northern friend.

Due to considerable help from a friend in Colorado who's experience is far, far greater than my own, I have been able to shop for bikes with greater confidence. Long story short, FS XC MTB will be shipping soon with some financial juggling. See here:




Mavic wheels, hydraulic discs, SRAM X7 round out the basics not seen. Find me on a trail and/or hospital bed near you.

Not So Much A Best Of

Being sick is something I don't do well. Sure, no one likes to be ill. But I'm kind of a bitch when my immune system is fighting things off. I did, however, find this stuff:

I'm only about 30 years late, but I'd still have one if someone offered it as a gift.













Speaking of 30 years late, a new video from Armand Van Helden time trips in more ways than one.

Since I'd be completely out of my gourd if I didn't include some bike related substance, here's this new product from lazerhelmets.com which it calls the lazer urbanize. Call me daft, but isn't this used for lazer tag?


I can see the bluetooth earpiece wearing set donning this. And maybe some people in a Kanye video.

I think some mindless t.v. is calling me. Or perhaps those are voices in my head from the fever. In either event, good day.

Oh Man, It Sure Is Quiet In Here

To break the stream of inactivity, here's something:



Related to nothing, here's a lyric I heard in a song recently- "If you don't leave me alone, I'll find somebody who will".

The Amish Ride

Finally, after several setbacks having to do with such annoyances as boating, swimming, sunshine, drinking beer and taking money, I was able to get out and ride this weekend. There was some issue with rain as well, but let's just forget about that.

Pumpkinvine Trail in Goshen, Indiana. Silly name but a nice multi-use path. The trail has seen me once before but this time there are photos to show for it. And that's why there's a blog.

First of all, the trail is mostly paved in asphalt with long sections of hard packed fine gravel or slag. These materials are well suited for the environment, though the gravel may prove to be more durable in the long run. Tree roots will eventually push up parts of asphalt and, unless the county and city have allocated funds for repair, this will be a sore spot in the years to come. In any case, the trail is plenty wide and the brush has been groomed back so there is a nice buffer to bike, run or hike within. From what I have read, the trail was formerly a light rail line and, like many reclaimed areas having a similar past, it lends its self to recreational use quite well.

The Pumpkinvine Trail apparently only goes on for so long then turns into something else. The reason I bring this up is due to the signs encountered at one of the street crossings that indicate the trail will end at 1000ft. and then again at 200ft. However, directly across the street from where the trail is suppose to end is what appears to be a continuation of the asphalt/gravel trail you are on. Maybe this is to throw off the tourists from, well, where ever it is Goshen gets it's tourists from. Rest assured, the trail goes on for quite a distance longer and includes even more paved area. In fact, the portion that runs from the "end" of the Pumpkinvine Trail to the road section located in Middleburry is all paved. This section also includes the trail's most scenic areas overlooking fields, farms and other stuff Midwesterners typically like. While I write the last part of the last sentence with cynicism of our Midwestern culture, it does, in fact, provide a few nice views of the landscape.

The road portion taking you in to Middleburry is just that- typical, run of the mill, country roads in Indiana. There are a fair number of hills to overtake, familiar livestock, countless mailboxes with the name "Miller" made from aluminum deck plate, and vehicle traffic is light. At this point of the ride, a biker would be wise to keep their eyes open for the orange pumpkin symbols painted on the road indicating the direction to take if you want to keep following the Pumpkinvine Trail which, if you'll remember from the previous paragraph, ended several miles back. I don't make this stuff up, I'm just logging an experience here.

After rolling through the urban center of Middleburry and continuing on my Great Pumpkin chase for a few more miles, I eventually considered checking to see how far I had ridden and where the next trail might be found so I could get off the road. I was about 15 miles from my starting point at Millrace Park so the ride back from this point would make it an even 30. Up until that point there was a nice wind to my back so this meant the return trip might be a bit of a challenge. This assumption was correct. Not only did the wind seem to blow hardest when going up a hill, but those damn painted pumpkins on the road proved most elusive. At one point I decided to disregard them all together and follow the more obvious green signs that say "Bike Route". Surely those will lead me to the same place Linus' mythical Halloween character would. They didn't. The bike route takes a different route away from the trail but eventually leads you to the previously mentioned "end" of Pumpkinvine. In all fairness, there did seem to be a decent effort put into placing the pumpkins on the road at key intersections. However, it would be nice to see a few more along the straight portions of road and at other intersections indicating that you are still on the right track.


Thankfully I did not have to set up camp in the woods overnight and fear slack-jawed yokels with a pig fetish. Feeling slightly relieved, tired and hungry meant that there was no way I would be cooking anything at home. So, there's an excuse if there ever was one to get a pizza from Volcano. And, as luck would have it, they are conveniently located on the drive home.

A map of my ride can be found at this URL: Goshen to Middleburry via Pumpkinvine Trail

At the Risk Of

At the risk of appearing the desire to be a bike blog, here's the next or next to next item in my fleet. It is an Electra Amsterdam Classic 3i. While not a "real" Dutch bike, it certainly looks to have the necessary accoutrements minus a rack, which, along with a bell, would be imperative. Steel, black, fenders, guards, skirts... chicks would totally dig me. Well, if they weren't into big trucks and Harleys and I was far better looking and not on a bicycle.

For clarification's sake, I don't desire to author bike only blogs, it just happens I've nothing else happening in my life at the moment. Hell, look at the date and time- it's after nine on a Saturday for cripes sake and this is as good as it gets for me. I'm holding out for a random drunk text from any of my friends who actually have lives, so, you know, I've that to look forward to. Oh, and my can of High Life is almost empty, so let's hope the fridge is not bare. Good day to you.

Man, I Got Nothin'

All it takes to make me happy, on some days, is to see an attractive woman on a bike.

Until that shit gets weird.

For Peat's Sake

It all comes down to horticulture. Not really. Nothing else came to mind. Moving along...

Recently I set up a Twitter account, something that has been on a list of things to not do, and in doing so remembered I had a blog. Hey, lookit that. It's been a while so here is an update.

Biking has taken over as my exercise of choice. Ok, that's probably mild. Consider this- if my home wasn't a twenty minute drive from most beacons of civilization I would happily bike the distance. Work is only six miles away but the route to get there contains one state highway, one narrow county road with fast unforgiving drivers and a Wal-Mart. I just kind of dislike the Wal-Mart, it isn't really a problem. In any case, my fixed gear/biking obsession has grown to now include a hybrid bike.

After selling some stuff on Craigslist and amassing a hundred bucks, I decided to take the old Trek Antelope mountain bike down the path of rejuvenation. Considering the bike has proven its self to be one of the more indestructible things I've owned over the years, the option to fix it up was pretty easy. It's got fenders now, yo! Some new hybrid tires to decrease rolling resistance and a rack just big enough for a 12 pack of whatever.

I still plan to post stories of Chicago riding on critical mass days and others as well. But, you see, my head is off into other things like "will I actually work on the kitchen floor today?", "who sells Skatelite for cheap?" and "can I bike to get it?". Be well.

Meijer Organic Coffee: Meh...

The Meijer brand organic coffee was on sale last week and looked to be appealing enough. Saddly, unlike most of the other store brand organic stuff, this is lacking in many ways. The roast is a bit weak and the taste comes out watery, even in a french press. Note to self- spend an extra couple of dollars on something else.

Fixed the Park

(if the grammar and spelling seems a bit worse than usual, blame it on a slight hangover from a friends birthday celebration last night)

The weather in Michiana has finally switched to more a spring-like condition than a winter-like one. This is subject to revision though. It has snowed here towards the end of May. That might have been 1987. Damn, I am getting old. That and the hangover make me want to crawl back in bed. Where was I going with this?

Oh, yeah- Took the fixed gear to Central Park (no, not THAT central park; this one is in Mishawaka) to see how the new bridge between the Battel and Beutter parks turned out and to check the bike path conditions. For a relatively small area (about a 2 mile loop) they have done a great job of incorporating landscape, art, architecture and public use. If the long term plans for this area are carried out in a similar manner, they will have created a well developed public space that is attractive to visitors as well as to current and potential residents. It wasn't completely out of my mind to move close to the area while riding around. There were a number of bicyclists and runners as well as people walking, laying out and taking in the day with their dogs. And that last part just makes me happy.

In riding the fixie in the park, a couple of things occurred to me. The first was its stealthy manner. People do not hear it coming at all. When you glide past them you get a sense they were not expecting to be overtaken by anyone walking, rollerblading or anything else, but especially not a bike. So a little extra caution there.

Another thing was other bicyclists in the park. A mountain bike zoomed past while I was pseudo trackstanding and taking in some of the new park features. A short while later found me positioned to pass him. Going up a hill. While he was fumbling around with his gears. Internally I was laughing since this is the kind of story many who ride a fixed gear write about.

Most people pay little attention to bike types, but it was curious to see some of the expressions of people who did. One guy in particular studied the bike with a look of confusion- I know something is different, but just can't tell what it is.

I'm going back to bed now. The drugs aren't working.

To Succeed

"To attain what you do not currently have, you must do things you have never done". This phrase in its various forms, for whatever reason, sticks with me. And it has been on my mind more in the past year or so. The idea, of course, is to try new things. Clearly the work of a devout optimist. I can not help but agree with the sentiment. However, my optimism often wanes and contributes to my cynicism.

My curiosity has the better of me at times, though. So I have not been able to keep myself from wondering if the opposite is also true "To attain what was previously had, continue doing that which has always been done".

Rhode Fixie

Finally had a chance to get this thing out on the street and see what it's like riding a bike without gears, freewheel, or back brakes. Weird. Totally weird.

I caught myself attempting to coast a few times but was quickly reminded that it is impossible. In fact, depending on the speed, the pedal will push you up if you stiff leg it. Leaning forward and applying some brake is how I suspect people skid these things, it will require some practice.

The bike is incredibly quiet and smooth, very precision. The weight shed is very noticeable as is the lack of drag previously caused by gears and old bearings. As soon as the weather warms up I plan to put some miles on it. Maybe I'll do a blog about a sore ass.

Oh yeah, photos:

Before and After


Chainline

Minor Threat

Well, the day has come for the fixed gear bike to be done. It did take some money, a bit more than had been planned, but still far less than a new bike. It took a lot of work, especially where sanding the frame is concerned. The results are quite the same as the envisioned bike in my head. And with that being said, I'm pretty happy with the results. It is very light, much lighter than it was originally and considerably lighter than my MTB.

Here are a few camera phone pics of the fixie. I'll edit this and post some better shots when the weather breaks. April in Indiana... a person has to love hating their region to live here.





And the one front brake that I refurbed.



After all the reading online, a couple of late nights sanding/scraping paint, the many trips to House of Bicycles for knowledge and parts along with the results, I can't wait to get this on the street. The paint needs another 24 hours otherwise it would be out in the cold wet weather today.

Plans still include nixing the outer chainring (it's just there to space the bolts correctly for the primary chainring), new cranks and a new bottom bracket (since bolting this back together, the one that is in there is shot, even with the new bearings) and clipless pedals. Plan to see how the bars and seat work, might opt for a flat bar and a better vented seat mid summer.

Now, onto all the other things left unattended during this crazy week...

The Fix

At the risk of being too newsy with blogs (which I rarely keep up on anyway), here's some update on the fixed gear bike.

Naked photos



Stripped down to bare tubes.



Brazed sections.



Ahhh, primer. Funny how this look is appealing. Maybe if there were some orange Velocity wheels going on it.

Speaking of wheels, the originals on this bike were beyond repair. House of Bicycles, a local bike shop, has fixed gear parts and has been very helpful in this build. They set me up with two rolling Alex wheels for a fair price so I plan to use them as my local supplier of bits.

Also worth noting- I took the day off from work to finish sanding and prepping the frame for prime/paint today. I'm class.

Another Distraction: Fixed Gear Bicycle

Ahhh… a new minor obsession…

A trip to Outpost Sports proved most valuable in helping to make a decision on a road bike. In short, the conclusion is to not purchase one. You might be thinking the salesperson was off-putting or the price was too high. Neither was the case. In fact, the sales person was so helpful it required further investigation which leads to the topic at hand.

Rather than spend the money on a new carbon frame bike, shiny components and a few accessories (like a seat designed to my marvelously shaped buttocks) to get on the street, why not go the route of the fixie first, then proceed into something that requires a higher outlay of cash should the desire still be there in late summer.

It started by looking, yet again, at urban/hybrid bikes on Saturday morning. This happened after some minor distraction from the road bike section on the Trek website, probably involving a craving for toast. Clicking around some more landed me at a site for fixed gear bikes which were immediately appealing in so many ways it might be called divine intervention, or fate. Or not. In any event, the philosophy was simple- more with less. No gears, no derailleur, no free-wheeling, no cables to connect all that stuff and no brakes. Many of the bicycles were old chrome-molly mounts from Japan, England, France and the like, retrofitted with new and new/used parts to create what is referred to as the messenger bike, a fixie or a track bike. Did you catch the part about no brakes?

Now before you start accusing me of wanting to be a hipster (circa 2005) it might be important for you to know that hipsters generally do not take to me. Of course, that is the case with most people. But this is not a self help rant, so we will keep moving forward.

It just so happened that the location of an old Japanese touring bike was known and, for the most part, it still had good structure. While it will take some sweat, ingenuity and an outlay of cash, it will be far, far cheaper than purchasing a new model. Here are a few photos of the old mount in its declined state and as a dismantled starting point:





The initial plan is to sand the frame, prime and paint; replace bearings and reuse the components that are still in fair shape or modify them to work for this application. The seat and bar will be replaced first and the original cassette will be shimmed for a single cog as will the chainring. I will try to update progress, but you know how these things go...