I’m pretty sure this roadside display (Summer St., near the bridge) indicates a tragic incident. And also, the photo sucks.
boston - bike messenger shrine
August 20th, 2008 — photos
Velo Sport (sarcastic quotes required on the second word)
July 4th, 2008 — photos, updates
Last week, I liberated an old Velo Sport from a neighbor’s yard. For Brad! For brad, I tell you! This week, I removed (almost) all the extra parts. No more shifters, rear derailleur, front derailleur, 6-speed Atom 77 freewheel, or very-long chain. Now it’s a nearly-respectable, very civilized single-speed bike.
Notes:
- The mtb pedal clips are a little too deep, though joyously wide and tall
- I still need to cut off the offending and extraneous outer chainring on the front (but I don’t have a dremel tool or angle grinder)
- The seat is pretty cheesy; after riding one of those pressure-relieving seats for a couple of years, this one feels like a golf ball is constantly being shoved up my wazoo
- The brakes are pretty awesome
- The steel wheels and Maillard hubs are perhaps not the lightest, but I like them. They both need cleaning.
- The beautiful aluminum sleeve in the center of the drop bars concealed a lousy steel bar under the tape. And the bar was not bilaterally symmetrical! Geez…
- This bike needs a serious bath, and probably everything repacked and lubed
- There is a definite clacking, possibly in the bottom bracket, with every pedal revolution; must diagnose and fix… someday
- The chain that was on this was too skinny to fit over the BMX freewheel, so I got an inexpensive BMX chain
- BMX chains don’t fit in regular chain tools
Anyhoo, I took it for its voyage of rebirth today, and that was fun. I went over to the Chedoke Golf Club and climbed the stairs, then rode along the ridge through the ritzy neighborhoods, then a bit on Bruce Trail, then back through Ancaster and down the mountain on Wilson St. Good ride. I like the bike.
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I KNOW!
June 25th, 2008 — updates
There is another bike in our already-somewhat-small apartment. It’s a free bike that a lady nearby was giving away. It’s a 12-speed Velo Sport average-joe-grade road bike. The size is very nice for me and/or Brad, and everything works. I’m glad I didn’t take Brad’s bet last night, because I pumped up the tires and they’ve held 80 or so psi for several hours, now (I thought they would be punctured, but no). The frame has small bits of rust on it, not visible on casual inspection. There are nice little details, too, like Shimano quick releases on both wheels, lots of aluminum parts, those brake-release-thingies on the brakes, the gum hoods on the levers still intact. More details after the cut: Continue reading →
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Born Into Brothels: The Weepifying
April 14th, 2008 — updates
So I watched Born Into Brothels last night. I cried, even though it’s not an unrelentingly sad documentary, in many ways. I think we of the Western world (maybe of any world) are destined to have multiple Siddharta Gautama moments. We wander outside our opulent palaces and become overwhelmed by the human conditions in a less privileged part of the world. I think this kind of recurring experience is a good thing. The subprime market meltdown, internet neutrality, Hillary’s increasingly tenuous grasp of reality, and the petroleum crisis don’t seem as important.
In other news, I biked to the tax office and paid my (2-months-expired!) vehicle registration. Yay. And maybe I didn’t sleep quite enough? BLARG I AM DED
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South Padre Island Again! (with Sheraton hotel review at no extra charge!)
February 25th, 2008 — Uncategorized
So Alex and I went to South Padre and it was teh roxxorz. Seriously. We drove in through dense fog on Friday evening and drove out through dense fog on Sunday morning, but Saturday was glorious and perfect.
We stayed at the Sheraton hotel. Hm. What to say… It wasn’t a regretful experience, by any means, but I’ll be looking for a different hotel if we do it again. Continue reading →
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Señor Pulga is coming along
October 25th, 2007 — Uncategorized
So here’s what he looked like a few days ago, parked against a picturesque wall downtown. It wasn’t a photo shoot; just an opportunistic shot, so the rack is on, the bag is on, and the water bottle is there (but notice how it’s Lexan; 6.99 at Target!). Also notice those grips. They were made from an MTB tube, held on with duct tape. The bike now has black cork/rubber handlebar tape, with gel pads underneath. More bulky, not as well done, not as cute, but more comfy. And the reverse levers seem to work great. I screwed up the bar tape installation when I had to remove it and reinstall, after realizing I’d done some of the brake cable installation wrong :(. I hid my mistake fairly well, though. And notice that there is no actual cable to the rear brake. The housing is held in place (for now) on the top tube with adhesive tape.
My favorite parts? The awesome Sparrow 490 bars (they feel positively diminutive) and the tires (panaracers). It’s a sweet ride.
Next? SADDLE! (this one is not so comfy).
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How to be a Poser… I mean Cyclist.
September 21st, 2007 — Uncategorized
But first, some comic joy from Basic Instructions, a web comic that consistently makes me chuckle:
[click for the full comic]
Note: this is not a commentary on my feelings for my wife, which are still quite positive, thank you. Now, on to…
How to be one kind of super-cool 21st-century cyclist
- You’re going to ride a fixed-gear bike. You just are. Shut up.
- Buy that $1,500 frame you’ve had your eye on. No, not the titanium frame. Not the aluminum frame. The steel frame. Steel is real, with its reality varying in direct proportion to its cost.
- Drop a few hundred on track-approved cogs, hubs, pedals, bars, and wheels. But build it all up yourself (or pretend you did). It would be a violation of the cycling ethos to pay someone else to do it.
- Avoid brakes. They add weight and ruin the graceful minimalism of your bicycle. Also, a demonstrated fear of death is the antithesis of cool.
- Avoid derailleurs. You don’t need them. You may think you do, but you don’t. No questions.
- No bike racks. See previous item.
- Get a really good bike messenger bag (about $200). Better yet, make one out of $75 worth of materials you find at the fabric store, so you can keep in the do-it-yourself mindset. Better make it a huge bag; after all, you don’t have a bike rack. TIP: Make sure to wear your cool cycling clothes to the store, so nobody thinks you’re a sissy craft-type person. But don’t bike there; what would you carry your fabric home in…. a backpack? It’s important to think ahead.
- Now that your bike is super-light, buy a Brooks saddle ($60 - $600) and add a couple of pounds. Get a pre-broken-in one for a few extra clams. Also get the leather protectant and a seat cover. And don’t ride in the rain. It will ruin your saddle.
- No padded bike shorts. Sure, a Brooks will very possibly not make you impotent, but that’s not your concern. Bike culture is more important than your sex life, your wife’s sex life, or your potential progeny.
- You’re going to need a new wardrobe. It will include a lot of hipster, punk-esque clothing that looks old but is expensive. Think like a BMXer: shop where the people who ride your kind of bike shop. After a while, you’ll recognize your in-crowd even if they are nowhere near their bikes (not that you’ll ever see them more than a few feet away from their bikes, but, you know, hypothetically).
- Toss out your helmet, lights, reflectors, and pantleg clips. If you absolutely must commute on the thing of beauty you have created, you’ll just have to quit your current job and get one that allows you to wear those capri pants that all the cool fixie riders wear.
- Fixed-gear bikes are very low-maintenance. You will come to appreciate the lack of extra parts as you clean and polish your fixie three times a week, in fear that another cool fixie rider might see the grimy state of your steed. Especially mortifying is if they recognize the bike from its photo on fixedgeargallery.com and note how the mighty have fallen.
- Now, get out there and disobey some traffic laws and the dictates of your better judgment!
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BY (the only) POPULAR DEMAND (this blog has ever had)
September 19th, 2007 — Uncategorized
Current bike setup, moosehorns and all
That there’s the bike. I’m tempted to call it “ox” or “moose” instead of “La Pulga” (which I’ve decided is its name, since that’s where I found it). I’m enjoying this bike quite a bit, which is good, since Mr. Bikey, my 2003 Xtc2, needs new bearings and a new race cup (sounds more personal than it is). [Note: I finally (!!!) got hold of someone from Giant customer service (I used the phone number 800-874-4268, and got transferred several times; it is HARD to find any contact info for the largest bike manufacturer in the world), and they told me a new headset is $40, ordered from my LBS. I'll probably do it, because they said there's no technical manual or specs available (unsaid: to me)] .
I am seriously considering going singlespeed on this, since there are no hills around here, and I mostly just commute (2 freakin’ miles) anyway. But I have no real complaints with the gears or the weight of the bike. I rarely shift (note where the shifters are), which removes most of the hassles of a geared bike, but it’s nice to shift down in a headwind or up on an open stretch.
Okay. Back to work. More pictures after the cut.
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Just for Brad (but you can look, too)
September 15th, 2007 — webthings
Looking around for tips on what to do, brake-wise, with my new handlebars (came in the mail today!), I came across a bunch of crazy yahoos in Australia who ride fixed-gear, no-brake death machines. There is some fun stuff on the site — especially the videos. Here are two. The first is pretty un-amazing until the last fifteen seconds or so, when it becomes the exact opposite of that. The second is lots of very cool urban FG crazyperson footage, with soothing new age music instead of the standard fare. Please note the missing teeth of the guy in the second video before you fixify your bike and remove your brakes.
That is all.
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Mail Order is like Christmas
September 5th, 2007 — Uncategorized
I have already received…
~ my SanDisk Sansa Express 2GB mp3 player. I love it.
~ my big huge extra-strength, UV-resistant tarp (turns out it’s a little *too* big) to cover my kayaks. I’ve already burned through 3 normal-sized tarps and a couple of old bedsheets. Man, the sun just kills things dead.
~ MR. BIKEY!!! He arrived this morning. He’s in pieces still, but both he and the box look undamaged. Sigh. His shipping has now cost me approximately as much as I will have spent (when I’m finished) on both Canada bike and La Pulga. Again with the lessons.
I am still waiting for…
~ BoxWave screen protectors for my PDA (old one is nearly worn out), my point-&-shoot digital camera, and the next item in this list. These screen protectors are expensive, but they last for years and perform amazingly.
~ my saved-up-for-8-months exercise-reward Canon Rebel Xti!!1! :D Friday it should arrive. And UPS doesn’t deliver on weekends, so I’m going home early to camp by the door. I’m sure there will be way too many pictures on here for a while after that.
That is all.
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It will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine.
September 3rd, 2007 — Uncategorized
dead dishwasher at the pulga where I found the bike
I just received this from the former owner of the bike (whose name, I think, will be Pulga or Pulguita or something; or Mr. Zippy; maybe):
You did a very nice thing to alert me of the situation. I had given that bike to my son several years ago. A few months ago they moved from one house in Dallas to another. They got rid of a lot of stuff they didn’t use anymore, including the bike. In fact they donated it to goodwill or something like it. The story of how it got to you, and so fast, would be an interesting one to follow.
Woo hoo!
In other news, I’m finally (like 10 years after I got it) outfitting my blue Prijon Yukon (which I call the Blue Pig). Putting in a heel pad, seat padding, and knee/thigh rests. Maybe some thigh braces later. Turns out the contact cement makes you get a headache. Maybe I didn’t ventilate the house enough.
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The bike, he’s a-roll.
September 2nd, 2007 — Uncategorized
[cat in the UTPA covered walkway]
I pumped up the front tire, and it held 80 psi. Miracle for those cracked, crumbling, barely-there tires. Cross fingers. The rear was a mess, but I patched it twice, then removed the (not working) patches and did it again. It held air, too. I adjusted the brakes, put a little lube here and there, and went for a ride. Also I put some lubricant on the bike.
A 3 mile ride went off without a hitch, as they say. Enjoyable. The rear tire went flat a few minutes after the ride, though. Screw it. New tube. The old one was flaking away in hunks anyway, when I was roughening the patch area.
The bike fit is not bad (I raised the seat an inch or so), but the drop stem may have to go, and the drop bars will definitely be finding their way into the spare parts collection soon. Also these 6-inch-wide handlebars. It’s weird to feel my chest actually constricted while riding, from keeping my arms in far enough to rest on the hoods or the drops. Ugh.
Turns out the seatpost diameter is 27.2mm, so I think the old seatpost from Mr. Bikey will work. The one on there kind of suxxorz, even though it’s pretty light.
I’m doing this to take my mind off Alex. She left a few hours ago, and must be in the air even while I write. I had a rude shock a moment ago, when I realized that she will not be blogging in the other room when she reads this.
I live in three different worlds, it seems. There’s Canada world (which includes Alex), Texas-with-Alex world, and Texas-without-Alex world. More than Alex leaving, it seems like I just slid from one world into the other.
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Wait. Let me explain.
September 1st, 2007 — Uncategorized
So I know how irresponsible it is and everything, but before you say anything, just try to imagine what it was like. There I was, out in the flea market all alone, walking along, and I had already been tempted by a $10 singlespeed Schwinn ladies’ cruiser just about Alex’s size, as well as cruelly mocked by any number of Murrays and Huffys that looked SO much better before I got close.
And you know I have never fully recovered from the Vera Horsman experience (even though that centurion was much better for her than it would have been for me). I been pining, you know?
So put yourself in my shoes. There you are, thirty meters away, jaded and longing for bikeness, and you see THIS:
zippy at a distance
What do you do? What do you do?
Me, I talked to the guy, and then talked some more. He wanted $65. I had $31. He wouldn’t let it go for that. I walked away. He said $50. I still walked away, because I only had $31. I went to an ATM and got $20 more, and brought it home. Continue reading →
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To make a long story slightly less long
August 24th, 2007 — Uncategorized
Plan:
Buffalo to Charlotte.
Charlotte to Houston. Meet Alex.
Houston to McAllen. Arrive 7:00 pm.
Pick up car in parking lot (left by good friend Amy, who has been babysitting it all summer)
8:30 am EST Tried to leave Hamilton. Lost wallet.
8:45 am EST Left Hamilton.
9:35 am EST Arrived at border crossing. Despite my best efforts, I picked the slowest line. That’s always a bad sign.
9:50 am EST Got to the front of the line. Tense moments while no-nonsense border guard asked questions.
9:55 am EST Woo hoo! On our way. Dodged the bullet once more. Continue reading →
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FrankenGroceryBikeStein nears completion… Bwuahahahahaaaa
July 20th, 2007 — Uncategorized
Brad has worked himself silly on this. It looks amazing. It does indeed ride nicely, even if the fork is still a little bent. It pulls to the right just a bit, a problem he and I discussed a bit tonight. And the brakes aren’t on yet (Brad wants them prtty and shiny), but you can always drag a foot :). It was a kick to ride. I like it. Alex is going to love it. As soon as she gets her chapter done. Not before.
 Detail of the front fender & head tube
|
 Detail of the fender & seat tube
|
Crank arms & chainring |
 GROCERYBIKE!!!(brakes not included) |
And now… An awesome and freaky picture of a Whippet named Wendy who has a genetic mutation that makes her insanely muscular. Link to the story if you click the photo. If you know what whippets are supposed to look like, this photo should be a bit of a freakshow:
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Text Moments
July 19th, 2007 — Uncategorized
1. T-shirt on Jax, who is in the GDGJ theatre crew (indicating how cool she is):
haikus are easy
but sometimes they don’t make sense
refrigerator
2. Alexa (not my wife), ad-libbing marital discord in GDGJ:
“You look like Indian food in a diaper!”
3. Anonymous Friend, re: a bicycle (indicating just how very much he needs a girlfriend):
“I’m really very happy with the way it’s turning out. I was staring at it for hours tonight. “
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The Blair Bike Project
July 15th, 2007 — Uncategorized
OK, so here’s some video of that little trail (I call it the “Rabbit Tunnel” trail) that I like. Short little trail, but lots of fun. And more fooling around with YouTube. A clearer version can be downloaded here.
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Superbike and Superdog
July 8th, 2007 — Uncategorized
So, Brad has worked tirelessly many, many hours on Alex’s Grocery Bike. It started out as a much-neglected, rusty bike by the side of the road (previous color: rust-orange, almost indistinguishable from actual rust). Now, it’s lookin’ sweet. The fenders and wheels are almost cleaned up and ready to go. It still needs a chain, probably new tires & tubes, and a saddle. See for yourself. I only wish I had a “before” picture.
 Grocery Bike frame after sanding and priming |
 Grocery Bike lookin’ pretty and awesome |
 Alex with the partially-sanded fork |
 Detail of the paint job |
And now… An awesome and freaky picture of a Whippet named Wendy who has a genetic mutation that makes her insanely muscular. Link to the story if you click the photo. If you know what whippets are supposed to look like, this photo should be a bit of a freakshow:
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Mr. Bikey: Half… or One-Third… the Bike he Used to Be
July 4th, 2007 — Uncategorized
So… I met Bruce Trail again, this time in a dark alley. And he was armed. I took the trail West-ish from where it crosses Wilson near Tiffany Falls, and found out that it’s a hiking trail. Not biking. Hiking. Lots of stairs, lots of sudden steep ups and downs. Several gnarly rubbly sharp-rock gardens. I got off the bike several times, often because I lost control in technical stuff.
At this point I will note that Mr. Bikey was running on 1/3 of his gears. The front derailleur is unusable due to a stripped cable retaining screw. I hacked the thing by forcing the derailleur to stay permanently on the middle chainring. Meh. But I found out that this was not such a bad arrangement.
Eventually I wised up and got offa the psycho trail. I biked around on gravel roads until I found “Maple Woods” or something like that, with an attractive barrier that seemed to call out, “Please! Bypass me!” So I did. It’s a really nifty series of roads and trails on the other side of the hollow from the Dundas Valley Conservation area. I asked some Slavic-accented walkers how to get to the DVCA, and they gave me good directions. Down a zippy, curvy trail into the hollow, then climb back out the other side, take the first right… and then get distracted by a little rabbit-trail singletrack climbing the hill above said first right.
The rabbit track was just that. Mostly it was a rut about 10″ wide. In or out? “In” seemed wise, since there was little choice. The trail followed a ridgeline with steep dropoffs on one or both sides much of the time, and thick vegetation the rest. The best part was a downhill section that was so overgrown with vegetation that I found myself flattened on the bike, chin on stem, branches scratching at my helmet while I tried to pilot through what felt like a very extended rabbit hole.
Then I ended up in a neighborhood in Dundas. Then I got spunky and dove back into the hollow again, on Old Ancaster Road. Then I got scared of being flattened by cars who couldn’t see around the tight corners on the no-shoulder bike-killer pavement, and I took the first trail I could find, which turned out to be Monarch Trail, which led back to the Rail Trail near our apartment. Fun!
Total time: about 1.5 to 2 hours.
Related posts
Kijiji! Bikes!
June 25th, 2007 — Uncategorized
Found a new classifieds site that seems to have a decent amount of bikes on it. Here are the finds:
1. This bike looks kind of interesting. No info on make or model. Appears very tried-and-true, though. I’d be mostly just interested in the frame, if I were to jump at it.
2. Here we have what appears to be someone’s singlespeed mod, marketed for a broad audience.
3. I gotta say this is interesting. Who can pass up an apparently OK frame, with a few broken parts?
4. And finally, here is my favorite of the bunch. I think I will actually try to arrange to see this if it’s still for sale. Reviews online suggest that this was a fairly decently light steel or aluminum frame, with STX components. Not bad.
So… yeah… productivity. Right.
Also, I just watched an episode of Dr. Who (perhaps my first, since the early 80s?). I must say I enjoyed it. Mostly because of the actor playing the good Doctor himself.