Free From One More

So I finally took off my bike chain bracelet. I had it on for almost exactly a year without taking it off (since the only way to take it off and put it on was with a chain breaker). Well, it is now off, and to be honest I hardly notice the difference haha. It's funny how the feeling of a piece of metal can be so easily be forgotten, even though its been there for an entire year.

Bike Part Sale!

Come check out my house in Davis if you want to pick up some cheap bike parts. Craigslist add here:

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/bik/2345637347.html

I need money to help me fund my pennyfarther touring trip accross Patagonia and to survey rare specimens of bumble bees in the area. Thanks and hope to see y'all there!

Bike Update

Currently riding the hell out of the Cannondale R600 and it is treating me very well. New rear tire, jerry rigged fender, "new" front break, and switched from clipless back to straps and cages (mainly because I don't feel like wearing my clipless shoes around everywhere on campus). The photo is a film one of my current trusty steed.

Tall bike is out of commission for the time being. Someone tried to ride him and snapped the steering column at the base of the clamp. Should be a quick trip to Ace to get a new pole and then I'll have it up and running again in time for Picnic Day weekend.

Just finished tuning up a new road bike (new to me that is) to get ready for its craigslist debut. Its about 56/57 cm white Bridgestone Rb-3 with Shimano SIS and a biopace crankset (this stuff cracks me up). It's a little beat up but would make a fine commuter or errand bike. Hit me up if you want it! I'll get shots up eventually.

And I guess I'll add this in here...Unicycling. Yea, not technically a bike (bicycle vs unicycle...who really cares) but I have been riding one recently. It is EXTREMELY tiring. I have the balance part fairly down, but I can't ride it for more than a few hundred feet before I'm exhausted. Fun stuff.

The Davis Tri-Co ops

A wonderful place full of music and friends on the porch on a rainy night. Been spending some more time at Agrarian Effort recently. Possibly a new home for next year?

Something I Have Yet to Do

Successfully build a bike wheel. Nothing fancy, probably just a 3 cross pattern from some Mavic box rim to a sealed hub. Most likely, it would go on my road bike. We'll see what happens.

Also, it would be a lot easier if I had a real truing stand...

Parting Out My Bike

After a long and futile venture to attempt and sell my Volume Cutter Fixed gear as a complete, I have finally given up and decided to part it out. If your interested at all I just posted everything up on the Davis craigslist in different ads. HERE is the one to the frameset. Holla at me if you're interested. I'm trying to save up some bank for a new camera.

In other news, it will probably be a long while before I get another track bike...or bike in general. I'm pretty set at the moment. I have my Cannondale 12 speed road bike which is currently my daily commuter. I have my SS montare fisher mountainbike which gets me my mountain fix when I'm in Marin. And I just finished building a tall bike...yea, I'll try and get proper photos of that up at some point.

Bike Maintenance and Projects

Ah yes, here is my 1988 Fisher Montare SC that I converted to an SS commuter bike. This guy has seen a lot of miles and is finally working at near 100% since I rebuilt the rear u-brake (those things really are terrible). It's outfitted with a mish mash of xt, xtr, ritchey, race face, and just about everything else ha. But it rides B-E-A-utifully. I even took it on a few XC rides in china camp over the break. Its too bad I left it at home in Marin for the time being. I do miss it.

Meanwhile, I've been riding the crap out of the old Cannondale R600 i picked up over summer. I've been riding it just as it was given to me up until now. I'm finally doing a bit of maintenance to it, swapping out the junker Dia-compe brakes with some old 105s that I have the match the rest of the gruppo on it. Currently trying to overhaul the rear hub, but my first attempt failed because I overtightened the spindle and mashed the bearings a little bit. Oops. Oh well, we live and we learn.

Another project I'm finally getting around to is a franken-tall-bike. It will maybe be made out of my cousin's old bmx bike, my roomates crashed (slightly bent) road frame, and spare parts from just about everywhere. Oh, did I mention that I will be trying to do this without any welding? Should be interesting and probably a bit frightening to ride the first time. That is IF it even gets built. We shall see what happens and I'll be sure to post photos as update. YAY

New Toys

Picked up an old road frame + some extras a week or two ago and created a hideous beater bike that is super chill to ride. It is as minimum as it can be (no brakes no gears nothing). It has a 26" coaster brake wheel on the back and a 27" road wheel on the front and some riser bars (essentially a cruiser with road bike geometry), and it almost has barspin clearance. I intentionally wanted it to look as awful is possible so that it would be even less likely for someone to steal my $80 bike.

In other news, I saved myself from spending a lot of money on another bike that would've most likely just ended up with me injuring my wrist again (which happened yesterday when I took a gnarly fall skating, anyways).

Also, I found a free blue guitar at a dumpster and got free popcorn/candy at a free movie screening last night. Yesterday was productive.

I Feel Out Of Shape

Time to ride my bike.

Tall Bike Update 2

So, today i took the dimensions of the frames I'm thinking of using, and this is really going to be interesting. Also, i found an old 1" threaded road fork that I forgot I had. ALSO, it turns out the coaster wheel doesn't quite fit into the rear dropouts of the bottom frame I would like to use...so either I somehow extend the axle (I'm trying to think of easy ways i could do that) on the wheel or bend the frame to make it fit. So yea, this should be a fun project. Still havn't told the parentals. Planning on by the welder and starting practicing when I'm out for summer, a week from wednesday.

Tall Bike Update

So, this looks like its actually going to happen now. I'm planning on buying an entry level arc welder when I get out of Davis and I'm on the lookout for a wheel with a coaster hub on it so i don't have to worry about setting up brakes. Theres one that has been sitting outside of the segundo dc for months so I think I'll just scrape that one night this week. This is going to be fun.

Tall Bikes and Tools

So I've been thinking about it lately and I'm going to attempt to make a tall bike this summer. For those of you who don't know what a tall bike is, it's essentially two bike frames on top of each other that have been connected for the sake of pure bicycle fun. Ive got a mtb and a bmx frame lying around so I figure ill try and work out something with those. Gonna need all the tools for this. It ain't gonna look pretty, I can tell you that for sure. Ill let you guys know more as the project gets underway.

I Miss My Bike

2009 Eastern Night Train. I miss it.

[dont tell anyone but I stole this from my flickr page..shhhh]

Bike Projects

I swear, every time i come back from Davis, I always have some sort of new bike project. I went shopping in the used bike store yesterday and came back with this sexy alum Vitus (french roadie frame) and a bunch of bits and ends to try and finish the build. Sadly, this one may take a bit longer than expected. my cinelli stem doesnt quite fit right, the DA downtube shifters are a bit funky, im really going to have to work and the rear derailleur, and i need a fricken 25 mm SEATPOST, where the HELL am i supposed to find that? stupid french.

Bike Cops Suck

This is a shot of my favorite bike tool, idn why, i just like it. Simple Mastercraft 15mm crescent wrench.

ANYWAYS, story time for you kids. I was riding out to Target with some friends and got stopped by a bike cop. I was in violation for not having a brake on my fixed gear. I've heard of this CA state law before and i think its complete BS, i think that toe straps+ cages+ a fixed drivetrain + over 3 years of experience riding fixed gears brakeless should qualify as a brake. But it doesnt. And now i have to slap a brake on there and show the UCD police dept I've been a good boy and did what they said.

I've decided to just throw on a pair of flat bars with a lever and cable and call it a day. Once i show it to them, I'll take it off, put my bullhorn back on, and continue to ride brakeless like i always have. Stupid small town cops have nothing to better to do than to irritate the shit outta kids.
/rant