Incentive to ride

Posted on November 29, 2007
Filed Under Bike Kwak, Videos | Leave a Comment

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZhHOppRRaU[/youtube]

(work safe)

Reminder: Critical Mass tomorrow.


Pictures – bottom bracket and mah new hipster ride

Posted on November 19, 2007
Filed Under Bike Kwak, Mechanical | Leave a Comment

So as promised, pictures of the new and installed bottom bracket.



She rides good – though i can’t do much with my right arm still screwed up. Back and forth along the block is all. And probably too much at that if I fall. I really need to take it easy still.

Afterwards I had a little fun. Remember these?

Having stripped all the brakes off anyhow, swapped the drops that came with it with it for my five minute bullhorn hack, wrapped em up with the same blue tape that came with the drops and, Voila! One hipster bike – sans brake levers. Oh wait. Hipster bikes don’t have brakes. But they don’t have gears either. Hrm. My geared breakless freewheel hipster bike I guess. Fuggit. I’m going to paint a big red Circle on it, do some rising sun shit on the seat and call it The Kamikaze Zero.


Until I put brakes on it. And then it goes back to being normal bike I guess. In truth these handlebars probably won’t stay. As I said before, I’m still undecided with what I’m going to do with the shifter/brake/handlebar combination.

I guess if you want to look at them full sized you can go HERE.

Onward


Bottom Bracket and Crank replaced

Posted on November 18, 2007
Filed Under Bike Kwak, Mechanical | Leave a Comment

Successfully replaced the bottom bracket, crank, and pedals on my Trek 400. Pics tomorrow. There were absolutely zero hangups. I have no doubt that in the past there have been many things to hang a person up in doing them. But the new outboard bottom bracket makes the whole process extremely simple, and you only need one tool.

While I was there, I spent a couple hours readjusting and addressing the front and rear derailleurs and getting it to shift properly. I got them probably 95% of the way there and finally packed it in for the evening. I didn’t want to go too crazy with it. I plan to replace the downtube shifters, though I’m not entirely certain with what. Bar end shifters, brifters, or thumbies – I’m still undecided.

My back wheel needs truing in the worst way. I imagine I screwed it up when I broke my arm during my initial ride.

Speaking of – the arms doing better but still isn’t at 100%. I’m able to ride back and forth along my block but don’t dare do anything more for fear of making it worse. I can almost cut cable with my cable cutters using my right hand. I can almost squeeze the stapler. How pathetic.

Oh and a really handy little investment – pick up the Park Big Blue Book of Bike Repair for $20.

Theres a lot of really excellent stuff in there.

Mkay – bedtime now. Later


On bottom brackets, cranks, and chainrings

Posted on November 12, 2007
Filed Under Bike Kwak, How-To, Mechanical, Videos | Leave a Comment

After my little talk with Vincent, he sorta spooked me a little bit about the bottom bracket and crank making it sound like I just got in over my head. So I did some hunting around the and found some helpful howtos on Youtube. I love Youtube. Seriously, what a fantastic addition to the internet.

That being said, these first 4 videos deal with conducting maintenance on a 10 speed cup and cone bottom bracket.Cup and Cone Bottom Bracket

LINK

Which is what I have presently. They’re very good videos with very good narration and instructional shots. He even messes up a little, catches it and fixes it. The sorts of things that we’d all do. I dunno. I liked it.

The last video is an instructional on how to install a new outboard bottom bracket and Shimano crankset which I intend to replace my tapered square cup and cone bottom bracket with.

Without further ado – parts 1 through 4 posted by Vernon789

pt 1
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=0ogbcd_cDgU[/youtube]
===
pt 2
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=ahwZFz5uolI[/youtube]
===
pt 3
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=eG84lDrUbiE[/youtube]
===
pt 4
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=L4uXf0Aj22E[/youtube]
===
pt 5 – how to install a crank and bottom bracket:
(Warning, turn the sound off)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hyMx8yQ-Bc&eurl[/youtube]

Also found a pretty cool site http://ibikeride.com – most of it is mountain bike stuff, but nonetheless its still a cool site with alot of good information. The videos are instructional, but theres no narration. He puts a sound track on and then edits words into the cut. Its another way to get the same
information across I guess.


Seattle rolls out Bicycle Master Plan – again

Posted on November 6, 2007
Filed Under Bike Kwak, In-the-news | Leave a Comment

Seattle’s big bike plan gets a green light

The city of Seattle has approved one of the nation’s most aggressive attempts to raise the popularity of bicycles.

The 10-year Bicycle Master Plan calls for 118 miles of new bike lanes and 19 miles of trails, as well as lane markings and signs to create awareness of cycling across the city.

The city has budgeted $27 million for cycling projects out of a $365 million transportation levy voters approved last fall. The money, and a timeline, set Seattle apart from other cities such as San Francisco, San Jose, Berkeley and Baltimore that also have cycling plans, Hiller said.

City officials haven’t figured out how to improve safety at hazardous intersections such as Eastlake Avenue East and Fuhrman Avenue East, near the University Bridge. Cyclist Bryce Lewis — using the bike lane — was killed there by a right-turning truck in September.

This month, the City Council will consider spending $7 million to build the “missing link” of the Burke-Gilman Trail in Ballard from 11th Avenue Northwest to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. The money would come from real-estate excise taxes, if those run a surplus this year, Drago said. Seattle’s hot housing market has generated recent tax windfalls.


Bicyclist shot in West Seattle

Posted on November 5, 2007
Filed Under Bike Kwak, In-the-news | Leave a Comment

The Seattle PI reports

A West Seattle bicyclist is recuperating after someone shot him with a BB gun late Thursday on his regular commute home in what appears to be a random attack.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Mark Thomas, a friend of the victim. “It feels like it’s an assault on cyclists everywhere.”

The BB pellets hit Peter McKay, 46, with such impact that one penetrated his left lung, releasing air into his chest cavity, and the second just missed his aorta and spinal cord.

McKay first described the incident on his personal blog, where he noted that the “damage could have been much worse.”

Jebus – heres the guys blog

http://petermckay.blogspot.com/2007/11/not-typical-commute-home.html


2007 Calendar Release Party

Posted on November 2, 2007
Filed Under Bike Kwak, Events | Leave a Comment

All I can say is if you missed the calendar release party last night, you totally missed out. What a great time, and what a killer turn out. Many many great people were there, spirits were good, Mamie Lavona and her White Boy Band, as well as Darlings of the Lo-Fi put on a great show. A totally excellent event to be sure. And the calendar – WOW. Can’t wait for next years.

Onward!


TONIGHT- Lovely Ladies on Beautiful Bikes

Posted on November 1, 2007
Filed Under Bike Kwak, Events | Leave a Comment

REMINDER! REMINDER! REMINDER! REMINDER!

A 2008 Calendar for the bicycle enthusiast!

http://www.point83.com/calendar

http://www.myspace.com/bikecalendargirls

NOTE: Calendar on sale for pre-order for $15 until after November 1st! Order for pickup at Release Party and save on shipping, PLUS get your copy signed by the hottest chicks on bikes around. (Well, 12 of them at least.)

Calendar Release Party on November 1st at Conor Byrne Pub, Thursday at 9:30pm for beer, bikes, and fun! There will be no cover, and live music provided by Mamie Lavona and her white boy band, as well as Darlings of the Lo-Fi.