Rooster: RIP
Posted on December 31, 2008 -- Edit Post
Filed Under Bike Kwak, Bikes | 4 Comments
Yeppers, the Rooster (or what was left of it) left for the Chainwhip boys house. Frame, fork, headset, cranks, bottom bracket, front and rear derailleur, stem, chain, seat post, handlebars and a rear wheel.
Have fun with it Chase. A saddle, shifters, brakes & levers, a cassette and a front wheel and the Rooster will be back on the road.
This bike and I have an intense relationship.
By “intense relationship” I mean, the fucking thing was cursed.
The day we met, it broke my arm.
So I rebuilt it while I healed.
And then I got hit by a school bus on it 6 months later.
I was back on the road in no-time
but as a result I was able to purchase Bicycle Eater with the settlement
and do a lot of very cool stuff the Rooster always struggled to do.
The Rooster has moved on, into the capable hands of Chase and Ryan. Am certain they’ll make good use of it. Damn good bike. It was just too big for me.
Now to get the the Pacer finished! Get those stupid downtube shifters off and get rid of that flatbar. Sillyness I tell you.
Onward.
- Oh, happy new year everyone. It’s been a hell of a year. Best year of my life. -
Incidentally, look what showed up now that the snow is gone and UPS is delivering again…
Posted on December 29, 2008 -- Edit Post
Filed Under Bike Kwak | 4 Comments
Thanks assholes. I guess I have them for next season.
/sigh
Short ride
Posted on December 29, 2008 -- Edit Post
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Got a short ride in today. Up to Capitol Hill to hang out with Ryan and Chase Wreyford at the King Cobra – watch a little football and get some breakfast. Rode the Pacer. Not because it was the right bike, but for chrissakes it’s been sitting in my living room for 2 weeks while we’ve been snowed in, brand new and unable to roll – taunting me. Didn’t really want to pass up the opportunity.
Weather’s been crazy. Snow’s been on the ground for 2 weeks making it difficult or impossible to ride, even with good tires. And then two days ago it started to rain and now the snow is all gone. Poof. Just like that.
Doesn’t make it not shitty out – it’s still cold and rainy, but at least wheels have purchase whereas in the snow, no such luck. Makes you reset your perspective on riding. Rain? I’ll survive it.
The cockpit on the Pacer still isn’t the way I like it. Downtube shifters were a mistake I realize now. The action on them is fantastic (go Dura Ace) it’s just not in a convenient place to shift rapidly, and in the city I do a lot of shifting. Too much body movement involved – changing center of gravity, reaching down. And the flat bar isn’t awful but it’s less than ideal – too narrow. That said, this bike is still a real pleasure to ride, as is. Can’t wait to get it finished out.
Side note – needs fenders.
Tomorrow, I ride. But it’s on the Bicycle Eater. And gratefully so.
PUNY SNOW CANNOT STOP ME
Posted on December 24, 2008 -- Edit Post
Filed Under Bike Kwak, Bikes | 2 Comments
I am sore today. Boy.
PS- I’ve been asked what that lacquered bar is near my wheel. It’s a light mount for my Dinotte. Basically a piece of PVC pipe wrapped in kite string, capped with some red cloth tape, and then I shellac’d the hell out of it – like the hand grip on my top tube. Why? Because when I put stuff in the basket the light on my handlebars gets easily obfuscated, and I’d like to be able to both carry stuff and see where I’m going.
On the topic of snow/ice tires
Posted on December 22, 2008 -- Edit Post
Filed Under Bike Kwak, How-To | Leave a Comment
Here’s a pretty bad ass how-to on how to pop-rivet your tires to make studs.
As noted in my earlier post, I already ordered studded tires – should be here today hopefully. Ironically I suspect the thing that might delay their arrival is the very snow and ice I purchased them to overcome. EDIT: YEP. Delayed. Thanks jerks, another day or two of no-bike. This blows.
But it’s possible I’ll use the above method to replace lost studs.
Like my friend Professor Dave wrote in his blog post over at http://327words.blogspot.com, not being able to ride has given me cabin fever in the worst way. I’m so sick of movies. And being sober. Not bicycling=no drinking/socializing. I’m ready to go and have fun and not feel stranded. There are few things better in my opinion then riding through the city in the dark of night with a pile of friends, popping off here and there for a pint and finishing the evening over a pallet fire. I mean not to be silly – but it’s seriously one of the best feelings ever. And like the Professor I’m hoping that the above addition of winter tires to my stable will yield similar results, and get me back on the road – in whatever capacity.
Presently I’m rolling…
Schwalbe Marathons which are great for absolutely everything up to ice/snow – and then I might as well have slicks.
Don’t even get me going about the Pacer. We haven’t had snow in fucking 6 years, and then it lasted for less than 36 hours. Now I have this killer bike and it sits in my living room, taunting me while I wait for studded snow tires to arrive for the Bicycle Eater so I can go out at all.
Oh, and lastly to my stable – I picked these up at REI for $20 – Yaktrax. Things are badass for walking on the ice pack and yes, they fit over bicycle shoes and boots alike just fine.
Alright, onward. Sorta.
EDIT: Here, have some Snowpocalypse 2008 pictures
Saturday night as it started to snow again, on top of the ice underneath:
Monday morning:
I didn’t get pictures of the busses with chains on them, or the busses too packed to ride, or the hill by my house that people continue to hit and get stuck on, that is when they don’t go sliding uncontrollably down it – in 4wd cars! Jebus.
Really good article in the Seattle Times about licensing bicycles, by David Hiller
Posted on December 22, 2008 -- Edit Post
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Biking should be encouraged, not taxed further to support roads
KEN LAMBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Bike traffic mingles with foot traffic on the Burke-Gilman near Hale’s Brew Pub in “Frelard.”
Snow thoughts
Posted on December 20, 2008 -- Edit Post
Filed Under Bike Kwak | 2 Comments
There has been snow on the ground for the past 4 days. Makes for damn tricky riding, especially since, for all the bikey stuff I have, I have no way to deal with it. It’s not the snow thats hard to deal with, it’s the ice. We have half an inch of ice covering everything. I’ve got this great new bike, and I can barely ride it.
Speaking of. I did say barely ride it. Heh.
I ordered a pair of studded tires for the Bicycle Eater. Some apocalypse bike. Ass kicked by ice. Psht. Live and learn I guess. I guess I’ll have em now – should be here by Monday.
Other things about riding bikes in the snow and ice – it’s very difficult to pedal and move fast enough to warm up because you’ll spin out and fall. So you move slowly and deliberately but you end up cold. Frustrating.
About the Pacer. Still not super happy about the cockpit, but riding the bike is incredibly fun. Boy.
I did make a couple small mistakes building it. One of the things I messed up on was with the gearing. I have 10 speed components on the Pacer but only had a 9 speed cassette. No sweat I said, I’ll just use one less natch on the shifter. Turns out that doesn’t work. I thought the distance between natches was identical, but it’s not. So a mismatch between transmission components causes issue. So I threw a 10sp Shimano 105 12-25 cassette on it – and holy crap. Transmission is smooth and strong, and with that many gears there’s a lot of granularity. Makes it easy to maintain cadence.
In fact, everything about this bike is strong. It’s a strong bike. The steel frame is strong, the wheels are strong, the hubs are strong, the rack is strong. The whole thing is relatively light and very responsive. Even in the cold and the ice, it’s really responsive. An absolute pleasure to ride.
I do like the downtube shifters, but I don’t like them on the downtube. The action on them is just incredible. I wonder if they’ll work as bar ends, and thus on my Pauls Thumbies. I guess we’ll see. I really hope so.
Anyhow, back to it I guess. Ride safe out there.
Onward
It’s Alive! Surly Pacer
Posted on December 17, 2008 -- Edit Post
Filed Under Bike Kwak, Bikes | 10 Comments
- 54cm Surly Pacer, 2008
- Dura Ace 7800 front/rear derailleurs – 10sp
- Dura Ace 7800 downtube shifters – 10sp
- Ultegra Triple Crankset (52,39,30) – 10sp
- SHIMANO 105 12-25 Cassette, 10sp
- SHIMANO 105 Chain, 10sp
- Thomson Stem – 130mm, 7deg
- Nitto Flatbar Handlebar, 25.4
- Avid Speed Dial Brake Levers
- Brooks B17 Champion Special Saddle
- Kalloy Seat Post
- Pauls Thumbies Brackets (unused but bolted next to brake levers)
- Front Wheel: 3cross DT Swiss rim, double butted spokes, Phil hub, 700×25 Armadillo
- Rear Wheel: 3cross DT Swiss rim, double butted spokes, Shimano 105 hub, 700×25 Armadillo
- CETMA front rack
Weight, 23lbs. Fenders forthcoming.
Edit: These flatbars have got to go. Don’t think I like em. Bullhorns or drops, here I come. Downtube shifters I’m still on the fence about – thus the Pauls Thumbies next to the brakes in case I want to switch. Getting those grips off is a bitch. Will ride it like this for a couple weeks though. Maybe I’m just not used to it.
Oh well herro Mr. 30 kinds of awesome, how are you today?
Posted on December 15, 2008 -- Edit Post
Filed Under Bike Kwak, Bikes, Mechanical | Leave a Comment
Benries 2008 Xmas Disaster – the aftermath
Posted on December 15, 2008 -- Edit Post
Filed Under .83, Bike Kwak | 2 Comments
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On a night heavy with cold and clouds, under the threat/promise of snow, hangovers, and bodily injury, 30 bike jerks all came together at an unsuspecting bar for the annual .83 Xmas race and white elephant and gift exchange.
I drove my car.
Don’t give me that fucking look. The night before was the 2009 Bicycle Girl Calendar Release party… I won’t go into it here but I was in bad shape. There were MANY casualties from the night before, I was not the only one (I’ll blog about it later). And there promised to be more casualties on this one. I felt bad for driving but I had to take it easy and figured if someone busted themselves up I could take them home or to the hospital or something. I dunno – I had like 20 really good excuses on quickdraw. Fortunately nobody got hurt and in the end my car and I played sag wagon / santa’s sled and caddied everyones white elephant gift – and in Andrew (and then E’s) case, their messenger bags between race locations and bars.
By the end of the night I felt fine, if sober. Gifts were exchanged. Alcohol was consumed (though not by me). Bikes were ridden (though not by me). Laughter was had. It was pretty rad all the way around.
For the record, attending .83 sober is not recommended. Thought I’d put that out there.
To the nitty gritty: have some pictures. And some videos.
Prefunk – Moon Temple
And then over to Woodland Park for a race in the dark. And when I say dark, I mean DARK.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DgMbQ_edw4&eurl=http://point83.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6148&start=120&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
Daaaarrrrkkkk
Look – Joby glows in the dark.
And during all this, it started to snow.
Crew then had a second race to hit 3 checkpoints, do 3 shots, and end up at Gasworks Park where trophys were given away for racing.
Ginger and Gretchen had to arm wrestle for 1st place (Girls). It was pretty epic.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8oaBbSaEPc[/youtube]
And yes, best line of the night, from Derrick “Hey, get the hobo out of the way.”
Then over to the Nickerson for some proper heat, and the white elephant.
I got as good as I gave I feel like. I gave an aluminum Soma bicycle rack. I got a roll-up leather tool pouch that attaches to my Brooks and looks pretty damn nice.
And after that I left for another party. The snow really started coming down by then. I wasn’t here for the below picture, but thought I’d include it.
Great night.
I’ll get into the Calendar Release party later. Ugh.
older »Holla!
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