Bike wRider

Sometimes

2012-02-06T23:31:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you bite the bullet and pay too much at the LBS (local bike shop).

I needed a new kickstand. The nice double legged stand I've been using has been on loan from Allman. He bought himself a Big Dummy, so now he's got a use for the kickstand.

I figured I'd throw a cheap kickstand on for the time being and see if it was adequate. I'd seen made in the U.S.A. Greenfield kickstands at Ace Hardware before for about $5 and figured no big deal, I'll go snag one from the LBS.

I appreciate my LBS, I want to support my LBS. I knew it might cost me a couple bucks more there, but not a big deal on such a small purchase.
I walked in with little wrider, told them what I needed and they hooked me up. Only thing is it cost three times what I'd seen at the hardware store.

At this price I could be well on my way to a fancy two-legged stand from Velo Orange, but I'm in the shop, I told them what I needed and they had it for me. So I bought it.

Like I said I want to support my LBS, I know it costs more to get stuff up to Alaska, I don't want to buy from the bigger chain store, and I'm willing to pay a bit more for that. But 200-300% more is a tough pill to swallow.

But I know that down the road the folks in there are going to take care of me, either with a quick repair on the cheap as I'm on my out of town for a week or riding, or a backdoor bargain that might not be available to the general public. Maybe it will just be consistent, friendly service for years to come, but I know that ultimately the extra price of that kickstand will be well worth it.

Although I'd rather have paid less and brought a 6-pack in for the shop, oh well.

I'm That Kind of Guy . . .

2012-01-27T01:15:00.000-08:00

. . . . the kind of guy who reads the sidewalls of his tires. Also known as "A Loser".

But that's okay, because I find the sidewalls of bike tires interesting, especially when they say stuff like this:

Inflate to 2.0-4.5bar (29-65psi)
Safety warning: For race use on designated DH courses only
Always wear protective gear. Please prevent ass munch and
do not ride over other riders.

Got that?
Okay, good.

Enjoy the day

I Can't Believe I Forgot to Post These

2012-01-25T19:09:00.000-08:00

It is true folks. You can now get a loaf of bread, some eggs and a new "fixed gear" freestyle bike in one quick stop (and I'm not even talking about Walmart.)

Obviously the term fixed gear freestyle needs to be used loosely here considering the bike had a freewheel, but that is obviously the hipster (wannabe) demographic the bike was inspired by/for.

I spotted this slick ride at the local grocery store awhile back.
It's got it all:

Matching white tires, rims, grips and chain.

Antifreeze green hubs, bar, stem, and seat post collar

Burly reinforced handlebar

A chainguard!

And best of all it even has clearance for barspins!

Sadly this is a poor take on what I would actually like to see more of in department/grocery store bikes. Simple. Solid. Singlespeed.

All those 21 speed, full suspension NEXTs are not ideal for anyone. The demographic that puts those bikes through their paces would generally be much better suited with a bike that is designed to be as simple, reliable and durable as possible. Unfortunately practicality isn't what companies are inclined to offer.

The Pugsley Index

2012-01-21T18:40:00.000-08:00

While a brand new Pugsley will still set you back $1650, supply and demand seems to be driving down the value in the used market. Good news for anyone hoping to get into the fatbike game for cheap.

As 0f today the Pugley Index (an indicator of market value and stability) has dropped below $1200 for the first time ever!

I also appreciate the irony that the lowest price also comes from the one seller who failed to spell Pugsley correctly in his/her ad.

With spring only a few short months away and the new Moonlander on the market one can only wonder if we won't see the PugsleyDex drop below the $1000 mark before too long.

It's a buyer's market my friends, enjoy.

Blackout

2012-01-18T11:42:00.000-08:00

To be honest I don't know too much about SOPA and PIPA, but some websites I like to use seem to care about it, and it seems that the cool thing to do is to blackout your website in protest.

Now I don't actually know how to blackout my blog, but I still want to be in on the cool 24 blackout protest. So I am respectfully asking that you pretend that I have blacked out this page for the next 24 hours. . . or don't.

Saddle Adjustment

2012-01-18T00:38:00.001-08:00

On my ride to school today I realized my seatpost had slipped a little bit.

A while later, while I was stopped I decided to fix my saddle right real quick.

I grabbed my multi-tool out of my seat pack and this is what I found:

Not cool, eh?

It was -15F at the time (-26.1 for those of you who prefer that superior system).

Fortunately it was just a minor saddle adjustment and I could live without fixing it.

Had I needed the tool for something more significant I might have been a little annoyed.

Goals

2012-01-14T21:13:00.000-08:00

I keep my cycling goals pretty simple most of the time, I'm not trying to set record times or achieve personal bests when I ride. Usually its more along the lines of have as much fun as possible, or be less than 5 minutes late to class/meeting/work.

Today's goals were a little different than usual:

-Don't get frostbite

-Don't end up with a head injury

Riding across town at -22F (-30 for those of you who prefer to use that vastly superior system).

I hadn't bothered to switch to my ski helmet before I left home, so when it came time to ride home that had I wanted to wear and the helmet I had wouldn't play well together.

I donned my cap and strapped the helmet to my pack.

I'm not one to get to deep into the helmet debate, but personally it is a very rare occasion that I choose to ride without a helmet. Having spent WAY too much money on higher education I figure a little foam on my dome is an easy way to increase my chances of keeping all that knowledge inside my skull.

But it was pretty flippin' cold out there.

All in all I met my goals, even inspite of my left earlobes propensity to sneak out from under my hat, and had a very enjoyable ride.

29er 1x9er

2011-12-15T02:02:00.001-08:00

Put together something different for the winter.

Still doing dishes by hand.

Yes, there is a new frame in the garage. A headset for Christmas this year.

Camera is broken or I'd have pictures for you.

That is all.

Moment of Clarity

2011-12-07T01:47:00.000-08:00

I realized this week that my parts bin has almost enough parts to build a 26" mountainbike. Just need a frame to hang them on.

There is a Surly 1x1 frame on Craigslist for $300 in my size (it's even green).
Comes with a bottom bracket and cranks, two of the three things I don't have in the parts bin. $30 more for a headset and I'd have myself a rockin' singlespeed.

Here's the part where I realize how bad I've got the bug. . . the dishwasher is broken. It conked out a few days ago. I'm pretty sure there's no way I'm going to resurrect it, but I'll fiddle with it a bit. So we should buy a new dishwasher.

Given a choice between the 1x1 frame and new dishwasher I would choose the 1x1 in a heartbeat.

I would rather have yet another bike and have to do the dishes by hand for the foreseeable future, without a doubt.

Fortunately (?) I have a wonderful wife who won't let this happen. At the moment we don't have the money for a new dishwasher, much less a bike frame. Grad school, one income, student loans, a toddler and I'd still rather be doing the dishes by hand.

Maybe if I offer to wash ALL the dishes for the next four years she'd let me buy the frame. I'd do it to you know.

Pick Up a Copy

2011-11-27T22:21:00.000-08:00

If you haven't had your fill of my sporadic rambling about topics loosely associated with bicycling you might want to your local bike shop or news stand (do news stands really exist anymore?) and get your hands on the November 2011 issue of BIKE magazine.

(The cover looks like this)

I've enjoyed BIKE magazine for years, but only once before have I been moved to actually write to them and express my thoughts. Well I wrote them again recently, mostly because I had something more important that I should have been doing and it seemed like a great way to put it off for a few minutes more. I sent my letter thinking that was the end of it. I had gotten what I needed to say off my chest, and I assumed my words would likely end up in the trash without even so much as a glance from the editors at BIKE.

Apparently that was not the case. As I was flipping through the new issue this evening I began to read the Letter of the Month in the letters section. The first sentence sounded vaguely familiar. I glanced down at the name of the author of the letter and low and behold there was MY name, in print, in BIKE magazine! It's probably the closest I've ever felt to being a rock star (lame I know, but that's the way my life goes).

Not only did they give me credit for the words I had written, in bold ink even, but they informed me that they were going reward me for sharing my thoughts with them. Supposedly I am to be the recipient of a Garmin Edge 200 cycling computer compliments of BIKE magazine.

Maybe they don't realize this, but they probably shouldn't be encouraging me with gifts and bold ink unless they really want to be bombarded with more of my meaningless prose.

If the Garmin thingy ever arrives maybe I'll find myself feeling self-important enough write up a critical review. If I do you can be sure that I will share my strong opinions about a piece of equipment that I have no business using right here on this very blog.

Defender of the CrossCheck

2011-11-21T01:01:00.000-08:00

I put studs on the CrossCheck this weekend. The last of my three bikes that will get studded this year. I also tossed the Bridgestone in the shed seeing as it won't see pavement until next spring. Now I just need to get studs on one or two of Mrs' bikes and we'll have completed our seasonal change over.

While I had the wheels off I decided to pull the fenders off the CrossCheck for the time being. Riding this past week in temps that were in the neighborhood of 15 deg below zero splashing water and spray seem like they will be of little concern for at least the next four or five months, and its nice to see cleaner lines on the bike for a while. Besides I still have the rear rack on to prevent a mudstripe up my backside if I do get caught out in some sloppy conditions

Learning From Others

2011-11-04T12:07:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about the internet is that millions of people are able to quickly and easily share their opinions or experiences. Obviously results may vary, so you have to take these things with a grain of salt. Just because crabon fibre valve stems got 631 negative reviews at JensonUSA doesn't necessarily mean that they aren't the perfect way to spend $243 to save 7 grams on your new build.

What I learned this morning from the internet is that, while the Surly Big Dummy is a very strong and rugged bike there are situations where possible shortcomings may be revealed.

Photos from bikedecorah

Clearly the Xtracycle freeloader bags are not as fire resistant as they could be.
I mean what happens when you are forced to flee from a raging wildfire on your BigDummy with only the most precious of your belongings and a few pieces of survival gear and your freeloader bags simply melt away? (Believe it or not I have considered the fleeing a fire by Dummy scenario in the past.)

Hopefully Xtracycle will see these photos and begin working on fire proof freeloaders, ultimately making the world a better and safer place.

Klunker Hucking

2011-10-31T00:48:00.000-07:00

Stole this off FaceBook. . .

friend of a friend getting rad on an old klunker.

(photo not by me)

First Weekend of Winter

2011-10-30T23:58:00.000-07:00

It's looking like the snow is here to stay.

What It Feels Like

2011-10-28T23:32:00.000-07:00

This is what it feels like in my heart every time I ride a bicycle.

- big jonny

You are Awesome.

2011-10-20T02:39:00.000-07:00

Moose Get Hungry This Time of Year

2011-10-19T23:46:00.000-07:00

GSC posted this photo today of a giant moose apparently eating his bike seat. Bummer.

Nevermind photoshop, it's all about perspective.

Photo by GSC

PFar Racing

2011-10-18T23:01:00.001-07:00

Big wheels and spandex. Awesome!

Made My Day

2011-10-18T00:51:00.000-07:00

Got cut off riding to class today. One of those scenarios where driver was looking left to turn right and would have run me right over if I hadn't been paying attention. I yelled "Hey" just to let him know I was there. He saw me after it would have already been too late.

I glanced over my shoulder after crossing the intersection and saw brake lights and the truck came to a stop on a main road. I prepared myself for the possibility of confrontation. . . . Instead I heard "Sorry man" shouted out an open window. I gave him a friendly wave and a shout before riding off with a smile on my face.

I drive, I understand close calls happen more easily than any of us would like, and I really appreciated him taking just a couple seconds to let me know he was sorry. Totally made my day.

Commuting

2011-10-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

Did some commuting on my bridgestone speed cycle this week. Trying to squeeze in some skinny tire miles before winter sets in.

Snowline keeps creeping lower.

I bought new socks, don't they look nice?

So far I'm pretty pleased with the new VeloOrange bars on put on the RB-1

I'm Busy, but Here Is a Photo

2011-10-10T22:37:00.001-07:00

Happy Monday

Cabin Camping for Science

2011-10-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

I made a quick research trip this week to check on a project I've had going all summer. Conveniently the research site has a public use cabin about 150meters away. I reserved a bunk and rode out late Wednesday afternoon on the Dummy.

Science and camping gear, plus a little bit of wood for the stove to make things a little bit cozier.

Everything was rolling along great until I ran into this. Since I hadn't packed a chainsaw I had to wrestle the loaded Dummy over this mess. The next day Mrs. and Little surprised me on the trail. She said she disconnected Little's trailer and lifted it over the tree without him waking up from his nap.

Long Load

I love the BOB sak packing method for Dummy camping. Everything stays dry and protected while riding and I can have the entire bike unloaded in about 1 minute. Especially nice if it is cold or raining.

Whatever Keeps 'em Rolling

2011-10-03T22:57:00.000-07:00

"Had a slow leak for a week. Pump it up once a day.

Perhaps today will be the day it goes away."

-pilderwasser

Pretty much describes my approach to maintenance and repair.

Professional Bike Riding Men

2011-09-29T01:37:00.000-07:00

Just found this ad on the local list by Craig. You'll be dumber for having watched it, but I have to admit I laughed when I watched their video .

Even though we're professional bike riding bike men, me and my buddy Robby crash a lot of bikes in our youtube vids and they tend to get messed up pretty quick. We're just looking for cheap mtn bikes (maybe $10-$20 or so) to use and hopefully not have to spend lots of $ for. If youre curious, our youtube page is called Buick and Robby (click on link) http://www.youtube.com/user/BuickAndRobby?feature=mhum
Thanks,
Buick

Happy National Public Lands Day!

2011-09-25T01:16:00.000-07:00

Little wRider and I went to a Public Lands Day celebration at a nearby BLM office this afternoon.
Well, actually we showed up just as the festivities ended.

aLi and Fi met us there and we all hung out for a while after everyone else left, then we went for an excellent ride on public land.

At the Public Lands Day event I did manage to capture a picture of the rare family cycling configuration know as the "triple threat". Bike + tag-along + trailer = triple threat.

That's one long family cycling train.

Winter is Coming

2011-09-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

Fall singletrack . . .

. . . go find yourself some.

Alien Abduction?

2011-09-24T00:16:00.000-07:00

I'd noticed this before, but never had the camera with me.

About the last label I want on a seatpost pointed straight at my backside is the word "PROBE".

It's a Joke, Right?

2011-09-23T00:53:00.000-07:00

Seriously?

A kidney warmer for cycling?

At first I just thought it just a hip way of describing a flask full of bourbon.

Big Dumm Flat Tires

2011-09-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

Rear wheel flat tires on the Big Dummy are kind of a pain.

I'm just saying.

Lost and Found

2011-09-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

If the helmet and gloves pictured below blew off the roof of your car this afternoon on Elmore leave me a message in the comments section. You'll probably want to buy a new helmet regardless, but the gloves seem nice.

There will be an OJ/Cinderella test just to make sure the items are really yours.

I'm Off the Fence

2011-09-19T23:14:00.001-07:00

I've been on the fence this fall about whether or not to do a couple of cyclocross races. I've done a few in the past and kind of enjoyed it. A very different style of riding than I usually pursue. The local series is little too serious for my taste, pretty much just road racing on grass. I wish there were more hand up's and guys in skirts.

I'm going to let this video seal the deal for me. I'll still go hang out at some of the races, but I don't think I'm going to pay $ to ride.

Give Him a 5mm Allen Wrench and He'll Go To Work

2011-09-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a little nervous about when he can really start disassembling things.

Fall Cabin Camping

2011-09-16T23:46:00.000-07:00

Did an overnight cabin camping trip with the family last night.

12 miles, wide gravel trail.

Dummy carried science equipment and camping gear for a family of 3.

My Localist Bike Shop

2011-09-15T00:59:00.001-07:00

Cycling in Europe

2011-09-14T14:18:00.000-07:00

A friend shared this.

He's living in Switzerland and says this video pretty much sums up what riding in Europe is like.

Looks like fun.

Junior Polo

2011-09-11T23:07:00.001-07:00

We had a picnic with friends yesterday. AnSoN brought some polo gear and a few us dorked around with the mallets.

Little man spent a good chunk of the afternoon running around in the grass with a mallet in his hand.

Later I let him sit on the back deck of the Dummy with me and he swatted away at the ball on the polo court.

Apparently he hadn't gotten his fill.
When we got home he snagged a mallet out of the garage and hopped on his trike.
I may have to throw together a few junior size mallets and organize some strider bike polo.

Taste of Fall

2011-09-09T23:56:00.000-07:00

Got out for a fall ride in the mountains early this afternoon. Nice little family ride, beautiful fall colors.

Tasty little blueberry stash when we stopped for a break.

Little wrider tromping around.

Mrs. took advantage of the situation, opting to ride trails down towards home rather than ride in the car. When we saw her again some 1,100 ft lower down she was splattered with mud and grinning like a fool.

Back in the Stable

2011-09-08T18:51:00.000-07:00

GSC brought the Dummy back home today.

He had his Kona cross bike loaded on the bike so he could get himself back home

Small Victories

2011-09-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

I feels like a little victory each time I ride home from the store without breaking any eggs.

Finished Fork

2011-09-06T17:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of the finished fork on the RB-1

A dramatic improvement if I do say so myself.

Meat Wagon Update

2011-09-05T23:45:00.000-07:00

A an email from GSC showed up in my inbox this evening with the subject line "Dummy Huck".

The Big Dumm caribou hunt was a success, and there were rave reviews of the Big Dummy. Enough that Allman, who had his BikesAtWork trailer along on the hunt said he had been shopping online for a Big Dummy and had one in his shopping cart at the moment.

I'm glad the Dummy worked well for GSC, you never know if someone else will appreciate something to the same way you do.

Oh yeah, and the Dummy came back to town a little better endowed than when it left, sporting a Surly Nice Rack on the front. Its a good look, and why wouldn't you want increased carrying capacity.

-11.699 seconds

2011-09-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

A -9sec split on the top half is unheard of, and Danny Hart only got faster on the bottom half.

Amazing run in horrible conditions. Worth 3 minutes of your time to see what world champion downhill racing looks like.

If the embedded video doesn't work you can try this link.

Resort Riding

2011-09-04T17:07:00.000-07:00

Made it down to the local ski resort with JDogg for some lift serviced riding this weekend.

The resort has only seriously been pursuing trailbuilding for a year or two. There were some sweet sections with excellent flow, there was a lot of sections that need some attention and there was a lot of mud.

This is the only photo I got from the day. I think JDogg snapped one or two from the lift, but that was it.

I'm excited about the potential of local lift serviced riding, hopefully a few more years of growth and attention and we'll have some sweet riding just down the highway.

All in all a good weekend, and it was nice to get out on the squishy bike again

Flatbed

2011-09-03T01:08:00.000-07:00

Spent a couple nights at a public use cabin with the fam recently. It was only a 3mile ride to the cabin on a pretty flat trail so I decided fast and light wasn't the way to go.

In other news, my chain was embarrassingly loud on today's 30mile ride.

Klunk

2011-09-01T13:48:00.001-07:00

Now for something less depressing:
some classic Northern California footage from the late 1970's

Gary Fisher with a little prophecy around 3:40, " . . . it's going to go a long ways."

Bicycling Is Not A Crime . . . or is it?

2011-09-01T13:30:00.001-07:00

I definitely find this story a little disturbing. Check that, I find it A LOT disturbing.

I'm also not surprised by it.

Now a 10 year old girl has to worry about being picked up by the cops when she goes out and rides her bike.

When bicycles are outlawed only outlaws will ride bikes.

Ride on.

Living Room Rally

2011-08-31T14:03:00.001-07:00

Sunglasses on and shoes off.

Fork painting

2011-08-30T01:35:00.001-07:00

I've finished painting the fork for the Bridgestone, pictures to come.

I'm definitely pleased with the results. Right now it almost looks too nice, making the rest of the bike look older and a bit shabby.

It will get dirty soon enough.

Took it for a test ride after dark tonight. Only 8min or so, but ended up with a cop rolling up behind me while I was riding in the street, just before I turned around for home. I had no lights, no reflectors, and not a stitch of reflective clothing on.

Fortunately this cop wasn't interested in enforcing visibility laws for cyclists riding at night.

Painting Forks

2011-08-26T16:13:00.000-07:00

I knew I'd get around to it sooner or later. Something had to be done about the color of the fork on the Bridgestone.

Inspired in part by SJ and her reports of DIY painting her bike I got to work last night.

Stripped paint off half the fork. I'll finish it tonight or tomorrow and then get around to the business of painting

It isn't a bad fork, except for the color. For now it didn't seem practical to drop a bunch of money into a new fork

We'll see how it turns out.

Meat Wagon

2011-08-21T02:09:00.000-07:00

The Dummy just left for two weeks of hunting.

GSC is hoping to put the Dummy to work.

Hopefully things go well and they get to haul lots of delicious cargo.

Free Parking

2011-08-21T00:32:00.000-07:00

Perfect little parking spot for Little wRider's ride.

Over Prepared

2011-08-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

Realized mid-ride last night that I was carrying three bike locks on a ride where I made zero stops.

The locks were in the trailer and frame bag from the previous night's ride. Little wRider's grandparents were in town and we managed to do a tri-generational ride with a mid-ride dinner stop.

Awesome to get out riding with the whole family.

The Tour

2011-07-19T00:25:00.000-07:00

I grew up obsessed with the Tour de France. I recorded (on VHS) every bit of it that I could during my teens, and scoured the newspaper daily for the little snippets of race coverage and standings that were occasionally printed. Greg LeMond was a hero of mine, I don't even know how many times I read the copy of his book that resided on my nightstand.

By the time Lance rolled around I was no longer all that interested. Maybe I matured, maybe it was the doping, maybe it was because Lance was from Texas, I don't know.

I don't pay a whole lot of attention anymore. I know the big names, but on any given day I couldn't tell you who is wearing the yellow jersey, or how big their lead is. But I follow enough bike blogs that when something big happens I'm in the loop.

Hoogerland's crash and subsequent podium appearance have stuck with me for the past week or so.
First off I'll acknowledge that I tend to root for Dutch athletes. My great grandparents immigrated to the USofA from the Netherlands and I grew up in a community of blonde haired, blue eyed descendants of Dutchmen. My 99 year old grand father still lives in the town of Holland, MI.

But Dutch or not Hoogerland's efforts last week epitomized what is good about bicycle racing. The man was run off the road by a car, crashed through a barbwire fence, almost completely lost his shorts and ultimately needed thirty some stitches to sew him back up. If that was me I would have said screw it, packed it up for the day and probably spent most of the next week sitting on my couch instead of my bike.
What did Johnny Hoogerland do? That dude got back in the saddle, finished the stage and earned the King of Mountains jersey by the end of the day.
He didn't try to be all macho or cool on the podium that afternoon. The dude broke down and wept. . . pure, raw emotion. I've got so much respect for that. Dude has got heart.

Hoogerland didn't pack it in and fly home at the end of the day either. The photos of him out riding the next day with his dad and wearing the polka dot jersey was one of the greatest cycling photos I've seen in ages.

I can't even imagine how sore Hoogerland must be after the crash and how hard it must be hang in there , but after fifteen stages he is still in the top 100 riders.
Oh and I guess Thomas Voekler is in the lead.

Cosby

2011-07-16T00:26:00.000-07:00

BikeSnob linked to this gem of a video when you got a wrong answer on his quiz today.

Bill Cosby talking bikes, that's good stuff.

Summer Evenings

2011-07-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

Got my errands around town done for the day.

Put out a quick message to see if anyone was interested in an evening ride, with little man in tow. GSC hit me up right away, LO'L was in a few minutes later.

Now were off for a group ride.

Happy summertime

Dear Sir,

2011-07-10T01:04:00.001-07:00

Dear Sir wearing the bright blue and pink matching kit and riding down the sidewalk on along Lake Otis Parkway,

Your leather chest holster and handgun clash with the rest of your ensemble.

Perhaps you might consider putting the gun out of sight, perhaps under your jersey or in a pocket, until you are in the woods and may actually want to have it handy should you encounter a bear.

Sincerely,

Bike wRider

Lost Coast Video

2011-07-09T15:28:00.000-07:00

Looks like a lot time spent with wet feet, but a pretty amazing trip.

more words and pictures at:
LaceMine29

Captain Swallowtail

RoamingDials

-As a side note this is apparently blogpost #100 for me.

Summa' Time

2011-07-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

Not even two flats, and a granny gear headwind could put a damper on a summer afternoon ride along the inlet.

Cloudy Day Glacier Ride

2011-06-25T23:11:00.001-07:00

A big day yesterday combined with clouds today left us a little less than ambitious. We ultimately motivated and got out for a lovely path ride through some super lush forest and some glacier viewing.

Today I also learned that even if you're lousy at windsurfing you can look cool if you do it past an iceberg.

Summer

2011-06-23T01:45:00.000-07:00

Biermag is staying in our guest room these days. We've refused to let him pay rent, so he insisted on staying home with Little wRider so we could get out of the house. Mrs. wRider suggested we go ride the insect themed trails on the Hillside.
I've had the chance to ride these trails before, but with life, baby, winter, etc. . . she had yet to get out and explore them.
The singletrack was all built by a local mountain bike crew, specifically for bikes, and it shows.
Mrs. was not disappointed.

I can't tell you how much fun it was to get out and ride with her. We still had sunlight at 11pm, we had the trails to ourselves aside from bumping into moose twice and we kept up an impressive falsetto BECK medley to let the bears know we were out there.

Happy Summertime.

Shop Help

2011-06-13T01:16:00.000-07:00

Little wRider is getting big enough to help out in the shop.
He loves to spin cranks.

Two Days, Two Bikes

2011-05-16T21:58:00.000-07:00

'tis the season.

Two days in a row I got messages to the effect of "got a new bike, mind if I drop by?"

Saturday LO'L swung by with a sweet Kona Major Jake he scored off of Craigslist. He already owned a Jake, but the new bike is a lot lighter with a few carbon bits and bladed spokes.
We did a quick brake job and went out for a rally in the valley.

Then Sunday afternoon Cousin RyeN came over with his long awaited Salsa Fargo. Salsa did a fine job with this rig. Comfy and utilitarian are traits I can definitely appreciate. And Cousin RyeN certainly seemed to enjoy ripping around on it.

Group Ride Tonight

2011-05-11T01:29:00.003-07:00

I got to go on a group ride tonight. It was me a 3 1/2 year old and his dad.

The little guy just learned to ride a bike with pedals this week!
He was so stoked on riding, it was awesome. We cruised up and down the block for over an hour.

We kept trying to take breaks, but he just wanted to keep riding.

It was cool.

-Bike wRider

Costco Loaded

2011-05-10T01:05:00.001-07:00

I ran to Costco today and picked up a few things.

Spring ride with aLi, Fee, and GSC

2011-05-02T22:37:00.000-07:00

aLi, GSC and I have all been diligently pursuing higher education at the expense of recreation. Now that the semester is over we all got out with Fee and Little wRider for an afternoon cruising on two wheels.

Mid ride breaks look a little different these days

There was nothing else overflowing the trail, so the sign must be right.

Little wRider took his trike out for a spin after we got home.

I owe GSC a favor

2011-05-01T00:52:00.000-07:00

I had some science to get done this week. I planned on hauling gear by four-wheeler on Wednesday, but due to circumstances beyond control I didn't get it done. Thursdays four wheelers aren't allowed, but bikes are. I called GSC to see if he was up for 'an adventure' and if he could help me out. He was game.

0.2 miles into a 20+ mile ride this isn't necessarily what you want to see.

The details aren't encouraging either.

At times it was a pleasant, relaxing ride.

Other times it wasn't

Sometimes it was really hard to ride.
(Photo by GSC)

But we were impressed by this trailer's performance.
(photo by GSC)

At least we were out riding.

I don't know why GSC was only wearing one glove.

And They're Off!

2011-04-16T15:18:00.001-07:00

Sun is shining and studs are off all the way around (well, except for the cars, but that's not as important as the bikes.)

Memorial Ride

2011-04-15T23:40:00.000-07:00

Memorial ride today for a local commuter killed on April 5.
Maybe 100+ people, I'm not great at estimating moving crowds.

2nd ghost bike at the site. DOT removed the first in a matter of days.

Worth a thousand words

2011-04-15T23:35:00.000-07:00

Spring has Sproing.

2011-04-12T21:28:00.000-07:00

Signs of Spring from today's commute

It's Chaco season again!
Photos of my feet aren't gross if they're in black and white, right?

I have to share space on the racks again.

The only moose I saw today

I'm now considering the moniker 'The Freighter' for the Big Dummy.
Hauling some science stuff.

Streams are finally breaking up.

Snow free side streets.

Mountains and bike lane signs.

Bluebird afternoon.

Smiling on the inside.

The welcoming committee when I got home.

Big Dummy Got Shingles

2011-04-09T13:28:00.000-07:00

We had a pretty good windstorm on Thursday.
Friday Little wRider and I cruised over to the hardware store for some replacement shingles and roofing supplies.

With careful route selection it wasn't TOO sloppy, but as you can see you couldn't just blindly follow the bike lanes.

Studs just came off, so nice to be rolling on the Big Apples again

Blue skies and reasonably warm temps dictated that we take the long way home.
Happy Friday indeed.

-wRider

Thanks for the Warning

2011-04-06T00:30:00.000-07:00

Good to know.

Sort of Spring

2011-04-04T13:10:00.000-07:00

Here you can see the mud flap on my front fender.
Dorky, but effective.

Pulled the studs off the CrossCheck last night.
Took it out for a quick spin this morning.
Felt light and quick on pavement and it was really nice to be able to really lean into corners again.

Of course I pointed it straight for a nearby gravel road that I like and ended up riding icy road and then slushy trails. I love the way this bike handles itself, even when things are sloppy and it should be washing out on me.

Spring?

2011-04-04T00:45:00.000-07:00

Studded tires are off the CrossCheck

New rear fender is on

Extra long dorky mudflud is installed on the front fender

Bring on the slop

-Bikesnob says it best

Old Dogs

2011-04-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

Our freaky lab went and saw the vet this week. She's been showing a gimpy left leg for a while now, especially after exercising. Diagnosis was arthritis, which is better than some of the other possibilities. She's 8 years old now, and has definitely slowed down, but she still loves to get outside. I ran across this trailer on craiglist this week.

I have an old burley exactly like the base they used for this set up. I was thinking of doing the conversion to a cargo/dog hauler, and seeing this just sealed the deal.

Hopefully the old girl digs it.

Bike Swap Buys

2011-04-02T22:03:00.000-07:00

The local bike club had a bike swap today. Considering I was went there with All man I feel pretty good about how little money I spent. I did impulsively purchase a new (to me) bike, but it could have been much worse.

I scored a few good deals and a couple of freebies. Dura Ace brake levers and the Selle San Marco saddle were free. and I only dropped $40 between the OnOne Mary bar and the Crank Bros Mallets. Not sure what I'm going to do with the Mary bar, but it was too cheap to pass up.

The big purchase was a new road bike. I've casually searched for an old Bridgestone in the past and haven't found anything worth what I could afford. I caught the seller of this bike just as he was arriving at the swap and could pass on what he was asking for the bike.

I am a little curious about the story behind the fork he had on there, but the frame was a good fit, 105 parts spec and everything seemed sound.

My crosscheck keeps getting heavier and heavier as it gets more utilitarian. Racks and fenders and all that goodness adds up. It will be nice to have something that I can keep simple and ready to roll out some miles on without all the extra accessories on board.

New Fixed Gear in the Household

2011-04-01T15:28:00.001-07:00

Built up a new fixie last week.
Little wRider seems pleased with it so far.

Just One Photo

2011-03-12T00:26:00.000-08:00

Is winter over yet?

2011-03-11T22:34:00.001-08:00

My fat pants are starting to fit more comfortably than my other pants.

Eating to stay warm is slowly catching up with me.

Killing My Motivation

2011-03-03T15:49:00.000-08:00

I have one of these projection alarm clocks next to the bed. It has an outdoor sensor and projects the outside temp as well as the time. For the most part I really like it. I enjoy watching the overnight temperatures and it's nice to know the temp before I even get out of bed. But when I wake up and it's -10F in March it can be a real blow to my motivation to commute. I get over it, but I've been commuting in sub-zero temps for 5, maybe 6 months now. I know my afternoon ride home will likely be in the 20's, but that is little consolation at 7am.

I've Glimpsed the Future, and I LIke It

2011-03-01T22:58:00.000-08:00

From the Washington Post:

Officials in car-centric LA approve bike lane plan

The Associated Press
Tuesday, March 1, 2011; 11:56 PM

LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles officials approved a plan Tuesday that aims to get residents of the notoriously auto-centric city out of their cars and onto bicycles by linking its sprawling communities with an extensive network of bicycle lanes and trails.

The bicycle master plan unanimously approved by the City Council sets a long-term goal of some 1,680 miles of interconnected bikeways and calls for 200 miles of the new bike paths to be added every five years.

The city currently has fewer than 400 miles of bikeways in a patchwork of segments.

"We've always given the automobile the priority, and the bicycles were secondary," Councilman Ed Reyes said. "Now we're changing and we're having a cultural shift."

Bike enthusiasts had lobbied vigorously for the plan, arguing that sharing streets with cars, as most do now, is too dangerous.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also became a fierce advocate for designated bike lanes last year after he shattered an elbow in a bike accident with a taxi cab.

The mayor is expected to lead a Wednesday morning rally to celebrate the plan's passage with city officials, cycling activists, health advocates and others.

"We are investing in bicycling as a viable transportation option and in the process encouraging Angelenos to lead healthy, active lifestyles," Villaraigosa said in a statement after the Council vote. "Los Angeles is on the path to becoming a world-class city for bicycling."

Councilman Bill Rosendahl said Measure R, a transportation sales tax approved by county voters in 2008, could provide some $1.75 million each year for bike infrastructure, with additional funding coming from state and city transit agency sources.

Reyes said bike infrastructure improvements were a wise investment for the city's growing population.

"It's estimated that the population of the city will double in the next 10 to 15 years, and we don't have any more room for bigger cars," he said.

That last line sums things up.

To Each His Own, I guess

2011-02-23T12:57:00.000-08:00

"Time to start getting down to an acceptable race weight. Good bye beer, sweets, regular Coke and all other things that keep me just a little bit happier!"

A friend posted this a while back. Reading it made me a little sad, and I felt some sympathy for him. Perhaps my feeling were misplaced, I don't know.

I haven't formerly raced a bike in a long time, I realized it took too much of the fun out of it for me. I found myself 'training' rather than simply enjoy each ride.

I do know that I snuck out for a ride this afternoon. Sunshine on snow packed trails. I know that I thoroughly enjoyed sipping my coffee when I stopped for quick breaks. I can tell you which sections of trail were ripping fast and flowing, and I can tell you that I had an ear to ear grin plastered across my face the whole time.

"when people race, we all lose." -Surlyblog

You Don't Know

2011-02-10T21:14:00.000-08:00

Snowy Singletrack. Sneakers.

BlueDot trail. Fixed.

Because you don't know until you try.

Moose four doors down when I got home.

2011-02-03T01:15:00.000-08:00

Ice storm in NYC, rolling blackouts in TX, sub-zero in Denver, Chicago and much of the Midwest paralyzed by a blizzard. . . . and I rode to work in short sleeves this afternoon.

61 deg N lat in February, not too shabby.

-image stolen from BSNYC

This is Going to be a Game Changer

2011-01-24T19:57:00.000-08:00

We got a great deal on a Chariot kids trailer a while back. My wife and I both love to ski, in fact we met skiing, and we've gotten the little man out XC skiing a decent amount in his first winter. We've been holding out for a good deal on the Chariot ski kit, they're sweet, but $250 is not money I spend lightly. Finally scored one this week. We've wasted no time putting it to work.

One happy little skier

Scoping out the ice from the bridge

A bit of overflow icing up the trail

To and From

2011-01-22T16:49:00.000-08:00

A few shots from today's commute:

Count 'em

2011-01-21T00:43:00.000-08:00

I was following some moose tracks on the sidewalk during my commute home and looked up just in time to realize I was about to pass about three feet away from a big gal standing just off the side walk.

Today's commuting moose count: 6

Shifted Gears

2011-01-12T20:24:00.000-08:00

The little wrider and I were about to head out the door and run errands this afternoon when I happened to glance at the thermometer. The forecast had been for single digit highs most of the week. I don't do much riding with the little guy when it is that cold, but I have found we can comfortably head out for an hour+ when it is in the teens. The thermometer this afternoon was 15deg and climbing, with lots of sunshine.

It was decided that we would delay our errands and head out for a ride. As you might have guessed it was a good choice.

Happy and cozy in his trailer

It's been a while since it snowed, so the trails are smooth and fast

January sunshine on the mountains.

Couldn't quite make it. Had to walk the last part of this hill.

I love this stretch of birches

Winter sunset in the woods

Post ride rosy cheeks

It's How I Keep Away the Crazy

2011-01-12T00:11:00.000-08:00

10:35-11:08 pm. Wagon wheels. Icy and fast.

Maybe I Can't Have it All

2011-01-10T21:02:00.001-08:00

We had ourselves an excellent holiday season around here.

We had the good fortune to receive Wideloaders for the the Dummy and a bike attachment for a Chariot trailer we picked up a while back.

I put the Wideloaders to use on a grocery run the other night and they didn't disappoint. The next afternoon temps were in the teens so I decided to head out for a ride with the Littlewrider. I figured I'd leave the Wideloaders on and just hook up the trailer rather than take them off and reinstall them later. . . . apparently that isn't an option.

It seems the wideloader and the arm of the trailer need to occupy the same airspace.

Fortunately it took only a moment to remove the wideloader, and we were off for our ride.

Dude sang and babbled in the trailer until he fell asleep. It was nice to ride trails for over an hour with the little man cozy in his little trailer.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-26T00:46:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!

I'm Pugsley sitting while Allman is out of town. I snuck out twice today. Tonight I rode for an hour at -5 after the rest of the house went to bed. Once I got to trailhead it was 95% winter singletrack. Here's a bit of what it looked like:

Screen shot

2010-12-06T02:14:00.000-08:00

Here is what a good portion of my evening looked like.

Making plans.

It will be more work than fun, but I'll be sure to make it plenty of fun.

How Low Can You Go?

2010-12-02T00:58:00.000-08:00

When I rode home this evening the temperature was 1 deg F. Pleasantly cold in my opinion, but not really a temperature where I particularly enjoy fiddling around with bike issues.

When I went out to the garage a few minutes ago I noticed my front wheel looked like this:

I have been experimenting with really low tire pressure lately (often 10-17psi) , but this was a bit much. I'm guessing I pinch flatted when I was jumping berms the snowplows so kindly left blocking the bike path. I'm just glad I didn't have to fix it mid ride.

I just bought a new patch kit at the shop on Monday, somehow I miss placed the 3 or 4 patch kits I already own. Guess I get to put it to use.

-bike wrider

Black (and white) Friday Ride

2010-11-26T13:49:00.000-08:00

It is Black Friday and I decided to employ some good judgment and stay the heck out of the stores today. I'll do my Christmas shopping later, most likely at the last minute, thank you very much.

6" of fresh snow and sunshine. Had a brief window of opportunity while Little wRider was down for a nap so I went for a ride.

Here's a bit of what it looked like.

Trails were soft, but ridable.

A small dose of winter sunshine

That wasn't there yesterday.

Problem solved.

Thanksing Giving Day Ride

2010-11-26T00:15:00.000-08:00

We had a bunch of friends over for a little Thanksgiving brunch/ quasi-competitive rally in the woods. After a week of sketchy, and downright dangerous, icy conditions we got some much needed snow. Came down heavy and wet for the better part of the day.

The race began with a mass start from the garage, and descended into further ridiculousness from there. Good times were had by all.

This is what Thanksgiving looked like outside my house.

Fat jug of juice on a fat bike.

When the start of a race looks like this you can pretty

much guarantee a good time.

And they're off!

This race was kind of an adventure race, alleycat, poker run, scavenger hunt, brevet, event.

Just doing what it takes to win.

It snowed almost all day. This is what it looked like
on Allman's ride home.
(photo by GSC)

Danny MacAskill: Way Back Home

2010-11-16T17:12:00.000-08:00

Saw some sneak peak clips for this a while back. What can I say? It is like he has super powers. . .

thanks EB

Ready

2010-11-12T23:34:00.000-08:00

I think I'm finally ready for winter. Which is good, because it has been here for a couple of weeks already. I'd done enough to deal with winter, but I wasn't all the way ready.

Today I got three sets of tires swapped out for studs. Two bikes worth and the truck.
Just in time too, apparently. When I took the studded crosscheck out for a ride I was doing some swerving and weaving to test the old studs out. I didn't bite it, but I was getting more sliping than I would like. Then I watched my neighbor slide right past the intersection to our 'hood in his diesel dualie. I put a boot down to test the road conditions, and sure enough, the little bit of freezing rain that was coming down had turned everything into glare ice. GUess I have to give the cheap old studs on the cross check more credit than I wanted to.

Got studs on Mrs.'s single speed, the cross check and the truck. Thought that was going to be the end of it. Then Cousin RyeN mentioned that he had some cheap 26" studs lying around, if I was interested. Looks like the Dummy won't be getting much time off this winter. That's fine by me.

-Bike Wrider

Need a Fix

2010-11-09T11:38:00.001-08:00

I need a fix.

And I don't mean a fixed gear, although that wouldn't be bad either.

I haven't ridden in a couple of days. I threw the studded tires on last week and had a couple of sloppy, snowy rides before the weekend. Since then I've gotten out for a little skiing with the little dude, so I've managed enough exercise to keep myself sane, but I haven't ridden.

I'm finding myself a little extra stressed and edgy today, not usually my style. Sure there are all the usual stressors going on, and the days are getting short and dark, but I'm pretty sure that what I really need is just a few minutes on a bike and I would feel a whole lot better.

Looking forward to this afternoon's commute.

Madsen

2010-11-09T00:06:00.000-08:00

So before we bought our Dummy these guys really had our attention.

Fair price for an urban hauling machine. I could get into a lot of trouble if I had a giant bucket with me at all times when I rode.

Ultimately we got a good deal on the Dummy and were more keen on having a cargo bike that was very offroad worthy. Otherwise we'd likely own a madsen.

Sam Hill & Thomas Vanderham

2010-10-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

b

These guys ride fast. . . like world champion fast.