cyclofiend

Bay Area Bike Theft Victims Band Together

2013-02-22T10:30:00.000-08:00

This one from a story by KPIX Channel 5 -

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=8386459

One slightly "optimistic" bike owner (at least as far as a rack which "can't be moved"), and there's no way that a 12 year old Bianchi CDI (which sold for under a grand when new) is worth "several thousand dollars" - honestly, $300 would be about right for one.

I wish they had given a bit more detail about the bike theft reporting websites. So, here's that info:

bikesheapherd.org
http://www.bikeshepherd.org/stolen-bike-recovery.html

google groups Bay Area Stolen Bikes
https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/stolen-bicycles-bay-area

flickr pool - "Bikes at Bay Area Flea Markets"
http://www.flickr.com/groups/bicyclesatbayareafleamarkets/

east bay bicycle coalition's theft page
http://www.ebbc.org/theft_prevention

plattyjo's good blog post with more info
http://www.plattyjo.com/2012/12/cracking-down-on-cycling-crime-the-san-francisco-police-departments-bicycle-theft-workshop/

FOCC Update - China Camp State Park

2013-02-21T12:27:00.001-08:00

There had been quiet and quick construction around the arteries of China Camp State Park of late. Weird little solar-powered boxes and new signs. All of which burst to life a week or two ago, jostling anyone who entered the trails for some spare change.

By the time these had appeared, I was already in possession of my FOCC (Friends of China Camp) Annual Pass - available here - of course, the first few times I hit the trails, the pass was sitting safely on my desk at home... thank goodness I had a smartphone image of it on hand.

Paying for these trails brings up a host of thoughts, of course. But, with the recent California budget crunches, one of the options which was being considered involved closing State Parks. Which pretty much sucks. And is probably reasonably unenforceable for a lot of geographical reasons. I mean, if you have no one on the payroll to patrol the park, how are you going to keep people out? Fencing is not cheap, and would probably cost more than the operating budget of most parks.

What happened at China Camp State Park has been reasonably well documented - here's an early article from 2012 in the Marin IJ - http://www.marinij.com/novato/ci_19931946 - and the newest edition of marinbike.org's Pedal Press has a decent overview article starting on page 10 (pdf download).

But it comes down to a pretty simple test - the trails are open, accessible and funded.

Yay, FOCC!

Two Brooks Blogs With a Rivendell Twist

2013-01-25T13:25:00.000-08:00

Ha - I seem to be on a Rivendell-referencing jag of late, but hey - when you are retuning and laying in a base, it's best to go with the proven...

Anyway -
For your Friday amusement, a couple of links to the Brooks Saddles (& Stuff) Blog -

Grant Petersen – “Short Rides Beat Long Rides”

Photo - courtesy of Reno Rambler

blog.brooksengland.com/wps/grant-petersen-short-beats-long/

"The most underrated ride in all of cycling is the shortie, the opposite-of-epic neighbourhood ride that beats walking but doesn’t make you sweat or hurt. The kind of ride kids and non-cyclists do out of need; the kind of ride you gave up when you got serious and came under the influence of racing."

(original and complete article)

And I was much chagrined to see that I had missed this event in its entirety. But, other things were happening through December which had my attention. But, I did enjoy this vicarious evening at Huckleberry in S.F.

Dashing Bicycle Show, San Francisco

Grant Petersen holds forth before the gathered throng at Huckleberry Bicycles

Grant Petersen of Rivendell Bicycles was on hand to fill in the blanks at Huckleberry Bicycles
The Brooks Dashing Bicycle Show kicked off this past December in San Francisco, California with an evening party at host shop Huckleberry Bicycles, bringing together a group of stylish, functional and unique brands from all over the world to showcase the finest in urban and transportation cycling.
Photo by Matthew Reamer, courtesy of Momentum Mag.

(original and complete article)

Jay Bird Films: Rivendell People

2013-01-17T12:45:00.001-08:00

Nice film from Jay-now-of-Arizona-who-used-to-be-Jay-At-Rivendell. Jay Bird Films presents "Rivendell People". Nice use of about 30 minutes of your time. GP called it a "Rivideo"...

Rivendell People from Jay Bird Films on Vimeo.

RBW Pubic Bone Height Measurement How-to Video

2012-11-05T09:59:00.000-08:00

Another in the low key and totally cool series of Rivendell instructional videos.

Wonderful music, stylin' graphics... The only sad thing (well, other than lacking a professional voice actor) was that the famous RBWHQ&L stump did not get a starring (or even a walk-on) role... Ahh well!

Enjoy!

Grant Petersen and "Just Ride" Talk - This Sunday

2012-06-06T13:31:00.004-07:00

For those of you who missed it, Grant Petersen (of Rivendell Bicycle Works) recently published a book called "Just Ride: " He's been on a bit of a whirlwind book tour through several states, but has returned to the San Francisco Bay Area and will be speaking at the Warming Hut on Chrissy Field (near the Golden Gate Bridge) this Sunday, June 10.

It should be an enjoyable opportunity to meet and hang with one of the folks in the bicycle biz who has an astute sense of design, history and need.

For more information -
http://www.parksconservancy.org/events/retail/meet-the-author-grant.html

To Buy the Book -

http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/bo17.htm

Publisher info -
http://www.workman.com/blog/tag/grant-petersen/

San Francisco Randonneurs June Populaire - This Weekend!

2012-05-29T08:42:00.003-07:00

Wow! Where did the time go? This Saturday, June 2nd is the (hopefully rain-free) running of the San Francisco Randonneurs' Summer Populaire.

Owing to rain, the March 31st Populaire had a small, but very enthusiastic group of riders. To share the enthusiasm under potentially better weather, the SF Randonneurs added another Populaire on June 2nd.

Please consider joining SFR for the Populaire on Saturday, June 2nd. If you haven't ridden with us in a while, this is the perfect opportunity to rejoin us. If you are looking for a ride to keep your momentum going between longer rides, this ride is perfect and will still leave you most of the afternoon for other events. Come on out and join us, and bring a friend or two.

Newcomers to brevets and randonneuring more than welcome as well! You'll seldom find a nicer group of folks with whom to while away the time. It's a great way to learn about brevet cards and controlles and route finding/following.

Registration can be done here: http://sfrandonneurs.org/registration.htm#

or here: http://sfrandonneurs.org/assets/downloads/brevetentry.pdf

Large Stolen Bicycle Cache Recovered

2012-05-26T09:55:00.001-07:00

If you know anyone if the SF Bay Area who lost a bicycle, you might point them over to the SFPD's Ingleside Station site - Over 115 stolen bikes were recently recovered. Photos of bikes have been posted.

See here for details:
(images of bicycles have been compiled)

http://www.inglesidepolicestation.com/#!__bike-recovery

from Captain Daniel Mahoney, Ingleside Police Department:

"First of all--hope everyone has a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend.

Please be advised that as a result of more excellent investigative work on the part of Sergeant Josh Kumli, we have recovered over 115 bicycles from a residence in the Bayview and two storage lockers in Oakland.

I have all the recovered bicycles posted on the ingleside website and if anyone can find/identify their bike, I would like to return it to them. If you can advise your community groups, that would be great. "

So - check out the images and spread the word!

Giro di Pacifica Signups Now Open

2012-05-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a ride that may not be on your radar - the Giro di Pacifica.

Giro di Pacifica - main page

On Saturday, July 28 you can enjoy gorgeous scenery, excellent support and a wide variety of routes - perfect for families riding their first even or seasoned cyclists seeking an all day challenge. As more of a North-Bay-centric rider, a lot of these roads are new to me, and the ride raises money (and awareness) for Parca - celebrating its 60th year.

Here's the kicker - register online before May 28th and receive $10 off the fees. So, what are you waiting for?

Meditations on Motorism

2012-05-23T10:06:00.003-07:00

In the middle of retiring the old computer upon which all of the Cyclofiend.com submissions and content resided. Which means while I wrangle the data and tame the new digital device, I need to rely upon others for content. The quality of this article makes it easy - especially while Bike to Work Day is hopefully still on everyone's mind.

http://www.themorningnews.org/article/how-to-not-kill-a-cyclist

The article is not quite as inflammatory as the headline would suggest. And please, I know that there are a ton of very oblivious cyclists out there. But, the stakes are high. Those of us who use a bicycle for daily transportation don't have the luxury of replacement body panels and a respray, should we get tapped. Clearly, there are responsibilities for all parties, and may everyone live to a ripe old age.

Video, Oh Video, Oh Have You Met Video?

2012-04-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I had one of those chance moments when a good friend and trusted mentor pulled me aside to pose a simple idea and ask a core question.

Anyone who knows me at all also understands that when I use the word "simple", I ascribe only the highest value on that. To be able to distill things to their simplest form embodies art. It is not easy to cut out the unnecessary and hone in on the core elements.

The idea itself is a bit frightening and challenging. But, as I wheedled it further in my brain and tried to relate it to my wife, the strength of the idea remained. And so it still does this morning.

One of the aspects is video, which got me prowling back through CX race stuff I'd cobbled together a few years back -

With work constraints over the past couple of years, I haven't been out at the CX circuits rattling cowbells and tripping over barriers, but this little clip really reminded me what crazy fun that stuff is.

I'd actually posted these over at Vimeo originally, but that was years ago (does the internet age 10 years for every human year?) and I must say that the youTube is a bit cleaner now in the way it loads things. Glad I'd stuck a backup copy over here.

Anyway - may the Jam and the footage start your week off right!

SF Randonneurs Populaire - This Saturday!

2012-03-28T09:04:00.000-07:00

With a fair degree of trepidation - potentially challenging weather is not a problem, but I'm definitely still a bit under-miled... Ahh well, how can you not get excited about a ride when it has such great artwork?

The artwork is by Alice Stribling, which can be viewed in its original form (but seemingly not linked to or downloaded) here.

Anyway, the San Francisco Populaire rolls north from the Golden Gate Bridge at 7 am this Saturday - check in and/or sign up is required, so don't show up at 6:59 - the hearty band of randonneurs will be rolling north to Pt. Reyes Station for the first controlle, then heading back down to Crissy Field for a triumphant finish. The SF Randonneurs website has more info.

The Populaire is a great way to feel out the idiosyncrasies of brevets and randonneuring. It introduces the format of non-competitive self-sufficient distance riding, and uses control cards and time limits like the longer rides. For more general information, see the RUSA.org website.

Hope to see you there! Please mock me gently as I suffer up the hills.

Singlespeed Tuesday - 5 "New" Entries

2012-02-28T12:36:00.000-08:00

"New" in quotes because I'm sure the folks who sent in these fine images have all but given up hope that their submissions would ever see the light of day. To further mock my efforts, the five singlespeed bicycles which got posted today precisely equals the total number of singlespeeds which got added to the Gallery in 2011. But, hey, as I said, it's time to just keep taking small bites and pedaling...

#331 - Cat Daddy's Specialized Hardrock
This one catches my attention for three reasons -
First, there's something wonderful to my eye about a large-tired rigid fork mountain bike from the early 90's. In the days before suspension became prevalent, the design teams focused on getting the best out of the a simple system. The frame tubes were not overwhelmingly huge or formed and the lines remain clean and strong. The Hardrock wasn't as fancy as it's sibling the Stumpjumper, but a lot of the differences at this point had to do with stem size/angle offerings and componentry - the Hardrock was a tremendous value.
Second, it's one of the types of bicycles which I actually lament not having nabbed when I worked in the industry (actually, my specifically egregious failure to snap up an amazing value was not getting one of the last steel Stumpjumpers - we had bought the last of the runs of these maroon, rigid-forked models which IIRC was destined for the European market. But, I digress). When the quality steel mtb's started to dwindle, most of us just didn't notice - overcome by lust for titanium, exotic aluminums and the just-appearring carbon fiber.
Third, Bill managed to get his neighbor's rescue dog into the final photo. Now, I ask you, how can you not feature an entry which does that?

New Entries to the Current Classics Gallery -
#330 - Shawn Mullenix's Schwinn Continental
#331 - Bill/Cat Daddy's Specialized Hardrock
#332 - Kenny Sargent's KHS Urban Soul
#333 - Laurent Savard's Cambio Rino
#334 - Brad Ingermann's Schwinn World Sport

Current Classics Gallery Updates

2012-02-25T00:07:00.000-08:00

Cyclotourist's Rivendell Road
One of the more prolific photographers of "ride shots" has got to be Cyclotourist - aka Dave in Redlands. He's one of the few folks who has actually made me mildly nostalgic for the winding fire roads in the Southland (that's the greater Los Angeles area, for those of you who aren't familiar with the term). If you haven't run across his images on Flickr, you owe it to yourself to follow his stuff.

He's also managed to put together some very appropriate bicycles - finding some truly pristine examples of early Rivendell models. Here, he shares his Road model.

The "Road" was made during the first generation of Rivendell models. I'm currently developing a bit better documentation of bicycles from this period. The Road model arguably became the branch which begat the Rambouillet/Romulus, then the Hilsen. At the time the Road model came out, finding decent reach brakes was an exercise in NOS patience - the commercial offerings were pretty minimal. But, even so, this bike was spec'd for maximum clearances with the components at hand, and staked out the idea of good clearance, stable and versatile "road" bikes that didn't need to stay on pavement.

New Entries to the Current Classics Gallery -

#839 - David Horne's Mario Vicini
#840 - John Tsataros' Schwinn World Tourist
#841 - Ted Town's Gardin
#842 - Robert Hill's Raleigh Professional
#843 - Cyclotourist's Rivendell Road

Kickstart / Restart

2012-02-16T15:32:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned over on the Cyclofiend.com blog, this past year (2011( was going to be a crusher, with things getting exponentially complicated as the year drew to a close and shuffled through January. I pedaled my way through it and seem to have popped out the other side.
Now it's time to attend to all of the odds and ends which have accumulated around here.
Order of Business #1 - Cyclofiend.com T-Shirts:
I've got a few left in all three styles. I think for this year, it's time to redo the most popular design (which was, hands-down, the original "One Cog - Zero Excuses") in a new color. And while we did sell through most of the other two designs, they were a bit more sedate in their sell-through, and thus will be retired.
So - if you've been hankering for a new t-shirt and aren't looking for 2XL or Small, there's something for you here. (I've reworked the buttons and they seemed to work correctly, but if paypal insists on adding shipping, I'll refund it as soon as I process the order.)
Order of Business #2 - Galleries:
Backlog, Backlog...who's gotta Backlog? Yep - that'd be me. I have a chunk of images from 2011, and even though the Galleries have been dormant for way too long, folks have continued sending photos and descriptions of cool rides my way. My plan is to take small, regular bites beginning soon. So "Thank You" for your patience, and an even bigger thanks to those who had sent in images.
Order of Business #3 - Ride More
Yeah, that one's kind of for me. Last year was a little underwhelming, mileage-wise, and as the final bits of mywork project played out, I had to quit cold-turkey in mid-December, not clambering back aboard until the beginning of this month.
Yikes!

Suffice to say, it was good to pedal again.
Here's to more, soon!

Queueing Up

2012-02-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

Well now, that was quite an effort for the past couple months. The specifics are immaterial, though I may dig into them a bit more completely on my Cyclofiend Ramblings blog. Suffice to say that we've reached the last control in a long ride, and I've sat and rested a bit. It will take a while before I've worked the kinks out, but I'm easing into a pretty significant backlog of images and submissions to the Galleries.

There are a number of projects on the Cyclofiend.com site which have lain quite dormant over the last year or so, and I've leafed through notes and scribbles, emails and messages which relate to tweaks and revisions.

Before I delve into all of that, I just wanted to thank those of you who took the time to email or ask if things were going OK. Thank you too for the donations and support of the site while there was little visible activity.

I'll roll out a little easy this week, try to set a reasonable pace, and see where it leads me. Thanks for reading!

Quick, Short Update

2012-01-06T06:59:00.000-08:00

I'd mentioned this in passing over on the RBW Owner's Group list which I moderate, and just wanted to clarify the status of this blog, and the Cyclofiend.com site in general. The galleries on the site have been reasonably dormant this year, and a number of people have taken the time to email to find out the status.

The short answer is "Yes, things will continue in the Galleries and on the site in general".

Unfortunately, work demands have been significant this year (both voice work and day job), culminating in a pretty full month here in January. After that, it looks like things will be a bit more balanced, which should mean - well, after I get my own mileage back in order - that I can again dig into the backlog of submissions for the galleries.

To be honest, there are over 50 bikes which have been waiting, gathering digital dust on my hard drive, so there are plenty of new bicycles to enjoy. Hang in there!

If you have been one of the people who's bicycle I haven't yet gotten to - thank you for your patience! Things should start rolling again in February.

Current Classics - Raleighs and More

2011-07-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

Four Of A Kind - Well, four Raleighs out of seven new entries to the Current Classics Gallery - I guess that would make a good poker hand. It's always funny how these things work out sometimes. But, the interesting thing is what a variety of models have rolled out of Nottingham. (And if you want more background info on Raleigh - AASHTA - http://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/history.html)

But, even with all of these Raleighs, it's hard to pass up showcasing a classic Bridgestone MB.

Jim Roselle's Bridgestone MB-5
I've got a soft spot for the MB series - it was the first Bridgestone which ever rolled through my life (a purple MB-3, if you are keeping tracking) and it is still a bicycle model which has a perfect mix of style and performance.

The late 80's/early 90's mtbs are certainly some of the best riding 26" trail bikes. Responsive and stable, quick and lively. I'm lucky enough to have an MB-1, and everytime I hit the trails on mine, it reminds me how well realized this series of mountain bikes was.

Jim's photo of his really captures the spirit of far horizons and wonderful trails.

New Entries to the Current Classics Gallery -

#833 - Michael Hensley's Raleigh International
#834 - Jim Roselle's Bridgestone MB-5
#835 - Branko's Raleigh Grand Prix
#836 - Michael Baczkowski's Raleigh Touring
#837 - Dominique Fernandes' Centurion Accordo RS
#838 - John Bunnell's Raleigh Pioneer Trail 2000

Four Current Classics for a Four Day Week

2011-07-05T22:39:00.000-07:00

The process of organizing and cleaning up can be a little ugly - found a nested folder on the computer that had a bunch of things which folks had sent in late last year, that "I was gonna get to..." but didn't. Within that unremarkable digital repository is a goodly chunk of cool bicycles. I may end up threading them into the newer submissions, or just try to do those sequentially (which may in turn build up the backlog for more recent entries.....) We'll see.

Again for those of you who have sent stuff in and have yet to see it represented, patience please! (And Thanks! - both for the images and descriptions and for the patience!) Hang in there, subscribe to the feed and enjoy these fine bicycles.

Nick Roth's Schwinn Superior

Along with the early Trek bicycles, another set of bicycles which I've always secretly lusted after has been the fillet brazed Schwinns. This under appreciated segment of Schwinn's lineup seems to be largely unknown to folks. It first caught my eye when I read about them on Sheldon Brown's site - in Mark Rother's article posted there.

Now, certainly, I like lugs. But, there's something really beautiful about a fillet brazed frameset - a smooth, seamless quality to the work that flatters the elegant simplicity of a bicycle frame. The Schwinns such as Nick's Superior just seemed like really undervalued framesets.

Hopefully (since we presumably ride in the same county) I'll cross paths with this bicycle one day - but in the meantime, enjoy these images of this bicycle.

New Entries to the Current Classics Gallery -
#829 - Nick Roth's Schwinn Superior
#830 - Gernot Huber's Raleigh Woman's model
#831 - Angus Lemon's Rivendell Atlantis
#832 - Tyler Los-Jones' Miyata 1000

Three for Thursday

2011-06-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

I know everyone is hunkered down, trying to get out of town for the big holiday weekend, but if you have a moment in your busy schedule, please enjoy these three fine examples of Current Classics. A fine example of a Japanese-crafted lugged frame, a venerable Bridgestone design (with it's hallmark of extreme versatility) and a Trek from the classic period of US framebuilding.

It was really hard to pick one to highlight, so I finally just tossed my three-headed dart (or was that a three-headed coin? Anyway...) and came up with Randy's Trek.

Randy Pugh's Trek 620

Randy has three other bicycles in the Gallery (Randy's Trek 1500, Trek 600, Trek 660) - all Treks and none made from carbon. I've mentioned in more than a few posts and online commentary that the early Trek models are one of the bikes I've never had but always wanted to own. Good, simple, smart builds, with attention to detail that isn't obsessive. This one is from the "ideal" period and has a lot of the details which really make it prime in my mind: the "marquee" decal design (with the contrasting background wrapping around the tube), the externally routed rear derailleur cable (for a while they put it through the right chainstay), and the excellent clearances and braze-on's.

A useful and versatile bicycle. Great to see it being enjoyed!

#826 - Vann Hughes' Bianchi Professional
#827 - Matthew Dearing's Bridgestone MB-1
#828 - Randy Pugh's Trek 620

Five Singlespeed Bicycles

2011-06-27T07:22:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've shown up at a group ride well after the time agreed upon, only to find that everyone waited rather than just rolled out. A little shame, a bit of embarrassment. That sort of thing. Suffice to say that if you are among those who have patiently waited for new updates, or the few who took the time to send a polite email, I truly appreciate your patience.

While there have been a number of internal updates and pruning of the underbrush, this is the first Gallery update of the year. As you might guess, there's a pretty decent backlog of images, and a few submissions from later last year which got stuck on a hard drive for a while. My plan is to hunker down, take small bites and keep chewing. We'll see how that works out.

So... with no further delays. Here are five singlespeeds for your enjoyment.

Three of the five are Raleigh-labeled, which should not really be a surprise given the length and reach of that particular bicycle crafting dynasty (even more). In fact, I have a Raleigh in the rafters, though it's most likely destined to becoming a grocery/farmer's market bicycle - might end up as a singlespeed, but I digress.

Philip De Ritis' Gazelle

Philip De Ritis' Gazelle on Cyclofiend.com

Now "Gazelle" is not a brand which you encounter quite so frequently - at least stateside. It's one of those brand names, like Ibis and Kestrel, which embodies speed and nimbleness. In my mind, there's something very art deco and 1930's about those names - in the sense of appropriate imagery and dynamic claims.

In addition to some very dramatic images, Peter has built up this frame using a strong "early days of cycling" aesthetic - "scorcher" style handlebar setup, stripped down components and a beautiful polished look to the parts. There's a lot to catch your attention with this bike, and it looks like it would fit in rolling slowly along a promenade or heading for the horizon at high speed kicking up a cloud of dust.

New Entries to the Singlespeed Gallery -
#325 - Richard Sheets' Raleigh
#326 - Peter Van Dine's Bianchi
#327 - Leon's Retro Raleigh
#328 - Philip De Ritis' Gazelle
#329 - Scott Taylor's Raleigh Sportif

A Good Helping of Current Classics

2010-11-26T09:13:00.000-08:00

It's much safer to stay out of the post-Thanksgiving retail scrum and enjoy some great looking bicycles. Between gorgeous images of pre-fall mountain bike vistas and the details of resurrections and renovations which are contained within this batch, my hope is that you'll find some enjoyment and respite from the pending holiday craziness.

Eric Bagdonas' Miyata Ninety Mixte

Mixtes seem to be enjoying a bit of quiet resurgence. Appearing in more advertisements and articles to be sure, but it does seem as though I'm seeing them more frequently on my commute and locked up around town as they quietly go about their day being useful and stylish.

Starting with a well-rendered Miyata mixte frame, Eric has created a sure-footed, weather-resistant bicycle for real world use on the streets of Portland, OR. It's funny to consider how many features I would have poo-poo-ed a decade or so ago - basket, fenders, IGH (Internally Geared Hubset)... indeed, the very notion of a "drop-bar" bicycle itself. But, now, there it is, with just enough glimmer and glint from the silver fenders to catch your attention as it goes about its way each day.

New Entries to the Current Classics Gallery -
#817 - Bob Hague's Motobecane Grant Touring
#818 - Justin Becker's Rodriguez Tandem
#819 - Kevin Mulcahy's ALAN Guerciotti CX/Road
#820 - Tris' Fort Touring Audax
#821 - Michael Kullman's Surly Karate Monkey
#822 - Don Genovese's Rivendell LongLow
#823 - Nick Roth's Raleigh Commuter
#824 - Mauricio Orantes' Trek 1500
#825 - Eric Bagdonas' Miyata Ninety Mixte

Singlespeeds For a Short Week

2010-11-22T08:58:00.000-08:00

Everyone is supposed to be tying off work quickly this week and gathering for contemplation around an unfortunate bird. Which means you're probably stuck in some airport, listlessly overhearing folks complain about the TSA intimate frisking they just endured. Hopefully, the addition of eight new entries to the Singlespeed Gallery will help you divert your attention to something fun and healthy...

It seems to be getting more difficult each time to choose one entry to highlight, mostly because each and every bicycle has something unique and intriguing about it. This selection of single speed bicycles is particularly diverse - including purpose built commuters, repurposed mountain bikes, and stripped down road machines. The wonderful thing is that these bicycles are all getting enjoyed and used now.
In the end, the nod went to a fine example of early mtb history...

Jeromy Hewitt's Fat Chance Buck Shaver
As I've mentioned before, it was from the writings of Mike Ferrintino back in the inky newsprint pages of California Bicyclist that first made me aware of single speed cycling. At that time, I recall thinking "why would you want to get rid of the gears?"

But, somehow as I read through the article, in which he talked about the weight which would be jettisoned and the simplicity which would be attained, there was an attractive kernel of resonance. At that time, even seeing a singlespeed was a rare thing.

Since that time, I've always thought of mountain bikes first when someone spoke about singlespeeds. On the roads with a single geared setup, you do sometimes have to accept the multi-geared folk whisking past you now and again, when you are spinning along at just under the butt-bumping cadence. But, on the trails, there's that sublime flow and near-silence, the simplicity of knowing that speed comes only from effort, and momentum must be maintained.

The Buck Shaver came from the east coast, and was a move to bring out a less expensive offering from the workshop of Chris Chance and company. At the time, hard to remember now, there was the talk of "east coast geometry" - a tighter wheelbase and sometimes higher bottom bracket which gave those relatively unknown bicycles kind of a bad rap out where the sun set. We liked our 44" wheelbases and slack-angled frames.

Of course, looking at that bicycle now, none of that comes to mind. The Fat looks like a lean and ready trails machine. The TIG-welded steel and jaunty straight fork promises nothing other than a ready companion to help you get lost on the trails for hours.

Additions to the Singlespeed Gallery:
#317 - Allan James' Schwinn World Traveler
#318 - Vince Santiago's No Name Singlespeed
#319 - Guiseppe Rosalia's Assiolo
#320 - Lee Chae's Rivendell Quickbeam
#321 - Jeromy Hewitt's Fat Chance Buck Shaver
#322 - Mark Elam's Schwinn Moab
#323 - Gilles Landry's Raleigh
#324 - Joe's Univega Viva Sport

Also, there were some Updates to these previous entries:
CC #656 - Don Genovese's Miyata 1000 Touring
CC #654 - Randy Pugh's Trek 1500

Catching Up - CX, Working Bikes & Updates

2010-11-21T15:21:00.000-08:00

Finally put on the headlamp, took a shovel and pick, and started digging into the morass of confusion which are the "Updates & Revisions" to previous gallery submissions. At some point a year ago, I figured out something clever, then promptly forgot about it until a few months back. By then, things had gotten relatively confused and out of synch, so I've had to chip away the grunge and refind them. Which has occurred. So, here's the first batch:

Singlespeed Gallery Revisions:
John Busteed's Rivendell Quickbeam
Jim Mather's Rivendell Quickbeam
Gary Passmore's Trek 420
Joe Huddelston's Nishiki Sport
Bert's Bianchi

Current Classics Gallery Revisions:
Mark Rosenberg's Rivendell Road
Stu Wemhoener's Raleigh Resurrectio
Stu Wemhoener's Burley Tandem
George Dickerson's Motobecane
Robert Hill's Richard Sachs #16

So, if you sent in a Revision to a previous Gallery Submission, hang in there! I've got them queued up and am starting to move through them. (And if you are thinking of sending in a Revision or Update, please take a second to reference the Gallery Number of the original submission - that helps me find it more quickly.)

In the past week, there were also updates to the Working Bicycle Gallery and the CX Bicycle Gallery.

Working Bicycle - Daniel Dahlquist's Robin Hood

Now, I'll admit that I've kinda got twin top tubes on the brain - with the evolution of Grant Petersen's Rivendell Sam Hillborne, Hunquapillar and Bombadil models all acquiring additional and entirely non-trendy tubing. When they've appeared on various bicycle designs, whether taller framesets or more load-bearing-oriented models, I've tried to consider what the tube does, how it does it, and how it will be viewed in another 5 years or so.

Needless to say, Grant is not the first frame designer who has taken this approach. This laid-back Robin Hood brings a stylish sweep to the genre of Working Bicycles. Robin Hood was a brand originally acquired by Raleigh back in 1906, and was part of their bicycle manufacturing empire.

Here, Daniel has added a stylish front Porteur-style platform rack and simple but functional VO chaincase. The additional racks allow him to use this as a camping bicycle, and it looks like it's ready to roll out into the woods.

Additions to the Working Bicycle Gallery:
#130 - Daniel Dahlquist's Robin Hood
#131 - J. Tackett's Trek Loaded Fuel 80
#132 - Lee Chae's Kogswell P/R
#133 - Robert Clark's Brompton

CX - Kevin Mulcahy's Bruce Gordon Rock-n-Road

Bruce Gordon has been steadily designing and building bikes for over a quarter century. He has always crafted framesets which were more than happy to roll offroad, or carry whatever you asked of them. Whether passing out pocket protectors with the phrase "Bruce Gordon Cycles - Where the Touring Nerd is King!" or engaging in the Interbike pranksterism which was SOPWAMTOS, he was making quality bikes when most people didn't care or notice, and every current builder owes him an acknowledgment of thanks.

Ooops - how did I end up on this soapbox...

Anyway, this Rock-n-Road has all the aspects of what I like in a CX bike - a stripped down robustness, the clearances which can only be found in a steel frame and an understated finish. Plus, there's a chicken on the stem. Can't beat that!

Updates to the Cyclocross Bicycle Gallery:
#64 - Esteban Diaz's Trek 700 Conversion
#65 - Kevin Mulcahy's Bruce Gordon Rock-n-Road

A Set Of Current Classics from A Couple Weeks Back

2010-11-15T07:35:00.000-08:00

Missed getting this posted when I made the last round of updates - ahh well.... better late than never, eh?

Martin Gierke's Trek TX500

Martin's Trek TX500 hails from the time when frames were steel and designs were versatile. Yes, the heady days of 1977 when punk rock was slipping into people's awareness and the Talking Heads were just an obscure art band with a day-glo cover album out. Regardless of the musical tides of the time, the renovation of this bicycle today is really gorgeous.

Starting with the proud simplicity of the frameset, Martin has chosen some very tasteful current parts from Paul Components, Sugino and Honjo to come up with a build that is truly timeless - the epitome of the ideals which started this collection of "Current Classics".

Truly a pitch perfect example, and one of the reasons that I always seem to have "Steel Trek frame, pre '83" on my want list of bikes.

Additions to the Current Classics Gallery -

#808 - Ray Shine's Rivendell Bleriot
#809 - Michael Hechmer's Bilenky Tandem
#810 - Even Elliots Univega Viva Touring
#811 - Jan Levine's 3Rensho SR Export
#812 - emor's Univega Grand Rally
#813 - Jason LePree's Rivendell Rambouillet
#814 - Jason LePree's Carrera Andromeda
#815 - Lee Hogan's Paramount PDG
#816 - Martin Gierke's Trek TX500