Public Works????

Get ready for it.....

Coming this summer!!
If it's really not here already

For Sale in Calgary Right Now

Somehow not very tempting

Hauling bike

My buddy Cory stopped at my office just before lunch to let me know there were some bikes sitting at the recycling yard. So, hop on the Xtra and off we go to check it out.

Found an APOLLO with decent vintage components. What caught my eye? The Nitto handlebars and MKS clip pedals missing the straps. These pedal look brand new, as well do the drop bars.

Front wheel into the side-loader, 1 bungee cord, and this thing hauled the bike flawlessly. I could have carried this thing all over town like this. I always thought it would work, but never this good. Sweet!

The steel lugged frame is actually quite large, so I might turn this into a fixed gear gravel bike. We'll see.

Cory Sporting his hauling set up and his new bike

I just got back to the office and my wife called telling me my neighbour (who just so happens to work at the recycling yard) is holding onto a bunch of 'really nice bikes' so who knows what else awaits me. I keeping hoping that one day, an old lady will be cleaning out her garage and find an old track bike and bring it down.......

Dahon Fixie

This one is for Vik! Check it out. Dave Mahan built this fixie out of a folder. This is very, very tempting to me. The idea of a folder is one that just keeps on temping me. While I think my preference would be for a Tikit, based on Vik's experiences. I do think Dahon fixed folder would be super, super sweet. This would almost make business travel something to look forward to. hmmm....

2006 Specialized Allez for Sale

UPDATE: In a last ditch effort to sell this bike, price reduced to $1000.00.

It's a 2006 56cm Allez Comp Gerolsteiner Edition

Shimano 105 Groupo

Carbon seat stays, carbon fork with full carbon steerer and carbon seat post. Fork, stays and seat post have Zertz elastomer inserts to help kill road buzz.

Mavic Aksium Mavic Racing wheels with aero (flat) 14 ga spokes

The bike has less than 800miles on it and is in excellent condition. I bought this bike new and have babied it like crazy. Pedals, and seat bag not included with the bike.

I paid $1950.00 for this bike and I am asking $1150.00

I have no clue what shipping would cost, but if you are interested, let me know and I'll give you the cost. Unlike the wonderful world of eBay, shipping charges to you will be the shipping charges that show up on the package. No fees on my end.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments. JeromebikeATgmailDOTcom.

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

I did something I've never done before....I sold one of my bikes! Oh the humanity!!

In wanting to expand my bike collection into a more purpose-built style of bikes - read snowbike - I sold my trusty Iron Horse Warrior. This was the first bike I ever bought new. Why would I sell it? Well, last year I used it once and that was camping with the family. I think I rode it to a Lions meeting last fall too. I don't ever get out to single track, ride gravel or role long excursions in the mountains. The truth of the matter is, I didn't use this bike anymore. So, why not let someone else enjoy it?

I put it up on Kijiji (the greatest classified site ever!) and I had emails and calls like crazy. Had to email 4 people back to tell them it was gone!

I sold it to one of Calgary's finest, a firefighter! Chris is a really great guy who will be using the bike to commute 17kms to work and back! Sweet!

He came out to our shop in Strathmore and we went for a test ride in the shop. I was all going good until about 80ft. snap. What the heck???? The derailleur hanger snapped off! Oh crap. Talk about feeling bad. I had no idea that it was even fatigued at all. I've never hucked, or trashed. But snap! I can only think it was because of maybe having pressure on it while riding in the back of my truck, or the kids stacking logs against it while camping?? I have no clue. But, in some ways, I guess that the beauty of the replaceable derailleur hanger. I could see this thing getting hammered if I were jumping, or grinding handrails. I wish I could do that stuff, but I can't. Weird.

Anyway, I knocked 100 off the price and we loaded it into his truck. I hope he can find a new part easily in Calgary. I told him that if for any reason he can't, just let me know and I will fully refund his money. Man I feel bad. Anyone have any experiences with these derailleur hangers snapping??

I'm gonna miss that bike!

Beard Stays!!!

Please, don't make me shave tonight!

In true hockey fashion, I shaved the day my team The Calgary Flames, played their first playoff game. No shaving until they win, or are out. This is called the playoff beard.


Tonight they play game 6 against the San Jose Sharks, and their down a game. IF they loose, their out. If they win tonight, the winner of the next game goes on.




GO FLAMES GO!!

Yard House was Good

Nice little trip to San Diego. Ended up having to stay an extra day. Hit the yard house, had some Hef. My buddy Cory (I intend to do a introduction post) but I've mentioned him once before, got hit by a car last week. Luckily it wasn't very bad, just ran over the front wheel. She ran a stop sign. Cops were good about the whole thing and so was the lady. It was a bike that he found at the local recycling yard that she wrecked (I've done a lot of wrenching on his bike and it wasn't that great of a bike for sure) and she took him to Canadian Tire and bought any bike he picked out. That's what I call good people. Obviously that wouldn't cut mustard if she ran over a bike that was actually bought in a bike shop, but believe me, his new bike is a huge step up for him.
Other than that, we've got more snow here! Supposed to be all weekend and next week too. Crap! Oh well.

My friend Vik finished his 2nd Strathmore 200K Brevet (I was thinking of doing this with him, but it just didn't happen) and you can check out his report here.

Bianchi is up for sale and 4 people want to take a look.....more money for something else bike, but what???

Cheers.

Bianchi For Sale??

Okay, I'm not going to lie, this was actually my first real ride of the year. Terrible isn't it? Sure I'm on my bike very often, but for the last several months, it's been short trips here and there. I checked the weather last night and the low was only to be plus 6! I figured with temps like that, there is no excuse for not riding. I woke up and it was 0. Close enough. I loaded up the Bianchi, slapped on the B-17 and off went...

I'm not sure what it is about this bike, maybe I should try again once I get back into shape, but I can't seem to move with any amount of speed on this rid. It's not a racing bike and I don't expect that of it. But, it took me 2 hours to get to work this morning!! 26 miles, 2 hrs. That's slow! I started thinking about his bike and where I was positioned on the bike, what my legs were doing and I think this bike is just too small for me. Last year I ordered a Nitto long reach stem, putting myself in a more upright rando style of riding. I thought this bike could be the perfect diamond frame commuter. When I am sitting on the bike, my head is right over the headset and that's without leaning forward at all. The seat post is jacked as high as I can safely go and I've come to the conclusion that this bike is just too small! It just doesn't feel right, no matter what I do to it. My other diamond frames I can get set up so they feel right in a matter of several miles, not the B.

I hate to think that and I think it's taken me so long to finally admit it because the idea of a nice touring/commuting Bianchi was an idea that I just loved. Too bad so sad, reality rules.

Having said all that, it was a great commute. Always is. Lovely watching the sun rise, birds sing, deer running across the road. The season is upon us!!! I'm going to eat it up.

Cheers.

The Yard House

Click pic to see their beer menu.

I'll be there next week! Yeah.

Lunch time Obsession

Respect

For those who live in places where they have to put up with crap!

Seen over @ Bicycles and Icicles.

New Ratio

I've decided to change the gearing on my fixie. Riding a fixed gear bike takes more dial in time and you may just find yourself messing with ratios for a while. I was previously running 45/16, which was perfect for when I built the bike. It was a flat commute for the most part without much stopping and starting. I tend to prefer to spin out a gear rather than power through it at a low rpm. I'm a high cadence guy.

Since I'd moved, I've ridden the fixie very seldom. I did about five 26 mile commutes last summer and after each one I kept telling myself I needed to change the gearing. I've got quite a few nasty hills between here and there. The last 26 mile commute I did on the fixie I decided it was enough. Standing up on the hills, so exhausted I was simply flopping my body weight on the top of the stroke and when I hit the bottom, muster up the strength to do it with the other leg. Well, it might not have been that bad, but it sure felt like it.
I've decided to make a significantly large change, by going one tooth bigger in the back. I say this is a large change, because if you're trying to fine tune your gear ratio, you would probably mess around with the front chain ring, rather than the rear cog. When I was running a 45/16 had 75.94 gear inches per revolution of the wheel. Now, with a 45/17 set up I've only got 71.47 gear inches. 4 gear inches per crank revolution makes a difference!

I'm interested to see how this new setup works.
I do have a bike repair stand, but I'm getting to be a wuss about working out in a cold garage.

Long Exposure Time