Riding a bike every day, is a grand thing. Some rides are short, some are long, but the fact that I am now getting out a least for a bit everyday is fantastic. Since I’ve moved to Strathmore, I’ve commuted to work by bike every day. Mmm, mmm good.Monday, June 29, 2009
Ride.......every day!
Riding a bike every day, is a grand thing. Some rides are short, some are long, but the fact that I am now getting out a least for a bit everyday is fantastic. Since I’ve moved to Strathmore, I’ve commuted to work by bike every day. Mmm, mmm good.
You've only got 1 day off. Make it a good one.
That was my motto yesterday. After putting 25hrs in at my day job, and somewhere around 50 hrs at my Rockyford house this week, I needed to take at least one day off to rest. Besides, it’s biblical.
I wanted to just hang out with the family and do whatever the day would bring out way that was fun.
We started off with a walk for us/bike ride for the boys to visit some friends
Here is my oldest getting into the racing mind set. Everything is a contest to two brothers.
Here is my youngest on his run bike. He can actually motor really well on this thing. Even picks up his legs for short spells. I think these are definitely the way to go to teach children how to ride bikes. Came home. Grabbed a picnic lunch and went to the park for a few hours. Came home, kids had a nap, my sweet wife and I enjoyed a little reading on the porch in the sunshine, and then the kids got up again and we went for another bike ride.
Came back, re-organized the bikes (now with my little 1 year old birthday girl in the chariot) and headed out on the 3rd little bike ride of the day. My oldest (4) is getting quite confident riding his bike. He’s having a blast too. He can even manage to control his speed on hills now, instead of crying and walking the bike. One great thing about being back in Strathmore, is the network of bike paths that are highly underutilized. I haven’t brought all the bikes from our old house to our new house yet, so I ended up lowering the seat on my Rockabilly Boogy and my wife rode that, and I rode the LHT. My little girl sang her little la la la songs the whole time we were riding. I think that’s a good sign that she enjoys cycling also.
I wanted to just hang out with the family and do whatever the day would bring out way that was fun.
We started off with a walk for us/bike ride for the boys to visit some friends
Here is my oldest getting into the racing mind set. Everything is a contest to two brothers.
Here is my youngest on his run bike. He can actually motor really well on this thing. Even picks up his legs for short spells. I think these are definitely the way to go to teach children how to ride bikes. Came home. Grabbed a picnic lunch and went to the park for a few hours. Came home, kids had a nap, my sweet wife and I enjoyed a little reading on the porch in the sunshine, and then the kids got up again and we went for another bike ride.
Came back, re-organized the bikes (now with my little 1 year old birthday girl in the chariot) and headed out on the 3rd little bike ride of the day. My oldest (4) is getting quite confident riding his bike. He’s having a blast too. He can even manage to control his speed on hills now, instead of crying and walking the bike. One great thing about being back in Strathmore, is the network of bike paths that are highly underutilized. I haven’t brought all the bikes from our old house to our new house yet, so I ended up lowering the seat on my Rockabilly Boogy and my wife rode that, and I rode the LHT. My little girl sang her little la la la songs the whole time we were riding. I think that’s a good sign that she enjoys cycling also.I finished the day off with a pint of liquid gold in my new Bow Cycle beer glass. My parents just bought some nice bkes from Bow ( myDad got a Cannodale 6 and my Mom got a hand made titanium Merlin - contrary to my recommending a nice steel Rivendell or Surley or something "better". - okay, I can live with my moms Ti bike, but full carbon??? Come on Dad) and Bow gave them a set of beer glasses and a beer pitcher. My parents don't have a refined pallet that apreciates a good beer, so they gave the set to me. yeah.
I love days like yesterday. In my mind, that’s what the weekend was made for.
I love days like yesterday. In my mind, that’s what the weekend was made for. Thursday, June 25, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
I debranded the LHT.
Well okay, that is a lie on two parts. First being I still have decals on the LHT. Second being they have virtually been taken off via Photo shop, but not by me. I received a comment on a previous post this morning, and good man Cycle Jerk sent me a photoshoped picture of my trucker sans decals. Looks pretty good. He is thinking the same thing that it seems like a lot of us LHT owners think, remove the decals! Maybe..... Mine will probably stay for a while yet. Maybe until I get some nice steel fenders, or a few more classic looking parts hung on the frame. Right now, it looks too much like a budget utilitarian touring machine to get all worked up over the decal astetics.And Thanks Cycle Jerk for sending this through. I don't think of you as your namesake might suggest. Cheers.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Snow biking in the Czech Republic
Rules for Selling your Bike
This morning I found this ad on Calgary Craigslist. Very well put, and needed to be said. Good for a laugh too.
PLEASE NOTE: This probably doesn’t apply to you. But some sellers need to have a good long look at this. Everyone has the right to sell their bikes for whatever they want, but those who do not know what they are talking about need a sanity check. Granted, I know the economy is bad and you might have found a “jewel” in the rough - but for crying out loud, do some research beforehand. The following is an elementary guide for those of you who are absolutely clueless about your garage sale or thrift store finds:
1) Just because your bike was made in Europe doesn’t mean you’ve got a winner. They made a lot of junk, too.
2) A low end bike that was $97.00 in 1976 is not, magically, worth $400.00 now.
3) Adult bikes do not have goosenecks.
4) If the chain is conspicuously rusty and kinked in the picture, nobody is going to fall for your claims of “mint condition.”
5) If you get asked how many speeds it has and do not know nor care, pull your ad. Immediately.
6) Telling us that you found it in a barn is not a rationale for overpricing it.
7) Take OFF the $10 price tag from Goodwill before you take your Craigslist picture and ask $250 for it.
8 ) “Light and FAST!” . . . Ok, if you say so.
9) Not everything with those kooky, curvy handlebars is a race bike.
10) Neither is a race bike “improved” by flipping those curvy handlebars upside down.
11) Don’t be offended if someone offers you an insulting amount that is far less than you want for your bike - they’re just smarter than you.
12) Don’t get ticked off if someone low-balls you when you state “make offer” in your ad. You asked for it.
13) Tires are tires and wheels are wheels. These terms are not interchangeable.
14) Breaks should be referred to as “brakes”, petles or petals as “pedals”.
15) Your bike was not made by Shimano, Suntour, or Campagnolo. I know you saw that name somewhere on it, but just trust me on this one.
16) Vintage implies it was worth something when it was new, otherwise it’s just OLD.
17) High tensile steel - yeah, they put a sticker on the bike that says it but I wouldn’t be bragging about it.
18) Go ahead and repost that 10 speed Huffy every week - no one will tire of its charm. If you’re willing to endure the humiliation, we’ll be there for you until you reach your target market.
19) ALL CAPS DOES NOT MAKE IT A BETTER BIKE.
20) Pictures of the LEFT side of the bike aren’t worth much of anything, nobody can see the drivetrain. All things considered, perhaps you’d rather want to hide it anyway.
21) Blurry pictures add a negative symbol to your price tag.
22) If you steal someone else’s photos (not the manufacturer’s) from the web and use them to represent your own bike, you are absolute scum.
23) “Suitable for fixie conversion” doesn’t make a POS frame any more valuable. For that matter…WHAT makes it suitable?
24) If you think your bicycle is worth a four figure sum ($x,xxx), the LEAST you could do is to spell the brand and component names correctly (eg. Trek, not treck; Schwinn, not shwin; Campagnolo, not Campagnola; and Shimano - not shmano, shimono, or shamano)
25) Include the size of the bicycle! No, it’s not the tire size. It’s measured from the center of the cranks (the big sprocket) to the top of the seat tube (before the silver or black post that holds the seat [saddle].) It needs to be in either inches or centimeters. Both if you are nice.
26) NEXT, Magna, Huffy, Roadmaster, and Murray are NOT highly-respected brands. Get over it.
27) Taking a nice multispeed road bike that was posted here two days ago for a reasonable price raping it of all good derailleur parts, making it a single speed with a $22 Chinese bmx cog from performancebike.com does not double or triple its value or make it a “race bike” or “fixie”.
28) There is no such thing as a road mountain bike
29) Just because you are selling it for a friend doesn’t make you an expert if you are not
30) If you don’t list the brand and it is unreadable in the photos, we will assume it is a POS
31) Research the going price of your bike before posting
32) Just because it cost a lot 10 years ago when it was brand new and you have barely rode it, doesn’t mean it is worth 50% + of new price (see #31)
33) Just because you bought it within the past year doesn’t mean someone is going to pay close to what you paid, especially if the new model years are coming out and yours is now discounted
34) Don’t use terms you do not understand - if it does not have rear suspension, it is not full suspension
35) Proofread - I have never seen a bike measured in feet but I’ve seen a lot of 26′ bikes posted
36) If it is a *mart bike and you just paid to have it “tuned up”, you probably just wasted your money as the tune up was probably more than the bike is worth
37) We don’t want to call for basic information you should have posted or to have you send us pictures
38) Don’t sell a used helmet unless you really did just buy it, otherwise it may have been crashed and is a safety hazard
I hope this has cleared up some things for the cycling-challenged sellers .
PLEASE NOTE: This probably doesn’t apply to you. But some sellers need to have a good long look at this. Everyone has the right to sell their bikes for whatever they want, but those who do not know what they are talking about need a sanity check. Granted, I know the economy is bad and you might have found a “jewel” in the rough - but for crying out loud, do some research beforehand. The following is an elementary guide for those of you who are absolutely clueless about your garage sale or thrift store finds:
1) Just because your bike was made in Europe doesn’t mean you’ve got a winner. They made a lot of junk, too.
2) A low end bike that was $97.00 in 1976 is not, magically, worth $400.00 now.
3) Adult bikes do not have goosenecks.
4) If the chain is conspicuously rusty and kinked in the picture, nobody is going to fall for your claims of “mint condition.”
5) If you get asked how many speeds it has and do not know nor care, pull your ad. Immediately.
6) Telling us that you found it in a barn is not a rationale for overpricing it.
7) Take OFF the $10 price tag from Goodwill before you take your Craigslist picture and ask $250 for it.
8 ) “Light and FAST!” . . . Ok, if you say so.
9) Not everything with those kooky, curvy handlebars is a race bike.
10) Neither is a race bike “improved” by flipping those curvy handlebars upside down.
11) Don’t be offended if someone offers you an insulting amount that is far less than you want for your bike - they’re just smarter than you.
12) Don’t get ticked off if someone low-balls you when you state “make offer” in your ad. You asked for it.
13) Tires are tires and wheels are wheels. These terms are not interchangeable.
14) Breaks should be referred to as “brakes”, petles or petals as “pedals”.
15) Your bike was not made by Shimano, Suntour, or Campagnolo. I know you saw that name somewhere on it, but just trust me on this one.
16) Vintage implies it was worth something when it was new, otherwise it’s just OLD.
17) High tensile steel - yeah, they put a sticker on the bike that says it but I wouldn’t be bragging about it.
18) Go ahead and repost that 10 speed Huffy every week - no one will tire of its charm. If you’re willing to endure the humiliation, we’ll be there for you until you reach your target market.
19) ALL CAPS DOES NOT MAKE IT A BETTER BIKE.
20) Pictures of the LEFT side of the bike aren’t worth much of anything, nobody can see the drivetrain. All things considered, perhaps you’d rather want to hide it anyway.
21) Blurry pictures add a negative symbol to your price tag.
22) If you steal someone else’s photos (not the manufacturer’s) from the web and use them to represent your own bike, you are absolute scum.
23) “Suitable for fixie conversion” doesn’t make a POS frame any more valuable. For that matter…WHAT makes it suitable?
24) If you think your bicycle is worth a four figure sum ($x,xxx), the LEAST you could do is to spell the brand and component names correctly (eg. Trek, not treck; Schwinn, not shwin; Campagnolo, not Campagnola; and Shimano - not shmano, shimono, or shamano)
25) Include the size of the bicycle! No, it’s not the tire size. It’s measured from the center of the cranks (the big sprocket) to the top of the seat tube (before the silver or black post that holds the seat [saddle].) It needs to be in either inches or centimeters. Both if you are nice.
26) NEXT, Magna, Huffy, Roadmaster, and Murray are NOT highly-respected brands. Get over it.
27) Taking a nice multispeed road bike that was posted here two days ago for a reasonable price raping it of all good derailleur parts, making it a single speed with a $22 Chinese bmx cog from performancebike.com does not double or triple its value or make it a “race bike” or “fixie”.
28) There is no such thing as a road mountain bike
29) Just because you are selling it for a friend doesn’t make you an expert if you are not
30) If you don’t list the brand and it is unreadable in the photos, we will assume it is a POS
31) Research the going price of your bike before posting
32) Just because it cost a lot 10 years ago when it was brand new and you have barely rode it, doesn’t mean it is worth 50% + of new price (see #31)
33) Just because you bought it within the past year doesn’t mean someone is going to pay close to what you paid, especially if the new model years are coming out and yours is now discounted
34) Don’t use terms you do not understand - if it does not have rear suspension, it is not full suspension
35) Proofread - I have never seen a bike measured in feet but I’ve seen a lot of 26′ bikes posted
36) If it is a *mart bike and you just paid to have it “tuned up”, you probably just wasted your money as the tune up was probably more than the bike is worth
37) We don’t want to call for basic information you should have posted or to have you send us pictures
38) Don’t sell a used helmet unless you really did just buy it, otherwise it may have been crashed and is a safety hazard
I hope this has cleared up some things for the cycling-challenged sellers .
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Harkening the days of my childhood
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
RB Commuting
I've got a coffee time meeting with a friend this morning and I'm bringing the coffee. The perfect bike for this is my Electra Rockabilly Boogie. 3spd internally geared hub and a coaster brake make carrying coffee and doughnuts a snap. Both feet comfortably on the ground while stopped, the Rockabilly was made for this!
24" X 3" Fatti-Os roll smooth over all types of terrain. Lay some killer skid marks too!
24" X 3" Fatti-Os roll smooth over all types of terrain. Lay some killer skid marks too!
DIY Seat Cover
It was a little rainy yesterday afternoon on the way home. I was completely unprepared, but it really didn't matter. In fact, I don't think I'll be taking rain gear next time they forecast rain either. It kind of feels like when I was a kid, to get all wet in the rain and not care a bit.
I was glad I had the fendered Trucker today. I do hate getting a dirt spray line on up my back.
We recycle plastic bags in the lunch room at work. I tagged into the stash and protected my B-17, as well as my tool roll. Worked quite well.
Anyone can ride a bike in the nice sunshine, but a commuter rides in all weather. Mmmm, good times.
I was glad I had the fendered Trucker today. I do hate getting a dirt spray line on up my back.
We recycle plastic bags in the lunch room at work. I tagged into the stash and protected my B-17, as well as my tool roll. Worked quite well.
Anyone can ride a bike in the nice sunshine, but a commuter rides in all weather. Mmmm, good times.Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Summer riding. Short trips in business attire and coffee in hand. No sweat shall break. Just good practical commuting. Totals a measly 11 miles a day, but those 11 miles are free. I beat a car home yesterday, which has me convinced that it’s actually faster for me to ride my bike than drive a car. Although, when I beat the car, I actually did break a bit of a sweat.
Switching up between the fixie and the Trucker. All good times. I (heart) riding my bike every day.
Switching up between the fixie and the Trucker. All good times. I (heart) riding my bike every day.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
IBOBs
Sometimes, I think the iBOBs must just love to listen to themselves talk. I guess that's the problem when mailing lists get too big. There is little that most are interested in, and much that a few are interested in. I used to subscribe to the postings, but when 1 out of 40 or 50 a day are actually interesting to you, you're waisting your time. But, there are some serious bike nerds handing out there.......and the odd thing can be learned I suppose. If you've got time, it could be worth it:
Jeremy Goertz
Jeremy Goertz
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Fixie Redux
After hauling all the boxes from the garage into the basement last night, I decided it was time to set up the fixie for the short urban jaunts that she'll be used for now. This included a small french style bar I found off some junk bike (nice aluminum, more upright and very comfortable) and removing the rear rack and the front brake and bike computer. I'm still waiting to get to the other house to pick up the skinny tires, as I won't be needing my slush/gravel treads for a while.
fixie having breakfast with me in the new kitchen
nice and narrow, and very comfortable
nice and narrow, and very comfortable
Monday, June 08, 2009
Ah it feels good....
....to be back commuting by bike.
We moved into our new home last Friday. I was in Philadelphia for business earlier in the week, and lost several days for working on finishing up the bathroom.
With moving all this past weekend, I'll be taking some day off work later this week to get the other house ready for renters.
But, I've got my fixie at my new house (none of the other bikes have made their way there yet) and she's rolling nicely to work now. At a casual pace, I can make it in six and a half minutes. Feels good to get to a lifestyle less reliant on cars.
Speaking of cars, the Marlin is being picked up tonight by a Gent from Saskatchewan, and the cavalier will be sold a little later on in the week. Much going on, but it's for the better.
Ride yer bike! I'll be riding mine.
We moved into our new home last Friday. I was in Philadelphia for business earlier in the week, and lost several days for working on finishing up the bathroom.
With moving all this past weekend, I'll be taking some day off work later this week to get the other house ready for renters.
But, I've got my fixie at my new house (none of the other bikes have made their way there yet) and she's rolling nicely to work now. At a casual pace, I can make it in six and a half minutes. Feels good to get to a lifestyle less reliant on cars.
Speaking of cars, the Marlin is being picked up tonight by a Gent from Saskatchewan, and the cavalier will be sold a little later on in the week. Much going on, but it's for the better.
Ride yer bike! I'll be riding mine.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
More renovations
I started on our bathroom renovation over the weekend. Need to have it done before our tenants move in on the 17th. Plus, move into our new house on the 5th, and I've got a few business trips in between. Time lapse photography does a good job of depicting the speed at which I need to be working right now.
Bathroom is officially out of order.
At the end of the weekend, this is what my bathroom now looks like. 
Bathroom is officially out of order.
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