redefining myself

as a minimalist.

as something I've been thinking of, and oddly enough was inspired first in my thoughts about my bicycles. I have removed 3 pick up truck-fulls of junk from my house in the last month. I finally pulled the plug and rid 3 bikes from my collection. I tossed 4 bike racks tonight whilst weeding though the useless tubs of parts I've been hoarding for the past few years.

Less is most certainly more.

Simple living is highly under-rated and completely out of comprehension for North American culture as a general whole. Yay be it as such, simple living is ridiculously freeing and a wonderful means to live by.

less stuff = less organization required.

Friends, I've even gone so far as to throw away a cabbage patch kid I've had since I was 3 years old. Fairfax Bouris was his name. A little black cabbage patch kid my grandma gave me for Christmas. I went everywhere with that doll. Hmm...... quite the stuff to confess for an aspiring, burley, bike commuting, beard wearing dude. The point is, there is much that has made up who I am. None of which are objects. All of which are thoughts and ideals.

My core beliefs remain, however the thought process that I used to believe in, the idea that the value of a memory was in the object that wrapped that memory, is false. The value of a memory is the memory itself. Objects that we associate the memory with, are quite useless and in many (dare I say most) cases.....junk.

My strive now is to enjoy the great memories that life affords us, while making new ones, and realizing that stuff is just stuff. Useless objects that we simply don't need and cause us frustration and chaos.

Enjoy right now, the people that are in your right now, and make it great. Reflect on the past great moments that have made up your life. That's what I'm talking about.

Back on the Bike

After a little hiatus, it's nice to have a bike parked in the empty office below mine again. Gear update: while in Great Falls, I found a great deal on some Ergon GP1s. I had a set of these babies on my snow bike, and forgot to swap them out when I sold it. That was my first experience with the GP1, and oddly enough, they came on a bike of a guy who was sponsored by Ergon. Dave Nice.

I had thought that set up would be a progression of tweaking mid ride, and it still may be, but form my initial time spent holding onto these things, the just feel good. On a flat bar, I would highly recommend these grips, or even similar designed ones, over standard round grips. These just feel so much better. The pressure on your hands is noticeably spread out over a much larger contact patch and result is great. Two thumbs up for sure.

From the Beer Club Archives

Ah, this was a gooder. Slightly snappy, but still smooth. A fine brew indeed.

(irrelevant edit: this is the 2nd post on my macbook pro. PS, make the switch. You'll never miss a PC again!)

Cobwebs form

A little quite around here the past week. There is a reason that will account for this.

First, after my close call on the fixie, I had a second encounter with a nasty grumpy driver. Apparently he didn't like that I was trying to use some of the same roadway as he was, and rubbed me out. An evasive move turned into a short cut, only to find myself in front of diggleberry, in a left had turning lane. Now, when you've got to make a left had turn, and there is a designated LH turning lane, there's not much you can do but be in said lane to make the turn. Even while on a bike.

After he was done playing chicken with me, and for some reason I wasn't scared, I turned around and motioned to the guy, "what are you doing?" Later on I met up with him at the next set of lights, where of course he was waiting. He rolled down the window and said he was going to call the police. As soon as those words came out of his mouth, his face changed, as he recognized me. I'd hired his company to do ninety thousand dollars worth of excavation work when the company I work for was building a new manufacturing facility. That was my project, and I personally signed his contract.

I told him that most certainly him calling the police was a great thing to do and that it would save me the hassle, and when they contact me, I'll let them know what actually happened. I thanked him for saving me the time, and called him by his name as I mentioned that he just picked up a stick that he will wish he had just left on the ground.

After a long morning of trying to get a hold of him (I continually got hotter and hotter as the day went on) I was unable to reach him. Finally I called his office and left a message that if I didn't here from him by the end of the day, I would go directly to the police, rather than listening to his side of the story first.

He called at about 5 am the next morning. He left a message as I was in the shower.

Now, I was in a much better head space at this time, and not mad in the least. I reflected on my situation and realized that indeed, I was alive and well. Sure he was pretending he was going to run me over, and in a sense messing with my very life, But, right now, I've got a day full of potential ahead of me, and he's still an asshole.

I opted out of taking further action, and resided my anger to replace it with something a little more productive. The fact of the matter is that the world is full of idiots. They're everywhere. What's more, you can't change that. No matter what. All you can do is decide how you will let these idiots affect your day. You are responsible for your actions, and dare I even say, your attitudes. Yes my friends, it's true. It's a terrible thing to let someone dictate that you are going to have a bad day.

Now, with that long winded account out of the way, the story to the title of this post is still to come. I haven't blogged here much lately, because I haven't been myself lately. I haven't been myself lately because I haven't ridden my bike lately. I haven't ridden my bike lately because of what you have just read.

Yes, I didn't think it would be true, but I do think that I am a little afraid. Two close calls in less than two weeks? Sad to say it, but I actually had to fill up my truck on the way to work this morning. We all succumb to actions and ideals created out of fear, and I just needed a little time away from the bike. That time is almost up.

Now, I miss it terribly, and it's nagging at me every time I put on my light, style-over-function jacket, instead of my not so trendy but warm northface. I look at my winter hat and gloves when I leave in the morning, and I wish I were putting them on. But I don't. I just head to work in my pickup.

Tomorrow we are heading to Great Falls MT for our annual shopping/pseudo-family reunion trip. I'm stoked to be getting away and we always love this trip.

I'm also looking forward to getting home, and riding my bike to work again.

Cheers.

Tempted

As if you can resist this type of temptation. One for the bicycles.

Injuries sustained during ping-pong

The matches betweens the Canadians and the Czechs are getting pretty intense at coffee break!
www.jeromes-bikes.blogspot.com

Fendered and Lit

Fixie getting ready for the slop. Now studs yet, but the fenders came in handy this morning. Light was proven inadequate; had a very close call this morning. Situation that was unavoidable, but somehow I came out. Probably 4" from my back tire. Would have been a side on T-bone, and I wouldn't be posting this right now. Still doesn't seem real to me.

While it lasts

Seeing as the season is changing, and soon riding a slick-tired brakeless fixie won't be an option, I figure I should get out on it while I still can. I love the hand-less view of this bicycle

Seem to have a thing for panda shots lately...
ONE SWEET RIDE

hhmmmmm....curious?

KM Pseudo-conversion

The process, while it might end up being slow, has begun on setting up the Karate Monkey as a more commuter friendly bike. First step? Platform Pedals. I’ve choosen a set of Konas with a nice wide platform and removable allen screws for extra grip. Why did I choose these? Well, just because they were cheap. Nothing in the parts bin was well suited to the task, and since in the middle of the winter I’ll probably be wearing full fledged winter boots, I wanted something with a very large platform. These

should work well. Next on the list? Fenders should be the next upgrade. Those will most likely need to be ordered online, as I’ve searched a few local bike shops and no-one carries any full coverage fenders for 29er bikes. Headlight, flasher front and rear are already in place.

Oh what fun indeed....

1 less minivan

As seen on the 12hrs blog, loaded with 2 hockey bags, to hockey players, and 2 big smiles! These things make everyday things like hockey practice for my 5 year old way more fun! Good conversation between father and son. I even put a little ding ding bell on his stoker bar. It's his job to ring it when we're coming up to vehicles. This is the stuff that great memories are made of, and I'm soaking it up! Live simple, live well.

LHT with a Basket up front

Now that the herd is being culled, it's time to play, alter and adjust the setups of the select few.

I've wondered about a basket for the front of the trucker. A few quick (and reversible) mods to the Wald, and some zip ties, and we have our testing ground. Test results didn’t really surprise me, but I was hoping for better. With any significant weight in the basket, the bikes handling is significantly compromised. To the point that I had a close call this morning while trying to avoid a puddle of water. Should this area of the bike be a place where I really want to be able to haul stuff, a few fork with more rake would be a wise investment. By that point in time, maybe a Kogswell P/R with the corrected fork rake would just be easier.

But, this was just a brief little test, and now I know. LHTs handle fine with panniers mounted on either side of the wheel and down low. Not so fine with loads mounted up above the wheel. Would have been a great, practical and dare I say……….stylish option for carry things. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Cheers.

Buy an Xtracycle, get a free mustache!

Sorry, couldn't help but put this up.

Mustache Through History (final) from Nate Byerley on Vimeo.

Winter Commuting Decisions

I’ve been doing some thinking lately, and I’m questioning some of my approach to winter cycling. After recently building up the MUTT, I wondered if this is the correct approach. As I ride that bike, there is much of it that I question, much that I’m not too fond of, and it kind of got me to thinking…….is it better to keep your “good” bikes nice, un-ridden and make them last forever. Or is it best just to ride your bikes and if they wear out, replace them with new bikes?

Obviously I’m not talking about super high end, racing bikes. My “good” bikes are pretty plain, simple, steel bicycles. Ie: Surly Long Haul Trucker, Surly Karate Monkey, my Xtracycle and my Fixie.

Now, I have giving the fixie a pretty hard smattering of nasties and slop. I could re-install the brake, and add some studded tires, and this might be a great option for a winter commuter. I’ve got a Paul rear flip-flop hub that I don’t want to waste; but then again, wouldn’t a Paul hub stand up better to being used in real life than a less expensive hub?

My LHT; this bike would probably not be my first option as a winter commuter. It’s got some serious gearing, most of which is un-used while commuting, and the more gears, the more damage caused by salt and grime. The dynamo head light would be nice, but this bike is one that I actually don’t know if I would want to ride in the snow. It’s a touring bike, not one that would be conducive to riding with both feet out to break a fall if things get hairy.

My Karate Monkey; here’s one that I’m seriously thinking about using for winter. The single speed drive train is what’s wanted for grime and muck, the disc brakes also will save heavy rim wear that happens with the salt and dirt used in the winter, and the big tires would be a huge benefit. Planet Bike Cascadia fenders are available in 29er size, and I am a huge fan of these fenders since putting them on the Xtracycle.

Part of this is also driven by the idea of simplifying every aspect of my life. First of all, I’ve got 3 bikes that are kind of junk bikes, but for some reason I keep them. I could save space in the garage and basement if I just got rid of them. Also, I spend time and money (while it may not be much, a little on each bike adds up over time) and all these bikes. I think about the money and time I spend on “junk” bikes, and wonder what I could be upgrading or tweaking on a bike that’s half decent to begin with. Sure, my bikes won’t last as long if they’re exposed to salt, and dirt, sand and all the rest that comes with winter commuting; but, how much time are we talking? Would a Surly steel framed bike last 5 years with proper maintenance and care? Would I mind upgrading and buying a new bike when anyone of mine actually wears out? No, not at all. These are not collectors pieces, they are real, practical, and tough bikes that are meant to be ridden and could be bought over again if needed.

Here is what I’m thinking for my commuter setup:
· My fixie with studs, a front brake and a basket, and full fenders for the icy and sloppy conditions.
· My Karate Monkey with fenders, leave the stock 29” X 2.3” tires on there, and ride this on days when there’s snow melting, or when there is deep snow to contend with.
· My Xtracycle with the snow studs off of MUTT, for days when I need to haul stuff. Well, maybe for most days. I just like riding the Xtracycle for some reason.

The idea being that between the fixie and the KM I’d be covered for the “bad’ winter conditions. I’d have my Xtra for hauling in any weather and I’d still have my LHT for days when all is dry.

I’d like to hear your thoughts. Do you have any insight you could share about using good bikes for bad weather, or if you think it’s worth just using beater bikes like the MUTT? What’s your winter setup?

Cheers,

Another 12hrs in the books

Check it.

12 hours up and rolling again!

Tomorrow is the big day. If you want in on the project, let me know.

Details can be found here, and it's a blast. Even if we dont' quite get you added as a contributor by tomorrow, you can participate, and upload as soon as we get you on the list! Good times.

What a Mutt

I present to you my winter beater. This is the ugliest bike I've ever owned. I king of like it though. If it were stolen, I wouldn't be upset, and the parts are all those of which I am willing to sacrifice to the act of winter commuting in snow, slush, slop and salt. Single speed is a huge bonus for the nasties. Winter here is brutal on a bicycle. We winter cyclist must give up the desire to ride on fine bicycles, enjoy the use of high quality components, and simply come to terms with riding bikes that look like they've been cobbled from the scrap heap. At least that's my take on it. And I mean really, it take 10 minutes maximum for me to get to work. Do I want to destroy my nice bikes, or am I will to have ride junk. I'll ride junk, and leave the nice bikes for nice(r) bike rides.

Schwalbe Snow Studs back in action. Going on their 4th winter. I think this will be the last season for them, if they last all the way through. The studs are seemingly recessed, and they are not as effective as they were when they were new.

Cockpit is pure function. Some old bar/stem combo that's been in my parts bin for a year or so. Why I don't know, I guess I was saving it for this winter.

Selle An-atomica Saddle was a gift from good man Vik. I need to talk to Vik about this. I'm finding that the sides of the leather are pressing into my legs, and it is very uncomfortable after about 5 minutes. Might be a slightly different setup required for the SA, and it might be the fact that this saddle has reached the end of it's usable life, and the tensioner bold only has about 1/4" left until it's maxed.

Also from Vik, and idea. Pop-bottle mud flap. Adds to the ghetto-bike look, and as tested this morning, it's highly effective. Slush and slop everywhere, feet dry and clean. Sweet.

Photogs love Xtracycles.....

This morning I woke early, to try a few shots I'd been thinking about. The Xtracycle is the perfect vehicle for this. When I arrived at the place where I wanted to do the photos (it was outside) I was already in the environment. I was already familiar with the location. I imagined what it would have been like if I drove a vehicle, and then opened the door and stepped out into the cold morning air.

Somehow, I feel like I had an advantage this morning. Kind of hard to put a finger on it, but you can hear everything, you’re far more aware of what’s going on (if anything) at the location, and you make much less noise getting there, so as to not disturb any animals or other people there.

Xtracycles and photography mix very nicely.

Theses were some long exposures that I wanted to try. I was trying to make myself look like a ghost. I even hauled that old prop suitcase in my Xtra. These were simply edited for color in lightroom. No photoshop trickery. It's amazing what can be done when you use full control of the camera.

The shot of the Xtracyce was a 30 second exposure. I took of my planet bike 1W LED head light and used it to "light paint" the work Xtra. Took a few tries, as I was facing the camera and had to write it backwards in the air. I covered it up in the palm of my had while switching between motions. It's so weird to think that I was in front of the camera, writing Xtra in the air with a flashlight, and you can't see me at all. Long exposures are fun! You should try them.

Sooner than I had wanted.

It's -3C outside, wind chill making it feel like -14C. Looks like I should get my winter beater together sooner rather than later. Awk.
www.jeromes-bikes.blogspot.com

The history of my Xtracycle: a brief run down

Since this bike is now in it’s 3rd iteration, I thought I would quickly run through where it’s been, and how it came to where it’s at.

I first received my freeradical bolt-on kit from my sweet wife for Christmas, 2007. By the end of Boxing day (returns day to my American friends) it was put together and I took it out for a test ride. At the time, I was living in Rockyford Alberta, and I worked in a combine repair shop, literally 1 block from my house. I was building an office building (all by myself, and I even designed the trusses, layout, every aspect of the building). After the design was done, I built the thing myself, inside of a shop. When it was -30C outside, I was sure a spoiled ‘framer’ to be inside a shop with in-slab heating. During this time, I used my Xtra to haul my tools between work and home. I had a crazy home renovation going on at the time, and needed my tools in both places. I could carry some significant loads of tools with me on the Xtra. Only rarely would I have to use my pickup truck. The few times were when I was hauling my table saw and air compressor, and other really heavy stuff. Essentially, I was contracting with my Xtracycle as my truck.

Now, while I didn’t log too many miles on the Xtra, I did use it every day, and it saved huge wear and tear on my pickup truck.

One issue I had with the Xtra in this configuration was that the donor frame was really too small for me. It was originally my mom’s bike, and a decent Trek Antelope Cro-Mo frame, but simply too small. After I started working back at my other (and current) employer (our slow season was done) I had a 26mile commute each way. I tried several different bikes for this commute; a recumbent, which was actually a great option for this commute. I rode my fixie quite a bit and also bought a beautiful vintage specialized sequoia, which again was too small for me. Finally I got my LHT. All during this time, my Xtracycle sat unused. The frame was simply too small and the components were pretty much junk. During the time I was hauling tools, I pretty much used it as a single speed. When you’ve got weight, and 1 block to go, one low gear is all you need.

I wanted badly to have a nice frame on the Xtracycle, to make it an option for longer rides and in particular, a longer commute. So I started searching. At the time, I didn’t want to spend any money on a frame, and even in it’s current rendition, the frame was a freebie. I picked up a Giant frame for $20, and even though it wasn’t the great quality, I liked the large size and built it up. Now, there is something to be said for actually having a liking for a bike. If it fits you, but you just don’t like it, you’ll never really enjoy the bike. I learned that. After building the Xtra up on the Giant frame, I had something against it that I just couldn’t get over. I don’t know what it is, but it was like a smitten puppy or something. Didn’t like it, didn’t like to ride it, and even though it did its job fine, it never got my seal of approval.

What to do, what to do. After purchasing my Karate Monkey S/S 29er MTB, I realized that I no longer needed my 26” S/S pink bike. Now this pink bike, I had a real attachment to. I don’t know why. It’s not spectacular and I don’t even know the make. I do know that it is built with Tange Cromoly, and there are a few lugs in the frame construction, but it’s not a completely lugged frame. This pink bike, would become the platform for the Xtracycle as it is today.

I sanded the pink bike down, painted it, repacked all the bearing with grease and gave her a complete overhaul. Painted it semi-gloss black to pay homage to the original inception of my Xtracycle.

The drive train came from a sweet Miyata 100LT that I picked up for $80. Even though it was a 48cm frame I couldn’t turn down a bike like that, at that price. The frame went off to Conneciticut, where it’s currently undergoing a transformation to 650B. The gent who bought the bike only want the frame (triple butted, splined tubing) so I kept all the parts.

While first re-doing the Xtra on the Giant frame, I even used the Shimano bar-ends that came off the Miyata, but on this past re-build, I opted for the riser MTB bars. Some cheapo Shimano thumbies are playing very well with the Deore derailleur, so I’ll let them keep playing together. I like these cheap thumbies. They’re comfy, and they’ve got the friction option, which is nice. Currently they are set up in ratchet mode and working very well. I even sent a set over to my friend Smudgemo, when he was needing a set. I think these thumbies are highly under-rated, and should get some serious consideration when looking for shifting options for commuter or utility bikes.

So, now that I’ve had a few days of riding the new and improved Xtracycle, I will say I think I like it’s current set up. The frame is comfortable, and I like it. Sizing is good, while I could stand a larger frame, it’s not to the point where I’m concerned about it. I feel like this is a bike that I can ride for hours, and I hope to get some long rides in next summer. As for the winter, I’m not sure I’ll run studded tires on it. I’m in the process of converting the Giant into a Single speed winter beater with Studded tires, as it once was, just without the extreme DIY studded tires. However the Xtra might just turn into my main commuting bike over the winter. Studded tires may just find themselves on the rims one day. I love the fact that I can keep a lock, patch kit and some other supplies tucked into the pockets at all times. I love that I can wear a warm coat to work in the morning (this morning it was -2C) and on the way home, just throw it in the Xtra and enjoy the last of the T-shirt weather that is disappearing quickly.

Need to swing by the store to grab some groceries? Not a problem. Need beer for some friends coming over tonight? Covered. This freedom that the Xtracycle brings is really quite incredible, if you’re a person who loves to ride bikes as much as you can. Handling isn’t any better with the freeradical on, and only marginally worse. It’s a lot slower for sure, but last time I checked, the idea of having a bicycle replace a car has never been about speed, and the accelerated rate that we can do things, but rather about the quality of life we can live. The quality of my life is better because I ride my bike to work and don’t drive. The Xtracycle enables me to do that a whole lot more, and also ride a bike at times when before, I would have had to take a vehicle. If you’re wondering about getting an Xtracycle do it. You will not regret it.