Saturday, November 7, 2009

Marin Muirwood 29er



Frame> Double butted Cromoly
Fork> Cromoly rigid
Crankset> TruVativ X-Flow C 3.0, 48/38/28
Derailleur's> (F) Shimano, (R) Shimano Deore
Hubs> Alloy double wall
Rims> Alex TD-20, double wall
Tires> Continental Town Ride 29x1.6"
Saddle> WTB Vigo Sport
Price> about $645.00

Note: I think if I were the "King of all Bicycles" I would outfit my kingdom with Marin Muirwood 29er's then send out the masses to free the world of all the evil doers who drive Cadillac and Lincoln pick-up trucks...

S. Monkey
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Friday, November 6, 2009

Felt F95 Team, Budget speed...

Frame> Felt Custom butted F-Lite 7005 aluminum
Fork> Felt Carbon
Crankset> FSA Tempo, 3pc., aluminum 50/34t
Cassette> Sunrace R90-series 9-speed, 11/25t
Derailleur's> (F) Shimano Sora, (R) Shimano Tiagra
Hubs> Felt sealed aluminum
Rims> Alex R500
Tires> Vittoria Zaffiro 700x23c
Saddle> Felt 1.3 Road Saddle
Weight> 19.78lbs
Price> under $800.00
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John Carr and Jeff Carter's trip to Moab. #1

John Carr and Jeff Carter's trip to Moab. #2

Cheesus & Charlie

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Yike Bike



I usually don't do many post on electric bikes but I couldn't resist with the Yike Bike. It weighs 22lbs. or 10kg. It will carry up to 220lbs or 100kg. It has a top speed of about 20kph or 12.4mph and only takes about 20 minutes for an 80% charge. The only draw back may be the distance it will travel on one charge, about 8 miles or 9-10 km. One heck of a toy though...
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YikeBike Limited
New Zealand

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Serfas RX Grips


I put a pair of Surfas RX Grips grips on my bike tonight and the numbness I've felt after an hour or so of riding is gone. Lovely. Get some of these.
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Sunday, November 1, 2009

most dangerous...

I commute by bicycle three to four days a week. The most dangerous part of my ride occurs when I approach an intersection and find car or car's passing me on the left then making a right turn either into or in front of me conveniently forgetting that I existed only seconds before.


S. Monkey

Bikes and cars: Can we share the road? -- latimes.com , click on link below

Bikes and cars: Can we share the road? -- latimes.com

Posted using ShareThis

VANMOOF Bicycle by Sjoerd Smit



If you think the city is a tough place to live in, you should try riding your bicycle on the streets during rush hour. Between buses and yellow cabs weaving their way through traffic with reckless abandon, you never quite know who’s going to stay in which lane. It’s a good thing the Dutch have accounted for this with the VANMOOF Bicycle by Sjoerd Smit. The VANMOOF is a light urban cruiser weighing just under 28 lbs that allows you to ride quickly and deftly, both crucial aspects of urban biking and survival. The powder-coated, rustproof aluminum frame directly incorporates a unique solar-powered two LED light system, ensuring your safety and visibility at all times. Moreover, being a single speed bicycle with a rear coaster brake to eliminate the complexity of wiring, and quality components such as Schwalbe Road Cruiser tires and a Brooks saddle, the VANMOOF is all about efficient and effective simplicity with just a touch design elegance.


Available world wide and in the U.S. at Areaware - http://www.areaware.com/

about $600.00

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Bicycle culture

is a phrase with two related, but different meanings. It can be used for countries with a culture that supports, encourages, and has high bicycle usage. In countries with relatively low bicycle usage, such as the USA, it refers to the cycling subculture, and related fashions and characteristics.

Masi SoulVille "Urban Right"

SoulVille 10

SoulVille 3, 3 speed internal hub.
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Gary Fisher Marlin

Frame> Gold Series 6061 T6 aluminum, G2 Geometry
Fork> RockShox Dart3, 100mm
Crankset> Shimano FC-M442, 44/32/22t
Derailleur's> (F) Shimano Deore, (R) Shimano Deore M592 Shadow
Hubs> Shimano M65
Rims> Bontrager Camino
Tires> Bontrager Jones XR, 26x2.2" rear, 26x2.25 front
Brakes> Avid 3D 3 linear pull
Saddle> Bontrager Race
Price> around $700.00 / around $780.00 with Avid BB5 mechanical disc brakes

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Meet Byron Baalstad.

Byron Baalstad DPA, P.E., MBA, BSBA
Senior Vice President of Medication Therapy Management and Inner Company Paranormal Activity for Screaming Monkey Enterprises.

You can e-mail Byron at - bbaalstad@gmail.com

KHS Alite 2000, Upper entry level bargains.

KHS Alite 2000, womans mountain bike

Frame> Alloy 6061 Hydro doublebutted
Fork> Marzocchi 22LO, 100mm
Crankset> Truvativ Firex GigaX Pipe, 44/32/22t
Derailleur's> (F) Shimano Deore, (R) SLX Shadow
Hubs> (F) alloy disc, (R) Shimano disc
Rims> Mavic XM-317 Disc, doublewall
Tires> John Tomac Small Block 8, 26x2.1"
Brakes> Shimano Hydraulic M486
Saddle> WTB Silverado
Price> around $1000.00
KHS Alite 2000, mens
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Friday, October 30, 2009

Raleigh Talus 5.0

Frame> Atomic 13 SL, Custom Butted Aluminum
Fork> Spinner Grind OS2, 100mm
Crankset> Shimano MC311 Octalink, 22/32/42t
Derailleur's> (F) Shimano Acera, (R) Shimano Alivio
Hubs> Joytech alloy
Rims> Weinmann XM260 disc
Tires> Geax AKA 26x2.2"
Brakes> Promax DSK7-20, mechanical disc
Saddle> Avenir 200 Series Mountain
Price> around $550.00
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RIDE! The Event.

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Click on link for more info on this Southern California event. - http://www.ridetheevent.com/

2010 Diamondback Overdrive 29er

Frame> Overdrive 29" butted 6061-T6 aluminum
Fork> RockShox Dart 3, 100mm
Crankset> Truvativ ISO Flow 3.0, 22/32/42t
Derailleur's> (F) Shimano Acera, (R) SRAM X-4
Hubs> Alloy
Rims> WTB FX-28 doublewall 29"
Tires> WTB Prowler SL 29x2.1"
Brakes> Tektro Novela disc
Saddle> Avenir Series 200
Price> around $700.00
Another Diamondback bike with an unbelievably low price tag, and a 29er at that...

Monday, October 26, 2009

2010 Ellsworth Road Bikes. "The outer edge of Excellence"

-Ellsworth Coercion-
Ellsworth designed every millimeter of the Coercion road bike, coming up with a force-directional design. This unique piece of engineering has been applied to the tube design, geometric shaping, and lay-up of the bike. As a result, any harsh road conditions are absorbed, and all lateral energy is pushed back to help you move forward. And at 940 grams, the bike is light as a feather and will be sure to help you go faster and longer on all of your rides. Ellsworth road bikes of old were designed for the American crit rider, whereas the Coercion is built in the grand-tour style for long road races.

-Ellsworth Coefficient-
Ellsworth made every effort to reduce drag on this bike, conducting wind tunnel testing until the design was just right. Despite this, the bike still manages to be completely adaptable, with a dual position seat post, and long, low geometry that can change as needed by the rider.
In the design of all these bikes, Ellsworth revolutionized the production process with their Rare Earth Carbon Fiber protocol. As a leader in the outdoor industry for sustainability and environmentally friendly business practices, Ellsworth has created a design process which protects the builders from carbon dust, and saves the environment from the hazards of manufacturing products from carbon.
^Above descriptions from the Ellsworth Company^
*******************************************
For more info on Ellsworth Handcrafted Bicycles go to - http://www.ellsworthbikes.com/

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Sunday morning bike ride.




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Rangeline Nature Preserve Mountain Bike Trails, Anderson Indiana




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-Directions to trails-
Take I-69 north out of Indianapolis to exit #26.
Go north after exiting I-69 on Rt. 109/Scatterfield Rd. about 3.6 miles to 10th Street.
Turn right or east on 10th Street, go about one mile to Rangeline Road.
Turn right or south on Rangeline Road.
Parking lot for mountain bike trails are about 1/2 mile down on right.
**************************************************
- Novice, intermediate and expert trails for riders of all skill levels-

-Novice trail is approximately a 2 miles long loop. Intermediate and expert trails are basically off shoots of this main loop. All three trails are well marked.-
***************************************************
A separate trail starts at White river and winds along river to Edgewood Park then onto and around Shadyside Lake. Trail becomes paved just past Edgewood Park and continues around Shadyside Lake. Great area for family rides.
To get to river trail follow gravel road out of parking lot. At the end of the gravel road you'll come to a large pasture. Trail to river picks up on other side of pasture. This is a great family riding trail and can be easily reached on mountain bikes after parking in main parking lot.
***************************************************
-Trails are well marked-

-Plenty of parking available-

link to more info and reviews of trails at Dirtworld bike mag. - http://www.dirtworld.com/trails/trail.asp?id=1951



Lila's new (old) Schwinn


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This bike has to be a collectors item. Comments welcome.

Raleigh Bicycle Company, Denmark





Why can't we all view life and bicycles like the Dutch?
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link

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Kona Major One, single speed, Cross


Frame> Kona Race Light Scandium butted
Fork> Kona Carbon Cross
Crankset> FSA MegExo 42t
Freewheel> Shiman 18t
Hubs> Formula
Rims> Alex R390
Tires> Continental SpeedKing Cross 700x35c
Brakes> Kore Sport
Saddle> WTB Rocket V comp OE
Price> around $1000.00
The Kona Major One is truly a bullet proof bicycle...
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Ellsworth Handcrafted Bicycles



Ellsworth Epiphany

Ellsworth Ride
The Ellsworth bicycle Company was founded in 1991 by Tony Ellsworth. Tony began his "second" career after finding he'd had enough as a Merrill Lynch financial planner and began producing high end bike frames, full time. The Ellsworth brand is known for the ICT (Instant Center Tracking Technology) system. They've also patented the NuVinci system. Described as a "continuously variable planetary drive train" thus eliminating the need for derailleur's and multiple gears. The NuVinci system is currently being used on the Ellsworth "Ride" cruiser bike.

S. Monkey
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"Bicycle Race" by Queen / ie: I want to ride my bicycle...




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Friday, October 23, 2009

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If I can bicycle, I bicycle.
David Attenborough

Giant Boulder SE , 2010


Frame> Aluxx-Grade Butted Aluminum
Fork> SR XCM 100mm
Crankset> XCT V2, 28/38/48
Derailleur's> (F) Shimano C-102, (R) Shimano Acera
Hubs> Alloy
Rims> Alloy, double wall
Tires> MTB Trail 26x2.1" (red) / Kenda K-Rad 26x2.1" (black)
Brakes> Alloy direct pull cantilever
Price> around $380.00

I know I've told this story before so I'll be brief. I bought my 2008 Giant Boulder SE a couple years ago. In a word it's... "bulletproof." I could have spent a little more on my first mountain bike and at times I wish I had. Not because I needed to but because I don't think this one will ever wear out. I was stuck between a Trek 3900 and a Giant Rincon but when the SE went on sale and I couldn't say no... I won't tell you how inexpensive this bike was (it's a little embarrassing) but it was priced too low not to buy. The bottom line is that this bike is a mechanical marvel in my opinion. When I bought it I weighed in at around 275lbs. I jumped it. I dropped it. I flipped it. I did everything short of setting it on fire and I can honestly say that it rides better today than it did the day I bought it. Of course now I'm down to around 220lbs. so my bikes experiencing a little less stress these days so that's good for it and myself. I also have a good bicycle mechanic in my neighborhood who fixes, tightens, adjusts and generally strokes anything on it that's out of whack. The Acera derailleur shifts perfectly. Perfectly....Perfectly. Once more. Perfectly. I broke a rear axle (under warranty) and I had a new bottom bracket cartridge put on it but that's it. The rims are as solid as the Queen Mary's hull and have never gone out of true. I guess I'll probably just have to park this thing and not wait till it dies to buy a better bike. Because I don't think it will... Die. Ever. I must say I'm a little attached to this bike though. The frame is great with it's drop down top tube. (I don't know why Giant changed the frame on the 2009 and 2010's). Come to think of it, maybe I'll just upgrade "old blue..." Damn you Giant...
Anyway, If your looking for a good entry level all purpose bicycle that won't break, you can't go wrong with the SE. Oh yea, I also commute on this bike.

S. Monkey
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Thursday, October 22, 2009

Giant Bowery Mashup

Frame> Aluxx-Grade Aluminum
Fork> CroMo, alloy steerer
Crankset> FSA Vero, 46t / cassette 17t, fix or free
Hubs> Alloy
Rims> Alex DA-22, double wall
Tires> Kenda Kriterium, 700x25c
Brakes> Alloy dual pivot
Saddle> Giant Racing
Price> around $650.00
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Saturday, October 17, 2009

Montague Folding Bicycle Company


-Montague Paratrooper- ^above^

Frame> 7005 Series Aluminum
Fork> SR Suntour XCT 80mm
Crankset> SR Suntour 22/32/42
Derailleur's> (F) SRAM top pull, (R) SRAM X-5
Rims> Alloy doublewall
Hubs> Formula, sealed
Tires> Kenda 26x1.95"
Price> around $800.00

**********************************************************************************



-Montague CX Comfort- ^above^

Frame> 7005 Series aluminum
Fork> Rigid unicrown, hi-ten steel
Crankset> SR Suntour
Derailleur's> (F) Falcon MF 31t, (R) Shimano Altus
Rims> Alex alloy, sealed
Hubs> Formula, alloy, sealed
Tires> Kenda Kwick semi-slick
Price> around $600.00

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Montague Corporation, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a company devoted to the design and production of bicycles that incorporate Folding Integrated Technology (F.I.T.™), a revolutionary system deemed to be one of the next-generation trends in the bicycle industry.

Go to http://www.montagueco.com/ for more info.

2010 GT GTR Series 4, "his and hers"

GT GTR Series 4

Frame> Hydroformed Kinesis 6061 butted aluminum
Fork> GT Carbon
Crankset> FSA Vero Compact 50/39t
Derailleur's> (F) Shimano Compact (R) Shimano Sora
Hubs> Formula, sealed
Rims> Alex R500
Tires> Vittoria Zaffiro 700x23c
Brakes> dual pivot
Price> around $725.00
GT GTRw Series 4
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God bless us all for living in a world where you can pick up quality his and her road bikes like the GTR Series 4's for around $1500.00... for the pair!

2010 Scott Aspect 45


Frame> Alloy 6061, hydro-formed
Fork> Suntour XCR, 100mm
Crankset> Shimano FC-M361
Derailleur's> (F) Shimano Acera, (R) Shimano Alivio
Hubs> (F) Scott Disc Team, (R) Shimano FH-M475 disc
Rims> Rigida ZAC 19 SL
Tires> Schwalbe Black Jack 26x2.1"
Brakes> Tektro Auriga Comp, hydro-disc
Price> around $700.00

Scott bicycles have a reputation of quality about them. Although many of their bikes like the Aspect 45 are a little on the expensive side when you consider the bikes specifications... But a Scott is a Scott. Kinda like a Specialized is a Specialized...


S. Monkey
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Friday, October 16, 2009

Trek 4300 / Specialized Hardrock / Giant Yukon / Cannondale F-7 comparison

-2010 Trek 4300, disc-
Frame> Alpha Black Aluminum
Fork> Spinner 300, 100mm
Crankset> Shimano M311, 22/32/42t
Derailleur's> (F) Shimano C050, (R) Shimano M410
Hubs> Shimano M65
Rims> Bontrager Ranger
Tires> Bontrager Jones XR, front-26x2.25" / rear-26x2.20"
Brakes Shimano 416, mechanical disc
Price> around $580.00

-2010 Specialized Hardrock, disc-
Frame> Specialized A1 Premium Aluminum
Fork> SR Suntour, SF10-XCT-V2D-M60, 80mm
Crankset> SR Suntour, Octalink spline, 22/32/42t
Derailleur's> (F) Shimano Altus, (R) SRAM X-4
Hubs> Forged alloy, double sealed
Rims> Alex RHD
Tires> Specialized Fast Trak LK Sport, 26x2.0"
Brakes> Avid BB, mechanical disc
Price> Around $550.00

-2010 Giant Yukon, disc-
Frame> Aluxx-Grade butted aluminum
Fork> RockShox Dart 1, 100mm
Crankset> TruVativ ISO Flow 3.0, 22/32/42t
Derailleur's> (F) Shimano Acera, (R) Shimano Deore
Hubs> Formula
Rims> WTB Dual Duty, doublewall
Tires> Kenda Nevegal 26x2.1
Brakes> Avid BB disc
Price> Around $600.00

-2010 Cannondale F-7, disc-
Frame> CO2, butted, 6061 alloy
Fork> RST Gila Pro, 100mm
Crankset> Shimano M311, 22/32/42t
Derailleur's> (F) Shimano M311, (R) SRAM X-4
Hubs> Formula DC20
Rims> Alex DC 4.5, doublewall
Tires> Kenda Small Block 8, 26x2.1"
Brakes> SRAM BB5, mechanical disc
Price> Around $600.00
Four popular entry level ( $550.00 to $600.00 approx. price range ) disc brake equipped mountain bikes. Basically bikes you would look at if $600.00 was your limit and disc brakes were a must.


S. Monkey
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Brazilian bikes...


http://www.caloi.com.br/
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Here's two Brazilian bicycle manufacturers web-sites. Sundown Bikes and Caloi Bicycles. Very interesting to see what other countries have to offer in the "world" of bicycles.

Obrigado Rogério ...

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Raleigh Talus 8.0 vs. Rockhopper Comp disc

-2010 Raleigh Talus 8.0-
Frame> Atomic 13 SL Aluminum
Fork> Suntour XCR 100mm
Crankset> Shimano MC361 Octalink, 22/32/42 t
Derailleur's> (F) Shimano Acera, (R) Shimano Deore Shadow
Hubs> Joytech disc
Rims> Weinmann XM260 doublewall
Tires> Geax AKA 26x2.2"
Brakes> Avid BB mechanical disc
Price> around $650.00

-2010 Specialized Rockhopper Comp disc-
Frame> Specialized M4, alloy
Fork> RockShox Dart 3 SL 100mm
Crankset> SR Suntour, Octalink, 22/32/42 t
Derailleur's> (F) Shimano Altus, (R) SRAM X-5
Hubs> Forged alloy, double sealed, ground race, machine disc mount
Rims> Alex RHD doublewall
Tires> Specialized Fast Trak LK Sport 26x2.0"
Brakes> Avid BB, mechanical disc
Price> around $750.00
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Comments - " A no brainer..."

S. Monkey

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

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Saturday, October 10, 2009

Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne

Well I finally procured a copy of "Bicycle Diaries" today. All I can say about this book is that it's very entertaining. David Byrne has a certain style of writing that makes me think I'm reading a post card from a friend on vacation telling me about the new city he's visiting. Very cool. The fact that it's seen through the open air prism of a bicycle makes it all the better. He not only writes about his personal experience in the city he happens to be peddling through but he seems to want to teach you something about each city. Almost as if it were his own home town.



Below is a short exert from the "Bicycle Diaries" introduction, explaining the simple act of cycling.

"It sounds like some form of meditation, and in a way it is. Performing a familiar task, like driving a car or riding a bicycle, puts one into a zone that is not too deep or involving. The activity is repetitive, mechanical, and it distracts and occupies the conscious mind, or at least part of it, in a way that is just engaging enough but not too much-it doesn't cause you to be caught off guard. It facilitates a state of mind that allows some but not too much of the unconscious to bubble up."

David Byrne
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Giant Anthem X Advanced SL O

Frame> Composite / 4" Maestro Suspension
Fork> RockShox SID World Cup, 100mm
Suspension> Fox Float RP23
The Anthem X Advanced SL O also comes with a ton of SRAM X.X parts along with another half ton of Mavic Crossmax SLR stuff...
Price> around $7500.00
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Giant Anthem Series "SuperBikes..."

Anthem X3
Around $2000.00

Anthem X2
Around $2800.00

Anthem X1
Around $3700.00

Anthem X Advanced SL1
Around $4800.00
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Diamondback Insight 3

Frame> Insight 6061-T6 butted aluminum
Fork> Carbon-straight blade
Crankset> Shimano FCM590 Deore 26/36/48
Derailleur's> (F) Shimano Deore, (R) Shimano Deore
Rims> Freedom Racine Aero 2.0 double wall
Tires> Kenda Kwick Trax 700x32
Brakes> Avid SD-3 linear
Saddle> WTB Devo high pad
Price> around $799.00
I don't think the Diamondback Bicycle Company would like me saying this but here goes "most people in the market for a new bicycle don't consider Diamondback when they head out on their journey for that perfect bicycle." They're, I said it... But if they did they'd find that Diamondback is every bit the bicycle company Giant, Trek and the rest are. They would also find that they could get a bike with the same or better components for quite a bit less $$$. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better equipped, all around city bike for under $800.00 than the Insight 3. Actually now that I think about it "impossible" would probably be a better word.

Hello cold weather...

After one solid week without a ride I finally got out Saturday afternoon... October 10th. It was about 58 degrees so the snot was flyin...(sorry) . I was almost getting to the point of taking the warm weather for granted but for granted I shall take it no more. It's over... It's done... Adios... Goodbye... Hello winter! My long lost friend.


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Schwinn Sprint (single) & Schwinn Racer (single) "The beauty and the budget"



2010 Schwinn Sprint (above)
Fork> Reynolds 853 Cro-mo Track
Fork> Cro-mo lugged crown
Crankset> FSA Vero Track 46t / 18t rear cog
Rims> Alex Race 28 aero double wall
Tires> Continental Ultra Sport, 700x25c
Saddle> San Marco Regal
Price> under $1000.00

2010 Schwinn Racer
Everything> steel

The Schwinn Racer is only about half the bike the Schwinn Sprint is but that's cool. It only cost about 1/3 as much! Decent Weinmann rims and Kenda K193 700c tires make it a "I can't complain, it was an under $300.00 bicycle" steel. Steal....


S. Monkey
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Friday, October 9, 2009

help wanted

Lila bought this English made "Gazelle." She's not sure what she has so if anyone has some info on this model please let me know. Great bike though....
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Old and new but just the same...

1895 Thomas (USA)
wood rims
wood fenders
wood chainguard

2010 Raleigh Circa I8
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Kara Ginther Leather - The "art" of the saddle.



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Kara Ginther Leather
422 N. Ingersoll Street
Madison, WI 53703
(715) 896-4577

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Bike-Seat Philosopher

“David Byrne: singer, artist, composer, director, Talking Head.” I’m quoting the bartender Moe Szyslak from “The Simpsons” here, from an episode in which Byrne appeared. One could also add photographer, author, designer and, since the early 1980s, serious bicyclist. At first he just rode in downtown Manhattan, but as his career has taken him around the world he’s packed his full-size folding bike and carried it with him, sometimes resentfully paying a $125 “sports equipment” surcharge on airplanes.

Illustration by The New York Times; Photograph by Todo Mundo

BICYCLE DIARIES

By David Byrne

Illustrated. 297 pp. Viking. $25.95

Related

Times Topics: Bicycles and Bicycling

“Bicycle Diaries” contains accounts of his travels in distant cities like London, Berlin, Buenos Aires and Manila, as well as some closer to home — New Orleans, San Francisco and Detroit. His description of riding in Detroit is especially good: “I bike from the center of town out to the suburbs. It’s an amazing ride — a time line through a city’s history, its glory and betrayal.”

For Byrne bicycling is partly a means, partly an end. It helps him get places, makes him feel more connected to life on the streets, and also serves as a “form of meditation” that keeps him sane.

Inevitably the diary format gives the book a random, scattershot quality: Byrne is in no sense a “programmatic” bike rider, and he admits he’s sometimes just skimming over the surface of the cultures he encounters. Even so, his interests and activities — cutting-edge art exhibitions, rock festivals, a subversive PowerPoint presentation about PowerPoint presentations, a belly dance party — and certainly his personality are singular enough to give the book consistency and coherence.

Byrne can be a very shrewd and droll observer. In Berlin he finds his ride disrupted because Colin Powell (“he of the Evil Empire”) is in town and many of the roads are closed off and guarded by riot police. In London he sees an upper-class matron in “full regalia — a green hunting jacket, beige trousers and Wellington boots. Is she planning on off-roading it?” No, she’s going for a walk in Hyde Park. In Manila he tells us about a television channel that plays nonstop karaoke. “You can stay at home and sing along with your television. Like some kind of radical conceptual art piece — but unlike conceptual art it’s super-popular.” You’ll have noticed that not all these observations are strictly bicycle-related.

The book, then, is partly about cycling but also about whatever Byrne happens to have on his mind at the time, and fortunately a lot of it is quite interesting. He writes (not surprisingly) very well about music, saying that “singers . . . when they write or perform a song don’t so much bring to the work already formed emotions, ideas and feelings as much as they use the act of singing as a device that reproduces and dredges them up.” This must come as news to “American Idol” contestants. I also very much enjoyed this sardonic observation: “The two biggest self- deceptions of all are that life has a ‘meaning’ and that each of us is unique.”

At other times he overreaches, wrestling with huge philosophical and ethical problems — the nature of beauty, the time limit on justice — issues that have exercised the greatest minds in the world for millenniums, and rather unsurprisingly he doesn’t come up with anything new. But then who would expect him to?

The book’s epilogue is a manifesto of sorts about the future sustainability of cities, and it’s fine as far as it goes, but I’m not sure that David Byrne’s quirky talents are best employed in such a thoroughly unironic enterprise. Finally, however, he does have a piece of advice for would-be cyclists who are older than he is (he’s in his mid-50s) or at least less willowy: “You don’t really need the spandex.” That’s so good to know.

Geoff Nicholson’s most recent book is “The Lost Art of Walking.”


By GEOFF NICHOLSON at the New York Times - http://www.nytimes.com/

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Biking steers fashion

You don't have to be a yoga practitioner to wear Lululemon yoga pants, a surfer to wear Ugg boots or even a bowler to wear Prada bowling shoes.

Even bicycling - whether for sport, relaxation or commuting - is influencing the ways people shop and dress, especially in the Bay Area, where it's easier to hop on a two-wheeler than it is in soggier, wintry climes most of the year.

The big fashion spin-off from bike culture, though, is more conceptual than literal.

You won't see ordinary folks wearing neon Tour de France jerseys for fun, but some bicycle recreationists and commuters make a point of wearing locally made products to be socially conscious at the same time they're reducing their carbon footprints.

At Mission Bicycle, pants by two California companies, Cordarounds and Swrve, are stylish enough to be worn by noncyclists. Cordarounds add flair to the khaki pants with reflective tape that shows when the cuff is turned up. Swrve makes modern slim knickers that end at the shin (not 1920s newsboy knickers that puff out at the knees.)

The biggest crossover into the mainstream is the bike messenger bag: Practical and stylish, it lends an air of sportiness and environmental consciousness - and has less bulk than a backpack.

The Timbuk2 brand, founded in San Francisco, has fallen in popularity in some circles because it opened manufacturing sites in Asia. Customers at Mission Bicycle tend to favor bags by San Francisco's Rickshaw and Chrome, said bike shop employee Sal Alioto, 23.

"Personally, I shop those brands," he said, "because if you don't support the local companies and businesses, sooner or later they're not going to be there anymore."

Sustainability as a fashion statement, hitting the mainstream.

Carolyn Zinko is a Chronicle staff writer.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/04/INL919VDTU.DTL#ixzz0SzXRMyQQ

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Giant Rainier (w) - Giant XTC, his and hers...

Giant Rainier (womans)
*****
Frame> Aluxx - grade butted aluminum
Fork> RockShox Dart 3, 100mm
Crankset> Truvativ ISO Flow 3.0, 22/32/44
Derailleur's> (F) Shimano Deore, (R) SRAM X5
Rims> WTB Dual Duty XC, double wall
Tires> Kenda Nevegal 26x2.1
Brakes> Hayes MX-4
Price> around $850.00

Giant XCT 2
*****
Frame> Aluxx SL - grade aluminum
Fork> RockShox Dart 3, 100mm
Crankset> Truvativ ISO Flow 3.0, 22/32/42
Derailleur's> (F) Shimano Deore, (R) Shimano Deore Shadow
Rims> Mavic XM 117
Tires> Kenda Small Bloch Eight
Brakes> Hayes MX-4
Price> around $850.00

The perfect entry to mid level his and her mountain bikes. Personally I kinda like the Rainier better, but that's just me...

S. Monkey
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Olli Erkkila Art & Design


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“Forkless – Cruiser” by Olli Erkkila. He built it for his graduation project at the Institute of Design in Lahti, Finland.

Specialized, Globe Roll 1


Frame> Reynolds 520 Cr-Mo
Crankset> Suntour single speed, 42t
Rims> 700c deep V
Tires> Specialized Mondo Sport 700x23c
Rear hub> fixed or freewheel / Brakes> caliper
about $600.00
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"simplicity is genius"