long gravel ride this week. jotted down these thoughts...
Rode my road bike on gravel roads today. This bike’s first ventures onto the gravel were right after I bought it and I’d go hit the MoPac trail. While not exactly a gravel road, it gives you the idea, at least in idea gravel road conditions.
I’ve had the Slim Chance for a long time, since 1996? It hung in the ceiling of CycleWorks as a frame and fork, while I was working there as a wrench. I think Jeff Hansen built it originally. It was sold to a customer who returned it. And eventually, one day I took it home. I rode a lot on it originally. But, as the years went by, the less pavement I rode and the more gravel I rode, and mostly on mountain bikes.
I did an experiment on the Slim a few years back. I single speeded the Slim and ran it with a fixed rear wheel with a Phil hub. I ran both brakes. I wanted to see if it would be fun to build a gravel road fixie. So I did an experiment with the minimal investment of a rear wheel and a different chain ring. I did most of my gravel rides from Lincoln to Omaha, 90% gravel. It was also my first fixie experience, so of course it was fun. But I also learned the bike does just fine on gravel roads of all types.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
thoughts in anticipation...
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Ditch jam!
I'm throwing a little skate jam tomorrow! It's open for anyone to come down and skate or just hang out. It's all going down around 7pm at the Vine ST. ditch( 20th and Vine).
street racing
I woke up this morning and to my suprise a bike race was going down in front of my apartment! Here's some shots i got.
Friday, May 29, 2009
tight...
new salsa ti pro moto stem (too new for a link) and pro moto 17 degree handlebar on the red el mariachi. them's good handles... big mama's got a matching stem and an even neater carbon 17 degree pro moto bar. x-tra fresh...
Make your own film
Just in case film goes away...
Wet Plate Collodion Image, "Bad Dream" by Grant Brittain in Stephen Berkman workshop, San Diego, 2008.
the vandals - may 28, 2009 - red rocks amphitheatre
punks rocks was last night at red rocks. the offspring, alkaline trio, the vandals, street dogs, frontside five. here's one of my favorites from the vandals' set. photo by mitch kline
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Sage Advice For My Neighbor
It's not that it's a big deal or anything. But 2 years ago a very young couple moved into the house her parents had bought for her. Now the house is for sale again, at a higher than average price (see red sign) and the effin guy hasn't even mowed his lawn yet this year and there are like 200 dandelions (see pic) in a 200 square foot yard. OK... whatever, his prerogative, right? Well, I am not a yard freak or nothing, but here's some sage advice for y'all, if you're trying to sell your house at least mow the lawn.
Lincoln Continental
As you may have read over at Skip’s, it’s Rapha Continental season, and two of their Continental Calling 2009 rides are being hosted by Nebraska residents: Today’s M22 ride in Michigan led by the EnduroSnob himself and a the Lincoln Continental (Lincoln to Ponca) hosted by Wills and myself.
The route to Ponca is a familiar one for a pretty big group of local gravelers, but when the call came and the ride was tapped as one of the springtime epics to be added to Rapha’s list of rides, it was accompanied by the question: “It can be done on road bikes, right? That’s kind of our deal.”
“I guess.” Was my answer.
So the past few months have been … I don’t want to say an experiment, but more like a good excuse to explore the limits of slickys on gravel roads. Turns out, the limits are zero-to-none. In fact, as Woodman, Wills, Pool, and others will attest, riding road bikes on hilly country gravel and dirty minimum maintainence roads has much to offer in terms of low traffic, scenery, steep grades, and the occasional slippery turn.
“So what.” You’re saying.
So next week, Wills and I are hosting these dudes we don't know — who in one form or another have done something like 30 big rides in 40 days — on a weirdly clandestine version of our annual Ponca Ride. Yeah, the one where we leave at like dark o'clock in the morning. Yeah, the one that’s like twelve hours of ride time. Yeah, the one that’s usually done on MTBs.
Rapha Riders' longest stretch of gravel so far? Seven miles.
Lincoln Continental's longest stretch of pavement? Seven miles.
We should be fine (he he).
I guess.
P.S. Don't forget the real run-what-you-brung Ponca Ride on June 19th.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
the fix
pic from the recent moab trip of eb getting nw's wheel to run thru the frame after the wheel decided to not play along.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Where Are You Go
Directed by Benny Zenga & Brian Vernor. Four months on a bicycle between Cairo, Egypt and Cape Town, South Africa is not your typical African safari.
For the last year I've been sitting in dark rooms lit only by computer monitors and at least the trailer is done. Our full film will screen opening night at the 2009 Bicycle Film Festival in NYC. Of course there's a bit of finishing work still to be done.......
Weekly Link Round-Up
Better late than never...
Monday, May 25, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
cargo bike
I have a Cargo Bike Fetish. This photo is my 1945 Schwinn Cycle truck (with the basket off, it is a flat bed truck for now). Anyway, I have been looking for a modern truck, and this is one bike that I have been sniffing up. (click on the Madsen picture to check it out)
Friday, May 22, 2009
cat for sale...
seems to like water,
or at least likes boats more
than her fear of water.
( does NOT like baths )
still has claws
CHEEP,
will accept any,
or partial of the following.
cash,
beer,
soda,
clean water,
food,
pictures of naked ( good looking ) women
will not deliver, pick up only please.
three eleven stylee... behind the scenes.
don't forget to check the "Hey You" video too. yep, it's 311. they rock.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
...i like this factoid...
giro wins
1974 MERCKX Eddy (Belgio)
1973 MERCKX Eddy (Belgio)
1972 MERCKX Eddy (Belgio)
1971 PETTERSON Gösta (Svezia)
1970 MERCKX Eddy (Belgio)
1969 GIMONDI Felice
1968 MERCKX Eddy (Belgio)
i was wandering around from a link that d endler sent:
Long-Ago Rivalry
and i scrolled thru a list of giro wins since the dawn of the giro.
Learn To Ride A Skateboard!
Everyone, stop what you're doing right now and learn to skate! Or if you already know how to shred, brush up on cringing!
Then check out californiagirlsskateboards to come back to reality. (via The Tap)
the REAL furby™
this MAY be the best thing EVER!! looks so damn fake, but it sure isnt! lookit how pink the inside of its mouth is! tooooooo RAD! cool to see the ORIGINAL Furby!! the other Furbys are rad, but this thing is LEGIT!!
r.i.p. steve larsen
Two time NORBA cross country champion and all around cycling great Steve Larsen died yesterday at 39 during a running workout. I can't say that he was a friend, but he was one of those guys that always went out of his way to say hello and I always enjoyed saying hi back. I sure will miss seeing him in the restaurant or randomly running into him on a ride. Bye Steve, you'll be missed by many.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
3 beers
beer on the ride in kansas last weeekend getting smashed under fob's foot.
beer at the zoo was really good. musta been the zoo.
beer at thad's bar was good.
New Spot
Hitting the hills of S.F. and Daly City can leave you with some split second options. Left or right being the subject at hand. You don't know either way, so the choice comes down to basic instinct and the age old question, are you a righty or lefty? My old punk rock listening uncle would always say, "when in doubt, go left!" So go left I did.
My 18 year old daughter voted...
In her first election yesterday here in California. She was dissappointed she wasn't eligible to have voted back in November.
What was refreshing was that she knew more about the issues than I did.
Bacon Ride
Bacon Ride begins this Sunday at 6 AM from the Mopac trailhead (ummm, I think the restaurant is open - I'll double check).
It's a great way to spend a Sunday. Get up early, ride your bike around 40 miles into a beautiful rising sun, eat breakfast buffet, ride back 40 miles, and do it all with a bunch of your best buds. Yep, pretty good.
The hard part is riding back with a full belly. Good problem indeed.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Driftless: Stories from Iowa
Danny Wilcox Frazier put out a book on photographs he took documenting my stomping grounds of Iowa. He did an amazing job on the book and one of my good friends Chris helped him out with this documentary about the book. I got to see him speak about it when it came out and it was very inspiring. I grew up on a farm, and not that I ever really did too much farm work, it still holds a place in my heart. I think the video's paint a pretty good picture of Iowa,a complicatedly simple life. It's funny, when your younger and all there is to do is play in the field, go fishing, swimming and maybe steal your parents beer, you can't wait to leave. Then as you get older all you want to do is go back to that field to play, fish, and drink some more beer. Either way, watch the videos, they are rather inspiring. (click image above to go to page with videos)
Monday, May 18, 2009
Weekly Link Round-Up
The NY Times has a new photo blog. Via Kottke.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
nice video art
My friend Brent had an art show at his bike shop, Salt Lake City Bicycle Company---I saw this video art thing, nice.
Friday, May 15, 2009
RIP Anthony Sloan
Anthony Sloan passed away on May 6 at the age of 37. Anthony was in charge of Yeti's Rocky Mountain demo program. He was a talented photographer and writer and he left behind a mind-boggling collection of mountain biking photos to inspire us all to get out and ride! anthonysloan.com
Thursday, May 14, 2009
May.....
Mogwai at the Slowdown.....
