What's Going On Here...?

Nuthin' for months, then two posts in a week - madness. 

Cryptic titles and pictures of bikes loaded with stuff... what is going on!?



Here's another hint:

Yuba Mundo

On Thursday I picked up a Yuba Mundo…. I know what you’re thinking; “ANOTHER BIKE!?” But seriously… this is the first new bike I’ve bought in… uh… over four years…? And I did drop one from the stable last year; the Cannondale Cross Bike that I stripped of parts to set Amanda up with a Soma Double Cross…

Though I’ve been eyeing up cargo utility bikes for years I wasn’t exactly in the market for one – but I kind of stumbled into a sweet deal on a barely used one at a price we just couldn’t refuse…

Anyway I took it out to get groceries on Friday… just to try it out… You know how it is… Considering I only needed a few things it was totally overkill.

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)

The new cargo utility mule.


In the end I bought more than I really planned on getting… just to try out loading it up a bit! Unfortunately loading it up with so damn much stuff on just one side seriously affected the handling… I’m going to have to get another bag or bin of some sort for the other side for future hauls… More on the Yuba later…

Hmmmmm… How to hitch up the Bike Train to this beast…?

The Bike Train

…or Finnegan’s New Ride.

Last week we went and tried out a Trailer Bike my friend Don’s kids have grown out of. Finnegan was super excited! We tried it out around the block and then rode it all the way home.

The next day we rode it, along with Keira in tow, all the way to the zoo. Nothing like starting with short trips to try things out. The trip to the zoo, including a side trip to Steep Hill Food Co-op to pick up some groceries, was about a 23km round trip…

Here’s some pics of the new set up…

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


Just leaving the zoo.


Stopping by to visit Amanda on the way home.


The Bike Train in action!

We have a bit less cargo carrying capacity with this set-up.... I guess I could put Keira back in the two-seater chariot, but I figured the single would be lighter to tow and offer less wind resistance. I figured I'd be doing most of the pulling of both units.

Finnegan actually helps out quite a bit. He's very clever and attentive - he watches when I'm pedaling and pedals when I do. I never even suggested that he do so, he just started doing it on his own. (I can tell because he has a loud freewheel and a small wheel so it buzzes when he's not pedaling).

More on this later, we’re going for a ride now…

Surly Cross-Check

I was working at the Bike Doctor in the summer of 2004. I had started racing cyclocross the previous year on the Mikado. Realizing this was somewhat less than ideal to race on I had bought the on Cannondale ‘Cross bike in the spring when I started working at the doc. However during the summer I had picked up the 1FG and was LOVING it. I even raced on it. That got me to thinking; if I could race on a single speed mountain bike, why not race on a single speed cyclocross bike!? I mean, really – in all the races I had raced in I had NEVER used more than one gear ANYWAY!? Maybe if I had a singlespeed ‘cross bike with a gear that was slightly (…or considerably!?) bigger than the lowest gear on my geared bikes it would FORCE me to go faster – No wimping out in the granny gears!

Like any bike geek I’ve always dreamed about starting from a frame and building a bike. When better to do that than when working at a bike store and getting a staff discount? I had a lot of fun building this bike. It’s probably my favourite in the stable. Which is odd, as I don’t actually get around to riding it much…

I built it up with a Surly flip-flop hub as I had gotten this idea that it might be fun to try a fixey – one ride on it and – oh man, it was so damn much fun - I was already plotting a dedicated road fixey – which ultimately lead to The Rocket.

Amanda balked at the idea of me getting a steel bike. A year later we were moving stuff around in the garage and she actually lifted it up and couldn’t believe how light it was. Now it’s no feather weight but it sure isn’t a tank!

This replaced the Cannondale as my Cyclocross Racing Bike… before I ever even raced on the Cannondale… In fact the Cannondale has only ever been used as a road bike… Ah well…

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


Here’s what it looks like today. I’ll probably switch one of my brooks saddles onto it when I start riding it a bit more regularly. Hmmmm… looks a bit dirty… shameful… It’s been dirtier though…


I had this up and running just in time for the first cyclocross race in 2004… This was at one of the later races – the Saskatoon Double Cross Weekend. It was muddy and wet and cold like a “real” ‘cross race ought to be.


Wow… did I ride it home like that? I probably went as far as the Bike Doc and sprayed it down at the car wash across the street.


I didn’t have the wheels built for the first race… What the…!? Is that a leopard print thong you’re wearing, tim?!


Oh yes indeed! There used to be a race in the Sask provincial race series called Diva Cross – the cross-dressing ‘cross race. There were time penalties for those who didn’t cross dress and time bonuses for the butchest babe and the sultriest dude. I need ever advantage I could get so I was going for the time bonus this year.

Unfortunately they had the worst system EVER for determining who got the time bonuses. Instead of anyone simply being appointed judge they thought they’d be fair and have people vote – fair enough… except there were three sheets one which you were to write the names of the people you thought were your first second and third choice, respectively. The person with the most votes on each sheet won and was given a 30, 20, and 10 second time bonus…. Is anyone else seeing the flaw in this system…? Clearly there were no statisticians on the planning committee. Technically if you had enough people voting for you in first second and third place you could take all three…?! Ah well…


This is at the Regina Double Cross Weekend.


Regina Double Cross Weekend again. All these nice action hero shots were taken by Amanda. We rented a car and drove down with Finnegan – just 9 months old – and stayed at a B&B. Nice to make a weekend of it.


Who is that man in black…?


Saskatchewan Cyclocross Provincial Championships 2004. Little stretch of road included in it…


More of the ’04 Provincials. It was a fun course – lots of twists and turns and a couple of nasty run ups – walk ups for most. Not me. I RAN every run –up – there’s always a downhill on the other side that you can recover on!


This was the ’05 ‘Cross Provincials. In 2005 I rode three races fixed. Yeah, that’s right, with a fixed gear. 36x15. I have to say I did go quicker – probably had to do with the fact that I had to pedal through stuff I would have ordinarily coasted through.


Not a lot of steep run-ups in this one. Just grass. Lots and lots of grass.


A bit blurry but this illustrates my high-speed can-can dismount when using a fixey. It takes some careful timing – basically you unclip the right foot, keeping your left leg straight let momentum carry you up and bring the right foot over the top tube (as above) then as you come back down step through and hit the ground running – twisting your left foot out as you go! Takes some practice… but it works.


The downside of the course – at least on a fixey – was the rock wall. You can kind of see it in the background. It runs for a good length through the park, varying in height. At a point where it’s only about a foot high they decided to have the course cross it… going down hill… straight downhill, with an abrupt 90° left turn at the bottom. I guess a sensible person could have dismounted at the top, ran down the short bank, hopped down the wall and re-mounted and carried on. But no one else on their free-wheelin’ multi geared bikes were doing that so I’d be damned if I would!

Every time I went over that drop one of my pedals struck the wall being egg-beaters that popped my foot right out! I can’t believe I made it through the race without eating it at least once! That’s skill, baby! (or blind-fucking-dumb-luck!)

The ’05 ‘cross provincials was the last race I rode in. I’m planning on racing again this year though – so stay tuned!

Hmmmm... maybe I should have put all these racing pictures in a separate "cyclocross racing" post... Ah well...

Vital Statistics:
Bike: Surly CrossXCheck
Frame: Double butted 4130 Cro-mo – STEEL IS REAL!
Fork: Surly Cross-Check fork - lugged and brazed cro-mo.
Headset: FSA
Stem: ? 6061 alloy…
Bar: Ritchey comp 6061 double-butted
Grips: Cinelli (I think…) orange cork tape
Brake levers: Diacompe
Gear Shifters: NOT APPLICABLE!
Brakes: Tektro Oryx
Bottom Bracket:
Cranks/Chainring(s)
Wheels:
-Hubs: Surly 32 hole (rear is flip-flop single-fixed)
-FW/Cog/etc: ACS Claws16T/Surly SS 15T Fixed cog
-Spokes: DT black
-Rims: Mavic Open Pro
Tires: Panaracer Cross blaster.
Post: Ritchey
Saddle: San Marco Anatomica 371 (though usually it’s one of the Brooks B-17 saddles)

Cannondale 1FG

As I mentioned in the Super-V post I was looking to get back into mountain biking but was looking for something… simpler. Really, I had no idea how to maintain shocks and stuff and I HATE owning stuff that I can maintain myself. Also I generally feel that the more moving parts a machine has the more there is to break down – and when those fancy moving pars break down it’s expensive.

I sold the Super-V and picked up a Cannondale 1FG. I think it was the 2004 model. It was the last year they offered a fully rigid/v-brake version. So I got it just in time!

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)

This is what it looked like when I first brought it home. The tires are ancient Panaracer Smoke/Darts that I had kicking around – just to get it home as the tires I had ordered hadn’t come in yet. I had some kind of Maxxis Larsen something-or-other, I swapped them for a pair of Hutchinson Cross Comp Air light 26x1.3 (yeah, I like the skinny tires…).

The saddle, I think, came off of the Pink Bianchi originally? The bike had come with some sort of WTB saddle.

It also came with a rider bar which I didn’t care for. The flat bar and bar ends are actually old Cannondale parts that I happen to have kicking around (I love my flat bars and bar ends….).

I raced it once…


I rode out to the course early to register then had to wait around a couple hours until my race started…


Because this pic was taken frm above and at a funny angle it almost looks like I’m going downhill. I am not. In the back ground you can see the river. The course was a nasty series of climbs and descents straight up and down a steep riverbank. This was one that I could actually climb the whole way. I got off and ran (and later… walked) at least part of the rest of them – which was often faster than most were cranking their way up in granny gears…


Me, disappearing into one of the descents…

These three pics were taken my Jared Miner – then a mechanic at the Bike Doctor. He also took a close up of my shoes as he was so thoroughly entertained by the fact that I was wearing Birkenstocks…

This was the second mountain bike race I ever rode in. DFL is better than DNF, right?


This is how it looks nowadays. The current saddle is I think the one that originally came with the Cannondale ‘Cross bike. got some new Continental Cross Country tires last summer when I had briefly taken up bike polo and had a couple slipping spills on the grass because the old Hutchinson tires had been worn bald!

There's a bunch of super reflective strips on it now as I was using this as the kiddie bike trailer towing bike for  a summer or two (2005).

I have a love-hate relationship with this bike. I love it because it’s so simple and crazy light! Snippy-snappy fast and responsive. But I keep throwing chains!? I’m not sure if it’s that the bottom bracket eccentric slips or if I’m just I high-powered chain stretching BEAST…

Anyway the chain came off in the middle of a bike polo and I ate it while pedaling air. That coupled with the fact that there were a couple nasty accidents at bike polo wrecking both bike and people parts – neither of which I can afford to do – I just didn’t have the motivation to do any wrenching on it… so it’s been hanging since.

I do want to do XC8 later this year and have been getting the itch to get out on the trails so I’m going to have to get the chain sorted out pretty quick…


OFS-baby! Handmade in the U.S.A.

Vital Statistics:
Bike: Cannondale 1FG
Frame: Optimo alloy
Fork: Cannondale alloy rigid MTB fork
Headset: Aheadset
Stem: Cannondale
Bar: Cannondale 6061 – T6 butted flat bar with Cannondale bar ends.
Grips: Cannondale
Brake levers: Cannondale
Gear Shifters: NOT APPLICABLE!
Brakes: Cannondale
Bottom Bracket: Truvativ splined
Cranks/Chainring(s): Truvativ Fire-X
Wheels:
-Hubs: Cannondale Fire
-FW/Cog/etc: 18T Stainless
-Spokes: black?
-Rims: Mavic MX117
Tires: Continental Cross Country 26x1.5
Post: Giant Carbon
Saddle: Fizik Pave

The Mikado

This was the first and last time I bought a bicycle off the Internet. It’s not that I got screwed or anything I’d just a) rather support a local bike store and b) seen so many other people that got screwed. In my defence I’ll point out that there is no one that I know of that sells Mikados around here. Also I bought it because I was, at the time, looking for a touring rig and on a bit of a budget. Couldn’t find a new touring bike for under $1000 and used ones, around here, are few and far between… especially ones that fit me.

The Mikado is a 1999 d’Iberville. Bought it from a fellow in Ontario that had is listed on Canadian Cyclist’s web site. I think the current d’Ibervilles are commuting bikes the frames are aluminium. This one is a touring rig. Steel (Cro-Mo) frame – and I think they were lugged and brazed with some sort of internal lug…. Very clean looking joints between tubes.

As I mentioned I was looking for a touring rig at the time because one winter (2003?) I was sitting around and realized it had been a very, very long time since I had done any riding just for the sake of riding – bicycles had become purely utilitarian getting me from home to wherever I needed to go work, groceries, etc and back again. I wasn’t interested in taking up trail riding at that point and got it in my head that I wanted to do some touring and started to plan a tour of the summer of 2003.

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


This is the state the Mikado was in when it was sent to me. The fellow even threw in the old Cannondale panniers. Hmmmmm… not sure if those pedals were included or not.

The drive train was Shimano 105 – unfortunately the inside of the STI were gooped up with some sort of paste –like, yellow “lube”. It became very sticky in cold weather and made for crappy shifting - you could shift into bigger cogs or rings (increasing cable tension) but you couldn’t shift back down (would not release tension…).


Shortly thereafter I added a Brooks saddle.

The Brooks got shifted to the Tandem as soon as we got that. We got that because I went out for a few rides in the winter with Amanda – picking destinations far from home – but within the city (it WAS winter after all). It soon became apparent that we simply go at different speeds. For a bit we considered me carrying all of our equipment between panniers and the BOB trailer… then we (Amanda) thought it would be even funner if I not only hauled all our stuff but Amanda too… More on that when I get to the Tandem though…

In the fall of 2003 I took up Cyclocross and raced that whole season on the Mikado. These were all taken at the Saskatoon Double Cross Weekend (races on Saturday and Sunday) at the Lakewood Civic Centre.


I added platform pedals. I can’t remember if I had bought these for an earlier bike….? I must have. Anyway, they’re 1664 Beaver traps.



Yeah…. and those are Brikenstock Montanas I’m racing in…

After it was replaced with the Cannondale ‘Cross bike (and then later the Surly) as road riding and Cross bike it found new life as a winter bike. As the STI sucked chunks I dug a set of bar end shifters and used those for a bit. The saddle is the one that came off the Tandem when I swapped the Brooks over.


Later it became a single speed winter bike. I put a solitary 18T cog on the back with a bunch of spacers and at different times used the small and medium chainrings that came with the bike. I forget what they were in terms of teeth.

I got a new bar, dug up some old brake levers – removed derailleurs and excess chainrings and cogs and found some funky new bar tape.

Later I for some reason swapped the wheels and started using a pair I had built up as a spare set for the Cannondale ‘Cross with XT hubs and mavic rims… of course THEN I realized the cannondale dropouts were spaced for a road hub… DOH! Later still I found the wheel was slipping a lot when I pedaled hard - especially when towing the trailer so I replaced the quick release axle with a solid/nutted one and haven’t had any trouble since!

Since then the Mikado has found further new life as the chariot-towing beast in the summer. I put a new Surly 35T chainring on the front this spring and swapped over the Continental Utlra Gatorskins I’dhad on the Cannondale. This made the Cannondale surplus and allowed me to build up a new Soma Double Cross for Amanda.

I love that bar tape. Don’t you?

Cannondale Super-V 800

I had a Cannondale Super-V 800 once.

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


As with so many of my bikes I have next to no photos of this one. This picture I took when I was trying to sell it.

I got it because some rotten fuckers who will hopefully burn in the blackest pits of hell broke into our garage at the house in Mayfair and stole, among other things, my Marin. Amanda really wanted to start mountain biking again and I was feeling old and out of shape and thought I needed suspension and stuff and this happened to be sitting at the Bike Doctor. It was super discounted, being a year or two old and having V-brakes when everything of this caliber had gone to discs…. Anyway the insurance money paid for about two thirds of it.

I rode it very little.

I think the second time out I broke my hand.

I was completely un-used to either suspension or V-brakes - my most recent bike being at least 10 years older. Amanda and I were riding at Sutherland “Beach” (for those of you not from Saskatoon – there is no beach…) where a lot of people like to run their dogs off leash – this was years before it became an “official” off-leash area.

Ahead of us there was a trail that intersected the trail we were riding on through the bush down by the river. We spied a pair of very big black dogs dash past – we figured where there are dogs there are people so we rang bells to warn them of our approach. The dogs didn’t like this and came charging at us barking and snarling. Amanda braked. I braked harder (remember when I said I was completely un-used to either suspension or V-brakes….?) and went arse over teakettle over the bars at high velocity and landed simultaneously on my right hand and face. The torrent of foul language and general verbal abuse that emanated from myself so startled the dogs they completely forgot about chewing on us and ran away to their masters with their tails between their legs. To abruptly end a story that’s getting too damn long – broke hand, crunched helmet, rode home.

I rode it to work a few times when my Bike-E was in ill repair.

I think it had LX components. Bunch of “CODA” stuff. I did buy a new shorter, higher stem at one point thinking it might be the thing I needed to get me out on the bike more...

I did ride it in a race once. My first ever mountain bike race. I came in second in my category… or dead last, depending on how you look at it… (Second place IS the first loser!).

It mostly sat and collected dust until a couple years ago I actually got interested in mountain biking again. By then I was just completely uninterested in suspension and gears and other expensive stuff that could break and craved something… simpler. This was before I was even aware that there were other people riding singlespeed mountain bikes. I was even considering looking for a BMX cruiser for trail riding I wanted something so simple...

Then, some months - maybe even a year- later, I saw a Cannondale 1FG at the Bike Doctor.

I sold the Super-V to some chump for $666 and bought the 1FG. (Actually I’m probably the chump there – and he got a pretty awesome deal….).

The Bike Barn

Welcome to the Bike Barn. This is Tim’s Bicycle Storage Facility Mk. III. The first two were really just big sheds with very solid doors. This one I build with considerable help from my friend John Bertolini who builds timber framed buildings (and furniture… and other stuff…). Actually I didn’t do THAT much of the building at all on this one, it was mostly John, and I just helped out!

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


The Exterior. Metal roof, wood siding. I built the door!


Inside: the Wall o’ Bikes!


A couple of non-pedal driven human powered vehicles hanging in the rafters (The Kayaks) and the tandem on the far wall.


How embarrassing… My workbench isn’t always this messy… well.. okay it usually is… but it really BOTHERS me that it’s always this messy!?

John didn’t think the “Bike Barn” was all that great of a name – said it sounded like a bicycle discount retail outlet that would have really loud annoying commercials on TV with promises of DEALS! DEAL! DEALS! (“C’MON DOWN TO TIM’S BIKE BARN WHERE YOU WILL FIND NUTHIN’ BUT CRAZY, CRAZY DEALS ON BIKES – WE WILL NOT BE UNDERSOLD! - AND DON’T FORGET THE FIRST FIFTY BIKES SOLD THIS SATURDAY COME WITH A FREE TOASTER! THAT’S RIGHT IF YOU’RE ONE OF THE FIRST FIFTY LUCKY PEOPLE TO BUY A BIKE THIS SATURDAY YOU WILL GET ONE OF THESE TOASTERS ABSOLOUTLY FREE OF CHARGE!")

Maybe he's right. It's just too darn big and solid to call a "Bike Shed", though, and "Garage" seems to imply that it's for cars - which it is NOT. I have on occasion referred to it as "The Shop" (on account of all the tools in it and the fact that I have used them out there) but that's not really it's primary purpose... I don't know... Anybody got a better idea for a name?

The Cannondale XR800

This was the first bike I bought when I started working at the Bike Doctor. This was the spring of 2004 I had started racing cyclocross the previous fall on the Mikado and had a lot of fun, so I thought I might get myself a gen-u-ine ‘cross bike. It was a previous year’s model that was hanging upstairs – just happened to be the right size and a colour that I actually liked ( my very first mountain bike was a similar green…)

It had a mostly Shimano Tiagra drive train with a 105 rear derailleur and Truvative cranks. The rims were Mavic CXP22 with Continental Twister tires. The rest of the components were generic Cannondale alloy…

I immediately put some Panaracer Stradius slick road tires on it and started riding every morning out Valley Road. By the end of the summer I had put a couple thousand kilometers on it and burned the Panaracers down to nothing. As it turned out I never did use it to race ‘cross because by that fall I had ordered a Surly Cross-Check frame and built it up to race ‘cross on a singlespeed!!

It came with some black bar tape which I was never really keen on. I picked up some “natural” coloured cork tape and tried to stain it a darker brown. It didn’t really work so well….

I also bought my first pair of clipless pedals for this beastie - Crank Brothers Mallets. 

For the next three years it was more or less been used as my summer “hauling-the-kids-around” bike. I might have done a few road rides on it in 2005, but by that time THE ROCKET had become my primary road warrior!

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


Here it is in is last operational capacity: hauling kids. I had swapped the carbon post and brooks saddle over and- let me tell you – that was the comfiest ride EVER! Conveniently the bike has braze-ons for a rack which was handy for some extra storage/hauling capacity especially when grocery shopping with two kids. At this point the tires have been upgraded to Continental Ultra Gatorskins.


Off to the zoo, or wherever….

I can’t seem to find any other earlier pictures of it…

This spring I decided the Mikado could be used as a year ‘round (or at least “three season”) single speed kid hauling bike and the Cannondale ‘cross bike became redundant.

I had thought about selling it but Amanda thought I shouldn’t, as I might not get much for it. Better to have not much than nothing and ANOTHER bike taking up space in the Bike Barn, I figured…. Then She decided that maybe SHE would like to have a ‘cross bike and race this fall – obviously this bike would be WAAAAY to big but I thought if I could find a reasonably priced frame and fork I could do a complete swap. I indeed found one and all the parts have been swapped over. This is now just a bare frame and fork sitting in the Bike Barn

…so if anyone’s looking for a ‘cross frame and fork….

THE ROCKET

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


I had so much fun riding fixed on the SURLY Cross Check I decided I needed to set up a dedicated fixey for the road. I found an old road bike hanging up upstairs with the used bikes at the Bike Doctor that looked perfect. I offered Dave $75 plus a case of beer and ordered myself in a Suzue track hub. I rebuilt the rear wheel and presto – for less than $200 I had a fixey for the road.

I can’t remember exactly when I built this up. It was the fall of 2004 when I built up the Surly… I think it might have been more or less at the exact same time or right away afterwards. I probably rode it a bit until the snow started flying and it has been my #1 bike for getting around summer bike (when I’m not towing kids) ever since.

I have no idea of the origin of the bike as it has no headbadge or decals – it did have one decal on the top tube when I got it that said “Sport Swap”….!? It’s lugged and brazed steel and I imagine butted cro-mo. It had a bizarre mix of components like a campy front derailleur with Dura-Ace cranks (really, really OLD Dura-Ace cranks… but Dura-Ace none the less!)

Later spoke started breaking on the front wheel so I replaced it with a wheel I had kicking around for a previous project bike, and in the summer of 2005 I took the rocket out for a 100km road ride (the only ride I did outside of town – let me tell you IT HURT!) and it occurred to me 50km from home as my knees felt like exploding and my ass HURT that perhaps the seat post was a bit short – so it was replaced with a cheap and cheerful post. Recently I swapped over my black Brooks Saddle then I decommissioned the Cannondale ‘cross bike. That’s about it for “upgrades”. Oh I might have put new tires on….

In the picture above THE ROCKET is rigged for a long road ride – for ripping around town my pump and tools and stuff would all be stashed in my Push bag.

The gears are 54x18. Tall gear to push up hills but at least I don't spin my legs off coming back down!

My First Bike

This was my first two-wheeled bike. Well.. okay… four - if you count the training wheels – which were eventually taken off. I have no idea what the make or model was or where my parents even got it. Probably from the Sears catalogue.

It was a single speed! Coaster brake, training wheels, steel frame, and I can’t even remember if they were pneumatic or solid plastic tires… They look like pneumatics… Check it out it even had a rack… not that I ever used it…


1975. High River, Alberta. I got the bike for my birthday – which is in February – so I probably didn’t even get to ride it for a couple months.

Before this I had a tricycle of some sort. I seem to recall it was red and metal. I can find no pictures of it. In fact as I’ve been looking back through the piles of pictures taken in my youth there are no pictures of any of the bikes I’ve owned. I find this surprising considering how large a part they played in my life….

This bike was replaced by a blue bike with a banana seat…. More on that later.

The Pink Bianchi

This was the first road bike I’ve had since… well… grade four…? I had a “five speed” then. This bike was probably not so bad in it’s day. I have no idea how old it is. I think the frame was butted cro-mo, definitely lugged and brazed. It was originally hot pink but had severely faded from years of just sitting in the sun. I discovered this when I removed the front derailleur as the clamp had kept the small part of the frame under it preserved.

I picked it up at Flash Cycle for $40. It had no front wheel at the time. I spent about $100 on a decent wheel with a double wall rim?! I put some new tires on it (Panaracer Stradius Pros? Another $50 or so?) and a different seat I had kicking around.

The original front derailleur broke one day – parts of it were plastic! One of the down tube shifters (also plastic) broke as well. These were both replaced by old Shimano 600 parts I found in the used parts bins upstairs at the Bike Doctor ($5 each).

I probably put a new chain on it at some point. For a while this might have even had one of my brooks saddles on it. I also found some old Shimano non-aero brake levers and rewrapped the bars with some pink cork tape I found.

It rocked. I rode it everywhere for a summer and a half. I even rode my first (and last, to date) two road races on it.

I traded it away to a friend when I picked up my Cannondale ‘cross bike and I’ve been kicking myself ever since. I swapped the Stradius’ onto the ‘cross bike for the summer and rode that everwhere and I fiured I didn’t need it anymore. Having horizontal dropouts it would have made an awesome fixey!? …well, except for the fact that it probably was a touch small for me.

I think I put different brake levers and a different front wheel on before I traded it away. Definitely kept my Books saddle…

(Remember: click on the picture for a bigger version)

The Bike Pile

I've aquired a few old beaters over the years. Some have been given to me by their owners, others salvaged from the dump, etc. I have no room to store them indoors anywhere so they remain outside. Some I've stripped of parts, others I'm not sure quite what to do with them. None of them are currently rideable. I just can't stand seeing them rust in the dump. They'll proabaly have to make their way back there someday... this was the state of them a winter or two ago...