Sometimes you come across a bike that is so unique that it stops you and makes you think. This is one of those bikes. Not only is it unimaginably ugly, it also probably weights up wards of thirty pounds. There are a few things which make this spray painted Huffy, fixie conversion unique. The use of a triple one piece crank being one of them, surely you could get a cheep bmx crank that would better do the job. But also this bike has the distinction of being the only fixie that I have ever seen, and perhaps the only fixie in existence to feature an integrated kick stand. I was of course disheartened to see that it did not include a pie plate, as that would have possibly made it the ultimate find.
No photo shop on this one, I found it out in the wilds of the "Internets". I think people are finally starting to come around and realize she is insane.
Check this thing out. Ridely 09 Noah, one fast looking bike. Im not sure overall how I feel about curved top tubes, but I would say that this one scores a pretty low ugly factor, for a road racing bike. Check out the cut out airfoils in the fork and seat stays. You can read more about them on cozy beehive
There something so nice about the shiny bling of a new cassette. It makes your bike feel new again, shifting is improved and everything just feels smoother. And then one week and two hundred miles latter:
Cinelli only imported 10 of these frames to the US. I'm overall digging it but I haven't ridden it yet and it's kinda heavy. I think most of the excess weight is in those wheels though. Nice looking bike, but that seat has gota go it just looks goofy.
"The airline industry is in its deepest crisis since the age of mass air transport began in the 1970s, British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh has said. The industry had been hit by a "devastating combination" of an economic downturn, declining consumer confidence and high oil prices, he added." - press association
With all the talks of wall street bail outs, are the feds going to be willing (or even able) to bail out the airline industry? And if so how, nationalizing? Air American could take on a whole new meaning. At the very least there is likely going to be a need for re-regulation of the industry. What does this mean for the average American consumer, like say me, trying to fly from LA to Boston? It seems there are gloomy ski in the forecast. And it may get very difficult to get a bike, and or surfboard's across the country. Ah, life in Clusterfuck Nation it almost seems surreal.
PARK(ing) isn't just for San Francisco anymore, I saw this on Forest ave. today in Laguna Beach on my way to work. Very cool to see, I remember seeing this on the web last year, and it's cool to seeing coming to my local area. It does make me wonder though, don't these people have jobs? I'd love to sit around all day drinking mimosas on a patch of grass in the middle of the street. But on the other hand, if I did do that I would likely be spending allot more time on the streets in the future and not by choice. But hey anything that makes it more convent for me to ride my bike, and less convent for people to drive cars Im all for.
This Redneck Manifesto written for BBC, is an attempt to explain to European Anglo Saxons why a bunch of uneducated, ignorant, and overweight asshats basically have control over the whole country. I like to think, that I am politically involved. I vote when ever given the opportunity and I plan on voting in the upcoming election. Even though I know no mater who I vote for its sadly not really going make a difference. California is a blue state, despite the efforts of the vast swaths of Conservative Republicans in Orange County and the Skin head gangs in LA & San Diego And I'm not a redneck, I don't live in a swing state that's all there is to it. But Ill still vote, its really more about the idea of it. Perhaps we should do away with the electoral college. I don't really know, the voting system is just a bunch or red and blue racketeering. Many precinct's are rigged we've seen that very clearly in Florida. Where there are still sadly, groups of people working towards the goal of deturing and in some cases denying low income African Americans from voting. Disenfranchisement is alive and well across the country right now, and who is going to stop it? Im fearful of where some people are willing to take us, and how other people deny where we are. It's doesn't mater how many times you tell them you can't win an occupation, they will just keep asking you why aren't willing to fight in the war.
This weekend I test rode what is arguably the ultimate lazy man's bike. Start with a Electra Townie, basically a rolling lazy boy, then add 700c wheels and an electric Bionx motor. Despite a sky high reading on the dork-ometer, riding this bike is pretty much awesome. My friend Mark took off on one these the other day, when I was helping him bring in the bikes in from outside the shop.As he sped off around the corner, with a surprising amount of acceleration. I took one look at the other ebike next to it and decided to follow him, as he exclaimed, "Dude this thing goes 20!". I grabbed the bike, and backed it off the rack. It felt relay heavy, but I got on it and started pedaling. I rolled slowly out into the street I realized that I had no idea how to operate it. The bike was barely rolling and it was in a high gear I could barely turn. Just before I ran out of momentum I noticed what looked like a power button on the console that has the throttle on it:
I hit the button, and pushed the throttle and Shazam! I was off and rolling. I went around the block and up and down the street. Just far enough to get it up to speed and then went back to the shop. I was intrigued and wanted to know more. A few days later on the weekend I told the shop owner, Patrick that I was going to take the thing out for a longer ride, to "See what it can do". Well the bike shop is right at the base of a good steep 1000 ft climb. I know the climb well, Ive done it many times on my road bike. It's not super long, but it starts out steep and then it just gets steeper the closer you get to the top. I knew I had to do it on the ebike.
This video talks about the how the Bionx motor thing works. It's something with magnets, that all I really know. But it works, just hit the throttle and pedal. I pointed it straight up the hill not relay sure what it could do. On flat ground the electric motor provides zippy acceleration. Going up hill is another story. If you don't pedal it wont stop, but it goes real slow. Start pedaling and shift into a medium low gear though and next thing you know your going 15 mph up a 10% grade. In the video the engineer said, with this thing you don't need drugs to be like Lance. Hell with this thing I could probably kick Lances ass. I don't think there is anyway anyone could keep up with one of these things on a regular bike. On some of the steeper sections of the hill I did however, put in a moderate effort. This was mostly because I really wanted to see how fast I could get to the top, without breaking a sweat. Overall this set up is really cool, I would like one on a Kona Ute.
There has been much discussion about the new aesthetic of Super Record. At first I was appalled, but after seeing them in person they have grown on me slightly. Tester have reported that the hoods are comfortable and work better for breaking. I still like the last generation design better. Also after talking to my friend who built and sold that $10G Prince, I found out that you can now only throw three gears down. So, no more "dumping" the cassette. He also said the action is lighter than the Record on his bike, something ells we didn't like. (former Shimano users may feel the opposite way). I do however think it looks nice on this Prince and someone was willing to pay $10,000 cash to buy it. So I guess that a sign of health for the cyclonomy or perhaps someone is just trying to launder drug money through the acquisition of high end bicycles, either way do you think?
I got to test ride this bike today, let me tell you that was a big mistake. I'm assuming I will most likely never own this frame, and therefore I'm destined to be somewhat dissatisfied with whatever bike I may be ridding now and some good length of time into the future. While I have seen this bike before I didn't get a chance to ride it the first time. Now its back, and they even found a way to cram two more TIME logos onto the bike, by equipping it with a matching TIME saddle. I could go on, and on about how the paint job is border line ugly and definitely way over the top, but that won't change how I feel about the way the bike rides. All of my aesthetic quibbles won't suppress my nagging urge to ditch my frame and put all my parts on one of these. Even as I was ridding it I found myself often looking down at it to vanquish my disbelief. I felt like I was riding in a real life BSNYC dream bike shout out. The bottom bracket on this thing is so stiff, that all 145 pounds of me couldn't flex it a millimeter. A huge difference from my bike. This thing climbs effortlessly and just plain feels remarkably efficient. But what really got me is, how damn comfortable this thing is. It just glides over rough pavement. The only thing that can really describe ridding this bike is:
"To put it simply, this bike climbs like a squirrel, descends like a greased squirrel on a luge, corners like a decagon, and accelerates like a methamphetamine-addicted rabbit. (Or like a Porsche being driven by a methamphetamine-addicted rabbit.) Overall, the effect of getting on this bike is like getting on one of those moving walkways in the airport--you feel like you’re going twice as fast, and you feel twice as smart as the idiots who didn’t bother getting on the walkway and just kept walking on the regular floor. And getting on any other bike afterwards is like when you get off the walkway and feel as though you’ve just stepped onto another planet with a completely different gravitational pull." -BSNYC
Sometimes you come across a bike that is so unique that it stops you and makes you think. This is one of those bikes. Not only is it unimaginably ugly, it also probably weights up wards of thirty pounds. There are a few things which make this spray painted Huffy, fixie conversion unique. The use of a triple one piece crank being one of them, surely you could get a cheep bmx crank that would better do the job. But also this bike has the distinction of being the only fixie that I have ever seen, and perhaps the only fixie in existence to feature an integrated kick stand. I was of course disheartened to see that it did not include a pie plate, as that would have possibly made it the ultimate find.
