Happy Halloween

Photo from Zombiecon 2008, photographer unknown

Biz Cards

Just made this card for a friend of mine, what do you all think?

(back)

Interstate bike highway?

Apparently the NTA Approved U.S. Bicycle Route System . So what does this mean, well it means that;
"The United States is on a path to creating what could become the largest official bicycle route network in the world, thanks to the approval of a new plan by America's leading authority on national route designations. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has just approved a National Corridor Plan laying out the framework and guidelines for the development of this system. The plan identifies corridors connecting America's urban, rural and suburban areas. The corridors cover well over 50,000 miles, which, if transformed into routes along roads and trails, would create the largest official bicycle route network in any country or on any continent."
This all sounds really awesome to me, An interstate bicycle highway system could really change the way American society views cycling as a mode of transportation. I think it could get allot of people ridding. Especially people like my fiancée who would like to bike more, but is simply to scared to due to lack of safe bike lanes and infrastructure.
Perhaps also this is a fitting time to start such an endeavor, begging construction of the Interstate highway system helped move our country out of the the first great depression. With the current climate of financial turmoil and the emptying of the American pocket. A green supper high way of bike lanes would certainly be a useful thing. Lets hope the automakers, oil companies and Republicans don't conspire to fuck this thing up.

If I had this bike... I'd fix the handlebars

The more I look at this bike, less I can make sense of it. It's a totally sick custom build, with heaps of attention to detail in the build. Its got a custom IF computer system, custom carbon front derailleur, and even color matched housing, spacers, and bottle holders. Plus to top of all of that, its rolling on a set of 606 tubulars. So talking all of these things into consideration, what the hell is up with those handle bars. They are on like a 20 degree slope. I tried briefly to ride this bike, and my hands felt like they were climbing a mountain and and any moment they might slip off. I understand people want comfort, and maybe if this was a Trek Postal Service Team issue frame I'd cut it a little more slack. But when you have those wheels, on that bike, with those handle bars; any aerodynamic benefits from the wheels is negated by rider position. There should be some sort of rule, if your allowed to own a bike this nice, you really should know better!

I'm with Joe: And Im rich bitch!

oh by the way, this is what that house looks like from the back:

Hmm... that leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I guess I'll go eat some Obama/Biden cookies. Are they delicious? You' Betcha'!

Pinarello CX

Looking at this bike gives me very dangerous ideas, like buying it and then compulsively upgrading it.

Obama & 100,000 in Denver

This Kona Ute with integrated electric assist drive train, was spotted at Interbike this year. This one is supposedly a prototype for next years model. I've been a fan of Kona's production version of the long bike style human powered utility vehicle, since it's release last year. They were the first major bike company to take a shot a segment of the market, which was generally the realm of custom builds only. The major limiting factor of course for these bikes, is weight. Specifically how much weight the ridder can effectively power forward over any existing hills on the way to and from the store. Simply put, by adding an electric motor to a Kona Ute bike, it exponential increases the amount of potential users who can realistically use it to decrease their dependency on automobiles and fossil fuels. Overall I think this prototype is looking solid, however due to the added weight of the motor and potential for heavy loads I do think this bike needs front and rear disc brakes. The regular Ute is specced with a front disc brake and rear V-brake. This one looks like it dynamo type front hub. I'm excited to see what Kona has up their sleeve with this one. Look for this bike in the next model year.

Wassup 2008

This just in: Rock Racing kits are indeed ugly

Along with blogging for fun, which is what I do with this blog, I also have a business related internet / blogging venture involving a bike shop. In this arrangement it is my duty to, enthusiastically and unbiasedly promote any products the shop is selling. It's a very high end bike shop so that is generally very easy to do. I also try to keep any work I do professionally, separate form this blog. Which allows me to write whatever I want without offending clients. Like Rock Racing for example, I was recently at the shop and confronted by this:
I realize some people appreciate the aesthetic of a Rock Racing kit. I am not one of them, its just too damn flashy. And you couldn't pay me to ride around with a Cadillac Logo on my arm, the only time I want to see an Escalade is when its in the trash compactor.
And what's with the skulls on everything. The last thing I want to do while Im reaching down for a drink a 30 mph in traffic is contemplate mortality.

Paradise Lost

It's a long way down to 10th street beach, its no mistake that the beach is named 1000 steps. Its a long walk down a long and steep stairway to get there. This hastly compiled panoramic view shows the south end of the beach, where this house stands perched on the sand. I remember only a few years ago people were still living in it.

A track bike

This one belongs to Brain Lopes who just happens to to hold the MTB–Four-cross titles of 4x World Champ, 6x WorldCup Champ, and 9x National Champ, encase you didn't know.

Thanks to people like this, its easy to hate Republicans

Early voters in North Carolina, most of whom were black, were heckled and mocked by McCain supporters as they their cast their ballots Sunday. Activity like this is disturbing and despicable. Its just another chapter in the long shameful legacy of white Southern Republicans trying to disenfranchise, discourage, and some times forcefully and violently keep African Americans from voting. I cannot effectively express my disdain for these people and their actions.

They're Everywhere

After spewing forth, yesterdays triathlete mocking piece it is only fitting that I should be confronted with even more aero bar fueled insanity. Pictured above you can see further proof of the triathletes love of the SUV. What's funny about his picture is this person is making the opposite mistake of his porsche driving brethren. If you look closely inside the car you can see a surfboard. This car is parked at Sano and I saw it right before I went surfing last night. If your the owner of this Element / Cervelo combo, than put your bike in the car! The sea spray is going to destroy it, and for that matter why did you bring your bike to the beach, to go surfing! This seems to be a disturbing new trend in so call surf culture, as I have see people lug their road, fixed gear and tri bikes down to the beach when they are clearly on a mission to go surfing. It seems fixed gear bikes have integrated their way into socal long board culture. Hipster longboarders are of course drawn to fixed gears. Ridding angresive racing bike with no brakes around town, is about the equivelent of surfing a 40 pound single fin with no leash and wetsuit (no matter what the tempatrue) And then there is this bike:

words cannot describe

I shot this photo a while ago, I think it was the end of august. It's been floating around my hard drive for quite some time now. This guy came into the shop one day, when I was hanging out and working on bike (that's mine in the foreground mid wash). Anyways he had a triathlon race the next morning up in New Port Beach CA. He came into the shop because he was having trouble inflating his supper deep section Zip 808 wheels. Some garbage about the valve stem extenders not working. If your going to ride those wheels and drive that car then for the love of god just order than damn tubes with supper long valves. They are like only $8 wholesale anyways. So somewhere in the middle of my friend trying to help him and him starring back discontentedly I realize, holy shit he brought in his whole bike, just to get work done on the front wheel! Then as he was leaving I observed him awkwardly struggling to load his bike inside of his enormously over priced SUV. When I saw this happening I realized it the was the exact visualization of a classic, and one of my all time favorite BSNYC Posts. So this one's for you snob, I hope your somewhere laughing:

-caption from post-
"I’m not a communist and I’m not Amish. Some people have money and they want nice cars. Fine. And sometimes you need to transport your bike someplace, like a race or a far-off group ride. Okay. But what I cannot stand is when I see a brand-new Mercedes or BMW pull up at the start, and the driver proceeds to wrestle his $7,000 Colnago out from the back seat. I mean come on! You’ve got the money, get a goddamn rack! The only explanation I can possibly come up with for this behavior is that there’s a spouse at home who does not want the statusmobile marred by unsightly load bars and fairings. Well, you know what? If you’ve reached a point in your life where you’re successful enough to afford all this stuff, yet you can’t put your foot down and give cycling the pride-of-place in your life that it deserves, then hand over that shiny piece of Euro-plastic. Or at least get one of those stupid removable trunk racks. Is a leather seat riddled with chainring holes somehow preferable to a Thule?

And don’t tell me you keep the bike in the car to save gas. If you cared you’d have bought a Civic." - BikeSnobNYC

The Bike Horn

check out this headset integrated electronic horn. When I first saw it, it took me a couple seconds to figure out what it was. I've never seen anything mounted on a road bike in the fashion. Once I hit the red button on the handle bars, and was startled by a loud and obnoxious horn, it became obvious. Pretty damn cool really, I mean a bell really has its limitations.
This thing is just loud. I hate cars horns as much as the next road going cyclist, but this just some how seems like a good idea. If someone beeps at you and almost runs you off the road, its probably better than just plain yelling. So things like this are probably a good addition to any commuter bike, and check out the head set mounted clock, snazzy!

Repent before the coming apocalypse

"Obey Snob or Perish!"

A Cross Bike

This bike came together nice, relay feelin the look of the Campy Centaur alloy levers with the Bruce Gordon canti's. Alloy lever just seem to look right on a cross bike. You can always count on a mt bike company to make a badass cross bike.