Understanding the bike obsession

A coworker asked me about RAGBRAI today.

Of course, he started it casually. Hey, I hear you ride RAGBRAI. Sure! I've ridden it the past couple of years. Haven't ever ridden the whole thing, but I plan on doing that sometime in the near future, maybe next year. He seemed to be focusing more on the party aspect...partying all night, got up at noon, saw all kinds of weird stuff...etc. Nothing wrong with that, it's all part of the experience. Us old guys partied pretty hard, too. Went to bed at 10, got up at 6 and hit the road at 7. Rode our asses off and done by early afternoon. Who hoo!

He asked me how I trained. "Trained?", I said. "Heck, I ride all year!"

A funny look crossed his face. That's when I knew I'd lost him.

I crossed over. Before the 'training' comment, I was just a casual pedaler out looking for fun. Now, I turned into some mega-miling, tree-hugging, environmentalist rhetoric-spewing, lycra-wearing, critical-mass riding anti-car owning cycling nutjob trying to save the world from Big Oil. Yeek. I started to tell him about my commute but by that time he was already headed back to his cube. I'm glad I didn't get started on my laundry room bike shop, my Rivendells, or my six other bikes. Yeah sure, this guy's out of of his freakin' mind! -D :>))

The Hundred Mile Bottom Bracket

I just can't leave well enough alone. Or maybe it's just not well enough.

It was a beautiful fall day yesterday. I took the Bleriot out for a nice half-century run and it ran wonderfully...except...

Remember when I wrote about the squeaky bottom bracket. It has now become a clunky bottom bracket. On starting my non-drive side power stroke there's a definite 'clunk'. And I don't believe it's because the BB cups are loose. There's definite sideplay in the shaft now, after something slightly more than 100 miles of riding. I don't usually call people out in my blog, but I'm disappointed in the quality of this particular Velo Orange branded component.

I'm sure they will make it good if I bring the problem to their attention. They do sell some nice hard to find parts. Since I was ordering a Brooks saddle and Honjo Fenders from them I though I might try the bottom bracket as well. What I really should have done is included the Phil Wood BB in my Rivendell order. Yeah, it's expensive. But I'm 99.999999999999 percent certain a Phil Wood BB isn't going to crap out on me at 100 miles. I have one in my Soma Double Cross commuter and it is smooth as silk, making nary a peep. I'm pretty sure I could put 20,000 miles on it without a hitch.

It goes almost without saying that a Phil Wood unit is on its way. In fact, as time and finance allow I'd like to replace the Ramby and the Quickbeam bottom brackets as well...someday. Let's just call it insurance :>) -D

Fall Riding

The rain we've had for the past week or so has abated, and the sun is out! I managed to get commuter rides in Thursday and Friday.

Time for some cool fall riding. The temps will be in 60's, the wind is low, the sun is shining, the Bleriot is waiting. No time to waste, because the snow will be flying soon. Maybe we'll have a mild winter -D

ExCYted!

Oct 24, 2009 will go down in history.

That was the day the Iowa State Cyclones beat Nebraska at home. In Lincoln.

The last time this happened was in 1977, under Coach Earle Bruce. I was a freshman in high school at the time. Yes, I'm old.

It wasn't pretty. I had all my rally hats on. I've watched so many Cyclones games where they'd take a lead into the fourth quarter and blow it. A missed field goal. Stopped short of the goal line. Turnovers. Yet another heartbreak.

Not today.

My wife said I had this incredulous look on my face when it happened. I looked over at her and asked "Did we win this game?? Did we REALLY win this game??" The celebration began.

I work in Omaha, Nebraska so of course I work with a majority of Husker fans. One particular Husker fan told me we 'would have trouble' with the Huskers. I calmly informed him they'd need to play 60 minutes of football to win this game. I should have kept my mouth shut, since this comment unleashed a firestorm. They predicted victory by a wide margin. Another Husker fan interrupted a conference call to ask for my cell phone number so he could call me during the game.

The call never came.

The Nebraska defense played a great game. Ndamukong Suh was everywhere making plays, definitely one of the top players in the country. And playing at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln is never easy. We knew it would be tough going in, especially with our starting quarterback and running back (leading rusher in the Big-12) out of the game.

It was an ugly game. Nebraska turned over the ball eight times. The Cyclones hung in there, played tough, ground it out and left with a win. A wacky game for sure, but a WIN for the Cyclones!

GO ISU!!!

Wicked Blue Fixie or how I plan not to fall on my arse this winter...

The Nokian tires I've been patiently waiting for have arrived.

I took these things out of the box, and they looked wicked. No kidding, aggressive tread and carbide spikes? Wicked. Wicked lugged sharp spiked Finlandian tires. Yes, from Finland. Experts on what works and doesn't work in the snow and ice.

160 carbide ice spikes buried in deep lugged tires. They smelled awesomely rubbery when they came out of the box. The rubber seems nice and soft, and I assume softer rubber gives better traction in the snow and ice. We'll find out!

The QBF was all ready for tire and tube installation. The wheels were badly out of true, loose spokes and all! An afternoon session of cleaning up and truing fixed that. Before...

And after!

Snow and Ice?? Bring it on!!! -D

Salted Nut Rolls and Roasted Rubber

Took the Ramby out for a couple of hours today. I had to work, so I took the bike with me and rode after work. Not too many folks out.

Last Saturday I was riding through Underwood and stopped at the Mini Mart for a soda and a salted nut roll. Salted nut roll, breakfast of champions!

Anyway, I saw this black Buick Grand National puttering around. He was on a side street adjacent to the Mini mart...he'd creep forward a few inches, stop, creep forward, stop....it just generally looked suspicious. I guessed what he was up to. He slowly turned around in the intersection and stopped, right in the middle of the highway. If I was thinking, I would have had my cell out recording this in video mode.

I heard the engine rev, and the rear tires started spinning. I saw one hell of a burnout, smoke rolling off the rear tires, engine bellowing (as much as a turbocharged Buick V6 can bellow). It was a good one. The tire smoke cloud hung there for at least two or three minutes, since there wasn't much wind. When I resumed my ride, I stopped and looked at the nice melted pile of rubber he left on the road. Sweet! Glad it wasn't my car, or my tires. It would have been more entertaining if he would have broken or blown something, or a cop would have come around the corner mid-burnout. I saw the same car later, pulled off the side of the road...then pulling back on slowly puttering down the highway. I lost sight of him and I didn't see it, but I swear I heard him doing another burnout, and I know I smelled more tire smoke.

Can't do that on my Ramby! :>) -D

Chopped, flopped, and single-speeded Nishiki

Patrick sent me a pic of his Nishiki single-speed upgrade. Now that's postable material!

Patrick says:

Check out the Nishiki!!! I spent 20 bucks on this bike. The rest of it was elbow.

-stole what looks like a SS from crankset (but is really a double with a guard) from my wife's bike and put the original from the nishiki on hers. She's actually getting the better end of the deal, but it's a win/win because her crank looks better on the NIshiki and give a better chainline.

-Old brown b17 I've owned for a while. Giving it to my friend on "permanent loan". -brooks tape from the bomba. Looks great on this bike.

-I chopped and flipped the original drop bars that came with the Nishiki and dumped the cheesy dirty white brake levers for some old shimano aero's I've had laying around. Looks clean, don't you think?

-dumped the 6 speed freewheel and put on a 17t freewheel in the back. -big time clean up, repacked the bearings on both wheels and headset. steel wool to corrosion on brakes, etc.

Great job, Patrick! :>) -Dwight