sweetnourishingbikes

Scraper Bikes

2010-05-29T15:41:00.001-06:00

Rocketboom is like Sports Center for internet geeks. And they even seem to like bikes.

Epic pile of scavenged bike parts

2010-03-31T09:57:00.000-06:00

Us bike geeks find few things more beautiful than a big ass pile of bike parts. Here is one such pile.

DIy wooden bike

2010-03-23T08:46:00.000-06:00

DIY wooden bike. Nifty.

Camper Bike

2009-09-16T10:01:00.000-06:00

Finally a solution to the dilemma faced by all tree hugging hippies who have always wanted to go low-impact bicycle camping, but not without all the comforts of home!

Planetary.. wheel!

2009-08-30T12:40:00.000-06:00

This miniature rapid-prototyped bike is basically awesome. I want one. But big enough to crash - I mean ride.

For those of you who have wondered what the inside of a 3-speed hub looks like - it looks basically just like this. Planetary gears they call it, and it's pretty dang nifty.

DIY dynamo lighting

2009-08-27T14:17:00.000-06:00

This is awful dang nifty. I love hard drive magnets, and I definitely want one on my bike.

Yikes.

2009-04-26T05:47:00.001-06:00

Dutch Bike Madness

2009-01-21T08:36:00.002-07:00

Online design magazine Core77 has a great photo gallery from a large bike exhibition in the Netherlands last year. My favorite is probably the 20 frame CNC milled from a block of oak.

Same as it ever was

2008-09-30T22:33:00.005-06:00

You might ask yourself, what could possibly be more appropriate for sweetnourishingbikes than bicycle racks designed by David Byrne?

Mr. Byrne just played here in Albuquerque, which has prompted me to start reading his web site. There is a veritable crapload of great stuff to be found there.

Just to spoil the surprise about these bike racks: The City of New York apparently uses some standard size of square tubing to make its bike racks. Since David Byrne wanted his funky designs to still be recognizable as bike racks, he wanted to use the proper tubing. But it was too difficult to bend square tubing in contorted shapes... so they pieced them together out of small, cut, angled sections, welded it all together, and ground the edges down! Voila! Curved tubing.

Drivetrain Challenge

2008-08-15T17:44:00.004-06:00

We all showed up for a ride a couple of months ago with a new and different drivetrain.

H brought the homemade singlespeed:

jsn with the Nexus 8 speed:

Eric with the 1 x 5 (custom stack, friction shifter):

Me with 1 x 9:

After a couple of months of trial use, one bike stayed the same, one got upgraded, one converted (back) to the singlespeed, and one was never ridden again...

Stay tuned!

Civia Hylander Alfine

2008-07-14T16:04:00.003-06:00

I want one.

The Civia Hylander city frame, decked out with a veray sexay black Alfine gruppo. And they are pretty cheap - only 2 grand from JensonUSA.

Usually I'm all steel-is-reel and shit, but aluminum kinda makes sense for a city bike since it won't rust, so you can bang the paint off with your lock without feeling like you should apply nail polish.

More Veen-Ho De Bicicletas

2008-06-06T17:15:00.003-06:00

Check out this sweet "Pannier" - or Bici-Boulangier, or whatever you call a French dude who sells bread on a bike.

NYC Steez

2008-05-28T14:25:00.002-06:00

Not sure when bmxers decided against rocking brakes...

Bike Lift in Norway

2008-05-06T08:26:00.002-06:00

I'd love to see other simple, elegant solutions to this very common problem.

Veen-Ho De Bicicletas

2008-04-28T22:47:00.003-06:00

Sometimes when you're shopping for a nice bottle of Veen-Ho, you cast aside bouquet, legs, nose, vintage and all that crap, and just buy the bottle that has a naked chick and a bike on it.

2008-04-13T21:23:00.003-06:00

Crazy ass motorized bike seen in Waikiki. Genius!

OMG it's a fixey! Well actually it had a centrifugal clutch that is basically a freewheel, but still.

Dinosaurs and Robots: Dispatch

2008-03-07T07:58:00.004-07:00

Those of you who frequent the whole Make:Blog sector of the bloggosphere have probably seen Hooptierides. That is the blog by the dude who made that drive-in theater projector trike thing. Remember that? Anyway. That same dude has a new project that appeals to all of us garage sale cruising, junk worshipping, tool obsessing, vintage hunting miscreants. He calls it Dinosaurs and Robots: Dispatch, and the first issue is really nice.

Skibike on MAKE:Blog

2008-02-22T18:24:00.003-07:00

I love MAKE:Blog. Today they feature the Boozhoundlabs skibike. Aw yeah.

World's Most Dangerous Bike Birthday (Observed)

2008-02-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

The latest project: dump-bike fixie.

Custom J-B Weld track cog should keep everything in place. Right? What could happen?

The finished product.

Welcome to the world. Please don't try to kill me like me your friends.

Future Taco

2008-02-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

Remember this?

Bam! Thanks to jsn for not allowing me to make it a complete death trap... Now it just needs a maiden voyage to break it in. Note one-cross versus radial lacing. A considerable improvement in strength and reliability? Stay tuned.

Sheldon Brown 1944 - 2008

2008-02-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

I hate to break the sweetnourishingbikes winter dry spell with bad news. More at Harris Cyclery.

If you like bikes and you've never heard of Sheldon Brown, you absolutely must visit SheldonBrown.com.

Buy Eric's bike

2007-10-24T15:33:00.000-06:00

Eric is selling this kickass full-suspension frame, and he wants to buy more toys, so someone buy it.

2004 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Pro. Size XL (21in)
Fox RLC Triad Shock w/Propedal and Lockout (Rebuilt by Push Ind. last year)
Seatpost included (Sweet!)

Small ding in the drive side of the down tube and usual wear and tear throughout. Shock and pivots are in great working order.

Rack Test 2 (Anticipation)

2007-10-15T20:33:00.000-06:00

I was wondering how much weight you could put in a milk crate on the DIY rack featured here:

http://sweetnourishingbikes.blogspot.com/2006/08/rack.html

This is too much:

The rack didn't fail. But the bike was so unstable I was white-knuckled all the way home fighting the thing. The weight wasn't necessarily the issue - it was the wobbling. I think the rack needs more lateral rigidity or something, because the only way to keep the front wheel from trying to kick out to the side was to keep my own center of gravity as low as possible, eliminating any stand-up pedaling. But the uphill grind home paled in comparison to the urge to reach back and drink the center of gravity down...

Catastrophic Failure

2007-10-14T21:33:00.000-06:00

Behold the catastrophic failure of a hub:

About half of the flange on one side just broke completely off. Fortunately, it was right at a switchback, so low speed prevented a serious pile-up. Not so lucky was the resulting ~3 mile walk out of Guaje Canyon. I loosened the spokes as much as possible with the hopes of getting the wheel straight enough to turn inside the fork, but the best I could get was a really annoying rubbing sound every time the wheel came around. With the tire deflated, some persistent pedaling - even downhill, and a high tolerance for a nature-destroying racket for every tire rotation, some riding was possible. Most of the way, however, was on foot. At least it was a nice day.

Dave's commuter

2007-10-04T11:08:00.001-06:00

Photos of The Commuter.

Dave sez:

I found this frame at the now-out-of-business Albuquerque Bicycle X-
change. They mostly sold a lot of fixed-up used bikes. There was a
side room full of crap that you could barely get into, and this frame
was hanging from the ceiling-- no wheels, seat, or seat post -- with
a tag that said "$30 AS IS." Given that this place made its money
from fixing up old bikes, I had wonder... as is *what?* But it was a
pretty tall road frame, so maybe it wasn't worth their time to build
up. So I bit.

A few months after I got it, a loud clicking noise started coming
from the bottom bracket. I took it to the shop for a new bottom
bracket. The repair guy called me later and said that the bottom
bracket was fine, but the grease had hardened! It was probably the
original grease. But the bearings looked fine, so he just cleaned
and repacked.

I included a crappy shot of one of the pedals. I put these on this
summer. When you're crossing a lot of intersections, its nice not to
have to think about where your foot is going to go. Its hard to tell
how big the pedals look, but its like a guy in a suit wearing Doc
Martens.

The Carradice saddle bag is awesome, but I've decided it really needs
a quick release of some sort. You have to buckle it to your seat.
I'd also like to modify the pannier rack with some fuel line
extensions to get it up higher.

Currently, the brakes are fairly sucky and need an upgrade. Also,
the wheels are on long-term loan from my road bike. I'd like new
wheels with fatter tires for better cush. Black spokes might look
good with this frame! Also, I'm very tempted to get an internal gear
rear hub. Something you can shift at a stoplight.

rack update

2007-10-02T18:01:00.000-06:00

Originally one idea for the supereasy DIY rack was to pit J-B Weld against PC-7 Epoxy in a no holds barred deathmatch of destruction. The J-B Weld died a quick and painless death. Perhaps PC-7 will do better...

The consistency of PC-7 is very different - more like roofing tar. Pasty, but kinda stringy too, and without the nice surface tension that makes the "fillets" look nice. Definitely lumpier. It also takes way longer than J-B Weld to dry/cure. Overnight at least, and 2 nights would be better.

Stay tuned for the stress testing... Can it hold a 30-pack? On the trail?

supereasy DIY rear rack

2007-09-28T09:24:00.000-06:00

NOTE: Before building this rack, scroll down and read the postscript.

So you want a rear rack for your bike - or any kind of rack for that matter - but you don't have the tools to weld or braze or whatever. Well never fear, comrades, J-B Weld is your friend!

Before we get into the actual rack stuff, let me just introduce you to J-B Weld properly, in the words of their own website: "My pickup threw a rod and tore a hole in the block. I plugged the hole with large washers bolted together and sealed it with J-B WELD. That was over 50,000 miles ago; still with no loss of oil. Thanks for a remarkable product!" There are hundreds of awesome testimonials like that, but not all of them are as sublimely redneck!

So here is what we need to build a rack, and it is all available at your local Autozone or other auto parts store. You want 1 package of J-B Weld, and 2 lengths of 3/8" rigid steel high pressure line. This is the stuff you can use for brakes, power steering, etc. It is soft steel so it is bendable. You might also want to pick up a tubing bender for this, and a tubing cutter if you don't have one. You will also need a round "rat tail" file, and auto parts stores usually have pretty good deals on tools, so why not get one there too.

The first thing you want to do is cut the two main pieces of the rack that will go from the seatstay rack eyelets to the dropout eyelets. Crimp one end of each. I used a bench vise, but a hammer would work. So would vise grips if you are truly desperate or one of those sickos that enjoy using vise grips.

Once you have a nice crimped section, drill a hole in it to accept a standard M5 allen head bolt. You don't want a lot of play here, so try to use a bit that is just barely bigger than the bolt. I think I used whatever size is just smaller than 1/4".

Now bolt that sumbitch to the seatstay eyelet. You will have a long straight piece of tubing to work with at this point. Begin bending it to the shape you want the rack to be. Note: A milk crate is about 13" square. Use a tubing bender or some sort of v shaped round thing, like a swamp cooler belt pulley, to keep the tubing from kinking. You will see an example of kinking later in this article. Try not to do that if you can.

My goal was to get the rack level, and leave about as much clearance between the rack and the tire as there is between the brake bridge and the tire. Since you left the tubing long, you can get it where you want it than mark it for cutting, crimping, and drilling for the dropout eyelet.

Once you have the two main pieces done, you can make the little struts that join them and for the platform for the rack. Just cut 3 (or 2 or 4 or whatever) pieces the same length, and use your round file to "fishmouth" them so that they form a nice fit with the main rails. Remember that your file will stay sharp much longer if you only drag it across the metal in the cutting direction, never backwards.

It is now time to mix up a batch of J-B Weld! Awright! Just mix equal parts of the steel and the hardener. I like to use a nail or something else disposable so you don't have to clean it.

Spread J-B Weld on the end of the tubing, put the pieces where you want them, and use bungee cords to hold it all in place.

Next go back and make "fillets" with more J-B Weld. This is easier that it first appears because J-B Weld has a cool surface tension property that makes it self-smoothing. Just get it to stick where you want it, and it will slowly pull itself to a smooth finish.

Let it harden overnight, remove the bungee cords and you have yourself a rack. Paint it so it won't rust, and you are ready to roll.

POSTSCRIPT: This rack broke almost immediately. It turns out J-B weld is not as cool as I thought it was :(

plenty-six miles per hour

2007-09-24T10:45:00.000-06:00

(Either JavaScript is not active or you are using an old version of Adobe Flash Player. Please install the newest Flash Player.)

This is the best thing I have seen in... maybe forever. It's a birthday card that Fat Cyclist's son made for him about a ride. Classic.

[via]

Copenhagen Girls on Bikes

2007-09-07T10:08:00.001-06:00

Edit: I just realized that I failed to attribute this post to the blog I found it on: Bakfiets En Meer!. I'm going to infosphere hell.

I <3 integrated racks

2007-08-29T09:03:00.000-06:00

I love bikes with integrated racks where the rack is part of the frame. Here is a really cool example that Peter White sells. I'm suprized the fenders aren't cleaner and more integrated on that bike though. Of course I love the internal gear hub.

Dear readers, if you know of more frames with built in racks, please post links! I am extra-super interested in bikes with integrated front racks, especially ones where the rack is part of the frame so that it doesn't rotate with the fork. Someday I want to build one.

Cyclemotorinatorizer!

2007-08-23T22:39:00.000-06:00

Why didn't I think of that?...

Maybe because I have absolutely no idea what is going on is that photo!

I guess this is some sort of wacky motor for you bike. But I'm not totally sure because the photos on the website are too much for my Miller Lite and Wu Tang Clan addled brain. The "Rural Roads With Roger" video is awesome though.

You give it a try and leave a comment if you figure it out: Neodymics Cyclemotor.

Bakfiets!

2007-08-22T13:36:00.000-06:00

The term bakfiet means "big bike" or "load carrying bike" in Dutch. These appears to be a surge of very cool Dutch load bikes showing up on the intarwebs and apparently also in America.

Check out Bakfiets en meer for examples of sweet Dutch utility bikes. I don't know what en meer means :)

Marin

2007-08-22T13:14:00.000-06:00

Report from Field Agent Kev-1:

When the NYC crew headed to Marin for a week this June, I had to at least try and get in a ride in the MTB fatherland. We were staying in Olema (pop. 55) and I called up the only shop in town, Cycle Therapy (keeping with the time honored pun-based bike shop naming tradition). The owner, Dave, informed my that yes he was closed and that yes, we could rent bikes... meet him at his shop in 10 minutes. The shop consisted of a battered weed covered tow trailer in an empty lot next to a bakery. Upon arrival he hung a phone on the exterior wall of the bakery, plugged it in, and declared himself open for business. In short order we were equipped with 1991 vintage hardtails (Iron Horse, I think) coupled with first generation Manitou front shocks and some bootleg water courtesy of a pilfered municipal spigot key Dave had acquired.

Dave pointed us in the direction of the Boinas Ridge Trail (which I later discovered is somewhat of a regional classic, Marin even had a "Bolinas Ridge" frame back in the day) and described the trail beginning with an easy climb and then good, easy fun. The climb revealed itself as somewhat of an unrelenting five mile death march on boiler-plate-hard ruts under a scorching treeless sky. After an hour of swearing directed mostly at me, our group finally entered eucalyptus grove on the top of the ridge, stopped to eat some blackberries, and then pushed on into some Endor-like redwood forrest which really was super-fun high speed rollers all the way to the end for an epic view of the ocean and Tomales Bay. Turned around, smoked the mostly downhill return 11 miles in no time, nearly rattling our rides back into their original components along the way and finished back at the ranch for some BBQ oysters and a nap.

bikedispenser!

2007-08-22T11:04:00.000-06:00

Have you ever been somewhere and wished you had a bike for that quick trip to the store, home from the bar, over to a friends. Or gone somewhere on your bike and then wanted to take a ride/bus/taxi/subway home? Well if you are in Amsterdam, this just got easier.

bikedispenser!

I love the bikes too. Those mag wheels are sweet.

Back in D-town

2007-08-10T15:12:00.000-06:00

After 7 years in wonderful Seattle, we are now getting settled in my hometown of Durango. So, now I am on the hunt for a quality, used mountain bike. Although we brought 6 bikes back from Seattle in the moving truck, I recently realized that none of them have knobby tires! I better get on my city cruiser and hit the garage sales this weekend. And maybe some pawn shops, too. They always seem to have racks/rooms full of bikes. In fact, the last mtn bike I purchased (mid to late 90's) was from a guy who used to race downhill, but was becoming obsessed with BMX. We had to walk over to the pawn shop so I could test ride it, haha. That bike rocked, and may become my off-road single speed...well, if I can get it back from my brother first. I'll be sure to post pics! of whatever bike I end up on.

Tour Teufel!

2007-07-23T21:28:00.000-06:00

From Sweetnourishingbikes field correspondent udamahan:

I thought SweetNourishingBikes might enjoy this.

While watching The Tour de France this year, I suddenly remembered
that Devil Guy who always shows up on the mountain stages. I also
remembered a picture of him riding a *really* big bike. So I tried
to look it up.

I couldn't find the photo I remembered, but I did find this. Its
a giant bike with wheels made out of soccerballs. And I think it has
a built-in drum kit. Wow.

Mr. Devil has a homepage. Its in German,
but his museum apparently features "over 120 bike curiosities."

Dave

My brain hurts

2007-07-17T13:04:00.000-06:00

This looks like the hardest bike to ride ever invented. Thank god it isn't a fixey :)

Videos and more.

Crested Butte!

2007-07-11T21:44:00.000-06:00

H, ew and I went to Crested Butte over the 4th, and it was utterly amazing. None of us had ever been, but we all agreed we'll be going back.

Here is a photo from the 401 trail. Imagine this view translated into a bike ride. It was better than that.

A shot of the android cyclists on singlespeeds. Nothing like a nice 2500+ foot climb to over 12000 feet with a couple of cybernetic organisms...

Here's a not-so-great photo of possibly my new all-time favorite ride. It was a loop from the Deadman's Trailhead lot, up Cement Creek Road, to Flag Creek, then Bear Creek, and then back on Deadman's to the truck. Wow.

I'm already ready to go back - probably something to do with work. I imagine there are a lot of rides that the guide books don't even mention, and some great connecting trails that the locals know about, so it would be a lot of fun to go for a while and talk to some people. We found out the details on the above-mentioned trail when we went to one of the many LBS to get a map. Speaking of LBS, that has got to be one of the most bike-friendly towns in the world, with quite possibly the highest concentration of vintage cruisers per capita world-wide. Sadly, no photos.

Next time.

Hello Kitty bike

2007-06-18T16:11:00.000-06:00

For Dot. A Hello Kitty bike. Pardon the poor phontography.

I'm ashamed of how good I look on this sweet ride.

Pinkitty-pink.

Coolest tire tread EVER.

Fun with LEDs and bike lights

2007-06-12T08:31:00.000-06:00

Make Blog has a cool little roudup of LED bike light projects.

Puttin' in Work

2007-06-03T07:37:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, Brad, H and I did some serious tree removal on the downhill section of the Nail Trail, and so far it is still clear. Total trees removed - 14, including this monster that had fallen down lengthwise in the trail.

Clean country livin'.

My trusty SR commuter

2007-06-02T19:32:00.000-06:00

This 10-speed SR spent a couple years in the weeds under my brother's porch in Chico, CA before he gave it to me. It was in very rough condition...

I got some new tires - by buying an old bike with a bent frame on Craigslist. Then I flipped and chopped the bars, and rode it like that for quite a while. As you can see above, the shifters were on the down-tube until I found some bar-end shifters on ebay for $8, what a deal!

After a trip or two to Recycled Cylces, I installed them with new, longer cables and a new cable stop where the old shifters had been. Due to my non-standard brake mounting, I had to mount the shifters upside down. You can also see in the next pic that they don't insert all the way into the end of my bars. *shrugs* Not a big deal to me, they work great! (Although I need to adjust the rear derailer, it doesn't like to stay in 1st gear)

Below is the "finished" product, which I ride to work when good weather, my schedule and my motivation all cooperate. I have been enjoying the pannier bag and less sweaty back, but it means I don't have any water (without my camelback). I guess I'll need to find myself a traditional water bottle cage.

bike on a bike update

2007-06-02T19:20:00.000-06:00

I snapped a couple more photos of Alex's bike-toting bike today, since the ones in my original post weren't very good (these are just _additional_ photos, not necessarily better :)). I have seen a couple more of these around with the recent nice weather; if you are interested, the rear end kit is made by xtracycle.

Oh baby...english 3 speed porn!

2007-05-30T19:38:00.000-06:00

Well I didn't find this one at the dump, but it was free non the less. It's actually a hand-me-down from my father in law. He bought it at "Strings and Spokes", the LBS back in the day- 1977 according to the sticker on the down tube. This Raleigh Super Grand Prix has been my trusty commuter for a few years now, but it has never looked this good. It was originaly built as a 10 speed, spent a spell as a 5 speed, and now, with the help of some part donations (thanks again JSN), I've brought it back to its roots with the Sturmey Archer hub and given it some style with the moustache bars.

Remember that pretty little Dunelt 3 speed from a few posts ago? "It's not about sex, it's a domination thing." (JSN, the basement)

Another food post

2007-05-28T12:55:00.000-06:00

I know a lot of you think that posts about food have no place on a blog about bikes and stuff. Well... Bite me :)

Lately I can't stop eating these simple fish tacos. I like to sit on the porch next to the grill in the sunshine and make these - devouring them immediately upon completion.

I think the simplicity is part of the goodness. A Tilapia filet, an avocado, a jalapeno, some cheese, and a splash of limon juice on a corn tortilla. I recommend Oaxaca cheese, which is basically Mexican Mozzarella. Any white fish will do. I like Tilapia and my grocery store usually has it. And for lime juice, look for Mexican or Key limes. I buy bottled Key lime juice for beer and that works great. Put some in your Miller Lite and pretend it's Pacifico. And please use corn tortillas. Get soft ones, not hard grainy ones. The texture will caress the fish instead of making you tear your way into it.

You want to roast the Jalapeno while you cook the fish. This will make it milder and mellower. It will be less hot than when raw, so don't bother digging out the seeds.

Dump-o-riffic Dunelt

2007-05-27T14:14:00.000-06:00

You know how it is when you can't decide whether something is really neat, or really lame? That is how I feel when I find a cool bike at the dump. It is neat/lame that my local landfill has cooler bikes more often than my local thrift store. There is probably a word in Japanese that means "neat/lame".

This beautiful Dunelt ("The Aristocrat of British Cycles") was hidden behind a pile of broken lawnmowers and inexplicably crushed washing machines in the metal pile at the dump. Except for needing air in the tires, which held air, it is completely ridable. I lubed it up and put new brake cables on it ($2.99 cables from the hardware store!) and it is a great little cruiser.

It has the dreaded 650A size rims and tires. Fortunately the tires that were on it are in good shape. The sidewalls are cracked, but structurally sound.

Sturmey-Archer 3 speed hubs are amazing. Anything that takes oil instead of grease (with oil port!) and can survive 45 years of neglect (hub is from 1962) deserves more than a one-way trip to the dump!

The only part that didn't fare so well was the saddle, which was a very uncomfortable contraption of springs, sheetmetal, and peeling vinyl. Fortunately Eric loaned me a relatively period-correct Selle-Italia.

Cat Yellow Update

2007-05-24T21:47:00.000-06:00

Just a little update on the final completion and drivetrain selection on the GT singlespeed - see photos.

The magical drivetrain set-up (no tensioner) - 32:18.

The cable routing for the rear brake wasn't great (the cable stops are set up for canti brakes) so I just used a solid cable. I might someday add a clamp-on cable stop (thanks for the tip jim g), but the non-round tubing doesn't leave a lot of options for positioning. But now it's rideable, so I imagine I'll just enjoy it a while.

Tom Satterfield: VacTrike

2007-05-22T14:30:00.000-06:00

What a creative idea, and a killer outcome. link

ecofriendly mower

2007-05-18T11:09:00.000-06:00

I want one of these! But lubed and without the rust. What are the practical issues with using it? Besides needing a pretty flat lawn. You could make it a fixy, for the back-and-forth mowing action! It seems like turning wouldn't work right, hmmm. Getting off every time to turn around definitely lowers the appeal.

Justin's bike

2007-05-09T22:07:00.000-06:00

I am posting this for Justin because it is so great I can't stand it. This is the frame he built. Columbus Zona tubing, flat black paint. What's not to like? (Yes, it is a singlespeed. And yes, Justin is still faster than me. By a factor of 2 at least. And I have gears. 8 gears. So that kinda means he is 8 times 2 as fast as me. Wow that's fast. And he never puts a foot down. Ever.)

The dropouts and brake bosses are just plain sexy, and the welds are fantastic. This is the first frame he has built. I'm floored by the welding skills.

He used an eccentric bottom bracket so there would be no disc alingment issues. I like it.

By far my favorite part of this frame is that he attached the cable stops - or whatever they are when they aren't exactly "stops" - with JB Weld. I love JB Weld.

Merch!

2007-05-05T09:47:00.000-06:00

Here at sweetnourishingbikes, we know how important fashion is to a cyclist. We know that the right clothes can make or break your reputation at the local coffee shop, or get your ass kicked at the bar. And we know that sometimes it can be hard to express your intangible love for cycles with conventional mass produced attire. We know this. And we can help. Check out the new T shirts from sweetnourishingbikes. Guaranteed to make you more popular with your sex partner of choice, faster on the bike, and maybe even give you a slight karmic edge when it comes time for reincarnation.

Walt Works

2007-05-01T19:17:00.000-06:00

Damn it's great to see a Los Alamos alum doing such great things! Walt sure is making a name for himself, and rightly so. Check out these welds!

Walt has a great philosophy when it comes to frame building, and reading through his web site gives me the warm fuzzies about his product. I really appreciate the sleek design of his steel singlespeed 29ers, and I'd love to check one out in person. Three cheers for the home town guy! If you haven't checked out WaltWorks Bicycles, you should.

Food

2007-04-27T15:53:00.000-06:00

Ya gotta eat, right? Here is what I have been eating a lot lately.

Take a chicken breast, salt and pepper it, and lay it on a bed of couscous, tomatos, onion (shallots are better), garlic, and maybe some frozen peas. Improvise. Add chiles if you want. Pile it al on a big square of tin foil and drizzle it with olive oil.

Wrap it up and add about half a can of beer.

Cook for 40 minutes at 400F. Then eat.

Bike on a bike

2007-04-27T14:21:00.000-06:00

So, what to do if you own/run a LBS and need to transport a bike? (while commuting on another two-wheeler, of course) One nice solution is to mount a car-top rack tray on your custom ride...

Credit goes to Alex at 20/20 Cycle in Seattle for the invention. The angle of this photo is less than ideal, my bad! I'll have to go snap another one that shows the sweet back end of that bike.

Craigslist score!

2007-04-21T23:45:00.000-06:00

I recently snagged these two green Schwinns on craigslist. The seller got these in an estate sale and swore they were a set. He was adamant that he didn't want to break them up (even for his mom, who wanted the ladies bike!)...however, after looking up the serial numbers this evening, they are as follows:

Mens Schwinn Sports Tourer, 10 sp, built in Feb, 1973
Ladies Schwinn Suburban, 5 sp, built in June, 1970

So, not a matched set, but that's fine with me. It was a little obvious, since the shades of green don't match, and the models don't either. But we love them, and have taken a few short city rides already. Tonight I ordered some new tires - gum rubber for the mens and whitewalls for the ladies bike, but I think they're backordered. Other than the old rubber, they are in near-mint condition. I can't imagine they did much for the past 30+ years besides hang in a garage. Now, if that sun would only come back out...

Lean machine

2007-04-20T12:51:00.000-06:00

Spring is in the air, and the bikes are everywhere! I was inspired to snap a cell-phone pic of this stripped-down beauty in front of the U-district Trader Joe's (Seattle). Absolutely nothing on that frame but the word "Shogun". I dig the kewl rear wheel, too, but could probably do without the pad on the top tube :)

Cat Yellow

2007-04-19T19:47:00.000-06:00

So I got tired of looking at the teal paint job on my singlespeed (and everyone else was getting/making shiny new bikes) so I decided I needed a new little project. After a couple of nights of disassembly, sanding and painting, my old bike was looking shiny and new again.

Post-mountain bike view (aka singlespeed Gen. 1). Sadly note the need for a Surly Singleator.

Gen. 2. I didn't keep the old Mag 21 shock long, opting for a Surly rigid fork.

The sanded down frame. I considered stripper, but really am not a big fan of the nasty chemicals. The decals were troublesome, because they gummed up the sandpaper, and I couldn't get them smooth enough to just paint over. But the long blade of a cheap box cutter made short work of them.

A nice coat of primer.

The money shot. I couldn't decide what color to paint it until I went to the local hardware store and found a can of Krylon Farm and Implement Cat Yellow. Perfect.

Here Kitty Kitty Kitty

2007-04-18T17:37:00.000-06:00

An interesting tidbit of information showed up in my inbox this afternoon. Seems there's been a number of BIG kitty sightings in and around Guaje Canyon; more specifically, near the Rendija/Guaje Canyon junction- which, I believe, is where this photo was snapped (sorry about the poor quality, but you get the idea!).

Rumor has it, it's a big'un- not that it matters much, so be careful out there and if you're gonna' be riding solo in the area, be sure to take the proper precautions. Actually, now that I think about it...what are the proper precautions? Ah, crap! Any suggestions?

69er'

2007-04-18T13:45:00.000-06:00

Check out Trek's newest contribution to the world of production single speeds.

See what they did with the name...? Get it...? It's interesting to see a bike offered as a complete with a 29er front wheel and a 26er rear wheel as standard equipment from one of the "big guys"- influence from Travis Brown I suppose. Pretty cool, eh. All of the rolling mass benefits of the big stuff up front, yet retaining the acceleration characteristics of the little guy in the back. I think it's neat, and would like to give a go sometime. Not sure what to think of the "chain guides" on either side of the cog, though. If nothing else they look spiffy, and they sure won't hurt anything.

Photo Credit

Wiki wiki wiki (think turntable)

2007-04-13T15:05:00.000-06:00

Whatever- it may be a silly thing to call something, but the boys and/or girls over at BBTC sure know how to put it to good use. Check out what they've done for Washington state, and imagine the glory if that Google Map was full. "BBTC Trail Info Guide seeks to become a free, complete, and up-to-date mountain bike trail guide for all of Washington. Anyone, including you, can help improve the pages by logging in and clicking the edit link at the top"

A Sign!

2007-04-12T19:00:00.000-06:00

It's a little off topic, but then again not really, as good brew usually leads to bike banter. Anyhoo....popped the top of a tasty beverage the other night, and after a few pulls, happened to glance at the cap in my hand. Low and behold.......

Is it a sign?
Should I start charging folks to come oogle?

Make:Blog

2007-04-11T08:59:00.000-06:00

Make:Blog was kind enough to post about sweetnourishingbikes a couple days ago. Make:Blog is a great site for all kinds of DIY fun. A lot of the stuff is way technical and computer-ey, but they also kick it old-school sometimes. And they do TONS of posting, so there is surely something interesting every day. I try to read all of the new posts every day, but it can still be hard to keep up!

Also see posts about Boozhound Labs, and the minibike we built.

Bendix service manual

2007-04-08T14:37:00.000-06:00

I pretty much worship the Bendix yellow-band 2 speed kickback coaster brake hub. It is just plain amazing. Here is a page with scans of the service manual for this and most of the other really great Bendix hubs.

Hulabike

2007-04-06T16:08:00.000-06:00

The geniuses at Bikeforest have come up with a novel new form of wheeled locomotion - the hulabike! Behold:

If you want to make one, they even have a page to help you figure out what length spokes you need to lace up an offset wheel - HulaCAD.

Vintage Motorized Bicycle

2007-04-05T15:19:00.000-06:00

So a couple summers ago, Brian and I built a minibike out of some wheelbarrow wheels and a rototiller engine. It was a lot of fun. I have been thinking of updating it by figuring out a way to install the engine in a normal bicycle frame. So I did some Googling and ran across these vintage instructions on building a motorized bicycle. Wow.

I found this stuff on vintageprojects.com, which has lots and lot of cool projects. They even have a bike trailer section. How great are these photos?

More Hen Waller

2007-04-02T14:31:00.000-06:00

Ok, I know this has nothing to do with bikes, but either do soap box races, and you gotta admit those sure are fun fun fun!

I have been reading more of the Letter From Hen Waller blog (or letter I guess) and there is a lot of really great stuff in there. I have been interested in the whole local food, farmer's market, Edible Estate phenomenon - which seems to fit well with the concept of bicycling. I started some seeds this weekend, which will hopefully turn into a nice herb garden, and possibly some ground cover for my driveway. I was proud to plant them in beautiful compost which had evolved over the last few years in my compost bin. That's right, I was proud to have created dirt!

SFVISBF

2007-04-01T10:07:00.000-06:00

I have been a long time choppercabras fan, and I looked them up today to see what was up. It appears that some of our bike chopping friends have begun another death defying , illegal, and possibly immoral activity: The races of the SFVISBF - San Fernando Valley Illegal Soapbox Federation.

Please visit this site and DO NOT leave until you have watched the videos. I mean it! Seriously! You know what, I don't trust you to watch them, so I am just going to have to embed one right here. So all you lazy bastards have to do is hit play. Think you can handle that?

the old GT

2007-03-31T15:12:00.000-06:00

My old GT, always strong and trustworthy, has been rebuilt and reborn to life with my brother. I purchased the 'Team Avalanche' in the mid-90's from a guy who raced it downhill, but had it in pawn so he could get his BMX fix. (We went to the pawn shop so I could test ride it - haha) Here is a 'before' shot:

The bike made the trip from Durango to Seattle with us in 2000; getting some fatty street tires and eventually a rigid fork. Recycled Cycles pretty much rules, as does the place down the street from me, 20/20 Cycle - not sure if he has a site, but I found Alex's (the owner) myspace page googling it.

My brother left Seattle on Wednesday, after living with us for about 9 months. He has a nice road bike, but nothing to ride around town. Until now. I worked on the GT for him and now he's stoked. I took it pretty much down to the frame, put in a new rear brake, and removed the front derailuer and extra chainrings. We decided to leave the shifter on the bars for visual balance, but maybe it's a good place for a light or something. He plans to order some street tires for it, since I kept the ones I have (now on my wife's mountain bike). Now the bike - and my brother I guess - makes it full circle, back to Durango and life in the mountains.
Here is the 'after' shot:

Japanese bike crime

2007-03-28T16:12:00.001-06:00

I love Japan. I've never been there, but I am completely obsessed with the *idea* of Japan. Here is a story of bike theft that is exactly the sort of Japanese story that has me so fascinated.

whirled peas

2007-03-25T21:11:00.000-06:00

Cycling is a weirdly polarizing thing. I was just reading a blog about commuting by people in my little town, and the attitude there is all about being safe and following traffic laws, and using the federally mandated 10 reflectors, and stuff like that. It is really condescending, like if you run a red light ou are fucking up cycling for everyone, and if one of these guys ever sees you, they will chase you down and let you know how much of an asshole you are. It's really offensive. I mean, I'm not a proponent of breaking laws, but I jaywalk, and speed, and overestimate the value of charitable donations, and if I have an opportunity to safely run a red light, I'm probably gonna do it. It's like a perk for being on a bike. If I were in my car, I would be waiting. But I have to pedal this damn thing, so I'm gonna take a few liberties. Cars already hate me, so screw it.

Like Aesop Rock sez: "I've got the solution to world peace: kill every mothafuka but me."

Monocog pix

2007-03-25T17:00:00.000-06:00

So I got one of these Redline Monocog frames from Pricepoint for $160. The whole point was to get something with horizontal dropouts to make my Nexus 8 happy without a chain tensioner. This also had a slightly longer top tube that the Soma Groove it replaced. The Soma was kinda short, and I found myself wishing the front tire was a couple inches further out there. I love cheap frames. I also love brown frames.

Now that is a sexy drivetrain! Sexy!

I think this above-the-BB cable routing is going to be a good thing. The Nexus hubs are supposed to be pretty finnicky about cable routing. It shifted ok before, with goofier routing (more and sharper bends) so hopefully this will be lakbutta!

The downside to combining a cheap steel frame with a cheap coil-n-oil fork, and an internal gear hub is the weight. This thing weighs in at a healthy 29 lbs. Oh well. I'll just make up for it by not carrying any water, and selling a kidney.

vellow-cootyoore

2007-03-25T09:51:00.000-06:00

Over at Hen Waller there is a post on Velocouture ("cycling fashion" for the francophobes). Thanks Tarik (Moscaline) for the link.

But before I get into that, I want to say how cool a blog Hen Waller appears to be. The subtitle is "An Urban Homesteading Journal and Recipe Repository". Awesome. Plus they appears to be in Portland, which is one of those mythically hip places I have never had a good enough excuse to visit. I really need to go there.

I like anything that has to do with bikes and makes people excited about them. If clothes are part of the equasion, great. And I hate the spandex racer thing, so alternatives are very much welcome. I mean, wool knickers - that rocks!

I was going to write about how I feel conflicted about how the whole outsider bicycle messenger scene is being co-opted. I first got that feeling when the fixed gear gallery took off. But the root of that conflict must have something to do with wanting to keep a part of cycling "underground" and "pure" - but what that really means is that I want to keepo it to myself and not share. Or something. So nevermind about being conflicted. I think it is an unqualified Good Thing. But if there is a Mountain Dew commercial with bike messengers in it, I might just go insane. Wow, there probably is one.

Welcome Back!

2007-03-22T21:39:00.000-06:00

So, speaking of spring and newness, here it is. I finally built a bike that's right for me- simple, smooth, quiet, and fast! That's how I would describe my new ride, the Voodoo Wanga. The first ride (virgin run at white mesa, sweet!), was... well, magical. A return to the hardtail, and an excape from the fruntration of owing the wrong bike. A quick trip over the bars for a true test of durability, and i was sold. Yeah srping! I want to ride my bike!

Haiku

2007-03-21T16:09:00.000-06:00

Ti bike, wool jersey
Leather saddle, GPS.
Still have to pedal.

-Kent Peterson
"200k haiku"

Al-fee-nay

2007-03-18T10:46:00.000-06:00

So when are we going to be able to buy that new Shimano Alfine group? The disc-compatible internal gear one. I want one so frickin bad. The sites all say 2007 and the parts definitely exist, so what's up?

new bike soon

2007-03-18T10:34:00.000-06:00

So the season is upon us. Thoughts are turning to bikes as the snow melts and the mud dries up. To celebrate, and because I always have to change something about my bike(s), I ordered a new frame for my internal gear mountain bike. I'll give you a hint - it is the cheapest singlespeed frame you can buy :) Here is another hint - certain blogged-about hardcore fellas ride one. Ok, I'll just tell you. It is the good old Redline Monocog. Not the 29er. I wanted to go 29, but I would need too many new parts. To compensate, I ordered some fatter tires :) Hopefully next weekend you will be reading a "first ride" post.

In other news, Eric and Justin rode the White Mesa trail, and it was probably really great. Maybe one of them will post something about it...

Kent Petersen

2007-03-15T12:28:00.000-06:00

Kent Petersen is that guy that rode the Great Divide trail on the Redline monocog singlespeed. He has a really good bike blog that I have been reading lately. You should too. In fact, I'm gonna add it to the links section over there.

I was hoping to find a photo of Kent and/or his bike to sum things up, but no luck. So imagine a photo of a guy on a crufty old bike that has been ridden thousands of miles, has lots of home-made parts on it like his legendary chloroplast fenders and rubbermaid panniers, and looks functional is the way that only things that you use constantly are. Not clean, not brand new, not shiny, but still somehow beautiful.

Update: JimG posted a comment with exactly the picture I was trying to describe. Behold.

Spring?

2007-03-11T10:24:00.000-06:00

Well it has been a lot of winter since that turkey post. Just thought I would post something to make me feel a little bit better about not really being "hard core" and riding all winter and stuff.

Here is a bit of cyclocross carnage from the cyclofiend blog:

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

I like to make stuff. Building things. Bikes are super fun. Food is also fun. Food is one thing you can make that people just plain like. I mean, not many people get really excited about a thrift store bike turned into a grocery getting monstrosity of beauty, but food is... well you can eat it!

3rensho catalog

2006-11-20T15:35:00.000-07:00

That Chouinard catalog was so rad. This 3Rensho catalog is pretty cool too. Not *as* cool, but at least it's bike related.

Ant Alfine Bike

2006-11-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

So I love my Shimano Nexus 8 internal gear hub, but I kinda wish it used disc brakes... Well Shimano somehow hears my thoughts and is comeing out with a new MTB oriented 8 speed group called Alfine.

Ant-Bike-Mike built up this baby to show off the new group. The only weirdness is that this uses Rohloff dropouts with that goofy super tall vertical slot, which isn't required for the nexus. They have keyed washers to oppose the pedaling force, but they fit in normal vertical or horizontal dropouts.

Beater Recipe

2006-10-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

Sicne moving to a new position at work that requires me to have lots of meetings across the campus from where I sit, I have had occasion to use a beater. Right now I am riding the coaster braked Univega from a couple posts ago, with a shiny new Wald basket. But I would like to have somehting with real brakes for the winter.

So here is my beater recipe:

Get an old road bike from the dump, local thrift store, yard sale, wherever. Look for something with horizontal dropouts, and a pre-cassette freewheel.

Strip everything down and rebuild the BB, headset, and hubs if they need it. While you are working on the hubs, remove the freewheel cluster. If you don't have the right tool, don;t worry. Just use a hammer and awl/punch to spin off the lockring (this is left-hand-threaded!). Teensy bearings will go everywhere. Now clamp what remains of the freewheel in a bench vise - tight - and use the wheel as a full body wrench to remove the freewheel. Et voila!

Now go to your favorite online shop and order some parts to populate this thing. I got a pair of Nitto Northroad bars becuas eI like upright bars and wanted something porteur-esque. I got a "Large Standard" Wald basket. A BMX/SS freewheel of course. A new chain if you want (a cheap one). New tires if the ones on there are rotten. And of course a solid nutted axle.

The axle is for respacing the rear hub to fit your new simplified chainline. I like to measure the distance from the center of the frame to the chainring, and then make sure the distance from the center of the hub to the freewheel is the same. Now redish the wheel so that the rim is centered. You can do this without being a wheelbuilding sorcerer. Just go slow. Loosen the left side spokes half a turn, tighten the right side half a turn repreat spoke by spoke until it works.

Brakes. This whole caliper brake reach thing really is tiresome isn't it? Hopefully your bike came with brakes you like and you are keeping them. If you are using upright bars, you will want new levers though. Look for something designed for cantilever brakes, not V brakes, as they are closer to road levers and you will like them way better. Dia Compe makes the PC-800 which is cheap and looks like it will be great. I have a pair on the way for my latest project.

The bike I am building has 27" wheels, which aren't a big deal, but I would prefer 700c. But the brakes won't reach if I switch. I can't wait for the Rivendell/Tektro "Silver" calipers to come out. They will have enough reach to be able to do this and run some nice fat tires. They should be out soon. I assume they will hit the Rivendell site first.

Watch this space for photos of my beater project.

Wald

2006-10-24T21:43:00.000-06:00

Wald.

I think this is my new favorite bike company. Everything they make comes from a parallel universe where bikes are for fun and errands and transportation.

Behold the wald catalog.

Beater!

2006-09-30T19:00:00.000-06:00

Got this beautiful Univega Safari Ten at a yardsale. Took off all the shifters and whatnot, relaced the rear wheel onto a Hi-Stop coaster brake hub, and slapped some flat bars on there. Beat-r-riffic!

Nexus 8

2006-09-30T18:46:00.000-06:00

So in the search for a simplified drivetrain, but not willing to suffer the pain of a single speed. I needs me a granny gear!

The Nexus 8 rocks. The Surly Singleator is a shame, but that that is the best I could do wihtout replacing the dropouts, which I would love to do. The other bummer is that the shifter cable stops don't play nice with the Nexus, so I had to run full cable housing, which adds a lot of friction. It still shifts well, and the gear range is fine. On the one ride I have taken it on - lots of climbing and rolling singletrack - I never got above 6th gear. 1st was nice and low - real close to the old 22/32.

The best part is the absence of chain slap. And the ability to shift while not rolling. Both strange and wonderful.

Ultimate pre-ride breakfast

2006-09-30T18:41:00.000-06:00

Peanut butter and Gnutella bagel. Aw yeah.

off topic

2006-09-05T21:34:00.000-06:00

Here is a link to the beautiful 1972 Chouinard catalog. Talked about in the latest Rivendell Reader and considered a gem of the low key style - yet forcefully ethical. Definitely a cool zine if nothing else.

I spent my high school years climbing. Never got very good at it, and never led anything above maybe 5.9 or so. Led my Pops up the 3rd flatiron though. That was probably the high point of my climbing carreer. He isn't even a climber. That took balls to follow my dumb ass up there and rappell down. I mean he probably hadn't rapelled since Basic Training!

Speaking of zines, I am still waiting for my copy of Matt Chester's 700see. I sure hope he got my 5 bux. Maybe I should try again.

Worlds greatest pumptracker

2006-08-21T16:49:00.000-06:00

Eric rocks the funky beat:

Pump Track Rev. 1

2006-08-20T20:34:00.000-06:00

With another day of work, the track is really beginning to take shape. The rain helped pack it down, and it is getting nice and smooth. And a few reconfigurations have made it quite rideable.

Now it is us that needs the work.
Eric displays mad skills:

Pump Track Rev. 0

2006-08-17T22:03:00.000-06:00

In a beautiful turn of events, my back yard was expropriated by some friends before I could get home from work for a pump track project. Before nightfall, we had a pretty decent first attempt.

The hip.

Sadly, there were some casualties...

Now, we just need to ride it smooth.

Vice/Puma article

2006-08-16T18:24:00.000-06:00

I built an FM transmitter for a radio ride as part of Peter Sutherland's Pedal:Reloaded show in Seattle. The Vice magazine folks were stoked on it and added it to this City Riding 201 booklet thing.

Boozhoundlabs.com is my other site. It was cool to get up "in print" or whatever. Thanks Peter.

Props to Chris McNally for the illustrations. I was worried it would look cheezy because of the ass photos I sent them, but he made it look really good.

Obviously, if you click on one of these thumbnails you get something almost-readably-big.

Rack

2006-08-09T21:53:00.000-06:00

I don't have my frame jig ready yet, and was jonesing to build something, so I brazed up a rack for the 2 speed kickback bike. The material is 3/8" and 5/16" brake line from my local auto parts conglomerate. This is also my first experience with the Gasflux C-04 brazing rod and accompanying paste flux that Henry James sells. Super neat stuff. Way better than the local welding shop stuff.

cargobike

2006-08-09T07:56:00.000-06:00

Neil over on the frameforum sent me some pics of a beautiful workbike he saw in Mallorca. Apparently it gets quite a few miles and makes some pretty serious climbs. Neil said he saw it all over the place while he was there. I don't know what would be worse, climbing hills on this thing loaded down, or descending with a big load and nothing but a couple pair of Tiagra cantis with rusted cables keeping things under control.

Don McClung

2006-08-08T15:05:00.000-06:00

Don McClung is a framebuilder in Salida, CO who specializes in old school looking rigid single speed 29ers. And he fillet brazes. And uses plate crown forks. Basically his bikes are too cool fer school.

He also has a reputation for retro-grouchiness, which I also like :)

These are the only photos I have been able to find of a Don McClung bike. Please let me know if anyone has more.

Update: found another donbike photo:

I have it on good authority that this frame was built by Don during his early raised chainstay "shorty" years (photo from absolutebikes):

McClung sighting on mtbr:

retro-direct 2 speed

2006-08-08T08:55:00.000-06:00

Tarik Saleh had some photos of a Chinese work bike (well, trike actually) with the funkiest drivetrain I have ever seen. 2 speeds, high and low. You get high gear when you pedal forward, low gear when you pedal backward! A creative blend of genius and insanity.

In perusing (scouring? consuming? imbibing?the Clockwork site, I happened across a photo of a bike with this mythic drivetrain that makes it clear (as mud) how exactly it works.

2 separate freewheels, big and small, across which the chain moves in opposite directions. One freewheels while the other is endaged. Forward gets the small cog, backward the big 'un.

The image above had Hirondelle in the name, so I googled for that and found that this gearing is called retro-direct, and has a bit of a cult following. The wikipedia entry suggests that it is the high gear that is engaged with backwards pedalling. That might make more sense, and it would certainly look cool to see someone fly past pedalling backwards!

clockwork

2006-08-08T08:36:00.000-06:00

I ran across the Clockwork Bikes website from some posts Joel made to the framebuilders list, and wow. He does some really amazing and creative work. Definitely thinks through a ton of little things when builkding a frame. Check out the cable routing and brazeon details on his frames. And there are some really great fillet brazing photos on there. And lots of bikes that you don't usually see from a custom builder - urban trials bikes, full suspension, etc. And a couple awesome 29ers.

Also tons of vintage bike posters, photos, etc. I seriously spent a solid couple hours last night visiting every single page.

BinBike update

2006-08-07T09:33:00.000-06:00

I *heart* binbike.

It looks like it is dang near done. The rohloff hub is nice for this. And I thought the disc brakes seemed a little overkill, but then I imagined myself flying downhill with 120 pounds of kitty litter and decided maybe not :)

I was also wondering why not BMX handlebars instead of the super long head tube, but I guess it is to clear the front load. Duh.

Rambling about third world bikes

2006-08-05T23:15:00.000-06:00

Saw Tarik Saleh's talk/slideshow on Chinese work bikes. Super neat stuff. Definitely shows the bicycle in w completely different light that we are used to. Bikes are so often associated with racing and recreation, but in many parts of the world, they are an everyday tool. Transportation, cargo/delivery vehicle, as a vedor cart - just about anything you can think of.

The bike pictured above is a coal delivery bike. Those are coal pucks, which I guess is a common source of heating and cooking fuel in China. Tarik said some of these heavy load trikes have 2 gears - pedal forward for high gear and pedal *backwards* for low gear. He had a photo of the drivetrain. Opposing freewheels and a big loop of chain to an idler wheel.

And the bikes. They are all super clunky 40 pound piles of heavy steel and stamped sheet. The head and seat tube angles look like they are both about 60 degrees. The brakes don't work. The chainguard eventually rattles apart. The cranks bend and the head tube ovalizes. But they are everywhere.

What I would like is to figure out a way to take this pure workbike aesthetic, and execute it with modern dependable parts. These bikes are being replaced in China by a younger generation buying what we consider Wal Mart bikes. I wish there were a way to make a bike with as much soul, class, and dignity as one of these Chinese bikes, but make it as commonplace and accessible as this generation of Wal Mart bikes. Maybe I should check out Wal Mart and see what can be done. I bet there is something cool... I hope...

Random frame building thoughts

2006-08-02T00:05:00.000-06:00

So I got the tubes and whatnots for my frame tonight, and, pardon my french, but, DAMN is this fun. I have most of the tubes mitered using my belt sander. I thought it was going to take some serious hand file artistry, or a complex tubing notching setup, but it is uper easy to freehand and clean up with a file. A belt sander can be used to make tube miters. Just sand each curve into the tube, adjusting the angle between the tube and the sander to adjust the radius. It's easy to get it close enough for brazed lugs. Tigging would be harder because the tolerances would have to be tighter.

It is cool to use the lugs because you can just slide the lug on the tube, square it up to the scale drawing, and trace the miter onto the tube.

I got a small second workbench set up with a belt/disc sander and a totally assy harbor freight vise. It's pretty cool. I added a bunch of unistrut diagonals to the table so that when you really hork on the vise, the whole table moves instead of flexing. Maybe one of these days I'll bolt that sumbitch to the floor! Next I want a bandsaw that will cut steel tubing. Any recommendations? Something benchtop would be ideal... Well I guess standup would be ideal, but pricey. For now I'm all about the 4" cutoff wheel.

Stay tuned for some unistrut frame jig thoughts...

Torpedo Duomatic

2006-08-01T14:20:00.000-06:00

The Kogswell Blog has some really nifty pics of a Sachs Tornado Duomatic 2 speed kickback hub. I love the Bendix 2 speed I have, and these look even nicer. Too bad they are so dang hard to find. Shimano - please recreate one of these to add to your Nexus line. pleeeeeez!