gwadzilla goes more image less text... for now
http://www.gwadzilla.blogspot.com/some people call it bicycle porn
others call it bicyclist trading cards
I see it as an outlet
a creative outlet and something to do when I walk around the city rather than riding my bike
been a while for gwadzilla to post here...
here is something....cyclicious and their "best bicycle blog of 2005" awardshare this with your bicycle blogging friendscertainly there are some local favoritesJoe Foley?Single Speed Outlaw?Arliegh?you name itthey need to be nominated!http://www.cyclelicio.us/2005/11/best-bike-blogs-of-2005.html
Raking trail
Buddy Matt has an
interesting discussion about his frame design philosophy in a thread I started on MTBR. When I first got my Mutinyman, I was having a little bit of trouble getting used to it, and said so in the thread. I either confused people or made some aware that Matt doesn't design with "conventional" geometry, so he explains himself.
Who cares. After some saddle time and readjustment, I now know it works for me!
BTW, on the
mtbr.com fora,
Matt Chester is Flexiflyer, fellow frame builder Steve Stickel is D.F.L., and I'm Drevil.
Pic by Chris Harris
Eureka
Miles away from the clusterf*ck that so many seem to enjoy waking up 5 in the morning for to get their 75% off of 50% off of 25%, Markie,
JoeP, ChrisH and I played amongst the rocks of the
Frederick Watershed today. Since I've had my new bike, something hasn't felt
quite right. I've been experimenting with different components and setups to see how they affected the ride. Prior to showing up at today's frigidly cold adventure, I built up the Chester as
Matt and I originally intended: proper-geometry
Walt fork, 20mm longer stem and (drumroll)
Jones H-bar.
I resisted putting on the H-bar - even though I love the dang thing - because I think it's ugly. Stupid and shallow reason, but unlike my occasionally blinding wardrobe, I wanted my bike to be simple, clean, and minimalist. The Jones bars and frames are too swoopy, overdone, and overbent for my eye. I like straight and short, so I resisted, trying as hard as I could to like the
Seven.
For the first hundred+ miles on this bike with the flat bars, I have never crashed so much. In
my experience, every new bike or major "fit" component needs some time for your body to adjust. Endos, washouts and just a general feeling of loss of traction on uphills and off-camber stuff led me to wonder if I made a mistake in what I requested. So after messing around, I relented and swapped the flatties for the bars I've been using on the Monkey for the last seven months.
On today's breakout ride on the Chester paired with the H-bars and proper fork, the bike has blossomed from being a light bike with a good ride into an incredible, well-balanced, can't-wait-til-the-next-one ride. The positioning feels awesome, and I do think I've found the sweet spot. No crashes on the most technical ride I've taken the frame on yet, and I always felt in control.
I've said this before, but I love how my hands are always in the semi- straight, semi- barend position all the time. I love how I can use more of my arm and back to muscle up hills. I love how I can hang my arse waaaaaay off the back on the steep stuff. I love how I can use more than just my wrists to lever the back of the bike up. The Jones just feel more natural and comfortable than the straights, and the temporary stint with the latter proved it.
Thanks Matt, Walt, and Jeff. The three of you work wonders together :)
Bottom pic by Chris H
Where's the action?
The Chinese team is looking a bit bored...
Leaf me be
Grab your woolies on the way out to the ride because Autumn's here in full force, well, at least in the Mid Atlantic it is. The mercury's dropped over thirty ticks in the last couple of days, and only the most warm-blooded and leathery-skinned are riding without at least some arm and knee warmers. As long as my feet and neck are warm, I'm good.
It's my favorite time of year. Winter is sometimes too biting. Summer's too humid. I get bad pollen allergies in the Spring and the soil is usually too wet to always ride. Autumn is just right. As long as you dress properly, you never have to worry about being too hot or cold. Then of course, after the leaves have cleared, there is pure, unadulterated singletrack ready to be ripped.
I've been playing on my
new bike recently and there are two things that really stand out: the weight and the handling. Although slightly less than 22 lbs isn't such a big deal to some, combined with the quick geometry, this bike is a lot more nimble than the Karate Monkey. I dig it more and more each time I ride it. Definitely a shock as it threw me (literally) several times, but I'm getting better at finding its balance point. Soon enough, we'll mesh.
Buddy
Al and I took a
long lunch yesterday and goofed off on the bikes in the woods near my house. Although this patch of dirt ribbon is very small, some folks have taken a lot of time to outline the trails there using long branches as path borders, set up jumps, and even make a few log rides. I suspect it's some of the kiddies from the local university, since legal singletrack is at least 10 miles up the road. No sweat, I'm not complaining. It serves as my quick and easy testing ground whenever I tinker with the two-wheelers.
If'n you're local, don't forget to pay your dues for all the fun you've been having this year. Buddy
Outlaw is helping lead a
trail work day this Sunday at Avalon. Afterwards, there's usually a good ride that will tucker you out if the trailwork isn't enough. A good rest on Sunday night, and you've effectively hit your restart button.
Over the logs and through the woods
Fall is in full, glorious force. Go enjoy the sweet, dry trails while you can.
82% for the Rest of Us...
Forget the shameless self-promotion of the preceding post. Man, the things that guy will do for attention! Seriously though, and on a similar theme, props go out to Gary (of
eighteen percent fame) on landing a photo in the
The Rider's Eye section of the latest issue of
Dirt Rag (issue #118, page 106).
It's a shot from the 12 Hours of Lodi (incorrectly referenced in the mag as the "
24 Hours of Lodi" in "
Richmond, Virginia") that, if I'm not mistaken, depicts one John Claman piercing the creek near lap's end, though I could be wrong. Oh well, at least they got your name right, Gary. Nice work.
And yeah, as a subject, ol' Johnny may not be quite as interesting as a golden, hirsute Ultraman impersonator, but ya take what ya can get.
Goldie
Check out the November/December 2005 issue of
Adventure Sports magazine at your newsstands. They do a writeup of the
SSWC 2005, and there is a funny pic of my love handles and me on page 34. Be careful though, it ain't pretty!!
What's this nubbin here?
Date With IKEA...
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you...the
Pedersen!
- Scandinavian Engineering
- Unique Truss Design
- 21 Joined Triangles
- 54 Brazed Joints
- Suspended "Hammock" Saddle
To that list I think I'd add:
- Inherent Anti-Theft Aesthetic
Jeff Jones has
nothin' on these guys.
And you thought you were badass cuz you rode a fixie!I want to see one of these in action:
Building a high-wheel bike
Womyn
Last weekend, some pals and I sagged our SOs on their C&O ride. Buddies
Spearmint,
Stoner,
Kona Girl and
Outlaw (11/8/05 entry) have a good writeups.
Yup, I was in there.
Bwahahahahaha!
Someone posted this link on MTBR. It's a
video of the end of a mountain bike race. WTF kind of finish is that?
DR PBE
The word's out on the streets: the
Dirt Rag Punk Bike Enduro is happening on December 4th this year, a stone's throw from the mag's HQ. Come out for the decadance and general silliness that occurs every year in the chilly Pitt.
