Back on the road

A few more weeks have passed, and frustration has mounted about my lack of riding. With the Panasonic frame trashed, my body bruised, work forcing me out of town, and more snow piling up, the elements have conspired against me.

Today I broke that mold. Taking my Motobecane out, I rode into work pain- and problem-free. It was refreshing to be back on two wheels, though the air might have been a little too fresh at a balmy 22 degrees this morning. Breathing hurt and I'm out of shape, but the sun was out and the roads were clear.

Even better, I have two leads on replacements for my commuter: a complete Specialized Langster and an old Giant road frame to swap parts to. Hell, I might even get both.

Ten days until daylight time, sixteen until Spring: it can only get better from here.

And another one bites the dust

We're finally getting through the horrid winter weather, so I'm back to commuting by bike. Or, I was back to commuting.

On Monday morning, I headed out on dry roads on my fixed gear equipped with 70x35 'cross tires. It was cold, but the weather was clear. I got only four blocks from my apartment and I came upon a guy on an old ten-speed riding alongside the parked cars. He looked a bit wobbly and sketchy, so I took the lane to pass. Suddenly, he veered left across traffic - and across my path - without looking. I shouted something unintelligible, swerved right to avoid hitting him square, made contact with his rear wheel/triangle, went OTB, and ended up on my right side. Ow.

Luckily, I avoided major injury (road rash on my hip and ankle, bruised as all hell on my hip, shoulder, side, back, ribcage, etc.) and the other guy wasn't hurt or killed. His bike was totally destroyed - the wheel tacoed, the frame looked bent. My bike was ridable, and the front wheel is pretty close to true. That isn't a huge shock because his wheel laterally absorbed more of the force than mine took radially, but still a bit of a surprise. The bad news: my headset is trashed, and the frame is showing some worrisome cracking in the paint of the top tube and a small bulge in the downtube. Oh well - this was the frame's fourth wreck under my ownership, so I think it is time for retirement.

The question becomes, then, what to replace it with? I'd love something with rack and fender clearance and mounts to help with my GAP/C&O tour plans. At the same time, it's a prime opportunity to try a real track bike. Then the question becomes, buy complete and sell what I can salvage from my bike, or buy a frame set and swap parts over? Buy new, or buy used?

Projects

Just an update on a few things:

• The Ranson frame set and the Wrights saddle are gone. Thanks to the fellow BikeForums members who picked them up, and I hope they work out for you.
• The Shimano Arabesque bits are still all here. If someone wants them, they're up for sale or trade, but I'm not desperate to find them a new home.
• The Fuji project is coming along quite well. I have most of the drive train now, and I just need tubular tires, cables, and a freewheel. The freewheel should be on it's way, hopefully.
• My Vélo Cheapo entry is stalled, waiting on parts. I hope they arrive in time. Hell, at this point I just hope they arrive.
• It (still) is freaking cold outside. Sick of the rollers, I went on a road ride last night. While it was in the upper 20's, the wind and the darkness sucked the life out of me, causing me to head for home after only 12 miles.
• I'll have at least one more bike up for sale in the near future as I try to pare down the heard.

For sale: 1979-ish Ranson frameset

To help fund finishing the Fuji I picked up, I'm putting the Ranson up for sale. The frame set is a bit rough in spots, but it is a nicely made Reynolds 531 frame with interesting lugs and Gipiemme dropouts. The headbadge features world champion stripes. Sizing: 58cm seat tube (c-c), 56cm top tube, 73 degree seat and head tubes. Including a seat post, BB, and Shimano 600 headset, I'm asking $50 plus shipping.

To go along with it, I have a complete Shimano 600 Arabesque group: front and rear derailleurs, brakes, levers, cranks, Uniglide hubs (with cassette.)

I also have the original 3TTT Competizione bars and stem and a Wrights W3.N saddle that are currently hanging on the bike. Email me with offers.

Fine food, fine wine, fine bikes?

Many of my colleagues are self-described “foodies,” emphasizing their appreciation for, and almost the necessity of, fine foods and wines. Likewise, many people I’ve talked with about bikes always want the best, whether it is their classic “holy grail” of something ultra-rare or the latest-and-greatest ultra-light carbon wünderbike. I’ve never quite understood either.

To me, both are about status and unnecessary consumption. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate quality (I eat fresh fruits and vegetables rather than canned, my road bike is equipped with Ultegra and not Sora, etc.), but I never feel I need or want the best. Yeah, it might look pretty or taste good, but at what cost? In food, I want something tasty and nutritious, but having something “gourmet” just makes me roll my eyes. In bikes, I want something that rides nicely and is reliable. Taste and ride quality are both quite subjective, I realize, but at some point enough is enough.

Case in point: I have two bikes from BikesDirect, a Motobecane road bike I bought as a frame and a Windsor 29er. I’m quite content with both. In the fixed gear realm, I ride an old Panasonic road conversion. It suits me well. In vintage, I’m rebuilding a 1985 Club Fuji. It’ll be right around 20lbs with tubular and Suntour Cyclone, but it’s nowhere near top of the line or exotic.

I like my toys (and my food), but I guess this is just area where I try to distance myself from wanton consumerism and keeping up with the Joneses.

(Sorry for the philosophy post. I'm just getting sick of hearing discussions of "good taste" and constant desires to upgrade people's bikes...)

MLK Day Ride, and a New Friend

With today being Martin Luther King Day and my employer not being evil, I decided to use my day off to go for a road ride and stretch my legs a bit before getting on to my other projects of the day. Unfortunately, when I woke up at 7:30, it was foggy, misting, and barely over freezing. I waited an hour for the weather to clear (it didn't), so I set out anyway. I headed out into the 'burbs and had my first shot of the year at Cemetery Lane, a semi-steep, 3/4 mile climb I use to gauge my fitness. I discovered that I am not fit at all, or at least not fit enough to turn over a 39/25 on that hill.

I cut the ride a bit short and returned to the city as I was cold, wet, and a bit under-dressed for the temperatures. Sure enough, by the time I got a shower and a cup of coffee, it had warmed up into the mid-40's, the sun was out, and the pavement was dry. C'est la vie.

Sunday, though, I did pick up a new toy - a 1985 Club Fuji frame, fork, and wheels. The paint is a little rough on the rear triangle, but I plan on using part of today as an opportunity to start cleaning the rust and sealing it. I'm looking to build it up as a period-correct racing bike in the 21 lb. range. Thanks to some good friends on BikeForums.net, I already have leads on a few of the parts I'll need.

Cycling's Golden Age

As I make my way through the thick stack of cycling-related reading material I got over the holidays, I've come to Cycling's Golden Age, a history of road racing focused around the memorabilia of Shelly and Brett Horton. This time period (1946-67) is an era I know little about, so it's been a great read so far. What is even more stunning are the photos of the Horton's collection: photos, jerseys, flyers, and correspondence from the riders. While the writing itself is not quite as engrossing as many of my recent reads (Paul Fournel's Need for the Bike and another book I started this week, Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals), this is more of a true history book so I can't reasonably expect the prose to be quite as colorful. The photos and the information so far more than make up for that slight downside.

Along with a lot of cycling-related reading, the weather is turning a bit, and that means actually riding outside. I took my fixed-gear to work a few days this week, and I did 30 miles out on my road bike this afternoon. I'm definitely out of shape, but I did a lot of climbing today and was actually quite a bit ahead of my expectations.

I've switched my diet a bit as well. Last summer I went from rarely eating meat to a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, and I saw my performance improve significantly. I can't discount the possibility that I was just eating a healthier and more mindful diet all around, though. (I also can't discount the influence of losing a few pounds in Guatemala that summer, either.) To start this year, I decided to try eating a vegan diet or as close as I could come. After a bit of an unfortunate work lunch yesterday (no option other than a very buttery saute and an allergic reaction to a colleague's nearby shellfish), my resolve has been strengthened a bit. "Eating Animals" hasn't hurt, either. I hope I get the same performance boost I saw last summer.

To top things off, my girlfriend commuted to work by bike twice this week and loved it. I think this has the makings of a good year for riding.

Unfortunately, the weather is looking cold and rainy tomorrow, so it may be back to rollers and Spinervals again for me.