collideous

Big Fat Plastic Wheels

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:56:10 +0100

I took my lunch early today to drive to the post office one more time. I was picking up the wheelset I had built by Mike Curiak. I first expected them in early April but Mike was able to lace them up before taking off to Alaska for a 1000 mile journey through snow. In the two boxes that arrived from the US were two WTB Prowler SL tires sitting on top of some really sweet Edge Composites All Mountain rims. Some solid Chris King singlespeed hubs in red build the center of the wheels and black DT Aerolite spokes hold it all together. I wanted a strong, reliable set of wheels for a rigid singlespeed and fat tires. Mike recommended the AM rim and although they’ve only made it out of the box so far and have not been ridden yet, I’m sure these will be a killer wheelset for my type of riding. This evening the Formula rotors will go on and the tires will be mounted. A ride report will follow once the new bike is built. For now I’m offering a few photos.

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Tomorrow is right around the corner

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:32:32 +0100

Tomorrow is right around the corner

Sunday Saddle Frost

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:39:22 +0100

Yesterday’s snow storm dumped a couple of inches of fresh snow onto the ground within just a few hours. Over night, the temperatures dropped and this morning a very strong and freezing wind blew from the East. Perfect conditions for a bike ride, provided you like this type of weather. I headed out on the Niner to find pristine trails. The cold wind was howling through the trees whose frail branches constantly crackled. The climbs were hard but in the couple of inches of powder doable. At higher altitudes riding became often impossible and at times even walking was treacherous. I reached a narrow hiking trail on which I found it safest to ride with one foot in the pedal and the other foot close to ground. Once in a while, a piece of hidden ice would throw my front wheel off its path and my unclipped foot would save me from going down. As I lost altitude, the trails got better and I decided to drop down a ultra-narrow trail. It looked like a rabbit had taken the trail a bit earlier and I followed its tracks. At the bottom of the trail, I shot into a fire road where I greeted the first humans I crossed today. As most of the way back was going against the wind that was bringing freezing air from Russia’s Tundra, I was slowly turning into a moving icicle. It was time to call it a day, and drop back down into Biel for a long, hot shower at home. A few impressions taken with my iPhone along the way:

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2010 S-WORKS MT Helmet I’ve been MTBing without visor...

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:09:11 +0100

2010 S-WORKS MT Helmet

I’ve been MTBing without visor for the last couple of years and sort of miss one. In fact, I used to wear an MTB specific helmet on my road bike, which provided me with a competitive advantage riding through a hail storm once. Specialzed’s new MT helmet would fit the bill - light weight, visor, attractive design.

"Retro is cool because back in my day we didn’t have these fancy Hydraulic disc brake 150mm..."

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 09:06:55 +0100

“Retro is cool because back in my day we didn’t have these fancy Hydraulic disc brake 150mm suspended oil leaking extra bearing pivot squeaking bi-sickles. Noooo. If we wanted to go fast we took a beating from the trail, and our forearms would get cramps from the downhill death grip. Our backsides got to feel the trail too. Now its all soft and mushy and if something breaks we get all whiny.”

- Nonracerrichie on MTBR - Why is retro cool?

First Evening Ride After Work

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:11:45 +0100

As the sun is out longer day by day, I pedaled home from work on my road bike with the plan to swap bikes and head up into the trails. After arriving at home, I slipped into my mountain bike gear - shorts and knee warmers seemed like enough - loaded the washing machine with some dirty clothes, and then rode off to my usual trailhead. I needed to keep the ride fairly short, but wanted to gain some decent altitude nonetheless. I rode westwards above lake Biel to get onto my favorite singletrack, which brought me to a long and steady climb on a rough fire road. I was quite excited to see my legs working well. I rode a steady pace, not fast yet, but constant without much suffering. Upper body and arms did their part and agreed that I’ll be riding myself into good shape this year. Before reaching the top, I stopped briefly to take a few photos of the sunset. Rested, I climbed the last stretch and navigated to the entrance of a fun downhill back into town. It was quickly getting dark, requiring me to reduce the tempo downhill a bit. Awesome to be able to hit the trails this early in March!

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So, I’m searching for Actiontec chainrings on Google...

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:19:35 +0100

So, I’m searching for Actiontec chainrings on Google tonight.

I follow a link to Tumblr entries tagged Actiontec and hey,...

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:19:07 +0100

I follow a link to Tumblr entries tagged Actiontec and hey, that’s my bike!

Sure enough, 29erForce posted the specs of my bike along with a...

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:18:29 +0100

Sure enough, 29erForce posted the specs of my bike along with a recent photo.

Save a Bike - Ride a Biker Tee from Zazzle.

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 07:50:42 +0100

Save a Bike - Ride a Biker

Tee from Zazzle.

Today was the first day in quite a while where the sun was out...

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:40:00 +0100

Today was the first day in quite a while where the sun was out in the morning. It would have been a perfect morning to head out on the bike, but sometimes there are just other things to get done. The car has not seen a car wash since late last fall. With all the snow and rain during the winter months, it was in pretty bad shape and deserved some much needed care. But first, I drove to the grocery store to get a few things, after which I walked around the block to the next ATM. One ATM and about six people standing in line. Lucky for me, I didn’t have to wait my turn - the silly ATM was broken. Got the car and started driving around in search of another versadaddy. It didn’t take long to find one. Cash in my wallet, I drove to the post office to pick up a package they were holding for me. In the package? A set of Crank Brothers 2Ti Eggbeaters which I immediately turned into 3Tis back home. Finally, the car got its wash. The full program, shampoo, hot wax and all. Midday, there was still time to ride, but the house required some cleaning too.

"Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he feeds his family for a lifetime. Teach..."

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 08:40:00 +0100

“Give a man a fish,
he eats for a day.
Teach a man to fish,
he feeds his family for a lifetime.
Teach him how to make fishing gear,
he creates jobs for his neighbors.
Buy his products,
he grows the business and prospers.”

- Bamboosero Bikes by Craig Calfee.

Bike Build Continued

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:53:00 +0100

Got home today to find a little postal note in my mailbox. A package from Chiasso. My red Formula R1 brakes that I bought in Italy were waiting for pick-up at the post office. So, I jumped right back into the car since the post office was going to close in 15 minutes and raced three blocks down the street. Parked the car and made it in time to pick up my package. Back home, I unpacked a nicely polished and red anodized brake-set, two rotors and all the hardware to mount these beauties onto my bike. I’m really impressed. The workmanship on these brakes is amazing. They weigh next to nothing. In a couple of months I’ll be able to report back on how they actually perform. Looking for such a set? Check clood69’s Ebay auctions. The dude took the brakes across the border to save me customs. Now that’s customer service! A few crappy shots:

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I wouldn’t mind a Toyota gas pedal on my bike!

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:39:32 +0100

I wouldn’t mind a Toyota gas pedal on my bike!

Spicing up 29ers Brazilian Style

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:51:55 +0100

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Saga bikes photographed by Chico Audi.

Short Saturday Morning Ride

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:18:26 +0100

Starting the day with a cup of coffee next to my MacBook, I browsed through some bike riding pictures on MTBR when all of a sudden the sun decided to say hello. I hastily finished my coffee and threw on some bike clothes to head up higher. Down here, the past couple of warm and rainy days ate most of the snow away. But with every foot in elevation, the snow got deeper and deeper. Riding today was difficult. Where snow had turned into slush just a few days ago, it had turned into ice this past night. I’m going to buy a set of tires with spikes next winter, whether it’ll be another El Nino year or not. Higher up, the heavy snowfalls have left quite a thick snow layer and I have to thank all the snow shoers for going out hiking on my favorite singletracks. Without those guys, my trails would currently not be rideable at all. Enjoyed some fun downhills that certainly further honed my biking skills. Here a few impressions from today’s ride.

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GT striped Baum Corretto

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:35:40 +0100

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Baum Cycles builds some of the nicest Titanium bikes. They have been working on a new look for their bikes and presented it to the world today. Simple, clean, different. More images of this awesome bike can be found on Baum’s Flickr page.

Facebook via Gizmodo

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:57:52 +0100

Facebook

via Gizmodo

"Love Ebay as a place to sell what I can’t otherwise sell and buy what I can’t otherwise..."

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:07:14 +0100

“Love Ebay as a place to sell what I can’t otherwise sell and buy what I can’t otherwise buy. 1999 Rockshox SID damper cartridges? Sold! OEM Formula R1 disc brakes? Purchased!”

My Eye-Blinding Cycling Kit is on Ebay

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 16:42:35 +0100

The vintage early 90ies cycling kit I posted a couple of days ago is now on Ebay for just one single dollar.