Bringing Home the Bacon

Nice ride home yesterday. Stopped in at Whole Foods for some pork chops. Got a flat tire on the way home. Pig’s revenge. At least it was grass fed and raised organically!

May Day Ride: Circumnavigating Mt. Cuyamaca

To celebrate the international worker’s day, seven of us took May 1st off from work (it was a Saturday) and rode an epic mixed terrain ride. The course circumnavigated the peak of Mt. Cuyamaca, and included quiet country roads, dirt roads, rocky and rutted fire roads, and singletrack. 5600 feet of climbing, 6 hours, 42 miles. Harrowing descents and lots of climbing are hallmarks of riding in San Diego County, and there was plenty of that on this ride, including some very steep climbing pitches exceeding 20% grade.

Yoshi's map of our course

To make it more interesting, most of us rode road bikes. The skinniest tires were 33mm Jack Browns on Chris’ Roadeo. I was next with 35mm Paselas on the Romulus. Sky’s 650B Hetres on the Nobilette demountable looked to be about the perfect tire in theory. David’s 40mm road tires on the Rivendell All-Rounder and Lee’s 50mm Big Apples wrapped around his MB-1’s 26 inch wheels seemed fully capable. But I’m sure all of us gave a longing glance or two at one point or another at the 29er Nanoraptors Dustin fit onto his Black Sheep adventure bike. I doubt none of us looked longingly at Christian’s 29er singlespeed that he used to conquer the course without trouble. He was awesome.

But the variety in tires on road bikes made the ride interesting in different ways. The night before the ride, I decided to take the Rawland, which is not a mountain bike, but an all-rounder that fits 58mm Pacenti Neo-Motos which would have been perfect for the course: 80% dirt. But on a whim in the morning, I took the fenders and 28mm tires off the Romulus and threw on the 35s. This was a Rivendell Appreciation Society ride, anyway.

The Romulus certainly served as my underbike. The soil in San Diego is full of rocks, and they gave me a good beating on some of the more challenging fire roads. At one point, I hit a large rock the wrong way with my front wheel on a descent through a minefield of stone, and took a slow-motion fall. I was fine, save for the ants biting my arm, as I landed on an ant mound. They were pissed. I brushed them off, figuratively and literally. Most of all, I really enjoyed the bike on this ride. True, parts were bonerattling. But the Rom rode straight through rocks and sand, held together on the bumps, and was a lot of fun on a twisty road section going down the 79. Singletrack was like butter.

Heading up Boulder Creek from Descanso, we were treated to a long climb, first on a quiet country road, and then turning to mellow dirt road. The views were stunning.



We lost much of our elevation gain on an intense descent, crossed a creek, and headed up to Engineer Road. The climbing was steeper and the fire road less predictable. We made it to Lake Cuyamaca, stopped at the cafe for water, and then headed to a fire road that would take us along the slope of the mountain, which bore the brunt of the forest fire of 2003. There was some very steep climbing, and then the most intense riding of the day as we took the road bikes on some seriously rocky and rutted, and sometimes steep descents. This was the fun part. Plenty of portage. We passed a group on mountain bikers on the climb, and they never caught us on the way down, which surprised me. There was snow on these trails a week before, so we rolled through many wet sections. I stayed comparably clean by taking it slow (35mm tires!) and bunny hopping a lot of the water crossings!


photo by cyclotourist

We made it to the 79 and took a few miles on the road. That was nice. Then one more section of fire road that would take us directly to the parking lot where we started. This section constituted, for me, the most difficult part of the ride. With one part of my mind focused on the parking lot and the Mexican food that awaited in Alpine, I had less brainpower available to put “mind over matter” and finish the ride strong. Lee pulled me through the last section.

photo by Dustin

The day was lovely, and we saw a lot of it as we pedaled and hung on for dear life through some beautiful sections of San Diego County.
Next time, I’ll take the Rawland.

Cycling Videos

So… I’m showing a few clips to some students to get them motivated to ride more and join the transnational/translocal political project of utility cycling. The thing that strikes me about the hundreds and thousands of blogs, theme rides, and other manifestaions of the bicycling community is the fun that’s a part of it. So, here are some shorts that I’m drawing from. Suggestions welcome in the comments section.

The follow-up:

Why Do You Ride?
If you like utility bikes, this is a fun video to watch.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about "Cycling Videos", posted with vodpod


And some classics:



And, of course, who could forget:

Rivendell Hunquapillar Prototypes


About a week ago, I had the chance to take the Rivendell Hunquapillar prototype out for about 2 and a half hours for a ride around Shell Ridge on Mt. Diablo. This is the parallel-top tube prototype. The next prototype will have a diagonal second top tube for added strength.

There’s nothing more enjoyable than a mixed terrain ride. From road, to dirt, and back again several times over, my time on the Hunquapillar proved to be completely enjoyable.

The Briones-Mt. Diablo trail consisted mostly of hardpack, but the Shell Ridge Loop was quite bumpy and horse & cattle rutted in some places. The bike wore 50mm Big Apples, which felt surprisingly zippy on the road and more than competent on the trails. I never spun out the rear tire on the dry dirt. It was sunny and warm, and there were a lot of castrated bulls roaming about. Whenever I try to scoot the cattle off the trail with whistles and cowboy noises, they just stare menacingly at me before wandering off after they’ve seen enough of me. Maybe they’re wondering, “why does he have a road bike out there?”

With big Nitto Noodles, a high stem, double-tape wrap job, and the thick SRAM levers, I felt like I was holding onto an animal – perhaps a mammoth, while bumping around on the trails. It is a firm grip on a firm bike. Everything conveyed the solid feel as promised by Mr. Petersen. Climbing, the bike shined, and descending, it felt solid and straight.

I am an overly cautious dirt rider, but the Hunqua inspired faster descending and tighter cornering. I love riding my Romulus on these same trails, but the Hunqua is a different beast and glides through things that I might have taken a bit slower on the road bike.

Twice, I got off the bike and explained it to curious mountain-bikers. One even took it for about a hundred yards and really liked it. I can understand why. Any bike is fun on trails like these. I think the diagonal second top tube will only add to its allure – something unique and interesting on a very interesting bike.

San Diego Custom Bicycle Show (SDCBS) 2010


This last weekend, bicycle culture descended on bicycle-friendly San Diego for the second annual San Diego Custom Bicycle Show in Mission Valley. There were new exhibitors, plenty of community rides that sprouted up around the show, and a bounty of epic burritos available around town.

One of the best things about these kind of shows is that you can shop for a custom builder and order a hand-crafted bike. Yes, the bikes cost more than those at chain stores. Yes, customs are worth every penny, and hopefully some builders got some orders from this show! Considering how many road racers spend thousands every other year on mass-manufactured racing bikes, this is not a far-fetched idea. The exhibitors demonstrate the value of craft that can be a part of all kinds of cycling.But even for those stretching to make rent every month, the show can provide great inspiration for how to modify that old lugged road bike that serves as transportation.

Last year I took photos from nearly every exhibitor. This year, I was more selective, having only a couple of hours on Sunday to enjoy the bicycles and talk with builders. So, here are some select photos from my camera, along with any tidbits of information I gleaned from conversations with the players. The full photoset can be found here, and documentation of our Southern California Rivendell Appreciation Society ride on Sunday morning can be seen here (two XO-2s on the ride, plenty of other nice bikes and good people).

Baylis:

I spoke with Brian Baylis for a bit. He is one of the organizers from the show, and had some of his stunning frames and restorations in the booth. This Rene Herse track bike was serious eye candy. Bryan had the paint specially matched to the original, which had some serious patina before restoration:

I asked Brian about next year. He reported that the show organizers are considering featuring cyclocross bicycles, history, and perhaps an event. I also asked about his openness to including technical trials, as Jan Heine wrote about in the Winter 2010 edition of Bicycle Quarterly. He said they are open to the idea, suggestions, and help. So if anyone wants to help make this happen, let me know.

At the large Velo Cult booth, Sky and Co. had a range of vintage bicycles on display, and something interesting. The demountable Nobilette randonneuse is the one featured in a previous post:

Anthony’s Rene Herse:

One of the more interesting bikes at the VC booth was a new project they’ve been working on for a long time. More on this later. Just a last-minute rattlecan paint job for the show — look out for something special to come out of this project down the line. But here is the prototype: a custom randonneuse, with clearance for 42mm Hetres, 60mm Honjos, and made by a master craftsperson:

Check out the Velo Cult Blog for serious photos of every show bike.

Electra had its Ticino line, which appropriates many elements from the hand-built scene. In a stroke of mainline marketing, they set their Ticino’s up outside on the bike valet rack, connoting the message that “You Could have Ridden a Ticino to the Show!™”

Petaluma-based Soulcraft had some darn-fun looking mountain bikes on display, including this 650B model:

Yipsan had a couple of nice 650B bicycles at the show.

He clearly knows what he’s doing, especially considering all the extras on this bike, which caused my friend Aaron to remark, “The everything but the kitchen sink approach: 650B, disk brake, shift lever on the seat tube, S&S couplers, fenders with racing stripes, orange crank arms, two-tone paint job, burnt Sienna front rack, lighting system, and rando bars. Did he forget anything? I like the straight blade fork; looks mean and ready to rumble.”

Last year, Gallus drove all the way from Texas for their first show. This year, they flew. They brought this pink porteur:

When I saw this rack, I immediately thought about the mounts on a Kogswell fork. Jeremy said that he’d be very interested in making racks for Kogswells and for the new Longleaf. If you’re interested, give him a buzz.

Over at the Rebolledo booth, I saw something I really liked. Here is an all-rounder with a nice custom rear rack that fits Jack Browns with plenty of room (perhaps for 35s) under the fenders. This bike was perhaps my favorite of the show. I’d love to see something from Mauricio with lower trail and front racks. Just a lovely bicycle:

As one might expect, De Salvo had some fine bicycles in the booth, including this cyclocross:

A few builders had bare frames, which really show the handwork that goes into a custom bicycle. This fork crown and head lug is from Greg Townsend:

Eric and Winter Bicycles and Mitch from MAP were down from Or-eee-gone with some beautiful machines. The Winter is built as a no-nonesense commuter:

From MAP, we saw a great display of the utility and grace of 650B. He had a porteur, flat-bar bike, and lastly, an example of the semi-custom run he did earlier this year. Mitch is going to do the semi-custom run again for sure. For next time, he’s thinking of doing a city bike, and streamlining the process. May be smart to jump in line now if you like his stuff. The first 5 Rando bikes went fast.


Stephen Bilenky was at the center of the show, showing off their exceptional wares and taking orders for S&S retrofits.

Lastly, the good people at Swrve had their excellent designs for sale. Have I mentioned how much I like Swrve jeans? Made in the USA, like most of the stuff at the show.

See you next year!

The Rivendell Riding Style

There’s a lot to say about the evolution and continuity of Grant’s design philosophy. Sometimes, a little video is enough:

So… get out there and enjoy!

SDCBS 2010 Preview

This weekend, the second annual San Diego Custom Bicycle Show will take place in Mission Valley. The San Diego show brings together framebuilders who have decades of experience and those just starting, along with industry booths and local charities and bicycle shops. It was a great show last year, and this year it promises to be full of lovely machines, nice people, great weather, and lots of community events.

Some highlights:


Swrve clothing will drive down from their small factory in Los Angeles with many of their wares. I was lucky to stop by their operation in LA last month, and I was surprised at what a small operation it is, full of gusto, high quality cycling products, and made right here in the US. I was first skeptical about the jeans I bought, but they have turned out to be perfect for riding and just about everything else. Great people.


Over at the Velo Cult booth, there will be all kinds of vintage bikes for sale and for gawking. Two items will be especially interesting. One is a new collaboration with a framebuilder that I’ll write more about later… maybe after the show. Its a randonneuse and fits Hetres with 60mm Honjo fenders. The other bike that will likely induce drool is Sky’s Nobilette demountable randonneuse. Get a look up close at this bike… the demounting machine work is really quite interesting:

More photos of this bike will pour onto the Internets, I’m sure.


Moth Attack, who will share a booth with Swrve, will be raffling off a frame, with all donations supporting the Encino Velodrome.

*The organizers are considering doing technical trails for next year. If you see any of them, encourage it!

THEN… Sunday morning, I’m helping to organize a little Rivendell/Bob-ish mixed terrain ride. There are two short sections of dirt in the middle of the city. We’ll stop at Velo Cult and Blind Lady, then go down to the show!

For those who want to see the ocean and enjoy a bit more of a ride, we’ll meet at 9am at the Mission Bay Visitors Center and do this loop (San Diego River, Ocean Beach, Sunset Cliffs, Pt. Loma, Downtown) then we’ll pick people up at the train station:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Mid-City-Mixie-Extended-Route

And for those who want to sleep in, and/or just want a token ride to through two token dirt sections in the middle of one of the largest cities in the U.S., meet us at 10ish at the Santa Fe Depot downtown, and we’ll cross downtown up to Balboa Park, through the Haunted Trail along the 163, down the dirt section of Florida Canyon (a bit bumpy, but not bad), up to Velo Cult in South Park, then down 30th St. (“The Brewlevard”) to Blind Lady Ale House for a beer and lunch. Then down to the show:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Mid-City-Mixie402176

So, if you want to do 30 miles, meet at 9am at the Mission Bay Visitors Center. For those who want a shorter 15 mile ride, we’ll pick you up at Santa Fe Depot at 10ish.

The ride will be short, prioritize the view, some dirt, a stop at Velo Cult, and a craft beer and pizza, and the show!

That’s all I’ve got for now. Readers can gather their own thoughts and anticipations from the list of exhibitors:

Framebuilders
Brian Baylis
Sadilah Handmade Framesets
Ybarrola Bicycles
Joe Bell Bicycle Refinishing
Bohemian Bicycles
Courage Cycles
Townsend Cycles
Bruce Gordon Cycles
Soulcraft
Kish Fabrication
Charter Oak Cycling (Bill Rider)
Gallus Cycles
Bill Holland Cycles
Blaze Bicycles
MAP Bicycles
Courage Bicycles
Rebolledo Cycles
YiPsan Bicycles
Winter Bicycles
Vendetta Cycles
Wolfhound Cycles
Lyonsport Custom Frames
Victoria Cycles
Rock Lobster Custom Bicycles
Dan Cunningham Cycles
Keith Anderson
Mark DiNucci
Taylor Bicycles
Serotta
Ruegamer Sports
Bilenky Cycle Works
Caletti Cycles
Moth Attack
DeSalvo Custom Cycles
Milano Sport
Industry
Speedplay
Larabar
Velo Cult Bicycle Shop
Pacific Coast Cycles
Henry James Bicycles Inc.
Campagnolo
Sound Cycles
Adams Avenue Bicycles
San Diego Bicycle Club
Sock Guy
Moment Cycle Sport
SelleLogica Saddles
Far West Milano CC -Vintage Bicycles
AIDS Life Cycle -Ride to end AIDS
Mel Pinto Imports
Nova Cycles Supply
Fit Kit
The Arthritis Foundation
Andy Schwartz
Electra Bicycle Co.
Swrve Cycling
Bringheli
TEXmarket
Homebrewed Components

See you there!