Bike Tinker

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  • It’s a corker

    I like to use corks as bar plugs. They’re light, they’re natural, they’re free, and some of them have a personal connection. This one is from a bottle of Van Duzer I drank with my friends in Oregon when one of them was a winemaker there. I cut the corks in half, one half in each end of the bar.

    cork

    The only trouble is… how to get them out? Plastic plugs pry right out, and Velox plugs have an expanding screw you undo.

    For cork extraction… use a corkscrew! I’m pretty sure everyone does this, but it’s amusing and enjoyable to me every time.

    cork-pull

    The new tape (Bike Peddler has cloth tape, but you have to ask, and it’s only black) gets folded over to tuck inside, with the cork holding it cleanly.

    cork-new

    I did some other stuff to the Gravel Roadster at the same time. And shellacked the tape! I never do that, but I bought shellac to finish some paintings, and figured “what the heck.”

  • The Peddaling Baker

    I bought some baked goods from this fellow. He mills his own flour for his sourdough loaves, and sweetens his peanut butter cups with xylitol.

    pedaling-baker

    The downside is that two peanut butter cups and a hamburger bun-sized “loaf” will set you back $10. The bread was really good, and I ate it in tiny slices to maximize the payback, and kind of approach it as a $3.50 box of melba toasts, not a loaf of bread you could put in a shirt pocket. The peanut butter cups were grainy, so maybe he could mill his nuts a little finer.

    I support what he’s doing, but I can’t really afford to support what he’s doing.

  • 47mm Marathon Supremes on a Quickbeam

    47mm Marathon Supreme measures 43mm

    Here’s a 47mm Schwalbe Marathon Supreme measuring 43mm actual width on a wide-ish rim.

    Yes, those are my calipers.

    I like the Marathon Supreme on the front. Cushy, and fast. I put in my best commute time after installing it. Not scientific, but it’s a nice-feeling tire.

    quickbeam-fork-clearance-marathon quickbeam-stay-clearance-marathon quickbeam-chainstay-marathon

    I took the Marathon Supreme off the back, due to clearance issues, but I may try again with a 19mm rim. The Kwest I have on there now looks anemic next to the giant Supreme on the front. I also plan to go back to the S3X, in order to ride some climbing loops at lunchtime.

  • STOLEN BIKE – Valiensi



    MR3C9442, originally uploaded by JamesPatrickValiensi.


    One of James Valiensi’s bikes was stolen today at CSU Northridge. Yes, that’s his name on the down tube.
    If you see it on Craigslist or around Northridge, please email him (through Flickr?), or let me know and I’ll pass the lead on to him.

    Yellow JP Valiensi bike.
    Hammered metal fenders
    Wald Giant Basket on the front rack.
    Unique Bosco Bars with cork grips
    A bell.
    Leather Brooks saddle.
    Tweed seat bag.

    Dang, what a loss.

  • Three Nitto friends



    Three Nitto friends, originally uploaded by olipop.


    Olipop’s overlay of three Nitto stems, showing reach and rise. Also, it just looks cool.

  • Sycip’s personal trainer



    My personal trainer, originally uploaded by Sycip Bicycles.

  • Irony

    Irony

     

    “I think fixies are ridiculous. Because, like, brakes. Duh. And they’re terrible for your knees.”

    hipster.jpg

  • Color Matching



    Color Matching, originally uploaded by tmatchak.

    Die the leather yourself. And the cork to match. Brilliant advice from Mr. Matchak.

  • ID Card

    Just about 25% larger than life.

    20130422-200829.jpg
    I painted this little watercolor last night instead of riding my bike. It’s about 4″ across, on gessoed panel.

  • I’d trade my car for this bike…

    I’d trade my car for this bike…

    Matt Chester Utilityman on Craigslist

    If I win the Powerball tonight, I’m buying it.

    Matt Chester Utilityman on Craigslist.

     

     and… http://www.mattchester.com/

  • ** Stolen Bike ** New Dove bars



    ** Stolen Bike ** Dove bars, originally uploaded by BikeTinker.


    This bike was stolen out of my back yard near the end of last week March 4 or 5, near downtown Santa Rosa CA.

    Luckily, they left much nicer bikes behind, but unluckily, this is a friend’s bike!

    I’d JUST finished the new bar setup for her, with new shifters (courtesy of super nice internet friends), new Dove bars from the Rivendell Garage Sale, and new cables bought at retail from the Bike Peddler.

    Bleah.

    Santa Rosa makes it super-easy to file a report online, and I encouraged my neighbor to report the bike he’d had stolen the week before.

  • Commuter Time Trial Bike

    Commuter Time Trial Bike

    Aero bike, fenders, fattish tires and luggage.

    I did my 36 mile commute a couple times last week, and found myself wondering why longer commutes aren’t run with fendered Time Trial bikes. This is my take on a stock TT bike, with fat 650B tires, fenders, and luggage (a Revelate-style seat bag and custom front trunk). Oh yeah, it also has lights, a fixed gear and a chain guard.

  • Quick release basket



    Quick release basket, originally uploaded by treefire_1.


    Total genius! A tongue on the front of the basket slips under the front of the rack, and… A snapping toolbox latch attached to the rear of the basket hooks onto the back of the rack.

    Snap the latch down, and the basket is firmly attached to the rack. The tongue in the front provides the tension in the system, since it doesn’t let the basket sit flat by itself. You have to use the latch to pull everything tight.

  • *ALL CITY* space horse complete bike


    sweeeeet shifter setup. Pretty picture, too. Alex brought this to my attention.

  • Fixed over Pressley Road

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    I had mistakenly marked this as Crane Creek, but that’s an adjacent road.

    Next time I will come down it, I think – I didn’t like the descent on Sonoma Mountain Road. Narrow, high-traffic, and one SUV almost grazed my elbow with his mirror. I yelled “WHOA!” and extemporized an “I have the right of way” gesture (not that one): right hand like a blade, extended from my chest straight out. Usually it means “I’m going through this intersection.” The driver did pull over, and rolled down his window with a goofy gnome-like smile. He was either going to apologize, or ask for directions. I just said, “that was really close, dude,” and kept going.

    Anyway, aside from that, it was a great ride. I rode out Petaluma Hill Road in my 42×15 gear, and then figured I’d try climbing without the second ring. As I was flipping the wheel over to my 42×21 Dingle cog, I was passed by a pair of riders. The riders passed me again as I was pouring a small bottle of Guinness into my bidon. “For strength.” Two sips of that, and the fluttering pre-cramp in my thigh muscle went away. I don’t at all recommend drinking while riding, nor admitting to it on a blog post.

    At the summit, I geared up to the 42×17 and heavy-legged it down the hill. This is a good hill to freewheel down. Two hours out, 1000 feet of climbing, 23 miles or so. In the bottom-most rung of Strava riders for every segment on the ride… :^) Success!

    When I got back to town, I tried out a new cafe and went to the bike shop to order new Koolstop pads.

  • BMX milk crate rack

    BMX milk crate rack

    As seen behind Russian River Brewing Co.

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