Destroy Video Teaser

Just started playing with cameras. Mounting all over the bike you get a neat perspective of the movements. Enjoy the teaser.

Re-Located

i've moved my blog page. sorry "blogger" but im at http://spin4130.tumblr.com/ for now.

Sticker Order Has Been Placed

They are to be presented as white on black. I'll probably be handing these out for a while once the shipment comes in. Put them on your bike, or your helmet, or in the corner of that nook or cranny that your sure someone will see it, but not from a car's point of view. Put them on your bumper of your car if your also a driver. Put them on your frizbee. Put them on your box of secrets you keep in the closet. Put one on your boombox. Put them on your coffee table. Put one on your refrigerator. Put one on the wall in the bathroom at the bar. Put one on your dog. Or just stick them wherever else you see fit. Good times with stickers.

Bridgestone update

(jpg) So, there it is. This bike has been so reliable and it still rolls down the road even after all the abuse ive dished its way. Yes it rolls down the road...... in the trunk of a car..... (sigh). I went down on my way to work the other day. At the intersection of StateOfFranklin and Market, a junction i pass through daily, i picked up a chunk of rusted steel debris in my rear tire as i was hopping up the curb. it slid as the air rushed out of the wound. the curb impacted that rear rim with a vicious force. My spd released at a retarded angle and my foot slipped. i went down. the bike went flying. i got up and carried the rest of the way to work. that rim is so bent that it doesnt clear the stays thus wont roll at all. looks like ill be on the Ripper a lot until i get around buying a fresh set of Gator Skins and getting to lacing up another Mavic.

Urban Velo in Asheville

This article titled "Aiming for an Urban Cycling Mecca in Asheville North Carolina" can be read along with the rest of Urban Velo #19 online for free at http://urbanvelo.org/ . The article covers stories from our neighbor over the ridge, Asheville, NC. Many of us are already familiar with the subject matter in this article. It would be a good time if a few of the Destroy riders wanted to head over there with our rides sometime and cruise, eat, drink, ride the track, and smell the hippies.  

Buffallope Vs Chatty

New videos from David cruising in his new city of Chattanooga, TN. Neat that they were shot using an iPod hairtied to a light mount. They aren't action packed, but they are edited with video game themed subtitles. Just some chill Chatty-cruizin' footage. 

No, I Haven't Forgotten Polo

I've been slacking off a bit. But I swear my logic has been in holding out for the summer. Holding out for students' freedom. Holding out for late night rides. I get the feeling there are now more riders emerging that I haven't yet met. This 'summers almost in swing anxiety' swept over me as I was pondering the polo mallets that I still havent finished. So, I headed over to Luke's place to fiddle around with the supplies. Here is a picture of a still unfinished mallet from earlier today. All ski poles have been cut at 38". The mallet heads are CPVC and vary from 6.5" to 8". They are still waiting to have the hardware put in place, to be plugged, and to be wrapped. I am also trying to have Destroy "chainring D" stickers ready at the same time as the mallets. When I pass out mallets you should get stickers too! I just needed to post this so you all know that I am working on this stuff. Just a week or so till Summer takes over. In the meantime you can download these desktop backgrounds courtesy of MiniBruce.

Spin4130 art

This is a new logo design MiniBruce and I collaborated on for my bike projects. He just got it done and i felt the need to introduce it just as it is right here right now. Eventually you should be seeing this applied to those previously mentioned projects, but for now just check it out. The 4130 CrankFace.

To You, Local Rider

Dear Bicycle Rider I Almost Smashed Last Night,
        You might have crashed last night as I flew by. I have no apologies for the way I handled myself in that time or place. I saw what happened from afar, and I can assure you that you have no right in the streets on your rickety-ass bike at night. I spotted you riding down a one-way on the tree streets at the last possible moment. I wasn't the only one. I saw the car at the crossroad in front of you hesitate and second guess their actions a few times before I knew you were even there pissing the driver off. The main issue was the darkness of night and your lack of any lights whatsoever. As I was passing you, right when I noticed your presence, you made an unstable turn without warning or signal. I swerved to not hit you, and thanks to my awareness and not yours, swerved around the hesitant car as well. I don't hope that you crashed into the ground or that car's bumper, but if that is what happened its your own damn fault for not having any self awareness. I don't want this experience to stop you from riding, but to drop some knowledge into your skull that you may wanna consider protecting with a helmet from now on. If you didn't crash I wouldn't consider this an example of learning the hard way and now you know. Get some lights. Open your eyes. Look around.  Stop pissing traffic off because of your ignorant ways. Stop making me and other riders look bad.
                                                                              Sincerely Yours,
                                                         The Fast Guy With The Lights
p.s. - If we had collided, you would've been way worse off than I.

Old Fixie R.I.P. / New Fixie RIPper

Got the new fixie built up now. Its a 2010 SE Racing P.K. Ripper fixed. I always wanted a ripper back when i was a kid racing BMX. Now that i'm a big boy, SE made a run of these limited edition fixed Rippers based on the BMX i used to want so bad. For my purposes, this bike was the best bang for the buck. I dont consider my riding freestyle. Its fixed street instead of traditional fixed track. I intend on getting pretty technical with my handling of this bike, but im not taking huge risks for the sake of big tricks. If that was my intention, i'd be on a BMX. Don't get me wrong, tricking is an honorable discipline in its own right, but im done with the sacrifices i made in mobility and risk while riding BMX a long long time ago. Technical skills lead to tricking and with 700c wheels i can practice my 180s, barspin combos, wheelies, and whatever else, while riding at a more efficient pace to a destination. Riding in town gets stale for me sometimes. This will surely keep it interesting. There will no doubt be trick sessions, commuting, polo, and hassle free riding all come out of this bike. So, i think this is pretty darn cool.

Life On A Bike Is A Journey, Of Course; Like Learning A Martial Art

After all that I have been through, testing my beliefs, and persevering to the place I am in Mind, Body, and Spirit; I accept that the bicycle has become a conduit for me. A tool in seeking balance and a simple way to truly enjoy life. It's become a gratifying discipline that must be exercised every day of my life. It gets easier all the time. The idea that 'practice makes perfect' is selling it short. Practice makes you better. Once it's easy, its time to take it to another level. Now im not talking about breaking speed records, or making it into the pro Tours, or X-Games. I'm talking about capabilities that will be applied in many aspects of LIFE. First it was riding to work. Then it was riding over a mountain.Then it was to keep going far. Then it was preparedness, including, but not limited to; mental awareness, responsibly maintaining a reliable machine, feeding active needs, etc. Maybe the most important point is testing self reliance. Now I am refining and learning new handling skills. These are all things I think about every day. Aristotle is quoted in saying -We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit. I don't know about excellence, but i do know about perseverance. If my goal is to be aware and balanced, I guess thats what I aim to excel in, Building good habits. That, my friend, is what the bicycle lifestyle is for me. Experience life. My outlook is that I want to LOVE LIFE A LOT. I can't sit still and watch life pass by. I can't let others do work for me. If you love life, don't waste time, for time is what life is made up of. Yeah, Bruce Lee is right. NOW is the time i must pursue. NOW is the time I know I have. NOW is when the life i wanna love is happening. The bike can be anything else to anybody else. Some of my friends wish to master things like, photography, food, music, carpentry, and business. Find what you love and pursue it with a passion. Have goals. Learn from failure. I had a particularly bad bike crash a few years ago that nearly took my life. I learned more through that experience than any other event in my life. I took a lot from it. Some of the touring riders i put big miles down with have kinda been scoffing at my fixed gear, my tricks, and my commuting. This is my progression and i am not some kid at the skatepark boasting about how bad-ass street tricks are. Showing off is the fool's idea of glory.  'No loitering beyond this point' - has become a motto for me to live by. Gotta keep it moving. Gotta keep life fresh. Progression is my only direction.

Rain Falls as I Pedal

So, looks like winter may finally be giving way to spring. Don't get too excited unless you love rain, cuz thats what were in for. I personally don't mind the winter if I'm geared and although refreshing at times, I find spring showers to be a  warm tease leading to summer nights. Nevertheless I continue my car-free quest. This year is a bit different in that im better prepared than seasons of old. I guess just to make sure, i should be double checking my list.

• Underarmor base layer-check
• bib shorts and tights-check
• thin wool socks (i wear them year round)-double check
• Tasty vintage jerseys-check
• the Weather Channel. know what your in for and when. Just because its a rainy day doesnt mean you must get caught in the heaviest windiest part of it all. Timing is sometimes a big key role. -check
• rear fender that will fit all my bikes-check
• neoprene booties-check
• now this next one was a christmas gift from my lady friend, i probably wouldnt have bought one for myself, but its so badass that i dont ever wanna go without it, and if u can getcha one go for it, and that is thermal/windproof/water resistant l/s LG jersey jacket. not only does it work, but i feel like Johnny Quest or Velo-Batman or whatever when im wearing it.-check
• Waterproof overtrousers that easily fit over lycra, but over jeans and whatever else too. -check
• Headband to cover my floppy lobes-check
• Wrap around shades-check
• Headlight with a high/wide beam combo-check
• full finger gloves-check
• waterproof bag. I like the rolltop packs by Chrome Bags. -check
• My 86' Bridgestone-check
• time investment to keep my tasty steel and vintage drivetrains from gettin all gunked up.-check
• the nerve to just go for it-check

So now that you have seen my checklist, maybe its time to be working on your own checklist. With all your bases covered you dont have to be that guy driving instead of riding, and falling back on weak excuses. Instead you could be that dude who isnt afraid to commit to riding in all conditions, even if its those consecutive April showers. Oh, and another little note. Some people <---hipsters....... hate on tech gear when urban riding. My guess is that they never tried it. If LG and other high end riding gear companies provide their products for the pro peleton, think of how effective it must be. It becomes urban when worn with the right attitude. Try this shiz out. I doubt you will go back to riding in the rain in a hoodie ever again.

Killin' It Out There

So, it didnt take long for the only stock parts left on my fixie to start failing. That is the frame and fork. I posted earlier that i was suprised how much i liked the fixie and how i shouldve bought a nicer one that could be built up by an ex bmxer like myself. Well, i went cheap and now the bike is no more. The fork is way bent. it wont barspin and the steel is soft. like i ran the bike into a wall to straighten the rake and it worked long enough for a few more tricks till it gave way to a spongy sensation of  failure. Im in too deep not to find a replacement. When the time came to start 180s and hoping out of keos, and tail tapping everything i could, i followed through and realized a couple little places in my timing that i could get more "umph!" outta the way i was handling the bike. The bike couldnt handle it. Period. Started landing more technical maneuvers only to realize that i could go farther. Now my progression is dead in the water. Oh, just wait. I will find my replacement. It wont be generic. It will be beefy. My ambitions will be bold. The riding will be fresh. Oh, my friend, just you wait and see. Level Up.

D.I.Y. Indoor Bike Storage Solution

So, for a long time now folks have been asking, "how do have so many bikes in your place? Isnt it hard to navigate with them all inside?". This is how I do it, and something that may seriously help your living space as well. I made this rack system myself with a little help from this tutorial.http://www.instructables.com/id/simple-bike-storage-rack-for-many-bikes-in-small-a/ I painted the wood for a more domestic appearance.  these three bikes are hanging is just under three foot of wall space. I used measurements based on the bikes that will be using this private parking. its been six months now and the rack is working just as it should. Check it out.

Safety Warnings: CHOKING HAZARD - Small parts. Not for children under 3 yrs.

Just pointing out some scary marketing. This is an ad for a department store bike. Its a rolling death trap. I cant believe this is actually the ad photo. let take a closer look at all the features of this mountain capable suicide machine.

1. ergonomics. check out the comfortable angles of this cockpit.
2. This bike boasts front and rear disc brakes for dependable stopping power if, maybe the cables were connected to those ergo levers and the front wheel wasn't on backwards so the rotor was actually a part of the front brake. 
3. It also comes equipped with a front and rear suspension for a smooth ride although im pretty sure that one of the arms on the fork is fixed anyway.
4. an alloy quick-adjust seat pin, which is neat because ive never seen a seat pin before. all my bikes have plain ol' posts.
5. a 21-speed easy-twist Shimano shifting system for responsive gear changes.... (sigh) im a fan of shimano, but its sad that they made these components.
6. killer paint
7. sweet   kickstand
8. triple crank which will come in handy when pedaling this speedy 48lb. machine up any sort of incline.

So, im just posting this as a buyer beware. consumers that arent enthusiasts are the ones looking at these type of purchases and wont realized what they are getting into until its falling apart, or worse, someone is seriously injured. this goes for any bike that is not purchased from an actual bike shop. dont buy a bike at the same place u purchase groceries or toys. Bike shops dont juggle departments..... they sell and service bikes. period. 

This Is Not Your Grandpa's Cruiser

This is a bike built up by a guy who needed some ergonomics due to a spinal injury. Our boy, MiniBruce, is solving the problem with this creature. He calls it "The Buffalope". It's a bold, beefy, engineered, overkill on a Schwinn Seirra GS path bike. Thats because all the bikes in the market right now that cater to this geometry have a low end spec sheet to keep a low end price tag and thus are selling low end bikes. In order to tap into a much higher quality functions, not to mention strength in the form of DH steroids, he chose the Schwinn built frame and a thorough grouppo mix of Deore/LX/XT/Saint drive train and brakes and a Touring XC fork by Marzocchi. Somebody should make a quality Columbus or Reynolds frame with this sort of build quality in mind. M-B has been rocking this too and from work in the snow and all and is sold on the simple idea of excellent built relaxed and capable bikes. You can check out a full list of specs and see more photos of its inception here. http://ibikedb.net/bikes/36501-schwinn-sierra-gs Ride-On MiniBruce

Peep My Rims

this really isnt much of a post. im just stoked about some new wheels and tires i installed yesterday. Its all a little beefier.

The Sun Came Out Today And So Did The Single Speeds

     A couple buddies and I got together on the fixed/ss bikes for the first time today. It didn't start well. SpotieOatie-L and I had some technical difficulties. That led to a shop in town i gotta name drop. If you haven't checked out the Angry Penguin BMX/Skate boutique in downtown J.C., you need to. I used to be deep into BMX and i can tell these guys know whats up. http://angrypenguin.biz/ Finally got the pieces i needed and we just rode. We all have lower end gearing for the area 44x20, 39x18, 46x21 and were all at the same pace. Our path just noodled through everything and it reminded me why i love riding in the city. The pedal straps worked well, even when i pedal-tapped a curb going pretty fast and ate shit. Tomorrow i'm taking the Pog  past city limits. Maybe i'll see you there.

First D.I.Y. Bike Solution For the Blog

      So, I really don't care for pedal strap/toe cage combos but dont want to be clipped in on the fixie because im intending to trick on it. I wanted to find an alternate system that would have a solid broad area of contact for my BMX style Shadow Conspiracy pedals. Research lead to HoldFast pedal retention systems. Check 'em out. http://www.holdfastordie.com/  I can tell that the current design they are producing just makes sense. They are also nearly $60 a pair, which is just to much for me to drop on a pedal system that im not so familiar with. Research also lead to a D.I.Y. at http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/make-it-velcro-speed-straps-for-fixed-gear-riders/ . I like the idea of D.I.Y. solutions that may be all the investment you need to have an introduction to a system or concept you havent yet tried. That being said..... that strap on wired is weak. so here is mine that i made inspired by that article. They are much burlier because i got my nylon straps off of an old bag. so instead of cutting a tear into one solid band, i constructed this from strips. I've thrown some serious skids down, and a few keos and fakie tricks, and i must say they work pretty well. im having the same problem riders had with the early Holdfast models. that is having to reach down to pull them open periodically. If you are looking for a solution for toe overlap on your fixie, i recommend making a set and who know..... maybe the concept will really work for you and Holdfast is just a little progression away. ill update how well they are still working in a week or so.

Glass and sidewalk surfing

Who's job is it to clean glass off the road? Really!?! I have personally stopped and kicked glass out of the way of potential bicycle traffic. Its in the middle of streets, intersections, shoulders, the bike path/lanes are the worst, and there are even timed patterns of glass shed on certain sidewalks. I'll be back to the debris in a second, but that was a great lead into another topic that keeps coming up around me. Sidewalks. Some riders don't/won't use sidewalks on their bikes around here. I don't mind using sidewalks on my commutes at all. Hell, they might be some of the best part of my typical ride to work because of the winding in between buildings and a skywalk bridge etc. that sidewalks allow me to enjoy. The only time I feel that a sidewalk is really needed is if a descent climb times itself with traffic slowing me down, making me anxious, and also pissing off the cars behind me, because even if they dont have to slow to pass me, they still act like they do. On a steep grade i wouldnt be able to go significantly faster on the road anyway. I can be smooth on a sidewalk no problem. I just dont like messing with all that stress in the roads I travel by bike every day. I also can't at all stand riding a sidewalk if im on the Pogliaghi in Lycra. It's just "not that kind of casual" no matter how easy the days' ride may be. All of that into account....... I am going to take a broom out to some of the glass fields scattered around town. I'll sweep that shit up myself. Somebody has to do it. I should get paid. Or at least a good Samaritan award like a free movie or something. Maybe a tax cut.

Polo is coming.

Here you see polo mallets... ahead of time. a little sawing, drilling, wrapping, bolting, and Polo mallets. POWE-LOWE.

2010 and a Fixie.... Really??

So, if you know me, than you have heard a fixie hipster rant or at the very least derogatory remarks fall from my lips. Well, here i am with my own fixie. I have a problem. I like it too much. I bought a super crazy cheap one, just to play polo and maybe ride some wheelies or whatever. Now I find myself building it up from a BMXer point of view. I've got barspins and variations down from my days riding freestyle. Wheelies are a bit easier to anticipate, adjust, and keep wheeling along. Keo Spins are a neat feeling. Other that a little riding fakie, keos are my first taste of fixed gear physics. You see where this is going. Now i have a fresh new outlook on urban riding. Gotta change it up sometimes. Keep the bicycle at large from getting stale and force a regret of being car-free. I can't let that happen. I gotta keep pedalin' one way or another.

Starting 2010 With Some New Rides

Some time ago I started this page, and that was about it. With a new years' comitment now 5 weeks old I've finally come back around. So, expect to see some exciting new posts in the days to come.

Now, to the point. This is my new ride I'm starting 2010 with. This is a late model Pogliaghi I bought from a friend here in town stock with a 7 speed 105 grouppo. Thanks Trixie! So, once Mike handed it over the bike was taken apart. This is that bike as I rode it earlier today.