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.