Fun with the Oil Peak

Amazing that you can ride a bike for the cost of a tank of gas!  I am selling the Schwinns and others for about two tanks, and I hope my karma pays dividends.$80 to $125 so far for some old fixed up klunkerz.  That is two tanks in the truck, and it's hardly a giant.Here is one of the latest wedding photos.

Review: Panaracer Rampage 26x2.35

Love them. Best tires ever. I ride the Panaracers anyway, with the last incarnation being a 2.1 Fire XC Pro up front and 1.85 XC in the back. Too many pinch flats, wanted a more plush ride.

It helps to be in a strong phase, you know that feeling that you can get to the top with more energy left, to really giver'r on the way down. As opposed to a weak-kneed phase where every extra once has to go!

Thanks go out to Stella for that one, and some great luch riding, whoo-hoo.

Moral of the story. Rampage Now!

And little birdies whisper that the 29ers are just as sweet.

A side note. I almost piddled when that 2.35 slide in oh so nicely in the Salsa Caballero frame. Oh bless their hearts...

San Joaquin River Trail to Mammoth

Long rides are IT. Mountain bikes aren't made for 2 mile loops at China Camp. Lets go ride a hundred miles of dirt!

This season many new big competive rides broke new ground. The British Columbia Traverse, 5 days, two person teams. Or the Continental Divide Race. One thousand miles, unsupported. Natch!

Todd and Cullen rode the Ouray to Moab Hut to Hut this summer, 300 miles and 6 days of fun.

My favorite ride in a while was Resurrection Pass, 44 miles of Alaskan wildness.

So let us brainstorm some long dirt rides, shall we.

How about a little spin from Fresno, up the foothills, following the San Joaquin River. Cross the two major crests of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, cross the John Muir Trail and bomb down into scenic Mammoth Lakes California, on the lovely East Side.

And how about being some of the first riders to spin the new bridges and trail?

Makes my mouth water, how about yours?

SideCar Madness

Ronan and I have been "side-cruising" around the island for a few days now and are loving it. The Chariot SideCarrier technically, but my Rone toting bike machine to YOU.

The Chariot customer service was super, although there aren't many of these made, and any merchandise has to come cross-border from Calgary. Expect a delay there.

The Sidecar's advantages include Ronan's closeness, actually near enough for conversation while ridine. You can also handle bike, sidecar, and loading the child at the same time.

The drawbacks are serious. It just will not fit easily on some streets. It demands you "take a lane" which I don't choose to do while carrying the little guy. But slow sidewalk riding is impossible, as every street sign or garbage can becomes a barrier. I clipped a bar yesterday and ate it pretty good.

And you do need a mechanic to install it. The "bike penis" mounts on the downtube/bb junction, and I used a cut section of tire to bumper the frame and heavy-duty zip ties to secure the rest, and it still squeeks a little.

The final drawback is cargo capacity. Total, two Nalgenes and a bag of cereal. The two pouches on the back tuck in the snack you would want for you and a tike to have for emergencies, but not anything more.

I like riding with a trailer to pick up groceries with Ronan, or atleast two small bags from the Farmers Market.

The final scorecard is Burly trailer if you are a commited rider, want to bring the child with you, and want to carry some cargo, all comfortably, safely, and efficiently.

Choose a Chariot Sidecarrier for style points, for shorter jaunts, and for open and slower roads. When you see us cruising with our pirate flag raised and flames on the side, you'll see what I mean.

Frame Painting

I painted some restoration projects this week. Brett's Schwinn Traveler and Tina's Bridgestone, as well as Stella. The Bridgestone turned out the best, a nice rich blue with a smooth finish. Stella will probably chip, because the original paint falls off with the slightest touch, but it does have a good protective metallic primer under the blue.

Two tone finish will go on the next one, particularly seeing the turq and red project that Jennifer M. brought into the shop.

Maybe a plaid later.

Jamama