WHAT IS GOING ON ?!?! [/Xandir]

What not to do on a friends bike:

Attempt to do a front brake nose pivot on a bike with Time pedals, while you are wearing SPD shoes. The twisting will JUST allow your foot to 'clip in' enough that you're hooked. You will crash. You will be thankful the bike is built like a 26" BMX.

While working on Porchject-B yesterday, we ran into Wendell of FearlessGearless. He was celebrating his birthday by purchasing a fancy new helmet, and we made him stop at the porch and drink a tallcan with us. He also insisted I crash his bike.

We discussed the presentations at the 'THIRD WAVE' of cyclists lecture we attended Wednesday night at SFU. Jack Beckers talk was hardly even a talk. More of a mechanical dictation of points that moved too fast on an automated .PPT animation. Hans Groen on the other hand was captivating, and had some really funny (and true) points to make on the way our city is engineering its bike routes. ..and Gordon Price had a really good slide show with all types of cycling based infrastructure shown.

Sadly, our city takes so long to react.

Around this time last year, I wrote a letter to the city, inquiring about the traffic signals at Main/Union, and the intended bike route through Victoria/Broadway. Read here.

..well, the good news is that the city FINALLY painted the bike box at Victoria/Broadway. So maybe I won't get killed while Zoolandering that intersection. Maybe.

But the bad news is that even though Transport Canada has approved the use of the bicycle signal, it hasn't been installed or implemented yet at Main/Union.

One thing I would LOVE to see our city implement, is the the approaching barriers surrounding roundabouts, that Davis California uses. These devices just make it inconvienient for a motorist to cut the wrong way around a roundabout.

Enough about infrastructure. Yesterday was BUY EVERYTHING DAY.
This included parts for not only my bike(s), but Rhiannon's Centurion too. She's been such a good girl, I'm giving her a new drivetrain.

The Centurion gets:
-Sugino Cranks 170mm 110mmBCD triple
-Shimano bottom bracket 123mm
-MEC Blackspire 38T 110mmBCD chainring
-NOS Shimano Exage front derailleur
-P clips

I got:
-Shimano 520 SPD pedals
-Ridiculously light XC MTB bar
-Lightweight french style stem 80mm
-Brown Animal BMX grips
-long presta valve tubes
-new spoke wrench
-fender clip for SKS fenders

I tried installing the new BB and cranks on Rhiannon's bike last night and things didn't go too well. The 123mm BB is too short for the little ring to clear the chainstay..so I've got to respace it, or get a longer one. Also, the granny gear seems to be the wrong BCD for these cranks too. It would be so much simpler to keep it a double.

I did manage to get my stupid light new bars on the track bike though. I might as well just book a dentist appointment now:


My shoebox is overflowing with bike stuff, which can only mean,
RANDOM STUFF FOR SALE:

110mm stem, unknown make - $5
Changstar levers with Gum Dia Compe hoods - $5
Mildly worn Shimano Dura Ace 15T cog with matching KMC510HX chain - $20
Suzue high flange 36H front hub - $5
14mm 48H front BMX hub - $2
mini coaster hub 20H - $2
26" x 22mm rim tape - $2
2x road drop bars, approx 42cm wide - $5 each
Green under seat bag - $FREE
Seats - $FREE

Let me know if you want any of this crap. (Cog and Chain sale pending)

One last note. I've got tall bike envy. Seems like everyone's bike is higher than mine. I almost want to buy into the 'I CAN TOTALLY SEE OVER ALL THE TRAFFIK' SUV mindset.



Nice one, Gabe. Bad America indeed.

Now I'll go back to patiently waiting for Canada Post to bring my new hubs.