Watch and enjoy

Cool Video

Purdy cool vid with all the riders. I seem to remember that Jared Leto played Steve Prefountaine in the movie "Pre."

I don't understand why the full length video cannot be embedded.

Interesting...but who makes it and is it available

This should revolutionize the time trial and triathlon industry. Makes sense to me.

New tubes and tires...check

Today I replaced the knobby tires with new Specialized Nimbus tires, tubes and a locking front skewer. Spent most of my time degreasing and flossing the cog. Total time invested today: 2 hours. Total amount invested including bike $164. Took it for a ride and it rides so smooth for a 15+ year old bike that has seen a whole lot of garage time. No pics today.

Unfortunately, I didn't make the Luminaria ride today. Couldn't convince anyone to go with me. I hope the ride the year is really well organized. Seems several folks from last year had no interest in it this year for that reason.

We'll miss you, D!!!

My Friend and one of the best bike wrenches in the US, Dennis (he doesn't want me to use his last name) Angelo is moving to Philadelphia to take a new job. Dennis is leaving Jax on December 28. It must really be a great job to leave the sunny and warm climate for the frigid Northeast. Best of Luck to you, Dennis. We know you'll be back for a vacation.

Git r done

New BG Sport Seat, New BG Grips and old school lock. Total investment including bike $110. Next step will be New Nimbus Tires, new tubes and Globe pedals. Should begin to look more like a commuter bike after that. Could possible have it done this weekend in time for the Riverside Luminaria Ride.

One of the coolest rides in Jacksonville

Although the video isn't great and doesn't do justice to the ride, the Riverside/Avondale Luminaria Ride sponsored by the North Florida Bicycling Club is an awesome event. I beleive there were substantially more than 250 riders, probably closer to 500. Monkey Lights would work great on this ride.

No bike is safe from thieves but....

If a thief wants wants my bike, he is going to have to work hard for it. I am trying to make it harder for thieves to get my bike if they should happen upon it when I am not around.

• U shaped lock and Cable lock with combination
• trying to find another bike to lock mine to for more locks
• always park my bike next to one that is better looking
• carry a pump so I can flatten one of the tires
• locking front skewer and seat collar, thieves usually don't carry a metric allen wrench
• disable it by taking the chain off the rear cog
• put a note on it when I leave than I am watching it constantly and will shoot a thief-assuming most thieves can read.
• loosen the nuts on the bars slightly so once a thief puts pressure on the bars, he/she will bust their tail falling down. Yes, I want to hurt a thief.
• don't leave computers, lights, seat bags, GPS units or other easy to remove items that would temp thieves.
• When I do have to lock it, put it in a place I can see frequently or check back on it often.
• Never leave a bike locked up overnight. It screams "TAKE ME"
• Carry a small club (mini baseball bat) in my backpack, so I can beat the crap out of a thief if I should happen upon them after they have successfully managed to get pass all of the above.

Thieves are cowards, if they knew they would get a ticket to jail, they might be less likely to steal a bike.

Think like a thief. Make it harder for thieves to be successful. Enjoy your ride and don't be a victim. Be vigilant and observant.

Steelrider2

Rebuilding my wife's commuter bike

Specialized makes a great bike and this bike should build up nicely as a commuter.

I didn't do a very good job of journaling my bike, so I'm going to try to do a better jog with this one.

Other than the lock and bottle cage, this was the way I bought this bike. Bought it about two years ago for $40.00 off of Craigslist.org. I finished my bike back in the spring and my wife liked it so much I am working on hers.

I will work on it in stages. First stage is to replace the seat and bar grips. Replacing the seat with a Specialized Women's BG Sport and the grips with Specialized BG Ergo Grips. The cost is $40 for the seat and $25.00 for the grips. I bought the lock for $5.00 of ebay and the cage cost $5.00. To date, I have spent (including the bike) $115.00.

I don't have a budget but will not spend more than I think the completed bike would sell for.

To be continued....

This falls under the category of "got to have it...now"

Monkey Lights are the coolest thing. Although the video is kinda long, the stuff is way cool. Can't wait to purchase.

Very interesting

Lots of WOW!! factor here. In my wildest dreams I can't imagine racing a mcahine like this. This almost seems sci-fi

WOW!! These are awesome bikes

WOW!! What beautiful bikes. I want the 2010 Specialized Allez Steel. The Langster Steel is gorgeous too. So how many bikes should a guy have? I say, one bike away from divorce, if you're married.

Steelrider2

Great commute

Everything lined up perfectly yesterday. The weather, traffic, work schedule...and all the things that go into a perfect commute cooperated. To the experienced commuter, you probably take those things for granted. But as a novice commuter, the quality of the experience is big. It's days like yesterday that make me want to do it more. And what will turn me into an experienced commuter is how I deal with the unusual or uncooperative and will ride even though I know everything won't line up in advance.

When I got to work, I was as productive as I've been in weeks. My energy level and enthusiasm were high all day long. Once again, if commuting makes me more productive, I really should ride everyday.

My ride in was 17.6 miles. It took longer to ride in because I had to wait 7-8 minutes at a major intersection. What struck me was that I rode into the sun for 6 miles. I don't have a problem with it...just hope the cars behind me can see me. I had bike lanes for about 16 miles.

The ride home was about 10 minutes quicker because a co-worker told me of a short cut. In Jacksonville, bike lanes and sidewalks seem to be only on one side of the road. So on my ride home I had a good bit of sidewalk time. No peds.

Definitely a 10 on the scale. :)

steelrider2

The finished product.

Well here it is, the finished product. My 1995 Specialized Hardrock commuter bike. I now know the sense of accomplishment some of my fixed gear friends feel when they complete their projects. I think its down right purdy.

This last round, I put the fenders and rack on. Hopefully riding to work 2 times next week.

Can't wait to take it on errands this weekend.

I recycled an old bike found on Craigslist. Bike was in excellent shape and put a few upgrades on it. Comments are welcomed.

Commute frustrations

206

For the first time in 2009, I commuted by bike to work today. The route in was 17.6 miles. Good ride; it is spring break for the schools so the traffic was minimal. Here are the stats:

Miles: 17.6
Avg speed: 12.9
Calories: 923

The ride home had it all. Heavy wind, heavy rain, a flat tire, a few dumb drivers and some other stuff not worth mentioning. Ride home Stats:

Blood pressure: off the charts

Note to self...check the weather better. have the correct tools to fix a flat and not let dumb drivers get to me so bad.

So...Beware....Next Friday I'm at it again.

My Specialized Hardrock Commuter Bike

I really like riding my bike. Riding the 15 miles each way to work is a new adventure. At first, I think I’m going to ride a few times a month. I didn’t really like riding my road bike or my fixed gear to work. So, I decided to buy a used mountain bike and create a commuter. I have enjoyed having a project like this. I decided to buy an older mountain bike with a steel frame and cro-mo fork. I found 1995 Specialized Hardrock in excellent shape on Craigslist for $25. No before hand pics.

I decided to take my time making it the way I want it. The first thing was to replace the knobby tires with Specialized Nimbus tires and buy a lock. (You will notice all the parts I used were Specialized. Open Road Bicycles, my fav shop, is a Specialized dealer so many of the parts I have used are Specialized.) Probably the best addition is a locking front skewer. Comfort, cost, security and functionality will be behind all the changes.

The next step was to replace the seat the seat and grips. I added a Specialized BG2 Sport Saddle and BG Comfort Locking Short Grips. This added the comfort I was looking for.

Pedals were the next part of the project. I thought since my round trip commute is 30 miles, I would need some clipless pedals. I also plan to use this bike on weekends so platforms would be in order. I bought Shimano M-324s for the best of both worlds.

That brings me up to date. I plan on adding a rack on the back, fenders and a headlight. Other small items will also be added, such as a cargo net, rear light and a pannier. These pics are before adding the pedals. So far, it rides really great and is the perfect bike for weekend errands. I like the one less car symbol. More updates will follow as they occur.

Back after 2 years

Since my last post I sold my Masi road bike, Quintana Roo Triathlon bike and Bianchi fixed gear.

I purchased a 2006 Specialized Roubaix Pro, 2007 Specialized Langster and a 1995 Specialized Hardrock. This opens a new chapter in my riding life.

I cannot expalin how great the Roubaix Pro rides. Carbon fiber is a great ride. This was my first Dura-Ace group. It just rides so great.

The Langster fits me better than the Bianchi. I tend to ride it more in the winter to improve my pedalling stroke.

The Hardrock has been a project bike for me. I bought the bike for $25.00 off Craigslist. It had a lot of garage time and is in perfect shape. I decided to turn it into a commuter bike. So far I have added street tires, a more comfortable seat and ergo grips. Within a few weeks I will add fenders and a back rack. Last year I commuted a few times on my Langster, which was great. It got me interested in trying to commute several times a month. So, I think I will spend most of my online time talking about my commute.

My motivation for commuting is simple, I want to commute by bike because I love riding. I am not much interested in doing it for the reasons most people commute. I won't ride in the rain. I often have sales calls and need to drive my car. If it's too hot or too windy or too wet, I will drive. If I happen to save a few bucks on gas or loose a few lbs, so be it.