no drive. just ride.

Cyclist say...

2012-01-22T21:03:00.001-05:00

I said I love you...

2012-01-03T17:01:00.001-05:00

Got a new t-shirt in the mail today... as we all know, this is the love language of the cyclist - or maybe that's just me...

The Holstee Manifesto

2011-12-28T11:05:00.001-05:00

I just might post this everywhere... definitely blows away our manifesto. Enjoy.

first commute

2011-12-05T10:32:00.007-05:00

well, it finally snowed here in mpls.

just enough to justify putting away the good ole fixie and pull out the WinterMongoose, an oldish mongoose hybrid bike i pulled out of my father's garage over thanksgiving. now, the WinterMongoose needed some work before it could be ridden, let alone ridden through the snow.

i dropped by the hub at the u of m, had a great chat with ben and figured out what needed to be done, which ended up not being too much, to make the WinterMongoose rideable. now, i'm a novice when it comes to working on bikes and updating and what not, so i let ben take the bars and lead the charge. two new tires [front studded], fenders, a tune up, and a chunk of change later, the WinterMongoose was ready ... to sit my garage for a week and wait for snow.

for a few days, the roads were clear and my fixie did just fine to get from home to work/school, but finally, saturday evening, it snowed. i stood in my kitchen on saturday with a cup of night and day coffee and excitedly watched the snow collect on the ground.

i have been a bicycle commuter for a couple years now, but i have never needed to ride in the winter because of my location in relation to where i needed to go, ie: i lived across the street from school last winter, so you can imagine how excited and nervous i was to ride.

i bundled up [mistake one] and headed out to ride across downtown mpls. with shaky handlebars, i began to pedal, very slowly, out of the alleyway and into the street. i could hear the chickt chickt chickt of the studs hit the occasional concrete. the beginning of my ride was rough, but as i hit downtown, the roads, bikelanes, and pedmall, were clear. i felt a little sheepish, and extremely warm, as i rode with studded tires on the mostly clear roadway, until i hit eat street and strevens ave. both streets made me very glad i had a little tougher traction for my tires. the ride to mcad was great, cool and crisp.

now, what did i learn on my first winter commute? LAYERS; i had too many. i was dressed to take the dog outside, not for physical activity and building body heat. no someways, i am glad i was too warm as opposed to too cold, because i am still very optimist about this evening's ride home. my first "real" winter riding experience was great and i proud to boast the No Drive, Just Ride motto in all seasons. yes, there wasnt a lot of snow, but i'm glad to have some winter-weather-training-wheels to start out on. i am looking forward to more snow and excited that, after graduation in two weeks, i have a studio space that is outside of my little apartment, therefore, another excuse to Just Ride, daily.

From the Weekend

2011-08-21T22:55:00.004-04:00

In Grand Rapids this weekend, there was a lot of biking happening. From crits to polo and everything in between. Here's a little video from it all:

spinning wheels & melodies from M|A|Mesa on Vimeo.

I wanna ride... fast.

2011-07-07T14:45:00.000-04:00

RHC MILANO from Pietro Malegori on Vimeo.

Some times, You've got to slow it down.

2011-07-03T18:17:00.002-04:00

We miss a lot these days, the pace of our lives seem to work against us most of the time - we miss out on the little things. At least, that is what this video reminded me of...

Claymore Challenge - Phantom Flex High Speed Camera - Highland Mtn

from Tom Guilmette on Vimeo.

Everyone loves Free.

2011-06-19T20:47:00.002-04:00

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm jealous of people who can wear earbud's and they stay in their ear. The God above thought it be so that earbud headphones don't stay in. I've tried multiple types and spent way too much money experimenting. I recently had a friend, Peter Beels of Leadout Racing, post this up on Facebook and I couldn't help but get a little intrigued.

Now, I've gone off on a rant or two with friends about wearing earbuds when riding, especially in traffic and partially out of jealousy. Losing one your senses while riding I don't believe is a good thing, since I assume everyone who has them in has their music maxed out. But this One Good Earbud intrigues me, they take the stereo output of your iPod or mp3 player and channel it to just one ear.

Brillant.

Sure, I don't know if it works, but I'm willing to give it a shot. Maybe you would too if the price was right? How does free sound? Yeah, good to me too. Below are the instructions on how to win a free set.

Facebook Giveaway - Monday June 20th
Only one entry per person, please. Multiple tags will likely result in you getting blocked from the Facebook page.

Entry Instructions:

1. Visit http://www.facebook.com/OneGoodEarbud
2. Click 'Like' (if you don't already).
3. Find the Monday June 20th Giveaway Photo post.
4. Click on the image that looks like this:

5. Click on Tag This Photo.
6. Tag yourself on the model of earbud that you want to win.
7. Click Done Tagging.

If you heard about the giveaway from a blog or website, please comment on the photo with the site name or address.

So be a pal and tell them No Drive sent you over!

What is Bike Polo?

2011-06-18T17:27:00.003-04:00

It was recently asked by the one and only Captain Bob after the last post on a lesson on marketing - 'what is bike polo? is it a poly blended bike jersey with three buttons and a collar?'

And the answer is... if only. Actually poly blend might be a great way to explain bike polo: one part traditional polo, one part street hockey/lacrosse, add a little mountain bike/bmx bike control, a sprinkle of punk and heckling and you start to get a sport that looks and feels a lot like bike polo.

But in all seriousness since repeatedly watching the video below, which is from a tournament down in Lafayette a few months back, I think it sums up bike polo in a way very few polo videos have. Plus... there's some of the GR Polo/Velocity crew in it and you can't beat that!

Interested in seeing Bike Polo first hand? Check out Leagueofbike.com and the clubs section to find your local bike polo club.

Lafayette Riverside Bike Polo Tournament from Kevin Daly on Vimeo.

A lesson in marketing.

2011-06-14T22:59:00.001-04:00

Here is a lesson in marketing. One of things anyone designing ads or promotion hopes for is the head turn or that lasting thought. Simply causing the person interacting with advertisement to want to know more, to explore, to find a website.

I recently added a pin to my backpack, that seems to do just that. I received it from one of my co-workers after they went to a bike polo tournament down in Louisville. The Louisville crew unashamedly claim to be 'the most sinful polo club in America' - which I believe no one dares object or compete with.

The club simply loves to have a good time on and off the court. They also are intentionally or unintentionally brillant marketers of the sport.

The pin on my bag states:

God Hates Bike Polo

I love this pin. Some might be surprised by this being that I serve at a church and am full-time at seminary. Sure, I could go on about on if there was was a sport God loves, it would be bike polo-since I believe in a God who is always with the underdog, the marginalized, and the oppressed. Heck, I even firmly believe that if there is a reason for God, it's the Chicago Cubs or at least for the sake of myself and fellow Cub fans but that's another tangent for another day.

The brillance of this pin lays in the fact that all of us have unfortunately have encountered 'protesters' sporting huge signs and often yelling at bystanders saying things like 'God hates...

this... that... and the other'. These people always leave a bad taste in our mouths, some thing deep inside of all of us knows that there is some thing wrong with what they are saying and we can help but feel as if they have a distorted view of who God is.

These signs and protesters do challenge us to engage. To ask why? Or what?

When I sport this pin at my school, at the church I serve, or simply around... people respond. Often with laughter, but more of the question of what is bike polo?

And that my friend, is brillant marketing.

Water Biking.

2011-06-11T14:12:00.001-04:00

Yep.... great way to promote the event.

How bicycling will save the economy (if we let it)

2011-05-07T13:12:00.003-04:00

Stumbled onto this post by Elly Blue earlier this morning over at Grist. Well written and said... worth it for me to repost.

How bicycling will save the economy (if we let it) 82

BY ELLY BLUE

This is the first column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling.

Imagine getting a $3,000 to $12,000 tax rebate this year. Now imagine it coming again and again. Every year it grows by around a thousand dollars.

Imagine how this would change your daily life.

Sounds like a teabagger's wet dream, but it's actually a conservative estimate of how much you'd save by ditching your car, or even just one of your cars -- and getting on a bicycle instead.

Car-centric conditions don't always make it easy to choose the bicycle. Communities designed exclusively for motor vehicles impose a major financial penalty on those who are compelled to take on the expense of driving. But if you're one of those who lives in a bike-friendlier place, you'll be doing your local business community a good turn and padding Uncle Sam's pockets as well as your own if you trade four wheels for two.

In the many North American cities where two-wheeled transportation is taking off, a new bicycle economy is emerging. It's amazing how much money can stay in your community when it isn't being pumped into the gas tank, big insurance, and the auto market.

What will this new bicycle economy look like?

We don't have to guess. It's already emerging along urban, low-traffic bikeway networks nationwide. One thing is guaranteed: it includes a lot of new bike shops like this one on a bikeway in Baltimore -- one of five new bike shops to have opened in the last two years in that city. A 2008 study in Portland clocked bicycle-related industry alone as contributing $90 million to the local economy every year. Bicycle tourism is another huge boon to regions that can attract it -- in 2010, Wisconsin bragged of a yearly $1.5 billion bike economy [PDF].

Less obvious synergies abound as well. People who ride, just like people who drive, buy groceries, visit the doctor, need a new shirt sometimes, and enjoy dinner and a movie. They work. Their kids attend school. Despite the media attention given to mega-mileage supercommuters, for most people who depend on bikes for transportation, life works best with all these necessities in reasonable biking distance -- say, less than five miles -- from their home. Preferably along routes that don't include riding on highways or having to zip anxiously across them.

Bicycle parking is the indicator species of this new economy, with a business's enthusiasm for its two-wheeled clientele being easy to gauge by the quantity of bike racks out front. In Portland, businesses impatiently line up to replace their car parking with on-street bike racks. One local grocery store recently opened a location with more parking for bicycles than for cars.

Then there's the food cart boom that's overtaken Portland -- every previously vacant alley and parking lot, many along major bike routes, seems to have spawned a semi-permanent pod of them. As a business model, it's a natural response to a population that craves cheap lunch, prefers not to travel far, and doesn't need a 7' x 20' piece of real estate to park on.

There are many more local benefits of the bike economy, from lowering families' health care costs to reducing a business's need to invest in costly parking spaces for staff and customers. And you can't place a monetary value on happiness.

But as long as our local governments keep hearing strident resistance to rather than support for safe, bikeable and walkable streets, the bicycle economy will continue to be reined in -- by inadequate infrastructure, terrible zoning, and giant road expansion projects of the sort that tie up all transportation funding for decades to come.

The bicycle economy, unlike its fancier cousin transit-oriented development, is not about new development or raising property values. It's about bettering our existing communities. It's about making cities and suburbs that are built on an automotive scale navigable, instead, by human power. It's about providing the basics to everyone, in their neighborhood, now -- and along with that the choice to opt for that $3,000 to $12,000 yearly rebate.

There aren't very many economic scenarios in this country where everyone wins. But if you had to choose one single thing that could pull our neighborhoods, towns, and cities out of this murky pit of a recession, you'd do well to bet on the humble bicycle.

Click for a larger version.Infographic: Mgmt Design, courtesy of the National Building Museum

Next: "Tearing down urban freeways to make room for a new bicycle economy."

Seoul got Soul: Save the Bike Lane

2011-02-23T11:19:00.001-05:00

[SEOUL got SOUL] SAVE THE BIKE LANE (Teaser) from David Jongkwon Kim aka DKshop on Vimeo.

Me and my concubines

2011-02-22T10:40:00.003-05:00

On Friday, I got a package at work from a little company called DZR. DZR specializes in making SPD compatible shoes with much more everyday feel. I had seen there video for the Concubine model a few months back and since I've been hooked.

I had to have them.

Especially given my struggles with my last pair of casual 'cycling' shoes.

I haven't been able to get these out on a ride yet so this will serve as a first impression after wearing them for the last 4 days.

Walkable? Yes, very. The toebox of the shoe is a bit stiffer but still allows for natural flex to occur when walking around [it will be interesting to see how attribute feels when clipped in]. Initially when walking around in them I could feel that the toebox was slightly higher in elevation compared to the heel. The first thought was I would need to purchase different insole as to not notice this but after having them on for the full day, I no longer notice this.

Cleat Install? I had flashbacks to my shop days and installing countless cleats into Shimano shoes that required cutting out of the sole to expose the plate. Shimano and some of the other bigger names have this dialed. just enough rubber there to hold in place but not enough for you to feel like if the blade slips you might impale yourself. Needless to say, DZR has a little more rubber there requiring a little bit more elbow grease. Which did not bother me, I would only recommend to other to have a flat-head screw driver handy and as soon as you get one side cut to then slip the screwdriver in and pry up a little. Doing so seemed to aid a bit and make this process go much faster.

Click-clack? Nope not our friends over on NPR. But referring to whether you can hear, feel, or sense the cleat in the shoe when walking around. Nope, not at all. It's pretty stellar. Thus making this shoe much more appealing to use as a commuter shoe, not requiring carrying or storing another shoe at work to change into.

Velcro? Yep. I've joked with friends that these are now my adult velcro shoes. They help to firm and settle your foot into place, I haven't experienced any heal slop while walking around in them.

Clipping in? Haven't 'officially' done so yet. I have installed some new Crank Brothers race cleats into them but with the recent dump of snow, I haven't been able to get out on the bike to try them out. I did play around with them on a pedal on a bike in my studio which it had no problem clipping into the normal Eggbeater, my only wonder is how they might respond with some thing with a platform, like the Mallet, which I plan on running on Red 2.0.

Yes, you read that right, Red 2.0. She's in another transition. More on that later.

Overall, I'm supper excited for these shoes. I've even had friends notice the shoes and want the shoes simply like how the look not knowing that they were dual purpose. Some actually thought they were the Puma's that look remarkably similar.

Always where a helmet

2011-02-08T10:11:00.003-05:00

Over the last few days, I've received a number of emails with links to these photos from the protests that are happening over in Egypt, the original post is located here. Without diving into the politics of the situation over there and simply attempting to let these photos be simply what they are, it's hard to knock the Egyptians ingenuity on helmets.

brilliance

2010-12-02T23:56:00.000-05:00

Because I just seem to love videos lately...

"Va Fa Napoli, Hipster" from Blue Barn Pictures, Inc. on Vimeo.

I burn, I pine, I perish.

2010-11-30T19:07:00.002-05:00

I burn, I pine, I perish...

The Return of the Lazy Man To Bike Shoes from James Adamson on Vimeo.

The DZR Concubine SPD shoes will be mine - oh yes, they will be mine.

Ira. Wow.

2010-11-30T00:52:00.003-05:00

Ergon has been a supporter of No Drive for some time now and today I got an email from Jeff Kerkove with a video of the World Champion and Ergon Pro rider Irina Kalentieva, called Race Day. Two words.

Ira. Wow.

Race Day from ergon on Vimeo.

Lock that thing up.

2010-11-28T07:32:00.000-05:00

By now, we're all aware of the Philadelphia's issues with their bike racks... I stumbled onto this over at Bikerumor. Problem? Solved.

cycling > fishing

2010-11-27T15:17:00.001-05:00

'Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring.' _Desmond Tutu

Today, we gained another convert. Got a student to purchase a bike... it needs a little work but the bike has some style and can't wait for it to fix it up. I'll be getting the parts and giving it an overall next month - look for updates!

I want to ride...

2010-11-15T15:17:00.001-05:00

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike.

PERSEVERANCE from NAYP on Vimeo.

I need to ride more.

2010-11-14T23:06:00.001-05:00

I'm starting to think I need to get out on the bike more... can't stop watching short films on epic rides and races.

Un Giro di Sporco Sud - The Film from Martin Lang on Vimeo.

Silly Hipsters...

2010-10-18T18:49:00.002-04:00

Silly Hipsters... track bikes are for pavement.

Forest Ride from Skitch Clothing on Vimeo.

As seen over at Tracko.

Sorry for the lack of posts, I'm in the process of switching sites that host No Drive. Be on the look out for a new look, more posts and banter [hopefully.] _alo

Flip the Script

2010-10-03T15:50:00.001-04:00

Bike PSA v7 from Israel Ehrisman on Vimeo.

For more check this out... Paul Goodman Changed my Life.

My Mostest Favorite Bike Ever.

2010-09-26T23:26:00.003-04:00

Remember when we were kids, and bike riding was just a simple, easy way to have fun? Before we worried about work, money, evil managers and deadlines?

Well, here's to Being a kid again. Meet Trixie, my favorite-ist bike I ever did have.

I like bikes.

Saturday.

2010-09-25T15:28:00.001-04:00

My phone's kind of a big deal.

Thumbs Down!

2010-09-20T22:54:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago, I did my initial thoughts on my new DVS/Cadence shoe. I was extremely excited to be getting these as replacements for my Adidas Sambas. Since they were designed around and with cycling in mind, I expected that these would easily hold up to the normal daily wear and tear along with my normal riding.

First, let’s look at the pedals I used with these shoes…

Cannondale Grind pedals on my polo bike.

MKS Touring Lite pedals from the Voyageur.

Red’s All-City pedals with All-City toe clips and double straps.

Basic platform pedals on my Racer.

Now, let me let the shoe do the talking.

Keep in mind, these are around a month old and used for daily use, and going as far to be intentional in untying and tying the shoes when taking them off. Not only is the sole of the shoe apart on the side, the bottom of the shoe is coming unglued. The back ‘Friday’ decal on the back of right shoe, disappeared one day, and the seem on the back upper heals of the shoe also have been ‘shedding’. All of this saddens me greatly, these have been extremely comfortable and work great with the toe clips on Red. I have had DVS shoes in the past and have held up extremely well.

I expected more from both DVS and Cadence, I’ll continue to wear these but don’t expect them to make it through the fall. Any suggestions on what should be next?

Wow.

2010-09-17T15:55:00.002-04:00

... and with that I now understand what John Lennon was talking about with Instant Karma - 'gonna knock you right in the head'. Found from Prolly.

How to... Tubular Installation.

2010-09-15T07:18:00.000-04:00

Ok, the title is a bit misleading. I, by no means, know what I'm talking about when it comes to tubular tire installation. Fortunately, I was able to successfully install my first set of Vittoria Cross Evo XG tubulars on my set of Major Tom's. Before I dive into the installation process, I've got to gloat a little bit about the MT's. Can I say that these have now become my favorite rim/wheels from Velocity. Sure, I work there but like a father and his children, each hold a special place but some seem to rise to the top.

I built these up for the product shots and Interbike display, I had to take my A23 wheelset apart to build them up and thus how they came into my belonging. It's built up to the Pro Build: Saphim CX Ray spokes, radial 24 hole front, 2x 28 hole rear with brass nipples. Yes, I'm a bigger guy but the argument then turns on a few other factors: riding style and where/how I'll be riding to name a few. I'm on the upper end of the scale where going to a double budded spoke could be considered, these wheels will be used for gravel rides/races and the upcoming Kisscross season. I fully intend on pushing these wheels to the limit to see how they handle.

There are multiple different approaches and thoughts on how to glue up tubulars, I suggest exploring around asking those with expertise their thoughts and then diving in. I ended up going with 3M Fast Tack Adhesive for the glue instead of other options, just because of the rave reviews given by a lot of the local legends and roadies here in GR and the followed the instructions on how to install the tubulars listed on the back of the packing from Vittoria.

First I set out everything I thought I might need: the Fast Tack, ample amount of shop rags, and since my kitchen doubles as 'shop area' had degreasers and a couple of different kinds of soaps at hand.

I had let the tubulars stretch on the rim for 4 days at max pressure to help aid in the installation process. Below is Vittoria's 'Fitting the Tubular' instructions [with a few photos from my process, understandably it was a little difficult to take pictures and then mess with the glue and visa-versa]:

FITTING THE TUBULAR

Gluing and mounting
1 Lightly abrade the rim base to provide a key for the cement, clean with a gentle solvent, and leave to dry
2 Clean the base tape of the tubular with just soapy water and a gentle cleaner [no solvent] and let dry
3 Spread a thin layer of [glue] over the rim, and over the base tape

4 After 5-10 minutes, apply a second coat of [glue] to the rim only.
5 Leave to dry for 3-5 minutes
6 Mount the tubular on the rim, inflate slightly, and center it
7 Inflate the tubular to working pressure. [Glue] reaches its full strength after about 24 hours

Maintenance
Keep tubulars in a dry place and, importantly, out of the light. After riding, remove debris such as metal, glass, flints, or anything stuck in the tread. Clean with water and mild soap such as washing-up liquid - avoid products containing hydrocarbons, dilutants, or corrosive substances. When not in use, tubulars should be kept inflated to 5-6 bar [70-90 psi] and suspended [to avoid causing 'flat spots']
_

So how did my experience go? Very well. A few sticky fingers but the Seam Relief Channel the Major Tom has truly helps aid in tubular installation and centering. I could easily see how frustrated people can and do get installing a tubular on rims that don't have such a guide. It also seemed to help in keeping the glue in place.

Two thumbs up! Now to hit the gravel and if all goes to plan the Kisscross race this weekend!

1 Studio :: 7 bikes

2010-09-07T08:49:00.001-04:00

Hi, I'm Adam and I have a problem. I have this thing with bikes. Call it obsession, call it what you like. There is just some thing about this simple machine that gets me. On my last post on the newest addition to the family, SiouxGeonx commented:

[...] Six bikes in an apartment... yea, that's a squeeze! Not sure how I'd give up an Xtra

It dawned on me I could share a little of my new abode to show off how I've done my best to maximize the space I have and store the bikes.

Here are the first 4: the Voyageur, 'Cross bike, Red and the Monkey

The Schwinn Racer

The Bike Polo bike, which isn't much go home about, although it's a US made Fisher.

And the Hon.

Sorry for the blurry pictures, my camera was acting up and I didn't feel like fighting with it. In the end, sure, I could get rid of a few bikes which would allow for the remaining to be rode more often. I'm sure you can see why it made sense to part ways with the Xtracycle kit. Although I'll let you guess which ones I might never let go of, each are special... in their own way.

Life's a Voyage-ur

2010-09-05T07:42:00.002-04:00

That's right, life is a voyage. We're all going some where, we talk to people, make new friends and keep up with old ones. The story of my newest bike is some thing like that. 3 years ago, as many of you know, life brought me to the high five of Michigan after the time came for much needed change. One of the many people I have kept up with since moving is the one and only Guitar Ted. We've exchanged emails, gone for rides when I've made my way back to the homeland, and the such.

Recently, Mark [ask G-Ted] posted on his Twitter that a Xtracycle could be in the future for him. Being in the middle of a move and evaluating what I have, what I need and didn't need. In seeing that, I sent him a little what's up and said that I had a Xtracycle kit that had spent the last year in pieces since taking off the K-Monkey to finally get a mountain bike going. Since I was moving from a house to a studio, space was the issue and with 6 other bikes floating around having the Xtracycle wasn't the best idea.

I told Mark, I was looking for a touring bike and a few other odds and ends. And what do you know, Mark just so happened to have a 1987 Schwinn Voyageur gathering dust in his basement. A trade began to work itself out and through some middlemen the bike made its way here and the Xtracycle kit his way...

Here is what the Voyageur looked like when I got it:

The bike came with Campy barend shifters, Shimano 105 brake levers, Shimano Deore front deraileur, Shimano 6 speed rear, Suntour cranks, Blackburn front and rear racks. To be perfectly honest, I was so excited about getting the bike that I didn't really pay a whole lot of attention while I was taking it down to it's frame for paint. Yes, that's right, paint. I decided that I couldn't deny my desire to update the look of the bike and started on the 'winter' project right way.

I asked around to the guys in the wheel department at Velocity what a classic or pseudo-classic color for the bike might be and in the end I landed on a baby blue. As luck may have it, parts began to compile. As I stumbled onto the actual decal set from Alger Cyclery along with a few year old, yet still in the box 105 crank and 105 rear deraileur. I had the WTB Mountain Drop Bar floating around from my Trans Iowa set-up a few years back and decided that it would be a good way to go for touring. The canti brakes, front deraileur, Campy bar end shifters and 105 brake levers all cleaned up great with a little elbow grease. I couldn't help myself when I had the chance to bring the baby blue down onto the racks. I topped off the touring rig with a Shimano Dymo hub in the front, laced to Halo Dyads [32 hole 3x front, 36 hole 4x rear], bronze Bottle Traps and a brown Chris King 1" headset.

So without much ado, the after:

I'm excited to get this thing out on the road, I could easily see this become my main commuter. Either way, there are 3 rides begging for this bike to be used: the November 13th/14th 200 mile Cadillac and Back installment: honoring the 29 men lost with the Edmond Fitzgerald, RAGBRAI, and my personal goal of riding around Lake Michigan. We'll see what become of it.

9/6 UPDATE:

I sent an email to Mark, just to show him what became of his rig and he responded with an email that gave the Voyageur even more history and story...

Here's a bit of the back round on this rig, just so you know the history of it.........

This Voyaguer came in as a trade in to Advantage Cyclery when I worked there. It belonged to Jim T. [...] Jim bought the bike new from Ansborough Schwinn. So, I see this bike, and Jim was hemming and hawing about buying a new rig. I needed to find a rig to get my buddy Ryan S. a cheap rig so he could join us on our tour that we took to the Black Hills. Anyway, I finagled Jim out of the Voyaguer and into a Bianchi, which he owned up until recently.

Okay, so Ryan owned the bike for a couple of years, did two tours on it, but basically never rode it otherwise. I ended up taking it off his hands, since I pretty much twisted his arm to buy it in the first place. I used it a few times. Once on the inaugural Trails festival, in 1996, I rode it on the night ride. There was a big blow out party at Bennington's that night, and I was showing off by track standing off one side of the bike and blew out the 40 spoke rear wheel in the process! I maybe rode it a handful of times afterward.

So, now it is in your hands and you get to write the next chapter of its history

I need a translator.

2010-09-03T12:24:00.003-04:00

Wow, 2 posts in a week that have little or no English... I need a translator. I don't know what this guy is saying but I'm sure I agree and heck, it looks good. I found this over at Trackosaurus Rex.

CYCLOCROSS by Ken Bloomer from e r t z u i ° film on Vimeo.

Getting super excited this weekend, my mother is visiting and I should have my new Major Tom wheelset up and running as the tubulars have been stretching for a few days. I'll post up how that went on Monday. Although I'll never claim to be fast, I'm really looking forward to this years Kisscross races, we'll see if I can improve! Enjoy your 3 day weekend everyone!

Unhappy Hipster: NDJR edition

2010-09-02T08:36:00.002-04:00

No matter how much Jim fought the feeling, the more he compartmentalized his life, the more he felt as if the walls were closing in on him.

_

One of the many sites I frequent is Unhappy Hipsters and the above was my attempt at joining in on the fun. Maybe it's the uncanny similarity to theirs and my twitter photo [which I must say is purely coincidence] but the sight gives this unhappy hipster quite a lot of joy. The picture comes from the article below from the Seattle Times by Rebecca Teagarden/photos by Benjamin Benschneider on cyclist/designer/dreamer Steve Sauer. Enjoy.

Tiny apartment shows the value of a good fit

Steve Sauer's 182-square-foot Seattle condo shows the value of a good fit, from the soaking tub built into the entry floor to the "video lounge" tucked beneath the "cafe area." Sauer shopped Ikea for many of his home's furnishings, such as a little table, and used tabletops to fashion cabinet fronts.

WE SIT IN the "cafe area" of Steve Sauer's minuscule apartment enjoying the view from the home's only window, street level. Dogs on leashes and legs on humans pass by on a warm Lower Queen Anne evening.

Sauer stands up. This is to demonstrate that at 6-foot-2 he has a no-more-than-needed 2-inch clearance between his head and the ceiling.

Sauer likes this precision. Awkward spaces, wasted places annoy him. Two alarm clocks, two music sources, extra furniture. Needless, needless, needless.

"What I really wanted was one place with exactly what I needed and wanted. Quality is more important than quantity for me, and extra space only a problem," he has written, describing his nearby too-big-for-him, one-bedroom condo.

To me he says, "I tend to like things in their place."

And that explains it: The uber-cool, fully functional 182-square-foot home for two on the basement floor of a 102-year-old apartment building that Sauer is finishing after seven years of work. It could also have something to do with his line of work — airplane interiors engineering for Boeing. And education — a master's degree in whole-systems design.

Sauer's tiny Seattle home is remarkable. But it shouldn't be.

"I wanted to compress my home to squirt me back out to the community," he says, taking inspiration from dwellings in Scandinavia and Japan, places where space is dear. "That was one of the philosophical reasons. I want to be able to shop daily, not store a lot and eat really well."

Homeowners are building smaller in general. It's economical and ecological. But few do it in 11-feet-3-inches wide, by 16-feet-2-inches deep, by 10-feet-4-inches tall (Sauer is very accurate) with two beds, a full kitchen with a dishwasher, bathroom with a shower, a soaking tub set into the floor just inside the front door. On three living levels. There's also closet space, a dining table and storage for two bikes. All of it contemporary and in cool blue, with accents of black, red and white.

Down in the "video lounge," directly beneath the "cafe area," we do lounge — on a seating for two covered in pink-and-orange-striped cushions from Ikea. White lambskin rug on the floor. Straight ahead is the 37-inch TV. An arm's length away, to the right, is the dining table.

"Everything represents 10 to 100 hours of Internet searching," says Sauer. (Faucets, for instance came from a German seller on eBay.) "I wanted a really high level of finish, but small." His approach was a fluid melding of items versus design, "constant circles of making it come together. I don't plan and then do. I keep it all floating around in my head. I pretty much refuse to write it down. I like to pick up the tool and the material and go for it. If you write it down it takes all the fun out of it."

Science fun, he means.

When Sauer couldn't find the things he needed, he designed them and built them: The stainless-steel shower caddy, towel bar. For other pieces, "Ikea came through again." Lighting, cabinet pulls, and butcher block for shelves, the table top and cabinet fronts. The rich flooring, Brazilian walnut, was installed by Matt Messenger. A bureau from West Elm fit to 1/8 of an inch, and so it was ordered.

We move to the dining area. Sauer says, "The greatest innovation anywhere for space is boats. Even more than spaceships and submarines."

Always thinking.

"I've built things my whole life. I have to do something to keep myself sane. Plus, the parties have been fantastic," says Sauer, who reports his finished place holds a crowd of 10.

"My dream is to put 300 of these in a building and not have it be a tenement."

_

To read more about Steve Sauer's tiny-dwelling project, search for "pico-dwelling" on the Web.

'Buyers Guide'

2010-09-01T08:30:00.008-04:00

Ok, let's put this out there... I like Trek Bikes. I do. Long ago back in 1996 or so, when I was in search of my first 'adult' bike after outgrowing my first real bike, the Mongoose Sycamore [which is still a strange name for a bike that moves], all I knew I wanted was a Trek. I do not know why, sure it probably had a lot to do with a few of my friends having them but then being sold on it by one of my later co-workers, Clay, at Europa Cycle. Side note, Clay to this day, is one of the most inspiring people I have known and just one of the great people who have come out of that shop. I ended up landing on the Trek 6500.

I've worked in two Trek shops in my day, I've visited the mothership once, had the privledge of knowing a number of current and former Trek employees and with that said for as much as I push against big brother, I have a soft spot for most of what they do. Heck, John Burke [president of Trek] has one of my favorite quotes, which has unfortunately turned into a tag line:

Cycling is 'a simple solution to complex problems'

I'll even admit that his quote is on my cover letter in my resume. Some thing about it rings very true to me, even in my daily struggle to embrace it. [Damn the crutch that is my Xbox].

This past Sunday I was able to get my hands on the 2011 Trek Buyers Guide. Which is very much a dose of bike porn that comes once a year as the new products come out around Interbike time. Our good friend and fellow NDJR contributor, Tom from Holland Cycling, hand delivered a copy to thumb through and I figured I'd share a few thoughts on it.

The Good. It's thorough. Filled the the brim with more information most are able to digest. Handing this over to the 'I know more than you' customer should do them justice. In the past, with it's size this might have been called the pitch book that was given out to each Trek shop as to serve as a resourse/tool for sales staff to know selling points and highlights to the new bikes. Hopefully this replaced the pitch book, otherwise I would hate to see how large that is.

The Bad. In avoiding the whole 'Gary Fisher Collection' decision and only saying in the end it makes sense. I'll say this in regards to the buyers guide, for being an 'Eco' friendly company. I have a hard time justifying the amount of paper, press, and resources needed for this to be a disposable handout.

The Ugly [or how does it look?]. Well, all you hipster Christians out there or Rob Bell followers will notice a very familiar format. So yes, it looks good.

Here are the bikes that get my thumbs up... [with the disclaimer, I have not actually seen, rode, or worked on... maybe I should just say I'm lusting over]...

The Belleville

The Presidio

The completely unnecessary District Carbon

Finally the Transport +, a bike that I saw the concept of back at Trek World a few years back.

Ok, besides bikes, what I'm extremely interested in checking out are their Bontrager white Eco tires that are seen on a number of the bikes but I couldn't find any information online on them. Hopefully they will be available and could serve as an excellent alternative to the Schwalbe Fat Frank tires. Might be pretty hot on the cruiser or touring rig, we'll see.

Wheel Mag

2010-08-31T08:23:00.002-04:00

Fahrstil: Das Radmagazin... a new magazine from ze-Germans. Gonna have to see how to get my hands on a hard copy, as seen at the European Handmade show:

FAHRSTIL - Das Radmagazin. from e r t z u i ° film on Vimeo.

Week One: DVS Milan CTC Cadence thoughts

2010-08-30T07:37:00.006-04:00

Let's get a few things straight. I'm bias. I'm stubborn. I judge and because of this, often I feel I am right. I know that I am not alone in this and sure, some might write this off another way for me to feel superiority over the next guy in being able to acknowledge this. This does not mean that I am afraid to engage in discussion on any number of topics or perspectives. I'll value your insight, thought and will challenge you with questions as I wade through what I may believe.

Wow, talk about dropping a bomb just to say I got some new shoes that are 'cycling' specific.

I am privileged to be able to spend a few minutes out of my day roaming the internet super highway looking to see what's being said and done in the cycling world for work. One of the sites that I frequent like many is over at Prolly is not Probably via Fourteen Teeth. He's had a DVS banner up for some time and has been rocking the DVS/Cadence collaboration for most of the summer. Ever since I caught wind of these I've been interested in getting a pair but didn't find a need since my Adidas Sambas have been holding up great after around a year of use, along with a dip in the Louisiana swamp back in March. All good things must come to an end, as 3 weeks ago the heel began to finally give way and so I ordered up a pair of these.

I had my hesitations about a pseudo-cycling shoe by DVS, given the obvious fact that they have primarily been a skate company. Don't get me wrong, I rocked DVS's back in my emo kid days but having aged to become the grown-up emo kid/hipster [yes, I don't deny it like some] of sorts, the width of my shoes have become rather important for a few reasons.

First, let's not deny aesthetics. The downfall of skate shoes can be the brick like appearance, especially with the wave of bootcut/girl pants. Yet at the same time, too narrow of a show can give the impression of... well, I don't know but I think we can all agree that some thing isn't right. Secondly, as mentioned before width. Width comes into play especially when running toe clips, thus was my draw to the Adidas'. The last thing I want to have to do is struggle to get my foot in the clip while riding. With DVS's background in skate was afraid that problem might occur.

After receiving the shoes in the mail around a week ago, when I opened the box I did have a little buyers remorse. Why? I ordered the gray instead of the black. As any of my friends my attest, black is kind of my color. Although I love the look of the gray, I immediately realized that the gray would never quite look as good as they did the day before as I continued to wear them. But I took a breath, laced them up, slipped them on and...

Foot Nirvana. A tight heal, firm yet highly walkable soul, and a toe box that felt very similar to my Samba's in their prime.

Over the past week, I've been rocking these as my everyday shoe, at work and play. riding around on my cruiser and then with Red. Red is the only bike that I have toe clips on, the All City with their double strap and needless to say, the transition was not noticeable. All in all, so far so good; I'd more than willingly put my stamp of approval on these. Every now and again I'll do a check in of sorts on these shoes and see how it goes.

As Guitar Ted has said many times, when people buy some thing they are more likely to not admit to problems with the item when reviewing it because of the expense they incurred in purchasing. I bought these and thus my bias. Take it or leave it, Prolly has been rocking the DVS Milan CTC Cadence shoe for some time and gives plenty more insight here.

From around the Globe...

2010-07-16T08:35:00.002-04:00

From our friends up north...

Bixie not Fixie.
_

From Grand Rapids, in the Grand Rapids Press...

Editorial: Michigan lawmakers should approve Complete Streets bill to focus on more than motorists

We’ve all seen it when we’re driving along in our automobiles. The cars are clipping along just fine. But there on the side, you spot a fellow traveler on foot, pushing a stroller, riding a bike or using a wheelchair. And that person is in peril. The road was built with zero thought for him or her. No bike lane, no sidewalk, nothing for safe transit for those outside a car. All a passing motorist can do in that instant is slow down, pay extra attention and pray for safe travels.

But Michigan can and should do better. It’s time for the state to motor toward smarter transportation planning. “Complete Streets” legislation pending in Lansing would help get us to that destination. The Senate should pass it promptly, following the measure’s recent wide-margin approval in the House. Complete Streets is a movement gaining ground nationally. More than a dozen states, plus Grand Rapids and a growing number of cities nationwide, already have passed bills that encourage planning for safer, more livable and welcoming roads. Upgrading or building a street? Good, but how about planning for a sidewalk, bike lane, good crossing spots and pedestrian signs? How about a bus lane and pleasant bus stops?

The goal is to modernize transportation policies that for decades focused solely on accommodating motorists, and often were blind to needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, older citizens and those with disabilities. Too often, transportation planners had a default setting that forced people into cars for safe travel. The result is people have been robbed of options for getting around.

The legislation in Lansing is largely a planning tool for state and local government. It begins with establishing the premise that Complete Streets are important to the livability of communities.

Local road agencies already are required to develop long-range plans, and the legislation requires that smart streets are part of that conversation.

The state transportation agency would be charged with making it easier for communities to accomplish that through goal-setting and planning expertise. A Complete Streets Advisory Council would be formed within the transportation department, with representatives from government (such as traffic engineers, road commissions and transit planners) and a variety of community groups (including AARP, bicyclists and disability advocates).

The legislation has broad support from community groups, including senior advocates, Safe Routes to Schools group, environmentalists, cyclists and others.

It’s also important to note that Michigan’s proposed Complete Streets law does not over-reach, or encourage senseless expenses or government intrusion. It acknowledges that road-planning needs vary according to urban, suburban and rural settings, and that local context and cost factors must be taken into consideration. One size does not fit all.

But it does accomplish making room for Michigan to show how it can be a leader in all forms of transportation. Complete Streets doesn’t knock the car from its perch as king of the road and as a central force in Michigan’s identity and economy. It simply establishes that two-footed or two-wheeled travelers also are good for our streets, our downtowns, businesses and neighborhoods.

Safe travels and Complete Streets: Both are good for Michigan.

A head scratcher.

2010-07-09T08:49:00.003-04:00

Being the main contributor of the blog for my 9-5 job, I stumble on a few things from time to time that I can't post there but are definitely I feel a need for a repost. Here is one that I saw from the Phil Wood Twitter feed from the Core777 website.

Head scratcher? Yes.

Interesting? Definitely.

Will we see it make it to production? Probably not.

Enjoy.

Kevin Scott's bike design gets around the theft problem

Posted by hipstomp | 8 Jul 2010 |

I'm not sure about UK slang, but in America if I tell you "I'm gonna wrap my bike around a pole" that means I'm gonna crash it. But Kevin Scott, an industrial design student at the UK's De Montfort University, means it in a different way.

[image credit: Tony Kyriacou/Rex Features]

Scott has designed a bicycle that the user wraps around a pole literally. A ratcheting mechanism transforms two parts of the bike's frame from stiff to bendable, and once wrapped, a single bike lock can be passed through both tires and the frame, which Scott hopes will decrease the bike theft rampant in London and so many other of the world's cities.

For his troubles, Scott won Runner-up in the UK's Business Design Centre New Designer of the Year Award. Which does not mean he's done with the bicycle design; he's dumping the award money back into the project for further development.

Alo Here.

2010-07-02T12:26:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been far to long between posts with lots of talk of revived passion for the site. No Drive is not dead just in hibernation. My computer recently took it's official walk to the dark side and is a nice Apple logo-ed paper weight. Right before this occurred I had renewed the nodrivejustride.com for another 2 years. I'll be getting my hands on a new computer in the coming weeks and hopefully in that time Alex and I will be able to put together a new look for the site and potentially move to another site to host it other than blogger. We shall see.

Keep riding.

finding the hidden

2010-05-20T17:20:00.005-04:00

on wednesday i went for a ride on the trails in the cedar valley. i packed my bag with the usual stuff; my sketchbook, pens and markers, camera, a book, and a journal. i had the intention of riding for a while and then stopping off at a coffee shop to read and sketch. a short ride followed by a long chill time. i started my ride and, eventually, ended up under a highway bridge looking at the pillars that held it up. it was there that i saw some of the best art i have seen in a while. there was graffiti on each pillar. some it was thin and novice, but there were a few that inspired me, since i am an artist myself. i parked my bike [lucy] and pulled out my camera. i spent a good 45 minutes exploring this make-shift gallery, taking photos and admiring this unnoticed art. in the end, i pulled out a marker and added a statement to sum it all up. i wrote "this is real art." nothing profound, just simple.

now, i have driven on that bridge at least 100 times and never have i known about the incredible work that was displayed below. i only noticed this art because i was riding a bike. it reminded me of an email i received from my dad, who is also a cyclist, last fall. he sent it to me and all of his friends who had hung up there bikes and bought motorcycles. it talks about noticing the little things, the things unseen when driving a car, the things revealed when you are "one with the road."

here is the email from my dad:

Today I saw the blackbirds pestering a hawk as he flew from perch to perch, a deer, horses playing in the barn lot because they didn’t even know I was there, a new hole in the abandoned barn roof that wasn’t there in the spring, a tall pine tree standing like a sentinel in the middle of a country cemetery as if it was standing guard over the loved ones who had been buried there, roadkill, the shadows on the crops as the sun rose higher in the sky, a new strip of gravel that had just been place the day before along side the road, a patch of yellow wild flowers dancing in the gentle breeze. Today I heard crickets and other insects looking for one more mate before the seasons changed and the cool weather drives them into hibernation, the pop of an American flag and the clink of the chain as it slapped against the flag pole, the sound of a distant bird singing as it sat on the telephone wire and the sound of small kids playing in the yard. Today I could smell the fragrance of purple cone flowers as they fought out the remnants of an old barnyard and the sweet scent of the corn and beans as they begin to dry down and drop their leaves as they prepare to be harvested.
Why did I see, hear and smell these things? Because I was cruising by under my own power and not that of 1200 cc engine.
Peddle on.

Dam the Dome: Urban Ride!

2010-05-14T09:28:00.003-04:00

Well, I'm heading home for an extended weekend. I figured, why not, let's kick off the No Drive rides back in the homeland. Here's the information:

Meet: In front of Bike Tech, Cedar Falls, IA
When: 2pm-ish Sunday
Pace: Casual, with the occasional sprint [no one left behind]
Bring: Helmet, Lock, willingness to have a great time!

This will be a nice urban ride from the dam up to Uni-dome and back. I'm still hashing out the route, but I'm thinking after the ride, food and drink at one of the fine downtown restaurants.

As always, questions? Ask. Let me know if you're coming via the Facebook event page.

*Monday, I will also be doing a little bit of a dirt ride to break in my new mountain bike. Interested in joining let me know.

I ride a fixie, but I'm not hipster

2010-04-23T11:23:00.005-04:00

As of a year ago, I only knew one person that rode a fixie; Alo.

Now, I attend an art school in the *newly appointed* number one bicycling city in the America, MPLS, and it would be easier for me to name people who did not ride a fixie. The bike racks are daily littered with fixed-gear after fixed-gear, with colourful rims and bar tape, playing cards in the spokes and perfectly mismatched everything else.

Yes, I am talking about hipster fixie riders.

Now, I will admit it: I ride a fixie. I have every intention of swapping out parts to make her, Lucy, match and I sometimes wear tight jeans so as to not get my pant leg stuck in the crank. To anyone, I look like another hipster riding a fixie because it is hip, but deep down, I am not a hipster. If anything, I am an accidental hipster.

I know how it goes, "If you are denying being ____, you are totally ___." I agree with this, and I am not denying having hipster fixie riding qualities, but there are two things that set me apart from the actual dirty hipster trendy fixie riders.

PBR and handle-bars.

1. I do not drink PBR and everyone, who is anyone, knows that hipsters live on that stuff. I have a higher standard for my taste buds. Yes, bicycling and beer really do go hand in hand, but not can in hand. I do not drink PBR [or smoke American Spirits] so there for there is no way that I can be a hipster fixie rider.

2. The proper way to get on a bike is debated by scholars on nearly a daily basis. Hop on like horse, lean the bike over, there are plenty of options. The one option that every hipster has adopted is swinging the leg over the handle bars. You look like a pretentious idiot [I know I sound like one, but I will openly admit it]. The proper way to get on a bike is not to swing your leg over the front of the bike. One of my best friends mounts her bike this way ... I yell "hipster" at her every time. I know that it is an adaptation from serious cyclists ... but hipsters dirtied it up.

I'm not trying to hate, but sometimes it is good to get it out there.

So in the end, I might look like a hipster, though my pants are a little looser and my hair has been freshly washed, but I watch me get on Lucy and you will see that I am hipster hater just like everyone else. Yes, i just started riding fixie, but not to join the hipster trends. I started riding to join a brotherhood and connect with a 319 brother in another state. Yes, ultimately it doesn't really matter who is a hipster and who is not. Who works on their own bike and who needs help. Bicycling is all about connections, both intimately and communally.

The labels and the looks don't matter. Hipster or not, all that does matter is the fact that we just ride. Isn't that what the bicycling community is all about? Isn't that what we, NDJR, is all about?

Just ride.

...but don't call me a f*cking hipster.

Monday Morning Quarterback

2010-02-08T09:05:00.001-05:00

Since we're all talking about them anyway...

'Balance, momentum, and low center of gravity'... cute. I do believe I know the arch of this man's life... he becomes The Most Interesting Man in the World.

The irony of having bicycling promote driving is like using solar power to promote deep ocean oil drilling. Sure, I might be blowing that a bit out of proportion, but I guess with 'knowledge does come confidence'. I'm confident you're doing some thing.

Wednesday Video.

2010-01-20T17:24:00.001-05:00

Stumbled onto this over at the Bike Jerks blog... Enjoy.

Motivation through Embrocation

2010-01-11T22:14:00.005-05:00

While most people that read this blog are experiencing a very chilly week, I am spending it with a warm tingly feeling...well sort of. Today was the launch of my latest bicycle related venture. For about a year and a half now I have been using various manufacturers embrocation creams and found on chilly fall and spring days I couldn't ride without them. Embrocation cream is a warming cream/fluid that smooths the transition from preride to a warmed up state. The creams gave me that little extra pop on spring/fall rides and the ability to race in the cold without having to bundle up to much. Mid summer Dan Socie approached me with the concept of bringing our own embrocation to the masses. I jumped at the chance as it gave me the ability to make embrocation everything I wanted and needed it to be. From this idea Soigneur was born. The word soigneur means "one who cares for others". The soigneur is a large part of cycling culture, as a do it all hardworking part of a cyclists support system soigneurs do everything from massage riders to aiding in the feeding and clothing the riders. Just like a real soigneur we wanted Motivation to be hardworking and to take care of all sorts of cycling duties. We didn't pretend embrocation was magic, we looked at it as an everyday thing. We wanted something warm and protective enough slather on your legs on a cold day, but not so greasy that we couldn't use it to loosen up a tight lower back or in my case a shoulder recovering from a dislocation. After several formulas, some smelly enough to clear my sinuses with a single whiff, we found the right combination of scent, heat, and the ever elusive protective feeling that gives embrocation the nickname "belgian kneewarmers". If you have never tried embrocation our first shipment will arrive in February, just in time for you to put that trainer away and get outdoors. If you have used embrocation you owe it to your legs to give Motivation a try. With a kick off party in the works and things already in motion I am excited to see our product help care for all the cold legs out there.

GBK

New Favorite Video

2010-01-11T21:20:00.004-05:00

Just stumbled onto this video via Jeff Kerkove's Twitter who got it from BikeRadar.com. Yeah it's one of those I knew a guy who knew a guy who dated a girl whos brothers uncle had a friend who... regardless, this just might be my new favorite cycling video just because of the uniqueness of the way it was shot.

Facebook. Hate Group.

2010-01-10T14:05:00.003-05:00

You ride your bike. You're on Facebook. You have friends who ride, who are on Facebook. You get invited to countless groups or have plenty of different applications that tell you what cycling personality you are [as if you didn't already know] and possibly get upset with what 'personality' it says your are... roadies. There are plenty of groups for this and for that.

The newest one would be the 'HELP REMOVE this HATE GROUP against cyclist' Which in it's description states:

'The[re is a] new group- "There's a perfectly good path next to the road you stupid cyclist" is nothing more than the newest hate group, and for Facebook to not remove it, is nothing short of criminal'

Really? Ok, I'm all about claiming the lane and our right to the road. I believe with more bicycle advocates we have, and the more that they are able shed positive light on the sport to people that understanding and tolerance is a byproduct that will simply happen. I personally struggle with any group, on any given topic or position that defines themselves on what they aren't or what they dislike or hate rather than to actually stop and think about the argument that is being raised.

If we can get down off of our self righteous perch and realize that whoever started this group encountered a rider [it could have been just a recreational rider, a commuter, or pro] that instead of using a provided bike lane or bike specific path, took to the street. Yes, once again, we do have a right to the road and should be able to ride on it but that also means we need to be obeying the laws of the road. For instance, complete stops at all stops signs and obeying the speed limit and if we aren't going to speed limit moving as far to the shoulder as we can.

This is at the heart of why people are drawn to joining this original 'hate' group and just looking through both groups it seem like the 'HELP REMOVE...' group actually has a bit more hate in it than the group they are trying to get removed. The original group is actually quite humorous to me, whereas the 'HELP REMOVE...' not so much. I realize that I'm stepping onto a bunch of landmines by not 100% supporting my cycling community in the 'unjust' fight, and agree that, yes there are things that we need to fight for. But even in writing this I've wasted far too much time focusing on how a group on a social network site is getting more attention than the lack of funding for the protection of cyclists [i.e. bike lanes, paths, signage, education, etc]

Let there be a 'hate' group, real change on the matter will only come through our actions on the road.

The cost VS. The Cost

2010-01-09T12:20:00.002-05:00

Stumbled onto this over on the Relevant magazine website. I realize that this isn't a bicycle related video but it serves as another reminder of the true cost of the things we buy and consume.Which opens the door to a whole lot more but that's for another day.... enjoy.

Introducing Alxndr Jones

2010-01-06T22:35:00.003-05:00

Well, over the past few months I've been keeping an eye out to find another person to add to the No Drive crew to contribute to this little mess of a blog, errr revolution, we've got going. Geoff, Brian and Tom are great friends of mine and will still contribute. Still, having another consistent voice in this was some thing I've greatly desired to find.

Enter an old friend and basically younger brother of sorts in Alxndr Jones, or Alex. I've known Alex since he was simply an awkwardly tall 7th graders with a fro when I was a youth leader at a church back in Iowa. Alex is a storyteller and artist, and that's really the best way to say it and in the last year he has really gotten the itch for cycling. I've followed him on many of his blogs but what made me want him to join in on No Drive was his cycling site called Iowa Commuter.

He's the fresh air I believe we need here to once again reclaim the manifesto that has really given us direction for this thing in the past. Alex is a newbie and knows it. He doesn't know all the technical terms but he loves his bike, Lucy, and that's really what this is all about. He's recently moved back up to Minneapolis, which has a great cycling community and it'll be great to hear stories about other cities besides Grand Rapids and Cedar Falls. Plus it gives me an excuse to have an Saturday Night ride there this summer some time or even have a C Series ride up there at some point. I'm sure you're going to enjoy his posts!

Be on the look out!

2010-01-05T22:53:00.002-05:00

Now, the picture on the left only gives you an idea of what is in the works by a former co-worker from Alger, Dan Martinek [or Teddy as many know him as]. Dan has been around the industry for a long while from spending time up in the land of the Uppers to time here in GR to time out in the Bike Mecca [Portland, OR for those of you completely out of the loop]. He's rubbed shoulders with some of the best of frame builders, like Ira Ryan, and from spending this past summer I can attest that he is one damn fine wrench.

Martinek has had this little cargo bike project in the works and after stopping by the old shop I was informed that the first prototype is nearing completion. Which is pretty exciting him but also for us, Dan from early on has hinted that No Drive will be receiving to ride, test and bang up against a few curbs.

I can't wait to get some real teaser photos but trust that they will be on the way with this yet to be named cargo bike company.

Use your bike as a weapon...

2009-12-29T09:10:00.003-05:00

That's right folks... not only use your bike for recreation or exercise, use it as a weapon. No need for a U-lock throw down anymore...

Just some food for thought before the New Year...

Claiming the lane

2009-12-08T20:51:00.001-05:00

Definitely one way to reclaim the lane... and I'm strangely okay with it.

Velo-what?

2009-12-07T21:05:00.004-05:00

Part of the gig at Velocity is being what I'll call, their resident blogger. Yeah, surprising? Me, the king of run on sentences, with all sorts of horrible grammatical errors and humor that I'm sure isn't for everyone, if it's funny at all. I've definitely grown to have a new found respect for the big time bloggers out there who write not only for themselves but for any number of different online resources or real magazines and still stay fresh.

I guess, I'm learning the balance and really can't complain, it's really awesome.

The Velocity blog will be updated daily during the week and be on the look out for some pretty sweet things we have in store for it. I'm hoping to get the other guys fired up about contributing more to No Drive and seeing where things might lead. For now, I'm doing what I can.

Holy Socks...

2009-12-01T18:52:00.007-05:00

Yes. Holy socks. But before we get into that completely, while back in Iowa few weeks ago, I had the privilege of riding with a old co-worker and friend, Mark or otherwise known as the infamous G-Ted. Who is still by far one of the most enjoyable people to talk shop with, and his insight into cycling is gospel. As I posted on the ol' Twitter, the ride was a countdown of sorts... '4- people started 3- people finished 2- mechanicals 1-great ride.'

All of which was mentioned by Ted in his post about the ride, but what has had me really thinking was watching him fix his flat. He was outfitted with all the proper gear: pump, tube, levers, etc. What stood out was when he pulled out his spare tube, it was in an old cycling sock. Which both David and myself kind of chuckled at, to which Mark responded with...

' It reduces chaffing'

Like I said, Ted's insight is gospel but for the last few weeks I've wondered. Really? Did it matter? It's just a tube. But chaffing is no ones friend regardless of where it's happening. Of course the sock keeps the tube from potential punctures from tools, finds a use for those odd ball socks that, if you're like me, I can never let go of, and heck, it looks pretty sweet too...

I just so happened to have worn through one of my Surly wool socks recently, and didn't know what to do with it, so I decided few things...

One: it was never 'right' to wear holey socks, even if you're going to church.

Two: Washing the remaining sock is a must but works great. I shall call it a 'Tube Sock'
[sure, it's on the outside of my seatbag, but that's where it gets rocked]

Three: Saving the elastic side can be used for a cell phone, digital camera or iPod sleeve
AND it gives me even more hipster street-cred with a one of a kind Surly sleeve.

I'm back...

2009-11-30T06:25:00.002-05:00

Guess who's back? Back again... That's right, after what I'll call an unintentional sabbatical, I'm back, recharged and hopefully more opinionated than ever! The break wasn't planned otherwise I would have let everyone know and gave more a timeline but life happened in this part of the world and well, I just didn't have the time or energy for the blog.

Fortunately, unlike other breaks that I've taken, this was a good thing that life got busy. As I posted before, I recently transitioned to a job over at Velocity USA and if you were wondering... it IS as amazing as you might think. Great company, great coworkers, great product. I did have to take a good month of riding off in recovering from my epic 4-square shoulder injury, and for the most part my shoulder has healed. All that [plus a few other things] and an attempt at a personal life ushered in the break.

I've got a few projects up my sleeve that I'm looking forward to showing everyone, along with some new bikes that have made their into the stable. For now, I just wanted let everyone know... I'm back, I'm re-energized, and as always I've got ideas...

A Case for the (un)common Flea.

2009-11-04T11:04:00.006-05:00

I'm a sucker for cool little gadgets.

I've got analog clocks on my bike handlebars (two or three of them), I still have (and play with) my Legos, and things like calculator watches just make my day. So when I first read about the new flea, I think I drooled a little.

To make it clear, I'm not talking about this guy:

...or this guy, either:

Nope. It's the 2010 Flea from Blackburn Design. Yes, yes, yes, I know the flea was around last year, but come on...who do you know that actually used it? Sure, here and the one of us tried it out, but that charger was sort of annoying...and it only came in black.

BAH-ZINGGGG!

...How ya like dem apples? It's awesome. It comes in colors. It charges off of your computer's USB port (commuting, anyone?), and you can even get a solor charger.

So I'm going to get one. Check in later for a review.

Drive, no riding.

2009-10-06T20:06:00.004-04:00

The last week and a half have been hard for me. I haven't been able to ride my bike because of my shoulder still. Not that I should really compare my plight to the youngin on the left. I mean, I still get around fine, I can still get to work and the bills are still getting paid. I do feel like someones robbed me of my wheels...

BUT...

Seriously, I really do miss riding. I miss every aspect of it. Especially this time of year with the weather. Sure, it's been rainy lately but I love riding when it's a bit cold. When the lungs open up, the tip of the noise gets a bit chilled and this time of year cars seem to treat me a little friendlier.

I'm crossing my fingers for next week to start the new commute into work. I'll be good to get some more miles in!

Final Day Musings from around the Shop

2009-10-05T07:25:00.000-04:00

As I posted last week, I am no longer a shop rat. This past week was difficult and bittersweet in a number of different ways as I closed one chapter of my life to start the next. Fortunately, Friday left itself with some rather fun assuming from around the shop.

As any shop rat knows, and G-Ted posts on these types of occurrences now and again, we encounter some very strange setups, rig jobs, and make shift fixes when customers bring in there bikes. Myself, I've seen a customer come in with a home made recumbent that was pieced together with the parts of two different bikes and held in place with quick releases and pipe clamps; the 'bike shaped object' ie the department store bike with the forks put on backwards and a few others. But Friday, Brent the head mechanic at Alger was working on this gem. You can see part of the bike above. It's an old Cannondale road bike that has been transformed into a touring bike. A very unique touring bike.

If you look closely at picture to the left you will see that this rider has set up his touring bike with a pie plate, I mean, a chain ring that comes in at around 10 inches in diameter... yes, that's HUGE! Lance Armstrong eat our heart out, that's 61 tooth chain ring. The rider loved having this thing that he claims he had reached 55 mph on. This unconventional triple chain ring set up is partnered with a 50T middle and a 36T lower. Yeah, 25T gap and she doesn't shift all too smoothly; and runs a lower chain guide to avoid having the chain fall off the lower.

This gem does not end there of course. The picture to the right shows the stem the rider has switched to because he can't get into the 'aero' position anymore. You can see by the grease mark where the customer keeps the stem, a good 5 inches of rise. We pulled the stem up to see just how long it was, adding an additional 3 inches when maxed out to it's minimum insertion. Everyone in the shop agree that this is the longest stem we have ever seen.

Overall, for how crazy of a set up this bicycle had, the rider was just great to talk to about it. He knew how absurd it was and embraced it. And really that is what I'll miss most about the retail end of the bicycle industry. I'll miss the customers that either have a genuine love for bicycles or bicycling OR there is a budding romance with this sport, this lifestyle. Sure, I could give you story after story of bad customer but I'd rather be able to to now look back on the good than to remember and dread the bad.

Oh shoot. Another Project.

2009-10-02T09:57:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I got my hands on this gem picture on the right. It's a Hon, 16" wheeled folding bike; no not a Dahon but Hon. I had a folding bike before with the intention of making it into a fixie and I'm debating if that's the road I'm going to take this one on.

All I do know is that it'll be getting some new Velocity hoops on it, maybe some white walls and I might put either some mustache bars or bullhorns on it. Either way, it's going to be a fun little project for the next few months.

Speaking of Velocity. A big announcement for me is that my shop rat days are over. A few weeks back, I was offered a job with them and today marks my last day at Alger Cyclery. My time at Alger has been great, I can't state enough how much I've enjoyed working at the shop and with the guys there. I do believe that there is more knowledge and experience there than at most shops. Brent, the head mechanic, is one of, if not, the best I've known. I'm grateful for my time there, the opportunity and freedom Carl gave me to change the store right when I came over and part of me will miss shop life, but I will not miss retail. If you've been in my shoes, you understand completely.

This weekend looks to be a rainy one here in West Michigan, and I wish I could get out and ride but the shoulder still won't allow for it. So go ride, for me at least!

October 4th C-Series Ride : CANCELED

2009-10-01T08:58:00.003-04:00

This past weekend, I was partaking in what I'll call a 'killer' game of 4-square and during that I happened to misplay a ball, which then led me to trip over myself when I was attempting to save the ball. Because of this, I wasn't in any position myself for the landing and decided to find out what it was like to put all my weight on my left shoulder for an instant. A 'pop' later, left me on the ground. It wasn't fun by any means and on Tuesday I found out that it was a server strain. I have limited motion now but am unable to ride my bike because of the weight/stress it puts on my shoulder.

So unfortunately, because of this... I have to cancel the C-Series ride down to Kalamazoo this Sunday. The route is still posted on the right sidebar on the sight so feel free to rock it yourself. I hope to be back on the bike soon and reschedule the ride.

Sorry for my absence.

2009-09-30T09:20:00.001-04:00

Now, I should apologize for my lack of posts lately. This past week, I had a leadership retreat for the church I'm serving at as an intern. This of course, put a strain on getting everything else in my life in order so that I could 'retreat' away for a few days without having to worry about this or that. Unfortunately this meant, the blog got put on the back burner but fortunately this also means I now have plenty to write and inform on for the last few weeks.

The biggest and most important news from this past weekend came from back in Iowa. It is my great pleasure to introduce you to Noah David Bottke... who came in at 8 lbs 4 oz and a good 21 inches. Here he is at 23 hours...

The No Drive family grew by one. I'm extremely excited for Brian [formerly know as BB to some] and Summer as they officially start this next stage of life with a little guy I've been told is going to be the 2030 Paris Roubiax Champion! Baby Bottke, or BB, will be starting his interval training as soon as the proper helmet can be found.

More later, but I'll leave you with a video that was posted on my Facebook a few days ago.

Truth.

Sunset Alley Cat 2 : Race Report

2009-09-21T06:55:00.001-04:00

Now, to call this a race report is kind of deceiving. Sure, it was race in that there was a start and finish. But what made this just a great over all event was the fact it was a points based race. Meaning, you didn't necessary have to be fast, more-so through and quick [which we all know is different than fast].

As with all Alley Cats, it was a checkpoint based where we had differing tasks to do at some of the places. Some we simply had to find the hidden check point envelope. As you can see from the map below we had a good area to cover for the race. 13 checkpoints to be exact. All are shown except the Lookout Park checkpoint, as I was unable to find said checkpoint. My bad.

The race got underway around 7:30p and each rider had differing checkpoints they had to go to first, then we were free to hit up any or all of the points in any order that we felt necessary. There were 2 bonus options being Artprize entry photo and/or bringing back any type of snack food to the finish. I decided at the beginning that I wasn't going to attempt getting a picture or snack instead hopefully getting all of the checkpoints.

Unfortunately, my strategy didn't pay off. I did get a great start to my assigned checkpoint, the Meanwhile Bar, but the bouncer did not have the checkpoint slips with him and my 3 block lead on the other riders to that point was gone as I received mine just as they arrived. At that point, I decided I didn't need to push it quite as much. I then headed to the Midtown Green and at this checkpoint I was given the task of rapping... and as anyone in their right mind, I jumped right into this... yes, the Fresh Prince of Bell Air theme song... I did it all... because I could.

I then rode down to GRCC parking ramp and found the slip with the help of some skaters, then to the tire swing followed by drawing a picture of a sunset at Rosa Parks Circle. I felt good at this point, no real hang ups but then what seemed to be the most logical checkpoint to hit was the Ford Museum. Unfortunately, this is where my luck ran out. We found out later a security guard took the checkpoint marker down, but I still ended up riding around the entire building a few times. After giving up on this check point, I headed to fish ladder where we had to eat 3 saltine crackers and then get drawn on. Heading over the 6th street bridge [this checkpoint disappeared also], I cruised to the Division St. stairs and had to do 10 jumping jacks. I then rode in circles for a bit looking for the Lookout Park to no avail. Giving up on this check point I was 2 down and not all too happy but figured I was making good time seeing that I had passed a few other riders. I then headed to GVSU's clock tower, followed by Teamwork bags, which had kind of a tricky placement of their marker, then hitting up the final checkpoint at Founders Brewery. I finished with around 10-15 people ahead of me, I was pleased.

As we waited for everyone else to finish, good times where had and we then had one final event. Bike Bowling. The basic concept being that we had 10 mini-kegs set up and we then proceeding to ghost ride a few old bikes into them... Everyone got one chance, and the bikes took a beating to say the least. When my turn came to past, I conjured up some of my state champion bowling past [yeah, I don't want to brag but I could still beat you all, I was good, real good] seeing that most of the riders before me had only knocked down a few kegs. With a little adrenaline pumping, I ghost rode the bike to knock down 9 of the 10 and in the process endangering one of the organizers, Josh, seeing that I hadn't waited for him to clear out. I still feel horrible for that. More riders had there try and by the end, my 9 count was enough to rope me a $15 gift certificate to Vertigo Music. Not too bad at all.

Overall, I do one of these even if there was just food and drink at the end. Just good times to be had and I can't wait for the next one. Thanks to all the guys who helped put this on and all the sponsors Commute Bike Shop, Teamwork Bags, Vertigo Music, and Velocity.

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/mi/grand-rapids/263125348197399724"&amp;amp;gt;Sunset Alleycat 2 &amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/find-ride/united-states/mi/grand-rapids"&amp;amp;gt;Find more Bike Rides in Grand Rapids, Michigan&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

Around the GR

2009-09-18T07:37:00.000-04:00

In the last week or two, there have been some very exciting things happening for the cycling community of the Grand Rapids Area.

The first was the announcement of new mountain bike trails being built up in the middle of the city! Granted I'm a bit more excited about these seeing that they are being built up very close to the Burns House [ie mi casa] and that I hate driving to ride my bike. Either way a group of people, who I'm assuming are part of the group that have brought BMX racing back to the city, are now turning the area surrounding the track into a full park, simply called GR Bike Park. It hopes to have a trail open by this fall! Exciting news!

Secondly, a fellow GR-ian, cyclist and blogger over at PedalGR.com, Josh Duggan, who has been one of the best advocates for cycling in the area has not only been breaking the news of new trails being built but also part of the newly formed Greater Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition. He writes about the Coalition here and better explains the goals of the group, which we hope No Drive can do whatever we can to help achieve a growing standing for Grand Rapids as a Bicycle Friendly Community.

Good Stuff! For all you outside of the Western Michigan here's a video from you posted by the Ergon twitter feed earlier today, you know how we love Ergon! Maybe we could get an urban endurance race going on in GR next summer? An Urban C-Series event? We'll see...

Cause Red Got Jealous

2009-09-15T21:46:00.002-04:00

Now, I must admit Red is my first love but there comes a time in every man's life where they need to settle down and commit to just one. So it's that time of year to let go a bike or two that just aren't being ridden. So I'm selling my 1970's Fuji Track bike :: 59cm.

The bike was sandblasted and repainted as close to the original paint as possible and stickers were made to match the ones that were on there.

A brand new 105 Crank was put on along with a new bottom bracket and headset. The 40x15 gearing comes in a shade over the desirable 70 gear inches. The bike is a peach to say the least. I'm asking $350 OBO + shipping, email me at adamlorenz@gmail.com with questions. I'll accept Paypal and cash.

Here's a run down on the spec on the bike:

1970's Fuji Track bike

Frame: Fuji Steel Track
Size: 59cm
Top tube length: 59cm
Crank: 105 Octalink 175mm
Front Chain Ring: Rocket 40T
Rear Cog: Surly 15T
Wheelset: Surly Track Hubs on Mavic Open Sport Rims

Also included, original drop bars seen in this picture.

$350 OBO + shipping
Paypal accepted. Email adamlorenz@gmail.com with questions.

Weekend Eye Catchers...

2009-09-14T14:24:00.005-04:00

I'll admit this from the onset, today's post is just a random concoction of cycling related things that I stumbled onto this weekend. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it just feels like I'll be writing more fragmented than I normally do.

The first note worthy item, comes from a person I consider a close friend. Alex Jones, or alxndr [that's right no vowels, that's how he rolls], just started a new blog called 'iowa_commuter'. Alex has been one of the creative minds for some of the NDJR headers you've seen and the current header on the C Series site. He's recently discovered the love for cycling and his daily thoughts are refreshing for me. He's planning on riding year round and I look forward to seeing how he works through all everything as he encounters Iowa winters.

Overall, it's just great to hear stories of people like Alex getting into cycling for practical reasons and seeing how much enjoyment comes from a simple machine. At the heart of No Drive is the desire to promote cycling and maybe, just maybe have others join in on the two wheel revolution!

Since Iowa is on the mind, this past weekend the State Gravel Championships went down. I haven't heard for much in way of race reports but I'm sure I'll stumble onto some shortly. As G-Ted mentioned on his blog a few days ago, the popularity of gravel rides and races is continually growing and needless to say that just excites me.

Finally, I was out of town this weekend visiting some friends on the east side of the state. I got to hang out in Ann Arbor for an all too brief time but in that short time, I might have fallen in love with the place. I didn't think it was possible but with encountering all the bikes and just cruising around it was just amazing how nice it was to be in such a bike friendly community. If I wasn't so attached to GR, I might just think about moving that direction. Unfortunately upon my arrival home from a great few days away, I was informed by my roommate that one of my bikes was stolen. I have much more to say and will save this for a later post this week. Until then if you see a rusty black Schwinn cruiser around GR with a Cinelli stem and a red Paul rear hub let me know, it was stolen around 44th and the Kalamazoo area.

REPORT: Politician known for harsh motorist laws arrested in brutal hit-and-run death

2009-09-11T07:23:00.001-04:00

This article was posted on Facebook from a friend of mine, the one and only R2. It's short but nevertheless, shocking. Check out it here, or the original New York Times Article here.

REPORT: Politician known for harsh motorist laws arrested in brutal hit-and-run death
by Chris Shunk

Former Ontario, Canada Attorney General Michael Bryant made a name for himself as a tough-nosed lawmaker that took a hard line against street racing. Among Bryant's hard stance anti-racer policies was a law that gave the police the right to crush any car that was modified for racing – even if the vehicle had no complaints against it. If a report from The New York Times is true, Mr. Bryant could ironically spend the rest of his life behind bars for a brutal hit-and-run accident involving a bicyclist.

The incident reportedly began as a minor event and quickly escalated. Bryant allegedly brushed the bicyclist while he was driving, who then held on to the driver's side door of his black Saab convertible. Witnesses told a local Canadian television station that Bryant was heard swearing and swerving in an apparent attempt to shake the biker from his door. Bystanders told police that Bryant was driving on the sidewalk near lamp posts at a high rate of speed, in an apparent attempt to knock the biker off.

The incident ended with the bicyclist, Darcy Allen Sheppard, striking a mailbox. Sheppard later died due to injuries sustained from the accident. According to the NYT, Bryant went to a nearby hotel after the incident where he was later arrested for what appears to be a most heinous hit-and-run incident. It looks like Bryant was right when he said that cars could be as dangerous as explosives...

C Series: Ride Report

2009-09-09T07:29:00.001-04:00

Here's a ride report reposted from No Drive's first C Series ride site:

This past Saturday we had the first C ride out to Grand Haven in back. Unfortunately, the battery in digital camera was dead on Saturday so I had to resort to using my phone for pictures. Needless to say, I'm not as willing to pull it out when riding so only two pictures from the ride [pictured on the right is from outside of Founders waiting for riders]

On the suggestion of Nicola, the route was changed because of traffic on Lake Michigan Drive for the Labor Day weekend travelers [for those not in the know Michiganders, for the most part, LOVE their cottages, boats and the lake shore] to taking essentially taking Leonard St all the way out.

We had a few people who RSVP'd to show up via Facebook, but do to alarm clock issues and other things, the ride ended up just being myself and Nicola Fester [who has some art in the latest/next Bicycle Times magazine!]. Nicola showed up as she always does, on a single speed and needless to say she rocked it. It was a humbling day, especially on the return.

We left at 9:10am just to see if anyone else would be joining in on the fun and made our way to Leonard via Monroe. Neither of us had a computer on our bike to know what we averaged for speeds but we kept a steady pace out to Grand Haven [State Park/Beach/Lake Michigan pictured to the left], getting there in around 2 hours. No real story to tell on the way there outside of my poor attempt at a bunny hop over a crack that then ejected my spare tube.

After briefly hanging out at the beach to refill water and snack a little, we were back on the bikes. Once getting back on the bike, the legs were a little sluggish but quickly bounced back and we made our way back. One the way out, the wind was minimal, if anything a slight headwind but nothing to go home about. We were happy to know we'd have a little tailwind. Mother Nature had the final laugh as the wind changed up enough to be a head wind.

Around mile 50ish, just outside of Eastmanville, I got out of the saddle to climb a hill and well, Nicola passed me just as I had an outburst of sorts, as my body let me know that I would be allowed to spin but not to put down any power for the remaining part of the ride. I'll be the first to admit that this was from the lack of any real base miles/training outside of my daily commute and cruising. I was concerned before the ride because any of my long rides this year, my legs have decided to cramp and I thought this might have been a precursor to what was to come. My body decided to remind me of this a number of different times after this especially on climbs. Fortunately once we hit Walker, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel and pushed through.

Throughout all of that, Nicola was a champ and although she said she was being worked pretty good. She threw down and was a champ, humbling me for sure. We ended the ride at Founders and of course, stopped in and enjoyed some stellar food and drink. All in all, I was extremely happy about this ride I hope to see more people come out for future rides. I'm thinking the October 4th ride will be a Grand Rapids to Bell's Brewery in K'zoo.

Here's the ride:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/mi/grand-rapids-to-grand-haven/456125228695480029"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;9/5 C Series Route&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/find-ride/united-states/mi/grand-rapids-to-grand-haven"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Bike Rides in Grand Rapids To Grand Haven, Michigan&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Happy Ergon Day!

2009-09-08T00:01:00.001-04:00

Hear Ye, Hear Ye. No Drive. Just Ride. now decrees September 8th Ergon Day!

As many of you know... over here at No Drive. we love Ergon Bike Products. Be that their grips or their bags, well, the boys over at Eurobike [Europe's version of Interbike, and for those of you who need to know what that is... it's where bike nuts go to go nuts on the next years product] had their yearly show and being that Ergon is a German based company, unveiled some of their line.

I stumbled onto the photos via Ergon's Twitter page but you can check out Jeff Kerkove's flickr page to see some pictures of new gear. BEWARE. It might blow your mind.

A few things that I can't wait to get my hands on for 2010 are the BioKork Ergon grip [pictured above], Ergon Hoodie, Ergon t-shirt and of course I'll be looking into one of these bags for commuting. Heck, I'd take one of everything in the catalog if I could afford it.

Because we all love videos and being that it's ERGON DAY. I also stumbled onto this... A new movie, er documentary, in the spirit of 24 Solo, called Race Across the Sky. Should be fun to watch the battle between Dave Wiens and Lance. Although we all know the result of this years Leadville 100, I'm really looking forward to seeing it.

C Series Ride

2009-09-02T00:58:00.004-04:00

I am pleased to announce that the C Series website is now up and running. Sure it's nothing flashy but it works nevertheless. I'll post updates

There will be a ride taking place this Saturday to Grand Haven/Lakeshore and for more details please check out the C Series website. Please RSVP via email to me at adamlorenz@gmail.com OR via Facebook.

Hope to see you there!

CSI: No Drive Edition

2009-09-01T06:50:00.002-04:00

My last web-surfing session of night, which I might add I was catching some pretty gnarly hits and cache with a few cookies via some pretty sweet sites [exhibits A, B, & C], I happened to wandered over to a site that I check a few times a month in order to flip through the monthly copies of their magazine called Urban Velo. What caught my eye besides some stellar articles and pictures was an ad from GR's very own Velocity USA. Nothing overly flashy [as you can see from the picture below; exhibit D], it looked to be simply a picture from their wheel building area from the Velocity USA Headquarters that I normally see and walk through when I'm stopping over to get some wheels for customers.

Exhibit D:

What caught my eye was the arm on page 51 of Issue #15. Yes, as odd as this sounds but, the arm of the wheel builder. It looked familiar. Too familiar. After a quick search on the criminal database, I was able to run an analysis of the arm using the 2 point Photo-graphical Humeral Coronoid fossa Method of Arm to Person Identification [2P-gHCfMA2PI for short] which compares two parts of the arm that are unique to every individual and cross referencing that data with suspects in the said database. The 2P-gHCfMA2PI, as if there were any surprise, was able to confirm who the arm of pictured wheel-builder was.

Exhibit E:

The pictured arm was of illusive and hard to photograph, Founders Ales/Alger Racing Elite Rider and one of Velocity USA's stellar employees Jeff Jacobi...

Exhibit F:

In all seriousness, I have no idea if this was actually Jeff's arm or not but I did have a fun time acting like it was. Jeff is a great rider and friend, who I have been privileged to follow in the footsteps of at my shop. But enough of all of this horsing around and tomfoolery... get back to work and ride safe!

Blank Stare

2009-08-31T07:18:00.000-04:00

I stumbled on this article today from Adrian Short , via BikeBlips, titled 'Save the planet - ban cycle helmets'. Of course, the title of post itself was enough to get me to read this lengthy article. I've had a few conversations as of late on helmet use and I will be the first to admit the absolute NEED to wear one, but at the same time take personal responsibility for not wearing one all the time. After reading this article I understand and agree with a lot of what the author states but at the same time remember that he is overstating to make the extreme point that we should not ride with helmets.

Check out the article below. Maybe if you imagine it is being read in a British accent it'll sound like a better argument. I feel I should also state that the following is not the opinion of No Drive. or of any of it's contributors and is only the opinion of the original author.

Save the planet — ban cycle helmets

By Adrian Short

Save the planet – ban cycle helmets

Ethical Consumer has a feature called “Love this, ban that!” which asks an assortment of the green and the good which saintly products they love and which evil ones they’d ban. Sadly, no-one took the opportunity to challenge the premise that banning things is the best way to steer society down a more sustainable path and to allay the well-founded suspicion among many outside the green ghetto that environmentalists tend to be ban-happy authoritarians.

Inexplicably, Ethical Consumer didn’t contact me to take part in their survey but I’d like to nominate the bicycle as my favourite “ethical consumer product” and the cycle helmet for an immediate, total ban backed up with the full force and violence of the criminal justice system.

I hope that choosing the bicycle as my preferred product needs little explanation or justification but my putative ban on cycle helmets might be a little more problematic. For a long time I’ve harboured the suspicion in my more paranoid moments that there’s some kind of collusion between the road/oil lobby and elements of the cycling fraternity to ensure that cycling in Britain remains a marginalised, unpleasant and largely despised activity.

For those of us looking to travel between around a mile and eight miles without an extreme amount of cargo, the bike should be the default the choice. Done right, cycling is convenient, cheap, safe, accessible, fun and sustianable.

Done right.

It’s not possible to uninvent the bicycle but if Shadowy Forces wanted to minimise the number of people cycling so as to benefit their Evil Agenda they’d probably want to chip away at all the things that make cycling potentially great so as to diminish the whole experience. If you can’t ban it, knacker it.

Here’s how to do it:

Cycling is cheap? Can’t have that. Now, let’s see. Let’s start at the obvious place by making bikes more expensive. Load them with features that cost more to build (complex braking systems, gears, suspension) and require expensive expert maintenance rather than DIY. Turn the bike from an everyday utilitarian thing, a utensil, and make it a product. Desirable. Fashionable. Consumerable. There’s a lot of choice, so shop around. Read reviews. Get recommendations. Worry, because it matters. Who’d want to be seen riding a cheap bike? An unfashionable bike? A tatty bike? Now accessorise. That expensive bike needs an expensive lock — or two. Got to protect your investment. Buy insurance. (Shop around, shop around.) Compare the tensile strengths and style options and get a helmet. A bone dome. A skid lid. Don’t be cheap — your skull could depend on it. Get a hi-viz jacket that’s more breathable than a string vest and only fifty times the price. Padded shorts for that tiny, bony saddle. Special shoes to couple perfectly with your special pedals. A messenger bag from this week’s premium brand.

Here’s the safety strategy: Make it less safe and make it feel less safe. The best way to make cycling less safe is for cyclists to ride faster. Encourage this wherever possible. Forget ambling, casual, pedestrian images of cycling. Emphasise sport, fitness, competition. Measure speed. Sell speedometers and odometers. Get people to monitor their performance. Track their MPH, their heartrates, their calories, their carbon footprints. Compare with others. Compete. Idolise road racers, couriers, extreme mountain bikers, BMXers. Alleycatters. Lance Armstrong. Jump the red light. Race other cyclists. Race cars. Race the clock. Race, race. It’s not fun unless you’re taking risks. Life is one big risk, right? Cycling just got a whole lot more dangerous for the sake of a marginal shortening of the average journey. Ohh, wipeout. Nice one.

Now the perception of safety. Talk about safety, safety, safety so everyone thinks danger, danger, danger. Don’t show images of cyclists without helmets, especially not children. Never children. Sending your children out on bikes without helmets is tantamount to child abuse. Don’t you care? Don’t you care about the children? Would you send them out to their deaths? Photos of cyclists without helmets are like images of people with cigarettes. Historical documents. Anachronisms. Forbidden outside the intellectual safety of the academy. Be safe, be seen. Hi viz. Yellow jacket, yellow jersey. £100 lights that can dazzle shipping 20 miles off the coast. Lumens. Got to get more lumens. You need a bell? You need a foghorn. Radar. Missiles, if you could get them. And you need training, because it’s a war out there. Drivers hate you. Pedestrians hate you. Other cyclists hate you. The law is indifferent, the police don’t care. Every other road user will kill you if they get a chance. Unless you get trained. Unless you can stay one step ahead of them. Unless you can get them first. So you go to boot camp. You get trained. You are approved. You are a Cyclist. You feel a little bit safer in that dangerous place. Until you see the ghost bike. Don’t be a statistic like the pallid, mangled wreck chained to the lamppost at the roundabout. Don’t be a victim. Go faster. Be a winner. Beat them.

Do you smell? People shouldn’t smell. If you cycle, if you cycle fast, you’ll smell. You’ll need a shower. Does your workplace have showers? No? Don’t cycle. Does the pub have showers? No? Don’t cycle. Does the shopping centre have showers? No? Please, don’t cycle.

But if you don’t mind smelling, you can’t cycle to work because they don’t have lockers. You need a locker for your helmet. Your jacket. Your padded shorts. Your special shoes that couple so, so perfectly with your special pedals. Your quick-release (eezy-steal) saddle. Your lights and all their lumens. Your handlebar computer with its data, its intimate knowledge of your body, your performance, your lifestyle. Your hydration system. Your lock. You worry about your lock. It cost more than your first bike. And the bike itself? That needs a CCTV-monitored, thumbprint-secured, climate-controlled vault. A lamppost won’t do because your bike takes a month’s work to buy but only a minute or two to steal.

Are you fat? Don’t cycle. You don’t, do you? Fit people cycle. Fat people do not cycle. (Fat people do not swim. Fat people do not run. Soon, fat people will not walk.) Cycling is about fitness. Fat people, un-fit people, do not cycle. Fat people look ridiculous on bikes. Fat people look crap in lycra. Fat people look even more fat in lycra, if such a tragically hilarious thing could be possible. Fat people can only go slowly but cyclists must go fast. They must race. They must perform. They must compete. Fat people are not fast off the lights. Fat people do not look like Lance Fuckingarmfuckingstrong. Fat people must enshroud themselves in cars as a prophylactic against polite society’s sight of their ungainly self-propelled movement. Fat people must squeeze themselves onto buses and trains and tubes with all the other huffers and puffers, the children and the old people, the timid and the nearly dead. They say obese but you read fat. People like you are an epidemic. You are contagious and the things you must do to make the rest of us safe you are not allowed to do. If you are fat, don’t cycle. You don’t, do you?

Cycle helmets are the most visible and potent symbol of all that’s wrong with Britain’s (anti-)cycling culture. Cycle helmets say we cannot cycle without the right precautions, the right equipment, the right infrastructure, the right training. Cycle helmets say there must be more to cycling than a person, two wheels and the surface of the Earth. Let’s ban them now before it’s too late. Let’s lock up all the people who buy them, who sell them, who use them. Let’s drag them off to jail in handcuffs, in tears.

Ethical Consumer has a feature called Love this, ban that! which asks an assortment of the green and the good which saintly products they love and which evil ones they’d ban. Sadly, only Mayor Boris took the opportunity to challenge the premise that banning things is the best way to steer society down a more sustainable path and to allay the well-founded suspicion among many outside the green ghetto that environmentalists tend to be ban-happy authoritarians.

Inexplicably, Ethical Consumer didn’t contact me to take part in their survey but I’d like to nominate the bicycle as my favourite “ethical consumer product” and the cycle helmet for an immediate, total ban backed up with the full force and violence of the criminal justice system.

I hope that choosing the bicycle as my preferred product needs little explanation or justification but my proposed ban on cycle helmets might be a little more problematic. For a long time I’ve harboured the suspicion in my more paranoid moments that there’s some kind of collusion between the road/oil lobby and elements of the cycling fraternity to ensure that cycling in Britain remains a marginalised, unpleasant and largely despised activity.

For those of us looking to travel between around a mile and eight miles without an extreme amount of cargo, the bike should be the default choice. Done right, cycling is convenient, cheap, safe, accessible, fun and sustianable.

Done right.

Here’s how to do it:

Now the perception of safety. Talk about safety, safety, safety so everyone thinks danger, danger, danger. Don’t show images of cyclists without helmets, especially not children. Never children. Sending your children out on bikes without helmets is tantamount to child abuse. Don’t you care? Don’t you care about the children? Would you send them out to their deaths? Photos of cyclists without helmets are like images of people with cigarettes. Historical documents. Anachronisms. Forbidden outside the intellectual safety of the academy. Be safe, be seen. Hi viz. Yellow jacket, yellow jersey. £100 lights that can dazzle shipping 20 miles off the coast. Lumens. Got to get more lumens. You need a bell? You need a foghorn. Radar. Missiles, if you could get them. And you need training, because it’s a war out there. Drivers hate you. Pedestrians hate you. Other cyclists hate you. The law is indifferent, the police don’t care. Every other road user will kill you if they get a chance. Unless you get trained. Unless you can stay one step ahead of them. Unless you can get them first. So you go to boot camp. You get trained. You are approved. You are a Cyclist. You feel a little bit safer in that dangerous place. Until you see the ghost bike. Don’t be a statistic like the pallid, mangled wreck chained to the lamppost at the roundabout. Don’t be a victim. Go faster. Be a winner. Beat them.

If you don’t mind smelling, you can’t cycle to work because they don’t have lockers. You need a locker for your helmet. Your jacket. Your padded shorts. Your special shoes that couple so, so perfectly with your special pedals. Your quick-release (eezy-steal) saddle. Your lights and all their lumens. Your handlebar computer with its data, its intimate knowledge of your body, your performance, your lifestyle. Your hydration system. Your lock. You worry about your lock. It cost more than your first bike. And the bike itself? That needs a CCTV-monitored, thumbprint-secured, climate-controlled vault. A lamppost won’t do because your bike takes a month’s work to buy but only a minute or two to steal.

Are you fat? Don’t cycle. You don’t, do you? Fit people cycle. Fat people do not cycle. (Fat people do not swim. Fat people do not run. Soon, fat people will not walk.) Cycling is about fitness. Fat people, un-fit people, do not cycle. Fat people look ridiculous on bikes. Fat people look crap in lycra. Fat people look even more fat in lycra, if such a tragically hilarious thing could be possible. Fat people can only go slowly but cyclists must go fast. They must race. They must perform. They must compete. Fat people are not fast off the lights. Fat people do not look like Lance Fuckingarmfuckingstrong. Fat people must enshroud themselves in cars as a prophylactic against polite society’s sight of their ungainly self-propelled movement. Fat people must squeeze themselves onto buses and trains and tubes with all the other huffers and puffers, the children and the old people, the timid and the nearly dead. They say obese but you read fat. People like you are an epidemic. You are contagious and the things you must do to make the rest of us safe you are not allowed to do. Fat is getting thinner all the time. If you are fat, don’t cycle. You don’t, do you?

Cycle helmets are the most visible and potent symbol of all that’s wrong with Britain’s (anti-)cycling culture. Cycle helmets say we cannot cycle without the right precautions, the right equipment, the right infrastructure, the right training. Cycle helmets say there must be more to cycling than a person, two wheels and the surface of the Earth. Cycle helmets say that cycling is more dangerous than not cycling. Let’s ban them now before it’s too late. Let’s lock up all the people who buy them, who sell them, who use them. Let’s drag them off to jail in handcuffs, in tears.

A hipster? Finally?

2009-08-27T07:14:00.000-04:00

If you remember back in July, a good friend of No Drive and fellow rider Marcus started making up his first fixie. It's been a great little project and yesterday he got the hoops... and they are well... sexy.

All blacked out Deep V's on the rig...

I'll have a bit more for you all tonight but for now, get out and ride!

More Transformation...

2009-08-26T07:41:00.000-04:00

Now for all you tech-savvy folk out there and on the slim chance you are following me over on Twitter might have noticed a picture I posted a night or two ago... Last week, I decided that Red was going to transform a bit from her current state to some thing new with all sorts of little hints and teasers along the way...

This was a quick picture I took before Tom and I's late night ride for cheap food...

That's right, we rode to get food and good food... and cheap food. I digress... I've got a few other things to get before new pictures of here will be shown but in the meantime I've been rocking Red brake less the last few days and it's been fun. Not a new experiment by any means but really allows me to remember how badly I wish I could skid.

Another addition to Red will be a new brake lever. Over the weekend I did some modification to what started as an all white brake to better fit Red's decor.

That's it for now. More later and to those of you who were wondering, Leadout Racing had a pretty dang good showing at the Tour de Gaslight Crit this past weekend. Way to go guys! It made for a great day to sit and watch a few races.

photoshop fun.

2009-08-21T01:30:00.002-04:00

It was a super long day at the shop today as we prepped for a huge sale we're having this weekend. I worked from 10 til 6, then drove across town and had a meeting at Mars from 6:30-8:30, got back to the shop at 9ish and finished setting almost everything up a little after midnight. So needless to say, I'm exhausted so all I have for you today is a little photo shop fun...

So if you're looking for a new bike, come and visit me this weekend or heck, come see all the work I did moving things around. Otherwise, ride safe and if you're in the GR area on Sunday maybe I'll see you here. Geoff's throwing down the hammer as always, maybe a his first Pro/Cat 1/2 race win? Hopefully but we'll see.

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

2009-08-20T07:01:00.002-04:00

Now, if you're fans of No Drive. over on Facebook, you'll have read this under the company overview:

We dream simple dreams. Intentional living. Attempting to bring change to our world and taking advantage of each individuals own sphere of influence. Simple solutions to complex problems: giving instead of taking, loving instead of hating, riding instead of driving.

Intentional living. Taking Advantage of an individuals sphere of influence. Simple solutions. These are the phrases that drive me each day, these simple statements are what I hope my own personal compass is set on. I hope and strive to be taking steps to live in such a way that I am doing these things. Yet, I often fail.

A few days ago, I had the day off. I really didn't do anything. I mean, I did nothing. But somehow in the middle of that, I realized I needed a new belt and as I looked through my spare and old bike parts I discovered I had a few old tires that were pretty sweet but unusable for any actual riding. Ta-da! Queue the music! Why not make a belt out of one of them.

This of course, lead me to think how this might lead to a NDJR carry-over. We're already making and developing t-shirts but why not reuse some thing that has used up it's life as some thing else. Why not reduce the amount of 'stuff' that we're bringing into the world. Why not breathe life into some thing that just gets thrown out.

So became the first prototype of the No Drive. Just Ride. belt.

This is an old Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Tire partnered with some parts of an old belt. And what do you know. It works. It's comfortable. It looks sweet. It's time for you to get your hands on one.

Each belt is unique with their own personality, tread and buckle. If you are interested in getting your hands on one of these please email me at adamlorenz@gmail.com with a waist measurement [in inches] and what kind of tread pattern you'd be interested in getting your hands on. The first generation NDJR belts will start at $20 and that includes shipping to the continental U.S.. Payments via Paypal will be accepted.

Once again, email me and we can get the conversation started on your one of a kind belt!

From CNN :: and a response.

2009-08-18T07:42:00.002-04:00

I stumbled onto this on CNN.com last night about the Critical Mass ride in Vancouver, Canada [which is one of many Critical Mass rides done each month in a number of major cities]

Just a few response to the motorists the 'iReporter' interviewed...

'It's great!'
One of the more common responses I have experienced when those not riding see or experience larger rides go through urban centers and disrupt the regular flow of traffic. This is one of the main reason for the Critical Mass rides is to raise awareness for cycling and get more people involved. There is strength in numbers and this is a great way to get people's attention.

'I love this, I'm get myself a bike'
Once again. Just great to see and hear when people simply see enough 'everyday' people riding around that they want to join in. Cycling has unfortunately gained the stigma of the helmet wearing and spandex sporting athletes which isn't always putting a great step forward for the sport. Riding just to ride is why we all started in the first place, the freedom we experienced the moment the wind hit our face, I would argue, is the hook that keeps most of us going.

'Nightmare. They should obey the same rules we do and there's a cop that let them do it too... And we're late!'
This passenger is exactly right. Cyclist should and must obey the same rules as automobiles. But often cyclists aren't given or afforded the same rights to the road by the same people who demand they obey the rules. Thus why a critical mass is important in getting people to recognize the importance of cycling but more importantly cycling safely. Which, by the way, the Vancouver ride is with the police escort. By having the law enforcement, i.e. city government involved, it makes sure the event remains safe to all who are involved.

'I think they picked the wrong time of day to throw this protest, I don't why the city allows them to have it... Pick a time of day when, like a Sunday or some thing to throw this protest, not a Friday before a long weekend.'
Now all I want to do is ask this driver is what good is a protest that no one sees or disrupts the normal flow of the day? How else do you raise awareness or get people talking about and issue unless you bring it to ones attention? Maybe that's just me.

Overall, I'm on the fence as to whether or not I approve of Critical Mass rides. Sure, it's fun to go on and I basically partake in one each Wednesday Night here in GR but as we've encountered with these rides, often there are people who don't want to obey traffic laws and do more harm than good for bicycling advocacy with their actions. But then again, people are riding and is that really a bad thing?

3 Essentials

2009-08-17T07:02:00.007-04:00

If a part becomes a transparent part of your daily riding routine,

then I would say it is doing its job.
:: Guitar Ted, via The Cyclist Site

It was quite the coincidence that I spoke to a customer on Saturday about the importance of a properly fitting shoe and he responded with 'Spending money on a solid seat and shoes is always worth it' and at that moment all of this dawned on me. Then Saturday night stumbled onto G-Ted's review of some grips where he made the statement above and everything clicked. In my mind, the 3 essential things to be dialed in on any bike are first ones saddle, then the grips and shoes [in whichever order you want]. Outside the saddle, the other two are often overlooked as essential items to have dialed in.

Saddle

Now, there are plenty of differing thoughts on what makes one saddle better than the next. From Bontrager's Inform to Specialized Body Geometry to the 'try it and ride it' approach, each hold some truth although I would lean more towards Bontrager's approach more than anything. Stressing that specific size, adjustment and padding is more important that removing saddle structure or cut out. Saddle width is the key measurement I have found for saddle comfort. Figuring that out, as you can see on either on the Bontrager or Specialized website, while considering the typical riding position adds up to the right saddle. But there is one solution to all saddle problems... getting out and riding it. And most saddle companies now offer a 30 to 90 day like it or return it policy, take advantage of that! But you owe it to yourself to ride a saddle more than once and to try different positions on the saddle. I have found that if you have to adjust a saddle more than one or two 'clicks' from level you might have the wrong seat and that sliding the saddle along the rails does more for comfort than anything else.

Grips

Grips. Now, I'm extremely bias. I believe Ergon Bike Ergonomics put out the best product on the market. Period. This is an area that until companies like Ergon came around a few years ago, very little thoughts on how to relieve pain to a riders hand were considered outside of using bigger grips or a riser bar. I discovered Ergon via Jeff Kerkove back when Ergon decided to sponsor Trans Iowa and provide all 50 of the riders with free grips. This created quite the buzz around the shop and from that moment on, I believe all of us at Europa have been sporting them. Why? Because they simply work. There is a reason why companies are copying their design. These grips relieve the stress from the nerve that goes through your palm that creates the numbness and pain when pinched during riding. From the casual rider to the endurance racer, one can not go wrong with these grips.

Shoes

Shoes would be the last on my list of must have or must do between these 3 Essentials. Why? The novice cyclist simply wants to jump on the bike and ride where as the more avid rider or racer understands the improved efficiency and control one gains with a cycling specific shoes. Of course, when you bring up shoes, it is more than that and brings into the discussion of pedals but for the sake of this argument we'll simply concede that each have different preferences on what pedals a rider should use. A solid shoe for me, has a stiff sole, a 3 strap system with one ratcheting buckle. Each company out there offers products that have these options and depending on your foot type, how they fit comes into play. But when trying on shoes the two things I stress to customers is to look for and feel a good snug heel and plenty of space in the toe box. From there, to each their own on what works for them.

But in then end, with these 3 essentials it comes down to exactly what G-Ted said 'If a part becomes a transparent part of your daily riding routine, then I would say it is doing its job'. So if you notice it, it's probably not a good thing and you might want to consider changing it. Before you just start buying more and more shoes and saddles, take time to think of what exactly bothers you, what part of your hand, foot or hind side hurts and talk it over with someone at your local shop. They should be able to give you a few options for finding ways to making these parts 'transparent'.

Weekend Videos

2009-08-15T07:24:00.000-04:00

Enjoy.

no drive. just ride. presents: C Series

2009-08-14T07:13:00.000-04:00

The C Series

Now, this has been on my mind for some time now... at one point I thought about putting together a potential race, other times I simply training rides, then sometimes simply no drop longer distant ride. The C Series is a bit of all 3, it maybe only one of 3 some months but in the end, it's all about the love of Cycling.

C stands for Cycling
C stands for 100
C stands for Century

My hope is that this becomes a monthly ride where we ride 100 miles at one shot, some months it will be a clean 100, others a dirty 100. Meaning when it's a clean it's on pavement, dirty its on dirt/gravel. These rides will typically take place on Sundays and mainly in Michigan but I am also hoping to have a ride in Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois down the road. Some will be part of larger already established rides [such as the ride in September] others we'll be on our own.

August 30th :: A no-drop CLEAN Century
September 27th :: Apple Cider Century [must pre-register here]
October 24th/DIRTY [Tentative Date]
November 22nd in Iowa/DIRTY [Tentative Date and Location]
December 19th [Tentative Date]

Start times and tentative route will be announced/posted 1 week prior to ride both here and on the C Series website [still in development]. Please feel free to email me if you are interested in receiving emails about the upcoming rides at adamlorenz@gmail.com

I Have A Need For Speed

2009-08-12T11:51:00.003-04:00

It's and addiction, and makes crack look cheap and weak. Waking up early to sneak in some extra miles on the commute, spinning my legs out on my lunch break to hopefully get ride of the lactic acid that has built up in them, always thinking of the next race and when I will get my fix, and of course the fact that my basement and car always look like a bike shop has exploded in it. These are all signs of my addiction to speed and the racing that has inspired it. I know I don't race a Top Gun inspired bike, but this year has been a summer full of racing on the road, and I have a need for speed. I'd like to thank Adam for trying to keep things updated on here about racing, and linking to the team site. The upgrade to Cat. 2 has gone fairly well so far. My first race was a touch rough as I raced the Elk Grove 1/2 race and felt starstruck and outgunned from the start and didn't feel like I could stay on top of a gear and was unable to mentally fight for position in corners resulting in me missing the split in the field and finishing in 30th, 5 places outside the money. I know I am supposed to be happy as so many people got shelled in this race and it was a learning experience, but I am never happy when I ride like a wuss. This past weekend was a bit of redemption at the Meijer Grand Cycling Classic. This was now a Pro/1/2 race with Bissell bringing a full roster of pros to their sponsors hometown race. In addition to Bissell, Kelly Benefits sent a squad, Kenda Pro brought a bunch of riders, the Panthers fielded an army, and Subway-Avanti had three very strong riders in the field. Adding all of this talent to the already fast Michigan race scene made for a very fun day. Early on I still suffered from the feeling that I was recently upgraded and didn't know what I was doing in a field this strong. Once I settled down and realized that I had family, teammates, other racers, and of course the Founders team yelling at me to move up and do something I settled in and realized while faster than any field I had ridden in all year it was still a field I could handle and a course that suited my riding style. About halfway through I decided to stop hiding out and did some work, made a couple short lived break attempts, and helped pull back another one or two. I got caught a touch out of position in the sprint, but still managed 15th place which got me my entry fee back plus a little bit of pocket change. Ben Jacques-Maynes finished a place behind me and I am going to claim that he was trying his best to beat me(Ok fine so I know he wasn't but it makes for a good story.) Tom Zirbel won the race after spending a good chunk of the day in a break with former MiScene standout Jake Rytlewski. A great confidence building race for me, and now I can't wait for Ada and Gaslight. If you are in West Michigan stop by one of these races and enjoy watching some of Michigan's best crit racing. Dan Socie took some awesome pictures downtown, check them out here.

Land of the Free...

2009-08-12T07:33:00.004-04:00

Recently, a group of folk back in my old stomping grounds in Iowa started a petition to ban cyclist from the nearly 30,000+ miles of 'farm to market' roads. I'm not the first nor the last to respond to this petition, and this is not the first time a group in the U.S. has tried to ban cyclists from the road [previously in Colorado]. Like many, I can not stress the amount of frustration I have towards those who are proposing such a ban. I've spent the last few days reading up on how this might play out and how the law reads in matters concerning right to the road. The main source has been the book Bicycling and the Law by Bob Mionske and much of what I will be stating comes from what he has written. I can not stress how appreciative I have been to have this book as a resource and believe it is a must for anyone spending any time riding on the road.

Let's start this by hearing what the Citizens for Safety Coalition of Iowa [CSCI] are petitioning, that is: 'to have the Iowa Legislature support a ballot initiative for the November 2010 election which will prohibit bicyclists from using state and county defined farm-to-market roads.' Stating specifically that 'Over the past ten years the number of bicyclists using these farm-to-market roads for recreational purposes has increased dramatically as have the number of preventable accidents and fatalities. Rural commerce and citizens are significantly impacted when forced to share the farm-to-market roadways with bicyclists. Because of the growth of today's commerce and agricultural business, shared roadways are no longer safe or practical in today's society.'

The absurdity of this petition baffles me. The CSCI is claiming and taking the approach that they are looking out for the best interests and safety of both the rural citizen and cyclist by pushing for this ban. The reality is that such a ban could become a battle of constitutional right, because 'the U.S. Constitution guarantees the ancient right of liberty, including the right to travel. [...] All courts agree that there is a constitutional right to interstate travel; some courts, and virtually all constitutional scholars, have held that there is a corresponding right to intrastate travel.' [Mionske, 110] Moionske goes further to stress that unlike freedom of speech, the right to travel is a fundamental right [Freedom of speech is restricted as observed by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes 'the most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic'] and in restricting such travel strict scrutiny of such laws must take place [108,112].

Sure, I might be jumping and going further with this more than most in arguing that banning cycling is an attack on the liberties assured to us by the Constitution. The CSCI states that there has been a 'number of preventable accidents and fatalities' due to the increased number of cyclists on these roads. Granted the internet is not always the best place to gather reliable statistics, I struggled to find any statistic showing increased fatalities on farm to market roads; most are still typically found in towns, on paved surfaces rather than the roads in the petition.

As I pointed out earlier, the CSCI is 'taking the approach that they are looking out for the best interests and safety of both the rural citizen and cyclist'. Which then opens the door to state vehicle codes or moreover the same guideline from state to state handed down by the federal government called Uniform Traffic Laws. Because the CSCI is using what Mionske calls 'Assumption of Risk' found on page 25 where he writes:

"The law does not require a person to surrender the lawful exercise of a valuable right [use of a public street] or assume the risk of injury merely because someone else's conduct or failure to exercise due care threatens harm."

Bell v. Chawkins, 460 S.W.2d 850 (Tenn. 1970)

Suppose somebody who owes you a duty of care breaches that duty, and you're injured as a result of that person's negligence. Now that person needs a good defense. "Assumption of risk" is one such defense - it's the negligent person's way of saying, "Whether I was negligent or not, you knew the risk, and you took it anyway, so I shouldn't be held liable for your injuries."

Assumption of risk is a powerful defense in negligence cases. Even if the person who injured you is held liable for your injuries, your "assumption of the risk" may reduce the amount of compensation that you would otherwise be entitled to.

Think for a moment about how problematic this defense would be, however, if it were applied to negligence in an auto accident: You get into your car, you drive to work, somebody negligently causes an accident, and then blames you f or being on the road in the first place.

Would this argument make any sense to you? Hopefully not, and yet that is exactly what is being claimed when the assumption-of-risk defense is used in the context of auto/bike collisions. [...] [B]aring a few exceptions, courts have universally agreed that it is not a legitimate defense outside of the sporting context.

He then goes into what he calls the 'Proper Lookout' which applies to both automobiles and cyclists in that we both share the same rights to the road. He quotes from a case in Idaho Supreme Court, Drury v. Palmer [25-26]:

It is the obligation of an operator of a motor vehicle to keep proper lookout. The whole theory of motor vehicle law is based on the requirement that the operator keep his vehicle under control at all times, considering actual and potential hazards, which of necessity contemplates proper lookout by the operator. It is not only the duty of the operator to look, but it is his duty to see and be cognizant of that which is plainly visible or obviously apparent, and a failure on his part in his regard, without proper justification or reason, makes him chargeable for failure to see what he should have seen had he been in the exercise of reasonable care.

In the end, rural citizens must take responsibility for their own driving, accidents happen for a number of reasons and it is just as much of a jump to simply blame the cyclist riding on these roads as the cause. All cyclist regardless of where we are riding we MUST obey traffic laws, because if we don't and ride as though we are free to claim which ever best suit us and our time schedule or training plan, we don't deserve a right to the road.

We will always be climbing uphill in this struggle for our right to the road and we will always encounter those who don't believe we should be on the road. But let's do what we can to take the ammunition away from them.

Ride right.
Ride safe.

Starting to form a list...

2009-08-11T07:15:00.000-04:00

Now. As I said before, I'm getting on of the new 2010 Cannondale Flash Carbon 29er 1 here this winter and if you haven't noticed, I can't leave anything stock. All my bikes have become my own in one way or another. The unfortunately reality of that means that things are going to get switch out almost immediately and now I am left with deciding when to order all of these... once I get the bike or before in preparation. I'm also debating setting it up as a 1x9 with probably a 40T front and a Rohloff upper chain guide. Thoughts? Suggestions?

But here's the list so far...

Ergon GX2 Leichtbau Carbon (in team green of course!)

Salsa Pro Moto Carbon Flat Bar

Salsa Lip Lock

Salsa Rear Flip-Off

Brooks B17 Titanium
Crank Brothers Ti Eggbeater Pedals

She's gonna look purdee...

Bucks for Bikes?

2009-08-10T07:33:00.004-04:00

Unless you have been living under a rock lately, the United States Automobile Industry has been given a bit of a kick by the boys in Washington with the 'Cash for Clunkers' program, in which those who are driving less than friendly death boxes can trade them and get a nice rebate of $3,500-4,500, if you are approved have you.

By no means do I want to completely slam this program because it is allowing more fuel efficient vehicles on the road which is very much needed. As we all know this is not fixing the petro-addiction the U.S. has and is acting more like temporary fix, although it is a start though in solving this complex problem.

I recently read about Canada's version of the program called 'Retire you Ride' and before you assume anything. I am by no means idolizing Canadian legislation and am not threatening to move there if a similar program is not put into place here. I love the U.S. and am patiently waiting for Alec Baldwin, Robert Altman, and Eddie Vedder to head north after stating to move there if Bush was re-elected in 2004 [and on a side note, props to Johnny Depp, he moved to France, talk about a man of his word].

What intrigued me by Canada's program was that it seems to be much broader approaching to solving the addiction/environmental issues of having the ol' rust buckets still in commission. Their plan is to 'give [Canadians] rewards that encourage [them] to use environmentally-friendly transportation, including a public transit pass or a membership to a car-sharing program, $300 cash or a rebate on the purchase of a 2004 and newer vehicle.'

This is more than a simple car exchange program that we have, where we are essentially keeping the same number of cars on the road [and as you probably already noticed the Canadian government is not giving as enticing of an offer as both the German and U.S. governments are of nearly $4,000 for trade in, which I do feel is a whole other issue]. The Canadian government is promoting public transit and car pooling and in all the provinces they are offering 'a discount of $350.00 to $490.00 off of a high-end commuter bicycle as well as up to 15% off parts and services'. And this is what I do want to focus on.

This part of the program is lead by the Bicycle Trade Association of Canada and I believe is a great way of not overlooking the other small businesses and local infrastructure in a country. This part of the program spreads benefits to more local business which in turn, reinvest money into their communities. 'A study conducted by Andersonville Development Corporation in Chicago shows that for every $100 spent at a national chain only $43 stays in the community. If that same $100 is spent at locally owned independent stores $68 stays in the community.' [article]. Like it or not the automobile companies are big businesses and are not often local. If you live outside of the handful of states that actually manufacture this small fraction of approved vehicles in the program, very little of YOUR money that YOU spent, stays local.

Sure, this is a doubled bladed sword because many of the products/items that we use in our daily life are not made stateside or local but that does not negate the fact that the more spent at locally owned independent stores [like your LOCAL bike shop!] keeps the money here and moves more through the community, empowering towns and cities to grow, and individuals to create and to innovate; which in turn leads to lasting change in the culture of the towns, cities, and country!

A tip of the hat to Canada for attempting to look beyond short term success and strive for lasting change. Change always has to start some where.

Super Week Stuff...

2009-08-07T11:12:00.001-04:00

As I mentioned awhile back Geoff was tearing it up at Super Week and instead of just copying and pasting what he has already wrote, check out his team website for a little play-by-play on how the week went...

The Leadout crew showed up to say the least... Geoff coming in 4th, Dan in 11th, Mark at 21st and Peter at 27th. Great work! Geoff is now in the Cat 2's and hopefully will be laying down the hammer in the final few months 2009... There was a crash in Chicago involving one of the guys, Nick, in the one of the final turns and you've gotta love Youtube... Check it...

Really?

2009-08-07T06:30:00.001-04:00

Ok, yesterday's post I finished with remembering the common thread we all share: We love riding. But if there is one segment of the cycling family that I struggle with, and well, I know I'm not alone in this but few will admit to it... the triathlete. I guess, I don't mean to go after the rider but more the steed.

I'm guilty, like many, of cruising many of the cycling companies this time of year and checking out what they are releasing for the coming year. The latest and greatest, even if I don't sell it or stock it, it's always interesting to see where the industry is heading and who is pushing it. A few days back I was over at Giants website and saw the bike pictured above. The Trinity Advanced SL. And all I can really say is... really? really?

Really?

Granted this isn't being billed as a tri bike but I know it's got to be turning the heads of many a tri-geek. I honestly have no idea how to respond to this bike other than to say it makes me think of an aircraft carrier with wheels on it, all it needs is the Top Gun theme song playing in the background.

It's all in the shoes.

2009-08-06T22:48:00.004-04:00

Wow. It's been awhile. Too long, and I would like to give some long explanation on why I haven't been writing lately but well, does it really matter? All I'll say is the normal 'mid-season suck' of shop life really took a lot out of me this year and needless to say I just wasn't up for writing and trust me, I had/have things to write about so hopefully it'll be a good few weeks of content.

This past weekend, we had another KOTS Urban MTB race downtown and it went off great and I can't say how much credit goes to Ben for putting this whole series together. I bring this up to say that earlier in the day, I stumbled onto an old pair of Pumas that I've had for a few years and rocked them. Now, I'm a shoe guy. Not a surprise to some of you, but if there is one piece of clothing that I'm always tempted to buy it's that... From Chucks to cycling shoes to the flippy floppies... I have learned to contain the urge of buying them in the recent years but when I found these I put them on it dawned on me...

... I'm a hipster.

Yep, I said it. Although I don't fall into all the 'classic' categories of what makes a hipster a hipster [i.e. I don't try hard to look like I didn't try at all, or check out this video on the Hipster Olympics], it is getting harder and harder to deny it. Over the course of this summer I could probably count on one hand the number of times I have worn shorts, instead my Man-pre collection has grown and I am now unable to deny the fact that they are more comfortable to me than shorts. Yes, this is very strange and by no means can I say that it is at any level right. I fully believe when I am older, I will look back and wonder what the heck I was thinking.

But in all seriousness, what really dawned on me, or actually what was reaffirmed what most already know... their are certain shoes/equipment that just plain work better for the different aspects of cycling. From the roadie who has to always rock the lyrica and must have his sunglasses on the outside of his helmet straps to the downhill mountain biker rocking all the armor topped with a full face helmet to the fixie hipster with the well... eye on 'fashion'. There are plenty of other stereotypes in cycling and we all fall in to some of the categories from time to time but the one thing that we must never forget what we all have in common:

We all love these two wheeled machines.

So ride your fixie, your BMX bike, your rusty commuter, or road bike and remember to give that nod of appreciation and respect to your fellow rider when your paths cross...

The Roads are Yours and Mine

2009-08-01T00:52:00.003-04:00

This is a post that came from a good friend of mine over at The Cyclist site, G-Ted concerning some frustrating 'proposed' legislation. I'll throw my two cents out there in a few days:

From Dictionary.com

pub⋅lic [puhb-lik]

1.	of, pertaining to, or affecting a population or a community as a whole: public funds; a public nuisance.

2.	done, made, acting, etc., for the community as a whole: public prosecution.

3.	open to all persons: a public meeting.

4.	of, pertaining to, or being in the service of a community or nation, esp. as a government officer: a public official.

5.	maintained at the public expense and under public control: a public library; a public road.

The thing about cycling is that you need somewhere to engage in the activity. Obvious, and not unlike other activities we participate in. The beauty of cycling is that you can make use of so many places to do it at because they are public places. That is what makes using a bicycle so appealing.

Now we are finding that people who are not fans of cycling, for whatever reasons, feel they can use the law to take away your public access to roadways. Even if you are a tax paying, law abiding resident. We are seeing rumblings of this in Colorado, and now in the state of Iowa, a similar movement to ban cyclists is afoot. There are several glaring affronts to your freedom going on here.

First of all, the public road system is created and maintained by tax dollars procured from all residents of any given state, and all across the country. You own part of the roads. Because of the public nature these roads, they become non-public if certain taxpaying residents are banned from them. The ridiculous nature of such a proposition should be obvious. These propositions in Colorado and Iowa pre-suppose that even though you pay for the roads, you do not own any part of them, nor do you have a right to ride on them on a bicycle. Both cases state that the "safety" of the cyclists can not be provided for in any other way than to ban them altogether.

Another way to look at it is to say that your use is dictated by a small, unhappy segment of the user group that wishes to impose their will on the masses. Never mind that these users are most likely to be at fault in automobile/cyclist accidents that result in injury or death.

Finally, this sets a dangerous precedent in that any organized small group could feasibly dictate use of your freedoms soley based on what the imposing group feels is safe for you.

Think that this is just a strange happening in states that do not matter to you and that it will "just go away"? Think again. Be vigilant about your rights as cyclists. Fight for your freedom. If you just stand around thinking someone else will take care of it, they will, and probably not in the way you imagine it should be.

Join IMBA, join a local cycling advocacy, and write your representatives in the State and Federal branches of government. Be reasonable, but be firm. Or you may find yourself with a bicycle and all dressed up with no where to go.

Superweek Postings

2009-07-20T09:26:00.002-04:00

As Adam said I am at the International Cycling Classic/Superweek for the week, and will hopefully be posting nightly on the team site. It was a great weekend and a great start to the week here hopefully we can keep the ball rolling. Peter, Mark, and Dan K. are all racing this week and then we will be joined by a lot of others for the Chicago Crit next Sunday, and that is an awesome race. Feel free to check out the race reports, as the top finisher each day has the duty of posting one. Oh yeah and top finisher also picks sleeping arrangements and it felt really nice not to have to share a bed. Ha.

GBK

Some people have good weekends...

2009-07-19T22:54:00.005-04:00

Some people have good weekends, others great... Now, I don't know if I can speak for Geoff on this one fully but as he put it...

'Good start to super week'

And I'd say so... check it out here...

That's right... he won the NorthShore University HealthSystem Grand Prix! I don't know any of the details on how he won but hopefully I can get him to do a recap on here when he's back at the end of the week. I'm sure that he'll have a few stories to share and I'm hoping a few more wins under his belt as he then transitions from CAT 3 to 2.

My weekend was good, no race wins here but just a great two days. One at the shop where the day went fast and today was spent doing the four great R's: relaxing, reading, riding and supporting a race.

Did a little 15 mile ride with a good friend Jenny. It started to rain pretty good and cut the ride in half and because of the water I didn't want to risk messing up my phone so sorry no photos. It was a good spin as we officially marked the calendar for doing the Apple Cider Century in September. We, or should I say I, had an interesting encounter with a traffic cone on the ride though. We cut through the street by the 5/3 Ballpark just north of Grand Rapids and I got a little confused on which way we were going and as Jenny told me to follow the road just in time to take out an innocent cone just doing it's job, dead center. Fortunately, I had a firm grip on the bars and good speed and ran it over. And much like when a car hit one, the cone decided to hang on for a bit and stuck on my left crank arm as I carried it for a few feet further than planned.

Then this evening headed downtown with Tom to help put on this summers first King of the Streets race. It was great time with no crashes but to fun courses from what all the guys said. Jeff Jacobi [picture on the left] ended up taking home the trophy for the fastest times on both the course run. Good times, now just waiting for next weekend to start!

The making of a hipster...errr, a fixie

2009-07-17T09:49:00.006-04:00

A few weeks back, a friend of mine stopped into the shop and said 'Let's build a fixie'. Maybe one of the greatest 4 word sentences around, partly because building up a fixie from scratch is always fun. Each build is never quite the same but always simple and just plain great to see the excitement grow as all the parts come together to make the bike that before was simply a dream.

I try my best to just empower the people who are building them, selling them the proper parts as we discuss what they want their bike to do and in the end hopefully teaching them a few things on how to maintain and service their new bike.

Here is the before and after of Marcus' new fixie... if you want to see the full progression here is a link to the Facebook album. Enjoy.

The bike is so very close to being done. Marcus is rocking my extra fixie wheelset until he can jump on some blacked out Deep V's and it sounds like down the road more black will be introduced to the bike in general. Needless to say, it's still a hot bike!

Have a great weekend everyone, get out and ride! And if you're in the GR area and looking for some thing to do or watch this Sunday evening, I hear there is a pretty sweet event going on... hopefully see you there!

ORDERED!

2009-07-14T00:22:00.003-04:00

Who's counting the days til January?
This guy, I thought we met!
I CANNONDALE.

I did it. I placed the order today for the 2010 Cannondale Flash Carbon 29er 1. I'll be getting the XL frame size and excited to see what the weight will come in for it given that the Large weighed in at 18 LBS. Yes, 18 lbs! 5 lbs lighter than the Super Fly! Crazy!

XtraMonkey

2009-07-11T22:29:00.015-04:00

So you've seen these bikes before in different forms and set ups, but after much thought I believe I've landed on the best possible set up. Here is a quick journey through where these bikes have done starting here to here to here to... [sorry for the picture quality]

My camera died so here is the best I could do for a time lapse of Saturdays project...

So as most of you know the Surly Karate Monkey is a 29er, big wheeled goodness. The Xtracycle kit that I had purchased a good 2 years ago now was for a 26" wheel. I decided to keep the rear wheel from what was on the Giant frame and so you guessed it kids, I'm running a 69er Xtramonkey as I'm calling it. I'm sure it has been done before but the set up is amazing! I can't believe I put up with such an aggressive position previously. Obviously with the larger front wheel it moves the bar positioning up but it's good, dang good! If you're looking into putting a Free Radical on an older bike running 'traditional' geometry or a completely rigid that doesn't have a suspension corrected fork on it it's the least you should do. Your body will thank you!

I might add that the thrill I'm having at running this as a 69er by no means that I support the confused line of bikes offered by a few companies that come stock in this set up. For the mountain application you cannot beat a 29er.

Skinning a Cat.

2009-07-11T11:23:00.002-04:00

I stumbled onto this video a few minutes ago and well... it's one of those that just proves that there is multiple ways to skin a cat. I will forewarn you there is some language in it...

A few thoughts from it from right after watching it...

_he's taking a part a freewheel, not a cassette.
_he wants to be 'careful' when clamping down a pipe wrench to the gears not to 'ruin' them.
_I love youtube, it teaches so that we can sell people new parts!

Urban Assault...

2009-07-08T00:16:00.008-04:00

Tuesday Nights here in Grand Rapids there is group of guys who do a little Urban Assault on some mountain bikes and since I know a few of them, I figured I'd tag along. Not too mention I'm helping out with a urban race called King of the Streets being put on in here in a few weeks... be checking out that website as all the details start to get hashed out.

I was more of a camera man than anything, given that I was on the Cannondale cross bike... enjoy some pics from the evening. Most are in black and white for your EPIC viewing pleasure...

The NEXT bike.

2009-07-07T07:15:00.000-04:00

So I've decided. I would say I'm around the 93% sure mark on whether I'll go through with this or not. But if I had to say yes or no right now, it's definitely a yes.

I'll be getting a 2010 Cannondale Flash Carbon 29er 1.

Over at Twentynineinches.com they have the full line of '10 Cannondale 2ers shown and given probable specs and some have rumored that this will be a sub 20 lbs bike! Crazy, given that the Fisher Superfly without pedals came in at 23 lbs. I guess seeing is believing in this case but regardless, I want to get my hands on one. I know, suprise suprise, I'm not going single speed.

Here's what G.Ted wrote for spec on this beauty...

Carbon fiber comes to Cannondale 29″ers: We’ve been reporting this for a couple weeks now, but here are the details as we know them. First, the spec sheet I have seen is saying that the Flash carbon 29″ers are “Hi-MOD”, which one would asume means that it is “high modulus” carbon fiber. The story is being told now that this isn’t the case, and that “standard modulus” carbon fiber is going to be used in these frames to keep the cost down. (Reportedly between $2500-$3000 for the Flash 29er 1) At any rate, even with the confusion there, the rest of the spec is exciting. The fork is a Lefty Carbon SL with DLR set at 80mm. The stem/steer tube is Cannondale’s SI (System Integrated) set up. The frame is also a BB-30 frame with FSA K-Force Light crank and BB-30 bottom bracket. The drive train consists of SRAM X-0 rear derailluer and shifters with a Shimano XT front mech all working to turn the DT Swiss 240 rear/Lefty SL front hubs laced to Stan’s NoTubes ZTR Arch rims with DT Swiss Aerospeed spokes.

The frame itself is very interesting with flattened chain stay sections mated with minimalistic looking seat stays, presumably to give better vertical compliance. The junction of the top tube to the seat tube is also curiously tapered. The seat post is a Cannondale branded piece that is reportedly using S.A.V.E. technology gained from working with the Synapse line on the road side. Note the flattened, thinner section at mid-post. This is again in an effort to provide more rider comfort. Avid Elixir CR Carbon brakes with a 180frt/160r rotor set up, Fizik Gobi XM with Kium rails, and TruVativ Stylo World Cup 10 degree bar round out the spec highlights here.

I'm already imagining it with a little bit more red on it...

Trains Iowa

2009-07-05T23:55:00.005-04:00

Only a few months ago Brian and I attempted Trans Iowa v.5 and since the moment that we called it quits we started talking about how we were going to train and finish Trans Iowa V. 6. We've slowly begun the conversation as to what we want to do each month to get there and so far here is what we've come up with...

_A century a month (dirty or clean) starting August.

Remember, Brian and I are normal guys, simple shop rats for the time being and training for us typically just means getting out on the bike and riding and riding a lot. I am debating investing in a training program come November that will give me direction in the fall.

So far here are a few rides I'm debating doing, hopefully this list will grow longer in the next month:

September 26th - Heck of the North
OR
September 27th - Apple Cider Century

October 3rd - Grand Rapids 60 mile Ride for Refugees

Brian and I are hoping to meet up a few times and go for a few day or days rides if our schedules work out, which may be a bit trickier since Brian and his wife have a baby on the way! All I know is it's good to have the ball rolling.

Hope everyone had a great 4th!

Veloship, velo ship...

2009-06-30T07:02:00.001-04:00

Now yesterday was an interesting day... I started out the day by calling in sick to the shop and by the middle of the day finding out that the one and only BikesnobNYC linked up No Drive and the Veloship crew and pointed out some thing quite interesting...

Words can always have different meanings to the person reading them, especially in the case of 'creating' new terminology such as 'veloship'.

Case in point [made by Bikesnob]... velo shipping or the velo ship?
I actually think that all that he is correct when he says:

'I have a feeling that the "velo ship" conversion is going to become the next big thing. Forget horizontal dropouts and fixed cogs; soon it's going to be all about the pontoons. Not only will this come in handy for flooding, but it will also mean that you won't have to use any of the bridges; instead, you can just ford the East River wherever you feel like it.'

The only thing I might disagree with him is that forgetting about 'horizontal dropouts and fixed cogs'. Why not merging of these two niche cycling genres, the fixed gear and pontoon bike. Just step back and image what all the hypsters will do [if it catches on have you] for gearing and the incorporation of the fixie tricks... I could see it becoming show of epically long skid competitions and tricks that are similar to a gymnast on a pommel horse. Granted there would be a pretty big uphill battle in getting a hypster to gain the upper body strength to have to ability to perform such an act. But one can always hope.

All in good fun though... I did stumble onto this video for a movie called Veer, that's been played at a few Bicycle Film Festivals around the US and from just the preview, I think it really shows what 'veloship' can be and is to a lot of people whether they call it that or not.

On the Veer website, it says:

'Veer explores America’s fast-growing bicycling culture by profiling five people whose lives are inextricably tied to bicycling and the bike-centric social groups they belong to. The film follows these characters over the course of a year, offering a behind-the-scenes look at their personal struggles and triumphs. Veer examines what it means to be part of a community, and how social movements are formed.'

Sounds like the heart of Veloship to me.

On a side note, Wes and Veloship crew are unaware of this as of right now but I've begun drawing up a few designs for potential Veloship/No Drive shirts [I told you I had other designs up my sleeve]. Just an idea right now and I'm sure Wes will have thoughts but you've always got to get the ball started somewhere.

The Wheels are Turning....

2009-06-26T23:34:00.003-04:00

Team Green Ergon GC2 Grips + Surly Torsion Bar = Wheels Turning ....

New/Old Rig

2009-06-25T22:56:00.008-04:00

Almost 2 months ago, Bottke and I attempted to do some thing big. Real big. We both knew what it was but didn't KNOW how big it was. I believe I can say this for the both of us that our training was... errr... sub-par. We both took seriously what the bikes we were riding had to be able to handle and we both took similar yet different approaches to the set up during the ride.

For how much I loved riding my crossbike, I needed a break from it and took just that. Instead I just got distracted on other bike projects and riding Red. It's been good but over the last two weeks I started working on it. Take it down to frame and cleaning off all the Iowa dust and transforming it back into what looks closer to what it is, a cross bike. But! Since I can never do some thing straightforward, with a twist.

A little timeline of sorts for your Friday...

Shortly after getting the bike, swapped seat and handlebar tape out immediately

I didn't dig the tan bartape and switched it out pretty quickly to
the Salsa dark brown tape and changed the Velocity cages to brown from blue

When TransIowa got closer, setup changed to the WTB mountain dropbar
giving the bike a 'special' look

To it's newest form. I switch out the stem for a white Kore 100mm 6 degree stem,
white Kore cantilever brakes, new 105 crank set up 1x9 with Salsa 40T chainring with Salsa Crossing Guard, Salsa blue skewers and lip lock [still waiting for that]

Changed out the front brake lever but I'll have to admit I'm a bit jealous of Carls set up
[which I used as reference] and never thought I'd admit to being envious of Campy.
Looking for a 105 9 speed shifter. Anyone? Anyone?

The crank!

I have one more change to be made but that will come before this years Kisscross season starts up. You might have noticed I'm currently running 700x25 Conti Gatorskins on the cross bike. Sure, it looks a bit strange but for now, it's a road bike with a lot of tire clearance.

Until next time, enjoy the weekend! Get out and ride!

Sites and such.

2009-06-23T23:07:00.007-04:00

Well, Veloship has now launched a blog of it's own... all I can say is they already have a better header and I'm totally digging the photos on the site. But remember, I tend to only really dig into a site if there are pictures that go along with it. I'll blame the ADD, err, yeah.

Oh, flashy light!

On that note a few sites, links and products that have caught my eye of late, most of which are pretty self explanatory [click on the picture of course!]: