Sunday, May 29, 2005
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Almost Surly
Soma Fabrications provides an interesting product line that closely mirrors Surly's line. So you get a 'cross frame with 132.5 rear spacing, a couple of road frames and a fixed gear. But the only frame with long dropouts is the track frame, with rear-facing track-style dropouts. The 'cross frame has VD, so you can't adjust wheel position or try any single-speed versions on that platform.
The off-road frames also resemble Surly's offerings. There's a 29-inch like the Karate Monkey and a single speed like the 1x1, and a cross-country hardtail that sounds a lot like a classic early 1990s Specialized Stumpjumper. That one sounds intriguing.
They list a selection of track cogs all the way to 23 teeth, so that gives a good range of gear options for the open-road fixed gear rider, but Surly also offers a wide range of cog sizes.
If Surly isn't available near you and Soma is, it looks like a good option. Also, they deserve support for keeping some notion of durability and versatility alive. Too much of the industry has gone over to complex dispos-a-bikes, thinking these will attract more consumers. But, as I've said before, you still have to pedal them, and that automatically limits their appeal.
The off-road frames also resemble Surly's offerings. There's a 29-inch like the Karate Monkey and a single speed like the 1x1, and a cross-country hardtail that sounds a lot like a classic early 1990s Specialized Stumpjumper. That one sounds intriguing.
They list a selection of track cogs all the way to 23 teeth, so that gives a good range of gear options for the open-road fixed gear rider, but Surly also offers a wide range of cog sizes.
If Surly isn't available near you and Soma is, it looks like a good option. Also, they deserve support for keeping some notion of durability and versatility alive. Too much of the industry has gone over to complex dispos-a-bikes, thinking these will attract more consumers. But, as I've said before, you still have to pedal them, and that automatically limits their appeal.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
April Second
It’s April Second in Northern New England. That isn’t the second day of April, it’s the second April of 2005.
You really have to be devoted to ride in this weather. Just remember that it feels good when you finish and you can’t finish if you don’t start.
It’s fixed-gear weather. I’m thinking about building a fully-enclosed fairing like some early 20th Century record-attempt bike. It will seal out the wetness, more or less. But more likely I’ll just suffer and dream.
The DSL at work dangles a big carrot to get me to drive on rainy days and bring the laptop. I haven’t yet wanted to expose the computer to the perils of the road or myself to the extra weight of it, so I haven’t lugged it on the bike.
A training ride in the rain isn’t as bad as a commute. It’s one loop, one soaking, followed by a shower, dry clothes and whatever else you scheduled for the day. A ride to work on a rainy day, especially a somewhat long, rural ride like mine requires the right clothing, plus a protective pack to keep the cargo dry. And at the end of the day I get to dress again in damp, gritty clothes to trudge home among the unimpressed motorists.
Putting it that way it sounds kind of virtuous. A little masochistic, but virtuous. Maybe I won’t succumb to the lure of the car, high speed internet or not. Damn, it’s a hard choice.
Commuting to the town where I work is really a public service to all the people who for various good reasons can’t use a bike. Parking is a mess. Main Street grinds to a halt around July Fourth and starts moving again after Labor Day. Then it chokes again for foliage season, but then it’s more of a weekend condition.
Most motorists don’t realize what the cyclists are doing for them. They only notice the fleeting inconvenience of passing the guy blocking traffic on his bike. I’m satisfied when they’re just basically polite. Don’t strew rose petals, just give me a couple of feet of breathing room and go on by.
You really have to be devoted to ride in this weather. Just remember that it feels good when you finish and you can’t finish if you don’t start.
It’s fixed-gear weather. I’m thinking about building a fully-enclosed fairing like some early 20th Century record-attempt bike. It will seal out the wetness, more or less. But more likely I’ll just suffer and dream.
The DSL at work dangles a big carrot to get me to drive on rainy days and bring the laptop. I haven’t yet wanted to expose the computer to the perils of the road or myself to the extra weight of it, so I haven’t lugged it on the bike.
A training ride in the rain isn’t as bad as a commute. It’s one loop, one soaking, followed by a shower, dry clothes and whatever else you scheduled for the day. A ride to work on a rainy day, especially a somewhat long, rural ride like mine requires the right clothing, plus a protective pack to keep the cargo dry. And at the end of the day I get to dress again in damp, gritty clothes to trudge home among the unimpressed motorists.
Putting it that way it sounds kind of virtuous. A little masochistic, but virtuous. Maybe I won’t succumb to the lure of the car, high speed internet or not. Damn, it’s a hard choice.
Commuting to the town where I work is really a public service to all the people who for various good reasons can’t use a bike. Parking is a mess. Main Street grinds to a halt around July Fourth and starts moving again after Labor Day. Then it chokes again for foliage season, but then it’s more of a weekend condition.
Most motorists don’t realize what the cyclists are doing for them. They only notice the fleeting inconvenience of passing the guy blocking traffic on his bike. I’m satisfied when they’re just basically polite. Don’t strew rose petals, just give me a couple of feet of breathing room and go on by.
In 12 years since this was drawn and 25 years of Shimano-watching they have not overturned this perception.
Posted by Hello
Friday, May 20, 2005
Driver's Ed
In a perfect world, no one gets a driver's license until they've completed a full year using a bicycle as practical transportation.
Anyone who harasses a cyclist must use a bike for transportation for a minimum of 6 months.
Anyone who harasses a cyclist must use a bike for transportation for a minimum of 6 months.
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