Surf City cyclocross

IMG_6341
Originally uploaded by tedketai

3rd overall in Men's B at Surf City Series, Santa Cruz. And my season is over.

Thanks to Ted Ketai for use of the photo.

muddy fun

P1110095
Originally uploaded by SWoo

For once, a muddy start to the cross season. I'm liking it.

Thanks to Mr. Woo for the photo. And the offer of his mountain bike after I crashed into a pole (not the one in the photo, but about 2 minutes later) and broke my front brake lever.

Salsa!

salsa.jpg
Originally uploaded by chris_rocket

Old-school, I'd guess 1980s, Salsa MTB, Columbus tubing. Keeping with the retro-grouch vibe, it's got Shimano 7-speed thumb-shifters. I caved in and got a Marzocchi suspension fork.

Shot on Marys Peak, outside Corvallis, OR.

Felt TT bike

felt_tt.jpg
Originally uploaded by chris_rocket

Felt TT bike, 10sp SRAM, Time cranks, yes that's a Campy front derailleur, somehow it all worked. Ritchey tubulars.

Surly Pacer

surly.jpg
Originally uploaded by chris_rocket

This is for my friend Maria at bicyclekitty.com

This is one of my two main work bikes, a 2008 Surly Pacer with SRAM Rival 10 speed drivetrain. The steel is pretty soft, not sure what kind, generic Chromoly. I think they updated to a nicer tubeset for 2010. I give the frame a lukewarm recommendation. I only weigh 140lb, but with a 35lb banker box on the rack, there's a lot of frame flex. I replaced the stock fork with a carbon (aluminum lugged) fork from some Raleigh.

Overall, a decent bike for day rides, light touring, commuting, messengering. I wouldn't recommend it for racing or carrying heavy loads.

thoughts about Bon Jovi

This has always troubled me ... when Bon Jovi sings "Sometimes you tell the day / By the bottle that you drink" just what the hell is he talking about?

I envision several scenarios:
-- JBJ drinks certain kinds of alcohol on certain days of the week. Monday: Scotch; Tuesday: Scotch; Wednesday: Fernet and so on.
-- JBJ drinks exactly one bottle of booze per day, and clears the recycling one per week, on Sundays. That way, if there's three bottles of booze in the recyk, it must be Wednesday. Right?
-- JBJ is lining up the empties in the window. One quart of JD per day. Four quarts, it must be ... well wait, unless he always clears the window on Sunday, how would the number of bottles indicate anything except that you are a huge alcoholic?

Someone enlighten me. I agree, it's a cool-sounding couplet, but what the hell does it MEAN!

RIP House of Shields

house1
Originally uploaded by chris_rocket

My Cheers is gone. I'm sad.

haussler.jpg

haussler.jpg
Originally uploaded by chris_rocket

Oh Heinrich likes his beer ...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/haussler-caught-drink-driving

boot2.jpg

boot2.jpg
Originally uploaded by chris_rocket

Yet another cut in the expensive tires, back in Dec 08.

Tried to boot it with a FedEx envelope. Wasn't gonna work. It kept cracking, so this tire went in the rubbish bin.

But its mate has lasted for nearly two years and untold miles, so it's just bad luck, not a knock on Continental.

notes on classic rock while listening to the Bone FM 107.7

-- The distance from SF to LA via I-5 is 381 miles. If it takes Sammy Hagar 16 hours to get to LA, that means an average of 23.8mph. I could bike that fast. Come on, Sammy, do you really expect us to believe that? Or maybe he was driving from Seattle, but I've always assumed he was talking about San Francisco. After all, Brion would always point out that road where they filmed the video on the way to LA. Perhaps Sammy was making use of "poetic license" to drive home his very important point about unfair government regulation. After all, if you can't get your Lamborghini out of 1st gear, what's the point of having one?

-- Golden Earring is Dutch. DUTCH! Who knew. That solves the mystery of the idiotic song title, "Radar Love." It's Scorpion-glish, like "Steamrock Fever" (an actual song title from "Tokyo Tapes.")

-- Is it really possible for a motor scooter to be "bad?" If so, what about a moped? Could it be "moderately wicked?"

-- Am I the only person who thinks of a mongoose when they hear a song by Montrose?

-- Does anyone outside of Modesto ever want to hear Steppenwolf again? And how could a band named after a Herman Hesse novel end up writing the anthem of the Harley nation?

-- Nothing makes me feel 39 years old like hearing Green Day on a classic rock station. But I'll bet they feel older.

Summer in Oregon

lava_butte.jpg
Originally uploaded by chris_rocket

Bike racing in central oregon. Cinder cones and forests.

Soil Saloon

IMG_5246
Originally uploaded by Bici Girl

Soil Saloon. CX in SF, July 09. Photographed by Pamela Palma.

Pennyfarthing

dustin6.jpg
Originally uploaded by chris_rocket

Call it a boneshaker. Or a pennyfarthing. The original fixed-gear.

Dustin from Freewheel Bicycles, Hayes Street, demonstrating the proper style.

SP #2472

me5.jpg
Originally uploaded by chris_rocket

Spring Steam special at Niles Canyon Railway. Yes, I am a train dork.

review: Cadence hoodie

Perfect for any San Francisco weather.  We especially appreciate the snap built into the hood, for closing it under your chin when the fog rolls in.

Reflective markings on the back of the hood, unobtrusive and stylish.

Subtle graphics, as always with Cadence Clothing.  Zipup, pockets.

Get it and other clothing here: http://www.cadenceclothing.net

Cadence is a Seattle-based company run by Dustin Klein, a former messenger in San Francisco.

RIP Bianchi

After 37,000 miles, I have decided to retire my 2000 Bianchi Eros, my main work bike for the last 8 years. One and a half times around the world. Thanks, buddy.

your iPod will kill you

Dude riding in to work down Market Street.  Quick release on his front wheel is tightened backwards and sticking out a bit.  If he lifts his wheel over a rail, or curb, it will probably come off and dump him in the street.  Hopefully not in front of me.  Or a bus.

I'd tell him, but he's got his iPod on and can't hear me.  If I can catch him at the light, I'll grab him and let him know.  But I'm not going to chase him through traffic.  Oh well, he's riding too fast, it's his neck anyway.

One block later, businesslady steps out in front of me & a cab, against the light.  She's all indignant, motioning with her hands, because she's listening to her iPod and can't really talk.  I tell her that she's crossing against the light, but she doesn't hear anything.

Bike Is For Go

For cyclists who use the only two speeds that matter: eh-stoppa and eh-go.

Dedicated to all those fuckers who want to know how you stop on those crazy bikes.  Then when you tell them, they look at you like you're some kind of dangerous criminal, and walk away without saying thanks for the explanation, or goodbye, or anything.

Next time this happens, here's what you tell them: "Eh, no stoppa.  Bike is for go."

We'll cover all aspects of messengering, cycling, racing, food, beer, bikes, parts, music, the eurotrash life.  Probably nothing about tattoos, though.  We welcome your input, photographs, news, whatever.  And by all means, send us free products so we can review them and share our heartfelt, street-tested opinions.

182 Howard St #310

San Francisco, CA 94105