The Official Guide to the World between the Wheels

2012 & Two Wheels

So this IS the "Official Guide to the World Between Two Wheels" so This year I'm expanding that from simple racing in the dirt to Pounding the Pavemnet in the Urban Areas not only by pedal power but also by Throttle!

I've been riding Evil Earl a lot lately and with the addition of the Belt Drive District I should have no shortage of terrific bikes to ride in the concrete jungle. The District, like most bikes and part of the fun of owning, will be upgraded and customized a little...two speed hub?? maybe. There may be a second Earl build on the horizon for which my friend may be responsible for. Stick around to see.

I have also finished my build of a fantastic DS 8.3 which as always will be my road bike for the season, unless of course a Domane finds its way to the "Storks Nest".

Since not having my own car for awhile I decided that a moto was required to provide a true guide to the world between two wheels. I also found that many friends who commute, race and travel by bicycle also ride motos. Now dont cast me off already..we all know cycling is tops for me! So please enjoy the upcoming season and return to read my adventures...theres sure to be plenty.

 

First get out there to your Trek dealer and grab a bike before the weather is consitantly nice and model selections are low!!!

 

Stork

Spring Roll

 

5th ave dance party

 

Learning to follow directions...helps

So many exciting and fantastic things to write about. I've been trying to finish up my safety training classes for a group at work so its been a little harder to get in great ride time but recently i've spent 2 weeks in Solvang CA on Trek Travel Ride Camps. Absolutely wonderful trips and I highly recommend that you research these before taking a bike vacation. Worth every dollar spent.

My first trip out to Solvang was in January. I got plenty of riding but due to a slight miscalculation on my part I never did climb the Figueroa to the correct location that Trek Travel had supported. Instead I made a turn onto a forestry road and climbed to the Lookout on my Ride Camp issued Madone 5.2 heck I didn't mind and the view was majestic to say the least. The gravel road climb added an extra level of excitement to the climb. Shortly after making the split i realized this was not the approved route but never the less i'm a mountain biker at heart and the Madone was tearing this gravel road apart like it owned the dirt.

This days ride began with a few extra people including Gary Fisher himself but once the rolling canyon road turned to an upward state and the pavement started winding in an around every nook of the mountain I found myself alone untill the support van drove by. Once coming to the van I was told it was only a few more miles to the top. Then I made the mistake a mile or so later when I saw the sign that listed the Lookout 2.5 miles ahead. I was actually suppose to stay on the pavement but as i said earlier...I didn't.

I went mountain biking the next day and on the last and final day I tried to get to the top but just ran out of time before having to leave so I only made the climb to the gravel road split where I had previously went the wrong way.

"No problem" I thought

"I will come back and I will show this mountain who I am" I said to myself

With a smile on my face I descended back to the canyon floor and pedaled to Solvang to pack up.

 

stork

 

2012 Start & Solvang

Wow where do I start? It's been a fantastic start to 2012! Recently I was in CA to visit my brother and to attend a Trek Travel Ride Camp in Solvang.
Sorry for the lack of posting but its been a busy start to the year. I will try to catch everyone up on things over the next few days here.
Anyway the people riding and views were absolutely grand. I got to hang with the main man Gary Fisher. Lots of Time with several Trek Product managers and inside people getting the scoop on new stuff. I also went to San Diego and did some product testing for some Bontrager stuff.

This photo was taken just 2.5 miles from the top of a nice 9 mile climb.
Stork

Crowning of the King

"I would like to say first that I’m honored to have been given the chance to participate in this. Michael was a great sport and he is truly a good friend, thanks. This system of voting was very similar to “dancing with the stars” because no matter what professional thought was put into the bikes it was clearly won by common voting. The Stork has many friends and they carried me to Victory. Thanks to all of you!"

Both Bikes are awesome and I have to say I was worried once I saw the detail EvilXI put into his paint, its very rad & wicked! (round of applause for this) btw I almost put fenders on mine so don’t knock’em

Lets not forget this was a fun challenge and neither of us are enemies or  in a battle of any sorts. doing things like this takes us places, introduces us to people & entertains us…. hey and most of all bikes are just plain cool!

 We should be able to see from the above statement that I did officially win the Pavement Project Evil Earl challenge. A few people have been asking about it lately and I apologize for not following up but with all the media attention and jet setting around to hit all the morning talk shows I just havent had the time or energy. ;0)

Seriously this was an abslolute good time from start to finish. Below you can read details about my bike build and why I did certain things. Enjoy if you decide to read.

*Stork

THE EVIL EARL BUILD:

The Earl… I don’t build, adjust, modify or change anything for “showbike” status. All my bikes are ridden and things are done for a reason, cool or not cool, sometimes it’s just because I like the particular part, they serve a purpose or they may be just for shock value.  Let me work through my Build of Evil Earl here with some explanations

I started with swapping out the steel fork for a Bontrager Carbon Elite for the use of a disc brake which I feel in my area is a must. Great braking in any condition and little to no maintenance for long periods of time. The rear drive train is a Sturmey-Archer two speed kick back hub with a coaster brake. Yes also low maintenance and wonderful braking in all conditions. The two speeds give me the hill climbing gear and the slow cadence cranking I love on the flats to hang on with the other city commuters using 9/10 speed stuff. I know you die hard fixie people are thumbing your noses to me but for the price and the function the 2 speed hub is simple fast and safe with the brake. Let me have this one…ok. I had a set of wheels worked up with all black spokes and nipples except for 7 red on the rear and 4 red on the front. By the way the front wheel is an older Bontrager hub that we took apart and installed a solid axle in to keep it street wise (no skewers on a city bike). I wrapped these wheels with a set of Bontrager Nebula Plus tires in a size 45 for smoothing out the rough Pittsburgh roads. To finish off the wheels I melted some heat shrink on the stems to give it the all black look. Let me add that the coaster brake and the front disc also keep my wheels looking “fresh” since there are no braking surfaces to wear on the rims.

The rest of the drive train is finished off with a stainless steel Wipperman Track chain wrapped around the 18T cog and the SRAM Force 175mm Carbon Cranks (42T) which are supported by the GPX Ceramic Bottom Bracket Cups. These were installed because I’m a big SRAM Fan and these cranks give my Evil Earl somewhat of a race touch. Just to let people know it can turn up the heat when needed. The SRAM graphics also meshed well with my vision of the builds completed look. A pair of All City pedals painted flat black and plates changed with on black plate on the left pedal.

A King headset was installed in divided colors and upside down to stick with the Earl decal on the seattube. I added the Bontrager SSR stem and the classy looking Capital Bars. I screwed on the bell for alerting other commuters and walkers & just to say “hello”. Grips stayed stock since these “Earl” editions are pretty nice. I used an Avid Juicy Ultimate Hydraulic brake and had a machine shop cut me a custom rotor with “Evil Earl” in it just so you know it’s the original Evil Earl.  

I added the Carbon seat post and Race X Lite saddle and mounted a Trek Flasher in place of the rear brake.  Water Bottle screws were removed and plugged and lastly I crudely wrapped a small piece of Bontrager Bar Tape on the top tube….Why you ask? Anyone who has ridden an Earl with the u-lock locked into the bottle opener knows it rattles “slightly”. Staying true to my crisp, clean and functional thoughts  I don’t want a bike that sounds like its falling apart and we all know Evil is silent. I’ve called this bar tape my “u-lock bumper” and even added a small Velcro strap to hold it in the bumper securely. Let it be known this bar tape is not secured on by any adhesive or other tape. Its wrapped and tied back underneath itself to stay on. Total silence as Evil Earl comes upon its prey! Oh but wait this tape also serves a 2^nd purpose, when I do remove the lock and lean my bike against a bike rack to lock it up this “u-lock bumper” protects the paint on old Evil Earl by giving me a soft padded point to lean the bike on. BAM double duty!

Lastly I bolted on the Kick Stand. Ugh I know everyone hates these but I respect my equipment. I have integrity and pride in my bikes and a simple thing like a kickstand shows that I respect this bike enough to “display” it rather than lean it against something or drop it on the ground. Sure a Mountain Bike or Road Bike would be a little dangerous with such a thing bolted to it. But A bicycle that is ridden for the pure enjoyment of getting somewhere on the streets in my favorite chrome shoes and a pair of jeans requires nothing short of a support system such as the kick stand. Rock it! This bike is meant for quick access and isn’t intended to be stuffed in a corner or hung up.

Summary- I basically went with a simple yet functional street build. I accented things with red staying with a Bontrager parts theme as much as possible. I have red accents on the rear hub, bottom bracket, wheel nipples, rear light, pedal plates, saddle stitching, tire logos, Avid Juicy Ultimate brake adjuster and my U-lock Bumper. This Bike has been and will continue to be RIDDEN locked up on stop sighs, fences, parking meters, trees and bike racks throughout the city of Pittsburgh!

 more photos can be see here thanks to Mary.

*stork

Evil Earl Creature (Pittsburgh PA)

 

Dual Sport = just about everything

Want a bike that can do just about anything the average cyclist could want to do? Then get your hands on a Dual Sport!

So I got one of these dual sports last February and immediately "upgraded" it with a slew of carbon parts and other unrealistic stuff but hey that's what I like and since its my bike no one can stop me from having fun with it.

I want to get the point made that this bike is one of the most versatile rides i have ever owned. Sure it takes a few minutes to swap out a rigid fork for the suspension fork to ride it in trails but its so simple that the average cyclist that replaces chains, greases bearings, adjusts parts etc. can easily handle it. If its a little above you then take it in to your shop when changes are needed.

here's some facts on the uses I put it through:

• A full season of weekly road rides with the Trek of Pittsburgh shop
• over 1/2 a dozen Centuries this year
• My longest ride this year-  143 miles which was part of the Trek 100
• a few charity rides
• my weekend transportation to Pittsburgh for lunch on "no car sundays" (average 80 miles each time)
• Lite trail rides when I rode to the Park then did a few miles of trails before riding home
• It carried me from Kalkaska to Traverse City Michigan in the largest one day race -Iceman 2011
• training rides for intervals and speed training.

to prove these facts i'll post a video a little later this year.

stork

In the shadow of Evil

Thanks to everyone that supported the Pavement Project Evil Earl a week ago. It was a huge success and both Michael and I had a great time with this challenge. It shows that bicycles can be more than just an exercise device or transportation. They can be an extension of your imagination.

Thanks again to all my friends for the support.

to view more pictures of Evil Earl go here.

stork

Evil Earl continues

Its in the details. Here's another shot of Evil Earl by Mary.  Will EvilXI ever unveil his pavement project evil earl? My guess is he has the entire design team at Trek working on his bike ;)

Let me say that this build was simple, the sleek, classy steel lines of the original Earl made it easy to modify the build of this bike. Given its very feasible cost the Earl makes for a great bike to manipulate and modify without breaking your bank. By the Way its an absolute blast to ride!!

stork

Evil Earl... is born

Here is the first and very rare glimpse of Evil Earl and the lair from which he was created.

Just a few short weeks ago I was presented with the "#pavement project evil earl" build off challenge. I thought how appropriate it was to build a steel bike since I was from  an area rich in the production of steel and transportation. Immediately it brought to mind all the past history in Pittsburgh such as the Homestead Strike, and the workers and jobs that came and went all in the name of Steel. That's where Evil Earl came in, spawned from the lost souls who toiled over the hot furnaces and almost unbearable conditions to churn out the Iron needed to manufacture all the steel we demanded in order to grow and build our nation at that time. Now a simple bicycle, a long related descendant of the blast furnaces inside a place such as the Carrie Furnace in Braddock, comes to life to provide transportation in an age where the Car is King!

yes my fellow people this bicycle, simple as it may look, should never be underestimated. For in the hands of a spirited individual places can be seen that otherwise would go unnoticed from the windows of the automobile. I would never have imaged that this small challenge would take me from the showroom floor at Trek World 2012 in Madison WI to the banks of the Monongahela River.  All these ideas flooded through my mind during my designing stages and a month later I find myself getting a history lesson (which was extremely interesting) inside one of the last remaining Blast Furnaces in our area while I get photos taken.

I can honestly say this challenge was fun with the relentless trash talking & I really wanted to crush EvilXI (product manager at Trek) but as I sit here today looking at the proofs from my photo shoot I realize that I've already won a bigger challenge. The most important thing to take from this is that without realizing it this simple black frame, designed and built by Trek, kept me occupied, out of trouble, provided transportation and countless hours of creative thinking  but in the end it educated me in history. I never would have imagined that!

Anyone who tells you to grow up and stop playing with bicycles should be given the same challenge. I've met new people, spent more time with friends, experienced new places, learned about iron furnaces and stimulated my thoughts thinking of colorful ways to build my Evil Earl. As I look at this picture I think of all of that, and these are memories that will last forever. So if Earl truly is Evil then its because he actually educated me while I simply thought I was playing.

Special thanks to

Blockhead- pit crew chief

Trek Bikes- awesome product-awesome people

Trek of Pgh- support

Mary Heyne & her friend Brenda- pictures & entertainment during the photo shoot

Ron- at the Carrie Furnace for giving us all access to the Historical site

Gary Fisher- Anyone who rides a bike is a friend of mine

and of course EvilXI.... for i now am richer in my areas history and the proud owner of a classic Evil Earl. Beat that my friend ;)

More photos to come along with a build list and pictures of all the small details but dont forget to friend Trek Bikes and vote later this month.

Beware the Steel Beast has been Unleashed and can be seen on the neighborhood streets of Pittsburgh!

 

*Stork