The Official Guide to the World between the Wheels

Spring Roll

 

5th ave dance party

 

Announcing the Greatest Giveaway!

I will offer this to each and every reader. Simply log on HERE and make a simple donation and you will receive Satisfaction, Happiness & the Joy of knowing you contributed to a great cause. YES you will receive this instantly, no waiting for something to come UPS Snail Mail or Fed EX and rather than make one big donation spread it out and receive this feeling many times over as often as you like. Who wouldn't want to feel good? That's right you know you want to, so get in there and toss $5 in the bucket.

You see many of us have been places, done things, enjoyed and experienced life but for many children they are already struggling just to survive. Here is a Charity that helps these children and i 'm happy to be raising money and attending the event in Waterloo WI. MACC (Midwest Atheletes agianst Childhood Cancer) & Trek are the title sponsors and just in case you didn't know one of Treks own employees has a son who is currently one of these children who benefits from these funds. The Photo of Ryder included here shows him smiling. But think about Who he might become or things he may do as he grows up? 

One of the children we help could grow up and be the one to find a cure for this, become President or be the next Lance Armstrong. We don't know, barber, store clerk, beauty queen, nurse, doctor, bike engineer or a simple construction worker all of which doesn't really matter whats more important is that they get the chance to be what ever they want.

So I thank you in advance and hope you enjoy the feeling you received. I'm sure Ryder and all the other children appreciate it also.

Trek 100 information HERE. This event is one of the best I've ever been a part of. If you would rather attend and raise money then sign up. You WILL NOT be disappointed this I can guarantee. Fantastic people and fantastic event. If you prefer to make a donation to the Team rather than directly to me then go HERE

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

less than 48 hours

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)

 

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

Iceman and other thoughts

First up thanks to everyone that voted and help me win the crown in the pavement project evil earl challenge. EvilXI was a great opponent and we had fun with this project for sure. If nothing else is taken from it at least realize that bikes are more than just something to ride. They can be creations of our imaginations or our wallets. Haha!

Well it's the last race of the season for Stork and Iceman is always just a good time pedaling and hanging out. No pressure to perform just pure fun!

Time to say goodbye

....No not to my friend Vance but Goodbye to Wristbands for this year! Oh how i love these underrated items but its time to put them away and bring out the serious gear for Winter. I'm happy about that!

stork