Single Speed Cyclocross Build

I built a bike!

I feel like its been awhile since that has happened, and it took place mostly in Manarea v2.5 AKA the refurbished basement shop.  I've done hodge-podge work in the basement the last few winters but it was always a hack of a setup and it was primarily just to avoid the really cold days in the shed.

It was always on the to-do list to rework things in the basement, it was pretty gross down there.  I just wasn't sure how far I wanted to take the project.  In an ideal world I would have dug a bit deeper and graded everything and poured cement. But 'aint nobody got time for that so it turned into ripping out the old moisture barrier doing a bit of digging and raking to grade the dirt floor out and then laying down a much better/thicker moisture barrier.

I inherited a work bench from the demo project of Tony's garage, hung some bike hooks and BOOM.  Cold weather hibernation shop is a go!

Ok to the build.  This time of year Nashbar move out their model year generic frames at next to nothing ($79 to be exact).  They have gotten me with this three times now.  The blue chromoly MTB frame that was a monster cross for a time and is now Jake's go to whip.  The green frame which was my light touring / commuter for several years and now the red frame, a steel CX bike.

My commuter wasn't getting ridden this year really at all, due mostly to my wrist / stiff joints in the morning issues I've been dealing with.  That may not always be the case but that bike was always way over built for what it was doing 90% of the time and I really only used it on a touring ride one time.  Which was awesome but I have just never gotten around to doing that kind of riding and I think its unlikely I ever really would.

Now that I'm racing cross (and will probably continue to) I felt like I would get a lot more use out of a SS cross bike now plus I can always still commute on it here and there and get a good workout.  And at $79 for the frame and being able to swap almost all parts over this build ended up costing me maybe $130.

look at how awesome it is!

I pretty pleased with how it all came together.  All the leftover available components all matched completely.  White/red/black saddle, white stem, black fork, black bar tape...it was meant to be.  I had some left over cx tires that I had bought on clearance a long time ago and then never used because I got a deal on Clemente's through Chainline.  They get reduced in volume really bad on these old road rims though.  Eventually these will need some new wheels but this is more of a beater bike and will probably get 'new' parts as they trickle down from my 'better' bikes.

Only extra parts I had to buy were the handlebars (wanted something wider than I had for better SS torque), A better cable hanger for the front brake (the one I had been using on my commuter was a joke) and a chain ring.

I agonized a bit over gearing.  I have a very intimate knowledge of SS gearing for MTB but how certain gears translate to CX courses was a bit of a mystery.  I actually shift quite a bit at times on my geared bike.  I  did some research but there are too many body types and preferences when it comes to SS to get a good across the board recommendation.  I usually take what I read online and subtract a few gear inches (I'm a spinner) and go from there.

I settled on getting about the biggest ring I could find for a 104BCD crank that would create good ratios with all of the MTB sized cogs I already had.  Settled on 42-19 for my go-to race gear for now.  Most recommendations fell in the 55-65 gear inches range and 42-19 comes in at 59.7 (for reference I rode 44.4 inches for MTB).  This might end up being a bit steep for me depending on the course but I think its the best place to start.  It also allows me to easily step up to a 20 if I need to or down to 16 for commuting on the road.

I'm using the DMR STS tensioner I had been using on the party bike.  That build has gone into hibernation for a bit until it can inherit some better parts and I find the time to improve the braking.  This should work for now but I might eventually get a better tensioner and some sort of chain watcher for up front.  I'll have to see how it works once I can start riding it.

Now I can double up at CX races I have to drive farther to.  Race my category and SS so I'm not driving 2hrs to race for just 45mins.  Will probably also make a great winter training bike that I can either mount on my actual trainer or put the fenders on get ridiculous out on the snowy roads in the spring.

Who wants to buy a nashbar touring frame, real cheap?

Spot Rocker Wuss Mode Complete

As most of you know I've been slowly working my way to a modified ride that my new frail body can handle and actually ride consistently without crumbling under the stress.  And even though #kevinsfakingit I'm convinced now that I have made the right call and that I'll actually be able to ride this thing consistently in a way that will make me happy and allow me to keep riding it even on consecutive days.

Will I ever really be able to race it again? Maybe yes maybe no.  Thats where things get a bit weird and my answer to that changes constantly.  In the days leading up to today it would have been a certain yes but this morning I had a somewhat random bad day where riding (at least this morning) would have been totally out of the question.  If today had been lets say July 19th there is no way I could have started Carrabassett.  Never knowing when those days are going to happen makes it hard to drop $115 on race reg.

So in the mean time I'll just try to ride my bike a bunch.  #wussmode Engage!

#wussmode

This transformation happened somewhat piecemeal but here is the full change log:

Wuss cockpit: 10mm shorter stem to bring the bars back and shift more weight off my hands as well as some riser bars to bring my stance up.  Finished it off by going back to the GX-1 Ergon grips.  I think they do a great job of relieving pressure on the ulna side of the wrist which is my biggest trouble spot.  The pair I had before had stripped clamps but it feels like they've made some design tweaks since then and I don't think spinning or stripping will be an issue with these. I went with PRO white, which is always a mistake because they get gross looking eventually but for now they look SWEET.

Wuss drivetrain: 1 x 10! Its the new single speed! Literally everyone is doing it.  If I was healthy I would still be SS without a doubt but I actually really like this setup.  I actually surprisingly took right back to riding gears at NEMBAfest.  I really like the ability they give me to ride lots of miles and not get tired.  This setup makes the riding I like to do that much easier for me to pull off reasonably AND allows me to do those rides much more frequently without being utterly exhausted.  True, I'm not getting as strong as I would be doing that all single speed but I've become ok with that.  Like Jake said I've put in enough pain, its time to cash in.

Plus gears work so much better now than they did the last time I used them 8 years ago! Who would have thought that was even possible??? These new fangled wide-narrow rings are pretty simple and amazing.  Completely changes the game with these '1 by' setups.  And these clutch derailleurs are spot on, quiet, they come with a lockout for easier wheel changes and maintenance.  Just about everything I hated about gears has been addressed.  Nice work bike industry!

My Strava feed is going to be polluted with all kinds of rides like this one.  Look for me to be linking everything, all the time, worldwide.

Macho Man Disc

Oooooooooo Yeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Snap into a slim jim etc.

At long last my new road/gravel/CX racer is complete. And I'm DIGGING it. At least the look of it anyway, haven't ridden it yet on account of ice world.  This build started with the new disc edition of the All-City Macho Man.  This was one of those impulse buys towards the end of last year.  I had taco'd the wheels on the roadie and as I thought about their replacement my mind drifted to wanting to build up a more versatile road bike seeing as I live on a dirt road and have access to all kinds of great class VI and dirt roads around the house. I've also been interested in trying some cross racing so I wanted something that could shape shift a bit with minimal parts swaps.

I think this is going to be perfect for that goal.  Initial build has it in 'road mode' with a compact road crank and 25c tires.  Switching to CX mode will be as easy as swapping out the tires and the chain rings.  Its a bit on the heavy side for a roadie, haven't weighed it yet but its probably a bit over 20lbs, which isn't horrible but my previous road bike was probably 17-18lbs so that will hurt a bit at first on the climbs.  But thats fine, I ride road to train for MTB primarily anyway.  This will be a much comfier ride which will allow me to ride longer which is what I like doing nowadays anyway.  Long and slow.

full run cable housing to avoid the grime and the what not

This should allow me to go on more local training rides as well right from the house which will be nice. I'm interested to see how the disc brakes perform on the road.  Setting them up was interesting, eliminating rub but making sure you still have enough braking power is a bit trickier with the short pull stuff.  I think I got it though, feels good on the stand anyway.  I'll have to be sure to remember to do a short shake down ride so as not to die.

serious head badge

I got to do my first go at internal cable routing.  The front derailleur cable is routed internally so you don't have to worry about it while shouldering/carrying the bike during a CX race.  I was all ready with a home made little hook device to try and snag the cable as I fed it through but I got insanely lucky and it just found the hole on its own without any intervention from me.

Everything else came together great and I am very pleased with the look of this ride.  I love the traditional skinny steel tubes and the understated paint job.  Its very likely that if we get any kind of thaw in the next few weeks that I will be trying to get this thing out for a spin.  Many miles will be racked up on this baby. In the immortal words of Shaun Pinney...We have to explore, we have to go this way.

Oh yeah who wants to buy my old road frame?? MandieLaLa looking at you...:)

Spot Rocker SS: Initial Review

The last time it will ever be clean

My offroad season is finally underway.  Looking back on Strava data I was consistently on dirt almost a month earlier last year.  Last year global warming was real this year it is a hoax.  We got the team together again at Russell Mill to hand out new kits and meet new racers.  We've got another good group this year, should be a great year.

I was very excited to get my first ride on the Spot and Russell Mill is a great proving ground.  Fast and flowy with some decent tech mixed in here and there.  Good all round spot to get a good mix of terrain.  Long story really short...IM PUMPED.

Biggest difference between this frame and my old Redline is probably the angles on the seat and head.  I forget the exact numbers but this frame is about 1-2 degrees more slack and a bit more compact in design.  I love Redline's geometry but I'm really digging this setup as well.  I would say this frame is definitely more comfortable descending and is super nimble and playful in the tight and twisty stuff.  I'm also really digging the Niner fork.  Steering accuracy is ridiculous, best I've ever experienced.  Solid in the corners, tracks amazingly well.

Most of my time was spent just getting a bit familiar with limitations and behavior as well as getting my trail eyes back on (I was looking at my front wheel for probably the first 5-10mins).  Some of my lines were less than ideal but I'll get those kinks worked out.  This setup and me are going to get along just fine.

The only 'issue' that I might need to address is my super long 180mm SS cranks.  There was plenty of room for them with the geometry on the Redline, not so much with this frame.  Combined with my big boy 2.4 Ardent up front when my foot is at about 45 degrees in the rotation of the crank there is a tiny bit of overlap with the front tire.  I probably only touched a few times in the course of the ride and it doesn't really create issues when it does but its not ideal.  I was also pedal striking a bit more than I would have liked.  I think the BB is a bit lower on this frame and the extra 5mm on the cranks over the more standard 175mm I think might be just enough to cause enough annoyance that I might need to look into stepping back down to 175mm.  I'm gonna wait it out a bit to see if some of the pedal strike was just me being rusty, plus it will only really be an issue in more technical terrain which in the grand scheme I ride a bit less often.

But just in case anybody got 175mm crank arms just sitting around?  Preferably with a 4 bolt 104 BCD?  Truvativ would also be nice so I don't need to get a new BB.  I'm a choosy beggar.

PK was on hand taking some sweet pics.  Maybe I'll even get another cover of SingleTracks.  At the very least we got this sweet 'band pic' of the team.

URT Singlespeed a Ride Review

The long journey that has been my Trek Y 11 singlespeed blast from the past has finally culminated.  Version 2 was finally completed Wed night thanks to some parts bin BB7s from Carl for the front wheel.  Just in time for our CNH Thurs ride.

For those keeping score version 1 was more of just clean the thing up, convert to singlespeed and see if it even works.  The singlespeed portion of the build has proven itself solid from the get go.  The DMR STS chain tensioner works great and is pretty smooth no issues there.  Version 1's main issue was the tired old suspension, front and back.  I knew if I was going to ride this thing long term I would need suspension that actually worked.

I put my desire for a full suspension singlespeed party bike out into the Universe and a few months later I got a text from Jomo informing me he was actually going to mail the fork I gave him back from CO.  I had told him to just sell it and then buy me beer when I come out to visit but all told this is probably better.  Then Phil at work had mentioned a while back about an old Stratos Helix rear shock he had laying around in a box in his shop doing nothing.  Although I guess technically what it was doing was hiding..waiting to fulfill its DESTINY.

Only issue at this point was the fork coming from CO was a 29er but I've randomly decided to turn 26er frames into 69er's before to pretty decent effect so I didn't let that phase me for a second.  There was a good chance the geometry was going to go straight to hell but it turns out the Stratos is a quarter inch longer than the original spec'd rear shock on this frame.  So the wagon wheel fork tilted things back a bit but then a slightly longer than spec'd rear shock tilted things right back.  Its still a bit hokey but it works.

The ride itself went pretty damn great.  It's going to take me a bit to learn how to appropriately ride suspension again.  I wasn't really using it to its full effect and was getting messed up a bit in corners because of the slight differences in steering behavior and not being used to rebound etc.  The geometry feels very odd to me but I think its actually probably fine.  I need to get someone like Ben on this thing who is used to riding a bit more slack to know for sure.  It rides flats and downs just fine...climbing is awkward as hell and feels like its 3 times harder than it should be but I guess that is to be expected.

I posted one of my faster times on Mighty Chicken last night so right from the get go I can see there will be some gains in the descending realm over my Redline.  Although I did almost kill myself going off the slight drop before the last big berm.  Turns out this thing is a little front heavy, go figure.  I'm comfortable in a high speed nollie though so no big whup.  I think once I learn the little ins and outs of actually riding a slack FS ride appropriately I will probably be partying pretty hard on this thing.

A viable full suspension 69er singlespeed? Who'd have thunk it??

URT Single Speed!

Unbelievably Ridiculous Trek?

Something like that. I have to reserve a lot of judgement in this post for now because my only experience on this bike so far is on the stand and standing over it and doing track stands in the shed.  But its complete!  And I like the way it feels right now (other than the fact that suspension feels all wrong to me now)

The setup feels 'solid' and the fit seems like it should at least work for me.  26ers officially feel like clown cars to me now as well which will take some getting used to.  I am really pleased with the DMR STS tensioner so far, again it hasn't been field tested at all yet but it was a snap to install and dial in.  It practically dialed itself in and its adequately smooth and actually pretty quiet as well and the red roller matches the color scheme of the bike which is just a bonus.

I was able to at the very least test how the tension would react as the suspension did its thing and we are good to go.  Unfortunately it is raining tonight otherwise I would have ridden it around the yard.  I am hoping to sneak in a ride at Franklin Falls this weekend to see how everything performs on trail and I'll have a full report on all the pros and cons of my newest creation.

Soylent Green

This bike is people

Made it a tiny bit farther with this build as well.  Got the rim tape needed to get my old road wheelset back in action as well as some Kenda Kwick's that Shaun bequeathed to me when they didn't fit on his Langster about 400 years ago.  They've been hanging in the shed waiting ever since....until now.

I also have a new front derailleur on order as well as the fork.  Went with the Surly Cross Check, decently cheap and I like Surly's rep for robustness and I have never had an issue with anything else Surly in the past.  Once those parts arrive, hopefully over Holiday break, I can have this ride all set and cabled (except for brakes).  I am really interested to see how the fit works out.  I think I am going to have to do some experimenting with the front end to see what feels the best...or who knows maybe my guess that it would be better to have this frame be a bit smaller was right and it will be perfect.  I did manage to guess on a perfect chainline when building Blue up SS, maybe I'm developing that unteachable bike wrench 'touch'.

I am still trying to decide what kind of canti brakes I'm going to go with.  I don't have much experience with canti's and I don't want to shell out too much $$ but at the same time I want something that will be manageable.  I have heard canti's can be a nightmare to get adjusted just right.  Gonna put my wrenching 'touch' to the test.

**UPDATE**

My latest parts order arrived yesterday so I was able to get a little more done on this ride.  Got the front end all fitted and installed as well as cabled up the derailleurs.  All it needs now are some brakes...that I still need to purchase, and it will be 100%.

So tonight I installed the new Surly fork, as well as the old cockpit setup from the monster cross.  Luckily I guessed right with the sizing of the frame and the old stem gave me a perfect riding position with just the one spacer with the cable stop for the canti brakes.  I was able to set the crown race on the new fork following some internet wisdom.  A legit crown race setting tool can run you $30-60 and for some reason I just don't feel like spending that much for that particular tool.  I have spent that much on bike tools that I don't use very often but this particular tool is basically a pipe you hit with a hammer...I'm not paying $60 for that.  Instead I bought a 10ft section of 1.5in PVC for $4 and cut off a 16in piece and hit it with a hammer.  Bingo. God bless the internet.

I ran into a very slight issue with the front derailleur.  I have come to realize that I really hate derailleurs...using them, installing them, cabling them, trying to buy the right one.  Top swing? Bottom pull? High clamp? Low Clamp?  My issue was created because I thought low clamp front derailleurs were only needed for new fangled FS frames that don't have a lot of room to mount the FD due to the linkage for the suspension.  And I have read that high clamp are 'better' due to better leverage, durability, etc.  So I thought high clamp should be good right? sure! trigger pulled.  Turns out not so much.

Ended up having to mount the FD just above the bottom cage bolt on the seat tube in order to get the thing positioned right.  Hilariously I found a cage that could still be mounted as long as I used a slightly longer bolt on the bottom.  Does it look stupid?  You betcha.  Does it work?  Yup.  Moving on.

I probably won't rock the three bottle cages all the time I just wanted to see it loaded to capacity.  It's just like the monster...but way more svelte.  Going to make it a bit easier to commute more consistently I'm sure as well as more efficient to take longer rides around the house.  It's also nice to have a legit tourer that if I actually bought racks for could really go to task.  I might even be able to do some cross races for fun on this bad boy.  We'll see, I still really don't feel like getting into the whole USA cycling thing and buying more licenses to race.

**UPDATE**

Just need some bar tape and I am riding Soylent Green!  And if I hadn't goofed while pulling the front brake cable back a bit to trim the housing I would be able to ride it now but I accidentally pulled it completely out of the housing and couldn't get it back in without removing the bar tape (and ruining it, never buying that kind of tape again...adhesive on it SUCKED) and removing the housing to thread it back in.

I had some issues with the brakes but not the issues I was anticipating.  I figured getting the canti's properly dialed was going to be a huge pain in the ass.  Surprisingly once all was said and done that was the easiest...although I probably just got a bit lucky.  The worst part was getting the damn things cabled and figuring out the right way to get the cable hangers set up properly.  The high rise stem in the front created a tight fit with the headset hanger.  But I got that one cabled decent after getting physical with it.  The hanger in the rear was another story.  I was trying all kinds of hilarious jerry rigging to get it just right and it was just not happening.  Turns out I was using the wrong ferrule cable stop.  I really lucked out and found the right one in my 'parts jug' (when I went to look for it it was sitting right on top, I didn't even have to dump it out).  Once I was using the correct part it actually cabled up relatively easily, go figure.  More lessons learned and another bike to the stable.

I kinda like the way the black of the raw bars looks with this ride so I may just end up getting black bar tape.  Not usually my style but I plan on riding this bike in all kinds of crap so black is probably the prudent choice.

I see Blue!

and he's glooooorious!

got the go, now I just need the stop

Stopped in to Rhino the other day on the way home from Cannon to pick up some random build parts, among them the additional headset spacers I needed to get the cockpit on the new winter bike dialed.  Came together nicely and is actually kinda light!

I think this could be a really fun winter bike with these massive Prowler 2.3's I have on there now.  Just got to let some air out and they will be golden on anything but sheer ice I would imagine and I still have my homemade studs I can throw on this bike if needed if I ever pull off a lake ride.

All that is left now is cabling up the brakes and this thing is ready to ride.  I am thinking I might try and get it completely finished off at some point soon so I can take it out on its inaugural ride over the Holiday break.  There are some flurries in the forecast and I'm pretty sure I would have a blast riding this in 2-3in of fluff

**UPDATE**

Brakes are cabled! This bad boy is ready to go.  There is still no snow in Sanbornton so I have the unique capability to shred both Cannon and local trails hard.  I have heard local singletrack is still riding great.  Rock hard and FAST.  I had forgotten how bad the pads were on the brakes I installed on this bike.  Took me quite a long time to get things dialed on the stand.  Got them workable but they probably won't last long.  I have one replacement set in the shop as well as some I could steal from the old monster cross brakes (I think the BB5 road versions pads work in the long pull version...)

1 or 9...Pick Your Poison

So today I started what will probably be a slightly drawn out process of taking my current race rig and stripping it down to trade parts and build up my old race rig as a SS so that I can build my current frame back up as a 9 speed endurance racing machine...did you follow that? In other words: current parts to old frame to create my daily rider / beater / tank and current frame with new parts (to be purchased over the next few months) for a speed demon / endurance racing / human powered crotch rocket. Very simple.

After a year in hibernation its back and ready for GNAR.

I have alluded on a few posts that next race season I will be trying some 12 and 24 hour endurance races. Now while I like to consider myself pretty hardcore when it comes to riding, I don't think I am quite ready for 24 hours on a single speed. But I am also not willing to go back to a fully geared bike because I still believe that gears, for the most part, are unnecessary. Enter the 9 speed.

9 cogs in back and a single chain ring up front. Not a very common set up (yet) but I think it has a lot of merit. As long as I can avoid the chain dropping issues that can plague the front end of the drivetrain. Without a front dérailleur sometimes the chain can drop off the chainring if there isnt enough tension holding it in place. I am hoping to overcome this with a bash guard on the outside and a N-Gear Jump Stop on the inside. I have read great reviews about the Jump Stop and I am hoping they are warranted. Not sure if I will have this bike ridable before the snow starts to fly so I may not know 100% until next year.

Kinda hard to see, but I'm hoping this set up will be wicked.

So far I have purchased my new cranks (Truvativ Stylo 1.1), my shifters and dérailleur (SRAM X7), some grips (ODI Rogue lock on) and a bottle cage. This will be my first ride using the lock on grips, not sure if I will like them I have always liked more cushy grips, but you cant beat the ease of installation. I still have to get some wheels, a cassette, some disc brakes, a saddle and pedals. My conversion to disc brakes is also going to be a first for me on this ride. I have stayed true to V-brakes for a long time but the industry is starting to make it hard to stay that way so I suppose its time to give it a go. I am also toying with the idea of going with a Cane Creek Thudbuster seatpost...the short travel version. 24 hours is gonna be tough on my bum and I could probably use the added cushion.

I didn't think it was possible but I think this will look even faster than the first time I built it up.

*UPDATE*: The 9 speed is complete! I finished buying up the needed parts as a present to myself for my birthday, and completed the build last night so that I can take it for a ride down in MA this weekend. I threw on the Avid BB5's, put my SRAM cassette on my new WTB SpeedDisc Wheels, cabled everything up, dialed in the cockpit positioning and shifting, pumped up the tires and she is ready to RIP. Learning how to shift again is going to be interesting...its been a few years. I will post a ride report after this weekend and let ya'll know how it rides.

Booyah Achieved.

New Year's Resolution

Build a Winter Bike AND starting in Jan of '08 ride a mountain bike on trails outdoors at least once each month, every month of the year.

I have decided my old Jamis Durango SX frame (a.k.a the Chopper) is taking its next step in its hilarious journey of being every kind of bike there is. after this I think I will have to weld another frame to it and make it a tandem and then after that melt it down and use the metal to fashion jewelry that I will then wear to my grave.



I think this project is going to come together a lot faster than I had even hoped. 30 minutes before this pic was taken the chopper had been completely stripped. I was able to salvage the headset and fork off that Wahoo frame that Jomo found...it fit and the color even matches almost perfectly (like it was meant to be...) That alone is going to save me a lot of lead time...I have all the parts I need to finish this project free of any additional charge...minus the $7 i spent on screws for my home made studs

3 down...lots to go (rear tire).

finished tread pattern for the front tire

*UPDATE*: DUN. The ice bike is ready to ride. (unfortunately the weather is looking crappy tomorrow otherwise this thing would be shredding ice and snow within 24 hours. Finished the tires up today got them mounted and picked up some cables at Rhino and some booties to keep my feet warm when I head out.

lining the inside of the tire with old rubber and DUCT tape

It's time to get my two wheel Tundra on.

*UPDATE*: Got my first ride in this afternoon up at Smarts Brook...and I am hooked. Wasn't even really the best conditions but I still had a blast. Tires worked GREAT. cant believe how well they did. clipless may not really work in the long run I will have to try a few more times to see how it works in better conditions.

Mountain Track Rides Again

so this thread started as a dumpster bike that jomo found, that I then subsequently screwed up with an experimental seatpost operation...but then my rents came to town and my dad brought my old Trek Mountain Track 800.

Cleaning this ride back up brought back a lot of memories...mainly how retarded I was in the early to mid 90's...case in point the BMX mongoose seat I put on this bike seen in this photo:

I don't know what the hell I was thinking with that one.

This bike hasn't been ridden since probably the one time we went to snow mountain and did some lift serviced riding...if you have ever ridden a rigid bike down ski trails you can guess that right after that ride I decided I was going to buy a bike with suspension. Then began the long journey that has been my biking career that has most recently ended in me racing a rigid bike once again...full circle. And just like before after a season of that I promptly bought some more suspension.

It has been stored indoors since then and is in actually pretty good shape. cleaned up real nice. true'd the wheels, adjusted the dérailleurs and brakes and tweaked a few things so that it will fit jomo a bit better and then ditched that stupid mongoose saddle.

Blue Cross (Blue Shield)

Figured out a name finally. Its like the HMO but not. The Chopper has been put to sleep for now...i know it was just reborn and I made a big deal about it but this frame was cheap and new and I can consolidate parts from two bikes and keep this one and give the PUCH to Ashlee so she can cruise Tewks. Circle of Life.

Thanks to the lovely people at the United States Postal Service there is a slight ding in the head tube, but I was still able to press in the headset cups and cosmetically its barely noticeable so i dont think its gonna be worth the trouble trying to make an insurance claim.

Done...kinda. I'm waiting on some new brakes, but everything else is set. Cables are in place and just need to be attached to the brakes when they get here. I think I will eventually add some racks and maybe fenders and try some light touring trips or maybe some of the extended cross rides coming up next month.

From Taiwan w/ Love

Dumpster diving this weekend brought me to another frame in great shape and thanks to all the rain I had plenty of time to get it pretty much completely built up. all it needs now is wheels. Gonna be my fixed gear boston whip since I am trading the other one I built for art.

probably wont ride it a whole hell of a lot but whatevah. its a 'Takara Advantage' all red with white decals and the wheels i bought have yellow (edit:blue) rims. its gonna look real nice and it will probably (edit: defenitely) get stolen in .4 secs in beantown. Its gonna be geared huge 51-16, should be (edit: is) hilarious.

here it is. took it for a test drive around the block and the gear is BURLY. but whatever, my man legs have bent chainrings into 'S' shapes, so i think i can handle it. I really like the way this one came out considering it was a fast, unplanned project. i hope to ride it in boston at least 5 times before it gets stolen....gotta have goals.

The Chopper v3.0? v4.0? I dont even know anymore

okay first a little history on 'The Chopper'. Arguably started as a Specialized FSR full suspension back in 2000 then changed out to a lighter Jamis Durango hardtail in '01. Many of the parts carried over to the new frame. Some, due to compatibility issues, did not. Hence the beginning of its hybrid, frankenstein, chopped up existence.

It had been upgraded over the years continuing the bastardization until finally after repeated manglings of my rear dérailleur i converted it to a jerry rigged single speed (many zipties were used).

It has been recently retired from regular MTB use when i 'upgraded' to a rigid 29er for my race bike. It has been hanging in my basement dormant ever since....and I'm not gonna let the Chopper go out like that. I have recently been introduced to a 'go anywhere, no terrain is unridable, cyclocross-ish' group ride that has the Chopper's name ALLLLLLL OVER IT.

ITS ALLLLIIIIIIIIVVVEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!