Monday, February 28, 2011

The range..


..kicked some MAJOR fucking ass today!


More on that later..

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Walmart..


Has some sweet bike racks out front:


If you're wondering why we were there please refer to the next post..

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Sunday, February 27, 2011

NAHBS Award Winners along with 2012 dates and location announced!!

Best Road Bicycle goes to: 

Ellis Cycles - Dave Wages

Best Track Bicycle Goes to:

Six Eleven Cycles - Erin Dykstra

Best Off Road Bicycle goes to: 

Black Sheep bicycles - James Ripley

Best Tandem Bicycle goes to:

Kent Eriksen Cycles - Kent Eriksen

Best Carbon Fiber Bicycle goes to:

Strong Cycles - Carl Strong

Best Steel Bicycle goes to:

Bishop Cycles - Chris Bishop

Best Titanium Bicycle goes to:

Kish Bicycles - Jim Kish

Best Lugged Bicycle goes to:

Bilenky Cycleworks - Steve Bilenky

Best Fillet Brazed Bicycle goes to:

Dominguez Cycles - Vincent Dominguez

Best Tig Welded Bicycle goes to:

Independent Fabrications

Best City Bicycle goes to:

Signal Cycles

Best Paint Job goes to:

Kirk Lee Cycles

Rookie of the year goes to:

Cory Rossin

People's Choice Bicycle goes to:

Naked - Sam Winniham

Presidents Choice goes to:

Anderson Cycles - Dave Anderson

Best in Show Trophy goes to:

DiNucci Cycles - Mark DiNucci

Apologies for any typos!

NAHBS 2012 to be held in Sacramento CA March 3-5th!!! 


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NAHBS 2011: NACCC Fund Riser Party - Quick Release!

I almost didn't get to go to this event due to me misplacing my driver's license and they wouldn't let me in without one (which is exactly why I make it a point to pack my passport as well just in case). As if having the track adapter on my rear HED wheel come loose while braking wasn't bad enough! Kyle and Jeff came over wondering what was up and were like, dude, just hop the wall- no one's looking! The thought of sneaking into a bar wasn't exactly the most appealing of notions but with a little coaxing, along with Randall and Andrew's help running interference, I nonchalantly hopped the dividing wall. By 'nonchalantly' I mean pussy footing about..

In any case, I got in, bought a whole bunch of raffle tickets to make up for the door charge I had to punk out on and waited for Quick Release, a hardcore bike messenger band, (with one of the dudes from The Unseen) to come on. I have to say, very rarely do I go see a band I know almost nothing about, and end up totally raging to it along with the rest of the fans! By 'raging' I mean hiding behind my camera and periodically wiping the near constant beer down pour off my lens. In other words- FUCKING RAD! We need to see these dudes come up to NYC cause they slayed it!!:

  
Check out how pissed the dude is 2nd from the right!
Meh.. Better than nothing..

It's been a really long time since I'd found myself in a crowd documenting a situation like that and MAN did it feel good! Part way through this girl Lindsay from SXSW came up to me, stoked to see someone photographing since her photog punked out, asked me if I could get some snaps of the band for her. So I ran up on stage and tried to get some more intimate shots. Which was awesome since the two I like the most (last two) were from when I was up there..

All in all a good night!

Tomorrow's the third and final day of NAHBS which I will be attending and making every attempt to haggle over demo parts and take some ruckas test rides on various builders custom bikes :-D


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Saturday, February 26, 2011

The Bicycle Sport Shop..


..was WICKED busy tonight!

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NAHBS 2011: Tired, Taken aback and Too many Tocos..

Yeah the title pretty much says it all. Fucking tired. Fucking torqued out by NAHBS and man, I've literally only eaten Tacos since I arrived. Aside from being wicked tired I have to say- I've been having nothing short of a total fucking blast while I've been here :-D

The weather's been really nice and Austin's a great town. Super stoked I got to come this year! Esp after last year's Richmond show. The show being great and Richmond sucking a big fat hairy nut. Fucking town had it's good point's but was a real bummer overall. Which is the exact polar opposite of Austin. The vibe here being SO much radder than most other cities I've visited. The people are really cool and super friendly. Not to mention the high concentration of cuties! This one being my personal fav!!

I know, some asshole huh?! 

Tomorrow morning I'm going to check out Frankenbike, a monthly held bike swap meet, eat some more tacos and head on back over to NAHBS to take a bunch more snaps. There's the Fast Folks race and a couple other cool events as well. The most amusing and what I'm looking forward too is this punk rock messenger band called 'Quick Release' who's going to play 11 songs in 10 min. Yeah, it should be pretty awesome!

All in all I'm super stoked on this trip thus far! Ross and Jen have been awesome hosts along with Andrew's inside track on the scene here and touring around has been really great!! Not to mention all the rad new and funny people I've been meeting, BSing and hanging out with. To which 90% of I've undoubtingly lost track of name wise. Except for Randall, Kyle, Max, Sonny, Dani, Patrick, Yoshi and Craig. Otherwise yeah, I've met like at least a hundred more or some shit!

In any case, there's lots more coming up as soon as I have some time to work on everything I've got so far. I'm shooting for good sized post on Sunday/Monday so stay tuned! Til then, here's a little teaser:


Talk about a fucking BOOM and a half dawg!!

More on that later too. Now if you don't mind, I have a date with an air mattress..


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Thursday, February 24, 2011

Fast Folks..


..has the RADDEST window gate opening mechanism ever!

Posted by ShoZu


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East side Pedal Pushers..


They mistook me for their buddy Eric and were stoked on my silly Jackson..

Posted by ShoZu


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John is one..


..hard werkin' mufuckah!

Posted by ShoZu


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I've shot quite a few guns..


..but this was my first 12 gauge. I think I did pretty well :-)

Posted by ShoZu


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20 minutes off the plane..


..and we're at the range!!

Posted by ShoZu


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I almost heaved..


..that fucking sandy running all over the goddamned airport after being pointed in 10 different directions- Fuckers!

All I know is my bag had better fucking be on board!!

..okay I just checked and it is- YEA NAHBZZZZzzzzzz!!!
Posted by ShoZu

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I can't think of a better way..


..to start the day than with a proper Bacon, Egg and Cheese :-)

Posted by ShoZu


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Time..


..to roll awn outta here!

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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

All packed!



Just gotta do some archiving on my computes and memory cards..

My flight leaves at 6:30 in the am so I have to leave my crib at like 4:30. Might leave at like 4 so I can hit up at White Mana for some extra early bfast :-)


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There's something about S+S couplers..


..that just never gets old :-)


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Just a little test..


I'm just testing out this new gay app for my iPhone. The snap is of a near rear stay on an old something or other. Can't remember. Saw it at the Cosmic Wheel in da Jerz..


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Two for the senses, three to go broke..


Something smart..



..and kinda sexy:



Lovely Cinelli:



Along with a super sultry Colnago Master 55th Anny as well:


Right then.. back to getting ready for NAHBS..

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Should it stay or should it go..?

In my efforts to put together cash for various bills and FINALLY getting around to going to see Yamaguchi about his fine course, I've been taking a long had look at my various possessions to figure on what I should get rid of, and what I should I continue to enjoy. I made a stop at Bilenky today to pick up my fabled Bilenky 'Hetchin's Tribute' Track bike after being shown at various bike events the last year or so:


It's sitting here next to me and part of me can't help but think- 'WHAT IN GODZ NAME WAS I THINKING?!!' Then another part of me retorts with: 'You were thinking of nothing sure of pure awesomeness with a healthy dab of ridiculousness dumbass!'Whatever the fuck I was thinking I'm stoked to have it back.  But then again, such a lovely show bike surely can't be ridden in the streets can it? I mean, shit yea it can! But at the same time, part of me would like to pass it on to another who wouldn't be racked with the same guilt of having such a purposefully built and well executed piece of american craftsmanship go to waste sitting on a wall in some one's abode..So I guess in the end I'm torn. While every man has his price, part of me would love nothing more than to tear the living shit out of the bike proper like and sell something else instead. But with not a scratch on the thing, popping it's cherry is sure to be an unpleasant experience..
More snaps in my flickr set along with my original post from 07' along with a follow up post in which I give those Hetchin's twats a verbal back handed slap in the face..

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Sunday, February 20, 2011

These Arab kids ROCK!





I was DYING when I first saw these. So. fracking. SCHWEET! They def remind me of an even more exxageratted version of Lyle's gnar dawg downhill BMX he made a while back..

The elongated stance, the 'drifting' capabilities and just how sweet they look in general. I fucking LOVE that in order to drift they've mounted chains on the tires. I can only imagine how much radder the sound of metal on concrete spinning like that sounds in person..

That's it- I'm making one!!!

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Thursday, February 17, 2011

This time next week- I WILL BE LANDING IN AUSTIN TEXAS!!!


Fuck yes! Super stoked that I somehow managed to get everything in order to head down to Austin to check out NAHBS again and more importantly, hang and eat hellatiously tasty BBQ!!

My buddy Ross was kind enough to offer a small corner in his domicile for this imbecile, hehe. I will have the Coupled Jackson Phoenix on hand to roll about town with so I'll be pretty fucking easy to spot (dumbass). I'm going to start working on a new rack in the next day or two to have with me while I'm down there. You know, to transport things like BBQ and Beer and shit..

I leave here Thursday morning at the ass crack of dawn and arrive in Austin at like 10am. Then it's a glorious 5 day stay in town til I leave the following Tuesday night. I'll most likely spend Friday and Saturday at NAHBS to take snaps and enjoy the whole bike porn overload that washes over you the moment you walk into the event space. It's kinda like that feeling after you have a spank-tastic night to yourself and you feel really disgusted and guilty afterwords. Only it's like 10 times worse cause you're surrounded by a million people who seemingly don't feel guilty at all for engaging in the exact same unsavory activity right in front of you..

Right so aside from all that nonsense, I would love to ride around, check out the town and eat some gnar-dawg food. I'm looking forward to getting my ass handed to me on a platter due to the fact that I've barely done any riding at all the last couple of months. AWESOME! :-/

So if you have any suggestions or would like to organize a ride of some sort let me know. I usually organize these 'slacker' rides here in the city. Essentially we all meet up somewhere and eat a tasty snack. Then enjoy a medium pace ride on the way to our destination. Which is usually a beach or some weird abandoned building. Grab some grub along the way. Hang, eat and take photos.Then ride back to someone's place and fire up a grill and get drunk. Well, everyone else gets drunk. I run around like a chicken with it's head cut off prepping and grilling food..

So yeah, I'll be around. Hit me up and let me know about local events and the like and or things to do/see in Austin while I'm there :-)

TheTripleC@hotmail.com


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Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Something Old and Something New!

Nothing better then getting exactly what you've been looking for at a great price!:

I got the 42T Splined Tree Sprocket at Affinity the other day for $65 and the near NOS Dura Ace EX FRENCH THREADED Head Set on ebay for $30 last week. I need the sprocket for the Bruiser mini tall since the 39/16 gearing is way too slow. 42/16 ought to be a bit nicer. What I'm SUPER stoked on is the fucking KICK ASS DA HS!! The Bertin is going to be thrilled to have that bad boy installed on there instead of the tight and funky feeling old one it's got now. Aside from that, a post, BB and appropriate saddle are all I have left to acquire for the rebuild :)

Now if you don't mind I have acquire my ass back in the shop to try and make another attempt at yanking the drive side BB cup out of the fucker without screwing anything up..



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NOS 1978 Shimano 600 EX Arabesque Group on Ebay!








This is SURE to fetch some serious coin! With any luck it'll find it way onto a stellar vintage road frame AND ACTUALLY GET RIDDEN..



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SWEET Yamaguchi and Nimble Crosswinds!

Damn and more damn..


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Sunday, February 13, 2011

Nashbar SS/Fixed gear frame ALL BUILT!!


I finally got around to building up the Nashbar SS/fixed frame for my lady last night:
While it might not be anything special to the typical bike snob, one can't help but appreciate it's low price and practicality for urban and or winter riding and or all the fucking time!

A bunch of people were wondering about tire clearance and as you can see, there's also PLENTY of space for some fat tires:

The tires on there now are 23's and the wheel is slamed as far forward as I could get it. You'll notice in the overal shot that there's plenty of space in the drop outs to accommodate said fatty tire :-)
I really hope a lot of people out there take advantage of this frame. It's pretty damn awesome! Just wish they had one that fit me right :'-(
More details about the frame can be found in my previous post on the subject along with purchasing details at Nashbar..

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Some funky NOS vintage winter gloves..

Got these fugly ass RAD gloves a little while ago:


Horrendous huh? Horrendously awesome that is!!

Last time I owned anything like these was a pair of freezy freakies back in the 80's..

..and yes there's a reason why I bought a pair of Fanini gloves. More on that as soon as I find myself a proper hub set and get the wheels built :-)

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Reader Submission: Lovely 70's Team Canada Pogliaghi Track!

Damn this shit is wicked nice:




Thanks Dean!

More snaps of it on his flickr set..

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A 70cm Cinelli Super Corsa??!!!


Yes, 70 fucking centimeters!!:



It appears to be nearly identical to the one I had in my possession a while back..

Dude's kinda funny too:

Rub your eyes, no those are NOT 650 wheels.

This is my beloved "second" Cinelli. It came to me about 18 months after my first one ("big orange" which I got in 1973). Very long story there. I've told it around the Camp-agnolo-fire a few times. Involves a midnight ride on twin brand new Cinellis through the streets of South San Jose, mildly wacked out (for medicinal purposes only, I can assure you)


Anyway, I so loved my first Cinelli and I was so paranoid that I would never have another opportunity to replace it (indeed, Cino pretty much retired shortly after making this one) that I ordered up what you see. It arrived here as one of the very first Super Record equipped bikes anyone had seen. However, Ti bb spindles and pedal axles were not too smart for a big guy and they were replaced. There have been other changes, like stupid me who sold the original SR RD to get the new modern one you see hanging. Dammit. But there IS the Portacatena! Look close, it's another one of Tullio's "Nobody asked for it, but we're making it anyway!" innovations. I'd be happy to discuss what is and ain't on the frame with a serious buyer.

I could go on. Here's the deal. Ebay is running the listing special; we both know that few people are tall enough, have fat enough wallets and enough passion to get a 35 year old classic bike with less than a thousand miles on it...but maybe. Face it, are there any others? Anything? I know some 66cm Masis and Bianchis got made many years ago (oh and there was a stunningly beautiful white 66 cm Pogliaghi in Peter Rich's Velo-Sport in Berkeley back in the late 60's..who bought that, I wonder?) but....are they like this, unscathed, almost unridden? Hanging for decades in quiet reserve? Waiting for their turn on the road?

Maybe there's a young sincere engineer (soon to be rich) working at some Silicon valley startup and he admires what a classic steel bike represents. And brothers and sisters, forget Faliero, forget Ugo, forget... Mario. It was Cino who kept the torch burning during the dark post-War years and just about anybody who ever put their name on a downtube learned from him. In fact, when I was in Italy about 2003, I met Irio Tomassini who worked for Cino at the time Big Orange was made and he swore he remembered it, down to the color (and mostly about Cino bitching for having to build such a big damn frame). Yes. Memorable.

You want it? Pony up. It's a legit offer for sale. I no longer need TWO 70cm Cinelllis. I'm getting old, some young guy should have this. Hey, at least it won't end up in Japan like all the silver ones! 

Speaking of ending up....I'll pack it with more care than you'll ever see again and ship it anywhere in the 48 states (or better if you live in California, bring it to you).

PS

Both big C's are somewhere in the labyrinth of CampyOnly...dig around and you'll find different pics. Big Orange is now all Record 10 and I'm riding it alot. Oh, did I miss that bike.

PPS

No, there is only one for sale. I know you Latin scholars, you'd prefer "Cinellus".

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Buy my Dura Ace EX 'Hidden Bolt' Quill stem! SOLD!!!


It's in lovely condition and is a great piece to finish off your DA EX group!!


Local cash pick up/deliver gets you a slight discount outside of ebay :-)


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Friday, February 11, 2011

Killer fixer upper score!

I just snatched up this Bridgestone Tarck, Hatta BB and HS for of all of $76 bucks!





I mean, it was worth it for the HS and BB alone! I was planning on making an order to NOVA anyways so I'll be sure to toss an appropriately sized stay on there as well since that seems to be the only effected area. I'm thinking the drop out could be bent back into place but I'll have to wait til I get in to see how bad it really is. Worst case I'll find a replacement. In all likelihood I'll build it up and just have it hanging around the shop as the occasional loner :-) Worst-worst case: Find another Bridgestone and make a mini tall out of em! :-D


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