carrot bag

still trapped in the 80's..., poorly framed lawnmower at DeLand Skatepark

2012-02-17T02:24:00.000-08:00

still trapped in the 80's..., poorly framed lawnmower at DeLand Skatepark

http://cruiserrevolution.com/2012/02/17/lawnmower-season-is-almost-here/

Florida Legend, Dave Verde

2012-02-04T02:25:00.000-08:00

Florida legend and mysophobe, Dave Verde. Test run Tribute Bikes proto 24" cruiser.

4:21 am, studio, drifting off topic

2011-12-30T03:47:00.001-08:00

yet more tabletops on the new ride....

2011-12-22T02:28:00.000-08:00

coupla' shots from the other day.... Wayne Keller 41 years, proto Tribute Bikes cruiser, backyard ramp. Another shot after the jump.

photos © Chip Riggs

Low camera angles, a lame riders best friend

2011-12-20T02:05:00.001-08:00

As I get older, the camera has to go lower & lower..

fun-bump at Chuck Lennon MB trails

2011-11-25T14:51:00.001-08:00

Superfun little bump at Chuck Lennon MB trails, an excellent trail system here in Central Florida that offers multiple routes based on ability. From trails that my 6 yr old cruises to steep drops and jumps......fun for the whole family! You can find more info about Chuck Lennon trails on their Facebook page.Oh, and the Specialized 29er review filmed at Chuck Lennon has reached 6,500 views! Psyched!

yay, old man learned a new trick

2011-11-17T16:24:00.001-08:00

one handed spine 180 tire buzz aboard prototype Tribute Bikes cruiser..... Wayne Keller DeLand skatepark, 41 yrs

Back 40

2011-11-07T16:35:00.001-08:00

Wide view of the tetanus farm

brakeless for a day...

2011-11-02T16:18:00.000-07:00

Ran the new Tribute Bikes cruiser brakeless for a day.....big respect to the local skatepark guys who have never ridden brakes...those kids amaze me....

go forward, move ahead, try to detect it..

2011-10-24T15:58:00.000-07:00

Florida Legend Mike Andrews reppin' Eastern Bikes in a way too dark photo.....

dimly lit...

2011-10-10T18:33:00.001-07:00

after 3 days of rain, had to give the new steel a go ....wired up some lights yesterday, gotta put up a few more

rise of the Pequod part 10: cut, weld, grind...and a space pod

2011-10-05T17:22:00.000-07:00

got the new steel layer welded down over the kinks tonight.....so smooth.........actually had some help too...

rise of the Pequod part 9: kinky tombstone

2011-10-03T15:39:00.000-07:00

so yeah, the tombstone extension has a pretty harsh kink, kinda throws you to the flat like a lawn dart...
got some more sheets of steel on the way to layer over that kink and at the bottom where the transitions meet the flat....above: low camera angles are nice..

gratuitous beaver shot

2011-09-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

gratuitous beaver shot from last weekend....fastplant on what's left of Mesh Skatepark's spine ramp....notice the pained expression of constipation....
much thanks to Chip Riggs for the photo....

2011-09-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

dawn patrol at Lake Vista Skatepark in St. Petersburg, Fl. ...Super fun little wedge/rail/stairs park..no transitions, great to bring the little ones to. Also no fence, so you can go anytime (7am in these photos, hit the park before the wife & kiddos get up for another long day of tourist-ing)

rise of the Pequod part 8: Dizz Hicks wedge

2011-08-19T15:48:00.000-07:00

got the wedge built in between rainstorms........ thinkin' about a triangular sub-box thing in the gap between the trans and the wedge.
I remember when DeLand had 7 mini-ramps goin' (we called 'em ditch ramps at the time). The ramps at Will Fogle's place and skate legend Dave Duren's backyard mini both had heavy sessions throughout the 80's.

rise of the Pequod part 7: corner pocket

2011-08-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

mini ramp corner pocket transition...had the wedges tacked in and transitions twisted up before daybreak today. Found sole remaining sheet of steel, burned it in & the spent a few hours wrestling the dodgy thing into place. The compound curve on corner transitions is tough to deal with....tomorrow will fire up the plasma cutter, trim the top and fill in the flat...still gotta put a wedge ramp somewhere....

rise of the Pequod part 6: roll in ..again

2011-07-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

got the decking on the roll in....steel sheet at bottom to cover the shoddy workmanship

gettin' my Grasso on..

2011-07-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

photo: Chip Riggs

mini ramp resurrection part 5, roll in...framed

2011-07-24T14:56:00.000-07:00

mini ramp resurrection part 4, north deck

2011-07-24T03:16:00.000-07:00

got the deck done in 12hrs yesterday...gonna start roll in today...you can hardly see it in photo,look for boards framing out a backside to deck as if it was a tabletop jump, prob wont use them though

mini ramp resurrection part 3, rise of the Pequod

2011-07-17T16:36:00.000-07:00

got the last sheets welded in, gonna start on the decks soon..thanks for the photo Chip.

The Pequod: He initially describes the ship as old with advanced weathering from her many voyages. She is at least 50 years old, and was thus probably built in the 1790s. She is "of the old school, rather small if anything; with an old-fashioned claw-footed look about her." At the time, she is already old and weathered by many voyages and encounters with typhoons: "her old hull's complexion was darkened like a French grenadier's, who has alike fought in Egypt and Siberia." Her decks appear "ancient..worn and wrinkled , like the pilgrim-worshipped flag-stone in Canterbury Cathedral where Beckett bled."

weak blunt today...

2011-07-04T18:08:00.000-07:00

my 6yr old shows you how to do the log ride @ the local trails

2011-06-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

my 6yr old shows you how to do the log ride at the local trails, (Chuck Lennon Mtb Trail DeLeon Springs, Fl)...show her some love...20" 6 speed Specialized Hotrock...

mini ramp resurrection part 2

2011-06-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

startin twistin' up new transitions as the old ones flattened over the supports...anything to keep property values down...

check song 7, another lousy cover..just a sketch @ this point

2011-06-03T03:24:00.000-07:00

mini ramp resurrection part 1

2011-05-29T16:11:00.000-07:00

05-29-2011 After 15+ years of neglect, I dug the old steel mini transitions out of the woods yesterday and started to set them up behind the workshop..

Today, 12 hours (5-5) moved the ramps (leverage, Archimedes would be proud) & rough framed the flat with pre-owned 2x12's

got the ramp on the right level, tomorrow will level out the left ramp and fill in all the 2xs in the flat...

the plan is the left ramp is at an angle, the ramp on the right will prob have a 2' deck to wallride with a wedge on the right side of it...

so the whole deal will be "y" shaped (no void between right ramp and wedge)

the thinkin' is wallride/jump off right quarter, land on wedge , fun. Also the kids can ride in on the wedge and not have to commit to droppin' in on a tranny right off the bat..

the ramp on the left will prob have 12' deck for flyouts and whatnot

then I gotta tie it all in with the mb track...

just go ahead & land in the flat....

2011-05-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

3 to pretty much flat on tiny spine....Sunday model C w/ Tribute Bikes forks...41 yrs & can't seem to learn a new trick to save my life, so just recycle the old stuff...

old man foot jam...yawn

2011-05-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

The new cruiser forks from Tribute Bikes ...light, strong & gettin' the job done......also much thanks to Shadow Conspiracy for the kicks!

x-up degeneration...after 24 years you'd think it would be better..

2011-05-14T02:42:00.000-07:00

Still on that old/new photo tip...(inset) back in '87 on the RL-20 w/ vector v-bars & a number plate?(wtf?)....Then today (24 years later) on the cruiser (with Tribute Bikes 24" cruiser forks)....not a whole lot has changed, still have weak tricks, still havin' fun at 41...

don't call it a comeback...Tribute Bikes

2011-05-14T02:37:00.000-07:00

‎Tribute Bikes sent some of their new 24" cruiser forks ...... amazing build quality, lightweight...stay tuned...psyched!

after 27 years, not a whole lot has changed

2011-04-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

(inset) back in '84 on the Haro Master, white coaster Tuffs, goggles, JT mouthtrap (why?), doin' lawnmowers in the yard. Then today (27 years later) on the Sunday cruiser, not a whole lot has changed, still have weak tricks, still havin' fun...

goofin' on the 80's, Jamie Wright

2011-03-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

when the wife & kids don't want to go to the skatepark...

2011-03-23T02:38:00.000-07:00

Washed up 40 yr old bmx guy reviews the 2011 Specialized Stumpjumper 29er EVO at Chuck Lennon MTB trails, Deleon Springs, Florida

jump to 4:16 to skip all the chatter and see the trails....

yeah, that's a lame Joy Division cover I did..hear more at:

http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_songs/872506

for the bmx vids check these two:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0DTUYggIEY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MkRutGwYgA

check http://www.theshadowconspiracy.com/ for the Shadow Conspiracy goodies..

still trapped in the eighties...fuf to icepick, Sunday Model C

2011-03-13T17:48:00.000-07:00

40 yrs & still trapped in the eighties...fuf to icepick, Sunday Model C

made a rear brake mount for Subrosa singlespeed

2011-03-05T12:27:00.000-08:00

gotta slow the trailer down....

not even jail cover updated

2011-03-01T02:59:00.000-08:00

wait a bit for the player to load.....

Check track "not even jail sketch 2", updated the drum track, still not the least bit satisfied with it, filled out past the first chorus....really diggin' last bar where another layer of lead comes in @ 3:26.....

..thoughts?

a few pegs, street tires and a freecoaster? Go to the MB trails..

2011-02-27T11:53:00.000-08:00

yeah, so head on over to the local muddy MB trails for some jumps, fufanus, log rides and wheelchairs (which weren't landed btw)

trapped in '86...

2011-02-22T17:40:00.000-08:00

trapped in '86....super lame flat to fakie @40...Sunday Model C

'85 personified

2011-02-17T06:32:00.000-08:00

not even close to Gruttola quality..

elbow @ 40.. Sunday Model C

rope with the roni on Sunday Model C

2011-02-12T15:58:00.000-08:00

rope with the roni on Sunday Model C with piss poor lighting....not Chris Day worthy...not even close

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MkRutGwYgA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0DTUYggIEY
...
check it and be bored...40 years & losing ground rapidly

Subrosa DTT

2011-02-10T16:51:00.000-08:00

backside in the cold & rain while the cruisers on the mend..

granny thought it was rad.... super lame barspin today...

2011-02-04T16:34:00.000-08:00

great day to have some shin chunks end up in my brake lever....

2011-01-30T14:29:00.000-08:00

2011-01-16T14:01:00.000-08:00

whiplash on the cruiser, so lame.., 70 degrees & sunny in Florida today, damn nice day to be outside....

reworking the Broke Down bits a bit

2011-01-10T03:30:00.000-08:00

wait a bit for the player to load.....

think I'm gonna call the Joy Division cover (track 3) done as I cannot sing it and had had to hide behind the vocoder....

for some classic rock blasphemy, check track 4, after building up the basic (cover song) idea with the looper, re-recorded the bits into Logic ....still need to spice up the monotonous drum track and try to get rid of the muddy (ness) from 2:05 on...thoughts?

got this far with Joy Division "Transmission" cover

2011-01-02T01:52:00.001-08:00

here's a tune 'm workin' on..shallow, uneventful at best...

2010-12-13T02:38:00.000-08:00

wish I could just stream new tunes I make on here...anyway, here's a craptastic tune I'm makin'..straight rip off of Whitest Boy Alive with some movie samples..I played all (both) the instruments..check it and be bored..

anyone know how to skip the video part and just attch an .mp3 to a post? Like how to code a small, unobtrusive streaming player?

whoop-dee-do, an x-up...

2010-12-07T16:54:00.000-08:00

58 degrees at the park today.....the woes of living in Florida...

wheels.....again

2010-11-29T16:52:00.001-08:00

Much thanks to Chip for passing the Bullseye my way...

The 10t freecoaster was on sale at Flatlandfuel.com for $70, couldn't pass that up....

The Shadow Conspiracy came through again with the super micro 23t sprocket. Thanks!

more friggin' tabletops and a limp wristed tailtap..so weak...

2010-11-22T16:48:00.000-08:00

spent most of 2 hours tryin' to get these dipped down like a toboggan, this is about all I got....then I get home and see how lame they look.....not much for motivation

buildin' up a new (old) bike for my 6yr old...

2010-11-20T17:50:00.000-08:00

so I officially retired my Suelo flatland bikes to my kids..last year it was the V1 for the 8 yr old, this year its the V2 for the 6 yr old...here's what I started with...

ultra low top tube and 155mm cranks should work well for her..and I found some 4" rise Warlock cruiser bars ...started with the same pattern as the cruiser rims in the previous "Alphabet camo" post...

the black material is masking, then faded blue paint to white..

painted the hubs, a first gen KHE freecoaster , an OG Bullseye (for the Sunday cruiser, more later) and a 32H disc hub for the front...why a disc hub? Found it buried in the shop..and a 32H 1.5 rim....sweet

got the frame masked and painted...

laced up the wheels today...

and its gettin' pretty close...so the kiddo will have a new bike and cheapo-dad doesn't have to spend any money.....

just a few clips, maybe finish this up this year

2010-11-13T04:54:00.000-08:00

shameless self promotion...how lame..

a few recent clips, unfinished (like everything else), ... 40yrs old..full of excuses for being lame....more skatepark cruiser stuff in my other videos, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MkRut...

daily tabletop and super lame tire grab...

2010-11-11T02:35:00.000-08:00

started tire buzzers yesterday...gotta get these over the rail....so lame, I know

yet another screengrab...

2010-11-10T05:30:00.000-08:00

got a new video camera, 60fps hd..screengrabs are a bit more clear....same old half-ass tabletops...no vert, just like the old Ridge ramp...

waste 4 hours & make seat post clamp from scratch at home

2010-11-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

yeah, so instead of spending 7 bucks for a quick release clamp, decided to waste 4 hours makin' one.

I needed a QR clamp on the Sunday Model C 'cuz its my commuter (2,300 miles so far this year, see older post) but then I go to the tiny local skatepark after work. So the seats gets jacked way up in the mornings, then dropped down at the park so as to not rack myself...my knees just can't take commuting on a low seat.

I had a QR bolt from an abandoned mountain bike carcass. I used my Sputnic clamp for a few dimensions and grabbed some aluminum bar stock.

above: drilled the hole for the post, beveled the inner edge, started cutting outside shape

above:finished cutting outer shape and rounding edges..

cut off the "ears" of prior step, relief cut, drilled & test fit...

moved over to pantograph for engraving..stopped here & threw it on the bike for the week, will finish up on the weekend...

couple of shots from today...

2010-10-31T22:08:00.000-07:00

a whopping foot off the ground...amazing...

proper Greg Hill tuck...or a fantastic shot of my backside...

thanks Chip for takin' the shots

2010-10-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

not to make light of icepick lobotomies, read more here:

The rise and fall of the pre-frontal lobotomy-Science Blogs 2007

http://scienceblogs.com/neurophilosophy/2007/07/inventing_the_lobotomy.php

2010-10-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

much thanks again to The Shadow Conspiracy for some more goodies..PC Ravager pedals, Lighter sprocket and linear cable...thanks again! Check the sticker job from my kids.

see the whole product line here :

www.theshadowconspiracy.com

2010-10-28T16:47:00.000-07:00

mmm..screen grab not quite as I had hoped....I need portable photographer....and a little ability

check cruiser revolution for more of the big wheel goodness

2010-10-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

They featured this washed up old guy on the 26th, Thanks!

alphabet camo...

2010-10-24T05:16:00.000-07:00

time for a paint re-do on the Sunday Model C...wanted to ditch all the lime green and orange for greys, got lazy, didn't paint the hubs, just taped the spokes, would take me another whole day to relace 'em otherwise..

Still the 80's Araya 7x and Ukai single wall rims, which have been taking a beating lately. The sidewalls are taped to remain chrome, pitted yes, but the brakes work well which is my main concern.

First, base coat everything dark grey..

then round up some big alphabet stickers....

cut the stickers into random strips and apply to parts...random is difficult...tried to get a consistent "density" so they are about evenly spaced yet not with a deliberate look...

then paint over everything with a lighter grey (just threw some white in the spray gun cup which still had some dark grey in it..

peel off the masking

then clear coat everything

re-assemble and then realize I should've done the wet-sand/ buff treatment....

so gotta do the hubs yet....

Sunday Bikes posted my vid and link on their facebook feed today, NICE!

2010-10-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

Sunday Bikes Not only does Wayne Keller rip it up on his Model C, but he has commuted over 2,000 miles on it since he bought it. Not bad for a guy who is 40!

deland micro skatepark...old loser on Sunday cruiser April 2010

www.youtube.com

just a few shots of the same old stuff from 20 yrs ago, wanna get this stuff done before my 40th birthday in May....Sunday model-c cruiser, see http://carrot-bag.blogspot.com/ for the build up -wayne keller

2,200 miles on a Sunday Model C, KHE MAC 2 tires

2010-10-03T05:19:00.000-07:00

this week I passed 2k odd miles on a model C.....so far this year..back n forth to work every day...

took the 10 mile /day x 5 days x weeks since bike was together (11/'09)......

afternoon rain, blasting Fla. heat or the 2 weeks of 30 degree "winter"...plus whatever I do at the local park a few days a week....dude, I'm 40...gotta keep ridin' or I'll end up 300lbs on the couch.

KHE MAC 2 tires holdin' up great...no problems with wear or sidewall damage.

much thanks to Shadow Conspiracy for the chain!

2010-05-03T13:39:00.000-07:00

Local superheroes, The Shadow Conspiracy sent this old man a chain that won't break..much thanks!

Check out all their goods here:

www.theshadowconspiracy.com

dammit, another broken chain.....

2010-04-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

somethings definitely very wrong with this....further investigation required....chainline?

quick skatepark edit from the other day---oh so lame...

2010-04-04T16:59:00.001-07:00

i guess just go to the you tube link here , cant seem to get the one below to not crop...crap

ass over tea kettle

2010-03-07T16:58:00.000-08:00

after nearly seven hundred miles on the Sunday, the chain broke, skipped off rear cog and left me in a heap...crap...gonna change chains every 5 hun now....

so I made another portable kicker ramp....

2009-12-12T16:46:00.000-08:00

I spent some quality time with the plasma cutter and welder & made this lil' p.o.s. kicker this morning . Photos: Nick

...and you can wear it while riding...

and it works okay for a kicker too, tends to tumble around when hit..

yeah, it needs some rework, but its damn fun. Thoughts?

150 miles on a Sunday

2009-12-10T03:48:00.000-08:00

So the past few weeks have been quite satisfying on the Sunday Model C. About 150 miles back n forth to work,had (more than) a few flats. Mostly due to spokes sticking through the damn single wall rims (somebody donate some decent rims this way, its a tax write-off). Went to the tiny local skatepark a few times and it does amazingly well, feels like a 20. Will try to coax someone into takin' some pics this weekend. So nice to have a do-it-all bike: commute, park, random obstacles. All those curbs and manuals certainly make the commute so much
more fun.

more patches than XP.....

Sunday Model C test drive version 001

2009-11-23T05:23:00.000-08:00

of coarse I get the bike together last night and its raining....spent most of the day lacing and re-lacing wheels (too cheap to buy proper spokes)...rode it to work (gotta get that shop cleaned) today in the drizzle...

SOOO MUCH FUN! DAMN FAST! LESS FILLING!

front end end lifts easily, super light (24.6 lbs..stole the ti crank spindle off my daughter's Suelo), curb jumps galore..... all the used parts working like a champ, very psyched. It needs the usual maintenance stuff when I get back to the house: loose headset, half link, tire sidewall torn... etc.

everything's under control. Situation normal.

2009-11-22T05:24:00.000-08:00

some shots during assembly of Sunday Model C, not too sure about the orange

sort of lime, avocado

2009-11-21T17:34:00.000-08:00

moderately productive today, custom painting ancient, damaged parts, finished butchering the stem, started by carving off the top and engraving DORK into it... pretty much sums up my existence...

..then put it back in the mill for some unnecessary ventilation, I guess the whole point was to add a whole bunch of stress risers....remind me of this when it breaks...

...... the cap came out nice after paint..

I thought I had a snazzy Profile crank spacer somewhere,

couldn't find it, had to make one..dig the action photo

mixed up some damn fine green..avocado/ lime goodness..

so here is the stuff that needs to be painted, along with the rims..

......having to use an ancient Araya 7x with all the chrome flaking off, gonna try to buff out the sidewall in an attempt to have some working brakes..

..guess I lost the order here..but heres some stuff in primer....

and heres some stuff in orange, the color balance on my '95 Photoshop is all jacked up...the middle hub photo is the most accurate...

and lastly, the sprocket

got the frame/ fork/ bars thanks J.C.'s Bikes & Boards

2009-11-16T06:14:00.000-08:00

Sunday Model C 24"...21.75" tt

a single stem suffices for the keel of a Tyrrhenian ship

2009-11-15T14:51:00.000-08:00

So I found an old DK shorty stem with only 2 broken bolts embedded in it. Of coarse they wouldn't simply back out.

I drilled out the offending bolts thereby ruining any possibility of salvaging the threads. After drilling and tapping to the next size, had to re-countersink for the now larger allen heads ... kinda diggin' the middle shot of the tap.....Should be good-to-go after a clean up...probably smooth it out and lighten it up a bit....

never learn(t) my lesson

2009-11-08T08:37:00.000-08:00

ok, so since I feel the need to buy things constantly, I'm really psyched on the new Sunday Model C 24" but I'm lacking in monetary ability for a few weeks, so I decided to resurrect this abortion from the attic.
This bike has been incapacitated for quite a while (it incapacitated me plenty of times), the bad mojo of this thing forced me to keep it in lockdown for the past 10 years.

This is the Jason Levy "Warlock" from mid to late 90's. Jason's Aspire video contest submission got plenty of attention with the rollbacks to handgun and manuals on the top of moving trains.
He had Waterford Cycles build a few cruiser frames & bars back in the mid mid 90's in hopes of making a thrashable cruiser/ mountain bike that rode "upright". It worked for the most part:

21" top tube, 74 head angle, Redline-esque 6 inch head tube which makes forks a major problem...was designed for suspension forks (with rigid's it drops the BB way down to under 12"...lame) ovalized 4130 tubing, derailleur hanger, sloped top tube, solid brake mounts and no lack of enthusiasm from Jason.
SE Landing Gear forks with extra 2" welded onto steer tube (for lengthy head tube)
Six speed internal hub with red 24"Sun Rhino light rear, Bullseye w/ Araya 7X front
Profile cranks w/ 6" spindle, wonky cable routing for hub and brakes...yadda yadda yadda

I just added taller bars today (7.5" x 28" WTP) to see how it felt (like ape-hangers), probably ride it work a few days this week. I keep looking for something fun to commute to work on rather than my single speed mountain bike and I think the Sunday is going to be that bike. I nearly bought the Subrosa fixie but I'll just end up trying to ride it like a bmx bike anyway. Don't get me wrong, the Subrosa fixie is a damn cool bike, I just don't think its for me.

So this is just a glimpse (Chip's '98 collage) at the carnage that this bike has dealt..around late '98 I was using this as a street ride/ commuter and wannabe dirt jumper. One Saturday I broke the forks ('cuz I can't jump, thunder-cased the landing) , smashed my face into the Pensacola clay and shoved my teeth through my lips...........then decided to do same thing the following Sunday on borrowed forks. I didn't learn that lesson, obviously.

So for now I will ride this till I can get the fundage for the Sunday.......

update: 11/11/09 "with the BB that low and bars that high, manuals/bunnyhops are a bitch, maybe I'll try to lower the fork crown a bit (raise lower bearing race) and put the 5" cruiser bars back on..

spiral architect

2009-09-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

some shutter drag shots of Chip from last Sunday night.....diggin' the bike frame static in second shot...

And he guides them and searches for paths, and they say sneak sneak

airport lot 9/26/09

2009-09-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

2003 Roots Jam Outtakes...

2009-09-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

A few photo outtakes from the 2003 Roots Jam article I wrote for RideUK. These are straight out of the film catalog with no post-processing so their a little rough around the edges.

2009-09-27T11:28:00.001-07:00

Blurry mind so hypnotized fast enough who

2009-09-22T02:36:00.000-07:00

poor photography from back in July '07

more here

If it's raining there's always the dojo

2009-09-20T07:19:00.001-07:00

The Lamborghini

2009-09-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

This was my last old school bike. I had to let her go recently to help fund other endeavors, but I do miss her. When was 12 and got into bmx, the Hutch Trickstar was the ultimate machine staring back at me from the magazines. It was like a Lamborghini to me. Finally, I got a chrome F/F a couple years later in 86. I had gone through a couple Haros and they were nice, but the hutch was to be the score. I had been working my first job as a mechanic at the local bike shop and got a deal on the frame set. It came in december and I immediatly put it together on my lunch break one saturday. I was stoked to say the least. The geometry was SO different from the Haro- way steeper head angle, quick, and responsive. I was really loving it. I think the first trick I did was a squeaker and then a miami hopper and then a framestand ( I mean come on, how could you not want to do a framestand on the best looking standers ever to grace a bike?)There was nice flat asphalt area in the back of the shop by the loading dock and that's where we would ride after hours or during lunch. The Trickstar was the bees knees to me for a long time. Then, one day I cracked it at the head tube doing some bonehead jump. I sent it back through the shop and got a white one under warranty. That one never cracked. I ended up trading it a couple years later to my bud Sandy. Now fast forward to about three years ago... I got the ebay itch and scored the chrome one here. I built it up over a few months and it was like being at the old shop as a kid again. I'm kind of sad I sold it already, but the true joy was just building it. I can always find another one If I really wanted to I suppose....I heard that Mitch Collins still lives around here somewhere.......

Woody

2009-09-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

No, not as in Woody Itson, although I will be posting something about him soon. Also, it should be well known by now that Woody bars are just about the most perfect bmx bars ever made...at least that's what I think anyway. Too bad I don't have a set...No, the wood I am referring to is the guitar body I designed and mocked up in pine. I know cad and my buddy has a cnc machine. It's just way too much fun. The next one will be for real and out of mahogany.

elbow grease

2009-09-08T16:25:00.000-07:00

rode for a bit today in the dojo...the fire hydrant to elbow is still elusive sans brakes...usually ends up straight to push up...or as in the photo: straight into the couch.

Master with coaster Tuffs

2009-09-07T05:41:00.000-07:00

Here's the Master with coaster Tuffs I mentoned. Lets ponder some of the idiocies of this shot:

Everything had to be exactly how "freestyle" was portrayed in the magazines.

Jofa, helmet and elbow pads needed for bar endos, guess the goggles were for the dirt
Name on number plate for the magazine shots or so the chicks would know who that radical rider was.
Oh so nice pink gloves...fingerless/ mesh no less
Had to wear my Rich Sigur shirt for the photo
Everything coordinated down to the blue hinge coaster clamp
Notice the "trails" in the background...shoulda been dirt jumping the whole time

Always the follower..it kills me to think of the money my folks wasted on this crap.

polishing a turd

2009-09-06T17:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I tried one bike to do ramps, street and flat. The 21" Eastern with 4 ti pegs, 2 brakes, super titanium/kevlar everything...kept it under 22 lbs....pretty good right?

Wrong..problem seemed to be whatever slight gains I made in flatland were far outweighed by tripping over all these protruding proboscises whenever I rode ramps. And whatever delusions I had of front brake tricks on ramp have long since been crushed.

One bike worked in the 80's right? The Master with the white coaster tuffs and Vector bars...that bike did it all with no complaints...and I had more tricks than I do now.

But things are different now. Instead of riding more I just buy more....and don't improve. Go figure.

I am driven to complicate my life with "stuff", obsessing over the latest greatest, lightest, neon-est, high tech parts rather than focus on trying to not only regain the 2 or 3 tricks I had in '88 but to possibly learn some new ones....what a f*cking concept.

I've thought that since day one... I remember telling my dad why I got last place in the first BMX race I went to...not 'cuz I sucked but because I didn't have the bright blue Sugino 44T sprocket that I wanted from the LBS...never mind that it was 1/3 the price of the the bike I was riding.

Everything was fantastic just before that day. I had my first new bike in '79, I was on top of the world....until I saw what the other kids at the track had...whatever they had was better than mine. I didn't even know what it was, but it had to be better. Whatever I saw in BMXA was better than mine. And of coarse my parents couldn't justify the JMC with Phil Woods I wanted....so I pitched fit after fit and they found a way to get me what I wanted.

Was I ok then? Hell no. Then I wanted something different. Spoiled little shit. I have never been able to simply be content with what I have...Every day I regret acting that way.

So now for the third or fourth time I've built up a "flat" bike. As a sort of self-help therapy, I'm purposely leaving the bent /damaged/ dysfunctional parts on the bike. I need to learn to appreciate things.

"...may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts."

Suelo V2 frame, 18.5"
Odyssey flat fork 2nd gen, used to be Kip's
S&M Berringer bars 8x28 found in garbage can at skatepark (see earlier post for bend)
engraved crossbar
Thomsen post
GT 155mm trials cranks with integrated 23t sprocket...
square taper ti road bike spindle, homemade bottom bracket
MKS plastic pedals
Subrosa grips
GT taint anihilator seat
Bullseye front hub with Araya 7x single wall (thanks for the freebie)
Haro fusion stem (thanks for the freebie again)
Basket case KHE freecoaster, axle stripped and bent, missing parts, all very rusty, thanks for the freebie though.

Hub is on the mend, still makes very strange noises, usually 2 full cranks before it engages and wheel flops over and hits frame

80's single wall Ukai rim in the back
Shadow belter 2.20 posterior tire, bald Odyssey elm street in the lead
4 Bizhouse pegs, used to be Kip's.
24 lbs

So now I will spend more time in the dojo...

CALLIN' OUT GOAL 1 FOR ME: whiplash to h5 by the end of the year

Jamie's Bike Check

2009-09-06T14:29:00.000-07:00

Here she is, my new ride for the year...Well, it's
not really a NEW ride, but it seems like a totally different bike without the stoppy things. So, the old dual-purpose bike was wrenched to get at the parts I wanted and then slapped back together on the FBM frame I had from a couple years ago. I was riding a cool Function flat/ street frame most recently, but the extra chromoly used in the rear end just kind of made the bike too heavy for my flatland taste. So, in an hour or so of whittling I had the thing ready just in time to meet the boys for the first ride. I was able to clock my first ever flatland session without brakes too. Nothing real impressive to report from this hour and a half battle in the heat, but it was a good start and fun all the same. Now I just need to get them goals set and keep to the regimen...In the meantime, here's the bike low-down for those interested:

frame- FBM custom flatland frame (Stephen Murray Fund Frame)
fork-Odyssey-minimal offset
stem-Bizhouse-old style
bars-Odyssey
Grips- Chad
bar ends- Bizhouse titanium
cranks- Primo Hollowbite
chainwheel- Shadow
Pedals-Hutch Racing Beartrap (just kidding-KHE
chain-KMC
wheels-48's-Odyssey w/Nankai rear and Primo front
tires-front-old Chase, Rear KHE folding
seatpost-Shadow
Seat-Odyssey 99'r
Pegs- Bizhouse-narrow versions with the rings

Daily, er, well, Weekly rider...

2009-09-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

More for the record than anything else, here's my flat bike in it's current state.

- FBM Equilibrium frame
- Odyssey Flatland classic forks
- Shadow Conspiracy 11b 7.25" bars (cut down to 23")
- Brickhouse stem
- Shadow Conspiracy Fingerbanger grips
- McNeal Pivotal seat & post
- Profile seatpost clamp
- Profile 160mm cranks w/ sealed euro BB
- Shadow Conspiracy Crank & Bones 30t sprocket
- Odyssey PC pedals
- KMC chain
- Shadow Conspiracy Stun complete front wheel
- Sun Big City rear rim w/ Profile Nankai shell (11t)
- Shadow Conspiracy Undertone tires (2.1)
- Snafu pegs

Just took the brakes off a couple weeks ago since I feel like I'm starting at square one again. Super into the feel and look without them but it's anyone's guess how long they'll stay off.

photo size test

2009-09-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

started to rain and slight problem with the bars

angle of repose

2009-09-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

After a summer of one bike, I follow the lead of my compatriarts and build yet another Suelo with no brakes.

We spoke of a regimen of riding frequently to have some fun and , hopefully, get a little better.

So the man in the sweater said that since we are starting at point zero, we might as well take the brakes off again and try for a better result.

Today was trial one. The words "futility boundary" from some Wired article kept rattling 'round.

The basket case hub definately has issues....more on that later..