the blue Redline gets pink accessorized

Debbie has been using my Redline Conquest Sport lately.  It has the same shifters and drivetrain as her road bike, and she feels more comfortable on the 35mm tires around town and riding to work. She likes the cross/interruptor/in-line brake handles.

I got the horn for her a few years ago as a joke.  I didn't know it would end up on one of my bikes.
I think the bike is now officially hers.

Full Moon Fiasco #71

So...my last minute ride on a 10 person roster for the 24 hours Round the Clock  Mountain Bike race fell through, which is just as well cuz I felt like sleeping through the weekend. But it would've been fun to get a couple laps in on the Pugsley Necro.

We got to finally do the Full Moon Fiasco ride on Saturday instead.  Usually the ride rolls around each month and I'm out of town or too tired but this Saturday all systems were go.  Of course, now that I've done one, the fearless leader announced there would only be two more rides.  I'm not what they call an early adopter, I guess.

A fun ride through Spokane from the Swamp to the Viking. And a very cold, fast ride home from the Viking in shorts and light pullover at 11:30pm. Which is like 2 hours later than I'm usually out on a Saturday night.

Elephant sighting in Cambridge, Mass.

I was browsing bike blogs last month or so and came across a post on Lovely Bicycle titled The Service Oriented Bike Shop.

Halfway down there's a picture of a red bike with  "Elephant"  on the down tube.  The logo looks a bit different than what I've seen around town, but it had a wishbone seat stay ( I think that's what it is - the part above the rear wheel). Sure enough, the blogger known as Velouria helpfully points out in her comment on the Flicker set that goes with the post, "It is a 650B touring bike from Elephant Bikes in Seattle; you can see the complete bike if you browse their picture gallery".

I didn't find the bike in the Gallery, but from the couple pics on Lovely Bicycle, it's a good looking bike.

Sufferin Succotash!

I was flipping through the June issue of Bicycling magazine, and read on page 5 "Yes, suffering is an integral part of riding...".  Who knew. It's things like this that make me think I need to do less reading about biking and more just biking.

I see suffering mentioned a lot in biking, but I don't get it.  I guess I usually see it mentioned in regards to road & cyclocross racing and training. "Yeah man I was really suffering on that hill".  Could be just jock talk and not mean much.

Sure, there are times when I'm riding and my legs are aching, I'm wheezing, out of breath. But suffering? Usually, it's just too much fun. Maybe I just don't bike hard enough.

random bike pics from last few months

all i got is a photograph. or two...just a little photo dump today. 

Somewhere outside Spokane, February.  

Bike polo - Capitol Hill, Seattle

Under the freeway, I-5 Colonade Mountain Bike/Dog Park - perfect combo for a guy and gal with two dogs.  But if the sign warns full face helmet and body armor HIGHLY recommended, I probably shouldn't be riding it.  As it was, I managed to fall off my bike and rip my shorts just trying to dismount.  Had the Vaya with me so couldn't really ride much of it, which is just as well.  A lot of it is a bit beyond my capabilities.  The dogs enjoyed the dog park part.

Somewhere on Trail 25, Riverside State Park. I tell ya, this park was made for fat bikes, or the Necromancer was made for this park.  On this particular ride I didn't feel like stopping and getting out the phone for pics until I came to this ravine/canyon where the trail goes through the dry creek bed.

Downtown Bike Lockers

Walking by these boxes in the parking lot at the corner of Washington and Spokane Falls Blvd, you might not realize what they are with a casual glance.  They look like they might hold some type of electrical equipment.

But they're bike lockers, and I'd practically forgotten about them until I was thinking I might want to ride my fat bike to work sometimes next winter.  I was wondering how was I going to fit the Pugsley Neck Romancer in the elevator.  (Yes I seriously was thinking about next winter. But only for a moment. Maybe a couple moments.)

When they first put these in a year or so ago, I thought about renting one.  Not just for biking to work, but also for downtown visits and events like Bloomsday and Pig Out in the Park. The rent is $60 for 6 months with a $30 security deposit.  They'e a few blocks from my work, and I'm always pressed for time in the morning so I didn't rent one.  There are 8 spots, and only 2 or 3 seemed to be in use, the rest were unlocked and open.

This one above was home to a wasp family, whose home I reflexively knocked down. Sorry about that.  The Vaya fit with room to spare, but I'm not sure about a fat bike.

They seem somewhat secure.  I might feel a little uneasy leaving the Vaya inside.  In fact, I think I was told by a certain someone "you're not parking the Vaya inside one". I'd feel better if there was an attachment to also lock the bike to inside.

Cycle Safe is the company that makes these.  Info on renting on is here at the Spokane Convention Center's website.

the Latest Bike Accessory

There are a couple glass filled spots on my way to work where some car windows got busted out and nobody cleaned up the glass.  And there's the section of Ash between Maxwell and Broadway with a lot of sand and debris left over from winter on it that either the sweepers missed or they haven't made it to yet. So I've been thinking, maybe I'll bring a broom along with me and clean it all up before I get a flat.  I've been lucky so far on these tires.

Oh sheesh did I just say that?