fixed impressions

Though I’m sympathetic to those who’ve been hit by the latest gas price hikes at an individual level, collectively we are just getting what we deserve. We, the consumers, are responsible for setting up our lives with obligatory 15, 30, 60, 187 mile commutes to work. We’ve completely bought the notion the commuting to and from our dream home is the norm. To have the life we want for ourselves and our families requires “sacrifice” in the form of a little extra driving. And somehow we feel that stable (and artificially low) gasoline prices are our divine right: that since we bought the Escalade, that it’s somebody else’s responsibility to keep its cost of operation down. Wasn’t that part of the deal….the salesman told me….?

As a frequent bicycle commuter, I can vouch for the amount of “air” moved around in a 6 foot high, 16 foot long rig. I used to count the number of SUV’s I’d see on my commute to work, and I’d try to make note of the number of SUV’s that contained only one person, and if possible I’d look to see if the cargo area had anything in it. My commute is only 1/3 on the pave, a total of about 7 minutes sharing the road with cars. I often would get to a dozen single passenger SUV’s per trip: all with (as far as I could see) no kids, no dog, no gear, no bikes, etc… on board.

I stopped counting. I didn’t need any data to re-enforce (not to be confused with reinforce) my opinion, I had more than I’d ever need.

“I feel so much more confident in my …”

“I can fit my kids, my dog, my spouse, and half of what we own in this thing…It’s unfortunate that we don’t spend any time together with our lives being so complex and all….”

In the past I’ve had a number of friends successfully “live” for rather long periods with their entire worldly collection of stuff fit in their SUV. These were field instructors for NOLS and Outward Bound, a hardwood paddle maker, a teacher, a rock climber, a poet. And I assure you that those SUV’s contained more outdoor gear (regularly used and often well-worn) than most SUV owners even own, and yet there was still ample room for a human (to sleep) and in many of those cases, a dog or two as well.

For that application, the SUV serves well. If you consider the savings in rent, the ability to access trailheads, gas equates to “utilities.” I’m all for that use. In fact, when I see an SUV that’s stuffed with parents, kidlets, pets, gear, boats/bikes on top, especially if a bit dirty, it truly warms my heart. It really is pretty cool to get it all there in style.

We are sold on the notion that having “options” is number one. Presumably, we believe that having a sedan or compact car “limits” our options. We can’t drive up the vertical walls of sandstone in Utah without a Jeep. We can’t survive a meteor hit without a Toyota pickup (just what happened to the ATV in the bed by the way?) We can’t continue to play H-O-R-S-E with the sunset unless we can fit our portable basketball hoop in the back of the SUV.

Apropos:

Calculate the fuel $$ savings over a year for say, a Civic vs a Forerunner (moderate size SUV). Assume the commute is 35 miles each way. Then, for the cons, assume that you the Civic owner must “rent” an SUV for two weeks to use for the two family vacations, since the vacation (presumably) requires an SUV. My rough on-the-fly calculations indicate the Civic owner would have enough left over to:

1. Feed a family of 4 for 3 months. And:
2. Buy round-trip ticket to Paris. And:
3. Buy $1,000 worth of anything else you want.

While you analyze you might as well look at the cost of insurance, repairs, tires! Since I am so bike-little-or-no-car centric, please advise me of the other things that can’t be done with a Civic v. Forerunner. Oh, and you might as well look carefully at safety statistics!

My conscience would be eased if someone could just show me the math that makes big cars/trucks/SUV’s work. Please help!

The final element: Isolation.

The evolution towards commuting, SUV’s and personal freedoms can be likened to de-socialization. We live in neighborhoods, yet don’t know our neighbors. Local grocers, coffee shops, diners, hardware stores. These historically were the places where community members would see each other, catch up on the world, sometimes argue-sometimes build consensus. Now you whiz from work to the big box stores, “conveniently” buy stuff from people you don’t know, sending profits up the chain to people who don’t spend money or donate time in your community, and erode the viability of your local grocer. Even though the grocer knows your name (and your kids’ names), went to high school with your dad, and buys insurance from your husband, you don’t shop in her store because you can save by shopping at Walmart. Hell, you have to make the payments, right? Besides, you didn’t like it when she told you she knew your son was hanging out with bad kids and smoking weed. None of her business. Even if she was just looking out for a friend.

FUCK.

We already voted, and if we’re unhappy about the status quo, we should make sure to “vote” with a little more forethought next time.

G

Enuff.

I would not have believed last summer that so many fixers (or interested folk) would ever come here.

Thanks.

G

Time is short and the prose will be sacrificed for the ubiquitous list:

1. I’ve been starting and raising lots of plants for both my gardens at home and for the 1/2 plot I’ve signed up for at the community garden accross from where I work. I took a day off yesterday and just tilled, weeded, composted, and planted.

2. I’ve got 5 songs ready for mastering and post-production. Just need some artwork and I’ll make the CD insert, then….RELEASE PARTY!

3. Solitude Cycles Profile. Under Construction.

4. Solitude sent out a press release saying they were only going to build one-speed 700c bikes!

5. Vulture Jerseys. Here’s a pic over at Nat’s site: Click Here to See the Jersey!

Got to run.

G

As two keen readers have pointed out, there are quite a few pics and references to bicycles that coast on these pages lately. You are correct. I’ve slid a bit off topic. Just kicking off the dust of the whole fleet. Not to worry. I’ll get back on track.

G

Quality. ‘Nuf said.

The Solitude profile is up next. Check out this fine sliding vertical dropout!

Word is that my new 26″ Vulture is at the powdercoater. Yeah! ROCK ON!

A few more bits of Vulture Porno:

Courtesy of Scott Power:

Headtube badge in full splendor:

And for the eccentric fans, the dropout:

I’m going to move on to a profile in the next few days of UK-based Solitude Cycles. Not that I ever get enough of Vulture Porno, but there are other cool builders that should get some attention. And I’m sure I’ll subject you all to a ridiculous amount of gab and photos when I build up my new bike. Anyway, Solitude is up next.

G

After a conversation with Wade, I’m impressed that the bolt-on fixed drivetrain is getting really appealing. No more slipped lockrings. No more lockrings, period. Change gears with a Phillips or and Allen. I actually lug a lockring wrench around for commuting and shredding ’cause the thing (Surly Lockring) just won’t stay put on my big 21T cog. I mean, some traditions are good :: double-diamond frame geometry is pushing 150 years as a proven design. But the reverse-thread lockring system just doesn’t cut it with soft, grippy 700/44c tires (higher-power-forgive, a 2.1 tire!) Ah, wouldn’t a Phil disc hub make a really sweet flip-flop design? Disc rotor mounts by design are a much better way to create direct drive. Time to start saving, Phil’s are dearly priced.

Here is how Tom Chow did it with a cheap Axiom front disc hub (photo: T. Chow.) I originally reported this as a Shimano hub, but Tom says it’s an even cheaper Axiom…apparently the bearings in Shimano front and rear hubs are different sizes, complicating the axle swap:

Click on the above photo for the full story and step by step photos (Fixed Gear Gallery).

Here was what I had to work with yesterday on my “commute” to work…

“micro-freshies:”

Poor bastard you say, it must have sucked.

Well, not really.

The snow was light and made a really cool ripping sound while you rode. I got freshies (first tracks) the whole way. I usually see a few other bike ‘muters, but I had it all to myself yesterday. And I can ride about half the way each day on singletrack.

I didn’t start Subi for 10 days over the last week and a half.

Time to shred in and make the donuts.

G

1. Lockring slipped. I was kind of “commuter” dicing with a guy on a typical MTB commuter setup. First part of route is downhill and the iBob busted a move on the downhill leaving my 120 rpm mountain-squirrel action behind. On the short power climb he grannied and I rolled past him at the top, clipped out and did my pot-belly superman down the next hill. I didn’t look back, but I could hear him mashing away. I got to a downhill section where you can take the path (paved) or cut through the alfalfa field on singletrack. Figgered that’s why I’m riding those 700/44’s, so I clip back in and rip the single track. iBob burns the pave and we meet at the bottom of the hill….funny. We slow down in some other bike traffic, cross a bridge and hit a short grimper. I have to slow to not “asshole” by a woman on her MTB, lockring slips and cog slip a half turn. I get no drive for the catch up stroke and almost face-plant the bar/stem. Yikes. Could have smacked me mug up good…put the heavy work on the lockring today.

* * * * *

2. In response to a recent question about what bikes I actually have, none of which i built myself. Well, I’ve built and re-built them all several times, but the frames were crafted by others:

–Uniscorcher: My dad’s Univega, a warranty frame they gave him when he told them he had like 80,000 miles on his original broken one. 40 x 21. 170mm SR crank. 700/44 Mutano’s front and rear…though I’m going to put on a custom “just-big-enough-for-the-Panaracer-700/45″ Vulture fork here shortly. The Panaracer is really a lot bigger than the numbers suggest.

–REK: Abigail gave me this TREK 710 in return for a nice Raleigh fixie I found for her. Converted 5sp Campy freewheel hub to fixed with “Blue Loctite Brand” lockring….which by the way will only slip when the hub shell shatters (knock on wood)…I’ve been using that hub and have leg locked it hard on downhill on pave and it’s held up fine. The price is good on Blue Loctite.

–3-Banger: My dad’s longtime commuter. It’s a nearly stock early 60’s Raleigh sport. Yes it coasts and has three speeds that work. It has a twisted bottom bracket spindle so the cranks aren’t quite 6/12 o’clock. But it rolls nice and cushy with its steel rims, and its 38 lbs aren’t that bad going up hill.

–GX: A geared Vulture trail bike with 700c wheels. I won’t call it a cross bike, but you can if it works for you. Runs up to 38c on the back, and fatties-fit-fine on the front (VooDoo X fork.) This bike is steel. True Temper OS 3 I think. TIG by wade. Neat Campy OR group. Rare Campy 110bcd cranks, for which it’s so easy to get rings. 34/46T with 13-26T cassette. This is as close to a “road” bike as I get. I do have some other cassette and tire options that could cover “road” use, but I just don’t do pure road rides anymore. Why go in a straight line on pavement, get buzzed by rednecks, and watch “real” roadies who always hammer past you just to let you know where you stand, when you can drop in to any singletrack connector, bmx track or dirt road? Do what you like I say, and for me that’s dirt.

–Hei Hei: Truth is, it was my first serious MTB, and it still holds its own in my world. All original spec Kona parts are long gone. I think it’s original ‘93 XT hubs are still in service in an old girlfriends fleet, but can’t confirm that. Set up is so 8-speed ’90’s boring that I won’t waste your time with it. Notice the “problem” solver for the rear V-brake. This frame was built for canti’s and Kona supplied an aluminum cable hanger-collar that went over the seat tube.But it works great and has for 13 years. What can I say? I ride it maybe 6-8 times a year. In VT, gears are not such a bad thing. Being not light or particularly gifted, I would walk A LOT on some of the rides here on single-speed even with a 32/18 (26″ wheels)….And with 40/21 on the Uni, I do walk A LOT!

–Vulture 26″: Currently under contruction. I broke my 6 year old 26″ single speed last summer in a bad fall, and basically am getting a similar frame from Wade. This time I’m getting a custom Vulture unicrown rigid fork to match.

3. More work has been done on the Fixed Impressions Feature Video, but it’s slow going. I wan’t it to be great, and it’s not at the moment.

4. A little more Vulture Porn. Little did Nat know that his socks would make a nice pop/splatter/drool screen to protect a (very expensive AND borrowed) tube condenser microphone from East Germany…..Yes, I am working hard on my upcoming CD release, and have pulled out the stops to make it great.

Aight. Time to try and get some sleep!

G

Ah, finally spring. Well, with one boss away, I had to do two jobs for a week and since I had to be there all day…why drive? So I rode all week. Yay!

This works for me. I’m feeling charged from just some basic commuter shredding and all my juices are running. Getting all bikes geared (or not “geared”) up for riding. This is the best time. I’m looking for one more pic and I’ll be putting up a summary my bikes. And yes, I’m going to include the ones that have “gears”. Ugh. Off topic I know. But someone asked, and that’s all the impetus I needed.

Be back shortly.

G