Surly Pacer 650b Conversion

Surly is a company outside of the Twin Cities that offers a line of steel frame/fork pairings that covers the spoke spectrum from single speed to urban utility. This model, the Pacer, is their road bike. However, here you see the smaller 650b wheels used. Actually, most of the components were recycled from a vintage Raleigh touring bike. The handlebar/brake setup is entirely custom and makes use of triathlon-style areo levers with cables routed through custom internal pathways. The grips are cork and match the visual of my broken-in Brooks saddle.

The ride is a very surprizing combination of comfort and speed and the look is very satisfying.

Is Now the Revolution?

We've been bombarded with media coverage of folks digging out their bikes, buying new bikes, learning to ride for the first time, and so forth. Should we who have held the torch of bike commuting believe that now is our time? Has the pressure of expensive gasoline caused others to see the light--OUR light? Or are these just the brush strokes of media reporters looking to sensationalize the "crisis"? Is there really a new, swelling wave of our numbers?

Part of me wants to trust that this is true. I have seen others on their bikes--riders with racks, bags, backpacks, and counted them among the revolutionaries. I've also noted the articles reporting increased bike/car accidents and even fatalities.

I've also seen the growing number of scooters holding up parades of motorists who wish to travel faster. Funny, that I've heard zero complaints about this obstruction that is the scooter set--maybe because scooter riders are actually "motorists" they are tangent to the usual angst that bicyclists get if they are perceived as obstructions.

The revolution that is the progression of bicyclists might not be the growth in our numbers, but the expansion of respect for us on the road from motorists. Possibly, these are related. Alternatively our growth in numbers could de-evolve our progress and status. Newer riders don't always follow the rules and consequently upset motorists and cause complaints. Now is the time for education--for ALL who use the road. Pontiacs passing Treks at fewer than three feet clearance is as much an offense as Schwinns pedalling against traffic, or running a red light. These practices don't depict respect from either "side" of the issue.

Is now the revolution? It's up to us and "us" is growing--that's revolution, but not yet resolution.

Milwaukee Bicycle Company

Is it a single speed, or a fixie? What's up with the barend gear shifter?

This bike features a Sturmey Archer, 1963, three speed hub built into a Mavic Open Pro rim--very smooth. The "second gear" gearing is perfect for over 80% of riding here in Wisconsin and Illinois, but the addition of the "third gear" (1.5 times the straight ratio on the bike) makes the bike super usable on down hills and when the group puts the hammer down. I seldom use first gear, but it did save my rear on "The Wall", which is the back side of the Alpine valley ski hill. The move to moustashe bars was wise--nothing climbs like m-bars on a ss, or fixie.

Horribly Hill Hundreds

I drove to Mt. Horeb Wisconsin on Friday--the part of the state that the glacier missed--to station myself near the start of Saturday's Horribly Hilly Hundreds. The HHH is a choice of 100 or 200 k --the 200k promises over 10thousand feet of climbing!

Procrastination dictated that I find a camp site, since area hotel rooms had been booked for weeks, maybe months. The campground in Sauk City that took my reservation turned out to be a trailer park. I set up my little tent just yards from the grounds' play ground where pre-adolescents were entertaining themselves by battering a tree with sticks--oh, the sounds of nature.





After picking up my ride packet at the Mt. Horeb high school, I drove to find the starting location of the ride at the Blue Mounds Park. I began praying that the ride's route markings would be clear and less stressful than finding the park. Finally there, I learned that the virtual reservation web site for the state campground was not accurate when I checked a week ago.


A campsite remained at Blue Mounds, just minutes from the start! The only problem was driving all the way back to Sauk City to retrieve my tent. After sitting through the traffic jam created from the I-94 route diversion caused by the terrible flooding, I was back at the Redneck Ranch (I'm just reporting what one of the kid's tee shirts said under a confederate flag: "Redneck"). The tree beating was still in progress. This confirmed my decision to move to the other park, where it appeared that the trees were being hugged.



I have not been tenting in a while. After all the jockying around and goofy logistics, I still had to set up my tent again--this time, in the dark. It was about 2:30am, in the midst of tossing and turning on my bed of gravel, that I made the determination to ride 100k, rather than the 200k.





Before 7am, at the well-worn downtown of Blue Mounds, while waiting for the start, I noticed a strange absence of women and a huge presence of aero bars. I've entered races that weren't as testosterone-poisoned as this atmosphere! I brought a Waterford (not the orange one, below) that is actually a mountain bike with 115psi road tires, moustache bars, full XTR drive train, and a Brooks saddle. I heard "Nice bars!", "cool, retro", "nice vintage", etc. This bike has no computer, so I have no bragging rights to join in the "I was going 53mph" conversations at the end. Relative to the aero crowd, I was rolling the down hills like an old man, but seeing many of the speedsters that passed me on the down hills as I caught up on the climbs. Speaking of passing, whatever happened to the idea of calling your passes? And who could possibly think it permissable to pass on the right when flying at such speeds?

The organizers of the HHH have constructed some killer routes and the rest stops had ample supplies of fuel and friendly volunteers. Only a couple of hours or so away from Kenosha, this area is far from flat and feels as if you've been transported well outside of our topographically tame midwest.

Goulash, grilled chicken, and beans filled our plates at the end of the final climb to the top of the Park--not the toughest of the day's climbs, but aren't the last efforts the most memorable?

Bicycle Club of Lake County Ramble a Soggy Success

The Weather Channel has been my most frequently viewed show lately. Despite warnings of "Severe scattered thunderstorms", I drove out to Wilmot for the Ramble. I gotta tell ya, entering into the BCLC Ramble Zone this year reminded me just how dedicated this club is. Volunteers stood in the rain and directed me into the lot with my car--hmm, raining at mile zero. The couple pulling gear out of the car next to mine had a transistor weather radio perched on top of their car that was blerting its staticy warning: "severe, blah blah, lightning, thunder, mahem, blah blah". It didn't sink in--or maybe the call of the perfectly marked 100 miles was louder and still inviting, despite the, uh, humidity.



The pavement was wet with frequent drizzle all the way to Genoa City, where the renowned BCLC rest stop awaited with the promised homemade cookies. After enjoying these great calories, stuffing two chewy bars into my jersey, and digging the banjo picking of Jazzy Jeff, I headed out to the 30 mile Blue Loop. It was nice being out on quiet roads pretty much free of motor and even other bike traffic. At the bottom of the loop, the rain hit--a solid shower, but I rode out of it. I think my plan to direct myself into the sw wind worked nicely and it was a psychological boost to have the Big Loop done.



The rest stop was more populated this visit. Although the sky was partly cloudy, it was also partly sunny and I heard no one expressing weather related anxiety. I stood by a giant map of the route and listened as a BCLC staff member gave wonderful descriptions/recommendations about the Loop options. I decided on the Red Loop, followed by my favorite, the Yellow Loop with wonderful rollers.

Very shortly into the Red Loop, I hit rain. A guy passing me looked up at the black sky and the frequently spiking lightning and said "looks like we're riding right into the teeth of it". Teeth, yikes! Unfortunately, he was right and some minutes later I passed him as he stood under a garage with another cyclist and watched this crazy guy riding in a thunder storm. As I rode across an overpass, the wind was literally blowing the rain sideways. My arms stung and I worried that passing vehicles might not see me. Visability also worried me as I struggled to see the turn markers under the flood of water and eroding gravel on the route. Oh, it was comin' down hard! At one point, a SAG vehicle was waiting at a corner to alert us of the turn that was quite missable in the blinding wetness.

The rain let up, then I suddenly realized that I was back in Genoa City. This time the parking lot was even muddier than before and the number of cyclists was many--some wet, some not. As we stuffed ourselves with great grub and listened to more cool pickin', the end of the world was creaping up on us. When it hit, the wind was so strong that rain intruded into half of the large covered pavillion area forcing staff to save the cookies and Jazzy Jeff to gather his PA system toward safety. Bikes were pulled out of the storm, plastic garbage bags were fashioned into ponchos to keep warm and Jeff, well with the rain pounding on the pavillion roof, Jeff grabbed a banjo and kept pickin'--feet tapped and heads nodded.

15 more miles or 35 more miles? I'd already been soaked-- more than once. Whenever I've been to the Ramble, 100 miles has been the total, but not today. I headed toward the White Loop to complete the final 15.

More awesome BCLC staff awaited at the Wilmot base and the smell of grilling brats was irresistable. Veggie Brats? You bet! BCLC has thought of everything--thanks for a great adventure!

The Bike Club of Lake County Ramble is Sunday

This ride offers distance options of 12 up to 100 miles. The route is clover leafed around one central, giant rest stop--pure genius! Homemade cookies abound and provide ample fuel for the rolling hills. This terrain is doable on fixed, or single speed, but I will be using the orange 650b Waterford, that is acually a Thirty Speed! Bring a jacket, rain is likely.

BCLC, if I gave awards for great century rides, you folks would be on the podium!

The Big Down Sizing

OK, so now the day I've prayed for is here. Gas prices are above four dollars a gallon. My joy in this is not some capitalistic rubbing together of my hands in glee as I twirl my moustache in a sardonic fashion and wait for folks to buckle down and buy bikes to save gas and money. Although, yes, the gas price increases have brought increased movement of bikes at Kiddles. The joy here is that life styles are changing. Racks, baskets, and bags for carrying stuff to work and for hauling groceries have been all the rage.

On the home front, we down-sized our gas-consuming vehicles at our house last month. My car is now capable of 40mpg--still not as economical as my bike used in combination with Metra, but I feel better about driving on the days I must.

On Sunday, I drove to Milwaulkee to participate in a charity ride. I hate driving somewhere to ride my bike, but I used the occasion to see how much mpg I could milk from my new car (this is possibly an illness that consumes middle aged men. . .). Sunday was chilly and at one of the rest stops on the bike ride, the guy that was volunteering to run the stop was sitting with his family in his truck while the engine ran the whole time we were there. Of course, I said something to him. . . twice. Self-righteous? Maybe, but every one of our collective mpg was drifting away in the cloud of his truck's exhaust.

Gas prices are not high enough yet for some of us.

Any way you look at it, a car can kill you

I have been very fortunate this year to have had many opportunities, including two news interviews, to express my rigorous views on bike commuting. Strangers have come up to me to say they are impressed or that they think I'm "crazy" for riding in the cold.

The overwelmingly frequent comment, however is that the person is inhibited from commuting by their perception of the dangers of motor traffic. In a word, fear keeps them in their car and off the bike.

Let me give you something to really fear. Picture the fat forming at your gut and thighs as you sit docile behind the wheel of your motor vehicle. Picture the lipids solidifying and building little dams in your blood stream--that dam will cause you to stroke out--probably when your blood pressure increases due to the stress of motor vehicle traffic.

The more of us that commute via bike, the more folks there will be that are sympathetic to cyclists' safety when they choose to be behind the wheel. Once you've felt the heat of a truck's engine as it passes you at 18" away, you will always think of the cyclist's safety when you pass him or her with your motor vehicle. Afraid of commuting again? Do four dollar a gallon gas prices scare you?

We sold out of Dahon folding bikes this week. More came into the shop today and we get calls asking about them on a daily basis. Are more folks tired of dying a slow death behind the wheel of their motor vehicle?

650b Waterford Project

650b is a wheel size that is between 700c and 26". With the use of longer reach brakes, this wheel fits the "700c" frame and allows for use of fenders and 32mm tires. I took this bike on a 58mi ride yesterday with a bike club. This Waterford was the first up every hill!

New for Spring: Biria Classic Dutch Bikes

During the bike boom of the Seventies the U.S. imported thousands of European three speed bikes. The comfort and simplicity of these bikes and the fact that they are built to last four life times make them objects of pure beauty. The Dutch ride bikes--I won't go on and on at this time about how they are better than us because of this and about how fat our kids are 'cuz we drive them to school--maybe in some other post. The point is that after decades of using bikes for transportation, a style of bike remains that is called "Dutch" and it deserves our attention.

These Birias are ideal for rides of zero to 20 miles or so and the rack combined with a bag or two will carry groceries for a few days, a lap top, school books, etc.

Pioneer Press Visits with The Bike Guy

Recently fallen snow provides picturesque scenery as bike commuter and "Bike Guy" blogger Dirk Ingram rides his studded-tire equipped bicycle from the Lake Bluff Metra station down the Green Bay bike trail to his job at Market Square in Lake Forest at Kiddles Sports Store. (Eric Davis/For Pioneer Press)

Please see Ruth Solomon's engaging feature in the 2-21-08 issue of the Pioneer Press (pioneerlocal.com). Ruth is a true convert to bike commuting and this article will entice many more cyclists to join the Revolution.

Mayor Daley Salutes Motorists

The Chicago Tribune reported today:


Also on Wednesday, Daley introduced an ordinance to slap fines ranging from $150 to $500 on motorists who turn left or right in front of someone on a bicycle; pass with less than 3 feet of space between car and bike; and open a vehicle door into the path of a cyclist.The mayor, an avid rider, said he has been involved in unhappy encounters with motorists, providing them with "a few choice words" and "salutes" that he said were delivered "in the Chicago way."