Safety Brake

Coasties are the best, but what happens if your chain breaks as you're bombing down a steep hill? This scenario has crossed my mind now and then or someone reminded me of it. For vital systems it's better to have a back up... 

I've kept a whole bunch of old cantilever brake parts over the years, and pieced this one together with all recycled materials.

Peace of mind at last!

Cool Backlight

 

I found this skull and crossbones rechargeable back light at the Pucker Street Bike Shop in Marcellus, NY.

(3 NORTH ST

 

MARCELLUS, NY, 13108

 

(315) 673-7395)

Toe-clips

I learned the hard way that pedals without toe-clips can slip, and lead to a fall. It's a nice safety feature.

Truing Stand: had to have it

I've been making wheels without it for a while now, and I must say that they were never perfect. Using a truing stand is the guarantee to making balanced, vibration free wheels, and to having a perfectly smooth ride.

Found on Craig's list.

Skull & Cross Bone Disc Wheel

Today I finished my homemade disc wheel.

I first cut a paper pattern to custom fit on the wheel, and then two discs of corrugated plastic.

I joined their seams with duck tape, and drilled holes between each spoke.

I joined the two discs through the spokes with cable ties and used duck tape to finish covering the wheel and valve hole.

I covered the duck tape with foil tape for finish, and tried the wheel on.

Then I spray painted my skull and cross bone stencil on.

Tomorrow, I'll ride it through Syracuse...

Meanwhile, in France...

This is what my brother Stéphane's been working on this winter:

Do you recall this bike my father had outfitted with a Mosquito motor from Italy? It used to belong to my uncle Bernard. He had it at his country house in Royaucourt, France. I remember riding it as a kid through Picardy's country roads with Stéphane and our cousins Isabelle and Juliette.

Well, Stéphane stripped it, had it sand-blasted and powder-coated:

Then he found the right parts, that fit his style, put it all back together, and gave that ol' Peugeot a second life:

This is how he rolls... You got style brother!

 

Meanwhile in Syracuse, New York...

 

(Two last photos taken the same day)

Still riding

Today, December 23, in Syracuse NY is bicycling weather: 40 degrees, no ice or salt on the roads. 

I use these small lights for safety, because it's dark out:

 

Sunday Morning Single Speed Route

This morning I rode across the city. I used Alltrail for the first time to track my path. Check it out.

The Problem with Vintage Leather Saddles

Vintage leather saddles are cool, but as it ages, leather looses its flexibility, and it can lead to this:

My brother hit a pedal on the road in a turn, and the saddle just snapped. Bummer.

The Right Gear for Urban Bicycling

Riding in style requires some sense of style, that is a purposeful arrangement of what you wear in order to achieve a certain effect. A mix of fashion, comfort, and utility, your style must allow you to ride comfortably and safely while conveying your personality. 

Helmet (spray-painted skateboarding), dope looking sunglasses.

Muscle shirt, to show your muscles and tattoos, and also to stay cool.

Big shorts, for comfort, and also to clash with the conventional yet indecent bicycle shorts.

Pocket knife, for protection against feral pitbulls... a bike chain, and pepper spray can add several layers of intimidation, in case you have a run in on the road. Let's hope we never have to use those.

Cool leather gloves to absorb handlebar vibrations and save your hands when you fall... Wrist watch to know what time it is, and how long you ride for.

Shoes with a semi-hard sole and some good grip at the bottom. I personally found that Sketchers are awesome for riding. The worst are Converse (you feel the pedal cut in your foot bottom).

A phone, for emergencies, preferably a cheap one, so that it doesn't attract envy.

Winter gear coming up!