I’m not a big fan of this time of the year. Burning Man is coming up and bikes that are used only one time per year are brought out of their dungeon, caked with playa dust from the previous year(s) Burning Man(s). If you have been to more than one Burning Man do you say […]
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This Sunday, August 12, there will be a gathering of some of the hep cats of the Nor Cal frame and parts makers at the heppest of eating establishments, Una Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco. A Ruota Libera Due (that’s two in Italian), will happen at 1:00 p.m. It features many of the great area […]
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Some shit is just that. However, some shit is good shit. Take the 1970’s Free Spirit bike, for example. I had one when I was in high school before I could drive. It was a 10 speed. I turned flipped the bars up on it. I could ride wheelies all the way down the street […]
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There is a fantastic exhibit that just opened at the San Francisco International Airport. The good news is that it is before security in the international terminal which means that anyone can go – no need to be flying. “From Repack to Rwanda: The Origins, Evolution, and Global Reach of the Mountain Bike” is on […]
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I like to tape bars. I’m pretty good at it. Consistent, even wraps. I don’t like to tape my own bars until they really, really need it. Because I tape bars with just the right amount of tension on the tape, just he right amount of overlap, and because I don’t “worry” the tape (more […]
Filed under: Things I like
I sometimes neglect the blog because I have been posting quick photos and simple posts on the Black Mountain Cycles Facebook page. I realize that there are some folks who aren’t on Facebook (and for that, I applaud you). So, I need to try to remember that and post some more here. With that in […]
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Finished the build on this beautiful Steelman last week. The owner has several other single-speeds from some of the Bay Area’s finest builders: Soulcraft, Rock Lobster, Steve Potts. The builds on all of them also give the nod to the area’s component makers: White Industries, Phil Wood, Paul Components. Having multiple bikes with pretty much […]
Filed under: What's in the stand
Been a long time since I rock ‘n road. There’s been a lot of great new tires coming out recently. The Clément X’Plor MSO 40 came out a month or so ago. Before that, the Panaracer Fire Cross 45 was (and still is) a hot tire. Vee Rubber came out with a 47 and a […]
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One of the things that infuriates me about the bike industry (and I guess any industry that produces consumer goods that are superseded by a new item that is purported to be new and better) is that once a new model year product line is announced, the discounts on the old (current) model line begin. […]
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It’s not too often that I throw the bike in the car to drive to the start of a ride, but on Monday, that’s exactly what went down. A friend was in town and wanted to get out on a long ride to initiate his new Clément MSO tires. Mike Cherney is a long time […]
Filed under: Mixed Terrain, Rides
Actually, the “we’re” is simply “I’m,” but who’s counting. Conversing in the third person is much more intriguing. What I am trying to say is that I’m back at the shop and maintaining regular hours. Sometimes, I get pretty caught up in trying to keep the shop open to service the needs of cyclists riding […]
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A recent Guitar Ted post got me thinking about color and bikes. In the post, he mentions that his “boss at my first bike shop gig said something to the effect that, “Cycling is a colorful sport. Your kit and your gear should reflect that.” I don’t recall my old boss at the bike shop […]
Filed under: Industry commentary