A couple weeks back, I was riding my bike past the train yard, and they were switching one of the trains from one track to another. This entails pulling the train out onto the street (there is an extension of track which reaches out beyond the train yard by about a block), then switching the track and pulling it back in. As you can imagine, though, this blocks the first cross street. So I rolled up and they had this train out in the street, creeping along, and cars were lined up on the cross street, waiting as patiently as they could for the thing to get done and to get on their way.

BUT NOT I. I rolled up, hopped off my bike, picked it up, climbed ABOARD the slowly moving train, walked through the car’s body, and out the other side, back onto the street and on my way. And the best part of the story is that had the driver of the train looked back and seen me, all he’d have been able to identify is “some dude with a ’3′ on the side of his helmet.” Cause that’s how I roll.

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The Monocyle.

$13K for about 6 hours left on the ebay auction.

I’ve reposted everything below, in case the auction ends and we can’t find this again.

I want it so bad I’d almost give three fingers for it.

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“Bicycle history has left us with a big range of rare and varied vehicles, especially in the last quarter of the 19th century.

For many inventors, the idea of reducing the bicycle to an unique wheel could be very attractive.

The first monocycles were constructed very similar to those that we see in circus attractions.

The driver must be a born acrobat to be able to dominate the longitudinal and lateral balance. A more unstable vehicle is practically inconceivable.

Due to this problem they invented the monocycle with interior rider.We cannot deny that then it was solved the problem of the longitudinal balance, since the gravit center of the system was kept below the center of the wheel.

After many dedication compiling information about books and documentation of epoch of the 19th century, 1got a base of knowledge to make this faithful reply of this unique monocycle for it´s funcionality and elegance.

It was invented in 1873 in France.

All the pieces that compose this original way of transport have been realized by hand, recreating and improving, if possible, all details.

Steel and bronze has benn confrontted, been now more attractive.

The toothed wheel was dealed before in Oak´s wood as model for the bronze smelting. Later the mechanization work were carried out, polished and protection.

The unions and assemblies of the system have been realized by screws(heads and square nuts) and by crushing clinches, skill very used in the 19th century.

The outside consists in two hoops, 188 centimeters, lodges a bearing surface in rubber. The inside has got 238 pins, clinched on, which transfer the movement of the pine kernel. It has got a frame on which go three wheels (two guides and motive one). It carries on throught the low part by an skate, preventing then of fallen down ahead.

The adjustable saddle is screwed to the mechanism of dulling by cross-bow molded and submitted to a thermal treatment in forge to obtain the suitable alasticity.

The tips mounted for friction and rubbing draft in the pieces, are turned in bronze and outolubricated to guarantee smoothness and to avoid wear.

Used matertials: Steel-cool (with different alloys and hardness depending on the fatigue of work and wear to the solid alloy bronze, 43mm rubber cord torico, medium hardness, Oak´s wood, leather, brass.

Metals are polished and covered with colorless protection, not using paintings, because they hide and mask the artesal finished of the pieces.

The driving and the managing of the monocycle is an unique experience. The gravit, centrifuges and inertia forces are basic for it´s funcionality.

Changing the weight of the body laterally the monocycle inclines, allowing us the direction.

Nowadays it is an ethnographic museum.”

-fun with English!

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Well, I’ve been working on this for quite a while.

When I decided to get back into cycling about 3 or 4 years ago (after about an 8-year hiatus), I needed a bike NOW, and so I picked up a 1972 Schwinn Varsity off of Craig’s List for 75 bucks. It weighed about a million pounds and it rattled like fucking crazy, but it worked and I was riding again.

As time went on, I came across a free frame which went on to become my beloved Lean(tm) — urban smash-bike like no other — and so my beautiful orange bomber got stripped down to the parts and hung on the wall "for another time."

Well, that time came. I needed another bike project (cause you know, I need bike projects), and I’d been toying with the idea of building a fixie — a fixed-gear, one-speed, purist’s bike. I’ve previously admonished hipster fools for riding fixies, as they seem to be trendy these days. I, on the other hand, am not trendy, and I have been riding bikes since those fools were on momma’s nipple, so I let all the hatred go and committed to restoring and re-vamping the Schwinn with no gears and no freewheel.

And lo and behold, SCHWIXIE(tm) was born…

• ’72 SCHWINN VARSITY FRAME/FORK
• GENERIC HEADSET
• VINTAGE SEAT COLLAR
• VINTAGE STEM
• VINTAGE SCHWINN-APPROVED FRONT BRAKE
• 27" WEINMANN ALUMINUM WHEELS
• SHIMANO TRACK COG, 15T
• 27 X 1 1/4" DURO WHITEWALL TIRES
• CRUPI BOTTOM BRACKET CONVERSION CUPS
• SHIMANO BOTTOM BRACKET
• DOTEK CRANK ARMS, 165MM
• DIMENSION PEDALS
• PROFILE BMX CHAINWHEEL, 40T
• SHADOW CONSPIRACY "INTERLOCK 2" HALF-LINK CHAIN
• WALD STEEL SEATPOST
• GENERIC SEAT GUTS
• BLACK MARKET "KNUCKLES" SEAT
• AZONIC DOUBLEWALL RISER BARS, 1.5" RISE
• S&M LOGO GRIPS
• POVERTY BEND-E LEVER

This bike is fucking bad ass, and it gets a lot of looks and compliments. It’s still heavy, but it’s WAY lighter than it was when it was all vintage. And it’s surprisingly FAST. It’s very maneuverable, it’s completely trick, and with the exception of a loose headset (unfixable, thanks to the frame/fork’s age), it’s lock-down tight.

The element of the bike that I personally like best is that I’ve managed to maintain EXACTLY the visual layout of the original. The complete ’72 had a black seat, white cork grip tape, chrome cranks, etc.. I changed all the structures, but I kept all the colors in exactly the same place.

Yes, that’s a brassknuckle graphic on the seat. I could’ve shit when I found that seat online. Ordered it immediately. I really scored on those tires, too. WHITEWALLS? Come on, you know that’s ill. But the part that gets the most talk? The chain. I think it’s because it looks so unique. That chain is made for BMX bikes (most of the parts are, actually), but I got it cause it’s made of "half-links." Instead of having to take out an entire chain link to shorten it, with this, you just have to take a half of a link, cause that’s all there is. Meaning you can massage the size in a VERY savvy manner, which is important with these kinds of bikes. But it’s also bomb-proof. That chain is made to be grinded on. So it’s beefy as fuck. And people notice.

Anyway, this bike takes some SERIOUS control to ride. See, on a fixed-gear, you cannot coast. As the wheel turns, so do the pedals. There’s no freewheel and there’s no coaster brake. You pedal forward, you go forward. You pedal backward, you go backward. As you can imagine, this motherfucker is DANGEROUS. But it’s also VERY fluid once you get the hang of it. And therein lies the joy.

Also, this bike is CLEARLY a female. She can’t be controlled easily, she has a mind of her own, and if you don’t work WITH her, she’ll fucking throw you down. HARD. And yes, I love her.

Schwixie Photo Gallery

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Most cities have tons of different modes of transit within their streets, so that people don’t have to drive their cars. Driving is not only frustrating for all involved, but it takes WAY to fucking long, it’s not good for the environment, and it’s REALLY expensive right now. And take it from an ex-cabbie — drive enough in city conditions and you begin to HATE cars. To most (to all, in fact), that means taking the bus, the subway, a cab, walking, or some combination of all of the above. To others, this means hopping on two wheels and pedal-powering your ass around town, getting a workout while you’re at it.

With that in mind, HERE’San interesting (if not a little cheesy) video for y’all about SF’s valet bike parking program, most prevalent at our baseball stadium, but available at most city events.

I’ve been a ridah for a lotta years and I have NEVER heard of such a thing until I joined the SFBC (San Francisco Bicycle Coalition – sponsor of the parking lots). As noted in the video, “bikers are used to dealing with scraps,” locking our transit up to trees, parking meters, poles, garbage cans, newspaper machines, handrails, or anything else that seems pretty sturdy, and which you can get your lock around.

I know that WR took advantage of this awesome service at a recent work outing to a Giants game, and he was really impressed.

Personally, I love the idea, plus it’s free (though I’d HOPE that people are donating something to try and get it into more places), and talk about convenient!

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