Team Lope Tyre Clubbe » bars

On Matters Related to Removable Grips

TRDL thom — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:07:25 +0000

On Raposcallion, my baby/cargo carrier, I keep changing bars as I experiment with finding a sweet spot between the moon bar upright riding position and the pitched-forward fixed-gear position when the kid seat is removed. I tried shorty arc bars I had cut down for Wrongbike at one point, and the latest is Sparrow knock-offs twisted up sort of like risers. I’m finding a bar position that will be fun when the kid seat is gone, but also allow me more of a conventional riding position even when Zoe (or Matteo, eventually) is on there. So, anyway, an aside to all that: I keep pulling grips off. Kind of wasteful when you don’t have an air compressor around to blast the grip off from within. This is the only bike I have that uses actual grips, the others all being tape-wrapped.

So, I got it in my head to look for grips that were removable. Beyond the usual shop methods, of course. And so I eventually found my way to these: Speed Metal by Portland Design Group. They aren’t the only grips out there using compression bolts to hold into place, but they would match the eventual look of this bike aesthetically, so why not.

It’s a pretty cool system. The inner ring is actually the outermost layer, contoured for your thumb, and the outer tube, the grip itself, slides up under it.

Each end point is secured with a tiny allen (of different sizes, interestingly) and overall it feels quite secure. In my case it’s only half-successful because the grips are too long for the curve point of the bar. So the outermost edge and that clamp ring are really just hanging out. But I secured them with plugs I fashioned and we’ll see how it works out. I tried putting blinkies on the ends but it looked kind of awkward. I may return to that anyway, just because I like having an outboard blinker when kids are on-board.

Pretty cool product!

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mini-review : salt stick mini dispenser

ironlung — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:44:04 +0000

as you may or may not remember/care, my physiological penchant for getting cramps on long rides is largely mitigated by staying good and hydrated with a halfWater/halfGatorate mix, and by taking SALT STICK CAPSULES at hourly intervals on the bike. the capsules are essentially salt, with a smattering of electrolytes and other vitamins in there. there are a number of different types of these supplements available at nearly every sporting goods store in the country, this just happened to be the one they had on hand when i visited the MASHSF storefront some time ago, so it’s the one i use.

keeping capsules in a jersey pocket is convenient, but it can get nasty. when you sweat on something that’s designed to dissolve, it gets sticky at best and it starts to completely break down at worst. so i’d had my eye on the SALT STICK MINI DISPENSER for quite some time, due to it’s handlebar end-plug design, which is meant to fit into road drops. (there’s also a full-sized version for straight bars or aero bars.)

so upon receipt, i began to install the dispensers on my most frequently-ridden steed, the MASH bolt build, and i IMMEDIATELY despised the way they looked. the big red bulbs at the ends just look SO out of place, and i don’t just mean because they’re red on a largely silver and black build. it’s their size and the degree to which they protrude from the ends of the bars that bothers me. it just looks … wrong.

this was a huge disappointment because i was really looking forward to the convenience of this product. but rather than just calling it a loss, i started thinking of other ways to use them. each one of the dispensers comes with a little clip which you can put on a belt or a pocket or something like that, and i realized that by using those with a strip of velcro belting, i could put them right on the stem, side-by-side, which is not only far more aesthetically pleasing to me (in other words, fly), it allows me to use the same two dispensers on all my bikes. my initial intent was to get a different set for each bike, so this was a huge sell because i don’t have to spend any more money. another benefit was that by not being permanently attached (in as "permanent" as any component is), i don’t have to have them on there day-to-day. they’ll only be mounted on long rides and i don’t have to worry about them on commutes or short hops where i won’t even be taking the capsules.

once i had that figured out, i loaded them up so that i could test the actual functionality. it’s quite a simple design, you just turn the knob counter-clockwise till you feel resistance, and then shove three capsules up IN there. to dispense, you turn the knob clockwise and a capsule crowns through the little bladder, from whence you liberate it, thusly…

i’m really thrilled about this product despite it’s simplicity and niche appeal, and i’m very much looking forward to testing it out this very saturday (weather permitting).

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On Youngling Bike Seats

TRDL thom — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:53:31 +0000

For parents preparing to get their younglings on their bike for the first time, the immediate dilemma is the methodology: front seat, rear seat or trailer?
If you set aside the culture of fear associated with the placement of your beloved botlet on an inherently unstable apparatus in perilous motion, it becomes a combination of factors. What do you want to experience on the bike with them? What do you want them to experience?

I’ve had every iteration of the youngling carrier in the Team Lope shoppe, and I can tell you that while each have strengths and advantages, there was a clear winner in my family. Your choice will be subjective and personal. But I’ll break down what I’ve found. Remember, your youngling must have the neck strength to hold their head up even when jostled, and most importantly, you must be able to get the helmet on. We started with a Lazer helmet, which is the smallest available, and upgraded more recently to a Headcase helmet of her own selection. Pink.

Front Seat: I wanted to interact with my daughter on the bike, see what she saw, and talk with her as we rode, so I was hot for the front seat assembly. This was our second configuration, after using a rear seat first for a few months. The advantages of a front seat configuration are that you obviously have your youngling right up their with you, allowing you to interact and take data. For example, are they enjoying the ride, or is wind bothering them, or are they asleep, that sort of thing. My daughter cares not about the wind when on a bike, and generally narrates our voyage. She and I also regularly engage in surveillance assignments, such as watching for ravens or MINIs. Or girls. Speaking of girls, she rings the bell when we pass people. The weight is forward of the center of the bike, meaning you are pushing that high center of gravity mass around. It is the most stable position for a strong-bodied adult, as you are always gripping the bars, and less prone to the swing-out of the weight being on the back and getting away from you on a dismount. Care must always be used, of course. Disadvantages include the system being somewhat more difficult to manage for smaller, weaker individuals, and the fear factor: if you are convinced your child is going to be injured, it’s easy to imagine such things when you’re riding behind them on the bike.

For my money, the best front seat system is the Bobike, which offers a compact seat and footrest, compared to any other system I’ve seen that utilizes overbuilt plastic cages. Nothing wrong with that business, but when on a front rack that’s a lot more to have to look around while riding, and it’s more THERE there to be in the way between you and your youngling. I like to get face to face with mine.
You can get the Bobike from the only domestic supplier that I currently know of, Longleaf, who also have the Lazer helmet.
http://www.longleafbicycles.com/product … bike-mini/

They also have attachments like a windscreen or even offer a deluxe seat. Great folks, and highly recommended. I should point out that you need to consider your ride when using this seat. It attaches to the stem, so you need to have either a tall quill stem, or if using a modern stem, you need enough height in the steerer to accommodate the mounting assembly (sold separately for modern stems) and do some adjustment so you aren’t striking with your knees. For me, on a fixed-gear, that meant playing around with bar types and seat positions. I started on an upright Mixte frame and now am riding in a pretty conventional fixed-gear position on curved short touring bars that are like risers in the setup.

Another option is the Yepp seat, also quite popular.
http://publicbikes.com/p/Yepp-Mini-Chil … dium=email

Rear Seat: The rear seat is the most common around, and we inherited ours from another family. The seat rests on a modified rear rack, which connects to your seat tube ad clamps to the wheel stays. This is the traditional business, with the youngling in a large bucket, secured over the rear wheel. Advantages are that it’s perceived to be more stable for smaller, weaker riders, and the youngling is protected from wind by your own body in front of them. Disadvantages include visibility, for one, and in my opinion, contrary to the above, a tendency to introduce a twisting moment at rest. So, I guess easier for some in motion, harder when stopped. Anyway, these are everywhere, so I don’t even have links for you.

Trailer: I resisted this one for over a year, but now have one as well. A trailer attaches to your rear axle or stays and is on a pivot assembly so you have freedom to move the bike around without locking up the trailer. Your turning radius is thus quite tight, and depending on how deluxe your trailer is, the ride can be cush. We use the Burley Bee, which os pretty much a stripper. The reason I went with such a simple model was weight: in this configuration, you are pulling the weight behind the bike, and being pushed around a little bit by it as well. So, lightness to me was key. Additionally, for my use, it was for distance riding and hill climbing, giving me the capability to get something approximating my more aggressive rides in with my youngling along, so weight was absolutely the most important factor. More deluxe models increase the suspension, offer attachments to transform into a stroller, add a microwave, whatever. My youngling likes the trailer fine at first, but she prefers to be on the bike and involved. The trailer is a passive experience, and will generally lead to napping. So, in my mind, it’s somewhat more for your benefit and less about their experience. But great for long distances, many can carry two, like mine (planning ahead) and also great for inclement weather. Mine has a windscreen and a rain cover. A friend back east also pointed out they can be adapted for snow use in some cases as well. In my mind, the trailer is a good second option to one of the above that you might use more regularly.

http://www.burley.com/home/bur/page_306/bee.html

Note that your options expand considerably once your youngling is old enough to hold on for dear life, as you can introduce the ride-along extensions that offer a third wheel and second set of seat/bars, or upgrade to a larger kid carrier like a bikefiet or an Xtracycle. I’m entering that world soon and will be looking into those in more detail.

Anyway, have fun, and get those kids out there early. It’s a great way to commute with them, spend time with them, and get some junk miles in, so to speak.

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Rapscallion Adjustment Progress

TRDL thom — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:14:04 +0000

Ive been slowly tweaking Rapscallion, my kid-and-cargo fixie hauler, to be a better balance between a reasonable ride with Zoe on it and a fun one when she’s not and the seat is removed. I had most recently put shortie arc bars on there, but it led to my face being against her cheek, which is not only a little uncomfortable but somewhat dodgy in terms of visibility unless I arched my back. So I got some sparrow knock-offs from Tam Bikes on New Years, along with the necessary 4-bolt stem upgrade for science and safety. The other day I actually installed the bars, reinstalled the brake lever and got the cable sorted, and did every other adjustment save for the grips, which I’m tired of having to destroy to remove just because I don’t have an air compressor (this brake lever is a one-bolt attachment so I have to get a grip off to remove the bars, even though I’m using a modern stem). I actually subsequently wrapped the bar ends in road tape for the test ride, but I’m now waiting on a different pair of grips that, for the first time around here, have hex bolt connections. Then we’ll see how the riding position has improved. I actually raised the stem height (by flipping it) from what it was before, to get more clearance in the cargo basket, so that necessitated raising the seat in the steerer stack, so we’ll see how much clearance I still have while riding.

That is all! Hopefully test ride tomorrow…

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Epic New Years Eve Ride

TRDL thom — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:11:39 +0000

OK, so maybe the use of the word ‘epic’ is inappropriate. Wee Z and I WERE going to go do a double century, but then thought EH! and got groceries for New Years Eve homemade BBQ pizzas instead.

Bonus round: a trip to Tam Bikes was lucrative: a pair of short touring bars from Wald (at $12, about 5 times less than the Soma Sparrows on Carpetbagger) to use in lieu of the chopped straight bars I have on Rapscallion, my Wee Z carrier, which leave me very close to the seat and interested in a little more lift. PLUS, I was hunting for a new stem as the one I have on there now is a two bolt design, and after Gran Failo, I decided to phase out all my two-bolt stems for safety. ESPECIALLY on my baby cargo bike.

Enter a $100 Thomson ELITE 4-bolt, used, which they gave me for $40, and then dropped to $30 at the register by the mgr for NYE local type bonus action. SWEET.

That’s how to do New Years and it’s just started…!

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beautiful bike : southsiders commuter

ironlung — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:51:29 +0000

THIS may be the most gorgeous bicycle i’ve ever seen in my life.

the southsiders are a euro motorcycle club with an incredible aesthetic, loads of class, and a love of bicycles as well. as such, they recently teamed up with some frame builders to develop their own bicycle.

now, i don’t believe this is, or is ever going to be, on sale to the public, but that doesn’t make it any less overpoweringly awesome. moreso, in fact.

the details are immaculate. the geometry is very reminsicent of turn-of-the century bicycles, and it’s a coaster brake single speed, so there are no cables whatsoever on it. the stem, cranks, chain guide, and 3-pronged axle wingnuts are all custom fabricated. and the most incredible detail of all, at least to me, is the integrated lighting. the handlebars have inset, front-facing white lights near the clamp area, and rear-facing red lights at the ends. and in the back, the single sickest cycling light setup i’ve ever seen — red lights integrated into THE SEAT STAYS.

click through for a whole bunch more photos, each more glorious than the one before.

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Team Lope Ride Report – You CAN Take it With You

TRDL thom — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 01:23:30 +0000

Yesterday I took a day trip for business down to Los Angeles to survey a building. That’s dawn patrol, up at 4am etc and home again by about 8pm. And yeah, I’m already up with the baby so that’s fine. But here’s the thing: normally on these, I bring my laptop and sketchbook, fly in, rent a convertible of some nature, get in and out of the job, and then hit a cafe and work on TRDL stuff until it’s time to get back to the airport. THIS time, I brought a bike.

You’ve seen Lung’s ride reports of his use of his coupler bike on the Vegas trip. We got our frames coupled, so to speak, at the same time, but my last two trips fell apart due to illness or injury (Vegas and Chicago) so I had yet to actually use Carpetbagger AS a travel bike. It was completely overkill for a day trip where I’d have at BEST 3 hours to ride. But it was a test of the process, and frankly, it was because I could.

Onward for details!

I’m using a S&S soft backpack for transport. You can use hardshell cases, with more protection, but this is a sweet setup because you can compress it and wear the bag. It’s all about the ride away, or to, the airport thing.

So up top, there’s Carpetbagger, my coupler bike. It’s a mid-gearing fixie (I think it’s 72) and a custom finish and graphic set by self. You’ve seen pics before. I’d SAY this is the virgin shot before it gets beat to shit in transit, but realistically, my Wee Z beat it to shit before I even had it finished, thanks to ‘I FIX it, daddee.’ moments. So it had a few frame dents and some paint chipping. First step, as seen in that pic, is pulling these hard sidewalls out of the bag and bracing them against all sides, velcroing them together to make a losse square. Actually more like the shape of a gold tooth cap. It doesn’t get square proper, but enough to frame the frame.

First, I layed this giant painting tarp up in there, used to fold and weave between major components. Great tip, among others, from One Lung. Here’s the front half of the coupler, dropped in first.

The tarp is folded over, then the rear wheel, cog down, fits in that void of the triangle. I put a top tube protector on one tube for science, since I didn’t bring any of my pipe insulation this time out. Other than that it’s just the tarp as protection. Remember that detail. Then rear triangle fits on top of the rear wheel.

Here’s the front wheel on top of the sandwich of tarp and parts and such below it. The backpack has rigidized panels where things make contact, such as the wheel axles.You don’t use other compression members in this situation. The saddle and seatpost fit into one of the extra spaces. I rolled up other parts like pedals and tools and such into microfiber towels and shirt rags and stuff, and put them here and there.

Here, possibly the most delicate part: placement of the handlebars. If using proper drops it’s even more of a hassle, threading them through the wheel, but I have Sparrows on this bike. But I still had to wrap it first, test the pressure on the spokes when you push on it, and wrap the brake caliper and stow that as well. I brought a ton of extra clothing and shoved them into all spaces and into the front and rear outer compartments, including a pair of Dickies and a long sleeve shirt and cardigan for the job site. Suave.

Boom! Packed! My first time, and from the point the first photo was taken, to the point the bag was zipped up, was about 45 minutes, including a call to Lung to check something and a few references to the S&S website (which actually has virtually no directions for the backpack.)

My cab came at 4:45 and I was off. When I checked the bag (Virgin America Main Cabin Select seating is a great deal: you get priority security line access, priority boarding, free food and drinks, and one checked bag.) the guy working the counter looked at it and lifted it and said ‘Hey, is this a bike?’

Now this is kind of a trick question. The whole point of this coupler system is to eliminate barriers to flying with the bike. If you bring an oversized bag, such as a bike box, it can run you up to $200 each way. If you bring a heavy bag, you get his with $50 fees each way. This system allows you to hand them a bag that is exactly within the 62" combined dimension for normal luggage (which you’d still pay for if you were in Main Cabin)… but also, there are ‘oversize’ cargo fees associated with BIKES. So, I merely said:

‘It’s actually a bag of bike parts’ Which is a true statement.

He laughed and said it was the coolest fucking thing he’d seen.

On the other side, a few delicious champagnes later, my baby rolled onto the carousel in LAX.
In one piece, so to speak. Well, point being, no crazy holes or ripped straps or zippers, and equally as nice, no obvious evidence of TSA searching, since that would lead to a) a mangled repacking job, and 2) confiscation of CO2 cartridges and probably all the tools. But I wouldn’t know for sure until I unpacked it. But no time! The plane was a bit delayed, and I had to basically haul ass in a taxi to Downtown LA, and would have to wait to see later. I wanted to ride FROM the airport, but I couldn’t risk being late.

Some girls I was talking to in SF found me at the taxi line, some designers heading to a big client meeting. ‘Hey, wait. Is there a BIKE in there?’ one said, mouth agape. I guess my helmet gave it away. You can see it in backpack mode, above. It’s heavy but manageable.

OK, so I didn’t want to break this down AT my project building for professional reasons, so I headed out into the fashion district (read ghetto downtown) to get over toa cafe I went to last time I visited this building, and do the build at the outdoor seating. But then I realized it was lunch hour. It would be packed. One of the fashion houses was upstairs. I finally decided, you know what, all the homeless and shifty hustlers have camped out on the street, I’m doing it. This marks the second time in 30 days I was doing bike assembly on a rough street.
That is how I ____O

The damage was minimal. A major gash on the downtube (so yeah, THATS the one to protect, since the shifting of the parcel obviously pushed the cog through the tarp into the frame) and a few other scratches. But that’s what this is for. Scars are sexy. Building it on the street was funny. Just like in Oakland, I got a lot of attention from streetfolk and otherwise sketchy folks that came to observe and yack at me, which kind of slows you down as you are watching your shit but at the same time, it’s cool that people are curious. Best part was a cholo painter crew walking past me when I was first unpacking, and then on their way back from the taco truck were like ‘Orale! What is that mang!’ I said it was a bike broken in half to travel with. ‘Its a fixie BRO!! TSCH!’ one said to another. ‘Ey, got that new Yanni cassette?’ Wait no, wrong story. ‘Ey, where can I get one?’ and I said ‘It’s custom. You’d have to be me.’ and they laughed and gave me a hand slap and they were off. Pretty good. Oh, also, no TSA tag.

I actually left a few of the rags in a nearby trash can, and even abandoned my Adidas. I have more, and it was a lot of weight I could shed, now that I was in my Vittorias. So someone scored some sweet Sammies.

My buddy Raul was stuck in a meeting, but I was able to hook up with my high school pal Christine, who works at KCRW and is into competitive roller derby ie. HOT. She’s in Culver City, so I basically made a beeline for her down Venice Blvd, because I didn’t want to dilly-dally. It was maybe a 20 minute reassembly and repacking, much faster, but I was still racing the clock now at 1:15pm or so with a 5:30pm flight meaning I’d need to be checked in at 4:45pm. So, this sent me down some nassssty business to get to where she lives, like the back side of Koreatown and the ‘Byzantine Latino Quarter’ and another section where the side streets are actually GATED. It was pretty awesome doing it by bike, though. I was rolling next to some rough types in cars and some dodgy types on the sidewalks, all that sort of thing: shopping carts in the street and such, and here I am on a white and chrome fixed gear with old timey bars and leather and elkhide, in proper Team Lope kit, with a big ass backpack on. Pretty rad. Got to Culver City in about 45 minutes, and here I am, waiting for her to come out.

Side note: remember that Kickstarter project about a rubber bracelet that you can wind your earbuds into? OK, how about skipping the bracelet altogether? Works GREAT.

I missed some great photo ops in my speed ride to her house, including a toothless guy in the lane in front of me projectile vomiting like the cartoons, where the total diameter of the vomit spray is exactly equal to the diameter of his mouth. Also, a 35mph street sign hanging upside down and with a bullet hole in it. Also some cool business offering transmission repair AND greymarket stereos. One thing I DID manage to capture, near her place, was a random display of motorcycle cops and what not going off. I thought it was some bad business, but she gleefully exclaimed ‘yay! Santa.’ and lo, it was. Only in LA.

We had lunch at a mexican place near her house. Al Pastor tacos and margaritas, yes.

The waiter was a rider so he was geeking out on the bike, and it was a nice mellow lunch.
When done, I checked the clock and it was about 3:15pm, so that put me into a bit of pressure, as I’d have to gear up and get on the road to LAX. Not too far as the crow flies, but we’re talking LA traffic. Sure I don’t get stuck in the traffic jams but I do have to wait for the megalights on these big boulevards, and also, lots of big vehicles i and out of the side businesses and freeway onramps etc so you have to be vigilant.

I wonder WHY in LA. To live and DIE in LA.

At 4:10pm, I rolled up into LAX and dismounted at my terminal. Tole you what, I’ve ridden in many sketchy traffic conditions of somewhat surreal natures, like critical mass and bad ballgame traffic and so on… but riding the lanes around the terminals at rush hour is a video game with ONE LIFE LEFT AND NO EFFING TOKENS. Exhilarating though. And no deaths or ticket punchings.

While I was breaking the bike down again to re-pack it, I had even more spectators than on the street. It started with an inquisitive airline guy, and then three homeland security cops came up, but not to give me trouble, just to oggle at the process. Two stewardesses (and I’ve been watching Pan Am so I got thirsty for a scotch at that point) and a few tourists. Again, I’m working fast as nails, but having to narrate and answer questions. Crazy. I thought girls in line at bars and coffee shops who grab at your sleeves or poke at your arms to see your ink were invasive, but these people are like lifting bike parts and checking out the couplers and so on. You have to laugh. Any time regular folks have a non-violent interest in a bike or a rider, I consider it a win.

The bag was unmolested on the return flight (visibly anyway I haven’t actually opened it yet) and I was home after dark, exhausted, sore from the heavy bag, but super charged for getting to take my bike with me and ride in yet another city.*

And of course, what cab did I take?

*Note I grew up in LA, and we rode up through the beach and Brentwood and Westwood on Aids Lifecycle, but I’m talking general transportation and exploration.

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Rapscallion’s Choppy Bars Redux

TRDL thom — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 01:10:58 +0000

Here’s how it looks with the kid seat removed. It’s GREAT riding in this configuration, as one would expect for risers (or arcs chopped short and turned up to clear the basket framing, hence risers)… good stuff for cargo carriage days without the Wee Z. Such as today.

Speaking of, Rain! I’m outta here…

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Rapscallion Loses Some Reach

TRDL thom — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:19:11 +0000

I finally did something I’ve wanted to do for awhile now: I changed up the bars, and as a result, the riding position, of Rapscallion, my kid carrier cargo fixie. Until now it has had an upright riding position thanks to big moon bars I put on it to clear the kid seat. Over time, especially as Wee Z has gotten heavier and I carry increasing weight in the cargo basket, I’ve grown to dislike that riding position (I mean, I always have, but it grew to annoy me) so I set about the other night* to sort out how to get to a normal bar while still being able to use the kid carrier as a kid carrier**.

This took quite a bit of work. It involved not just the easy part, swapping bars for bars of like clamp dimension, adding new brake lever and restringing it. It also meant more of the rabbit warren of connections that is involved with a bike seat, cargo rack and front brake all slammed together. I did a lot of adjustments to get the kid seat in a place where I could clear Wee Z and still reach the bars. In doing so, threading the struts of the seat into the cargo basket risers themselves, I also found a way, by shifting the seat forward in this manner, to also clear for lowering it as well since I wouldn’t have the knee obstructions any longer, which meant that the top cap is no longer on top of the seat mount, but rather now the seat mount is under several spacers, which is even safer.

I chose some pretty short chopped down arc bars, for science, that once belonged to wrongbike. I may have to go with some wider arcs, since the way these were cut, even with all my adjustments I’m sort of riding with my head next to hers on one side or the other. But for now it’s working great! Kierin grips and all. She likes it too because I’m down by her face talking to her more.

Side note, while the red Jawbones were a fun brand-aware experiment, they were starting to annoy me, and not just because of the bold aesthetic: I was very distracted by seeing a rim of bright plastic red around the periphery. I’m someone who doesn’t like to see my glasses or sunglasses when I’m wearing them. It’s distracting. So, I’m going back to black. Thus ends this brand-aware dalliance!

*And with a toddler and a newborn, ‘the other night’ means a span of about seven shorter wrenching sessions over three days.

**Until I upgrade to an Xtracycle or scoop-hauler custom when the wee lad is ready to ride too.

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Wrenchery in Downtown Oakland

TRDL thom — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:37:36 +0000

If you read this for WENCHERY, you’ve been led astray.

So I’ve been talking with Mannie Rabara about helping him out on his fixie commuter for a few months now, but our mutual kid-management and work schedules have prevented either of us from getting to the other’s houses. Mannie rode Aids Lifecycle with us last year, and is the older brother of Maynard, the rad dude who donated his old Mixte frame that became the first Zoe Carrier. Mannie and I both went to Cal Poly for university, at different times. Anyway, he bought a Factory Fixie awhile back to get his feet wet, and decided it was time for, as we say, UPGRADES. I have a copious overstock of bike parts perpetually being sold, traded or stolen, so I hooked him up with some Sugino cranks and a shorty black stem (again, wrong site, for some of you)… the problem was merely getting it done. The plan was to install them for him and show him how to do it.

I had an opportunity to take Wee Z out for the morning to give her mombot(tm) a break, so I shot over the bridge and down to Oakland and met Mannie near his office. I’ve never actually BEEN to downtown Oakland before. It reminds me of Chicago: wide streets, similar heights and construction style of much of the buildings. No private place to work, so i said, what the hell, let’s do it on the street, the Team Lope way! (again, perhaps wrong site)

Zoe was eager to help, right out of the gate, and was wielding my field tool kit. It was a bit too heavy for her, admittedly.

Along with my regular tools, I brought everything needed for a full overhaul, since I wasn’t sure yet what to expect and I wanted him to be be able to ride away. Drivetrain tools, cog and lock ring tools, chain, Phils Lube, WD-40, and so on.

Downtown Oakland isn’t really sketchy, just more like upper lower Market, lots of homeless and dudes wandering around, mixed with working folk. I parked in front of a sweet Thai joint and set up in front of the MINI. I was aware of the spectacle, but hey. It must be done!

It went very well. His bike was new enough that there wasn’t a lot of junk in the bolts and the lube was still good for the most part so it came apart pretty easily. Which is what you want, doing field repairs. I pulled off his generic cranks and noted that his no name bottom bracket was probably not much different than the basic Shimano BB I brought, so we decided to leave it in place. I cleaned and mounted the new cranks, lubed and added his pedals and toe straps, and the tightened it all down. Reset the rear wheel, and sent him off to test it. I had brought extra cogs so we could change gearing if needed, as he was moving to a 46t chainring on the Sugino cranks, but he liked it as it was. Retightened after his test ride, gave him a 12mm key and some 2-day tips (you know, re-check and tighten everything after two days of riding) and he was good to go. He took the stem for later use, and was generally stoked to be able to ride back to work with his new gear good to go.

It was pretty fun. Best part was that I had a total of five different people stop and ask for my card, thinking I was a mobile bike tune-up kit. There’s definitely a market there. Everyone seemed into the idea that someone could come and help them with their bikes on their lunch hours, and you know, with the free time necessary, it could be fun to do just that, much like how Mike’s has a mobile mechanic out on the bike path during certain events and ALC training days. Mostly, I got a lot of interest from other passerby that just hadn’t seen bike repair in front of a Thai restaurant before.

Zoe slept through the whole thing.

I think Mannie’s fixie is on the fast track to customization and personalization, just as ours are. He already has the bug. What’s next? He has a new wheel and cranks and stem… possibly bars… maybe frame? And then he’s doomed! Nice to see Mannie and fun excursion in the middle of the 24-hour triage of newborn management…

Forgot to mention my work isn’t covered in the event of nuclear detonation, however. Oops.

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