How's everyone Feel About Klunkers?

Perhaps it's my age or certainly New Orleans ragged ass roads. But I've started more and more, setting up klunker type builds. Another reason might be the availability of well built frames. Take for example the 80's Schwinn Mesa Runner. It's never been considered anything speacial, but I'll be damned if those frames don't make for a first rate klunker build. For instance;

What's kinda annoying to me is, people will order a $300-$400 bicycle online. Many are bikes that aren't worth $20. The cheap cranks, brake hardware, saddles, grips, fake chrome etc are things that all the bikes pictured above are not guilty of. I'd rather a 36 year old Klunker than any of the mass produced private equity owned bicycle brands. I can't tell you how many cranks I've opened that had barely any grease inside. I'ts as if these companies purposely want the bike to wear out prematurely. Wheel bearings suffer from the same neglect. It's also of note, how poor the paint is on these fast fashion bikes. You often find fairly new bikes, with oxidized or faded beyond saving,patinas. I'd like to start a formal protest of fast fashion bicycles. They're a waste of resources. Bad for the planet. Get a fucking bike built to last. Rant over.

Been A Long Time, but It's good to be here

Hello from sunny New Orleans! I finally gave up working for that soul sucking, shitty paying job, I had here. It's givien me a lot more time to work with bicycles. Which as many of you mechanics know, can be dangerous. I've probably purchased 100 or so bicycles in the last 6 months. I wholesaled most of them, but I've set aside about 40 for New Orleans. I'm slowly working my way through them. The response has been pretty good so far. I'll post pics of some of them soon. What really bought me back to the blog however, are the experiences I've had at local shops here. I have a friend in town,as I often do in the fall/winter months. We decided to attend the local blues fest the other day. It's held in Lafayette Square, a pretty ok venue, if I might add. Knowing ther'd be very little parking and it was a nice warm day. We bicycled down there. We stop for roadie beers on the way. Things were going swell when suddenly my buddy said, "something a'int right. Sure enough he'd gotten a pinch flat. It's crazy of me, but sure enough, I left the house with no extra tube, no small adjustable wrench. (single speed wheel)no tire lever even. It was a Sunday and we were passing through the quarter, (French). There was only 1 shop opened that actually stocked tubes. This is were it gets shitty. Walked his bike over to this shop who's name ryhmes with "Tide this Bike". The person on the phone was flipant, So unneccesary. I need a 700x23/32 presta 48 mm. Pretty standard tube at this point. They said we have an 80 mm. Thats way long but of course in a pinch i'll take it. Here's the kicker, $25.00 installed... What the actual fuck? I'm sure there are soje shop owners who are ready to argue this with me, but that's some bullshit. I can have a flat on my fairly large old 4x4 truck fixed for 20.00. That includes jacking it up, taking the lugs off with an impact drill, using a tire changer machine to remove the tire, repairing it, using the machine to re-mount the tire, checking it for leaks and the mounting it back on the truck and lowering the jack. $25 bucks for installing a $2.49 cent tube (wholesale) is criminal. Add to it the ineptitude of the (mechanic) I use the term loosly. Just watching him use a wrench was like nails on a chalk board. I've seen this before with inexperienced mechanics. Here's a tip.Learn how to use your body for maximum leverage when turning bolts or anything that requires torque! That any mechanic doesn't understand this, says to me that their training is flawed. One of the first thing you learn as a mechanic is never to push on a wrench. You always pull, bringing it toward your body. Not only will it prevent busted knuckes, if it slips while pulling it slips toward your body. You also get much better leverage when placing your bodybehind the wrench. Long story short.Buy good tools! Please when in New Orleans, choose your shop wisely. We got us some hacks here.

I do like to build for ladies in particular. They appreciate the subtleties that I like to take the time on. A lot of men love good shape and color, sure, but I suppose if I had my choice to build for a male bodied or a femme, well, I’d just rather work withbthe femme. And frankly the ergonomics are more intriguing to work with. Pleasing a woman is no easy task, but it is one I am more than willing to take on, and when all goes well, absolutely worth it.

This bike was for Christy, a gal from the Nightingale, an art/theatre space down the way. She came to get it yesterday. A few folks from the neighborhood were hanging around listening to music in the shop, as they are prone to do. Pandora cut out for a second when a text came in. Normally that annoys the shit out of me, but I knew it was her and was looked forward to seeing her face when she got a glimpse of the new ride. She wanted it to be a surprise so she let me pick the color, style, gave me full creative license. I love freedom as much as anyone, but with comes responsibility. It’s one thing if a woman tells you what she wants. It’s another if she wants you to tell her. But that’s a matter for another time. 

Christy came in the first thing she said was, “Is this my girl? Shoot she is pretty!” Made me happy to hear. A positive response is really all I could ask for.

It started out as a rusty blue road bike with a milk crate on the back. So, you know, we took it all apart. She lives on a corner where her bikes have a habit of living outside on those tall long gates. Everything was oxidized. I showed her how the fork on her old bike had to be cut out because the stem was completely seized. Most of the old parts I put in the scrap truck when it came around. Pretty much useless. We made it clear that the bike is to be kept inside. No more of that. A lot went into it. The new fork is from an old 80’s model Schwinn. The bike is lighter now, it’s quicker. It’s more comfortable for her, the seating position is more of a thing a girl can ride in, more commuter friendly, more upright, better for her body all around. Her saddle was fucked, for example. It was cracking and she would just slide over the rough edges. No good. I stuck with the saddle because her ass already knows the shape, but the skin needed to be sturdy and soft. Softness goes a long way. We are talking about a delicate region after all. So we had Mr. Poncho cover it in a soft brown leather. No cold vinyl here. 

We sent the parts out to be powder coated that old British racing green. The color was a minor controversy in the shop. Everybody had to put in their two cents. And some a little more than that. Folks were pushing for bright orange, fushia, or darker green. I made the final call because it felt right. It’s fresh and unique, the right fit for Christy. When she came she said she was hoping for green, which gave me mixed feelings because on the one hand I was glad to have come through for her and on the other I wished it would have been more of a surprise. My ego talking there I guess. Anyway in the end the smile on her face was all I needed. She took the bike out in the alley for a test run, where we all heard her discover her little bell. As she wound around the block, you could hear her ring the bell and just laugh, ringing and squealing, ringing and squealing. Doesn’t get much better than that. She later sold that bike and went back to riding a drop bar bike. Said riding upright made her too slow. That was a big deal in Chicago at the time. Not sure what style she's riding now. Funny most shops I know of have tons of drop bars they're looking to scrap. Especially those narrow 80's fuckers. 

Lights, motherfucker.

I'm of the opinion bike lights are wonderful and you can't argue the safety. What I take issue with are morons ride as if the've never fucking heard of daylight savings time and get on the street well after sundown, without them. I've had kids to say it's not “cool” to have reflectors or lights, cause it's not a clean look. I think it's because they're too fucking cheap to buy a set. It's maybe $20 for a light that could literally save their asses. It's a pretty messed up visual. Most cyclists run through lights, even at 5:30 and later, their dumb asses, It's dark now. Put a goddamned flashlight on the fucking bike or go to Harbor freight and buy that cheap mechanics light, that straps around your head. And not so the road will be beautifully illuminated for your riding pleasure. It's so drivers can see your ass in time to keep from killing you!

I talked to a driver recently who almost hit a cyclist doing exactly what I'm talking about. She stopped and checked to see if the girl was alright (cause she has a sense of humanity) she also suggested to the cyclist to get a light and the cyclist, got pissed. What the fuck.

Not that drivers aren't morons too. There are these guys that smoke in their cars, or like me, who rarely cleans his inside windsheild. Which admittedly is terrible on my part, cause it makes for some pretty poor visability at times. Then you roll up on some dark clothes wearing no lights having motherfucker riding in the dark with no lights on. How the fuck?

I've noticed New Orleans cyclists think it's not a problem. Not sure why, perhaps because the cycling pace here is slow. The law says get lights, sure, but few here care about law. Plenty don't of folks don't use them. Maybe the roads being total shit has something to do with it. The only way you can ride is relatively slow, with lots of folks on cruisers down here. Riding the wrong way on avenues. That's another post.

There's a young lady that's going to look real good on this bike. It'll be beautiful by the end of the week. We're going to build it per a conversation I had with her boyfriend, who is surprising her with a new ride. He's tired of seeing her hailing cabs since her bike got jacked this summer. If you ride a bike you don't always get along with cab drivers. So this bike will be a cab negator. Stylish and good for bad weather, but a small dent for Checker. Nothing against them in general, but when a taxi driver looks at the road, he sees twenty dollar bills, and twenty dollar bills are on two feet. Two wheels don't mean shit to him. His eyes aren't on the bike lane, so please people, watch the fuck out. Oh yeah, the Follis all finished..

People talk to me about accidents. I talked to a girl, a pedestrian, last night who said she won't ride in Chicago because she doesn't want to get hit. I have to say, about cyclist safety, 80% of the time, it's their own fault. Cyclists like to make a lot of noise about respect but they don't respect the road, many of them. I've spent many afternoons sitting at the Matchbox at Milwaukee and Odgen, watching these idiots. It'll be 4:30, rush hour for every fucking body and they're blowing the red light. Regularly I get an ear full from some dumb ass whose injuries and damage don't match the story. 

I'm not a fan of repairing bikes that shouldn't have been broken in the first fucking place. In truth, most repairs aren't from accidents. People that have been riding for a long time know how to deal for the most part. The repairs I can't stand are these kids that don't take care of their shit, leave their bikes sitting around and then want me to undo months of neglect.

They way I'd like to be spending my time is building custom set ups for people who have specific needs. I like to sit down with someone and talk about what their ride is, what roads, how long, what they like to ride in versus what they have to wear for work, etc. Basically I want to build bikes for their fashion needs, their lifestyle, their commute.

The light blue Mercier was constructed for a taller woman, who does not ride everyday. Hand stitched leather women's specific saddle, lower gearing, upright riding position and pedals that came handle heels. Although I don't endorse riding in heels. The olive colored bike was built for Marta, she's the owner of, " A Vision Chicago" a floral and wine boutique on Damen ave. Obviously a woman with style. I had it painted in this sage color and gave it an antique touch with a vintage leather saddle. Soft riding touring tires. Shortened the wheelbase by adding a straighter rake fork.

Sunday April, 15th

http://www.facebook.com/events/376972492313204/ If you're free at all on this day, please stop by the Rebuilding Exchange. We will be displaying some of our work and can assist you, if you have a project you'd like to get going. Hope to see you all there. Let's have a beer.One of my favorite ever builds. Still wish I'd kept that saddle.

So there was this bike swap a few Saturday's back...

As a guy who's always tinkering with something, I find swap meets of all kinds, quite a blast. I've left the warm winter of New Orleans and traveled the nearly 1000 miles back to the mid-west, just to attend the Brazen Dropouts swap meet in Madison, Wis. in January. There are not many things I love more than a swap, flea market, bike/car show, antique fair, or similar events. There's the Ann Arbor Michigan swap, April 29th, that has had me salivating since last year. Rarely do any of these events, disappoint. Except for... well one. The one that's actually walking distance from my shop. The one that's intended to serve the same folks that we do on a daily basis. The Active Transportation, Chicago Bike Swap. I'm sure there will be those who blast me for writing this, but so be it. It's a shit show in so many ways. I find it hard to believe that a large committee of people can arrange such a god awful event. I don't even see how they could get off calling this a swap. Webster defines swap meet. noun. An informal gathering for the barter or sale of used articles or handicrafts. Okay, so perhaps they could get away with calling it a swap. Here's the problem though: It's $10 dollars to get in! Highest price anywhere! Sponsorship by a non- profit or not, that's not cool. Lot's of swaps are sponsored by non profits. You would think non-profits, of all groups, would understand, value. I'm sure they'll say, they have added value, with their lectures and performances and tons of volunteers. They should note, most attendees are cyclists. They don't really need a, "how to keep your bike running during winter". They rode them to the swap.. Being as most attendees are avid cyclists, what's with all the dealers bringing new off the shelf accessories that are marked down 5%? Cyclists have that crap already! If no one purchased your cycling shoes at $190 bucks what makes them think someone will pay $180 at a swap? The amount of cheap, takeoff merchandise at that swap is depressing. Hello local bike shops, the reason you had to pack up so much stuff and take it back to your shop, is because no one wants it or it's not a bargain. If you're looking to get rid of something, price it accordingly. The event takes place in multiple rooms and when you go from one room to the next, the door Nazi's are checking for your wristband everytime time you enter. It seems the $10 dollar fee is what's of utmost concern. Even though you're carrying a bag of purchased merchandise and wearing a wristband, you're still treated like a stowaway as you move about the place. That sucks to high hell. Get it together, Active Trans.

I swear to start blogging again

It's been really tough getting back to this page. I'm not sure what it is exactly, that prevents me from posting. I'm always reading other peoples thoughts and enjoy sexy bike photos, still. Regularly I look at the cycling community in Chicago and get upset. For so many riders, the bicycle seems like just another way to get around, a tool, a prop for some. Often it seems they don't really assign any value to the machine. Some even expect a well built bike to be cheap.(Total bullshit I say) As a person who has put countless hours in some of these machines, I get pissed off with those who have this view. So many new riders and mechanics as well, fall into what I like to call a latest and greatest mentality. They fall for whatever a bike manufacturer or accessory company might put on the market each spring. It amazes me how few can see through sale strategy corporate, bullshit. I used to argue with them, now I just smile say nothing. Inside, I'm saying what a stupid fuck.. That's better than trying to explain to them that 10 speeds is no better than 9. I'm in New Orleans currently, where their are few riders who care about weight and how many speeds a bike have. Nothing about aluminum or carbon. You hear shit like, "how are the tires" or after a test ride, they'll say "it's comfy, that's just what I was looking for". While here I met up with an old buddy, Peter Stanley. Peter builds bike trailers. Big ass bike trailers actually..

He had this hooked to a tall bike that evening. It's 7 ft wide to the outside rails. I forget the length, but it's at least 10 ft. It's weight capacity he say's is around 1000 lbs. pretty damn sweet. He will build one for you. I have his info. Oh, and it's steel, by the way.

Hope you all can make it

There will be a bike swap inside the market. Hope to see you there.

This Sunday 8/7/11

We will be bike swapping with other vendors at:



You don't want to miss it!