1910 Pierce – Chainless Bicycle.

A seriously lust-worthy ride: it’s old, it’s simple (love that chainless drive), and it’s got some ridiculous details (like that front fork, the adjustable handlebars, etc). Perfect!

The “half-crate” from filmtools.com really suits my needs: it’s sturdy, wide enough to carry some serious good, but not so high that it looks weird or interferes with steering. The plain grey is OK, though if there were colors that would have been fine by me.

So far it’s stayed on the bike almost all of the time; it’s attached to the beer rack with black zip ties so it can’t rattle, and the rack itself is easy to detach. There’s some wind resistance with the crate on the front of the bike, but in this case it’s well worth it. We won’t be able to use it with the Bobike Mini child seat, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to switch between the two. I hope I won’t need to pick up cat litter and Finn at the same time…

If you’re looking for something to do on your bike this month, drop by Cycle MAYnia’s website for some suggestions.

Google Maps has bicycle paths!

I’ve been living in S.B. for just over a year, which handily co-incided with my renewed interest in cycling (bought my Opa in Chicago before moving out here, just a few months before Wheelhouse opened their local shop), and during that time I’ve probably ridden 3,000 miles. The experience has been great, in large part due to the bike lanes and cycling paths in the area; aside from the exceptionally hilly areas to the north, there isn’t any part of Santa Barbara/Goleta that feels inaccessible via bicycle. The weather  and the other folks riding around have helped make my rides enjoyable, but the biggest change for me has been the paths and lanes set aside for bicycles.

Now that Google has added Bicycle Paths to their display options it will be even easier to determine a safe and speedy route through town. Very cool! I’d created a few hand-made collections of paths using Google Maps but they just weren’t as precise. It was also a pain creating them — and I missed lots of good routes, too.

(quick – compare Chicago’s disjointed bicycle paths with Santa Barbara’s linked routes)

So far I’ve seen regular milk crates (plastic or wire), half-crates, and wire-mesh baskets that don’t look too bad… but the most appealing milk crate by far was this DIY lidded crate.

Anyone got another suggestion?

Gazelle - nice lettering

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 14

Looks almost as though Chris Ware did the lettering on this seat tube.

On a visit to Chicago for a wedding, fellow-attendee and good friend Denny and I went on a bit of a bike-shop crawl; We visited Dutch Bike Company Chicago, De Fietsfabriek, and Cøpenhagen Cyclery. I’ve waited too long to post this, so many of the details are lost, but suffice to say we had three very good conversations — just happened to catch the proprietor of the De Feitsfabriek before he went on a West coast delivery tour, even!

The guys at Wheelhouse were able to get a few of the utilitarian and handsome bikes from this small shop, and I’ve got to say, the look is great and they’ve got a very nice build quality for the price. I’ve been by twice in the last two weeks (a friend looking at the Swan, and a brother looking for other stuff) and each time I’ve found myself pedaling one of these around the parking lot.

They’re quite light, and the length is less than that of my Opa, but the ones I rode still had a satisfying feel — steady, not delicate, and comfortable. They strike me as ideal for a 3 mi. ride downtown, or to the grocery store if you need a half-gallon of milk. A little more nimble and a little more delicate than a full-on dutch bike. But you’ll pay a bit less, too, I think they’re under $600 for the models with gears.

Though their website doesn’t show them yet, the Linus folk also make panniers and other accessories that are quite fetching; Will bought a couple of rigid canvas bags for his Secret Service bike, and they’re pretty spiffy. Clean and well made, without a lot of un-necessary stuff is how I’d describe them — and I will, in more detail, after I’ve got some pictures to show.

Lastly, how could you not like a company with this logo?

However, I’m reminded of my co-worker who started to work on a custom-built PC today; he’s going to spend hours and in the end will have something useful, but a bit finicky, and will have lost hours (perhaps days) to an unnecessary process. I prefer to purchase a computer in finished form, and while I may admire a bicycle assembled from ideal parts, the fact remains: I’ll never build one for myself.

(I’d include a picture, but all the images in their gallery are copyrighted, it seems.)