Wheels, Cogs & Spanners.

Save Herne Hill Velodrome!

2010-09-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

On-going campaign to save Herne Hill Velodrome in London. The velodrome has been run during all these years by the VC Londres, a cycling club that has done an sterling job in promoting track racing among young people. The estate owners renew the lease of the property on yearly basis. This type of short-term lease has prevented the granting of any substantial funding either from the National Lottery or British Cycling Association to undertake the long over-due renovation works of the facilities.

Now VC Londres and all other users of the velodrome are seeking for a long-term lease which will eventually make possible the required investment to resurface the track and repair the stands of this fantastic and unique cycling venue.

Further info can be found in their face-book group 'save the velodrome'. Go there to express your support. Apart from regular training ground of many track cyclists in the South London area, the velodrome also has an off-road circuit and during the season host a series of other cycling related events like jumble sales, antique bicycles exhibitions and races and the traditional Good Friday cycling meeting, usually attended by many pro track racers from all over the UK. Further info of all activities taking place at the velodrome can be found here.

A picture of the velodrome in its height days during the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

Ninja Alleycat - Madrid, 25th of September

2010-09-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

What a muppet!

2010-07-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

And this time I'm talking about myself. When cycling last Friday I took a spill and landed heavily on my right shoulder with this nasty result: a grade 2 collarbone dislocation.
What this means is that I have now to wear a sling and keep my right arm immobilized for at least two weeks while the slightly strained ligaments recover and the collarbone moves a bit downward and returns to its former position. What a bummer! I was planning to build my 29er in the next two weeks and do some serious riding during August but I think that, for the time being, such plans are to be postponed until I recover completely from this stupid crash.

Repent All Ye Sinners, The End is Very Nigh!

2010-05-17T14:14:00.000-07:00

As can be read in John 42:17 and Bike Snob NYC alerted us not long ago, the impending Armageddon of the fixed-gear world, my dear friends, is coming upon us much sooner than anyone had expected. Lo and behold this picture that have recently appeared over the interweb!

Yes, it's true, you've guess'd right: the Four Skidders of the Fixed-Gear Apocalypse are back in town! Coming down the street near you with their awfully colour-mismatched 'steeds'. Be afraid, my friend, very, very afraid!
PD: Although I haven't read Bike Snob NYC for some time, I was dead sure he couldn't have missed this story: here you go, today's entry on his blog about Mormons riding fixed.

Track Cycling Portraits

2010-04-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

An amazing picture of former US racing cyclist Rebecca Twigg whose professional career spanned the 1980s and early 1990s. She won several US national championships and was six times world champion in what was -doubtlessly- her favourite discipline, the individual pursuit.

This portrait by Annie Leibovitz was part of a photo assignment of Olympian athletes commissioned by the magazine Vanity Fair and certainly succeeds in capturing simultaneously the beauty, dedication, sacrifice and expectations which always accompany the practice of any sport at a professional level.

A truly inspiring picture! Pity I couldn't find a better resolution image....

Specialized Epic gone, Salsa El Mariachi in!

2010-03-10T04:20:00.000-08:00

Finally I decided to sell my Specialized Epic 2006. While its handling and performance is more than correct, I never become fully 'attached' to this bike in the same way as I am to other bikes I have built myself over the years.

There is no doubt that this is an excellent XC bike as I could regularly do almost 1/3 more kms than with my other fully rigid MTB, feeling much less tired at the end of a long ride. This is certainly down to the comfort and absorption provided by the full-sus. The downside, however, is that I don't like the way that modern suspension 'contaminates' the steering and overall handling of the bike, not to mention the extra-weight added. This bike can roll over almost anything you might find in your path, but I do miss the more precise steering and general 'alertness' about what the the bike is doing that you are required to have when riding a full-rigid. Likewise, the hydraulic brakes have a tremendous stopping power, ideal for long and abrupt descents but certainly an overkill for the kind of XC or 'single track' riding I do regularly.

The other reason which finally put me off this bike is the inability to do any mechanical maintenance of some vital parts without having to buy a whole new set of specific tools: a) the new hollow BBs have a small life-span compared to traditional tapered ones and it doesn't take too long before they start to make creaking noises once their relatively small bearings start to wear down or get dirty with sand or grit, b) the hydraulic brakes are excellent but a pain in the arse in terms of maintenance -thanks Jeebus for the new Avid BB7 mechanical system which finally got rid of all the cumbersome process of bleeding, removing air bubbles in the system, and adjusting hydraulic disc brakes, c) the front and rear suspension forks are just the same story, great to have it there for extreme MTB riding but difficult to service without buying a whole set of expensive tools and oils and following complicated owner's manual instructions.

Yeah, I know, it is just a matter of time and of trial/error to learn how to do these maintenance tasks, etc.. But for my part I was not very excited about the prospects of having to study a front suspension fork manual, spending the equivalent of a new fork in getting all the tools required to do it myself, and then take apart / put the whole thing back together only to find out that it works much worse than it originally did... So, at the end, every time I needed to have any of these things checked, the bike have ended up going to the LBS for a service. I don't like this. Neither I like to be overcharged for a bike service.

After this relative short cycling experience with the presumed major advantages afforded by modern MTB technology, I finally decided that I want to go back to basics with my new build and purchased a Salsa El Mariachi frame. The original plan is to build it first as a single speed (I already have a 26" Kona SS) and, then, if I like this 'big wheels' thing so talked about these days, will probably upgrade it to a 1x9 and perhaps fit a front suspension fork. What is certain is that all components are going to be of the best quality I can afford and serviceable by myself. The rule of thumb, in this case, will be : keep it simple!

Some pics of my former Specialized Epic can be found here in my Flickr account.

The new 'steel is real' frame I purchased at a relatively good price (ex-demo) is this:

Hopefully I will be able to source most parts in the forthcoming months to have it ready to ride for this summer!!

The BMX bike all'Italiana

2009-11-25T09:44:00.000-08:00

Lo and behold! The Italian take on the budding BMX market of the second half of the 1980s. A wonderful Cinelli frame made of Columbus tubing, gorgeous Campagnolo anodised hubs and crankset, Clement 20" rims, and legendary Regina chains, all the big road Italian manufacturers banding together to create a truly bling-bling "motocross racing" bike, as they liked it to call this Ultima BMX. Click on the image for a larger view.

No wonders then that Cinelli is nowadays taking a similar approach to the fixed gear "hipster" market issuing limited edition frames in collaboration with riders-collective MASH or with artists like Barry McGee. At least, Campagnolo has not considered for the moment a limited edition reissue of its classic vintage track crankset in a whole array of anodised colours... That will be blasphemy, indeed!

Cycling Portraits from Barcelona.

2009-11-10T14:23:00.000-08:00

Looking for some cycling memorabilia, I have just come across this pair of portraits dating back to the early 1900s. The dashing figure cut by these young men, dressed up with their jackets and loose fitting trousers, will not certainly look unfamiliar in any of the popular tweed runs that have taken place recently in the UK, USA or Australia.

For the first originators of these "nostalgic" rides, well before the fixed gear scene took them over, check The Tweed Cycling Club. Their motto: "Style not Speed. Elegance not Exertion"; wise words, indeed, for any would-be urban cyclist.

The Classic Italian Racer Project: 1st version

2009-07-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

At last I have managed to complete my "winter" bike project: a pure-breed, classic racing Italian frame from the mid 80s, fully equipped with a Campagnolo Chorus groupset from the early 90s, and 4th generation Delta Brakes. A humble tribute to that fantastic machine, the steel racing bike of 8 speeds, that characterised, both in terms of the employed frame building techniques and materials, as well as the technological solutions applied to componentry, the history of ciclying race through most of the 2nd half of the 20th century. I have nicknamed it, unknowlingly turning again a blinking eye to ciclying history or legend, "La dama bianca".

Specs:

Frame: Columbus double butted CIÖCC frame. Size 55. NOS. I believe from the mid 80s.

Groupset: Campagnolo Chorus 8 speed including indexed gear shifter. Early 90s. Acquired in a relatively good nick so only a throughout disassemblage and polishing has been needed to leave it in nearly spot-on condition.

Wheelset: Campagnolo Chorus hubs laced to Mavic M40 rims. Used wheelset but the hubs are still going strong. In few months I am planning to build the hubs again, but this time laced to a Campagnolo silver tubular rim, another humble tribute to the history of ciclying and an extra bonus to get the whole "retro" experience when riding this bike.

Headset: Campagnolo Record (modern version from the mid 90s). I couldn't find the old style Campagnolo headset at an affordable price and perhaps rushed to install a modern one just to get the project going. Even if I find one now, the steerer tube is, alas, too short.

Pedals: Campagnolo Chorus pedals acquired in well-used condition: a tenatious polishing was required to leave them in relatively good-looking shape, plus the replacemente of bearing, new dust caps, cages and buttom straps. I found by chance on a LBS a pair of rare, NOS brevatto road straps, a defunct-manufacturer from the mid-80s I believe.

Brakes: 4th Generation Campagnolo Delta Brakes in nearly NOS condition. Breathtakingly beautiful set of brake calipers with astonishing manufactured finishes, above all its internal mechanism, plus a look which enlivens any frame in which they are mounted. They are, however, a minor pain in the arse to set up correctly, especially due to its top cable entry.

Steering: A 3ttt stem and handlebar, a sleaker look than a Cinelli combo I tried before on the bike. Fizik Microtex handlebar tape for that vintage look. I need to source silver bar plugs and some white electric tape for the tops.

Saddle: San Marcos Rolls and 26.8mm Campagnolo aero seatpost.

Enjoy!!

I hope to do an update with final version of the bike, once I get those tubular rims laced and deal with few other, minor improvements just to complete the whole project nicely.

What a craftmanship! Otero pista 1960s.

2009-07-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

Just check this lovely fillet-brazed pista frame, produced by one the most reputed Spanish frame builders of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, Enrique Otero, and allegedly ridden by Federico Bahamontes, nicknamed "the eagle of Toledo", in six day events during the late 50s and early 60s.

Otero, the brand name, does not longer produce any frame in-house, all production having migrated to the Far East, but still have one of the most respected road bike shops in Madrid, where just a few of these "beauties" still hang from the top of the walls of the workshop.

More pics can be found in Classic Rendezvous's recently added entry for Otero: certainly, a great addition to this wonderful resource for all vintage bike enthusiasts. Well done!

Playing bike polo old-style

2009-03-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

A lovely set of pictures of King George playing grass bike polo with his pals, plus a picture of an original polo bike: check out that curved seat tube, back & forth adjustable saddle position, and "circus-like" gear ratio for furious spinning and ultimate rear-wheel control.

The full set of pictures can be found here. Enjoy

Vintage MKS RX-1 Pedals

2009-02-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

I have recently managed to get hold of this lovely pair of pedals dating back at least to the early 90s. As it can be seen from the pictures, they have been well used years ago at the velodrome by a now retired old professional rider. Despite their relatively poor cosmetic conditions (what will pass for others, including myself, as vintage charm), the pedals are still in perfect working order with bearing running smooth as silk and with no play whatsoever. Tiny NJS logo stamped on the end of the spindle and the rear pedal plate. They are going to be fitted straigh away on my fixed gear bike.

The pedals come with vintage Campagnolo steel toeclips and triple layer leather straps made by Giorni Brevettato, a toe straps manufacturer name I have never heard before that now apparently produces watch leather straps. Although these toe straps are old and worn, they are still tough as nails and hope will still withstand some skid action, no doubt helped by the superb strap retention system of the RX-1 pedals.

Here are some pics of this lovely vintage find. Enjoy.

If only all modern off-the-peg bikes were like this...

2008-11-26T12:04:00.000-08:00

Please click the image to enlarge

For an outstanding collection of scanned vintage bike catalogues you can go here

A Beauty to Behold!

2008-11-15T10:50:00.000-08:00

While looking at eBay for a frame to start my next bike project, I came across this stunning classic Italian road frame made by CIÖCC in Columbus double-butted Reinforced tubing. It was definitely love at first sight! This particular frame appear to be from the early or mid 1980s. It is a fine example of the great Italian frame-building tradition. The classic Italian road bike frames are primarily characterised for their stiffness, responsiveness and great handling which results in very fast, pure-breed, racing machines.

Ciöcc (pronounced “cheeoach”) was founded by builder Giovanni Pelizzoli, a former apprentice of Ugo DeRosa. Ciocc (local Val d’Aosta, Italian dialect for "poker faced" hence the Ciöcc badge of four aces in a cross formation) was his nickname as a pro rider. Although less well known than Cinelli, Colnago, DeRosa or Pinarello, the excellent craftsmanship and attention to detail evidenced in all his frames put him rightly alongside these other renowned Italian frame builders. I particularly love the painting and finishes of the frame: understated and simple yet at the same time elegant.

Check out and enjoy this truly work of art in the pics below:

At the end of the auction, alas, the frame did not sell as the reserve price was not met by any of the bidders, including myself. The other three identical frames (but of different sizes) which were also on auction by the same seller experienced a similar fate. He can definitely take his time to bring them again to the market as these "beauties" in mint condition are not likely to loose any of their value in the foreseeable future. A sound long-term investment indeed!

Wallpapers for your Desktop

2008-11-12T04:18:00.000-08:00

I have recently found this nice artwork created by ilovedust for The Ride Journal. Enjoy!

Don't forget to have a look at The Ride Journal for more awesome pics. Sweet stuff indeed!

Few pics from the ECMC 2008 Eindhoven

2008-09-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic championship we had!! Big thumbs up for the organisation who planned and ran the whole event admirably well. The race course was awesome: particularly well-thought to simulate the working conditions of messengers (minus live traffic), with some cobbled sections, lots of up and down stairs and ramps, narrow bridges, and sharp corners, which made the race a veritable "hell of the north" for all participants. Other competitions taken place over the weekend were the polo championships, skids, trackstand, rollapaluza, and a massive alleycat on the streets of Eindhoven. Beautiful fixed gear bikes all over the place, loads of fun watching the race and other competitions, and, above all, a nice vibe and sense of camaderie among all participants and spectators, .... what else can you ask for a great weekend!!

Here some pics from the event that I have picked up from the various links at the ECMC 2008 web page. Thanks to all people for sharing their pictures and let me"nick" few them for my blog.

Plus a great video of the main race, skid competition, and sprints

ECMC 2008 Eindhoven from MESSENGWEAR.com on Vimeo.

And another couple of videos I have recently found at the web channel CLTR/CTRL (Culture Control) of the main race and bike polo competion.

Well done to all you folks!! .....And see you next year at Berlin, host city of the ECMC 2009.

Fixed Gear Videos

2008-07-08T12:36:00.000-07:00

Nice images, lovely tunes, awesome skills.

Macaframa SF Track Bike Promo from MACAFRAMA on Vimeo.

Check out more videos from the MACAFRAMA crew here.

ECMC 2008

2008-07-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

The European Cycle Messenger Championship (ECMC) are to be held at the Dutch city of Eindhoven from the 24th to the 27th of July 2008. With less than two weeks to go, the organisers appear to have done a great work in sorting everything out and preparing what promises to be a hell of an event for both participants and guests.
As they comment on their web site:

Our racecourse is ready - beers stand cold - and the amps are set!

From my part, I just wish a safe journey to all people attending the event and look forward to have a great time there in a couple of weeks...

A final word of advise: pack lightly if you don' want to be the proverbial "donkey"

Photo courtesy of Keirin Berlin

See you all there....

London's Calling 08

2008-07-08T04:43:00.001-07:00

Another edition of this wicked messenger event appears to be on the works for the 22nd-24th August 08. Highlights include Tour de Ville race, Messenger Olympics, and Rollapalluza.
More info and poster for the event can be found at Moving Target.
Meanwhile, click on the image above and enjoy the awesome detail of the original work, a quite irreverent piss-take on Her Royal Highness coat of arms courtesy, I believe, of House of Pistard

New Fixed Gear Magazine Launch

2008-07-02T03:18:00.001-07:00

Coming hot from the presses, the first London-produced fixed-gear magazine now available in PDF format for you to enjoy.

Links to and reviews of other current fixed gear magazines can be found here

Una Breve Historia del Piñón Fijo

2008-03-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

¿Qué es una bicicleta de piñón fijo?, se preguntaran algunos. Pues, bien, la principal característica de una bicicleta de piñón fijo es la de tener una sola velocidad y una transmisión directa, es decir, que la fuerza que imprime el ciclista con sus piernas sobre los pedales se transmite directamente hasta la rueda sin ningún tipo de mecanismo intermediario tal como cambiador, tensor, o buje libre. La transmisión consiste únicamente en tres elementos: unas bielas montadas con un único plato, una cadena bien tensionada, y un solo piñón roscado directamente al buje trasero. Lo que esto significa es que siempre que la bicicleta esté en movimiento también lo estarán las piernas del ciclista quien, aplicando la fuerza o resistencia necesaria a los pedales, controlará de una forma muy precisa la velocidad de marcha y el comportamiento general de la bicicleta. Así, y dejando a un lado ventajas mecánicas relativas tales como mayor eficiencia, fácil mantenimiento y mayor longevidad, podemos decir que la transmisión directa característica de las bicicletas de piñón fijo ofrece principalmente una forma “diferente” de rodar en la cual el ciclista se encuentra en una relación mucho más estrecha e intima con su bicicleta, una simbiosis perfecta entre hombre y maquina.

Desde la invención de la bicicleta de seguridad moderna a finales del siglo XIX hasta bien entrada la mitad del siglo XX, la bicicleta de piñón fijo gozó de una enorme popularidad, sobre todo entre las clases trabajadoras, como medio de transporte urbano, vehículo de recreo en carretera, y maquina de competición en pruebas de ciclismo locales y regionales. Aun a pesar de la invención en las década de los veinte de los primeros y rudimentarios cambios de velocidad por desviador, una gran mayoría de ciclistas seguía prefiriendo las bicicletas de piñón fijo no solamente por su robustez, fiabilidad y fácil mantenimiento sino también por su precio mucho más económico y asequible. La bicicleta era, como se decía en esta época, “el caballo del hombre pobre”, utilizada a diario para desplazarse a el lugar de trabajo y en los días festivos para salir campo en grupos en los que se combinaba deporte, camaradería y una buena comida regada con cerveza o vino. La popularidad y extendido uso de la bicicleta entre las clases populares hizo de ésta una edad de oro del ciclismo de pista: cientos de espectadores acudían regularmente a los velódromos en donde se realizaban una gran variedad de pruebas, incluidas las míticas carreras por parejas de seis días, en todas ellas compitiendo con bicicletas de piñón fijo muy similares a las que se podían encontrar en las calles. Comida, bebida, música y apuestas por los diferentes corredores eran también parte integral de estas competiciones de ciclismo de pista, precursoras en cierta medida de los deportes de masas actuales.

Photos courtesy of State Libray New South Wales (AUS) and Classic Lightweight.

Tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial, sin embargo las bicicletas de piñón fijo comenzaron a decaer drásticamente en popularidad: no solo el imparable avance de la industria del automóvil cuestionaba el papel de la bicicleta en general como medio de transporte serio, sino que los nuevos usos más recreativos de ésta como era el cicloturismo o el ciclismo de carretera demandaban un nuevo tipo de maquina: la bicicleta de 10 velocidades se convirtió por su ligereza y creciente complejidad mecánica en la maquina preferida por las nuevas generaciones de aficionados ciclistas y en todo un símbolo del progreso tecnológico e industrial en el mundo de la bicicleta. A pesar de ello, la bicicleta de piñón fijo continuo teniendo un minoritario y fiel grupo de seguidores entre los ciclistas profesionales y amateurs quienes continuaron utilizando estas bicicletas para entrenar fuera de temporada: la transmisión directa del piñón fijo no solo sirve para realizar entrenamientos más completos sino que también mejora sensiblemente la técnica de pedalada y ayuda ha incrementar la cadencia (número de pedaladas por minuto) de un ciclista. Así, sin tener que usar sus costosas y delicadas bicicletas de cambios, los ciclistas profesionales y, sobre todo, amateurs reutilizan sus viejos cuadros de carretera para construirse bicicletas de piñón fijo con la que entrenar durante el invierno sin tener preocuparse con que la lluvia o sal de la carretera deterioraran rápidamente sus preciadas maquinas de competición. Fueron estos grupos y clubes de veteranos ciclistas, especialmente numerosos en las regiones centrales de Inglaterra, los que continuaron rodando con sus tradicionales bicicletas de piñón fijo, no viendo por que cambiar cuando sus maquinas se adaptaban a la perfección a sus necesidades de una bicicleta de mecánica sencilla y de probada robustez para rodar durante el invierno. Gracias a su sabiduría y amor por estas “obsoletas” maquinas, las bicicletas de piñón fijo no quedaron así consignadas a ser meras piezas de exhibición en el imaginario museo del ciclismo durante las décadas de los setenta y ochenta, sirviendo además como eslabón de enlace para que nuevas generaciones de ciclistas amateurs, iniciados ya en el deporte en la edad dorada de las 10 velocidades, descubrieran de nuevo la sencillez y elegancia de las bicicletas de piñón fijo.

En la década de los ochenta, con la entrada de las grandes marcas japonesas, la aparición de la bicicleta de montaña, y el progresivo abaratamiento de la producción de cuadros y componentes manufacturados en el continente asiático, la industria tradicional de la bicicleta experimentó un doloroso proceso de reconversión que liquidó a una gran mayoría de pequeños y medianos fabricantes europeos: la gran popularidad de la bicicleta de montaña, con su triple plato y abigarrada corona trasera capaz de dar más velocidades que las cualquiera hubiera podido antes calcular (o pensar que incluso pudiera necesitar), consolidó ante el gran público la falsa noción de “cuantas más marchas mejor” independientemente del uso que se fuera a hacer de la bicicleta. En la década de los noventa, sin embargo, la marcha imparable de la bicicleta de montaña se vio poco a poco contrarrestada por un lento pero firme retorno de la bicicleta de carretera, aunque fabricada esta vez con nuevos materiales mucho más ligeros y con diseños cada vez más singulares y únicos. La resurrección de la bicicleta de carretera, se podría argumentar, está ligada hasta cierto punto con la transformación del Tour de Francia en un gran espectáculo deportivo de alcance global. Sea como fuere, la industria de la bicicleta, gradualmente concentrada en las manos de unas pocas grandes corporaciones, encontró durante estas dos ultimas décadas del siglo el tipo de patrón de negocio que deseaba establecer para su beneficio propio: el de ofrecer unas bicicletas de grandes prestaciones pero cada vez mucho más complejas mecánicamente y de muy difícil mantenimiento por parte del usuario medio que de esta forma se veía progresivamente “alienado” en relación a su maquina. La obsesión por “el mas ligero todavía” empujaba además al usuario a un constante y costoso proceso sustitución de los componentes de una bicicleta que por material, diseño y estética iba ha revelarse “obsoleta” en menos de diez años. Las bicicletas perdieron así cualquier ápice de carácter para convertirse en nada más que otro producto estandarizado de mercado. La rebelión contra una industria empeñada en vendernos estas complejas maquinas sin carácter comenzó lentamente a fraguarse. Y en ella la bicicleta de piñón fijo iba a jugar un papel fundamental.

Así, desde mediados y sobre todo finales de la década de los noventa, la bicicleta de piñón fijo ha experimentado un inesperado resurgir fruto de la confluencia de varios factores que la han llevado a convertirla en todo un fenómeno dentro del mundo ciclismo en donde ha ganado -y continua ganando- un extenso y activo grupo de partidarios y entusiastas de esta forma “diferente” de entender y practicar la bicicleta. Entre los factores que de una forma u otra más han contribuido, en mi opinión personal, a el fenómeno del piñón fijo podríamos mencionar:

A) los mensajeros en Nueva York, otras ciudades norteamericanas y, más tarde, europeas, quienes comenzaron a utilizar las bicicletas de piñón fijo en su trabajo debido a su simplicidad y fiabilidad mecánica, así como el escaso atractivo que éstas maquinas “sin marchas” presentaban para el ladrón oportunista. A estas razones puramente utilitarias habría también que añadir la perfecta adaptación de la bicicleta de piñón fijo a rodar en un trafico urbano denso en él que se requiere una maquina con gran capacidad de respuesta para poder negociar coches y demás obstáculos con cierta precisión y agilidad, una virtud característica de las bicicletas de piñón fijo debido a su transmisión directa. Con la organización de carreras urbanas ilegales (alleycats), improvisados partidos de polo con bicicletas (bike polo), y competiciones de destreza y trucos con bicicletas de piñón fijo (skids, trackstands, y más recientemente free-styling), la comunidad mensajera ha conseguido no solo atraer la atención de un público joven y urbano, sino también ha servido como principal catalizador de toda una emergente subcultura urbana en torno a las bicicletas de piñón fijo que de esta forma, podríamos decir, han pasado a convertirse casi en un símbolo de un estilo y forma de entender la vida.

B) un diverso y no-organizado grupo de apasionados de la bicicleta y entusiastas mecánicos-amateur quienes, adoptando ciertas premisas propias del movimiento DIY (“Do It Yourself”) y valiéndose de las nuevas posibilidades de comunicación ofrecidas por Internet, proponían una vuelta a maquinas mucho más sencillas, fiables, montadas por uno mismo a partir de cuadros y componentes de fácil disponibilidad, y en las que lo importante era que la bicicleta satisficiera las necesidades reales del usuario. Así, y frente a una industria empeñada en vendernos bicicletas ultra ligeras de fibra de carbono o componentes construidos con formas y materiales cada vez mas exóticos pero de difícil mantenimiento e imposible reparación, todo ello además a unos precios exorbitantes, se invitaba a miles de ciclistas a que escaparan de esta lógica impuesta por las grandes corporaciones y a que redescubrieran el inmenso atractivo de las bicicletas más tradicionales en todas sus formas y variantes entre las que, sin duda, se encuentra la bicicleta de piñón fijo. La satisfacción que produce el montarse uno mismo su propia bicicleta ajustada a sus necesidades y gustos personales, conociendo su mecánica y siendo capaz de mantenerla en buen orden y funcionamiento, es algo que ninguna gran marca de bicicletas puede ofrecer ni que tampoco se pueda comprar.

C) el irreversible auge experimentado desde mitad de los 90 por la bicicleta como medio de transporte alternativo en los grandes centros urbanos. Estrechamente unido con movimientos ecologistas, las primeras concentraciones ciclistas ("Critical Mass" o Bici Critica) que tuvieron lugar en San Francisco (USA) a principios de los 90 y que posteriormente se extendieron a distintas ciudades de todo el mundo lograron que la bicicleta volviera a la atención pública como una forma eficiente, saludable y ecológica de desplazrse por las ciudades: el gradual pero constante incremento del número de ciclistas urbanos que ha tenido lugar en estos últimos años tanto en Estado Unidos como en Europa ha creado una nueva demanda por un tipo de bicicleta mucho más confortable, practica y de sencillo mantenimiento. Las olvidadas virtudes de las bicicletas tradicionales de ciudad y paseo, que habían estado confinadas a Holanda, Países Bajos, Alemania y Escandinavia, han vuelto a ser apreciadas por una nueva generación de ciclistas urbanos atenta, principalmente, a nuevos criterios como utilidad y estilo más que ligereza y complejidad.

Ideal Hubs for a Fixed Gear Conversion??

2008-03-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

Recently, I have come accross these lovely crafted fixed gear hubs sporting a bolt-on cog system. Certainly, there is nothing particularly new about them. The idea of using a modified disc-mount front hub as rear fixed gear hub has been around for some time. Likewise, Level has been manufacturing this tasty bolt-on fixed gear hub for a while. What I like about these new hubs is that they are probably the best hubs you can get for a conversion. It has to be admitted that the person behind this venture (who I incidentally do not have the pleasure to know) has thought hard and long about what he wanted to achieve: a fixed gear rear hub capable of taking any chainline you can throw at it. If you are doing a conversion, forget about measuring the chainline, replacing BB, or even having to source another crank: this hub will sort you out at once. Rear axle spacing: sorted with lots of different spacers to fit track, road and MTB frames and have your hub centered nicely. Chainline not perfect: no problem either! just add some washers in between the cog and the disc-mount and you can fine-adjust it down to the mm. So, even if its retail price is just around 20 quid shy of what would cost you a proper track rear hub, it may well end up saving you even more money as, apart from re-building the rear wheel again, that will probably be the only thing you will have to buy for having your conversion up and running in no time.

Although I am sticking to my traditional threaded fixed gear hub for the foreseeable future, I will like to say "well done, mate" and best luck with your venture.

How it all started

2008-02-27T13:57:00.000-08:00

Recently, I've stumbled again upon a nice slide show of vintage messenger pictures I saw in YouTube almost a year ago. I loved the bikes, all of them fixed gear, with no brakes in sight, and lovely swept-back handlebars: the classic scorcher in its full glory. I have also enjoyed the attitude of the kids who scratched a living riding these bikes and delivering small parcels, telegrams, and letters. Wonderfull stuff!!

Many thanks to the people of Messmedia for putting this slide show together.

To beat a thief

2008-02-17T13:31:00.001-08:00

Bike theft is the curse of all urban cyclists. You always have to carry a good and heavy lock with you, look for good places to secure your bike especially if it is going to be left out-of-sight for more than ten minutes, and deal with the nagging thought if it is still going to be there when you come back after your errand. Unfortunately, that's something we have to get used to live with.

However, there are certain tips to reduce the chances to have your pride and joy nicked. Here you can learn some of them from this excellent article which appeared recently in the CTC magazine.

Apart from showing that the Sold Secure Certificate is a complete shame, the author invites a professional thief to show him how to get through different locks using the most popular tools of the "trade", among them the bolt croppers and the bottle jack. It is a long article but well-worth reading as it gives you a very good insight of how thieves operate, the way they go through the locks, and therefore what can you do to prevent your bike being the next target of this scum.

The better your bike is secured, the most difficult would be for the thief to get it!!

First Pic of my newly built KONA SS

2008-02-12T14:26:00.000-08:00

Well, first entry on this blog and first pic of my newly rebuilt Kona SS for off-road purposes. A brief description of bike: this is one of the old skool KONA frames made of lightweight steel. Classic MTB geomety and a pleasure to ride. Previous incarnation as a SS commuter bike rolling on slicks and having a taller gear. Now it has been adapted to what it was originally designed to do: off-road riding where it really comes into its own. Here is a pic taken last weekend. Shame that the camera ran out of batteries and couldn't take more.

As soon as I have some spare time (and more pics) I will post a more detailed description of the bike and its building process.