classic lightweight bikes & rides

2011 Fausto Coppi memorial ride

2012-01-15T09:43:00.000-08:00

another fun ride called by Dave M:

Hello All,

"Let us don our tattered woolens and resurrect that faded, almost forgotten Milanese eagle which symbolised the epoch of cycling".

Time to get yer Bianchi goin.... Or

Any vintage Italian bike from the Coppi era 1939 to 1960 Or

Any vintage bike. Or

Any bike. All are welcome.

Join me and Linda for the annual Fausto Coppi Memorial Ride and Luncheon. We will meet on Saturday January 14, 9:30 with a 10:00 depart at Woodside School.

The ride will be about 25 miles or so with a relaxed pace. Afterward, rejoin the group at Bucca di Beppo, 643 Emerson St. Palo Alto, (650) 329-0665. Reservations will be for 2:30pm. We will dine on such a meal that would make mama Coppi proud. Please RSVP me if you're going to be joining us at Bucca. Non riders are welcome. Bring anything related for show and tell.

We will celebrate the times of the heroic and tragic figure which captivated a generation - Fausto Coppi!

Regards, David Martinez

more pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157628875776341/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride!"

stolen tandem

2012-01-04T13:24:00.000-08:00

My friend's tandem bike was stolen from a locked parking area at our workplace in Sunnyvale. It's a green Pacific brand. Please keep an eye out - should be pretty easy to spot on the road...

lauterwasser eisentraut

2011-10-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

and here's the almost final product. i used some bare lauterwasser bars, no tape, no toe clips - trying to keep this one minimal. installed the front top tube brake cable clip and am right now building a campy hi-flange/polished rigida rim wheelset - amusing when i took the hubset apart to find a "73" date on the locknut, same as the frame! thanks to Bob Freitas for hooking me up with it! maiden voyage was last sunday & tomorrow late morn will do the same ride from natural bridges to capitola & back, about 20 miles. there will be a stop at Aldo's for calimari and fresh fish. please join us if you can... http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/6270686723/sizes/l/in/set-72157627955313108/

2011-10-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

Bob found this 62cm 1973 Eisentraut A model languishing at Ed Litton's and thought I might be able to use it. I'm thinkin'... It's half way through the build up now with Campy Nuovo Record gruppo. Can't wait for the test ride, thanks Bob!

a few pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157627805731378/

9.24.11 CR ride

2011-10-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

we like pink bikes...

Marc called the 2011 "end of summer" ride from The Los Altos chamber of commerce to the Stevens Creek reservoir and up Stevens Canyon to the "bike gate". Very nice ride with perfect weather and a great turnout. Lunch was at Tom's Hamburgers in Los Altos.

Charles' pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28267220@N05/sets/72157627902937400/

my pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157627805825464/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

again? yes!

2011-08-30T22:26:00.001-07:00

by now you are probably used to seeing my bikes in the redwoods. pinky-moto decided it was tired of living in semi-storage in the hot valley lands and needed a vacation up north so we went climbing together on the usual big basin loop roads. no moisture of any kind left on this route so no fenders needed, nyuk, nyuk. i forgot how solid this puppy is at speed descending. oh yes - we will do this again soon...

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

tour of lake tahoe 6.30.11

2011-06-30T22:39:00.000-07:00

Not used to doing this one alone but, hey, whatever works... Started from Incline Village about 8:45am and noticed the incredibly huge construction site at Lakeshore Blvd. & Hwy 28 - it looks like a hotel but is actually a private residence. The cool temps this morn made me glad to choose an old school wool jersey to ride in. Hwy 28 to Hwy 50 is still my favorite section and getting through South Lake was a bit challenging due to road work and striping. This was the 1st time I'd seen the big yellow bike sculpture there and a couple more too! South Lake is becoming very "bikey" and it's really good to see the number of bike rental places doubled since last summer. Is this a new bike boom? Stopped at the usual Camp Richardson general store for lunch but made my own wraps this time since there was a food handling "issue" last year but did buy an Arizona Iced Tea so I could use their porch for a relaxing break. Having forgotten the turkey jerky back home I moseyed across the street for a child sized Kona Coffee ice cream cup - wow, kids must be big these days... The hike/bike trail at this section of the lake is about the best and was quite crowded with many riders of all skills and abilities. The TA triple touriste crankset came in real handy for the climb up to Inspiration Point and the Emerald Bay viewing area. There was more road construction here and I was able to leap the pack of cars to be the 1st one to Eagle Falls where I stopped for the 1st time to grab some shots. What an amazing waterfall! More climbing to D.L. Bliss park and then the best downhill run of the day - whoo hooo... Rubicon area seems to be the most remote part but there are still many large residences and beautiful turquoise water beaches here. Ate my second wrap at Tahoe Pines and blew through Tahoe City for the climb to Dollar Hill - the view of wildflowers and lake on the back side was amazing. More road construction at Carnelian Bay so I stopped at Sierra Boat Co. to admire the Chris Crafts in the window for a minute. Required stop next in Kings Beach for more Kona Coffee ice cream fuel to make the Brockway to Crystal Bay hill climb. From stateline it was the home stretch and I had "headin' for the barn" syndrome - fast as possible & no stopping. Hooked up w/my peeps going up Village Blvd. home ~ 5ish...

more pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157627088435500/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

TOUR OF LAKE TAHOE 6.30.11
Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in Incline Village-Crystal Bay, NV

Tahoe City to Squaw Valley out & back ride 6.29.11

2011-06-29T23:40:00.000-07:00

This ride was on the Truckee River Bike Trail - an easy, pleasant & scenic route only for bikes and hikers. There were a few wet spots from last nights rains but a really nice ride in our light jackets with temps in the 50's on this mid-summers day. Tahoe City to Squaw out & back 06/30/2011
Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in Tahoe City, CA

cold summer climb... 6.28.11

2011-06-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

This was a training day for the ride around Lake Tahoe this week. Hopefully the rain will stop tomorrow... Very cool & windy made this ride seem a lot easier than last year. Lot's of snow around 8000' and I saw the lowest recumbent ever riding down the mountain as I was climbing. An 18 wheeler honked as I pulled down on an imaginary line - waved as he went by headed for Carson City. Stopping at Tahoe Meadows I noticed the road was closed due to snow. At this point the cold wind was penetrating my flimsy plastic kit. Made it to the top, ate an orange, then headed back down the mountain. The descent takes so long I need to stop a couple times to get some feeling back in the fingers. In the drops the entire time due to gusty head & crosswinds. Started raining in earnest a couple hours later.

more pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157627072180368/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

mt. rose ride 06/28/2011
Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in Incline Village-Crystal Bay, NV

visalia valleycat!

2011-06-14T22:33:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was the Visalia Valleycat. As far as events in California go this one was a bit off the beaten path but that didn’t stop riders from coming out and competing. They had both road and fixed categories racing and it looks like everyone had a great time. Check out more photo’s here.

thoughts on light, shadows, fenders and bay laurel

2011-06-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

OK, yes, another:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/27969964

but it's still not boring. This was a picture perfect day to ride in the Santa Cruz mtns. Perfect temps, no wind, light traffic but the 2nd forested section on hwy 236 past Big Basin park was almost completely wet. Who would have thought you needed them this late in the Spring season but thank god for full fenders on bikes! The '74 Raleigh Pro was never supposed to have them but P-clamps work wonders where dropout eyelets cease to exist.

The great weather and relative comfort of this ride got me thinking of things besides my sore muscles, namely light and shadows and how I compensate for the interplay.

It occurs to me that when I ride I'm constantly aware of the sun and it's relative location. I don't like riding in the very early morn or late afternoon especially when the sun is low on the horizon and in my eyes. Because if it's annoying me I know it is blinding the driver approaching from behind with a dirty windshield. Will he see me enough to keep me safe? Mid day is best when the sun is most high and glare is minimum. How about going from light to shadows? I always find that I'm consciously trying to stay in the light on the road as opposed to the shadows, at least when I hear a car approaching from behind. I realize when I'm in a car that if I'm in the light it is very hard to see anything on the road in front of me in the shadows, mostly due to sun induced windshield glare. So to avoid the Christines while cycling I'll always attempt to be in a sunny spot on the road to give the driver a chance to see me whether he's in sun or shadow.

Have you ever been close to bonking and out of food in bay area mtns? If so look for Califonia Bay Laurel trees. You can crush the leaves and take a big sniff and it's almost like smelling salts. It'll wake you enough to keep going just a little further. Bay Laurels are shy trees but do like filtered sunlight so look for them between oaks or redwoods in the forest but PLEASE avoid the poison oak when you're stomping around out there. "Leaves of three, let it be..."

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

Memorial Day ride to Big Basin

2011-06-02T11:57:00.001-07:00

Another one of these:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/27969964

Perfect weather for the holiday and low traffic on hwy 9 made for a memorable ride on my now "normal" exercise/pleasure route. The Cali wildflowers are in full bloom and getting more lush from all the recent rains. Hwy 236 as it approaches hwy 9 has noticeably deteriorated though so be careful and slow down in this area. Hwy 9 as always was a blast to ride into B.C. and this day was no exception. I've decided the '74 Raleigh Pro, formerly a "commuter" bike is now a randonneur and is living up to it's new role very well.

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

interesting bike physics

2011-05-04T14:08:00.001-07:00

Natural Bridges to New Brighton Beach out & back

2011-05-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

In keeping with the French theme we did this ride on our 1971 Gitane Super Corsas. A great day to noodle around at the coast - light breeze, perfect temps. We stopped and had a late lunch at our usual in Capitola - My Thai Beach. Excellent as usual... Both of the Gitanes held up well and I noticed the smaller blue one was coasting a lot behind me and then passing me up a few times, hmmm. I better check my hubs & rims...

One more pic here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/5683898185/

'Til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"... Natural Bridges to New Brighton Beach and back 05/02/2011
Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in Santa Cruz, CA

Cerchio Ghisallo Wooden Rims

2011-05-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

tour of the factory:

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=9304

A Sunday in Hell

2011-04-12T11:04:00.001-07:00

Boulder Creek, 236, Jamison, Empire Grade, Alba, Hwy 9 ride 4.9.11

2011-04-09T19:10:00.000-07:00

We'll call this the waterfall ride since there were at least 20 that could be seen from the road. Started out kinda late in the afternoon waiting for the weather to warm up but it never really did. Out the door down the hill into B.C. then up Hwy 236 for a bit and left on Jamison where a few really nice houses stood and then became another world, a world of water, creeks, falls everywhere. Wow - unexpected surprises my 1st time here. The beauty offset the suffering up this big climb, at least for me. It seems the rains are mostly over and now's time to start training for the season. What am I training for? Not really sure but know I feel physically better after a several weeks climbing and I guess it's mostly just for the challenge. The mental blocks are a hard hurdle the 1st time out on a new climbing route but it does get easier each time. After what seemed at least an hour of huffing & puffing I was happy just to make it to Empire Grade. This road is mostly flat and runs on a ridgeline with some great views of the San Lorenzo Valley poking through the trees. Was really cold up there around 4pm. After passing the Ben Lomond Conservation Camp I saw my Alba Rd. turnoff. Excited to see the 10% grade sign I was looking forward to less grunting and more coasting. Down we go and it's a bit twisty, narrow with not the best surface in some areas. As usual the scenery made up for the lack of road luxury. Passing Alba School and back into civilization Hwy 9 and the intense climb home came up too soon.

A few pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157626478262672/with/5611325166/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"!

Boulder Creek, 236, Jamison, Empire Grade, Alba, Hwy 9 04/09/2011
Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in Boulder Creek, CA

summer's coming - hang in there...

2011-04-07T22:06:00.001-07:00

R.I.P. Albert Schelstraete

2011-03-14T21:49:00.000-07:00

Albert was most recently known for his involvement in the Forest City Velodrome, where he was both the track designer and a ferverent support of the program. However, his palmares in the sport go back to the mid-1930s, when he rode his first bike race. Despite being hit by a truck when training and breaking both legs (at the age of 19), he came back to racing and won a number of significant races, including the Montreal Six Day as an amateur, before turning professional in 1940.

Boulder Creek Big Basin loop 3.12.11

2011-03-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't beLIEVE it's been more than a month since I had a decent ride. Did the same loop as last time but on the Torpado. It is a pretty sweet machine for a gas-piper. I added the small Lezyne pump on the bottle bracket clamps - pretty good spot for it, just under the down tube, plus all the added weight gives me lower center of gravity for those tight turns...

'til next time "Have a Nice Ride"...

Boulder Creek/Big Basin 30 mile loop 2.6.11

2011-02-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

Hey now... Alone for this sweet ride in the redwoods today. First time I did this route was on the Masi 3V which was a bit too racy for the terrain. The next time I vowed to use more of a touring machine so out came the '77 Colin Laing - it's built like a race bike with no fender eyelets, short rear dropouts, etc. but has fairly long touring style chainstays. It was a good choice and made the ride SO much more pleasurable, effortless almost. Next time we'll try the Torpado. 'Til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

A ride mapped on 02/07/2011
Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in Boulder Creek, CA

annual Fausto Coppi ride 1.15.11

2011-01-16T20:15:00.000-08:00

a few bianchis in attendance at the annual coppi ride, more info to come...

more pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157625841171196/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

santa cruz ride 1.9.11

2011-01-12T14:21:00.000-08:00

this was an "out and back" 20 mile ride - we started at natural bridges park in santa cruz and rode along the water, mostly on cliff drive, to capitola. very nice but cold ride! there is a monarch butterfly migration to natural bridges that we didn't check out but i guess it's better to see them in october. fun seeing woods and schwan lagoons in the twin lakes area - water on both sides of the bike is so cool when it isn't "sky juice". had a bite at my thai beach to warm up - great coconut soup and salmon pad thai - and then headed back to santa cruz.

Santa Cruz to Capitola & back 01/9/2011
Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in Santa Cruz, CA

more pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157625671840715/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

LA area folks: Please help find Christine's stolen Batavus!

2010-12-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

STOLEN!! Batavus Breukelen 56cm Step-Through Bike By josef | December 15, 2010

We have some sad news that we’re hoping someone out there in internet land can help us make into happy news: one of our customers had her bike stolen from the porch of her house on Manzanita Street in Silver Lake between 6pm on December 14th and 11am on December 15th. If you have any info, see anyone riding it, etc. please contact the Flying Pigeon LA bike shop at 213-909-8986 or info@flyingpigeon-la.com The owner, Christine Louise Berry, had a very deep and personal relationship to her bike (as do we all, I find), but it was also her primary means of transportation. She was profiled by Velo Vogue on June 22, 2010, describing the bike: “[I] chose a bike that replaces a car: it’s sturdy, visible, beautiful. The line of it is sweeping. It’s got this long stride. And the way the top bar slopes down — it’s so f-ing elegant. It has a skirt guard and a hub-generated light that never needs batteries – everything is made to last. Ultimately, it’s just springy, really fun, and I never have to think twice about riding.” We know the bike is floating around somewhere in LA right now. If you see someone riding it – snap a photo and post it online. We’ve got the serial number for the bike on file and have some more detailed information about the bike to identify it. In the meantime, we’ve loaned Christine a Flying Pigeon 3-speed, a lock, and a set of lights. We’re hoping that in the next few days someone will help us find this beautiful machine and get it returned to its rightful owner! Send any information to the Flying Pigeon LA bike shop at 213-909-8986 or info@flyingpigeon-la.com

http://flyingpigeon-la.com/2010/12/stolen-batavus-breukelen-56cm-step-through-bike/

double b-day weekend rides 12.11,12.10

2010-12-14T11:09:00.000-08:00

Dave M. called a fixed gear ride in Woodside on Saturday. We met him and Brad S. at the school and rolled out on our usual route. Zeus, Bianchi, Torpado and Frejus were the chosen machines for this refreshing ride in the trees. It was the usual route: Woodside, Portola Valley, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Woodside. Dave told fun stories of riding the Sunol back roads with an older gentleman that had a cycling history of the golden age in the early 50's in England. We lost track of Brad and Dave near the end of the ride but had lunch behind the school and connected by phone later to make sure we were all OK. Thanks for the great ride Dave & Brad!

Sunday saw me riding alone on a route that I've been itching to try: the Big Basin Loop. Left Boulder Creek late morning and rode up Hwy 236 (Big Basin Way). Nice to see some holiday decorative cheer out in the woods. Never noticed it before in a car but Taungpulu Monastery is on the left a few miles out of town. Pretty cool seeing the pagoda & shrine poking up through the Redwood forest while climbing on the bike. I stopped to check it out, the driveway up is very steep! After a few pics I rode down, Italian brakes squealing, disturbing the peaceful atmosphere - sorry Taungpulu Tawya Kaba-Aye Sayadaw of Upper Burma. Back on the road I continued to climb and after the BC country club it became a bit steeper, not too bad but kinda long to the top and Sempervirens school. From the school into the park was a nice downhill, cool, in the trees cruise. Stopped for some sun and my 2nd sandwich at the snack bar/store but it was closed today. After a little break it was time for the big climb of the day. The one lane road out of the park back to Hwy 9 is truly beautiful with amazingly huge redwood trees. A great percentage of the road surface was still wet from rain and kept the temps down. A few miles into the climb the landscape abruptly changed from wet Redwood forest and green lichen to dry scrub oak and Spanish moss then a couple miles later back again! When the climbing part of this section is over there is a nice loooong downhill (mostly) to Hwy 9 but the road surface is less than ideal here - since I rode the Masi 3V stopping at least once to relieve numb hands was necessary. I really wished I'd ridden a more touring oriented frame at that point. After thinking this part would never end the stop sign at Hwy 9 suddenly appeared. It seemed like the 8 miles back to Boulder Creek took about 10 - 15 mins! The road was so smooth with banked sweeper turns and mostly downhill through more redwoods and hardly any cars - what a pleasure! To sum it up I think this was a great training ride: some long medium climbing in the beginning, a sweet stop in a great park, more climbing then a super fun smooth cruise - all in beautiful Redwoods and almost all shade. Hard to beat! I'll be doing this again soon and hoping you can join me...

more pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157625417431075/with/5258128269/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

Big Basin Loop
Find more Bike Rides in Boulder Creek, California

11.14.10 CR "refinery ride"

2010-11-15T17:00:00.000-08:00

3 hardy souls in attendance: Jason Stone, Bob Freitas and myself. dubbed the 1st CR "refinery ride" by Bob the title didn't disappoint. we started out at the orinda bart station around 10am and admired the cioccs, coopers and masis for a bit then headed north on camino pablo riding alongside san pablo reservoir - this was the traditional scenic part of the ride and was quite nice in the late morning sun. just warming up then we would marvel later at the summer-like temps and lack of water on the route. we hit the bay around rodeo and went through the conoco refinery property - seems like a better use of this land nowadays would be upscale mcmansions with an incredible bay view. after a decent climb down the hill we went trying to pay attention to the road surface but mostly checking out the interesting scenery along the way. we stopped at the vista point overlooking the carquinez straight and learned about the native carquin indians and the 1st bridge built there in 1927. just before rolling into crockett i spied a restaurant named "the dead fish" - gotta keep that in mind for the next time out that way - love a place with a sense of humor... we had a bite at a deli in the thriving metropolis of downtown crockett then were on our way toward the more interesting scenic part of the route: Carquinez Scenic Dr. - this was very different but seemed a lot like the paradise loop ride without the pretense. we found port costa not intentionally, a tiny town with a few closed shops and what looked like the post office and a bar in one hosting several harley riders taking it easy on a sunday afternoon. backtracking a bit we found the closed to car traffic part of the road which was beautiful in it's own way. The section through martinez was pretty nice and i would've liked to check out the downtown area but we were way behind schedule so kept up a brisk pace back to orinda through lafayette partially on the lamorinda trail.

this was the route we took (as far as i could tell): 11/14/2010 CR "refinery ride" orinda, pinole, rodeo, crockett, martinez, lafayette, orinda
Find more Bike Rides in Orinda, California

my pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157625395838290/

Bob's pics here:

http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/v/NITROBOBs-GARAGE/Crockett-Martinez/?g2_page=1

Jason's pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21306332@N07/sets/72157625396750798/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

L'Eroica 2010

2010-10-04T13:43:00.001-07:00

finish of L'Eroica 2010
Originally uploaded by ericm

this is the finish of L'Eroica 2010. I rode the 38km route and experienced all weather types, muddy strada bianca, nice paved roads, nothing much that was flat, a beautiful country and many wonderful people. the ride was amazing in so many ways it is hard to know where to start. my 1972 torpado gt8000 was held in new york's jfk airport for an extra day and delivered to varenna the next evening - thanks american airlines. after assembly it was time for a ride to madonna del ghisallo from bellagio - this was a great all uphill steep and twisty ride with a sense of accomplishment at the end. make sure you have a beer & potato chips at la panorama on your way back down, it has an incredible view of the "crotch" of lago di como. after doing a few short rides around lake como coupled with ferry rides and headset bearing cage repair i rode in verona for a day and covered much ground and discovered you can have any gin you want in italy as long as it's gordons - sometimes you don't need vermouth or a martini glass but lemon rind IS essential... fast forward to gaiole in chianti and checking in at the fantastic cavarchino b&b just a few minutes walk to the center of town but removed enough to be quiet and peaceful in the countryside - the rooms are only 3 yrs. old and look brand new & ultra clean, the breakfast is way more elaborate than any b&b in italy i've ever seen. andrea is the consumate jolly host and extremely helpful in suggesting places of interest and making dinner reservations if you like. he even let me store the bikes in his garage and used his power washer to clean the mud from my bike after the race. i cannot say enough good things about the cavarchino and also vanessa ballerio of bike italia rando - she made all the arrangements for accommodations, race entry and logistics, race support on the course - you name it she did it, with some help from enrico to teach us a little of the italian language. met a few new people: john and sally pergolizzi now living in turin, steve and alan bernstein from ny, mark winikoff from santa barbara and rode the 38km course with dave and linda martinez.

the ride started with a small, cool downhill from the cavarchino into town to sign in around 9am - there was a small queue then off to bormio castle in the cool gray morning. flat for a few km then a slight uphill grade twisty for several km. at madonna di brolio we head up the gray pavement past a wonderful restaurant to the castle where the strada bianca begins. i rode a test of this section to get used to the white roads the day before for about 22 km so confidence was decent if not high. a few kms on the white roads it started to rain and kept up for about 8 km turning the strada bianca to mud - hey, at least it wasn't dusty! the rain stopped and my jacket dried out a few km later actually warming up to short sleeve wool jersey weather. rain, sun or clouds, the scenery and riders were amazing on the 38km course as historic character and utility bikes were only allowed on this short ride. we broke off the main all distance course for a short twisty downhill on pavement to the 38k ristoro where prosciutto, salame, french bread, olive oil, water, melon, pastries, grapes, etc. were being served by folks in historic dress... (to be continued...)

R.I.P. Laurent Fignon

2010-08-31T14:06:00.000-07:00

It has been announced that Laurent Fignon, winner of the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984, but perhaps best remembered for finishing second by eight seconds to Greg LeMond in 1989 in the closest ever edition in the race, has lost his battle with cancer. The 50-year-old, nicknamed the Professeur for his studious looks and glasses, who died at 1230 local time today, revealed he was suffering from cancer in his 2009 book, We Were Young and Carefree.

R.I.P. Bob Maitland

2010-08-31T13:52:00.000-07:00

From John Crump of the CR list:

Bob Maitland. Rode for the Concorde CC, Solihull CC and as a pro for BSA. Hercules etc rode the Tour of Britian many times and also the TDF. At one time he was a mate and competitor. Passed on at age 86yrs in France a few days ago. John Crump OldbutstllatitBrit. Parker, Co USA

more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Maitland

bespoke - the handbuilt bicycle...

2010-08-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

cupertino to san carlos ride 8.22.10

2010-08-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

what a beautiful day! i'm thinkin' the best weather so far this summer. made for a nice hard-as-i-could-go ride about 34 miles. started in cupertino then made it to foothill expy. and flew on the masi 3v to los altos for the vette show. those corvettes filled the entire length of main st. must've been every vette in the state was there - ok, maybe only 1/2 of them... after the show it was more hard cranking back on foothill heading north then left on alpine and right on portola valley rd. very nice riding and i notice the stone house is for sale again. wonder how much it is now? oh, listed for 2.3 - shoulda bought it 10 yrs. ago for 1 mil... continuing on i took mtn. home rd. to roberts mkt. since i was starving but didn't see anyone i knew to watch my bike while i got one of those long prosciutto sandwiches. saw reesie heading south on cañada rd. about a mile later but guess i didn't yell loud enough for her to notice - probably hard to hear anything when you're riding eleventy-seven mph. just about the 280 junction i ran into a couple young ladies and their dad selling lemonade at their stand - that was a life saver and got the masi and me the rest of the way home. thx masi and lemonade and a fantastic weather day!

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"

08/23/2010 Route Cupertino to San Carlos
Find more Bike Rides in Cupertino, California

can you believe it? the city that once knew how knows how once again!

2010-08-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/transportation/detail?entry_id=69616

local music in august

2010-08-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

August 5: San Francisco Bay Guardian Best of the Bay Party w/Chuck Prophet, Mezzanine

August 8: KFOG Local Scene House Concert w/Jethro Jeremiah and HYIM, San Francisco

August 14-15: Outside Lands with Furthur featuring Phil Lesh & Bob Weir and more

August 20: DWDM @ Wente Vineyards w/Megan Slankard and Pine + Battery

August 21: KFOG Day @ Art & Soul Oakland w/Cake, The Bittersweets and more TBA

August 28: Napa Blues, Brews & BBQ w/Reckless In Vegas, Elliot Randall & The Deadmen, OONA

August 28: KFOG Local Scene House Concert w/Cyndi Harvell and The Family Crest, Oakland

September 4: DWDM Day of Discovery Festival w/Luce, The Ferocious Few, Heather Combs and more, Wente Vineyards

September 19: KFOG Local Scene House Concert w/Megan Slankard and Tiny Television, Saratoga

george carlin's final words - a must see for all mericuns

2010-08-02T16:51:00.000-07:00

7.31.10 noodling around Half Moon Bay on the coastal bike trail

2010-07-31T17:04:00.000-07:00

feeling like something different today caused me to hit the coast, specifically Half Moon Bay. drove cino to the beach parking at the end of poplar ave. and started to ride north on the coastal bike trail. couple of things i noticed, 1) there are plenty of restrooms available and 2) i should've had a bell on my bike. this trail is well used by hikers and cyclists in a very casual way but was still a lot of fun blasting through nature on a cliff overlooking the pacific ocean. late morning and the fog was hangin' in - made for a nice cool refreshing ride. got to princeton and explored that area & pillar point for awhile before heading a bit more north on hwy1 to moss beach. rolling through the small neighborhood around the distillery it felt like one of the ends of the earth here. heading back on 1 checking out the surfers then hit the coastal bike trail again this time heading south - sun was starting to come out a bit. lot's of wood decked bridges on this trail made for interesting varied surfaces. drafted in behind a gentleman who i think rode a few miles with no hands & was clipping along quite well ringing his bell at everyone. after hitting a horse worn trail at the south far south end of the bike trail we went a few hundred feet but cino needed to turn back for pavement having forgotten his pompe. back on hwy1 and continuing south to miramonte i ran into a gate so had to turn back north on 1 then ran around HMB town a bit trying to get into the flying fish for lunch but again no dice. back to poplar and ride's end i will definitely be doing this one again...

07/31/2010 Route noodling around Half Moon Bay on the coast bike trail
Find more Bike Rides in Half Moon Bay, California

more pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157624500581339/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

got curly stays? Hetchins Weekend 2010

2010-07-29T10:48:00.001-07:00

Looks like a fun time across the pond. Here's a link to many more pics and info:

http://www.hetchins.org/events-04.htm

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"

Rough Stuff ride 7.24.10

2010-07-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

I wasn't able to make this ride but here is a great ride report from Bob:

Since someone has mentioned my bike I thought I would relate a little of my Saturday adventure.

We met up at Mt Tam Bikes at 8AM for our staggered starts at 8:30 AM. The route would take us up Mt Tamalpias on Rail Road Grade then over to the coast on a ridge top trail before dropping down to a vista point over looking a nice section of coast line at Muir Beach. From there we would ride thru the Green Gulch Farms (Zen Center) then up a trail to the coast road which would take us to the Marin Headlands overlooking the Golden Gate. We would return over another set of hills back into Mill Valley. The ride was laid out 90% Fire road, Dirt track and as it turned out Goat Path.

Off we went thru the unsuspecting quiet streets of Mill Valley towards the Rail Road Grade (named for, you guessed it , a long defunct Tourist train which had once run up to the top of the mountain) Steep paved streets with the last being named 'Summit' (they lied as the top was still almost 2000 feet up)

The grade was not as steep as the approaching streets. The surface was packed dirt with some rock and gravel. Technical in just a few spots where the roadway was chipped out of the underlying rock.. After a fairly long climb we arrived at the West Point Inn, this was the terminus of the old train line and features a panoramic view of the bay, the City and the ocean. Tourists would return via the 'Gravity Train' basically open cars without power that would coast back down the mountain (this must have been quite something in the horse and buggy pre liability insurance days)

We hung out at the top waiting for stragglers though I would thought everyone had certainly passed me on the way up (including a lady pushing a baby stroller and a Sailor with a peg leg ...there is a theme emerging here)

Off we went towards the Pan Toll Ranger Station , the road was a nice down hill run over dirt and gravel until we reached the paved section that took us to Pan Toll.

We stopped to top up our water bottles (I filled an extra just in case) Chris Kostman walked by me and looking at my rickety front bag mount says something about the trail ahead being 'Knarley'......

The trail started out nicely paved and then decended into broken pavement, gravel, dirt and mud , the view from up here is stunning if you have time to look. I was to busy dodging from side to side trying to avoid holes, rocks , water, errant hikers and fellow bikers. In spots the trail returned to the chipped from bedrock format which made steering difficult. Having ridden the 'Strada Bianchi' in Italy the lesson you learn is your wheels must be in contact with the ground for the brakes to work. At this point I broke a key rule and tried to stop after sliding off the saddle , I performed a forward cartwheel and found myself sitting on the ground. I looked around and there was no one holding up any score cards (wheres the Wide World of Sports when you need them?)

Nothing was damaged except for my dignity. Off we went again til we paused before crossing Route 1 and heading towards the Overlook. Our wheels were on pavement for a short stretch as we rode up to the Overlook (this was once part of the coastal Defenses around San Francisco as the cement bunkers show.) Though it is cloudy there is still a nice coastal view.

Again we are on our bikes ,this time heading south towards Green Gulch , a produce farm belonging to the Zen Center. We make a quick turn at the Pelican Inn and we are in the Vegetable fields heading down a path towards a gate at the rear.

Single track is a narrow trail that will only accommodate single file riding , this single track is heavily worn by Horse traffic as well as bikes so the path is now a trench and a trench that is rapidly becoming very steep. The turns are more switch back than curve and it is very difficult to ride around them.

I put a foot down and cannot get moving again. Pushing the bike forward I look for a less steep spot to remount. Remounting I peddle ahead again coming to a sharp switchback, again putting a foot down and pushing the bike ahead. Looking up I see the riders ahead of me disappearing around a bend and reappearing on the side of the next hill and then disappearing . I would not see any of them again until I arrive in Fort Cronkite with a flat front tire hours later.

At the top of the single track I take the Coast trail (Fire road) heading south east .Here the road rolls up and down til finally putting me on a long downhill run into the valley that heads towards the Golden Gate. I have to stop a couple of times to reinflate a front tire that is slowly leaking air. At Cronkite I encounter fellow riders one of whom loans me a pair of pliers to snug the valve down on the tube. As I finish putting the tire back on the wheel they ride away ,heading home, I still have a loop to do first through Battery Townsley then up the the headlands over looking the Golden Gate.

After Townsley I look out towards the Headlands and decide I have seen it before and head back towards Mill Valley , glancing at the route sheet I see almost 2000 feet of climbing between me and home, it will be a longer afternoon. The climb is long but not as steep as I have seen earlier. Arriving at the top I wonder what became of the climbing(was the route sheet incorrect at this point) the route shows 3 climbs but I can only point out 2.

The surface going back down into Tennessee valley is very loose, it looks recently plowed but I make it down easily and head for home. I had fallen a number of times on my right hip(always a slow fall) and it needed ice.

I would like to return to some of these headland trails but with an MTB ,something vintage of course

BOB FREITAS

Red Lejune Rider in MILL VALLEY, CA USA

here are some pics courtesy of the adventure corps:

http://www.adventurecorps.com/rrr/2010/show02/index.html

a little traveling music please...

2010-07-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

Populaire Brevet 7.17.10

2010-07-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

Early 7am start for this one, we rolled across the foggy Golden Gate bridge on wet surfaces. Hardly any cars at this hour and as we rode through Sausalito, Mill Valley and ascended Camino Alto I could begin to see the magic of starting this early. We stuck to the road in Larkspur and weaved into the San Anselmo street fair that was just setting up - we needed coffee! After a nice break it was on to Fairfax and that hill, grrr. No one waited at the top but I did have a nice conversation with a sweaty gentleman across the road, it was starting to get hot already. Across the valley and heading for the trees we took Cross Marin Trail through Samuel P. Taylor park. The trees and creek were awesome and a welcoming shady lane from the sun. Pt. Reyes Station welcomed our hungry crew with many choices and then always coffee at the Cowgirl Creamery. Ramona almost abandoned her bike for a vintage Benelli motorcycle but we managed to talk her out of it. We rode out the same way we came in but took the Nicasio Valley route past the reservoir then took a break in town. It was really starting to heat up in the middle of the afternoon so a couple of us had popsicles to cool down. Climbing out of Nicasio Valley is always a challenge and today was no exception. What really got to me though was the climb up Fairfax hill and then the fast descent - I was super hungry and shaking by the time I got to the bottom and raided the Carridice for all it was worth. Cherries, grapes, cheese, brownies? All gone in an instant. This gave us the strength to continue into town and well, wouldn't you know it - it was beer:30 already! A couple pints were consumed by thirsty cyclists and we lingered for awhile since the bikes looked so comfortable hanging from the wall. Rolling on home we could feel the weather change to the SF variety we like so much and in Larkspur a cyclist we met directed us a new route to Camino Alto summit - very picturesque and NO CARS. Sweet... We absolutely all bombed down Camino Alto then hit the flats thru Mill Valley. By the time we got to Alexander Ave. in Sausalito the fog/wind machine had kicked in big time and thank god - kept me awake to the bridge. Over the bridge & to the statue for final pics and goodbyes I was sad for this great day to end. I must say that the Populaire went from 35 last year to about 125 this year and the folks I rode with this time were all extremely strong riders, it was tough to keep up. Hope to see you all again next year...

more pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157624404758937/

Kelley's pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kelleytrahan/sets/72157624525542908/

Meli's pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/meligrosa/sets/72157624533449608/

Adrienne's pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adriennejohnson/sets/72157624407259157/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"

pic o' the day borrowed from bicycle specialties

2010-07-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

the more things change the more they remain the same...

2010-07-16T09:37:00.001-07:00

CYCLING HINTS (issue title is SEA SHELL HAVE MUSIC)

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Bob Freeman is the Man!

2010-07-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

Are you thinking of maybe wanting to ride a classic 10 speed bike? Bob's articles describe the lust, curiosity & nostalgia to a "T".

more here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8379107@N03/sets/72157624130906349/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

R.I.P. Nino Defilippis

2010-07-13T09:28:00.001-07:00

Bike Hut!

2010-06-29T12:29:00.000-07:00

http://potreronuevofarm.org/thebikehut.html

fuel up & hydrate before attacking tunitas...

City's bike plan may fully roll out

2010-06-23T16:03:00.000-07:00

By: Mike Aldax June 22, 2010 Room to roam: S.F. is planning to add 34 miles of bike lanes to the existing 45. (Cindy Chew/The Examiner)

SAN FRANCISCO — The green light to vastly expand the number of bike lanes in The City may finally come this summer.

Today, Superior Court Judge Peter Busch, who imposed an injunction on San Francisco’s long-awaited bike plan in 2006, will hear the city attorney’s final arguments about why he should lift the ban.

The bike plan would add 34 miles to The City’s current 45 miles of on-street bicycle lanes during the next several years, along with parking spots and traffic signals for cyclists and colored lanes on some streets.

The plan was ultimately stifled by a 2005 lawsuit demanding an environmental review that would adequately address traffic issues and other impacts. That review has been completed.

In November, Busch lifted the injunction on a conditional basis, prompting The City to embark on 10 of the 45 projects that received approval from city lawmakers. The judge’s lifting of the ban would allow The City to move forward with the remaining projects.

After the hearing today, the court will have up to 90 days to issue a ruling. Advocates hope the injunction will be lifted this summer.

"By the end of the year, we hope to see at least 20 new bike lanes and innovations like colored bike lanes that will make our city an easier and safer place to live, shop, do business, work," said Renée Rivera, acting executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, in a statement.

Bicycle ridership in The City has increased 53 percent during the past four years, the organization said.

maldax@sfexaminer.com Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Citys-bike-plan-may-fully-roll-out-96858174.html#ixzz0riiTYiIs

3rd annual ride around lake tahoe 6.19.10

2010-06-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

yes, finally - the 3rd annual ride around tahoe! we arrived pretty late friday night & had a couple chores in the morning (bell mounting, pedal swaps and tire pumping) but managed to start the ride just before 10am Saturday. greg rode his 1973 schwinn paramount factory custom piss yellow colored extra braced bicycle sculpture and i rode a 1971 raleigh super course w/custom drivetrain and "hammered into submission" rear rim. from lakeshore blvd. at incline village to hwy 28 1st thing in the morning might be my favorite part except for that incredible long descent from the hwy 50/28 junction - so cool. makes the extended climb ~~almost~~ worth it. ;>)... but before we could do that long, fun downhill Greg needed something and he needed it badly. i arrived at the hwy 50/28 boat inspection station to find all the car hoods up and Greg checking everyone's oil. i figured he was applying for a new job and demonstrating the extra service he could provide the inspectees vehicles but i should've known better - he was actually wiping the dipstick oil off onto his bike chain because the chain squeak was driving him batty. this took awhile, then we had a blast racing downhill and into south lake tahoe where there was (naturally) a car show going on. we checked out everything and most received thumbs up - good selection and polish this year. The sound of that old Mercury idling was music to my ears...

car show behind us we raced through south lake asap, not much to see there. arriving at our usual lunch spot in camp richardson about 1pm it was time for some bike fuel - club sandwich and sobe green tea, please. ahh, perfect. always take it easy after lunch on the bike path but there is that emerald bay road to climb, grr. this is about the hardest climb of the ride & it seems to get easier each time - interesting because i thought i was in about the worst physical shape of the 3 rides so far but the '71 super course must've been set up just right and made it the easiest of the 3. a 180mm length TA triple crankset and old broken in brooks b15 saddle are great for touring i guess... the downhill run past bliss park after the emerald bay climb was pretty epic - not much wind, clouded over & cool mid afternoon with about 3 cars behind me at the run-out. one gave a short honk & smile as he passed :>). we skipped the tahoma stop as we both felt well fed & hydrated, rolled through homewood and stopped in tahoe city for a break. it was funny seeing the fish jumping for bread crumbs thrown by the tourists at fanny bridge.

the rest of the ride was pleasurable and uneventful and we rolled back to incline together about 6pm. Greg typically has "head for the barn" syndrome after tahoe city and beats me by about 15 mins. but that 42-24 gear combo kept him down to my pace this year. ok, what's for dinner? salmon, sauteed zucinni w/onions in olive oil, wild rice combo and martinis! a just reward for the days efforts.

more pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157624328579254/

pics from the '09 ride:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157622368662010/

pics from the '08 ride:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157605802075362/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

Jour De Fete Jacques Tati 1949

2010-06-22T06:36:00.000-07:00

6/13/2010 Route

2010-06-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

a bit hot for me to ride in the mid 80's but was itchin' to get out so the pink bike got to run for a few miles. and run she did - that straight stretch into ivanhoe (ave 328?) was so smooth and with a slight tail wind it seemed i was jet powered. damn! that was fun blastin' into town with dogs barkin' at my heels with no way to keep up...

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

06/13/2010 Route - Visalia to Ivanhoe and back
Find more Bike Rides in Visalia, California

how do we get more people cycling?

2010-06-08T16:25:00.001-07:00

summer in the city

2010-06-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

love our natural summer air conditioning...

fun ride today in sf after deciding it was too hot on the peninsula. drove to & parked at log cabin at the presidio then checked out the "green" street fair on union st. headed back to explore ft. point by bike and got chased out by park ranger. then it was up and over the golden gate and through sausalito heading for mill valley bike swap. guess i was a bit late since the place was empty. thought about doing a paradise loop but it was too hot for me at the end of the bike trail so turned around to head back and ran into Omar - he'd just finished a loop & was heading back so we chatted and rode back through mill valley & sausalito then over the bridge again. Omar peeled off and i went to delarosa for a pizza & beer & martini. great food, drink & people watching on chestnut st. i needed the antifreeze for the windy/cool ride back to the log cabin. finally getting comfortable on the torpado - might be because i massaged a 1/2 pint of olive oil into that rock hard saddle...

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

SF fixie gent - borrowed from CINELLI on facebook

2010-06-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

click it to read...

2010-05-21T13:05:00.000-07:00

let's show a little love for oakland!

Bike to Work Day

2010-05-13T09:17:00.001-07:00

you DID remember to bike to work today, didn't you?

Paradise Loop ride 5.8.10

2010-05-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

Ramona, Johann and I started out from the Log Cabin at the Presidio and headed over to the statue to meet Adrienne and we all cruised Golden Gate bridge starting just after 10am. Was glad I brought the jacket as it was brisk and a bit windy already. We met Bob, Dave, the O'Chan clan and a couple of new riders, Stan and Victor, at the Heliport in Mill Valley. Victor brought a very nice custom fitted Rock Lobster and Stan was riding his 1950's Healing track bike - both were riding fixed gear! I thought Stan's Healing was very cool as that is my favorite era in cycling, just after the war in Britain. Although the Healing is Australian you could tell the British influence straight away. after Ramona was done using Dave's banana phone and a few more laughs and pics we were off across the flats and grinding up Camino Alto. Laurie B. and her son Dylan surprised us at the top of the hill and hung with us for the main leg to Tiburon - great seeing you Laurie, it's been too long! We all chatted for a bit then headed down the hill at a brisk pace and then onto the bike trail and back under the freeway onto Paradise Dr. I stopped with the O'Chans for a snack about 1/2 way around - Una & Declan were doing very well on this ride but were starting to bonk slightly and it was time to fuel up with some energy bars. The ride from there into Tiburon is always my favorite area, very scenic with a couple fun rollers to get up some good speed. Lunch at Caffe Acri was delicious and leisurely. It was too nice of a day not to enjoy so we did lollygag a bit and enjoy the sights and sunshine. Laurie and Dylan had a full schedule so peeled off here while the rest of us cruised the back streets and neighborhoods of Tiburon on our way out to the bike trail on the water. Still a beautiful day but the wind had kicked in more and did make riding more challenging. Over 101 we went across the pedestrian bridge, through the Ferrari & Lambo dealer to check out this years models and also our expertise riding "cobblestones" then through more watery neighborhoods and a green field we were back on the flats heading for the Heliport. Victor, Stan and the O'Chan clan peeled off and Ramona, Johann and I kept riding back through Sausalito, up Alexander Ave. and across the Golden Gate once again. After ending back at the Log Cabin we said our goodbyes and I loaded up while Johann and Ramona rode back home. Thanks for the wonderful day and great ride everyone, I had a blast and hope you did too! More pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157623901847419/

Ramona's pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/warbin/sets/72157624021029912/

Bob's pics here:

http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/v/NITROBOBs-GARAGE/Bay-Area-vintage-rides/May+8+2010+ride/

Adrienne's pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33353980@N07/sets/72157624036247286/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride!"...

butter it up 5.5.10

2010-05-09T15:20:00.000-07:00

my 1st buttery smooth night time bike ride through sf. shh, don't tell anyone. about 50 - 60 riders left the ferry bldg. ~7pm wed. night and cruised all the roads near the water until just below the cliff house at ocean beach where we turned into the park near the windmill. the route after that is pretty much a mystery to me but, hey, no prob - just follow someone. the end of the ride is at bender's bar where you can park your bike inside - it's sort of a caltrain-ish stacking arrangement but at least it's indoors. after too much fun & beer consumption Ramona guided me back to the train station where i made the last train down the peninsula that night. thanks everyone for being so nice to this noobie. more pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157624021605348/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

may day ride 2010

2010-05-03T22:40:00.001-07:00

the pink bike got a stroll in the country today - the usual training ride up rocky hill and yokohl valley. weather was so nice it just wanted to keep going. took a couple breaks on the hill but they were very short due to the overwhelming sound of BEES! never heard so MANY all at once. reached for my "energy" bar but thought better about opening it around all the buzzing, didn't seem to be bothering the cows much tho. so i scooted on down and cruised the canal back among the intoxicating orange groves - that smell is amazing. stopped in exeter on the way back for a couple peanut butter cookies to fuel me home. made great time back since the pink bike was all warmed up and completely functional this time. thanks for the ride! more pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157623859397763/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

4.25.10 woodside - los altos ride

2010-04-25T20:42:00.000-07:00

fun ride on the '72 torpado, it's a new build. started in woodside and did the usual out to palo alto but went into los altos this time and stopped for lunch at pompeii - it was decent but nothing to write home about. today was to test the new wheel build and tires - wheels pass, tires fail. front flat near the end of the ride but fortunately met Gary W. who rode with me for a while and also had a pump to give me enough air to get me back to the car. thank you, sir! Gary was riding his custom handmade Steelman bike - what a sweet machine. Someday...

more pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157623932785914/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"!

RECOVERED!!! was:HELP RECOVER STOLEN BIKE PLEASE!

2010-04-06T10:59:00.000-07:00

Just received GREAT NEWS from Jon via the CR list: HIS BIKE HAS BEEN RECOVERED on May 1st!! Woo hoo! Thanks everyone for passing the word around so quickly...

PLEASE BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR JON'S STOLEN BIKE. HELP RECOVER IF POSSIBLE AND/OR NOTIFY JON ASAP. THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR HELP!

Dear Listers,

My beloved white Peugeot UO-18 mixte was stolen from outside of our apartment this evening between 6 and 10 PM. It was not locked--I left it outside "just for a minute" and then forgot to put it away and lock it up.

It is highly customized--Campi and Phil Wood, faded red Tailwind panniers, extra-long extensions on the toeclips, and much more.

$200 reward for the return of this bike, no questions asked. I especially appreciate the help and cooperation of Bay Area CR list members and friends in this less-than-likely task...

2008 photos available here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/goldcoastjon/sets/72157623658832723/

Thanks,

Jon Spangler Alameda, CA USA, where my heart is broken and I feel dumber by the minute...

Jon Spangler

Writer/editor

Linda Hudson Writing

TEL 510-864-2144

CEL 510-846-5356

JonSwriter@att.net

www.linkedin.com/in/jonmspangler

www.twitter.com/jonmspangler

3.28.10 woodside ride

2010-03-28T22:29:00.000-07:00

Guy called the 1st ride of the season today in Woodside and certainly hit the mark - beautiful weather, great friends, fine vintage machines. We all met at Woodside school @ 9:30am for a 10am roll out and cruised down Cañada Rd. then down Hwy 92 for a few hundred yards and up 35 to upper Crystal Springs reservoir, over to Polhemus, up hill then over the Hwy 280 pedestrian overpass back to Cañada Rd. with a stop at Robert's Market for take away deli lunches for the Woodside school benches out back by the astroturf soccer field. How many grammer schools do you know that have an astroturf playing field AND tennis courts? They really should install a pool for the poor tykes. Lunch was great as usual and Bradley, Johann, Jan and Peter kept our table laughing the whole time with some great stories. Thought I had taken a pic of Greg eating his salad with a cone wrench but you'll just have to take my word for it. After lunch the bike admiration begins and it's time for goodbyes and the load out. Always hard to say goodbye to such a great crew. Thanks everyone - and thanks, Guy for calling a great ride!

Bob's pics here:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?aid=157030&id=661332033

my pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157623598889523/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

torpado build

2010-03-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

praise the lord and pass the ammunition - the torpado is finally done! after fighting multiple flats and procuring the proper stepped cable ferrules this bike is finally road worthy. i'm thinkin' i may have crossed the line with this one. please let me know what you think. here are a few more preliminary pics - more tomorrow:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157623648762884/

seller's pics of frame and fork:

http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/v/fujifish1/OtherBikes/T72GT8g61Silv/

auction description of the frame & fork:

Torpado c.1972 GT8000 Frame, Forks and Headset ONLY – 61.5cm c-c

Vintage, very early 1970s Torpado road frameset. This one is old enough to still have a beautiful brass headbadge. Seat tube is 61.5cm c-c, or 63cm c-top of seat cluster lug, and top tube is 60cm. Italian threaded bottom bracket shell and 1” steer tube. Original and VERY nice condition steel chromed headset is included, along with the front center-pull cable stop hanger (see last photo). Races are clean, and pit-free. Rear end is spaced at 123mm … a perfect halfway between five and six speed spacing. Original silver paint with GORGEOUS burgandy seat tube panels, and gold lug lining, shows some light marks from the years, but is still in really fine condition overall. Structurally 100%, although I have not ridden this (way too big for me), or checked it for straightness. Lots of chrome, still in super nice condition, with no obvious bad areas or haze, but a couple of very small marks here and there, and one tiny pit area on top of the non-drive side fork crown. Stamped dropouts have fender eyelets, and no doubt the “GT” in the model name refers to Gran Turismo, or the like, and this could be considered a touring frame. Indeed, it is a perfect candidate for a fixed gear, single speed conversion, given the minimal braze-ons. This probably originally came with a Gian Robert, or Campagnolo Valentino, Velox, Gran Turismo, or similar gruppo. This is not suitable for track / pista use. Not perfect paint anymore, but still very fine, in excellent mechanical condition, very well cleaned and ready to go!

NOTE: There are two pair of top tube brake cable guides, and the back piece of the front pair is attached slightly out of true.

Serial numbers under the bottom bracket are * 211319 *, which after years of collecting these sequences for Torpados and Italvegas, I believe means it was made in 11 of 1972, perhaps the 319th unit. The single exception to this rule happens to have been listed on Ebay recently, but I was unable to actually see those numbers to confirm that they are out of sequence. Even so, I will think that one was an anomaly / mis-stamp, until I see some others like it.

2010-03-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

took the gitane TdF direct drive (seen above in the yokohl valley) on this route yesterday - a beautiful, cool, clear spring day perfect for riding:

03/15/2010 visalia, farmersville, exeter, rocky hill, yokohl valley, water canal
Find more Bike Rides in Visalia, California

big pic here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/4435828332/sizes/o/

'til next time. "Have a Nice Ride"...

Jim Merz & Mark Dinucci

2010-03-12T09:08:00.000-08:00

From an email to CR list from Jim Merz today:

"I connected with a friend of mine from the old days, James Mason. He is a Portland born bicycle nut who used to hang out at my shop when he was not on some photo assignment for Newsweek or other newpaper. He has been cleaning up a storage unit and found some negitives he took of my shop. I think it is 1978, and the other guy working is Mark Dinucci. These are the only photos I have of the shop, hope you enjoy them. It's a slide show, click the arrows to see them.

http://picasaweb.google.com/portlandjim/MerzMfg1978?authkey=Gv1sRgCPHttLWw1JLBXQ#slideshow/5436383587576987330

2115 NW Everett St. Portland Oregon

Jim Merz Big Sur CA"

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

3.7.10 ride - woodside, portola valley, stanford, palo alto

2010-03-08T10:27:00.000-08:00

cino took me on a ride today: woodside to portola valley to palo alto and back. rode thru stanford and a couple blocks of university ave. then scooted down el camino to check out california ave. - brad told me they cut down all the trees and he was right! but they did replant so i guess it'll only take one or two generations to get it back the way it was...

pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157623576154648/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"

NAHBS 2010 pics

2010-03-03T11:29:00.001-08:00

These are Dale Brown's pics from NAHBS 2010:

http://cyclesdeoro.com/events/NAHBS/2010/index.html

italvega - latest build

2010-03-01T14:36:00.000-08:00

my latest build for a friend's son. he liked my taste in bikes so I started from scratch. think this came in under $400. the frame is an ebay find for $50! old wheelset from a peugeot (ebay). derailluers are shimano 600 "arabesque" i got a while ago. crankset is sugino mighty. only hot rod part is BB spindle - a campy because the original ofmega was the wrong taper for the crankset. some builds go together amazingly easy but this one fought me every step of the way. still need to complete the back brake and step-ferrule all the cable housings and cone wrench the front axle slightly. but rode it 15 miles yesterday and it was extremely comfortable and not too slow or heavy. it's gonna be a commuter so maybe throw fenders on it...

more pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157623410133335/

rest of my bikes here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/collections/72157601489122427/

'til next time, "have a nice ride"...

Tour de Taco 2.20.2010

2010-02-22T14:35:00.000-08:00

what can i say about the tour de taco? not much riding, lot's of fun and tasty treats along the way. i caught the 1st caltrain headed north and met Adrienne, James and Declan at Four Barrel coffee on Valencia in SF. after an americano i was almost awake and the friendly barista actually had me taste a couple coffees of the single bean style - i guess this is akin to single malt scotch. let me tell you, the Kenya Gaturiri Reserve kicked the Sumatra Blue Batak's ass! thank you for the unsolicited tasting mr. generous barista - you taught this guy a thing or 2 about coffee... Meli arrived and had a shot and a cup to catch up and we were off to catch bart to cross the bay. getting off at the fruitvale station in oakland there were already about 100 riders hungry for tacos listening to the announcements. from what i could gather 1/2 of us were to go one way and the other 1/2 the opposite way around the tour. oh, did i mention this was a tour of several taco trucks in oakland? pretty cool, i had never eaten at a taco truck before. hard to believe, i know. the 1st stop was pretty crowded with about 40 people in line so i just watched some local dude on a scraper do some tricks for us in the parking lot. on to the next truck. i was getting really hungry so had to get in da line for some AWESOME chix quesadillas here. wow, good stuff, yum. Meli got the last of the green sauce but thankfully shared. Adrienne shared some of her sauteed plantains, pretty damn skippy. Declan found a buddy to play with so all was well at this spot. On to the next truck, here I had a couple carne asada tacos w/fresh chopped onions and cilantro, a taste sensation - so good. met Dara riding a very nice early 90's blue lugged steel mondonico and also Stan riding his custom handmade bernie mikkelsen. was just getting used to the pattern of riding, tacos, riding when we rode back to fruitvale for ice cream. had a sample of some unidentifiable fruit sorbet, got to taste Meli's ice cream with rose petals. must say that my palate was jingly with new tastes all day long, more please! all too soon it was time to board bart for the trip back to sf, which greeted us with better (if only temporarily) weather. of course no ride is really complete without beer/coffee so Stan and the crew stopped at taylor's refresher for some, well, refreshment. a horse sounding human, spinning quarters and a guy yelling "taxi?" at us on our way out was the entertainment at the ferry bldg. after goodbyes i raced to caltrain with minutes to spare and dozed on the way home to find it just starting to rain lightly...

Meli's pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/meligrosa/sets/72157623380802111/

Adrienne's pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33353980@N07/sets/72157623367154285/

my pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157623356707297/

'til next time, "have a nice ride"...

bike delays & closures for 2010 north of the golden gate

2010-02-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

Closures & delays map (above)

Closures & delays map--Fort Baker (above)

more on flying with bikes:

2010-02-19T12:54:00.001-08:00

http://www.ibike.org/encouragement/travel/bagregs.htm

where was your bike made?

2010-02-19T09:08:00.001-08:00

click here to find out:

http://allanti.com/articles/where-was-my-bike-made-pg328.htm

(photo stolen from brian baylis)

flying with your bike...

2010-02-16T13:07:00.000-08:00

from bicycling.com:

The Best and Worst Airlines for Cyclists Airlines generally allow a bike case that measures no more than 62 dimensional inches (length plus width plus height) and weighs less than 50 pounds to fly as regular checked baggage. Beyond that, you'll pay extra. All figures quoted are for one-way travel....

THE BEST

Frontier
Weight/size limits: 99.9 pounds/109 linear inches
Cost: $50
Notes: All bicycles are transported by hand, from ticket counter to aircraft hold.

Southwest
Weight/size limits: Any bag over 100 pounds must be shipped as cargo
Cost: $50
Notes: Without exorbitant fees, this airline has managed to turn a profit for 36 years straight.

JetBlue
Weight/size limits: 99 pounds
Cost: $50 domestic, $80 international
Notes: Bikes are cheaper to fly than pets ($100)-but Fido earns you frequent flyer points.

IN THE MIDDLE

US Airways
Weight/size limits: 100 pounds
Cost: $100
Notes: Liability waiver required

Continental
Weight/size limits: 70 pounds
Cost: $100
Notes: no liability for soft-side cases

THE WORST

Delta (and its subsidiary, Northwest)
Weight/size limits: 100 lb
Cost: $175 domestic, $300 international
Notes: Need a laugh while you're weeping over this surcharge? Read the rules for checking Christmas trees.

United
Weight/size limits: 50 lb
Cost: $175 domestic and Central America, up to $250 international
Notes: Weight allowance all but rules out hard cases, which weigh 30-plus pounds on their own

American
Weight/size limits: 70lb/115 inches
Cost: $100
Notes: You also must pay the regular checked-bag fee ($20-$30).

Pack Smart
*Don't use the bike bag as your suitcase. Some carriers assess both oversize and overweight charges.

*Read your airline's policy carefully. United, for example, will not take packed bikes over 50 pounds, period. They also charge extra on flights to Japan and Brazil.

*We hesitate to say this, but with increasingly stringent dimensional and weight restrictions, hard-shell cases are looking like a poor idea. While their protection is superb, most weigh more than 30 pounds-empty. That said, some carriers require liability release forms for soft-side cases.

*Airlines don't accept liability for improperly packed items, so use pipe insulation on frame tubes. Remove quick releases and pedals, wrap separately, and get plastic axle guards from a bike shop. For mountain bikes, remove brake rotors. Remove your rear derailleur hanger if possible. Use axle blocks, especially with soft-side cases.

*CO2 cartridges are prohibited in all checked bags and carry-ons.

*Checked bag liability usually tops out at $3,300 for domestic flights. Damage must be proved. Check your homeowner's policy to see if it covers items damaged in travel.

*Finally, it's an urban myth that your tires will burst in the cargo hold-there's no need to deflate them.

L'Eroica 2009

2010-02-14T11:14:00.000-08:00

it's the 1st sunday in october. see you there this year 2010!

thought for the day...

2010-02-11T16:07:00.000-08:00

When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. ~H.G. Wells

sf ride 1.24.10

2010-01-25T17:03:00.000-08:00

sunday, sunday, sunday! folks, this is a good day of the week to ride in the city - especially on a day that has threat of rain. a lot of cars stayed home making it an extremely pleasant situation for us 2 wheelers. i took caltrain from san carlos to sf and got to peet's in the marina about 10am. met meli and anthony for a cup of the good stuff and we couldn't convince anthony to tear himself away from the football playoffs so meli & i headed out to a lbs called citizen chain. sasha, the owner, seemed pretty cool and had some nice vintage lugged steel on hand for us to drool over. he is starting to specialize in building up old mixte frames since no one else seems to be filling the demand. we could've stayed all day and talked bikes and added much of his inventory to our wish lists but we were itching to glide again. heading south on the embarcadero it started to rain a bit and then a bit more - no wind though. had to pull over and don the jacket but to be honest it felt more refreshing than annoying to me - i was just happy to finally be outside after too many days in a row of heavy rain and wind. we crossed a draw bridge or 2 while heading out hunters point to piccino for lunch. parking t & c under the awning outside the windows we watched them carefully as we didn't know if 2 italians would get along or not. they made friends while we had bianca and white (w/nettles) pizzas, beer and cafe on a copper topped table. the rain stopped during lunch so the jacket came off before we headed to flora grubb gardens - what a great atmosphere - to say this is a unique nursery is a huge understatement. it's definitely worth going out of your way for a visit. we wandered around and i couldn't stop taking pictures of this awesome space. heading back through some industrial storage and under freeway spaces we cruised down valencia (what a blast, btw!) and stopped at four barrel coffee for a little pick me up. another place i have no problem recommending, it's obvious meligrosa has good taste in all things sf. now if only i can stop sliding on the tilted floor next to the door! ;>) back on the bikes we wound up at a bookstore in the ferry building where meli showed me her latest magazine spread. Yup, she's in there! So cool... Buy the latest copy of bust magazine and check it out. we said our goodbyes and headed for home in opposite directions on the embarcadero. i had exactly 13 mins. to make the next train and made it with 2 mins. to spare - thank you, c!

meli's pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/meligrosa/sets/72157623190116663/

my pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157623278968656/

'til next time, "have a nice ride"...

merry christmas everyone!

2009-12-19T12:11:00.001-08:00

lugged steel retro ride 11.15.09

2009-11-16T13:53:00.000-08:00

Guy called the ride and his timing was perfect for a fantastic fall day. Weather very nice for riding. Met at Los Altos Chamber of Commerce and rolled out around 10am into the Los Altos hills. This was a really fun climbing ride with a little different route than we normally take. Through Palo Alto, Portola Valley and Woodside we met at Robert's market in Woodside for a few minutes then headed down Cañada towards the College. Everyone regrouped at Cañada College then it was up, up, up into the Emerald Hills section of Redwood City on Jefferson. Guess Guy felt like climbing a little today. ;^) Bob and I caught up with the rest of the group at the Plantation Deli in Menlo Park for lunch and good company. The Bianchis, Colnagos, De Rosas, Tomasinnis, Paramounts,Sachs, Fujis, Mirellas and Cinellis then headed south on Alameda de las Pulgas to Foothill through Menlo and Paly back to Los Altos for a parking lot hardware show of machines and some interesting parts and of course we may have talked about old bikes a little. Thanks for a great ride everyone, thanks for calling the ride, Guy! I had a blast as usual, let's do it again soon.

Guy's pics are here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cinelliguy/sets/72157622812351820/

Bob's pics are here:

http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/v/NITROBOBs-GARAGE/Bay-Area-vintage-rides/Nov+15th+2009/

my pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157622817809204/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

stars and water carriers

2009-11-09T10:35:00.001-08:00

meli's b-day ride 10.17.09

2009-10-21T14:14:00.000-07:00

the big two eight for meligrosa and she led us on a great amble thru the city hitting all the cool bikey and coffee spots. thanks, meli! happy b-day, and many more...

meli's pix here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/meligrosa/sets/72157622630033050/

my pix here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157622621138006/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"

sf randonneurs populaire brevet 10.3.09

2009-10-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

what a beautiful day for a ride... i didn't sign up for it but rode with the sf crew on this 115k (70+ miles) brevet from the south end of the golden gate bridge to pt. reyes station then nicasio and back to the city. temperatures were perfect but it did get a bit windy in the afternoon. riders were shawn on his lugged steel innerlight with ritchey couplers, meli on frenchie, james on his trek racing machine, adrienne on her new raleigh pursuit built by james and me on the masi 3v.

more pix here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157622522756298/

adrienne's pix are here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33353980@N07/sets/72157622510828784/

meli's pix here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/meligrosa/sets/72157622526573234/

and a couple of great ride reports from meli & adrienne:

http://changeyourliferideabike.blogspot.com/2009/10/make-that-75-miles.html

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

fausto coppi - il campionissimo

2009-09-29T12:44:00.001-07:00

ride around lake tahoe 9.12.09

2009-09-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

2nd annual ride around the lake! riders were greg on his full mavic rossin, curt on his bob jackson and me on the masi 3v. we started a bit late from incline village under partly cloudy skies. clouds progressively increased during the day keeping temps in perfect 60's riding range. only one problem: curt's rear brake was non functional missing a recessed nut. they tried to coerce one off the masi the night before but i was having none of that. really no problem actually even down the hwy 50 grade to lake tahoe from spooner lake - i thought if curt wore gloves he could just use 'em like the track guys do but on the back tire ;^). as it turned out he didn't even need his rear brake but we stopped for quite awhile in south lake while greg procured the correct nut to restore curt's machine back to sanity. getting to camp richardson was a priority for me after that and we wasted no time dodging cars and broken glass to beat a hasty retreat to our planned lunch stop. we ate on the front porch watching our parked bikes and the passing parade. rain was detected when someone reached their hand out from the porch, we soldiered on the bike path towards the emerald bay overlook. this is the toughest climb of the whole ride but relatively not so bad. snapped a pic at the overlook and we were gone again - still climbing and then a nice downhill. climbing up the other side of emerald bay we made it to the best downhill of the ride which is around d.l. bliss state park - greg's bike computer read 50mph here last year! this year gave us a headwind and no one had a computer so no records were broken. more bike path fun on the rubicon side of the lake until we reached tahoma and stopped to fuel up with anti-bonk substances. i didn't bonk this year but felt the same as last year around mile 50 - i was done. didn't want to ride anymore. where's the sag wagon? oh right, there isn't one. keep riding... the homewood bike path sections are a lot of fun with switchbacks crossing the highway, definitely keeps you alert. we took another break at fanny bridge in tahoe city to regroup and catch our breath and check out the --- ducks and fish ;^). the bike paths outside of tahoe city were a bit challenging due to some road construction but we finally figured them out. curt and i slowed down a bit in tahoe vista and i was pretty tired so took a break in king's beach for brockway grade coffee ice cream fuel - that got me home.

more pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157622368662010/

'twas a nice day gentlemen, let's do it again soon! 'til next time, "have a nice ride". -e

coraline video by JuneBug

2009-09-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

hope you guys don't mind this vid but a friend of mine made it and i think it's HIGHLY creative, and it DOES have a penny farthing bike wheel in it...

Mt. Rose summit

2009-08-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

Started this ride about 12:30pm, the hottest part of the day, for maximum suffering. Didn't even think I'd make it up to the Country Club Dr. and hwy 431 junction but after resting there for a few minutes I was back on hwy 431 then stopping to rest again at the Tahoe overlook. After a nice conversation with a Carson couple escaping the heat it was back to the climb and it was nothing but climb. Towards the meadows it starts to feel like a treadmill and progress seems nil. Might as well rest again - this time at the Toiyabe N.F. sign. Back to the treadmill. Gained some steam as elevation increased - I think that was due to the slightly cooler temps from the faint breeze off the lake. At the meadows there is a small "saddle" with some much needed downhill but only for a few hundred feet. Fortunately the summit was near. Breeze stronger, temp a bit cooler, pedaling a bit faster. Finally the top! Whoo hoo, and made it in 2 hours. After much needed rest and almost completely draining the buidon it was time for DOWNHILL - yes! Putting my hands on the top of the bars and sitting up straight combined with the increasing lake breeze bled off enough speed that I didn't have to use my brakes much until I hit the lower section after the lookout, good thing too since the brake pads are also 38 years old... Best downhill ever. More pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157621991214339/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

Alex Marco "The Bike" (wtf?)

2009-08-18T22:53:00.001-07:00

Vive Le Tour! by Louis Malle - 1962 TdF

2009-08-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

too funny - yo yo yo...

2009-08-12T10:14:00.001-07:00

8.8.09 mt. tam ride

2009-08-08T18:31:00.000-07:00

Carlo called this ride starting in Fairfax at 8:30am! Am I getting old or is that just too damn early to start a weekend ride? As it turned out he was right on the money - it became quite warm in a couple hours. The goal was Mt. Tam and I can proudly say that in 3 attempts I have now failed 3 times. ;^)... We came within a couple or 3 miles of the top. Didn't matter, the ride was extremely fun for Robert, Carlo and me. To say there was a lot of climbing would be an understatement. Carlo said he hadn't done this ride for 40 years - sure couldn't tell... We stopped at the dam and yakked a bit about the deer that almost pounced directly on Robert and Carlo a couple miles before then soldiered on up another hill into the cool redwoods and ferns. At the entrance to Mt. Tam S.P. we had a picnic lunch - Carlo brought pate', sliced baugette, homemade tapenade and some excellent cheese. I brought a bottle of dago red and we had lunch European style on top of the world. The ride back into Fairfax seemed to go pretty quick. Couldn't believe we had climbed all that way!! The downhill runs were so long it made my hands hurt. I think this was our route:

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/fairfax/259912271740

Elevations stats: min=112' max=2057' ascent=2598' descent: 2605'

Iced tea at Java Hut in Fairfax after checking out yet another celebration downtown and then headed home. Guys - I want to do this again. Can we go to the top next time?

More pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157621859299445/

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"!

8.1.09 ride - alone again naturally...

2009-08-04T13:06:00.000-07:00

the masi 3v at rest at rossotti's in p.a.

Took a nice ride by myself to celebrate the first day of August. Not sure why I'd been ignoring the Masi 3v lately except for the nasty low gear knashing that sounded like bad rear derailluer trim but this ride was OK and even the lowest gear worked flawlessly. The chainline on this bike bothers me a bit as it's not balanced very well - maybe if I had less cogs on the back wheel... I'm thinking of taking this bike for the ride around Lake Tahoe next month. It's either this one or the Super Course I just finished building - I really like the drivetrain on that! It's got a TA triple crankset, Suntour Vgt RD, Simplex FD w/cable stop (the only FD I had laying around with a cable stop) and Campy nuovo gran sport DT shifters. - works very well but that's a blog for another day... The weather for this ride was just perfect. I stopped in P.V. at a lemonade stand run by a little girl and discovered she was selling lemonade to save money to go to Rome, Italy! Now, there's someone with a long term goal - I think she was all of 7 years old. Her Russian mom was getting a kick out of seeing her daughter so focused. The whole ride took about 3 hrs. from my house to Page Mill Rd. and back, 35+ miles, very leisurely pace, very enjoyable...

Until next time, "Have a Great Ride".

7.12.09 los altos ride

2009-07-14T09:48:00.000-07:00

Marc called this one earlier last week:

Hello, I'd like to call a vintage ride for this Sunday, July 12 starting in Los Altos from the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce. We'll do the Woodside loop by way of Los Altos Hills. Lunch stop at the Plantation! Let's meet at 8:30AM for a 9:30 rollout. I know it's early, but then we have some time to shoot the breeze before we start. Set your alarms early, because times are not negotiable ;^) This ride is @25-30 miles and somewhat hilly in the beginning. I know many of you are familiar with the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce. But I encourage anyone who has never joined our NorCal contingent to ride as well. Therefore, those of you who are not familiar with the location can call me on my cell phone for directions: 925-784-3521. I am looking forward to this as I will update youse guys on the doings of the BVVW in the Big Apple. Great group of guys and gals. What to ride? Well as they say in certain racing circles: run whatcha brung!

more pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157621369047450/

---

stephen's pics here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/stephen.bryne/LosAltosVintageRide#

chasJapan1

2009-07-13T17:16:00.001-07:00

chasJapan1
Originally uploaded by ericm

charles in japan. here are a couple pics charles colerich sent of himself in japan in the early 60's. i forgot what we all looked like then before the beatles changed everything...

chasJapan2

2009-07-13T17:15:00.001-07:00

chasJapan2
Originally uploaded by ericm

charles in japan

6.21.09 Father's Day fixed gear ride

2009-06-23T22:51:00.000-07:00

We all voted on a ride roll out time of 9:30am and met at Woodside School. About half of the 13 riders showed up on fixed gear machines or trackies and there was some real eye candy to absorb. Peter brought his 1959 red Cinelli trackie and Guy brought a 1965 Bianchi Specialissima that looked like it was on it's 1st ride. We started out nice 'n easy through Woodside past the old store and out Tripp Rd. but by the time we hit the downhill section on Woodside Rd. there were some tires smokin' - Jan and Greg got a little competitive and the rest followed. I was just trying to keep up. Whew, these guys and gals can move! About half the group broke away at Rosotti's for Father's Day celebrating and the rest of us rode Arastradero, Old Page Mill, Foothill, Sandhill back to Robert's Market in Woodside where we grabbed bag lunches and headed back to the school for lunch out back on the picnic tables. A great time was had by all on another beautiful riding day. Thanks everyone for a fun time. Until next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157620284388071/

6.13.09 sf to fairfax ride

2009-06-14T22:33:00.000-07:00

another great ride! they just keep getting better. this was probably the most eclectic crew i have ridden with so far - from Devin on his custom fixie to Bryan on his full modern quintana roo kit to Meli on her classic french Astra mixtie to Adrienne on her extracycle complete with panniers, ipod boom box and champagne cork stem cap to Veronika on her road tired mountain bike to the classic 70's racers we know and love it was a rolling caravan of every bike type imaginable.

Paul and I took caltrain to sf and rode to the ferry bldg. where we met Adrienne, Meli, Omar, Devin, Dusty and a few others. Bryan came rolling up a couple minutes later from Fremont on bart. we all rolled out along the bay through fishermans wharf, aquatic park and crissy field where we picked up Adrienne's friend Veronika. then it was up and across the bridge where Devin did a few tricks at the north end of the golden gate. the descent into sausalito is always a blast where we regrouped in a couple places for a pit stop and to pick up some of Meli's friends. we finally met Stephen just before the mill valley heliport where he proceeded to guide us all into fairfax. thank you Stephen! couldn't have made it to fairfax without you... we stopped for coffee and a bite in ross before cruising along the bike trails to fairfax. the eco festival was pretty cool - i'd never been before and didn't know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised to find a very big neighborhood block party atmosphere. there was a band, beer, exhibits, vendors, kids activities and a cool vibe. mcbc had a great bike parking area that was overflowing with 2 wheelers. we hung out for a while then some rode to larkspur and took the ferry. Paul, Bryan and I rode back to the city to bart and caltrain and finally home.

thanks everyone for the fantastic ride! i had a blast! and special thanks to Stephen for being our guide! 'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

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Meli's pics are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/meligrosa/sets/72157619808186620/

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Adrienne's pics are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33353980@N07/sets/72157619711747816/

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my pics are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157619672827775/

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chas talks story

2009-06-10T23:12:00.000-07:00

The great thing about riding with Charles is break time when we stop for lunch or a bite. He always has some interesting stories to tell from back in the day. Here're a couple...

"Portrait of the artist as a young man ( ~32 yrs). This is a 73cm frame that I built back in 1976. I used heavy gage Columbus forks, chain stays and top tube. The rest was aircracft quality straight gage 4130 tubing. That's a meter stick I'm holding. The bike had a 38" standover height."

"Picture of me after the 1976 Sandia Crest Race in Albuquerque, NM - 7,500' to 10,600' feet in 25 miles, most of it in the last 9 miles. The bike is a custom Gus Betat frame that I had built for me in 1975. I wanted a bike for climbing and that's what they built for me. With the 39" wheelbase that's about all it did! The whole bike weighed about 20 Lbs. with a tricked out leather saddle. We had an Ideale 90 saddle with an aluminum frame laying around the shop. The leather was trashed. We also had a Brooks Pro with broken seat rails so I married the 2 together - an aluminum framed Brooks Pro! The only things Campy on this bike were the hubs and seatpost bolt! I eventually modified the forks and changed the rear triangle on this frame. That was the beginning of my frame building. BTW, I still have that CoolGear jersey."

6.6.09 Paradise Loop ride

2009-06-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

wow! what a perfect riding day.

riders were:

meli on her kof torpado

stephen on his della santa

stephan on his "new" medici

chas on his "new" holdsworth

eric on his gitane sc

stephan, meli and i started out at the log cabin at the presidio and rode across the golden gate to meet stephen and charles at the mill valley heliport. steven and charles both brought new riding tools to show us - stephan had his new red medici and charles had his maroon holdsworth from across the pond.

we were sidelined for awhile at the mill valley bike swap where stephen found a couple bargains and both he and stephan had to peel off for afternoon duties. meli, chas and i continued up camino alto to larkspur then corte madera and out paradise drive to tiburon where we stopped and had a bite and drink. it was hard to get back on the road from the beautiful weather and people watching and conversation at caffe acri. but once we did we were rewarded with spectacular riding conditions. chas peeled off back at the heliport and meli and i soldiered on up the hills out of sausalito where she kicked my butt even with the semi-corncob freewheel on her gorgeous torpado. the ride back across the golden gate seemed short and effortless and the whole thing was over too soon for me. can't wait for the next one. until next time, "Have a Nice Ride"...

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meli's pics: www.flickr.com/photos/meligrosa/sets/721 57619416315294

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stephen's pics: picasaweb.google.com/stephen.bryne/EricSVintageRideOfJune62009#

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my pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157619316293287/

5.31.09 ride - fairfax to pt. reyes to olema and back on the cross marin trail

2009-06-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

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ride call:

SUNDAY APRIL 31st Fairfax to Point Reyes and back Meet at JAVA HUT across from Sunshine Bikes 9AM meet up time and lets try to roll out promptly as close to 9AM as we can This should be about 35 Miles and 2800 feet of climbing PLEASE RSVP so we know whos coming This is always a popular destination BOB FREITAS CELL 415-531-xxxx

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some comments from the gang:

Hi Bob and all, We had a fun vintage ride out to Pt. Reyes Station and back to Fairfax today. Bob, we missed you and were sorry you couldn't make it--especially since you organized the ride! I posted a few photos at this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/stephen.bryne/BobSMarinVintageRideOfMay312009

Good times were had by all. Stephen Bryne in Fairfax, Ca

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First, I want to thank you all for not making fun of how slow I am. But, damn, the old white Gitane can fly sometimes! I have done these rides many times and I think this route is the best, although going back to purple bridge and Nicasio at Platform Bridge Junction would add a few miles and another hill, the run through Samuel P. Taylor Park is so pretty! It was a joy to draft all of you speed demons and ride with so many classy people and beautiful bikes! My birthday is coming up soon, and if a Colnago, Rosa, or Cooper showed up on my doorstep, I could die a happy man!....When I'm 100! Thanks, Bob, for letting me pick the route! Carlo, White Gitane TDF

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more of my pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericm/sets/72157619021092585/

Don't forget the Paradise Loop ride this Saturday. Start at the Log Cabin at Presidio at 9, roll out at 9:30, or start at the Mill Valley Heliport at 10:15, roll out at 10:30. Come on out and get some fresh air and exercise. Rain cancels.

bike to work day x 2

2009-05-28T13:44:00.001-07:00

05/27/2009 Route Home San Carlos to Work Sunnyvale
Find more Bike Rides in San Carlos, California

Yes, I actually biked to work on bike to work day 2009 - not intentionally but there was an "occurance" at the Hillsdale caltrain station with no estimate of when trains would start running again so off I went. And again after a 4 day Memorial holiday of sedentary relaxing (well, kayaking one day) I rose early and did it again. It's about 22 miles on the route I used and took about 1.5 hrs. If the weather is nice and I can get up early enough I'd like to do this more often. Will be doing the Fairfax to Pt. Reyes Station ride on Sunday if anyone is interested...

'til next time, "Have a Nice Ride"

sunday rider

2009-04-27T17:04:00.001-07:00

Keep takin' pics of this bike 'cause I keep ridin' it on the weekends - at least the Woodside ride so far. The 2nd Sand Hill Rd. hill is really an aerobic workout for me - heart in mouth almost to the top and lookin' down to see no shift levers! It gets easier every week but not much - gonna take a lot of work to get comfortable on this ride on this bike...

Popped a spoke on the commuter bike last week so am on the Masi 3V today. We'll see if the gears are low enough to take the hill. It rode so much rougher than the Raleigh Pro downhill this morn! Must get that spoke replaced and wheel trued soon...

day before easter ride

2009-04-13T11:58:00.001-07:00

Took the direct drive out for another woodside ride the day before easter. Finally got comfortable on it towards the end of the ride on Mountain Home Rd.

Til next time "Have a Nice Ride"...

flickr meetup and paradise loop ride

2009-04-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

After a few attempts finally met fellow flickrite Adrienne Johnson who's handle is busbozo on the flickr site. She has a very cool Batavus Socorro high end city style bike that's been tastefully personalized. You probably won't see many of these bikes in the good ol' USA. She brought along husband James and we all rode the Paradise Loop through Mill Valley, Larkspur, Corte Madera and Tiburon. It was a beautiful windless sunny day and we took our time enjoying it with a stop for paninni sandwiches in Tiburon. Click here for her flickr pic and comments. Thanks for a great ride, Adrienne & James!

Until next time, "Have a Nice Ride"

cold ride...

2009-03-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

The Gitane direct drive begged me to take it on a ride yesterday so how could I resist? Drove down to Woodside ~ 10am and did the usual loop - Sand Hill Rd. was not quite as challenging this time but almost! Still huffin' and puffin' but at least I knew what to expect this time. Almost getting comfortable riding this thing now - ya just gotta go with it... As you can see from the pics spring has sprung but that afternoon storm was still pretty cold. Til next time...

"Have a Nice Ride"