Sugoi 2012 Sneek Peek

Well it wasn't Audrey Webster, but I did get to see some of the 2012 Spring Sugoi line.  Sugoi, Pearl, Craft, et. al are a little light duty, shrinkwrap look side for Fahzure.  I prefer to wear things that look and act more like clothes.  In the West you can't be cotton...day in, day out (I can wipe my glasses!). Worried about not surviving a chilly downpour in Oct.? Put a plastic trash bag in your seat bag. Sugoi takes a different approach, they're into high tech fabrics and multiple fabrics in the same piece like this lingerie weight top:

Mesh back is almost see through:

They've also got these techy shorts with dual BOA adjustment (Boa's to be relocated to the back for production):

I don't think this BOA/shorts thing is really going to work out.  Shorts waist bands are kind of a set it and forget it adjustment. Pack interference? Falling?
 
Here's the best item I saw, Arm Coolers, again some type of high tech, super light wicking fabric with gripers top and bottom, SPF 50...$20 retail!!!

Yes, you can get them with "your own" fashion/social statement.  I'm sure the Ed Hardy and Livestrong (well, maybe, not) models are soon to follow.

   

While I try to maintain a good selection of long sleeve cotton Ts for riding, I'm often short such an item when working around the property (I ride that much!).  I'd imagine these would be just the thing for working in the garden, up on the roof or down by the water.

Somebody get on making these in a lightweight cotton/spandex (5%) blend, I'm buyin'!

Hump Bike-Some bikes say a lot about their owners, everything...why not

At first glance you might notice it is black, a good start.  Also, there's a certain something about it's stance and accessorization:

Mmmmm, so much blackness, such rakish angles. The seat mast area is a very interesting combination of comfort, lightweight and convenience:

It's a street sweeper.  These tires would be sick on slickrock, as well.

All bikes with King headsets are special, unless you're at Interbike, where only most are special. This bike's front end kills potholes:

Sure the bike, as shown, thus far, exhibits a certain noir panache, but here is the coup de grace (must be late June... TDF I'm ready, Schlecks are you?...not):

Okay folks, there's a lot going on here: Iphone mount, bar end socks, ergon grips, a mirror and a computer mount. Realitively short (Thomsen) stem and many spacers.

So in the lineup this is the guy all in black, maybe wearing white shoes (cause of their "barefoot" action), he's about 6' 5" (that and the gadget fascination tell us its a guy), late 50's ish (stem and spacers-bad back), talking on an Iphone, probably wearing glasses (the mirror), no messenger bag (rack), maybe an engineer, engineering teacher...who rides this sick bike every chance he gets. Say the phrase, "black anodized hydroformed aluminum," and see who jumps.

RIP Peter Falk-Craftsman

I have always enjoyed Peter Falk's work since the Columbo days when I was a kid:

Falk's interview rebroadcast on today's Fresh Air, illustrates his deep embrace of his craft. He does it here, too:

You may know all that, but did you know that Falk and William Shatner stopped to help out cyclists:

Nasty Eastern European cyclists, cell phone battle with Bill, is that a Breezer, Cook Bros. (They're back, sort of!) in the background, how about those lycra tights? Wow, this guy lived a life! Goodbye Campeiero.

Cool Tools-The (non)Emergency Hanger

I picked up one of these a long time back knowing it would save my day, make a friend or both:

I've not been (un)fortunate enough to need it.  It's designed to fit on just about any QR to get you back home.  Though with the further outboard placement you'll likely be missing your granny gear.  Wheels Manufacturing in Boulder makes all kinds of cool bike bits.

Bogart had an even better idea with the addition of a chainring bolt convert your vinty mixte into a solid hanger style drop:

There were an awfully lot of Peugeot, Raliegh, Gitane and Libetas mixtes made with dropouts without hangers.  My theory: the frames could be sold as 3 or 10 speed bikes.  What's yours?

A vast empty space...the mind...the twilight of a career

Lance,

what

is

it

like?

   Escape...South America

Imagine it is your Sunday, 6:30 am, you've just woken up and, with a warm cup in your hand, you stand at the the sliding doorway staring out over the open yard and hills beyond.  The air is still, damp, only the birds are active. The light is low, golden, magical.

    Cassi Yost

This is the magic hour, or as Nestor Almendros notes, maybe only 25 minutes, between the time the sun sets/rises and when it is dark. Malick, of course, has used this technique in all of his films since working Almendros (who was going blind at the time!) on Days of Heaven, including Tree of Life, where there must be 300 magic hour shots, the result of which is a year or more's worth of suspended reality.  Which brings us back to Lance Armstrong, who has been in a suspended reality since hearing a grand jury had been convened about a year ago, and must be asking himself, right now, am I in a dream?

A reality?

A nightmare?

  

                      Oddly Enough                      (now that's watt I call a powermeter-GT represent)

We're all likely to find out soon, likely before this guy succeeds at doing the same thing.

Which brings us to the Wheel of Damocles (tm).  As I see it, LA has about 25 minutes or days or let's just call it July 22, 2011,  when he is indicted.  After all, it is, perhaps, the only news that could upstage this. I have my reasons. What are yours?

Hump Bike June 22, 2011-Black and Scary, not in a good way

If someone owed you $500 for rent, would you forgive it for this:

Can you imagine the tennant.  I have a penchant for black bikes, maybe that's why it's here.  It's certainly not because of these mystery brakes.

Oh maybe it was the Steampunk fork.

Fetish, a Scottsdale AZ company, offers a wide variety of aluminum frames with funny shaped tubes, the wesite's a bit out of date, though it does feature some of their attractive carbon bikes, as well. Cockpit is suspect for so many reasons:

These cranks always seemed to hold up:

But sittin' outside and gettin' rusty along with questionable assembly techniques with carbon and aluminum (sometimes mixed) parts will get you a serious case of the creaks.  It,s so bad it,s hard to know where to start. How else would some treat a bike that gets traded for rent?

Just in case you forget:

I saw a unicorn today

My friend Bogart, yes that Bogart, another Multi-Renaissance man, showed me this little gem after we had a fine lunch and ride together:

Do you see what I see? Yes, the unicorn of bike parts, a Campy dropbolt.  Do you know what that is?

Trailside Park-Rip it!

So, Park City, Snyderville Basin, Bob Radke, Progressive Trail Design and so many others have gotten together to create a mini ripper park at Trailside.

There's a kids/beginners course which features smaller moves and a smaller grunt for little folks:

And even littler folks:

The real action is on the mile-long skills trail, a downhill, but pedally collection of jumps and berms.  There were many attempts at sending, even though the course was a bit slow/flat and smallish.  The big wooden bank got everybody's attention. Tyson sending it:

Fahzure had to get some too! Send it!

Photo by Tyson G.

Of course, all the stars came out:

Eric Porter

Eric Porter out riding a snappy 4in. travel knucklebox bike.

Josh Bender

Josh Bender out and workin' the ladies. He was ridin' an Ellsworth 29er and an air sprung slopestylish bike.

Ali Goulet

Multi-renisance man Ali Goulet reppin' Giro et al.

Patrick's arm with this bike and saddle.  Somebody say somethin'.

Photo by Tyson G.

Most impressive, though, was this gal who ripped it all day long.

You heard it here: This type of  park is the future of the sport. Proof.

On the way home I ran into this guy:

Cyclists are not impressed.
 

June 15, 2011 Hump Bike-a crushing machine sent out to pasture

If you know me, you likely know this bike, as it has been my primary steed for more than a decade.  It is a Black Sz. L Specialized Big Hit Pro, circa 2001(Legendary, if you believe what they say).  For awhile, the word on the Shore was that these were the only frames that lasted. Never have changed a pivot bearing, still no play. Monocoque hydroformed front end with meters of clean weld bead. Built up custom from a frameset, it is black.

Sure, it's a 24 inch rear wheel, but look at that 3.0 tire.  This tire has inspired much tire envy:

Original crank and bashguard!!!!!, Other than the frame, part of King headset and various brake parts that's about all of the original. How about that heel rub, chain slap, bashing wear: solid:

Okay, so this the fourth fork (!) on this bike the prior three Super T's snapped, jumping and parking garages are hard on forks. This is an Italian 66, beat, 'cause its been ridden. Never have opened it up.

King SteelSets cure problems associated with crushing it all the time and head tubes.  It was super harrrrrd to install, and it worked.

Also included, disposable cockpit controls. Gears and brakes are overrated. Who cares?, it all gets shredded. Freeride!

Okay so this bike probably cost me $3K, with another $2K invested over 10+ years of riding and primary crushing. A dozen plus Porkys, Little Cottonwood's and the Mushroom Drop many times.$500 per crushing year is pretty much a bargain when the same time period would include nearly 20 breaks (bones).  Thanks Big S.  Now it goes out to pasture for more sending on Oregon trails from Junior.

(Click that pic, it's clicked!)

Thank you, killing machine, for the decade of crushing good times.

Opposites attract

My friend, the Right Reverend, suggested that we cyclists might want to take the long route, the 2 hour commute, the windy, oft not beaten path, to work. I got on a path, then an alley, which T'd into another alley which led to this, precisely.

This is the Summum temple, a religious organization that I appreciate for fighting to have their beliefs, "aphorisms," posted alongside the city erected and endorsed Ten Commandments in a couple of Utah towns.  While I'm not really a fan religions, I do support challenges under the Establishment Clause regardless of who brings it.  Their revenue comes principally from mummification, mostly of pets, from what I hear. They are fairly community minded with a radio station and a well kept grounds, fancy fence.

Sure, I've been here before, but not by this route and not with my sense of discovery quite so keen. I noticed this:

Right across the street, and I'm talkin' sixty feet away, I noticed what has to be the most bombed corner in SLC.

Crazy mish mash overlay chaos across the street from total control now and in the hereafter.

Unusual si(gh)t(e)

Does anyone still spell it "sight"?  How about "night"? This guy

is an unusual character for SLC's main drag State Street at 3pm on a Fri afternoon.  Where will he camp? Maybe he's credit carding it? He was fully loaded and riding this bike, I believe:







A 2010 Fuji "Newest" kitted out in Castelli and Ortlieb.  I like the ASI family of brands a lot, but something was lost in translation. You can Get the Look, right there, if you want.   Look at this rig in sum:

  I'm guessing 350lbs total, all of which depends on this brake:










 Wow!... by the unified look of his rig and kit, way happy outlook (he was waving and hollering) and cleanliness, I'm guessing he just began what is likely to be a very interesting summer experience.  Maybe you should, too.