Interesting that I had been looking for a part, and I just couldn't seem to find one for my bike through all the usual means. See, my rear derailleur broke, a little wheel, referred to as a "pulley" had cracked, ensuring the chain would not effortlessly weave through the device that alternates the gear ratio on my bike. So, I needed a replacement pulley. I didn't need anything fancy, and I didn't want to spend too much. I looked online first to see what kind of parts were available. I found Pulleys for as much as $130 a pair! Wow! Why, you might ask? I guess because they're ceramic, but probably because someone would be willing to spend so much (a Ben Franklin burning in their pocket, I guess).
Anyway, I found a nice pair of pulleys online for about 20 bucks. ...But come to findout they were out of stock. This is a simple part, and I was rather frustrated that the shipping process alone would slow this down a few days, so I wasn't about to wait for some online retailer to stock the thing. Frustrated, I went down to one of my local bike shops, a rather high end retailer of bikes in the city. I was doing some errands, so it was easy to drop by and see if they could help out. No joy. Turns out they were lacking in Pulleys, too. Global shortage of derailleur parts?!? Don't know, but I was kind of frustrated. Not at the employee, just that it was proving difficult to get a relatively simple machine (my bicycle) running because one lousy pulley was broken and no one seemed to carry a inexpensive replacement. I guess the bike shops have a hard enough time keeping up with all the non-standard items the bike industry keeps throwing at them: kind of hard to maintain a stock for every part for 29", 26", and 650b wheels, along with 10, 9, 8, and 7 speed drive trains, not to mention mountain, road and many other "styles" of bikes. So much for keeping it simple.
So yesterday, while on the way home from work, I decided to drop by another bike shop. I've bought from this shop from time to time, and truth be told, the service that this guy does is bar none. Top notch. I figured if anyone was going to have this part, A&M Cycles would. So, I cruised on over, talked to Karl, who introduced me to his excess derailleur bin. I found all sorts of derailleurs, of different makes and different eras. And low and behold, I found a Shimano 105 derailleur that had been stripped of the other pulley. So, I was completing the robbery! I unbolted the other pulley, tossed it in my bag, gave Karl five bucks for him saving the day (which he promised to use on a cold beverage), and headed home.
Thanks to a small, not so glamorous business, I was up and running in no time, and for little money. If there's a moral to my little experience, it's something about recycling old parts rather than buying fancy new stuff, and more importantly, helping the local guy who helps you.
Friday, May 29, 2009
I found a couple Italian bike shops. I've been looking for a good bike shop, as my bikes arrived from the US of A in need of some minor repairs. The last shop I found, your standard fare of bike shop, does a great job on repairs. They trued my wheels and adjusted my brakes for about 15 euros, which I thought was a pretty good deal. Interesting thing about the bike shop, was that it took forever to find it. When I searched Google for the shop, it showed me one location, while the shop's website provided yet another location. Both locations that were provided by the internet were about 4 miles off of target! Crazy... I had to talk to locals and call the shop about 12 times to find it. Kind of frustrating, but they do good work, so I made sure to save the location in my GPS so to never lose them again! ...I thought it was interesting though that the bike shop's actual location was so far removed from where the internet placed them. I wonder if the address coding that works so well in the US for locations, isn't quite perfected here. I wonder if parts of the world should be locating business and homes by latitude and longitude. Probably more accurate where the government hasn't spend the time and money to regrid and rename streets for the benefit of GPS direction finding.
Otherwise, the other shop is very unusual, for an American. It's located closer to where I live, and they not only sell bikes manufactured by your standard European bike companies, but they also manufacture and sell their own line of bikes. The shop is pretty small, and they weld frames in the back area. They weld all their bikes out of steel, with a few of the high end road frames including carbon fiber seat/chain stays. I imagine the carbon components are purchased from a supplier and just glued in place. Overall, it's pretty interesting, as they create not only your typical fast looking Italian road bike, but also a slew of other bikes ranging from kids bikes, city bikes, tricycles and large cargo bikes. Pretty cool. Check out their site:
Yep, it's De Rosa bikes. Not the De Rosa you may have seen in the states, though. That De Rosa is from Milano in the north. This is yet another De Rosa di Pozzuoli. Interesting how the European style of manufacturing lives on (vs. American/Mass production), with local craftsmen building product for their local customer base. You'll notice the decal on the bikes highlight the geographic location of manufacture, unlike most products.
I was thinking the other day, while out on a trail ride, how my military experience provided me the opportunity to ride my bike in some great places. I've been able to ride in Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Kansas, and Iraq. Great times, and fun memories.
One of the strangest bike related memories is actually from southern Iraq, where I remember seeing an Iraqi man talking with a British soldier. The Iraqi man had a bicycle, and the bicycle was all tricked out with mirrors and reflective tape. I'm interested if the Arabs have a term for outfitting his 'ride' that way. It's clear, from a western perspective, that he "pimped" his bike! The closest thing I have seen to it is a 'scrapper' bike. This guy's bike was definitely unofficial, cool, and he was proud of the thing.
"Scrapper Bike" by the Trunk Boiz
And that bike stood out, because you didn't see too many bikes in Iraq or Kuwait. They got oil coming out of the ground: why ride a bike? A motorbike! ...I guess that may be their mindset.
While there may not have been many locals on bicycles in Iraq, I did have an opportunity to ride quite a bit while I was there for a year. My unit was pretty heavily tasked, with a lot of very important missions. One of the results of our focus and high operational tempo was that there were few motor-vehicles available for driving around base. To get to meetings, network with other military leaders, and just get around, you really had to do it with your own two feet. I always liked riding my bike to work in the civilian world, so I didn't mind riding a bike to get around base. In fact it was kind of fun. I bought a used bike from the officer I replaced, and rapidly destroyed it. Actually, the environment of southern Iraq destroyed it. What was a multi-speed bike quickly became a single speed bike, as the dust and sand rapidly degraded any shifting capability. So, I manually put it into a gear that was good for cruising and starting/stopping, and left it there. Single speed in the desert! (By default) I ended up going through two bikes while I was there, both serving me well. I ended up getting a bike helmet, as it was lighter than my Kevlar helmet, and got to meetings a lot quicker than if I was walking. Fun times! Really!
The military also provided me the opportunity to ride out west a bit, too. I took my mountain bike to Fort Leavenworth, once. That was great. What a beautiful post. Probably one of the prettiest places I've been, with great mountain bike trails, too. Excellent riding there. The exercise I was taking part in ended, and I was also able to ride downtown Kansas City, in the city as well as on some nearby urban off road trails.
Photo of me showin' mad skills in downtown KC!
I would also have to go out to Arizona for training every few years, and would take the opportunity to stop off in Moab, Utah, where mountain biking is at its best. I would usually ride the Slickrock trail, as it was a trail that is a lot of fun to ride, with characteristics that are hard to find anywhere else. I am also very comfortable on the trail, as I was often riding alone, and didn't want to combine 'solitary' with 'injury', as that combination often becomes deadly in the great outdoors. One time in particular was very memorable, as the weather is usually very clear and warm in Moab. I was riding in October, and met up with a small group of German tourists that were also riding the trail. In the middle of the Slickrock loop we were hit with a snowstorm! Visibility dropped to almost nothing, as the trail exists on top of a plateau. We all got off the trail fine, and hit the local Mexican restaurant.
Photo of me riding on Slickrock in the midst of a snowstorm with some German friends I met along the way:
verrücktfuckingunerbittlichecrazyschneesturm!
Awesome panoramic shot taken near moab along the Colorado River:
One time while on the way back from some "Army Training" in Arizona, I stopped off in Vail, Colorado, where I had the opportunity to do some 'Free Riding'. That is, mountain biking that solely consists of downhill riding...that's right, no uphill climbing involved. Cheating you say? Have you seen the Rockies? This mid-west kid needs some lungs! Giving the resort $30 allowed you to have an all day lift ticket, which was practical, as a 3 hour ride is usually all you can handle when you're riding up and down hill. But when all you have to do is cruise down the mountain, it's a lot like downhill skiing: you can do it all day! Anyway, I had a blast. Had I not broken my bike frame (at the junction of the top tube and seat tube!) I probably would have ridden longer. Either way: great time and worth the 30 bones. Great camping, too, just up the street at Gore Creek. Cheap, considering you are in one of the highest rent districts in the US (Vail!)
Ah yes, this lift behind me will drag my lazy @$$ up the mountain so I can coast down like a Mountain Dew commercial on repeat!
Arizona was a blast, too. I was lucky enough to be in the midst of the mountains of Southern Arizona, where hiking and biking were right at my doorstep or a short drive. Brown Canyon was by far the best; a fun loop that meanders up the canyon, and finally dumps you back onto a service road that provides a few miles of downhill. Just a great ride! Fondest memory of that trail is a time I was riding with a classmate there, and he had the sudden urge to do #2! So he runs off the trail, comes back a short time later with a neat little square missing from the bottom corner of his T-shirt! Funny! Good times. Thanks Pete!
...to top that story: the next day was Sunday. We decide to hike up Miller Canyon. About 3/4 the way up we take a break, and we see not one, but FOUR mountain LIONS! All of about ~50' from us! Crazy! I'm in the Army: where's my gun, rifle, artillery piece, anything explosive to throw at these things?!?! Bad situation as the little kitties were not only evolutionarily designed to gobble up unarmed homo-sapiens like myself, but were also outnumbering us by a factor of 2-1. Nuts. Seeing them in the wild was truly something I will never forget, or how they jumped atop a large granite spire like my cat jumps on top the couch. Luckily they decided to leave us alone... We finished the climb and the decent without further incident.
#&%^! Did you see those cats! I notice your shirt's advertising Cuervo...I'll need a shot of that after this adventure is thru!!!
Panoramic shot atop the peak after climbing up Miller Canyon:
My point to all this: my service in the military provided me an excellent opportunity to see the country, and perhaps the world.
Well, it appears that IMBA has done its job: it has successfully engaged President Bush in expanding recreational opportunities on all Federal land. This is a big deal, as previously bicycles were listed as recreational vehicles, legally equivelent to 4x4s and ATVs.
I think it is interesting to see that mountain bikers pulled this off...for a few reasons. First, politics. Mountain bikers tend to be more progressive than your average citizen. The real issue at hand is if mountain bike organizers are smart enough to look beyond differences to see potential for gaining ground. I was out riding a couple years ago with the local mountain biking association, and I made mention of the need to engage our President to expand mountain biking opportunities. I remarked that he has even taken the press corp and Secret Service out mountain biking on his ranch, leaving many in the dust, as well as his knack for crashing and ability to take it in stride (like all good mtn bikers do, right?!) Someone with a big mouth and small brain started rambling on about how "W ain't no mountain biker... blah blah blah... Republicans suck... blah blah blah...". Excuse me, the guy rides a mountain bike, rides it off road on his ranch, what else does he have to do? Oh, the guy has different political views than you, so we as a special interest group should not engage him. Real smart. Not so much. Luckily, the national/international level organizers at IMBA have enough gray matter to understand the importance of our 43rd President of the USA also being the first Mountain-Biker-in-Chief.
Mountain bikers have proved the importance of grass roots organizing, not to talk about issues, but to actually address them. Through IMBA and its local affiliates, mountain bikers have come together to build and maintain trails. This action is both positive and tangible, as it addresses the issue, poor trail conditions, with positive action: trail maintenance. Most special interest groups tend to target politicians, policy makers, and use protest and bribery to create change. This tactic has been pretty successful for most special interest groups, and it is interesting that IMBA chose a new course that really creates a paradigm shift for organizations seeking to create change. Over the 20 odd years of IMBA's existance, it has helped create and maintain a lot of trails throughout the US. Local land managers that are starved for resources are becoming heavily influenced by organizations like IMBA and its local affiliates, as they are addressing issues relevant to mountain bike access and public land management: facility maintenance. Other user groups in contrast tend to view the issues of access and management/maintenance differently.
Hikers, bird-watchers, and equestrians tend to engage senior level managers, and vie for their influence to determine how the government's limited resources are used, as well as to determine who will be restricted from public lands. These older user groups (both in their demographic age range as well as span of existence) has never attempted to provide any additional input, beyond taxes. IMBA however, has radically altered this paradigm, getting a younger group of outdoor recreationalists (demographically, and the activity is also no more than 30 years old) together to create something lasting: trails. Their input over the past 20 years has created a great deal of influence, and if President Bush's policy moves forward, the local land managers will be more empowered. As bikers develop and maintain trails, local land managers will be influenced by who is 'showing them the money', or who is proving the least impact and greatest INPUT, not just talking to Congress and senior level park officials (like Sierra Club tends to do).
Either way, it is great news for mountain bikers. Overall, this policy could benefit the parks, mountain bikers, and create some positive and drastic changes for other user groups that operate in an increasingly obsolete mindset.
Wow! A self propelled, waffle making machine! Check it out. Truely inspiring... I can't believe they actually 'weaponized' this bike, though. Kind of weird. I wonder if the ATF got involved in regulating those two hand-made shotguns. The islamic/religious slant is kind of wierd, too, especially considering the Norwegian flag on top of the trailer. I think the guy might have a bit of an identity crisis. Otherwise it is neat to see the stuff all crammed onto a bike, everything, including the egg making chickens, on the bike and trailer.
A friend and co-worker of mine was talking with me today about the blog, and about some of the rap groups I featured in the previous entry. We ended up talking quite a bit about the Cool Kids "Black Mags" video. Great song, great visuals. I had to admit that I didn't know much about them, the Cool Kids, except that they are from Chicago, and that they have this old school 80 rap style which is so rare today, and considering everything that is going on in hip hop, is actually quite refreshing. My most memorable music moment is actually with Old School Hip Hop; I remember listening to and being totatlly mezmorized by Run DMC's Peter Piper playing on my cousin's boom box at some family holiday. It was totatlly different type of music that I was hearing for the first time, and I'll probably remember that moment probably for the rest of my life. I also remember moving from Minnesota to Connecticut, where I could listen to the rap music being projected from the top of the Empire State Building in NYC. I remember listenging to Slick Rick, Run DMC, and other great innovators in hip hop.
The Cool Kids rewind hip hop back to the 80's, a music era that is special to me because it signifies the change, discovery and challenges that I faced moving across the country with my family, and it also signifies the musical landscape of the place I would call home: the East Coast.
The Cool Kids have also brought a breath of fresh air for me, as Chris Rock said, "it is getting hard to justify listening to (gangster) rap, even though I enjoy the music." While most of the hip hop "world" has been tainted by violence, drugs, and negative lyrics, the Cool Kids have stepped it up, providing the fan of hip hop what it always was in the 'good old days': fresh, funky and fun.
I really enjoy the music their music, as it reminds me of Run DMC, Tribe Called Quest, and other great hip hop artists of what I thought was a by-gone age. I thought I would learn a little more about them, listen to more of their music, and share with whomever is following my blog.
The following is a video introduction of the Cool Kids produced by german TV:
Of course, their is their 'Black Mags'. I love how they merge BMX bike culture with Hip Hop culture. This is a live version:
Bassment Party!
What Up Man: a lot like Run DMCs "you be illin" from Raising Hell...
Hip hop culture has usually been automobile-centric. That is, rappers and R&B artists have usually been shown driving expensive, customized, and tricked out cars, usually with loud radios, hydraulic lifts to make the car bounce, etc. Interestingly enough, I have seen two new hip hop videos on YouTube that are all about bikes and their place in hip hop culture.
The latest video I discovered was called Scrapper Bikes by a San Fransisco/Oakland based group known as the Trunk Boiz. While I find the video, song, and overall theme of the so-called Scrapper Bike scene rather bizarre, I think it is interesting that bikes are merging with hip hop culture.
If you listen to the lyrics closely, you'll hear: "I don't need no car..." on the songs chorus. With fuel prices and general cost of vehicle ownership on the rise, will hip hop include more references to bicycles as inner city folks choose or are economically forced to use something other than cars?
Watch 'Scrapper Bikes' here:
Less recently, I've been listening to Cool Kids on YouTube. They are a rap group from Chicago with a style reminiscent of 1980's rap. From the little I've listened to their stuff, they, to quote another viewer on Youtube, "got mad style". Anyway, they have a song/video out called "Black Mags", which highlights the love for their BMX bikes. The chorus chants "...Dyno with the black mags..." while they rap about how they trick their bikes out, pick up girls on their pegs, and fill their spare time on their bikes. Pretty cool song and video.
Watch Cool Kids' "Black Mags" here:
While I enjoy the Cool Kids' more than the Trunk Boiz (probably because I am still a big Run DMC fan, and they share similar styles), I wonder if we will see bike and hip hop culture intersecting in the future. I think that more middle and upper class folks will be riding bikes out of an active choice to reduce their commuting costs and in an effort to improve the environment, and there may be an increase in references to bikes in mainstream popular culture because of this trend. However, I suspect that lower and lower middle class will have a greater impact on bicycles in popular culture, especially in hip hop, where a lack of economic potential equates to street credibility. I suspect that while mainstream pop culture may show some bicycles to sell goods to reflect an increased environmental awareness, hip hop culture will more accurately reflect the transportation trends that poor folks are having to make, especially as more poor folks are relegated to taking the bus and riding bikes as costs associated with vehicle ownership rise . Hip hop culture is often about individuality, and it is displayed in vehicle customization, and interestingly enough this carries on not just in cars with spinning wheels and hydraulic lift kits, but also in custom painted Scrapper Bikes and BMX bikes "tricked out like MacGyver".
It will be interesting to see how popular culture shows bicycles as transportation costs continue to rise.
