The way I ride - or more accurately, what I ride.

Most people who gave it a try will say it. Once you try fixed you need a REALLY REALLY good reason to go back to a coasting bike. That's just the way it is. So at one point in my life I tried fixed....and never looked back!

Something you need to know: in the last couple of months I've been pretty lucky when it comes to bikes....old bikes I meen. For an example I've found 3 abandoned bikes - ok, 3 frames with parts on them - in the past 4 months. None of them are great bikes, heck, non of them are even decent bikes but hey, they're free!

But it's all good, great bikes, I got these already, so finding all these frames made me a happy man since I'll finaly get to use some of these parts from the parts bin, ride bikes I've never ride before and just generaly try out random stuff. Ride different geometry. Both my "good" bikes are square track geometry (wich I absolutely LOVE btw), these will be different I know. And I just love me a night with some good music on, a pack of beer and an old frame to tear down and set back up. While doing so I just let my mind wander around not thinking about anything specific and that my friend is the best of therapy!

Here's how one of the finds turned out once converted to fixed. For now it's set up as nasty weather/winter beater so I took advantage of the fact I was swapping up stuff on it to change a couple of parts. You'll get the most recent version anytime soon. But for now, summer version:

That's the before pic (sorry for the shitty cell phone quality). Well it's more of an "in between" shot for when I found it it was covered in electrical tape:
Seriously there must have been about 3 full rolls on there. After some cleaning up and regreasing, I threw on some 27" wheels I had lying around, new no name cranks and here's how it turned out:


Specs:

- Tank grade steel frame. 54 ctc ST, 57 ctc TT.
- Front wheel: 27" laced to Shimano NJS high flange hub (36 spokes).
- Rear wheel: 27" laced to Formula high flange fixed/fixed (36 spokes).
- 16t Formula cog 1/2" - 1/8".
- No name track Crankset with 46t chainring.
- Cheap plastic pedals w/ toe clips.
- Taya 1/2" - 1/8" black chain.
- Beat up San Marco SLR racing saddle.
- Easton bar tape.
- Salvage everything else.


Brake will most likely come off next summer for I used it once and it slacked so much it was useless for the rest of the summer. Haven't had any problems anyway so!

Like I said, has soon as possible I'll take some pics of the winter version and post 'em up.

Cheers.

When the weather's nice!

Allright, I haven't posted in way too long. I just been lazy.......really, I wish I could give a better excuse but I just can't! It's all my fault I haven't taken the time to. But this morning as I was commuting to work I suddently realize I was totally "in the zone". You know when it seems like you're just floating to your destination, when suddently you don't feel, and couldn't care less about your cadence or the speed you're going.

Then it struck me. I don't know where you're from but right now in Montreal it's probably the best time of the year to ride. Sunny, around 0°C (32°F), not much wind, it's just perfect. You're not all sweaty as you get to work, but you're not freezing either. You don't need to haul around an extra everything you're wearing beacouse it's gonna be soaking wet when you get there, but you don't need to be dressed so you can't even flex your arms 'cause it's minus 100°! But, you also need to consider that when you make it back home at night you need to be well dressed because as the sunsets it becomes alot colder, but hey, it's Montreal; and if you know how to stack layers properly you're all good!

Let's enjoy it while the fingers aren't freezing yet and the cold dosen't bite the face too bad.

Happy riding!

Handle bars.

A couple of weeks ago, my flatmate lent me his Nitto bullhorn for me to try on one of my bikes that I had a hard time with. Bike's a Rocky Mountain Borough (that I love btw) and that, I'll be honnest, I bought mostly because it came with Deda Pista bars. I had been wanting a set of those for a while and we all know that the best way to get your hands on a new pair of bars is to buy a whole new bike!

There's something I just love about the look of track drop bars, I can't quite figure out what but there is. I guess it's just the classic clean look of old school track bikes. As those were my first set it took some getting used to, and although I can now say I can ride them just as I ride pretty much anything else I still prefer the feel of bullhorns. I don't know, I just feel more confortable and in control with bulls. I guess it as something to do with reach and my weight being further upfront almost where the front hub is.

Not too long ago he told me he wanted them back. So I just got myself a brand new pair of Pazzaz one. Quite honnestly they're no Nitto, but for someone on a budget man are they worth it!!! Lightweight, confortable, stiff, pretty much anything you'd want.

Now I guess I just need to buy myself a new bike to fit those Deda somewhere!!!

Where as if you reduce somthing you pick something else up.

Funny how I haven't really tought about it but suddently realize that my cigarette consumption fell from 1/2 to sometimes a full pack a day to somewhere between 3 and 6 cigarettes a day. I don't know it just happened like that without me doing nothing really special. On the other hand my changing of working environement as brought something new in the equation: a coffee machine that dosen't charge you 2$ everytime. Let me just say that I may be smoking alot less but I'm also drinking alot more coffee!!!

Is it good, is it bad? don't really know. Coffee's probably not that good for your body anyway, but I must admit I'm feeling alot more the benefits of less cigarettes than I am the down sides of more coffee!

Note to self.

The week-end being what it's been - Halloween night on friday, recording on Saturday and Sunday, pool night yesterday with long time haven't seen friends - I haven't had time to pick up proper running shoes. Well, it's more like I haven't took the time really, and being the lazy person I am, I'm sure I could've manage to squeez it in there but just didn't.

One thing I did took the time to do though is make a mental note to go buy at least one pair of cycling shorts! Now you can clearly see that I'm not that much of a real cyclist not owning any real cycling gear what so ever besides gloves and a helmet (actually 3 helmets, wich isn't too bad a thing if you consider that the only place I've put my money on is safety!) Wich led me to think about the fact that toe clips are ok for now, but that eventualy a pair of clipless pedals and a pair of shoes won't be a luxury....and a cycling jersey, and a rain cover, and a computer, and, and, and......

There's always a piece of equipement that we don't really need, but we'd like to have. Or we don't really need but then how are we gonna look?! That's just marketing and at the end of the day, we're all too happy to fall for it every now and then! Come to think about it, don't we suddently feel the urge to ride when we just got a new piece of equiupement to try out. Anyway.

Should I get to kick my self hard enough in the butt, maybe you'll get to see my rides. Now I'd just need to take a couple of snaps and figure out the proper way to post them up. Chances are, I'll take alot more time to try and figure out how to post them up!!!

For those of you living south.....lucky you! For those of you living up north like me, go out and enjoy the wheather for it's awesome (at least here in Montreal), and it may be some of the last really nice days before it gets really cold, starts raining and/or snow starts falling!

Kickstarting my days

I’ve always wanted to start a blog, just never got around to it. Well I figured out, if I’m going to start something new, might as well share it. On top of it, it will kind of force me to be more dedicated to the whole thing if I have people checking back for new stuff daily (or weekly, or monthly…whatever).

So where do we start? Well you need to know that I’ve pretty much always lived an intense nightlife. Party kind of guy who goes to bed late - and not always sober, if ever - and usually as a hard time getting up when morning arise. That was part of the initial plan weeks ago when I decided to move on with my life. So the parties are now under control (not saying they’re gone but) and the waking up part as been made that much easier since.

So the next step is waking up even earlier and doing some running or some riding before going to work – wait….there actually is something such as a BEFORE work?! Well apparently there is, and apparently it’s all bright and sunny with rainbows and butterflies; or so I’ve been told. We’ll have to check that one out. Next is something I haven’t done in years now, that weird thing associated with morning – word that apparently is more than a concept in a dictionary, and defines a certain time laps when I’d usually woke up with my head pounding and go for a huge glass of water and a pee, and back to bed. Yes, I’m talking about breakfast! That alone should do for a great start.

Now if I could manage some time in between the two, I could probably even squeeze in a shower, just for good measure!

An introduction to my mind.

So it always starts with a question. Who am I, and where am I going with this.

Well in my case I’m pretty much what you’d call an average person. Average height, average age, average face, average job, not much schooling, but fairly good at what I take up. I’m just that “normal” type of people you encounter everyday on the bus to work or at the supermarket.

And then something happens. We all have our highs and lows, we all have our moments, some life defining, some we won’t remember in a couple of weeks or years. But then you find something or someone who’s daily life interests you, motivate you to push the envelope, to be an overall better person.

A couple of weeks ago I decided to turn my life around and decided to make something out of it. At least more then what it is right now. First thing you gotta do is set goals; forces you to look up to them and keep pushing. Gives you a target to chase up. Stuff happened, will I say what? I don’t know yet. Probably. But you’ll get to know me for sure.

I’m a cyclist…..actually, you know what, scratch that. I’d like to be a cyclist! I’m a commuter, I go everywhere I have to by bike. So we got a start here! Then I started to follow Fatcyclist.com. He’s one you’ll probably hear a lot about on here. Very inspiring human being.

I’ve always have some of the deepest respect for people who can participate (let alone complete!) a triathlon. Will I get there? Don’t know. I hope to, the thing is I’m an ok biker, a poor runner and I dare not talk about swimming. And I smoke, and I drink, and I don’t eat all to well, and I haven’t done anything really physical in the last couple of years - read here: more or less 10!

So first thing first: get back into some kind of shape. I’ll keep on biking, but I’ll do it more seriously. I’ll take up running. To eventually be able to complete a marathon – that alone should take some time and effort – and when all that sets in and if I like it, well….might as well start swimming!

So you’ll have random thoughts and stuff that will happen to me along the way. And hopefully you’ll come back every now and then to check it out and have fun reading it. Will I have the discipline to post each and everyday? Will I only have the discipline to even stick to the plan?!

We’ll see!!