Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Good News

There seems to be too much negativism going on in here. Between insulting people that have been hit by cars, talking about people ripping people off, local shop's bad attitudes, and tearing up people who don't like particular bikes, we need some encouragement. For the sake of morale. So how about some nice stories? Or compliments? Group therapy?

Yesterday I stripped to my undies and rode my new Maserati conversion around in the rain, just because I was so happy. I made a few high speed runs through the neighborhood, past the stores and restaurants, around the old folks home, and then back into my hood. All soaking wet and wearing solar system boxers.

It was fun, and I had a good time. Nothing about it went wrong, no one accused me of anything, and I didn't have to prove myself to anyone. Just good clean (muddy) fun.

You are right, we need a little pick-me-up here. Come on everyone, turn those frowns upside down! Enjoy the icy malt beverage of your choice, and eat some kind of pastry-like dish.

peace,
sam

That's why I stay out of the Advocacy and the Commuting forums.

I've sworn off Bikeforums for 8 months last year because of the negativity.

If we were all in one place we could do the team building exercise where we go around in a circle and everyone says a compliment about the next person down the line's bicycle.

"I like the shiny chainring."
"The bar tape was put on very well."
"The paint job is really nice."

It would be all kinds of warm fuzziness.

peace,
sam

I built up a new bike, my first time without the use of loctite on the rear cog. There will be pics up as soon as I get everything settled in.

http://www.vtchildrenscamp.com/pictures/group%20hug1.gif

my new UTW bag makes me very, very happy.

that's positive, right?

The flourescent lights have a more cheerful hum today.

******** hippy!

nah, seriously though.. i got my makino frame today, so i am just peachy.

And I thought you were going to say "I just saved a ton of money on my car insurance..."

Seems like there should be a seperation of the Fixed and the SS. Then from there we can go extreme and have subcategories. Like beer drinker to non, pie or no pie, brakes or none....

I emailed a guy in Italy about the stem on a bike that he had posted on the FGG. He went out and found an identical one for me, bought it, mailed it to me, and told me not to worry about paying him for it until it had arrived. That was pretty mind-blowingly heartwarming.

He's definitely getting a solid mixtape in return.

Also heartwarming:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y260/EvilRobotBoy/frogEatCat.jpg

m.

Kitty-frog is about the cutest thing I've seen today.

Kitty-frog is about the cutest thing I've seen today.
And that story is just what I needed to restore my faith in humanity.

Kitty-frog is about the cutest thing I've seen today.
maybe a kitty-frog with a pancake on its head?

Glad to be of service. :D

i think we need to do trust falls.

after riding around on a rear gatorskin with 1/4" gash in it for two weeks, my shiny new red stripe rubino arrived from nashbar. also a new pc-58 chain. my bike has never been so colorful and so quiet!

on the other hand, it's f\_/cking hot in this goddamn city, and wisconsin has hills. waa.

never use gel wrap..might sound negative but if you avoid that crap you will be happy..see, not negative!

Yesterday I stripped to my undies and rode my new Maserati conversion around in the rain, just because I was so happy. I made a few high speed runs through the neighborhood, past the stores and restaurants, around the old folks home, and then back into my hood. All soaking wet and wearing solar system boxers.




Didja get a photo? :P

Kitty-frog!!!

after seeing so many nice bikes at various events this spring I ripped all the fugly tape and tubes off my bike, and stuck my old stem back on (low and lean and mean) .... forgot how sexy it looked without all the body armor and dorky riser stem...

I'm getting really jelly of all the bike porn on BF too and want a new bike bad but thanks to all the enthusiastic riders in NYC who reintroduced me to my old ride - I may even try and lose my pot belly so I can reach the bars

"love is all around, no need to waste it...."

oh yeah - and it's Friday night !

WHOOOOOOO- HOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

Everyone's watching, to see what you will do
Everyone's looking at you, oh
Everyone's wondering, will you come out tonight
Everyone's trying to get it right, get it right

i had an awesome ride in the rain the other night - i've not ridden my conversion in really wet weather before, and i had great control over it. also, i was soaked completely and totally but kept riding - there's something intrinsically fun about that.

Didja get a photo? :P

Shortly after arriving back home I managed to snap one with the digital camera's timer. Its already been submitted to the FGE. ;)

peace,
sam

I'm gonna go for a nice long ride tomorrow, anyone wanna come with? I'll be riding my McFixie, and do not care what you ride, even if it has gears. I just want to ride and drink beer with people. Anyone?

What happened to going to Hellyer?

More kitty goodness (http://www.stuffonmycat.com/)

What happened to going to Hellyer?

No car or ride :(

hellokittyfrog:

http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/highburyway/259/ktdoll3.jpg

I'm gonna go for a nice long ride tomorrow, anyone wanna come with? I'll be riding my McFixie, and do not care what you ride, even if it has gears. I just want to ride and drink beer with people. Anyone?

That sounds really good. Unfortunately, I'm stuck at moscone tomorrow.

Kitty-frog is about the cutest thing I've seen today.
What's insane is how much kitty frog:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y260/EvilRobotBoy/frogEatCat.jpg

Looks like my cat, Elliot:
http://halifax.optimuscrime.com/images/feb05/kitteninavest.jpg

m.

you all are gonna term it some sort of idol worship or some other lame bs, i'm sure. There's a lot of posing going on about messenger v. posenger, hipster v. true fixie aficionado, blah blah blah... but today, i got to experience on of the singular satisfactions of my current job, probably my favorite thing about it -- working on a messengers bike. often moderately abused, well worn, and a little beat up, these are more than just rides, they're someone's livelihood. It's just a pleasure to be able to help someone in that way, to get their bike back into shape, wipe off some of the road grime, and shoot the proverbial **** with them while you're doing it.

today was a headset replacement. tow of our regulars brought in their bikes, one with a chainring so worn down it looked like it was made of sharks teeth -- all jagged points intead of the rounded ones you're used to seeing. The other's headset was shot. I pulled it apart (it was a 2004 pista, for those of you keeping score) and everything inside the stem, steerer, and headset is coated in rust and/or salt -- the results of evaporated sweat, literally, the sweat of this man's brow, every drop another run in a humid ohio summer. But i get to make it work again, clean out the salt, brush off the rust, and press a new set with fresh bearing s in, my hands making his life easier. My work making his day a little smoother, his next run a little easier.

Sure, i'm probably making too much of it. But it gave me a sense of satisfaction to help someone out like that. I'm done at the bike shops in a month and a half, gonna find myself on the wrong side of a desk for the rest of my life. and i'm going to miss it like none other. But for today, all is well.

oh my god! is that cute little kitten being eaten by that plush-looking, hinge-jawed frog!?

what's wrong with you people!?

I had a great day though.

went for a long ride on friday....funny thing happened on the way out...i broke my front brake and had to take it off, or go home and repair it.... since we'd just picked up lunch...i decided to continue riding....glad i did....

lake chabot was beautiful today....

went for a long ride on friday....funny thing happened on the way out...i broke my front brake and had to take it off, or go home and repair it.... since we'd just picked up lunch...i decided to continue riding....glad i did....

lake chabot was beautiful today....

Nice. Lake Chabot's always been good to me.

Someone brought in two strawberry pies for the night staff the day before yesterday. It was tasty, and they also brought in 2 pints of "real" whipped cream.

you all are gonna term it some sort of idol worship or some other lame bs, i'm sure. There's a lot of posing going on about messenger v. posenger, hipster v. true fixie aficionado, blah blah blah... but today, i got to experience on of the singular satisfactions of my current job, probably my favorite thing about it -- working on a messengers bike. often moderately abused, well worn, and a little beat up, these are more than just rides, they're someone's livelihood. It's just a pleasure to be able to help someone in that way, to get their bike back into shape, wipe off some of the road grime, and shoot the proverbial **** with them while you're doing it.


Sure, i'm probably making too much of it. But it gave me a sense of satisfaction to help someone out like that. I'm done at the bike shops in a month and a half, gonna find myself on the wrong side of a desk for the rest of my life. and i'm going to miss it like none other. But for today, all is well.

That all sounds great to me. Not that a mssngr is more deserving of respect or "better" some how than a commuter or a flower watching sunday rider with a paperboy bike. But sure, there's something special about a bike being used as a livelihood. I would liken it to pedicab drivers, paperboys, and all these third world countries where the bike IS the main personal transportation. All those gr8 images of people pedaling five times their body weight in mattresses and jugs of grains on 75 year old black three speeds with rod brakes. Talk about 'work'!!!:eek:

But why a desk job forever? No way to keep your hand in the bike mechanic or bicycle world? I am tied to a desk and it is murder on your body (not to mention soul, mind) ... just graduated from school, so maybe that can change soon. One must be creative and lucky of course, but perhaps you can work a way to keep in touch with something that you obviously really really love? I hope so!
:)

went for a long ride on friday....funny thing happened on the way out...i broke my front brake and had to take it off, or go home and repair it.... since we'd just picked up lunch...i decided to continue riding....glad i did....

lake chabot was beautiful today....

maybe i'm just not seeing things right but are those riser bars? i've never seen that before..it's kinda cool looking. how do they feel?

I emailed a guy in Italy about the stem on a bike that he had posted on the FGG. He went out and found an identical one for me, bought it, mailed it to me, and told me not to worry about paying him for it until it had arrived. That was pretty mind-blowingly heartwarming.

To further the awesomeness of this story: the stems arrived yesterday and I emailed Ferdinando about getting the money to him. He replied that in lieu of me paying him back I should make a donation to the FGG on behalf of his crew.

m.

To further the awesomeness of this story: the stems arrived yesterday and I emailed Ferdinando about getting the money to him. He replied that in lieu of me paying him back I should make a donation to the FGG on behalf of his crew.

m.

Nice!

went for a long ride on friday....funny thing happened on the way out...i broke my front brake and had to take it off, or go home and repair it.... since we'd just picked up lunch...i decided to continue riding....glad i did....

lake chabot was beautiful today....

what route is best to get to lake chabot?

my warm fuzzy contribution...i wrote the feller who sold me my fixie to ask about some parts on it. he wrote back quick, gave me surprisingly good news in answer to my questions, and also said nice things about my pic on the FGE and my li'l farm blog. it was the feel-good hit of the season.

and i love riding my fixie.

and Saturday night while out riding around I learned how to skid w/o meaning to. wow! it was weird! Then I went and practiced it in a deserted parking lot for a couple of hours and felt like a little kid. it was a blast.

AND I noticed that i enjoy riding my other bike more now that I ride fixed...i have more power, better spinning control, and more...grrr...powerpuff fierceness! zoom!

So it's better to be all nice and deluded? Is that the purpose of this thread?

So it's better to be all nice and deluded? Is that the purpose of this thread?

You need a hug, pal?

What a negative nellie.

So it's better to be all nice and deluded? Is that the purpose of this thread?

So, like, he didn't actually send me those stems?

Wha? Hootie?

m.

I found a Columbus TSX Guerciotti in a dumpster last Saturday!
It will be my next conversion project. pics (http://www.duke.edu/~jhe3/Guerciotti.htm)

I just bought a Chrome messenger bag, and it's at least 10 billion times better than my Timbuk2 bag. And it was on sale.

Sweet.

i met my bike riding neighbors today, it was great.
GREAT

I found a Columbus TSX Guerciotti in a dumpster last Saturday!
It will be my next conversion project. pics (http://www.duke.edu/~jhe3/Guerciotti.htm)


Dang! My garbage is jealous of YOUR garbage!