Colorful Fins of Steel - Show us your LAND SHARK!
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Colorful Fins of Steel - Show us your LAND SHARK!
After searching high and low, on the computer, in the water, on the phone, and totally not on the computer at work, it is more than time to create a "Show Me" thread on one of the coolest small hand-built bike companies out there: Land Shark! A little history of how the one-man company began in the latter years of the 1980's lives on their website, so I will spare you repetition, save for the fact that he received a scholarship to Art Center College of Design, of which I attended and graduated from. One has to be good to get into that school with a scholarship. It is thus no surprise that his bikes are celebrated not only for their craftsmanship, but also their one-of-one paint work. Truly an artist through and through. John Slawta has moved on from steel with regard to frame material, but his ethos hasn't changed.
I figure if we can get a multiple page thread going for the Teledyne Titan, a thread for Land Sharks should be at least as easy. Or do I deceive myself?
Serial Number location for Land Sharks: Non-drive side rear drop out, inner side (hub facing). If there are any other locations, please advise. Research and my own Land Shark corroborate this location.
*******
So without further ado, let me introduce my 1988 Land Shark Road Shark!
Serial Number: 88661
Frame Size: 66cm CTT
Top Tube Length: 57cm CTC
Head Tube Angle: 75°
Seat Tube Angle: 74°
Tubing: Tange Prestige throughout
From the SN, I can reasonably guess that the "88" is year number (1988), "66" is the frame size (in cm), and "1" would be the sequence number. Being as small a company as it always has been, with commensurately low production volumes; and considering the extreme dimensions of this frame--to say absolutely nothing of the paint job--it being the only one of its kind makes complete sense. Perhaps further Land Shark bikes in this thread will corroborate this logic, perhaps they will clue us in to a different SN logic.
EDIT 5/5/19: "88" is confirmed (by at least one other) to be the production year, with the "661" being the sequence number (from the man himself, via La Brea Bike). Looks like the sequence numbers didn't reset after each year given the examples so far. Will know more as we go.
From the first time I saw a Land Shark over five years ago at Recycled Cycles, I liked them. I was early in my bike knowledge and knew I liked real race-geometry'd frames, and a Land Shark was 100% that with their Road Shark. Short wheelbases and super short chain stays that rivaled Cannondale Criteriums from the 3.0 era (1989+). The paint work was super cool, too. The employee who owned that Land Shark was/is a great guy and has since moved on from the bike shop. Sadly, his bike also moved on to Bike Heaven. It is fondly remembered.
I obtained my Road Shark from a friend who had picked up the frame and fork off the 'Bay for a quite low price. There were small paint chips that revealed rust here and there as well as occasional under-paint bubbling. He touched up some things with a small air gun (I have no idea where--must have been very minor) and built it up with slightly older Suntour Superbe Pro (non-indexed). He is an older gentleman right about my height, if a touch taller. Former racer, and thus builds his bike in that fashion (stretched out). He found the 57cm top tube to be too short as he prefers 60-62cm top tubes. He also wasn't on board with the paint job. I expressed excitement at the fact that he had a Land Shark, and soon he offered it to me to buy from him, including the anodized IRD headset and purple-painted bottle cages. I sold him my too-long 66cm x 61cm Cannondale SR800 and he sold me the Land Shark. Totally '80s colors and sweet jellyfish-esque paint job??? SIGN ME UP!!
Let me regale you with some more extreme measurements:
Frame/Fork/Headset weight: 2875g --- This is over a quarter pound lighter than my lightest two lugged steel frames, which were no slouches themselves (and shorter!). My Prestige-tubed 63.5cm '87 Schwinn Prologue comes in at 3000g even, and my '83 Guerciotti Super Record is a touch lighter at 2988g. Crazy!
Wheelbase: 982mm --- Normal 63-64cm road/race bikes have wheelbases in the 1010-1018mm range. Cannondale Criteriums are at or just duck 1000mm, and those things have the seat tube center offset to the front of the BB shell centerline. On this Shark, I have to put in the tire with minimal pressure (20 psi).
Chain Stay Length: 400mm
BB drop is a standard 70mm, fork offset is a normal 42mm, resulting in a lower-trail figure of about 47mm. At present, it is not a manic steerer at all. That's the task for the Guerciotti.
*******
Upon purchase, I waxed the frame for protection and increased shine, which was a success. I had finally obtained a 175mm length Shimano 6400-era 600 crankset in good shape after slowly and somewhat inadvertently collecting the rest of an 8-speed 6400 groupset over the last year or so. [I have 7-speed and 8-speed downtube shifters as well as 8-speed STIs--completing the whole set!] The rear derailleur is an early 7-speed example with the oh-so-'80s fully shrouded pulley cage, the crankset's chainrings were switched out for much prettier 7400 examples, and the brake calipers are later-generation dual pivots with, coincidentally, same-rank (but much newer) 6800 Ultegra cartridge brake pads. The wheelset is comprised of 6400 hubs laced to Matrix ISO-CII aero rims. The rear hub was originally a 7-speed freehub, and was changed to an 8-speed with a donor 6400 hub. Re-dishing was performed.
With nearly every Land Shark out there possessing Dura-Ace, part of me has felt like I was "slumming it" with "only" Shimano 600. The reality was that I loved the wheels with the dark grey rims, I liked the 600 8-speed STIs' coloring more than the Dura-Ace 8-speed's coloring, and in general, thought that the coloring of the entire 600 groupset just plain matched the paint colors and theme the best. The only Dura-Ace is the 12-23T cassette, which will be going shortly for something that has a big cog of 25T or 26T. The bike weighs 22 lb as pictured. Newer and lighter parts can knock this all the way down to below 19 lb, but there is magic in this setup.
*******
This bike is silk smooth. There is rough sections of road that I ride that are bone-rattlers on all my other road/race bikes, and this Land Shark basically does the Jedi hand wave trick. "These are not the bumps you are to feel." For a nutso-geometry race bike with 23mm tires (ok, they're Vittoria Open Corsas, but still!), this should not be happening. Sure, the wheelset plays a role, as do the tires, but at some point, the frame will do the talking, and it talks a very smooth game. Smooth as my plush-tired '81Trek 710. Smooth(er?) as my '92 Specialized Epic Carbon with 25mm tires. As a result, I find myself accelerating and riding faster for the same effort (in the saddle). It's plenty sprightly in out-of-the-saddle climbing and acceleration, but that's not its primary calling card. The steering is quicker, always smooth, and is happy to take any line into a curve that you wish (no diving or "high-line'ing" tendencies). Top flight stuff, all around. Absolutely stellar bike!
Enough of the monologue. We're all here for the pictures.
I figure if we can get a multiple page thread going for the Teledyne Titan, a thread for Land Sharks should be at least as easy. Or do I deceive myself?
Serial Number location for Land Sharks: Non-drive side rear drop out, inner side (hub facing). If there are any other locations, please advise. Research and my own Land Shark corroborate this location.
*******
So without further ado, let me introduce my 1988 Land Shark Road Shark!
Serial Number: 88661
Frame Size: 66cm CTT
Top Tube Length: 57cm CTC
Head Tube Angle: 75°
Seat Tube Angle: 74°
Tubing: Tange Prestige throughout
From the SN, I can reasonably guess that the "88" is year number (1988),
EDIT 5/5/19: "88" is confirmed (by at least one other) to be the production year, with the "661" being the sequence number (from the man himself, via La Brea Bike). Looks like the sequence numbers didn't reset after each year given the examples so far. Will know more as we go.
From the first time I saw a Land Shark over five years ago at Recycled Cycles, I liked them. I was early in my bike knowledge and knew I liked real race-geometry'd frames, and a Land Shark was 100% that with their Road Shark. Short wheelbases and super short chain stays that rivaled Cannondale Criteriums from the 3.0 era (1989+). The paint work was super cool, too. The employee who owned that Land Shark was/is a great guy and has since moved on from the bike shop. Sadly, his bike also moved on to Bike Heaven. It is fondly remembered.
I obtained my Road Shark from a friend who had picked up the frame and fork off the 'Bay for a quite low price. There were small paint chips that revealed rust here and there as well as occasional under-paint bubbling. He touched up some things with a small air gun (I have no idea where--must have been very minor) and built it up with slightly older Suntour Superbe Pro (non-indexed). He is an older gentleman right about my height, if a touch taller. Former racer, and thus builds his bike in that fashion (stretched out). He found the 57cm top tube to be too short as he prefers 60-62cm top tubes. He also wasn't on board with the paint job. I expressed excitement at the fact that he had a Land Shark, and soon he offered it to me to buy from him, including the anodized IRD headset and purple-painted bottle cages. I sold him my too-long 66cm x 61cm Cannondale SR800 and he sold me the Land Shark. Totally '80s colors and sweet jellyfish-esque paint job??? SIGN ME UP!!
Let me regale you with some more extreme measurements:
Frame/Fork/Headset weight: 2875g --- This is over a quarter pound lighter than my lightest two lugged steel frames, which were no slouches themselves (and shorter!). My Prestige-tubed 63.5cm '87 Schwinn Prologue comes in at 3000g even, and my '83 Guerciotti Super Record is a touch lighter at 2988g. Crazy!
Wheelbase: 982mm --- Normal 63-64cm road/race bikes have wheelbases in the 1010-1018mm range. Cannondale Criteriums are at or just duck 1000mm, and those things have the seat tube center offset to the front of the BB shell centerline. On this Shark, I have to put in the tire with minimal pressure (20 psi).
Chain Stay Length: 400mm
BB drop is a standard 70mm, fork offset is a normal 42mm, resulting in a lower-trail figure of about 47mm. At present, it is not a manic steerer at all. That's the task for the Guerciotti.
*******
Upon purchase, I waxed the frame for protection and increased shine, which was a success. I had finally obtained a 175mm length Shimano 6400-era 600 crankset in good shape after slowly and somewhat inadvertently collecting the rest of an 8-speed 6400 groupset over the last year or so. [I have 7-speed and 8-speed downtube shifters as well as 8-speed STIs--completing the whole set!] The rear derailleur is an early 7-speed example with the oh-so-'80s fully shrouded pulley cage, the crankset's chainrings were switched out for much prettier 7400 examples, and the brake calipers are later-generation dual pivots with, coincidentally, same-rank (but much newer) 6800 Ultegra cartridge brake pads. The wheelset is comprised of 6400 hubs laced to Matrix ISO-CII aero rims. The rear hub was originally a 7-speed freehub, and was changed to an 8-speed with a donor 6400 hub. Re-dishing was performed.
With nearly every Land Shark out there possessing Dura-Ace, part of me has felt like I was "slumming it" with "only" Shimano 600. The reality was that I loved the wheels with the dark grey rims, I liked the 600 8-speed STIs' coloring more than the Dura-Ace 8-speed's coloring, and in general, thought that the coloring of the entire 600 groupset just plain matched the paint colors and theme the best. The only Dura-Ace is the 12-23T cassette, which will be going shortly for something that has a big cog of 25T or 26T. The bike weighs 22 lb as pictured. Newer and lighter parts can knock this all the way down to below 19 lb, but there is magic in this setup.
*******
This bike is silk smooth. There is rough sections of road that I ride that are bone-rattlers on all my other road/race bikes, and this Land Shark basically does the Jedi hand wave trick. "These are not the bumps you are to feel." For a nutso-geometry race bike with 23mm tires (ok, they're Vittoria Open Corsas, but still!), this should not be happening. Sure, the wheelset plays a role, as do the tires, but at some point, the frame will do the talking, and it talks a very smooth game. Smooth as my plush-tired '81Trek 710. Smooth(er?) as my '92 Specialized Epic Carbon with 25mm tires. As a result, I find myself accelerating and riding faster for the same effort (in the saddle). It's plenty sprightly in out-of-the-saddle climbing and acceleration, but that's not its primary calling card. The steering is quicker, always smooth, and is happy to take any line into a curve that you wish (no diving or "high-line'ing" tendencies). Top flight stuff, all around. Absolutely stellar bike!
Enough of the monologue. We're all here for the pictures.
Last edited by RiddleOfSteel; 05-05-19 at 10:58 AM.
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Cinelli stem and 65-series Criterium bars (my favorite for vintage drops) host the 8-speed STIs, found in remarkable condition a while back. The slenderness of the brake lever blade, combined with its metal construction, feels great. Shifts are fast, accurate, light, and very crisp.
I love this logo. Hysterical!
All branding/artwork is great on this. Also, Prestige. And notice how up in the slots the brake pads are. Another 'extreme' bit of building. Great leverage I will say. Sadly, you can only fit 23mm tires in front, so front and back got 23mm tires instead of 25mm as planned.
Would you just look at this paint???
More of my favorite tubing badging!
I love this logo. Hysterical!
All branding/artwork is great on this. Also, Prestige. And notice how up in the slots the brake pads are. Another 'extreme' bit of building. Great leverage I will say. Sadly, you can only fit 23mm tires in front, so front and back got 23mm tires instead of 25mm as planned.
Would you just look at this paint???
More of my favorite tubing badging!
Last edited by RiddleOfSteel; 05-05-19 at 12:40 AM.
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Shimano 600 seat post is also present and accounted for. Trusty Prologo Scratch Pro saddle as well. Note the blended seat stays. So smooth!
Road Shark, count it!
More 600.
Columbus dropouts.
Some of my favorite hubs. Right behind 7400.
Road Shark, count it!
More 600.
Columbus dropouts.
Some of my favorite hubs. Right behind 7400.
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Finally, a bike where the purple anodized parts add to the look, instead of sticking out like a sore thumb.
Seriously nice ride (seriously).
Seriously nice ride (seriously).
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So, not as colorful... 1985 Levis-Raleigh contract built racer. S/N 85077. Your serial number convention doesn't seem entirely accurate. From what John Slawta had told me, First two digits were year, and last three were sequence. I wonder if the sequence didn't start over every year...
Last edited by La Brea Bike; 05-05-19 at 08:42 AM.
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Oooo yes a Land Shark thread
A buddy and his wife have his and her Land Sharks. I'll try to go over and get some pics. Sadly I myself am finless.
A buddy and his wife have his and her Land Sharks. I'll try to go over and get some pics. Sadly I myself am finless.
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So, not as colorful... 1985 Levis-Raleigh contract built racer. S/N 85077. Your serial number convention doesn't seem entirely accurate. From what John Slawta had told me, First two digits were year, and last three were sequence. I wonder if the sequence didn't start over every year...
Thank you for correcting me on the SN code. I have corrected it in my first post in the SN section. I would agree with your assessment of non-resetting sequence numbers. We can get an approximate yearly output, as well as have an even better idea of when he actually began making bikes to sell. The LS website mentions 1986, though it alludes to an as yet unknown prior date to start. That you have the 77th frame ever is pretty freaking sweet. 661 bikes over four years is about 165 bikes/year--this is obviously ballpark-scale approximate math, so even if yearly production wasn't 165, it isn't, say, early Trek numbers.
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Thanks, man.
Thank you! Yeah, the purple is...strong. As is the bottle cage design. If the cage design was a bit more standard, I wouldn't be as worried about it, but I've settled a lot on it as it works with the general extroversion of the paint scheme. The anodized headset I have always been a fan of. Maybe I'll find some white bottle cages--I'm not actively looking though.
That's exactly what I thought! It's great, isn't it?
That's exactly what I thought! It's great, isn't it?
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My Landshark is only one color though it's a bright one:
I picked this up as a frameset on CL, and the previous owner had had the top tube replaced at some point (because it had some dents, he said), but hadn't gotten around to painting it though the rest was purple. The fork also wasn't original and was a different color. I had the whole thing PC-ed the current color, which I'm happy with. I'm also very happy with the way this rides; Reynolds 853 is sweet stuff.
I picked this up as a frameset on CL, and the previous owner had had the top tube replaced at some point (because it had some dents, he said), but hadn't gotten around to painting it though the rest was purple. The fork also wasn't original and was a different color. I had the whole thing PC-ed the current color, which I'm happy with. I'm also very happy with the way this rides; Reynolds 853 is sweet stuff.
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My Landshark is only one color though it's a bright one:
I picked this up as a frameset on CL, and the previous owner had had the top tube replaced at some point (because it had some dents, he said), but hadn't gotten around to painting it though the rest was purple. The fork also wasn't original and was a different color. I had the whole thing PC-ed the current color, which I'm happy with. I'm also very happy with the way this rides; Reynolds 853 is sweet stuff.
I picked this up as a frameset on CL, and the previous owner had had the top tube replaced at some point (because it had some dents, he said), but hadn't gotten around to painting it though the rest was purple. The fork also wasn't original and was a different color. I had the whole thing PC-ed the current color, which I'm happy with. I'm also very happy with the way this rides; Reynolds 853 is sweet stuff.
Do you know what the serial number is?
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Looks like the serial # is 9626 98:
And here's my favorite frame detail:
#16
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Your '88 shark is a beauty. The builder was not on my radar in the 80's but did have a lust for the fillet brazing technique and unique paint jobs in the 90's. Enjoy
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@nlerner very cool detail! The shark is hilarious to me, almost like it's trying to be a trained Orca a la Shamu.
@kevincgove thank you!
@kevincgove thank you!
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My Landshark is only one color though it's a bright one:
I picked this up as a frameset on CL, and the previous owner had had the top tube replaced at some point (because it had some dents, he said), but hadn't gotten around to painting it though the rest was purple. The fork also wasn't original and was a different color. I had the whole thing PC-ed the current color, which I'm happy with. I'm also very happy with the way this rides; Reynolds 853 is sweet stuff.
I picked this up as a frameset on CL, and the previous owner had had the top tube replaced at some point (because it had some dents, he said), but hadn't gotten around to painting it though the rest was purple. The fork also wasn't original and was a different color. I had the whole thing PC-ed the current color, which I'm happy with. I'm also very happy with the way this rides; Reynolds 853 is sweet stuff.
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I saw Steve Wynn somewhere in NY getting his Land Shark tandem tweeked. 26lbs! Beautiful light blue color.
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A small update on my Road Shark--refitted a number of components (ok, not small update) as I employed the Shimano 600 bits in an effort to sell a similar-period Cannondale. I had found a 1" threadless Control Tech (Made in USA) stem in great shape and even more fortuitously, a -15° rise, which would perfectly match the 75° head tube angle and give a perfectly horizontal profile, matching the top tube. I liked the Cinelli setup before, but with the bike as tall and short-in-wheelbase as it was, more horizontal emphasis was what I've sort of wanted for the bike. The large and very purple water bottle cages were changed out for a matched pair of white ones to not only bring out the colors in the frame more, but also to "neutralize" or bring a clarity to the overall composition. I really like how it turned out.
The wheels and tires remain, as they are a big part of the magic ride formula and look good with the bike. 10-speed Dura-Ace down tube shifters and the host of accompanying 7800 and 7700 pieces that I like joined the party. All of that helped shave the weight to 20.9 lb as pictured (cages and pedals). I know what I could do to make it lighter, but none of it would look as good at all, and I don't know how the ride would be affected (change in wheels). I really like it how it is, and will keep it that way.
I'll have to tweak the front left brake pad angle as it creates a buzz and honking upon braking (Koolstop pads may not help either). I think a definite contributing factor to brake shudder at low speeds, of which this has had/still sort of does, is due to the very flexible fork. The fork is a huge reason why it rides as well as it does, so I'll just need to mind it over the really crummy stuff--a small price to pay for a sublime ride and smooth handling.
Anyway, photo during Friday's evening "commute" home.
The wheels and tires remain, as they are a big part of the magic ride formula and look good with the bike. 10-speed Dura-Ace down tube shifters and the host of accompanying 7800 and 7700 pieces that I like joined the party. All of that helped shave the weight to 20.9 lb as pictured (cages and pedals). I know what I could do to make it lighter, but none of it would look as good at all, and I don't know how the ride would be affected (change in wheels). I really like it how it is, and will keep it that way.
I'll have to tweak the front left brake pad angle as it creates a buzz and honking upon braking (Koolstop pads may not help either). I think a definite contributing factor to brake shudder at low speeds, of which this has had/still sort of does, is due to the very flexible fork. The fork is a huge reason why it rides as well as it does, so I'll just need to mind it over the really crummy stuff--a small price to pay for a sublime ride and smooth handling.
Anyway, photo during Friday's evening "commute" home.
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A small update on my Road Shark--refitted a number of components (ok, not small update) as I employed the Shimano 600 bits in an effort to sell a similar-period Cannondale. I had found a 1" threadless Control Tech (Made in USA) stem in great shape and even more fortuitously, a -15° rise, which would perfectly match the 75° head tube angle and give a perfectly horizontal profile, matching the top tube. I liked the Cinelli setup before, but with the bike as tall and short-in-wheelbase as it was, more horizontal emphasis was what I've sort of wanted for the bike. The large and very purple water bottle cages were changed out for a matched pair of white ones to not only bring out the colors in the frame more, but also to "neutralize" or bring a clarity to the overall composition. I really like how it turned out.
The wheels and tires remain, as they are a big part of the magic ride formula and look good with the bike. 10-speed Dura-Ace down tube shifters and the host of accompanying 7800 and 7700 pieces that I like joined the party. All of that helped shave the weight to 20.9 lb as pictured (cages and pedals). I know what I could do to make it lighter, but none of it would look as good at all, and I don't know how the ride would be affected (change in wheels). I really like it how it is, and will keep it that way.
I'll have to tweak the front left brake pad angle as it creates a buzz and honking upon braking (Koolstop pads may not help either). I think a definite contributing factor to brake shudder at low speeds, of which this has had/still sort of does, is due to the very flexible fork. The fork is a huge reason why it rides as well as it does, so I'll just need to mind it over the really crummy stuff--a small price to pay for a sublime ride and smooth handling.
Anyway, photo during Friday's evening "commute" home.
The wheels and tires remain, as they are a big part of the magic ride formula and look good with the bike. 10-speed Dura-Ace down tube shifters and the host of accompanying 7800 and 7700 pieces that I like joined the party. All of that helped shave the weight to 20.9 lb as pictured (cages and pedals). I know what I could do to make it lighter, but none of it would look as good at all, and I don't know how the ride would be affected (change in wheels). I really like it how it is, and will keep it that way.
I'll have to tweak the front left brake pad angle as it creates a buzz and honking upon braking (Koolstop pads may not help either). I think a definite contributing factor to brake shudder at low speeds, of which this has had/still sort of does, is due to the very flexible fork. The fork is a huge reason why it rides as well as it does, so I'll just need to mind it over the really crummy stuff--a small price to pay for a sublime ride and smooth handling.
Anyway, photo during Friday's evening "commute" home.
Nice touch with the oil tankers in the background, you do great work all the way around.
#22
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Happy the oil tankers could provide some visual interest. Heading north from the piers in downtown Seattle, the bike and walk paths run through Myrtle Edwards and Centennial Parks that really are one continuous park. The trail crosses a road and heads up through Interbay and the main rail yard, keeping quite close to the expanding and contracting number of rails (it's two lines once in the city, but 12+ in the main yard). As such, you can get lucky and pace a train as it trundles through. Lately I've been able to do so, once at just under 20 mph going south, and once as the train was 25-ish mph and outpaced my very concerted effort to keep up. The south bound occurrence had me lined up with the lead locomotives, which was super cool. They may not be living, breathing steamers (which are magnificent), but their sub-bass rumble and effortless gliding along the tracks are mesmerizing enough to be enjoyed.
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That frame art motivates me to follow through on some graphic ideas I have for my 1993 Trekenstein 5900.
Those tall frames always make me wonder whether a giraffe frame might handle better with a longer wheelbase without compromising handling too much.
So far the only person I've seen riding a giraffe frame bike was Bill Walton in the 1980 Tijuana-Ensenada 75 mile ride (back before the Rosarito-Ensenada twice-a-year 50 miler). Alas, Bill chugged past me so quickly I didn't get a chance to ask him about bike handling. That was during his injury year with the Clippers. Even while recovering from injuries he was pretty strong on the bike, surprisingly so on the climbs where he passed me.
Those tall frames always make me wonder whether a giraffe frame might handle better with a longer wheelbase without compromising handling too much.
So far the only person I've seen riding a giraffe frame bike was Bill Walton in the 1980 Tijuana-Ensenada 75 mile ride (back before the Rosarito-Ensenada twice-a-year 50 miler). Alas, Bill chugged past me so quickly I didn't get a chance to ask him about bike handling. That was during his injury year with the Clippers. Even while recovering from injuries he was pretty strong on the bike, surprisingly so on the climbs where he passed me.
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Thank you!
Happy the oil tankers could provide some visual interest. Heading north from the piers in downtown Seattle, the bike and walk paths run through Myrtle Edwards and Centennial Parks that really are one continuous park. The trail crosses a road and heads up through Interbay and the main rail yard, keeping quite close to the expanding and contracting number of rails (it's two lines once in the city, but 12+ in the main yard). As such, you can get lucky and pace a train as it trundles through. Lately I've been able to do so, once at just under 20 mph going south, and once as the train was 25-ish mph and outpaced my very concerted effort to keep up. The south bound occurrence had me lined up with the lead locomotives, which was super cool. They may not be living, breathing steamers (which are magnificent), but their sub-bass rumble and effortless gliding along the tracks are mesmerizing enough to be enjoyed.
Happy the oil tankers could provide some visual interest. Heading north from the piers in downtown Seattle, the bike and walk paths run through Myrtle Edwards and Centennial Parks that really are one continuous park. The trail crosses a road and heads up through Interbay and the main rail yard, keeping quite close to the expanding and contracting number of rails (it's two lines once in the city, but 12+ in the main yard). As such, you can get lucky and pace a train as it trundles through. Lately I've been able to do so, once at just under 20 mph going south, and once as the train was 25-ish mph and outpaced my very concerted effort to keep up. The south bound occurrence had me lined up with the lead locomotives, which was super cool. They may not be living, breathing steamers (which are magnificent), but their sub-bass rumble and effortless gliding along the tracks are mesmerizing enough to be enjoyed.
It's all good, only so much we can do.
#25
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That frame art motivates me to follow through on some graphic ideas I have for my 1993 Trekenstein 5900.
Those tall frames always make me wonder whether a giraffe frame might handle better with a longer wheelbase without compromising handling too much.
So far the only person I've seen riding a giraffe frame bike was Bill Walton in the 1980 Tijuana-Ensenada 75 mile ride (back before the Rosarito-Ensenada twice-a-year 50 miler). Alas, Bill chugged past me so quickly I didn't get a chance to ask him about bike handling. That was during his injury year with the Clippers. Even while recovering from injuries he was pretty strong on the bike, surprisingly so on the climbs where he passed me.
Those tall frames always make me wonder whether a giraffe frame might handle better with a longer wheelbase without compromising handling too much.
So far the only person I've seen riding a giraffe frame bike was Bill Walton in the 1980 Tijuana-Ensenada 75 mile ride (back before the Rosarito-Ensenada twice-a-year 50 miler). Alas, Bill chugged past me so quickly I didn't get a chance to ask him about bike handling. That was during his injury year with the Clippers. Even while recovering from injuries he was pretty strong on the bike, surprisingly so on the climbs where he passed me.