Author: Bob Harrison

I just received my “Traffic Cone Bag” from Lynette, the Galfromdownunder, but made in America. It came in a simple mailing envelope in less than week from New York to Hawaii. For the $5 shipping fee that’s pretty darn good.
After opening the package and removing the bag the first thing I noticed was its weight. By that I don’t mean it’s heavy, but it has a solid well-made feel to it. Upon inspection this feeling was justified by the quality of the stitching and the toughness of the fabric.
It’s really just a take on the simple drawstring bag and, in fact, is replacing the one I have that is fast wearing out.

You can see the both in that image. The bag is also reversible for those who want a black, stealth-mode, Bike Ninja bag.
You can see a couple of carbiners in the image as well. I had to add those at Lynette’s suggestion. She had thought that her “one size fits most” bag might not have staps quite long enough for someone my size. I’m just over six feet tall and over two hundred pounds, well over (though dropping). While I could get the bag on without the carbiners, using them added a crucial inch or two and, given my clumsy fingers, actually makes using the bag even easier. Besides, they’re green like my Bike Friday NWT’s Green Gear Green.
I’ve not really had a chance to use the bag yet, so I’m not going to post my comments on her customer comment page, but that’ll be coming soon.
In the meantime I’ve discovered I had Mars 3.0 tail light that had a broken clip sitting in my desk at the office. It works fine other than the clip so with a bit of elastic I’ve fastened it (in a removable fashion) to the handy little ring on my bag. It rolls around a bit, but it’s not my only light. Heck, rolling around may make it even more noticable. Let me know if you manage not to run me over some evening. 🙂
I expect it’ll be just fine. Indeed I may have to get one for a friend who is buying a bike that should all ready to go in a week or two. 🙂
Aloha!

A fellow on one of the bike lists I belong to passed on the links to this two part movie from 1955 on biking in England. I wish I were there now…
Part 1:

Part 2:

Okay, I don’t really need more stuff, but I would like a helmet camera…at least by the time I plan to ride down the Mississippi River Trail. This camera is the “GoPro” and looks like it does a pretty good job.

Why? Because I love cameras and I wear a helmet!
And I could have used it for the ride I took over the weekend, back to Kailua. I was slower than last time, but that was okay with me. It was later in the day so it was much hotter, I had no company to push me along, and I stopped more often to take pictures. Still it was a better ride in some ways because, having done it once, I knew I could achieve my goal. I did. Here’s a shot at the end of the ride.

Aloha!

Tomorrow, 7/3, is a holiday, at least for me. I’m trying to decide if I have the gumption to bike to Kailua again. This time it would be solo trip with no party to break up the day. Mostly likely I’d just go, take a dip, and come back. I’ve got plans for tomorrow night and Saturday is the 4th, so…
I’ve been researching bikes a lot lately. I haven’t completely decided what to do, but I’m thinking perhaps:
1. Bike Friday (got that)
2. Giant/Xtracycle (got half of that)
3. Surly or Rivendell (gosh, can’t afford either)
The good news is that my workstand came in yesterday and it definitely is sturdy enough to work on my Giant. Whether it’ll hold a Giant/Xtracycle combo I don’t know. I may find out though.
And as for a Riv or an LHT? Still can’t afford it. I’ve got too many other calls for my cash these days. I really can’t even afford a Free Radical kit for my Giant…but you know how these things are. 🙂

Of course just having the Free Radical won’t do much for me…I’d need something else as well..

They claim a professional should assemble it all; I agree. The question is, can I do it? Can I do it well? Can I do it at all?
Aloha!

My Park Tools PCS-10 workstand should be arriving today. I will finally be able to work on my own bike when something is amiss. This may not be a good thing as it will afford me endless opportunities to screw things up. On the other hand, bikes are pretty simple machines; at least compared to motorcycles and cars.
This got me thinking, also a dangerous prospect, that perhaps I should build up my own bike. I might need a real shop to deal with the bottom bracket and headset, but other than that, it shouldn’t be an overwhelming prospect. I’m off to do some research on it.
Aloha!

Starting to the Golden Gate on my Friday

Originally uploaded by StatrixBob

I’d forgotten about this one for a bit, but now that I’m back on a BF kick I thought I’d put it up; again?

Here I am at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco ready to begin my jaunt across the GG Bridge last March (09).

You can see just how much higher my bars were back then. Now they are must lower and I’m a bit more streamlined. 🙂
Aloha!

Apparently Lynette gives as good (perhaps even better) than she gets. I sent her a my homage of her pose at Makapu`u and she kindly posted it on her Bike Friday page.

Merci beaucoup!
Here’s the gal herself…

Aloha!

For some folks Honolulu to Kailua and back is not a long ride; it’s really only about 60 miles. But until this weekend, 35 miles is about the most I’ve ridden in a day. I ride about 10 miles a day regularly and often will ride 25 on weekends, but this was a step up. My total for the day was actually about 70 miles as I live a couple of miles away from Kapiolani Park and I added some distance running errands on both ends.
I’m not a “fitness” rider, a racer, or anything even remotely close; I stop a lot and take pictures or simply take in the view. The most proper description of me is “commuter” as I ride to and from work and most everywhere else in town.
I left my house around 6:00am riding my Green Gear Green Dual Drive NWT. Recently, thanks to help from the list, I lowered my slightly too high handlebars and swapped out my stock saddle for the Brooks B-17 I acquired a couple of months ago. I’d broken it in on my “I’ll live if you steal it” commuter bike. The commuter bike now sports a Brooks B-68 useful for sitting even more upright in city traffic than the B-17. The B-17 was the right choice for this ride though, never giving me any reason to wish I had something else.
After slow warm-up to the University of Hawaii area I was joined by my riding partner and off we went around Diamond Head.
I really should give kudos to the aforementioned Cam (a list member) who gave me some route tips for the ride. We followed most them and had a great time.
The morning was a bit grey and we had a few showers along the way. Nothing major or even soaking, more of a cool mist which was really quite pleasant.
When we got to Hawaii Kai we stopped for refreshments, coffee, muffins, and bananas, before heading off towards Sandy Beach and Waimanalo. Avoiding “Heartbreak Hill” (Hawaii Kai Drive over a saddle between a ridgeline and Koko Head creater) we opted for a longer but less steep side street. I don’t do hills, but the NWT is geared low enough that it wasn’t a problem. Dog walkers were passing me, but I was on my bike and heading up. 🙂
Okay, no dog walkers actually passed me.
Then it was down to Sandy Beach followed by another climb up to the Makapu`u lookout. Here’s an image of me there doing my best Gal from Down Under imitation there (the BF site has a shot of Lynette at the same location: http://bikefriday.com/sites/default/files/images/lyn-mokapu-fence.preview.jpg):
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3307/3666957431_01ececd1d5.jpg
There’s a wee bit of road without a shoulder headed down from the lookout to the entrance to Sea Life Park. It pays to wait till there are no cars coming and then hit it. Given that my center of balance is above the restraining wall I was a little leery of riding close to the edge there. It’s over quickly though.
Then it was off down the road to Waimanalo Beach Park where I had the only trouble of the day. There is, sadly, quite a bit of broken glass on the shoulders here on Oahu and I guess I picked up a piece because I had a flat on my rear tire as we were fronting the park. I’d brought spare tubes and my pump, but to my chagrin I’d left a 15mm wrench at home; I had no way of removing my rear wheel. The Dual Drive is bolted on so unless I could find a wrench I was out of luck.
As we say here, “lucky we live Hawaii.” I’m happy to report the aloha spirit is alive and well. There was a local family setting up shop with sun canopies, grills, and more and every one of their pickup trucks had a big toolbox. I had no trouble borrowing a wrench and getting the wheel off. It was the first time I’d dealt with fixing a flat on the Dual Drive and I expected it to be far more difficult then it was. In fact it was really no problem at all except for the missing wrench.
The folks I’d borrowed the wrench from were amused that we were biking from Honolulu to Kailua, even though it’s a fairly normal event out. They asked all the usual questions about the NWT’s 20″ wheels. “No,” I explained, “I don’t have to pedal twice as much.” 🙂
After thanking them profusely, and making a note to buy a wrench for the return trip, we were off for the back roads of Waimanalo. It’s nice to get off the main highway as the traffic on weekends is somewhat relentless. It’s safe enough, but I’d rather not look at the tail end of hundreds of cars if I can skip it.
Reemerging from the cool green of the Waimanalo countryside after too few miles off the main track, we were back on Kalaniana`ole and off to Kailua. After the final hill we turned on to Keolu Drive and headed down to Kailua Beach Park. The area of Kailua we were going through is having a lot of work done on the roads, so there are detours and many steel plates, but the sun was coming out and it was dry so we didn’t worry too much about slipping or falling into bottomless puddles.
Even given our frequent stops and my flat we’d made good time arriving on time for the picnic we’d planned on attending. The weather had cleared up, the Sun was out, and the ocean was warm and inviting; I’d brought trunks and even a towel. As you might guess, I don’t worry too much about weight, I’ve lost about 70 lbs. since I started biking just over a year ago, so believe me, a towel, fresh socks and such for the return are nothing.
The ride back was uneventful, no more flats or other drama. We did detour into Kailua proper to pick up a wrench for the return, but it was, thankfully, unneeded.
It seemed to us that we made better time overall on the way back. Perhaps it was the wind at our backs, but agreed we were faster. Of course I’m only speaking about the time we were actually riding. We still stopped along the way more than once to take in the view, get some cold drinks, and once back to Hawaii Kai, visit one of my aunts for a few minutes.
Aside from the flat tire, my NWT worked beautifully the entire time. The gearing, a stock 24 gear Dual Drive setup, was perfect for me. And now that I’ve got the geometry tweaked a bit more, the bike is even more comfortable than it was when I got it back in October of last year. Mine is a custom for a heavier rider (though I’m now about 35lbs lighter than when I got it last October) and I’d measured my other bike for the fit. But that bike has been tweaked as well since I ordered the NWT so they are both moving targets.
After taking my NWT to Mexico City and the Bay Area, I can finally say I’ve given it a good workout at home. It won’t be the last either, I’m already planning to do it again soon.

Cool beans. I made it from Honolulu to Kailua, and despite some snickering from the peanut gallery, back.

That’s me on my way here, just before heading down on the scariest part of the ride. Luckily it’s brief.

I finally broke down today and ordered a workstand for my bikes. I’d wanted to get a tool box full of bike tools as well, but I didn’t quite have the cash to make it happen. Indeed, I had no cash at all. This particular purchase is being funded from the sale of my iPhone 2G.
I tried a service called NextWorth.com. They make selling unused gadgets pretty darn painless. I can’t remember which major blog I’d read about them on, but suffice to say, there was one. While I suppose I might have been able to get more for my old iPhone, this was painless; right down to “free” mailing.
Anyway, I choose to be payed for my old phone in a credit for Amazon. That’s why I can finally get my stand. And that workstand is the Park Tools PCS-10.

I’ve also got the Park Tools Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair – 2nd Ed. and a handlebar holder to keep the front end straight while working…

I’m using the free Super Saver Shipping so it’ll be a while!
Aloha!