My first “real” bike was a joke — a $5 ten-speed I picked up at a garage sale with two flat tires when I was 14 and was cursed with endless mechanical maladies. Since 1993 my bicycles of choice have almost always been Cannondales. But it was that first ten-speed that kicked off my love affair with the bicycle.
This week’s issue of NextNC is very cool because it contains pages and pages of information about cycling in Northern Colorado. Also, you can see Canny, Carrie, and me in there in addition to a couple of articles written by yours truly.
You can download these files: photos + Bike Fair essay (PDF, 1.41 MB) and my article on the Ultimate Commuter Bike (PDF, 806 KB).
My Cannondale family expands again. This time I picked up a late 90s “flaming yellow” F700. The bicycle — like Carrie the Commuter Bike — is comprised of a CAAD3 frame, but this one is the mountain bike version. Yes, finally I own a real mountain bike! Continue reading »
Slowly but surely my vehicles are getting back on the road. This weekend was Venise’s turn — a.k.a. Reynolds Wishbone #35, or simply “the ‘bent.” Perhaps you are wondering, why did it take so long?
After all, its last ride was almost 1.5 years ago, during the Lodi Sunrise Century. A couple of months after that 100-miler, I sold the home in Fremont, dismantled the recumbent, and embarked on the Great American Road Trip. Upon settling down in Fort Collins, I gradually reassembled the bicycle, but never completed it. Until now.
The problem was a lack of parts. Continue reading »
At last, Canny has a little sister! She is a 1998 Cannondale CAAD3, introduced when Cannondale started working with the Italian cycling team, Team Saeco, which was led by super-sprinter Mario Cipollini. Her name will be Carrie, since in addition to being a rapid in-town commuter bike and test mule (when I start prototyping some parts), she will be “carrying” groceries and such. 
Continue reading »
A 10-year tribute to Canny, my faithful 1992 Cannondale 3.0. In the last decade she has ridden numerous centuries and double centuries, a few Ironman triathlons, Paris-Brest-Paris, and explored foreign lands in addition to shuttling me to classes and running errands during college. My most beloved machine of all time, period. The photo tribute is here!
After 4 years of being on loan to my cousin, The Tank returns, intended for use as an eco-friendly commute vehicle. It gets its name from being virtually indestructible; e.g., just 1 flat tire in 7 years and about 2500 miles. It also has survived a crash or two with nary a scratch going down Mission Peak in Fremont, CA.
Raleigh UK has a long an storied history, producing bicycles since 1898. Unfortunately, due to financial troubles, the company stopped manufacturing in volume shortly after the start of the new millenium. Raleigh now seems to be back on its feet because I’ve seen several shops recently that sell Raleigh bicycles once again.
In 2006, my Raleigh M300 — despite residing (the bike, that is) in California the entire year — engaged in a number of adventures. First was trying to keep up with Peggy and her time trial bike in the 100-km Giro d’Peninsula, The Tank’s longest ride ever. Then during a 3-week period in October when I was visiting people in CA, the bike performed about 200 miles of commuter duty. The Tank and I also did a gorgeous 28-mile mountain bike ride in Stevens Canyon with Ken and Jim.
More photos are here of The Tank.
