Transit Interface

Afternoon Exploration

2012-02-09T18:56:00.000-08:00

I had some free time between classes, and so I decided to go thrash around in the woods. I donned my denim cycling kit, tightened my boot laces, and headed out.

I found evidence of "single track" in use. It's sketchy and overgrown, but it's enough to provide a bit of afternoon entertainment.

The locals were kind enough to construct a makeshift bridge, which leads you to "The Island".

On the island, you can find remnants of some old dirt jumps, which should really be fixed up. I couldn't resist the temptation to give the jumps a quick session. After all, I had Primo Tenderizer pedals on the 29er!

I also took this opportunity to play around with the old rangefinder camera I picked up at the antique shop. It's a Petri Computor 35. It takes 35mm film and measures shutter speed electronically. I've been itching to take photos with film again, and I think this is going to be a lot of fun.

Wednesday at The Polodrome

2012-02-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

Excellent games of polo last night. Twelve men and women came out to brave the cold and fight for the ball. Four of them were new to the game and it's great to see more people gaining interest. The Otter is back in action which was great to see as well. Oh, and the rear wheel on The Thruster got "tacoed"... It was only a matter of time really. We're playing again Friday at 9. Come on out!

Thanks Otter

2012-02-07T19:46:00.000-08:00

The Otter spent a month in Ashland, Oregon to obtain a professional wheelbuilding certificate from DT Swiss while adventuring throughout the west coast. Congrats Otter! While there, he mailed me some fantastic coffee from Noble Coffee Roasting that was brewed right in Ashland. It's dark and delicious. One of the best coffees I've had. Thanks buddy! It's good to have ya back too.

If you ever find yourself in the area, stop by and grab some beans!

Road Bike Stunting

2012-02-07T14:14:00.001-08:00

For some reason this really impresses me, like, way more than fixed gear freestyle ever did.

Thruster Thursday with the DKBPL

2012-01-30T16:38:00.000-08:00

Played some INTENSE games of the polo last Thursday. 8 dudes showed up and T-Bernardi was sporting a brand new Thruster Fixed Gear bike, fresh from the department store. He switched out the cranks and it seems like the perfect bike for poloing on a budget. The weather was unseasonably warm again. As you can see, Jakey La Kruze and I took full advantage of the warmth.

¡VIVA LA POLO!

Isväg Lastbilstransporter

2012-01-26T10:18:00.000-08:00

På onsdagen träffade TJ, Gumby, och jag samlades på den officiella högkvarter SFCA midwest divisionen. Rode grus och asfalt. Det var mycket is. Var försiktig där ute!

Vinter Prospektering

2012-01-25T14:18:00.000-08:00

Jag gick ut för att utforska DeKalb. Jag tog några bilder:

New Hangers from Problem Solvers

2012-01-25T11:04:00.000-08:00

The cable hangers included with each set of Paul brakes are as crappy as the brakes are nice. They're probably the cheapest things they could have found. Paul sells some awesome cable hangers separately, but they're just so expensive. I came across these from Problem Solvers and decided they'd be a perfect replacement. They're 50mm wide which allows them to be mounted lower than typical hangers, which gives you even more braking power. I think they look cool too. Their sharp, machined look is a good compliment to the Paul brakes.

Switchback Magazine - Issue 02

2012-01-23T12:15:00.000-08:00

I went over to the local Barnes & Noble the other day and picked up a few magazines. One of them was Switchback. It comes from the people who do Peloton Magazine, but Switchback focuses on mountain biking, gravel riding and the other dirty stuff that we love. The elegant design of this magazine and great photography is what really sets it apart from the typical MTB mags and that's what appeals to me. This issue features articles on Mert Lawwill, the "Godfather of Suspension", a visitors guide to Bend, Oregon, the legend of Gary Bonacker and more.

"S*** Cyclists Say"

2012-01-22T14:28:00.000-08:00

Great video. Don't be one of "those guys"!

!Un Mariachi Caliente¡

2012-01-20T16:43:00.000-08:00

Built up for a lucky customer at NCC: Titanium Salsa Mariachi frame with a Rohloff rear hub, Chub front hub, e*Thirteen cranks, Rock Shox Reba fork, King headset, Thomson stem and post, Salsa Pro Moto carbon bars, Formula hydraulic brakes, etc... This thing is wild!

A few other photos can be seen here at our brand new Tumblr page.

First Cold One of the Year

2012-01-16T17:38:00.000-08:00

Well, we finally got the arctic weather we've all been hoping for. Went out with T.J. and Gumby on Thursday night and tried to get frostbite. We cruised around town and hit the powerline trail, which was very deep with snow (we did a bit of walking). I started to get extremely cold and so T.J. passed me the flask. I took a great big sip of what should have been whiskey. Turns out it was full of tequila... Thanks T.J. (yuck!). We probably rode for 15-20mi and towards the end of it, my fingers and toes were burning with extreme pain. I'm going to be investing in some bar mitts and riding with boots next time! T.J. and Gumby both rode their custom Pugsleys and I was on my single speed GT 29er, which handled surprisingly well with 29x2.35 tires!

Sedonian Adventures with Dean & Co.

2012-01-15T15:18:00.000-08:00

This past week Dean and the crew have been in Sedona, AZ riding Salsa Spearfish and enjoying some spectacular views. Dean has been blogging his balls off about the trip and I've been really thankful for that. Go over to Riding Against the Grain and have a look. He's a great writer and the photos have been really well done too. If you've got time to spare (and you'll need a lot of it), sit down and read all that he has to say.

Polo in January

2012-01-11T17:20:00.000-08:00

Indeed, this has been the strangest midwest winter I have ever experienced. Yesterday was in the upper 50's and 30's at night. This weather certainly makes for some great polo so we're not complaining! Had many games of 3-on-3 last night while wearing our autumn attire.

Full Suspension Mukluk Prototype

2012-01-10T16:59:00.000-08:00

You've probably already seen it by now, but if not, go take a look at what Salsa's up to.

Erik Elstran for Sunday Bikes

2012-01-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Team / Erik Elstran from Sunday Bikes

I haven't posted anything about BMX in an extremely long time. In fact, I can't even remember the last time I rode my BMX bike, and after wrecking my shoulder I don't anticipate getting back to it anytime soon. However, I still enjoy watching a good video from time to time, and this one is exceptional. Erik Elstran displays so much creativity and fun on a bike. A few things confused the hell out of me and a few things made me literally laugh out loud.

Coolest Pugsley Ever

2012-01-07T22:02:00.000-08:00

We recently finished building up Gumby's custom Pugsley at North Central Cyclery. This thing turned out to be so awesome. Note the drilled out Vicious Cycles rims, and yes, that's astroturf lining the inside. Custom paint job with pinstripes, SFCA and Gum Trucking logos. The Surly Nate tires are bad ass too.

Additional shots of the frame can be seen here.

Wednesday Night Gypsy Delirium

2012-01-07T19:18:00.000-08:00

I met up with Jakey La Cruz, Dean, T.J. and Chad G. behind NCC for a good Wednesday night ride. Rode pavement, gravel, and revisited the treacherous Elva Rd., which brought on flashbacks of riding it with a bomber of Yeti Stout in one hand on The Great Fatbike Gypsy Caravan that occurred last summer. Elva road was full of frozen ruts and a bit of crunchy ice, which made getting out of the ruts a challenge. The Nature Boy handled it very well and I can't stop talking about how much I love this bike. The fit is just perfect and it rolls so smooth. I believe we all got in about 40mi that night and the year seems to be off to a great start.

T.J. and his Trek Ion, Dean and the Titanium Salsa Vaya, and Chad with his Salsa Casseroll. Jakey was also riding a Casseroll.

The All-City and Elva Rd.

Turbo Tuesday: Misión Solo

2012-01-04T13:13:00.000-08:00

The Otter was feeling under the weather, T.J. was shuffling data in the laboratory, La Kruze was tending to an ill otter, and so I decided to go out and do Turbo Tuesday alone. I don't typically ride alone but I just couldn't resist the All-City.

I headed out at about 9 after carefully selecting my winter garments. I wore a shortsleeve jersey, a longsleeve Pearl Izumi wool jersey and my Nike thermal cycling jacket. On my head I wore a Bontrager balaclava, glasses and a nice hat which I received at Frostbike. My face and head were not cold at all. I also wore the basic bib shorts with Bontrager thermal tights, Pearl Izumi toe covers and Louis Garneau booties. I threw on a pair of cutoff shorts which really helped keep the wind off my thighs and kept me very comfortable. It was around 25 degrees outside with wind and I hardly felt cold at all. Towards the end of the ride, my feet got a bit cold, but thats almost inevitable. Although, I neglected to wear the thicker wool socks, so any discomfort was partially my fault. I also wore a backpack. I have found that I enjoy wearing a backpack in the winter. If anything, it just keeps you warmer and lets you carry fun stuff, like an SLR camera that you can play with when you get tired.

I rode 10 miles from my apartment to the Great Western Trailhead, then about 10 miles out on the trail. After I got tired of riding into the wind I turned back, ending the ride with about 40mi total on the single speed. I thought a lot about Ari while riding the trail. He would have been out there too, every Tuesday night, no matter what. We shared many good laughs on that trail and heard many great stories. On my way home I passed the former SFCA headquarters and shed a single tear, which immediately froze to my cheek.

Tyler's New Big Block

2011-12-30T20:48:00.000-08:00

The Otter recently acquired a slightly used All-City Big Block with orange deep-V rims and an 8 speed Nexus hub. He switched the wheels over to his Cross Check for winter riding and turned the Big Block into an awesome road stallion. It rides nice! Hopefully someone around here will get a Space Horse and we'll have a whole fleet of All-Citys.

Nature Boy Redux

2011-12-27T10:43:00.000-08:00

Almost two months ago I had posted about having my brand new All-City Nature Boy stolen, only about a week after completing the build. I had never even got around to doing a "formal" post about the bike itself. I loved that thing though and I was beyond bummed out when it disappeared. Shortly after, I was shocked to find that Tobie and Frank of North Central Cyclery had combined forces to order me up a brand new frame and several generous locals had donated money and parts in order to get me back on the Nature Boy. I was blown away by everyone's generosity and I can't thank those people enough. I now have an incredible bike that has been built up the way I had originally intended it to be built.

Here's the parts list:

Shimano wheels (Thanks to Jeff Halverson)
DMR spacer kit with 16t cog
Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires (old tires I had, probably temporary)
TruVative Elita cranks with 39t ring (Thank you Llama)
Paul Touring canti on rear Neo-Retro canti on front
Chris King headset (Thanks to T.J.)
Thomson x4 stem
Salsa Cowbell bars
Lizard Skins DSP (1.8) bar tape (possibly my new favorite)
TRP RRL SR Retro Levers ( they feel great and in my opinion they look fantastic)
Salsa seatpost (Thanks to Dean)
Selle Italia Turbo Saddle
Salsa stainless bottle cages

Weight is around 23lbs with the world's heaviest tires.

Thanks again to Tobie, Frank, Dean, Jeff, T.J, Tyler, Chad and all others who helped out. I'll be thinking of you every time I ride it. Getting your bike stolen sucks. Lock it up no matter what!

Happy Holidays

2011-12-26T22:48:00.001-08:00

Hope y'all had a good one.

Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

2011-12-17T14:53:00.000-08:00

New video from Arcade Fire for their song Sprawl II. The Arcade Fire is a mutually loved band within the Slender Fungus Cycling Association and this video is as weird and wonderful as you could expect. They also have a very interesting interactive version up on their website. Check it out!

Turbo Thursday

2011-12-16T19:02:00.000-08:00

Turbo Tuesday was moved to Thursday this week. We were joined by the Otter, the T.J., Joel and Derek. We rolled out of the secret meeting place in gypsy formation at about 9pm and rode a labyrinth of a course, led by T.J. We took a quick break in a giant shed filled with hay bales and gravel, where we refueled with my friend Joe's homebrewed pumpkin ale and some Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA. We then continued the ride, enjoying every bit of the cold wind burning our faces 'til we arrived at Ye Olde Annex for some pizza and pitchers. A wonderful time was had, and now that the semester has come to an end for me, I hope to get out for more of these rides. The Slender Fungus Cycling Association lives on in DeKalb County.

Adventures in Milwaukee

2011-12-12T18:41:00.000-08:00

Not long ago I visited Milwaukee to see the band Beirut at the Turner Hall Ballroom. While in Milwaukee I stopped off at Ben's Cycle. The shop is full of awesome stuff, including many Milwaukee Bike Co. builds, which are handmade in Waterford. I grabbed a few pics with my crappy cellphone camera.

This Gan Well Pro track bike with Dura-Ace was just beautiful.

A nice Milwaukee road bike with 105.

Another Milwaukee, set up as a type of randonneur bike, reminded me of my own Surly Pacer.

Beirut is a fantastic band and their performance may have been one of the best I've seen. I wasn't able to bring a camera into the music venue and I had left my cellphone in the car, but the show went a little something like this:

Beirut - My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille from beirut on Vimeo.

Necromancing the Stone

2011-12-05T20:07:00.000-08:00

We recently built up a couple of the new Surly Necromancers. They share similarities to the stock Pugsley build but with the wider Rolling Darryl rims for a bigger footprint, Surly Mr. Whirly Offset Double crankset with 2 rings and thumb shifters. Obviously, it's all black too. Wooooo! The fatbikes are flying out the doors here at NCC. Come get em' while they're hot!

P.S. Moonlanders are here too.

Gumby's Custom Pugsley Frameset

2011-11-29T11:31:00.000-08:00

I intended to post this a while back, but now's as good a time as any. This is Gumby's custom painted Slender Fungus/Gum Trucking Edition Surly Pugsley (if you didn't know, Gum Trucking is his company and that skull is their logo). It's going to be built up with an apple green Brooks B17, green hubs and other bits to match the painted graphics. I can't wait to see this thing when it's done!

H Plus Son Rims - TB14

2011-11-21T20:44:00.000-08:00

I recently had the chance to check out these rims as they were being laced up for a customer at the shop. They're really quite awesome. It's a classic looking box section rim with double eyelets and a sweet valve badge. Hard anodized after machining. Retail is about $80. Buy them!

POLO POLO POLO!

2011-11-15T12:34:00.000-08:00

A few recent polo photos for your enjoyment:

We recently celebrated the One Year Anniversary of the DeKalb Bike Polo League with a "Winter Formal". We all had a great time reminiscing about games past and talking about how far we've come and how polo has brought us all together. One year ago we were riding around a parking lot hitting a ball of duct tape through goals made from McDonald's bags.

NASA Time Lapse of Earth

2011-11-14T20:45:00.000-08:00

"Time lapse sequences of photographs taken by Ron Garan, Satoshi Furukawa
and the crew of expedition 28 & 29 onboard the International Space Station from
August to October, 2011, who to my knowledge shot these pictures at an altitude
of around 350 km."

I thought this video was worth watching, at least part of it. Check out the lightening. Our planet is pretty awesome.

Monday Remedy

2011-11-07T11:17:00.000-08:00

Alleviate your Monday unease with the latest Siki Siki Baba remix by Gaetano Fabri. I really enjoy all of the bizarre imagery, especially the ones of the sperms. Enjoy:

"Blubber Bike"

2011-11-06T22:39:00.000-08:00

Our shop is organizing a snowbike race on January 29th, 11am. It will be held at Afton Forest Preserve in DeKalb, Illinois. Come out for fun snow time. I drew the walrus. T-shirts: maybe.

Weekend Camping

2011-11-06T10:05:00.000-08:00

Did some camping this weekend at Starved Rock. The fall is always the best time of the year to camp. It got a bit cold at night, but the fire and wool kept us warm. Photos:

Nature Boy, Where Are You!? (My bike was stolen)

2011-11-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

So, I had mentioned earlier that I would do a post talking about how great All-City's Nature Boy frame is, but that might not be happening anymore because it was stolen two nights ago. Yes, that's right, I no longer have the frameset, or my Thomson stem or King headset or vintage Concor saddle or favorite pair of Time pedals. It's all gone and I still can't believe it. Our relationship was short and sweet. I only got about 2 or 3 really good rides on the bike, but those were some fantastic rides! If I never get this bike back, I would still buy another one.

So anyways, Tuesday night Jakey La Cruz, Tyler and I decided to stop by the former Slender Fungus Cycling Association world headquarters in Sycamore, Illinois to bid Ari farewell and have a few drinks with him before he left to New York. We were hanging out in the garage for most of the night with the bikes leaned up against the wall in the garage. He lives in a very peaceful and fairly remote neighborhood where people rarely pass through. We stepped inside for maybe less than an hour. At midnight we decided to roll out. We returned to the garage to get on our bikes, only to find that mine was no longer there. We filed a police report and roamed the neighborhood searching for clues. Hopefully it turns up one day, but until then, keep your eyes open!

If you are reading this and miraculously happen upon my bike or see it posted somewhere on the internet, please let me know!

Phone# 312.217.3201
Email Erics087@yahoo.com

Turbo Tuesday - Farewell Ari

2011-10-31T10:03:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've had a lot to post about lately, just haven't found the time to do it. Work, class, polo and bike riding have all overridden my willingness to do so. Anyways, The last few Turbo Tuesdays were the last we will be sharing with Ari, our mentor and leader of the great Slender Fungus Cycling Association. By this time tomorrow I assume he'll be well on his way to the greener pastures of Syracuse, where he and his family will be living from now on. We will all miss him dearly and think about him often. These rides just won't be the same without his company, but we'll do our best to continue in the tradition which he taught us. I feel like I've learned more from that guy than I have anyone else and I only hope that we stay in touch and eventually meet up again for some good painful rides and drinks of whiskey.

Our last 2 rides ranged from 60-50mi. We were joined by Jakey La Cruz and the River Otter. I've been riding this new All-City Nature Boy and absolutely loving it. There will probably be an entire post about the bike soon.

See ya later dude. Keep "makin' it nice".

Mukluks Galore

2011-10-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

Recently we've been hard at work building up all the new Mukluk 2's we just got in. Actually, you could say that we are Fatbike Central here at the shop, with more Mukluks in stock than the Llama has eyelashes. We've got Salsa Mukluk 2's and 3's as well as Surly Pugsleys and the new Revelate/Salsa Mukluk frame bags (which are made in the USA and are really incredible). Come and get 'em before it snows. I hear this winter's snowfall is going to top last year's. Bring on the suffering!

Psychocross in Wauconda, IL

2011-10-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

Tyler and I accompanied T.J. in Wauconda to watch him participate in the "Psychocross" races. He decided to ride his Pugsley because he just can't get enough of that bike. The race took place at night and all riders were asked to bring their own lights. It was a cool experience to watch a race at night and we had a lot of fun yelling at T.J. He did pretty well too, considering he was on a Pugsley, placing in the upper half of his category. There was a restaurant/bar on sight were we were treated to some delicious fish fry and a Fleetwood Mac cover band. An excellent night indeed!

Polo Pics

2011-10-17T20:28:00.000-07:00

The polo has been going strong lately. Turnout has been great with 10 people showing up at times. Last week we even played in the rain and I found some time to snap some photos. Here are a few that turned out well enough.

Tyler has fled the country and will be absent all week, but there will still be poloing to be done. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we meet at 9. Jakey La Cruz will provide the mallets. You bring the port.

Turbo Tuesday (Sans Ari)

2011-10-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

Met up at 9pm last Tuesday for our SFCA Turbo Tuesday night ride. We did about 54mi round trip, riding to Belvedere to visit Tyler's lady. For the first time in history, our leader (and president of the SFCA) was absent. He has been in the process of relocating to help spread the word of the Slender Fungus. More about that later...

Tyler, Jake and Agatha on our way home from Belvedere.

We stopped off at The Annex, the official watering hole of the SFCA, for some post-ride refreshments to go.

Hopkins Park Cyclocross

2011-10-10T20:26:00.000-07:00

Last weekend DeKalb hosted part of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup at Hopkins Park. Turnout was excellent with around 650 riders, including our very own T.J. who raced very well for his first race ever. We all had a blast watching the races, yelling at people and drinking copious amounts of beer. It was great to just hanging out with good friends all day and enjoy the beautiful weather. Actually, I was having too much fun to take as many photos as I usually do, but I feel like I still got a few good ones!

There are probably a few more over on the Flickr gallery.

A Fantastic Week of Polo

2011-10-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

We spent many nights last week playing the polo. Drinks were drank, spokes were broke and great times were had. The turnout has been fantastic with at least 6 people playing most of the time and our new court has been proving itself to be perfect, offering numerous amenities such as heated vents, 24 hour lighting, riverside view, and a nice ledge to park the bikes. Games are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 9pm this week. For more info, go to http://barbcitydandies.blogspot.com/

Come on out. Bring some Campari and the worst bike you've got!

Turbo Tuesday - Port Wine Peloton

2011-09-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

Six members of the Slender Fungus Cycling Association assembled at Ari's again for another fantastic night ride. Ari, Gumby, Tyler, Jake, T.J. and myself all rode the soggy gravel out to Kirkland and back to Sycamore. Jakey took out the port wine and we formed a peloton, taking swigs and passing the bottle up and over.

T.J. was sprinting away on his beloved new Trek Ion, earning himself the name "Waterloo Wonderboy". The Ion really is an awesome bike though.

Check out Gumby's custom S.F.C.A. mudflaps, with "Slayer" style lettering:

Jake with the port. Notice that he is steering the bike with only 1 finger.

Myself, already wearing the winter tights.

We've got a busy weekend coming up. The Hopkins Park Cyclocross race is this Sunday. Come out and see the races or just help us build that Flyover!

Autumn is Upon Us

2011-09-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! Colder temperatures, crisp air, shorter days, no mosquitos... What's not to love!? This is quite possibly my favorite season and I hope to be spending a lot of time outside, both on and off the bike. Turbo Tuesdays and Bike Polo are happening regularly. Come out, drink port and have some fun.

We've got some exciting events in the works so stay tuned.

DKBPL - DeKalb Bike Polo League

2011-09-26T00:23:00.000-07:00

Bike polo continues to happen in DeKalb, thanks to Tyler, our polo crusader and quesadilla chef. I've been trying to get out and play as often as I can recently and it's been lots-o-fun.

Check for schedules, entertainment and information here.

Come out and play! Any bike will do! BYOB!

Turbo Tuesday

2011-09-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

The Turbo Tuesdays are occurring regularly again, at their previously scheduled time of 9pm. (As soon as the shop starts closing earlier for the fall/winter season we will ride at 8:30). Ari, Alex, Tyler, Jakey La Cruz and I all met up at the Slender Fungus Cycling Association World Headquarters and rode out to Campton Hills with about 50mi round trip. Tyler added about 10 more onto that, giving himself a metric on the fixed gear bike. Way to go Trevor!

Ari got a flat. No crystals were found.

Snacks in St. Charles.

Some interesting graffiti at the trailhead:

This nice girl was painting this cool mural at 1am in Sycamore. She saw we had just finished a ride and approached us offering water and refreshments. When she left, I realized how brave she must have been to just walk up to 5 weird guys standing by the woods in the middle of the night...

Shots from the Shop

2011-09-21T00:04:00.000-07:00

Mukluk Building:

Quesadilla Making:

New Trek District; A pretty neat little bike:

We're Still Nocturnal

2011-09-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted any night riding photos in a while, so here are a few crappy ones from the cell phone. The first are from our recent Turbo Tuesday ride. Ari, Gumby, T.J., Jakey La Cruz, Alex and Myself were all in attendance. Rode out to St. Charles and picnic'ed at the gas station.

Thursday night bike polo:

Weekend Pictorials

2011-09-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

The second annual Middlewest Music Fest happened in DeKalb this weekend. The shop hosted a few acoustic acts this time, all of which were fantastic. After hangin at the shop, I headed over to another venue to catch Maps & Atlases. Unfortunately I somehow missed them but I stayed for The Tossers and beers/whiskies with Trevor and Jakey La Cruz. Good times were had by all.

Sunday was spent getting lost in the woods of the Northwest suburbs. I met up with friends Eric and Ben. We cruised around and discovered some "secret" singletrack in the local preserve. (It was a bit more interesting that what the photo depicts)

The weather has been fantastic lately and I plan to take advantage of it as much as possible.

Space Horse?

2011-09-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

Looks like All-City has something awesome in the works again. I'm anxious to see this one.

More here.

Mike Jonas / DEFGRIP

2011-09-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

This is without a doubt the best BMX edit I've seen in a while. Mike Jonas has a really unique style, and you just don't find that very often anymore. If you're not paying close attention, it's easy to miss all the little no-handers and crossbar-grabs that he incorporates into tricks.

Brought to you by DEFGRIP.

Brompton - Now Available at NCC

2011-09-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

As you can see, they're really quite durable. Come into the shop and test one out.

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-06T20:55:00.000-07:00

Spent the entire day under the influence of sunlight and fresh air. I took the dog out for a hike at Busse Woods and ended up doing about 10miles (I think that was the longest walk either of us had been on. The next day my body felt nearly the same as if I had ran 5 miles the day before). We explored some interesting areas of the park and found some "secret spots" for hangin. Afterwards, I came home to a delicious grilled salmon dinner at my parent's house. What a day...

Gypsy Caravan Recap

2011-08-31T21:04:00.000-07:00

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

To say the ride was fun is an extreme understatement. Food was shared, drinks were drank, and good times were had. I rode my single speed GT 29'er and there were about 5 fatbikes present, 2 Surly Big Dummies, and a few other 29'ers. We rode about 40mi of pavement gravel and dirt. It was messy and beautiful. Special thanks to T.J. and Ari for the concept and organization. Photos above.

New Surly Stuff

2011-08-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

New Surly stuff coming soon. Insanity. Check it out here.

The Fatbike Gypsy Caravan Ride

2011-08-24T19:08:00.001-07:00

I present to you all an invitation to join us on the "Fatbike Gypsy Caravan Ride", created by T.J. and Ari.

This ride will meet behind the NCC bike shop and roll just after 5pm this Friday.

Bring your fatbike if you have one. If you don't have one, bring a MTB or 29er. If you don't have one of those then just bring whatever.

It will be a relatively short ride (around 40mi), but it will be through some rough terrain (dirt/gravel). We will find a nice place to stop halfway. There we can enjoy some good food and drink. Bring snacks to share and don't forget the booze!

Also, no jerseys allowed. This is a "fun" "casual" ride. Wear something "gypsy inspired" if you'd like.

Don't try to be the fastest gypsy on the road.

See you there! Oh, and here's the route.

The Skooler Legacy

2011-08-24T11:35:00.000-07:00

I thought this was pretty funny, and well done too.

Seen on Surfstation.

The Sanction Rucksack, by Mission Workshop

2011-08-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Earlier this summer I received this bag as an extremely generous birthday gift and I've been meaning to post of it's awesomeness. I've been using it on a daily basis since then and I really enjoy having it. It's made in the USA from extremely durable weather resistant materials and offers a lifetime warranty to back it up. It has numerous pockets with urethane coated zippers for more delicate materials and the main compartment is the perfect size for a 12 case of beer. It feels comfortable enough to wear all day while keeping your back relatively cool. It's small enough to use daily and big enough to hold all your stuff. Get one!

Check out the Sanction and their other awesome bags here.

Rapha Continental - Moots Factory Tour

2011-08-14T17:24:00.001-07:00

This is awesome.

Single Speed Rigid 29er's: All the Rage

2011-08-12T17:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally got myself a mountain bike. It's a 4130 steel single speed 29er made by GT. They call it the "Peace 9'er". GT wouldn't have necessarily been my first choice when selecting a 29er, but an awesome deal arose (thanks to my friend Billy) and I had to jump on it. This bike has barely been used and came mostly stock, except for the 20t Surly cog (hell yeah!). I soon added a pink Salsa seat collar, Ergon Biokork grips, my old Brooks Swift saddle, Time pedals and a Salsa bottle cage. The bike seems practically indestructible and it handles extremely well.

Earlier this week Jeffrey and I took our bikes out to Rock Cut in a rainstorm and gave them a ride they were probably never expecting. It held up pretty well considering we rode upstream through rivers of mud. This photo depicts the aftermath:

Ari just built up a titanium single speed Salsa Selma frame with parts off his Surly 1x1. The bike looks HOT and weighs just over 23lbs with no lightweight components. He'll be joining us at the trails soon enough.

Read more about his build and frame specs on his blog.

Spearfish at North Central Cyclery

2011-08-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

Come into the shop and check out this awesome bike.

Rock Cut with Jeffrey

2011-08-04T23:53:00.000-07:00

Went to Rock Cut with Jeff and Mattias last Friday. This was actually the first time I had ever really been mountain biking. I didn't have a bike of my own and so I ended up borrowing the shop's Surly Pugsley. It was awesome. That bike rode really well. It had a lot of stability yet I was able to keep up with the other guys (Jeff is an animal on the MTB. I swear I saw him catch at least a foot of air once). The Pugsley is definitely more than just a "snow bike". Rock Cut was a lot of fun though, and the park is only about 40 minutes away driving. It's really quite attainable and I hope to go more often.

The Fruit Loop Ride Report

2011-08-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

The Fruit Loop was hands down the most epic ride I have ever been on or will ever experience for a long time. It is difficult to even find words to describe what happened, yet I'll attempt to anyways.

We left promptly at 4am. There were 8 of us that left from Ari's in Sycamore, IL. We rode into the sunrise towards Oregon, IL. Once there, the llama stopped to drop some dung in a bush. Fortunately, Mike (of Bonk King fame) had brought a packet of Wet-Ones wipes with him and saved the llamas bib shorts. 50 miles in a few of the guys turned back to finish the ride with an even 100mi.

We kept riding until we got to Polo, IL, where we met up with our new friend and shop customer, Paul. Paul is a super cool guy and we were all glad that he decided to join us. His goal was to make it back to Polo with 200mi. The terrain got progressively hillier as we rode. I faced climbs that I had never yet experienced on a bike. I shifted into the lowest gear I had and at times that wasn't even enough. I only walked once, and I was afraid my knees would have exploded had I not. I was really glad that I had swapped my stock cassette on the Surly Pacer for an 11-32t and installed a Deore derailer. The lower gears saved my life. We rested in Savanna, IL and Ari's kids got a ride home there. They both reached their goals of 90mi. Congrats to Alex and Franny.

During a downhill section, Paul's seatbag detached and fell into his seatstay, wedging into the tire and locking up the wheel. He skidded downward and wore out a huge patch in the tire down to the threading. He thought he might have to call it quits, but he rode carefully all the way to Galena without trouble. In Galena we stopped Fever River Outfitters, a bike shop which, to our surprise, was open. There he purchased a brand new Continental tire. We sat down at a local bar for burgers and soda, then went on our way home.

We rode into nightfall. When the sun went down, we were relieved from the sun and heat, giving us a huge boost of energy and taking the cramps away. We rode quickly all the way to Mt. Morris, IL. There we refueled at a gas station just before close. Paul decided to throw in the towel with about 130mi done- a personal record for himself. The Llama layed down and bonked. He decided to curl up and finish the ride in the morning after a nap.

Jay, Ari and I pushed on, determined to get home. I struggled to stay awake. I kept myself from looking at the total mileage and getting impatient. I only looked at the time. Knowing we had to be at work in the morning only made me ride faster. When I started nodding off I at more Honey Stinger Ginsting gel and drank more water. I was so tired of being on the bike at this point but was comforted by the thought that only about 60mi remained. My butt was sore and I wanted more than anything to be home laying in my bed. My light's battery died and Ari lent me an extra. I also ran out of food and water. Riding though the night was a disorienting experience and I felt that I may have started hallucinating. When the sun came up I felt much better. Anxious to finish, we raced home and arrived at Ari's just after 6am with 255mi. completed. I then drove home, took a quick shower, slept for 70 minutes, took another shower and went off to work.

I still find it hard to believe that I sat on my bike for 26 hours straight. 3 days later and I'm still recovering.

If I were to do this again I would bring an extra battery for my light and more food. (I ended up taking only 8 gels and 4 bars). I would also bring an MP3 player. Some VeloBeats could have helped keep me alert after 3am.

Fruit Loop Preparations

2011-07-30T00:23:00.000-07:00

The Fruit Loop is this Sunday. There is only one day until the ride and I find myself wondering how I got talked into this. I'm trying not to regret my decision to ride about 250mi on Sunday and attempting to remain optimistic. As long as I want to do it, I should be able to do it. It will be mainly a mental challenge and I believe that I'm up to it.

I've been using this frame pack from Jandd for a while now and it's proven to be extremely useful. It can hold more stuff than I expected and it helps to keep things out of my jersey pockets. At only about $30 retail, there is no reason not to get one.

I think I've decided on what to pack with me: Lots of Honey Stinger "Ginsting"gels (with caffeine), a mini pump from PDW, cash, ID card (in case I die (just kidding)), check card, rain jacket in case it rains or gets cold in the morning/at night, multi tool, E-lete, cell phone, toe strap (to keep the jacket rolled up or tie anything up that may need it). All of that will be going in this frame pack, except for my spare tubes, Co2 cartridges, patches and tire levers, which will go in the seat bag. I'll keep 2 bottles of water on my bike and a third in my jersey pocket because it is probably going to be very hot and who knows how many opportunities for refilling we'll get.

I'm really looking forward to this ride. I think we're going to have a lot of fun.

The Dear Hunter @ The House Cafe

2011-07-25T22:09:00.000-07:00

The Dear Hunter came and played a show at The House Cafe this past weekend. I watched them with Tyler while enjoying a few drinks and snapping some photos.

P.S. The Fruit Loop is this Sunday! Get Ready!!!

Turbo Tuesday with Team Radio Shack

2011-07-21T19:14:00.001-07:00

The SFCA gathered Tuesday night for our weekly ride. We all donned the old Team Radio Shack jerseys (which were purchased at a great discount from Trek) while riding about 50mi of crushed limestone trails and gravel roads on our heavy steel bikes. Ironic? funny? awesome? You decide.

Tuesday Night Rendezvous with Jeffrey

2011-07-21T18:49:00.000-07:00

Went out on Tuesday for a nice spin with Jeff, of NCC fame. It may have actually been the first time we've rode together, with the exception of a few Saturday morning cruises to the coffee shop. We met at a secret park bench at 8:30 and rode about 40mi, finishing around 11pm. I enjoyed our ride together and I hope he decides to join us for night rides more often. In this heat, riding at night is the way to go!

Fruit Loop - The Movie

2011-07-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

Maybe this video will explain why Ari decided to call his upcoming quadruple metric the "Fruit Loop"... or maybe it will just confuse you more. Either way, this is the vision he had and I threw it together for him rather quickly using Adobe After Effects. Enjoy.

The ride takes place on July 31st. We meet at Ari's in Sycamore, IL at 4am.

We will be riding the length of 4 metrics. Bring lights because we shall begin the ride in darkness and end it in darkness.

Roads will mainly be paved but a 700x35c tire is recommended.

If you don't wish to ride 248 miles then you do not have to. You may stop riding whenever you please, but you must find a way to get yourself home.

Anyone is welcome to join! Let us know if your interested by leaving a comment and we'll send you the address. More riders=more fun.

______________________________________

The current roster:

Whiskey Fox
Cookie
Bald Eagle
La Llama
Bonk King
Ari's Offspring (x3)

Myself

July 31st - The Fruit Loop

2011-07-13T22:54:00.000-07:00

<br><a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/41437942">Fruit Loop July 31st, 2011 start time 4 am</a><br/><br><a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?location=Sycamore, IL">Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in Sycamore, IL</a><br>
Join us for nearly 250miles of fun in the saddle on July 31st! Ari just posted the route on his blog. It's going to be mainly pavement, but gravel is possible and cross bikes are recommended. We'll be starting in Sycamore, Illinois and riding out to the Mississippi river and back. This will be my longest ride to date and I'm pretty excited about it. Check Ari's blog for further updates and info.

Mutiny - Heli-Test 1

2011-07-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

Heli Test #1 from Mutiny Bikes on Vimeo.

In this short video, Joe Simon tests out a remote controlled helicopter camera. I'm excited to see more of this! Also, that skatepark looks like it would be so much fun to ride.

Weekend Photos

2011-07-06T11:36:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a great 4th o' July weekend.

Day Off - Gone Fishin'

2011-07-01T22:14:00.000-07:00

Had the day off Wednesday and rode out to Afton Nature Preserve. I packed up the fishing pole and a very small "tackle box":

It's quite a peaceful place and you rarely see other people there. It was nice to just hang out, relax and enjoy the sun.

As usual, no fish were caught, but I ended up losing some equipment which will soon be replaced.

The ride was only about 25mi round trip, but it was a good way to spend the day. I crossed paths with a few other cyclists on my way and it was nice to see others getting out there and riding.

There is talk of a 200+ mile ride occurring July 31st. Updates will be posted!

Turbo Tuesday - Nocturnal Metric

2011-06-29T21:08:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday we set out to ride a metric. We left at 9pm and were joined by a special guest: Tyler (AKA Taylor, Trevor, Tiger, etc.).

It seemed like it was the brightest evening we've had on a ride so far this year and the weather was perfect, although by the end of the night I was wishing for a jacket.

We took a break in Kirkland where Gumby and Tyler turned back and went home. Tyler was in desperate need of sleep and Gumby is still experiencing a lot of pain in his knee.

We stopped to gaze at the stars on more than one occasion. They looked incredible out in the country and I wished my camera could have captured the sight.

We arrived in Cherry Valley a bit after 11pm. By the time we got home it was about 2am and I finished the night with around 63 miles on the fixed gear Steamroller. Excellent ride! See ya next Tuesday. Bring a jacket.

Arcade Fire Presents "Scenes from the Suburbs"

2011-06-27T19:09:00.000-07:00

Arcade Fire is releasing a short film directed by Spike Jonze and inspired by their latest album, The Suburbs. It will be a part of the album's Deluxe Re-issue, available on August 2nd. The Arcade Fire and Spike Jonze really seem like a perfect partnership. I can't wait to see this.

Watch the trailer here.

Sunday Festivities

2011-06-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

Met up with Tobie on sunday morning to support the MS150 ride. We set up the tent and pumped tires/tuned bikes from 7am-10:30. It was interesting to see all the different types of bikes and riders that came out for the event.

...T.J. was one of them.

Something about the dripping paint gives an entirely different meaning to the message written on this van.

After the MS, I headed to Arlington Heights and went fishing with a couple of good friends.

We didn't catch a single fish, but I didn't really expect to. For me, fishing is just an excuse to relax outside by the water and hang out. It was a good time and the weather was perfect.

RXXXL Road Shoes at NCC

2011-06-17T20:32:00.000-07:00

Our Bontrager/Trek rep brought over some new Bontrager RXXXL Limited Edition shoes for us to check out at the shop. These things are pretty wild. Extremely lightweight, ventilated, and comfortable. Retail is about $300. The packaging is equally impressive and I appreciated that.

Panda Bear - Surfer's Hymn

2011-06-16T21:59:00.000-07:00

PANDA BEAR "Surfer's Hymn" from m ss ng p eces on Vimeo.

The new video for the song "Surfer's Hymn" by Panda Bear is both bizarre and creepy, which makes it extremely awesome. It's got skeletons, graveyards, surfing and cool music. What more could you ask for?
M ss ng p eces did a great job with this one.

Day Off at the Skatepark

2011-06-15T21:42:00.000-07:00

Wednesdays are my days off. Today I did some laundry, ran some errands, rode the skatepark and played around with the camera. Here are some images.

Turbo Tuesday - Record Turnout

2011-06-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

Went out last night for the SFCA Turbo Tuesday Night Ride. We had a record turnout: Six riders, including myself, Ari, T.J., Ari's son and daughter and even Gumby! Gumby has been nursing a fake torn meniscus and has been in a lot of pain lately but it was nice to see him back on the bike for a short time.

NiteRider light with CatEye Enduro 8 computer (wired). The wireless computer's signal seems to get interrupted by the NiteRider lights and so a wired computer is the only solution. The Enduro is super tough and has been very reliable so far. No fancy technology, it's just a good computer.
mmm, beef gravy Cross Check...
On the Great Western Trail back to DeKalb.
Typical T.J. antics. It's always good to have him around on rides, especially when he brings the really good whiskey!

Lost Type Co-Op

2011-06-13T19:22:00.001-07:00

This is something that I am pretty excited about. Lost Type Co-op is a website in which you are able to browse through numerous unique and well-crafted typefaces and download them at whatever price you decide to pay. You even have to option of paying nothing. Any money you spend will go directly to the designer of that typeface. Awesome! Look for more in the coming weeks.

Lost Type Co-Op

New Lens and Sweet Bikes

2011-06-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

I finally picked up the new Nikon lens that I've been wanting for a while now. It's been fun to play with and I've taken a few pictures of some cool bikes that are currently in the shop. One is a customer's Bianchi with Columbus Genius tubing. The other is a Ridley being built up for Frank. Expect more photos of the Ridley upon completion.

Trans Iowa: The Movie

2011-06-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

Saw this trailer on Monday. As soon as it ended I said to myself: "this is gonna be f****n awesome..."

Look for Ari at 00:11 and Jay at 01:15

Dirty Kanza Results

2011-06-08T20:43:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Ari, Mark "The Bald Eagle" Baldwin, and Jay "Cookie" Barre of the SFCA raced the Dirty Kanza 200. About 300 started and only about 70 were able to finish. Based on the photos I've seen and stories I heard, I imagine it was an extremely brutal ride this year. Ari did an incredible job and placed 36th in the Open Men's category. Mark did well too placing 42nd and Cookie put in an excellent effort and rode like a maniac. Congratulations to all of you. I commend both your courage and insanity.

View the results here.

Alloy Track Frame from All-City

2011-06-04T23:25:00.000-07:00

Recently I've noticed a few photos a new prototype aluminum track frame from All-City. I must say, this thing looks sweet!

Danny MacAskill Plays Capetown

2011-06-04T18:52:00.000-07:00

Danny MacAskill Plays Capetown (complete video) from leica camera on Vimeo.

New Danny MacAskill video. Filmed with a Leica camera. Looks amazing.

More info here.

The Gravel Metric 2011 Recap

2011-06-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

Fortunately the mini SD card on my phone is still functional and I was able to extract the photos with a USB adapter, so here they are:

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Unfortunately my phone shut down at the "stream crossing"which quickly became a river crossing in which I witnessed a girl get carried away by the current only to crawl her way to safety with the help of Mike. I rode with Ari's son Alex throughout the whole ride and we weren't able to finish. We decided it wasn't worth getting struck by lightening and dying and so we did the smartest thing we could and took a ride home from Gumby after about 45 miles. Thanks again Gumby for carrying us all back to safety.

A special congratulations goes out to Tyler. Before this day his longest ride so far had been maybe 20mi or so. Not only did he finis the Gravel Metric, but he did it on a fixed gear bike with bullhorn bars and no brakes while wearing New Balance sneakers, a T-shirt and Bontrager commuter pants. No bib shorts and no chamois. In fact, he didn't even wear underwear! There was almost nothing between his bum and a waterlogged Brooks saddle, and that just goes to show that it's not about having the fanciest bike and gear. Just go ride!

Pre-Gravel Metric Recap

2011-06-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

The Gravel Metric ride happened this past Sunday in DeKalb. There are a few good write-ups that can be found on various blogs, but if you haven't heard yet, the weather was of herculean proportions.

To make a long story short, we encountered pouring rain, flash flooding, ankle deep mud, hail and lightening bolts striking at a distance too close for comfort. As a result of this, my cell phone is trashed and I am hoping that I will at least be able to recover the photos I took which documented this momentous ride.

Until then, here are a few pics before the ride that I snapped with my D60:

"The Pool" from Nike

2011-05-27T07:18:00.001-07:00

The Pool - The Full Story from Nike 6.0 on Vimeo.

Watch this video.

"The Pool was more than a BMX comp, it was one of the most extra-ordinary gatherings of the BMX community this century.

From the draining of a soon to be demolished local authority swimming pool in Dagenham, East London, into a world class park in less than two weeks was a feat in itself, but to see the diversity and level or riding on display at the launch event was truly remarkable.

40 international riders with a brand new team format saw non-comp riders, veterans, street destroyers and park animals all throw down into something far better than we could have dreamt of.

The Pool is free to ride until the 12th June 2011."

The Wolfy 100 Ride Report

2011-05-23T21:49:00.000-07:00

The Wolfy 100 happened last Sunday and it did not disappoint! Ari, Mark, The Werewolf and I all set out at 8am and ended the ride around 5pm. We headed out to Compton, IL and then passed through Brooklyn. From there we got to Amboy were we refueled with sandwiches. From there we rode to Steward where we got some sodas and hung with the local go-kart racers before heading back to DeKalb. There were at least 80 miles of pure gravel. Temperatures were high and I suffered some extreme sunburn. The wind was intense and we evaded tornados all the way home. The route was excellent and we saw some amazing roads. Special thanks goes to Cheechard for mapping it out. Check out some photos I snapped with captions below.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Saturday Morning Day Ride

2011-05-21T16:45:00.000-07:00

DAY TIME?! OH MY GOD!! The pre-ride for the "Bike MS" ride met today at the shop. The llama and I led the 35mi ride. I also discovered a sketchy skatepark in Cortland. I might have to pay it a visit sometime.

WOLFY 100 TOMORROW AT 8AM! COME TO DEKALB. RIDE 100 MILES! PAVEMENT/DIRT/GRAVEL.

Wednesday Night Hunt

2011-05-20T22:04:00.000-07:00

Went out for 40-something miles with Ari on Wednesday night. Werewolf was nowhere to be found but there were plenty of interesting sightings. The Wolfy 100 is this Sunday. It's going to be a good time!

Must Warn Others

2011-05-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

"Must Warn Others is a collective of freelance artists, designers, directors and friends who aim to create visual experiences that are aesthetically beautiful and practically functional."

Great design and artwork from these people. Check it out.

Saturday Morning Shred-fest

2011-05-15T22:04:00.001-07:00

Saturday morning rides are happening. Meet @ 7:30am behind NCC. Last Saturday was cold, wet and windy. Average speed was around 20mph. If that sounds like fun then come join us!

P.S. The "WOLFY 100" is THIS SUNDAY, @ 8am in DeKalb (meet at the Werewolf's home). If you'd like to ride or have questions, leave us a comment.

Van Homan

2011-05-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

The legendary Van Homan at The Bakery in Chicago.

Birth of a Butcher

2011-05-13T17:42:00.000-07:00

BIRTH OF A BUTCHER from EighthInch on Vimeo.

Our friend and colleague Tyler (aka Taylor aka Trevor aka Tigre) just built up an EigthInch as his polo bike. I thought this video showing the building process of the frame was pretty neat.

Ti Vaya: The Finished Product.

2011-05-11T21:42:00.000-07:00

Here's the finished build for the Salsa ti Vaya. This bike turned out really nice! We've got a titanium Vaya, El Mariachi, and La Cruz in the shop now. Come check 'em out @ NCC.

Turbo Tuesday with T.J.

2011-05-10T23:36:00.000-07:00

T.J. decided to join Ari and I for our "Turbo Tuesday" night ride. It was good to have him along. He never ceases to entertain. We all rode Surlys: Ari and T.J. were both on Cross Checks, and I on my Pacer. It was incredibly hot/humid outside and it's very strange to think that only a week ago I was out in my winter tights, thermal winter coat and wool baselayer.

Chillin' in downtown Geona, taking in the "nightlife".

P.S. The Wolfy 100 is May 22. Don't forget!

The Gravel Metric Chapter 2 Invitation

2011-05-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

One cold morning a few weeks ago, the guys from the shop, fellow cyclists and myself all got together to make a movie. We spent around 9 hours pedaling around getting dirty, wet, and cold. This is the final product.

But first, a few "Behind the Scenes" photos:

Seth Deming did an incredible job with the editing and CGI. His work surpassed my expectations and he did it all in a very short amount of time. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the official video invitation for the NCC/HAC Gravel Metric:

Concept and direction by the one and only Tony Pepan.
Filming/Editing by Seth Deming and Gavin Gould
Music by The Chariot

Oh, and the ride is May 29. Meet behind North Central Cyclery before 9am. Expect to ride about 62mi of gravel/pavement/dirt.

This is T.J.

2011-05-09T20:20:00.001-07:00

...and this is T.J.'s new fixed gear ride. Unknown reclaimed steel frame from Hellmut, pink Velocity Deep-V rims, leather motorcycle bag from Farm & Fleet and other leftover parts. It is a bicycle as eccentric as it's owner.

The Wolfy 100

2011-05-06T21:13:00.000-07:00

The Slender Fungus Cycling association presents yet another century ride for all! A few nights ago we were confronted by The Werewolf. he told us he has been planning a route and would love for us to ride it. He told us to call it the Wolfy 100. This should be a good one. If you missed out on the BONKFEST, this is your second chance! Spring is here, let's have some fun!

CORRECTION: We will be meeting at the home of the werewolf in DeKalb, Illinois.

Custom Titanium Salsa Vaya @ NCC

2011-05-03T15:39:00.001-07:00

Titanium Salsa Vaya frame with Chris King/Velocity wheels built by Ari, King titanium cages, Deda cockpit, Sram Rival, etc. Built at North Central Cyclery.