MY BIKES
"Gosh, gee, I need a new bike! I just don't have a thing to ride!"
Bygge Raedde (that's how they spelled Big Red back when it was manufactured) is an ancient Schwinn that has been through several major rebuilds. In its current incarnation it has a Shimano Nexus 7-speed internal gear unit and, with all the full-dress accessories, weighs in at a ponderous 53 pounds. You'd think all that weight would make it hard to pedal, but it's really not. It's the perfect bike for slow casual cruising.
Blew Miasma (because it's a Blue Miyata) is my 1991 Miyata 600-GT touring bike that I use for century rides and multi-day tours. It's got a 48-38-24 triple chain ring set and a 13-15-17-20-24-28-32 freewheel (hey, I like to relax going up steep hills) and nice simple downtube-mounted non-indexed grind-and-find stick shifters that keep on working when my riding buddies are all having difficulties with their high-tech STI and Ergo contraptions.
Sir Walter (because it's a Raleigh) is my 1989 Raleigh Assault cross bike that I bought used from a friend and I "mountainized" it. It's not a real great mountain bike, but I'm not a real great mountain bike rider either, so it does just fine. I only go mountain biking once in a while just to remind myself that us roadies are a buncha wimps.
Two Much Fun (hey, can you think of a better name?) is a Worksman tandem cruiser with a Shimano 3CC 3-speed internal gear unit.
Trigger (don't blame me, my dad named it) is my dad's 1958 Rollfast sport bike with a Bendix 2-speed internal gear unit, which he never rode very much and now he thinks he's too old to ride a bike so he let me take it. Its original gearing was up in the stratosphere somewhere so I put a smaller chain ring on it so somebody of mere mortal strength can pedal it.
Little Black Jack (well, I thought it was a nice name) is a Brompton model L-5 fold-up bike with, of course, the optional 18% lower gearing, in accordance with my usual preferences. I think it's at least as good handling as a Bike Friday and lots better than any other folder I've ever ridden. It goes into the trunk of the car on vacations.
I don't own a super-go-fast road bike because I don't ride very fast. My favorite bike dealer wants to sell me a Litespeed Palmares with a Campagnolo Record component group and Ergo shifters and Mavic Ksyrium wheels and a Reynolds Ouzo Pro fork and a $5,600 price tag (lust, drool).
Oxon Hill bike club
Pax Velo
Where to find more bike riding friends
Lots more technobabble about bikes than you ever wanted to hear
Building your own wheels
Zen and the Art of Bicycle Riding
Some fun kinda bikes everybody oughta be riding
Machines Have Feelings
Pedaling.com - Your Bicycle Information Roadway
Patuxent Adventure Center
Triangle Mountain Bikes
Cyber Cyclery
Even the Jehopeless Witlesses like bikes!
Bike Forums
Bicycle Base
Bike helmets are nerdy.
Comas and persistent vegetative states
are oh so fashionable this year.
