Cool Bikes

I won the WNKU Fund Drive First Prize; 1000$ To Reser Bicycle

2010-04-12T22:32:00.007-04:00

None other than you know who, bike riding commuting curb hopping man that I am, won a drawing held by a Cincinnati public radio station WNKU 89.7 FM for a 1000$ gift certificate to Reser Bikes in Newport!

YOO! I have been looking for a new bike for months but I could not afford the thousands of dollars for the kind of bike that I wanted. I had been commuting and riding on a tough Marin but it was undersized; I know I had to look at least a little goofy (see above), if not straight Pluto! I was saving my dollars and drooling on the floor of Reser for months when I received the call from WNKU informing me of the prize that I won.

As a fervent supporter of public radio, and one who usually doesn't win contests, I did not remember the contest when they called me on the phone and informed me that I had won the first place prize. I had my choice of a 1000$ dollar gift certificate to Reser Bikes, two tickets to Bonnaroo, or the a CD of the month club for a year. "I'll take the bike!"

The adventure to NKU campus on my undersized Marin.

Having GPS on my Samsung Moment I felt comfortable riding out to NKU campus, where WNKU is located, to pick up the gift certificate. But I missed the turn onto the road that eventually gets there and due to a steep ridge that the university sits on I had to go way past the school. I rode out past 2-75 on Route 9, Licking Pike. There I checked the GPS and Google Maps told me there is a back rode that leads right up to the University. The road was named on my maps at the time so I thought it was cool. Turning onto what could barely be called a dirt road I realized that I just rode back in time. Being a big fan of hiking around unknown parts of KY I knew I had better be one cordial MF (but now TOO cordial) if I were to run into a local back here. The road was more stones than dirt and alot of fun. Hoping I would not see anyone it turned out that seeing someone saved the day. I ran into a man who has lived at that location his whole life, and his Grandfather's Father built the cabin right there in 18 0 something. We talked about the watershed there that his family has lived on for hundreds of years and he informed me that the school that I so sought was going to remove him and his beautiful homestead in order to put in a paved road. He pointed to orange ribbons marking huge ill fated trees showing me how the plans are already under way. This holler was beautiful, an obvious watershed, it would be a shame to remove a real slice of Kentucky's geology to put in another paved road.

He told me if I kept going on the path that there are creeks, snakes, and mud but the path will eventually lead you to the school. I thanked him sincerely and rode off up the path. After crossing a creek twice, mud, and thankfully no snakes, I climbed (carrying my bike up a super steep hill covered in slippery hay). I crossed a grassy field and came to a path. I rode the path and sure nuff' just like the man said, it brought me right to NKU.

Reser Bikes and a thousand dollars.

I love Reser Bikes; I loved them before I won the drawing. The people that work and own Reser bikes are all over the bike scene in Cincinnati, and part of the reason Cincinnati is installing 330 miles of bike paths throughout the city. Reser Bikes offers lifetime tuning!!!!!

I told them what I wanted: A commuter bike, that I can still get off the ground to hop curbs and such, but that would be good for long distance travel as well.

Without a pause my guy at the store showed me the Redline D600 29er. The rims can handle large mountain bike tubes as well as skinnier road tubes, disc brakes, steal chromoly frame preferred when traveling distances, lockable front shocks, strong; I loved it at first sight. I added bright LED lights for the front and back and a detachable back rack and the total came to a smooth 1006 dollars. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

2010-04-12T00:28:00.001-04:00

My Curb Jumper

2010-04-12T00:23:00.003-04:00

I am enjoying the helloutta my 2002 Marin. Although I need a larger bike this shorty has been performing! We cross the Roebling Suspension Bridge everyday dodging Downtown Cincinnati Traffic-Lights, jump anything that gets in the way, and at 8 years old her gears still shift seamlessly.

The Coolest Bike Video Ever Made

2009-10-30T01:05:00.000-04:00

I found this cool bike video on Boing Boing. Boing Boing is cool but be careful, its you precious time! Check this out; the coolest bike video ever made!

Vintage Schwinn Stationary Bike

2009-10-15T12:09:00.001-04:00

Stationary bikes are the antithesis of cool; you are stationary, inside (in front of a TV), and usually your "bike" looks like a medical bed. But the vintage Schwinn stationary bike is a stationary bike with a retro cool style that fits easily into any bike riding hipster's home. With the ability to quickly adjust the seat and handle bars, the original "easy off", as well as having a wide varying level of resistance this stationary bike is effective as a stationary exercise provider and is suitable for those under 40. The classic factory metallic gold and white lettering has a "Grandma's Kitchen" appeal, not the smoking Grandma but the one that loved you and made you apple pie. The dial for increasing the resistance is very effective yet simple and futuristic looking. The mod 50's timer on the speed panel gives this classic stationary bike all the amenities you really need. But, like most stationary bikes, this bike is heavy.

My father bought this factory metallic gold Schwinn stationary bike and instantly gained street cred in the hood.

Where Are You Go. A Doc. about biking from Cairo to Capetown

2009-09-08T10:17:00.000-04:00

I am not excactly sure if this video was made by the folks hosting the blog where I found it; here is the link to the cool bike blog where I found this video. Here is a link to the Bike Africa Website.

Bike Polo and the end to my 73? Charger

2009-06-21T02:12:00.001-04:00

Sadly, my bike riding friends, sadly I have to report that the pretty blue BF GoodWrench Crusader is no longer with us. She hit the fence wall of the bike polo court a split second before my head did. Thank gowd I had a helmet or I would have chain link fence lines in my nog!

Vintage 70's bike I bought in Price Hill Cincinnati Ohio

Her vintage years were exposed on the bike polo court when her forks cracked off of the neck leaving the front white walls dangling by the pretty chrome basket over the front wheel aluminum chrome tire cover. Dangling chrome. I was left with two robotic looking tubes, the forks that came off the tire bolts as they were no longer connected to the bike at the neck.

I want to acknowledge here on my rad bike blog that I took that trusted ol' mare, the one speed "Crusader", up all the hills out of downtown Cincinnati including Sycamore, Vine, Reading, Clifton, and McMicken. I loved that bike; she'll be sorely missed.

Up-ended.

Bike Polo (hardcourt)

2009-05-10T23:28:00.000-04:00

I am in love with bike polo; bike polo is something that you must try and you will probably, if you are anything like me (a green 317 pound giant brain) love it!
How is bike polo played?
Bike Polo Wiki
How do I make a bike polo mallet?

How do I play bike polo, where can I get more information and pics?
More hardcourt bike polo info and pics
Live it, Love it, throw in your mallet!

Local Cincinnati businesses support bike month and a healthy community

2009-04-15T13:21:00.000-04:00

Community minded businesses in Cincinnati

Cincinnati businesses support bike culture and a healthy community. These businesses are the future of Cincinnati, by supporting these shops you support the health of your community. Here are the links to the gold sponsors of Bike Month in Cincinnati:

GOLD ($500)
BioWheels
Bishops Bicycles
Define Design
Five Star Foodies
Melt in Northside
OKI, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments
Park + Vine
Profitability.net
Round Pixel Studio
TANK - Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky

SILVER ($250)
Cincinnati Cycle Club
College Hill Coffee Co
Cycle Sport & Tri
Dean's Mediterranean
Mercantile Library
Team Cycling

BRONZE ($150)
Buy Cincy
Cincinnati Gold Sprints
City of Cincinnati Office of Environmental Quality
Findlay Market
La Terza Artesian Coffee
MoBo Bicycle Cooperative
Smitty's Cyclery
YMCA

DEALS ON WHEELS
Bishops Bicycles
Campus Cyclery
College Hill Coffee Co
Park + Vine
Reser Bicycle Outfitters
TANK
Team Cycling
West Chester Cyclery

Thank you.

Queen City Bike Club

2009-03-31T11:11:00.001-04:00

The Queen City Bike Club in Cincinnati is starting the process of turning a very non biking city into a bike commuting one. Check out what is going on in the bike scene in Cincinnati Ohio!

Pricing vintage bikes, a fluctuation of appreciation and depreciation

2009-03-14T18:55:00.000-04:00

Pricing vinatage bikes is a funny market. Some people have these old rusted bikes taking up space in their garage or believe that the bike is so old that no one will want to pay for it; they almost give the bike away. Where other people overprice a bike because they think that its vintage and therefor should fetch $150 when it's an off brand beat up bike that lacks any of its original parts and accessories and needs alot of work.

Pricing a vintage bike, a checklist-What makes a vintage bike worth paying for

Origninal parts- Original parts are hard to replace; things like a front headlight and tail light, factory handle grips and brake grips, seat; If the bike has its original parts and they are in good working condition then there is value.

factory paint- The types and colors of paints used on vintage bikes are no longer available; if a bike has more than 75% of its factory paint that is good. If it has close to 100% that is Excellent.

Rust, or lack there of.

condition of parts- It is amazing how many vintage bikes are ready to ride and in good condition; check the rims, derailer, and strength of the neck to be sure the gears are changing, the rims are straight, and there is no play or looseness in the bike.

If it is a rare bike it will be worth more; but the market can be funny sometime as if two or three rare bikes go on the market at the same time they are no longer that rare..

If I am going to pay over 99 dollars for a vintage bike it should be in good working condition with more than 75% of its original paint, or have been nicely repainted, original parts, and have been loved. Usually I find better bikes for much less due to the amount of people who do not know the true value of their "old bikes".

Know the seller of a vintage bike

You can gleam a lot about the bike and how well it will hold up by understanding the personality of the seller. Ask them about the history of the bike, how they got it, how long have they had it, did they use it, did it need a lot of work? Usually if they are bike people you can see it in their eyes and you can expect honest forthright answers to your questions. I love talking to bike owners about their vintage bikes.

Prices I have paid for some of my vintage bikes

Granted, I am a thrifty buyer, I keep my ear to the ground when it comes to good bike deals; that is how I have seen such fluctuation in prices for vintage bikes.

In 2001 I got my first vintage Schwinn Suburban for three dollars if I bought the couch at a yard sale! It was and is still is my favorite bike to date. My second vintage Schwinn Suburban I got for fifty bucks from the original owner who kept it out of the rain all it's life. This was in the Pacific Northwest where it rains 8 months out of the year!! She even threw in the original booklet that came with the bike. Sweet old lady, I told her there is a market for this bike and she said she figured as much when she got thirty calls withing two hours of posting the bike on Craigslist; she dug my charm, kept the price as is and showed me her roses. Mwah, sweet woman.

So, some people are aware of the value of vintage bikes. There are the people like me who love their curves, their artistic stylee (stile-ee) designs, and know that they truly do not make them like they used to. I see vintage bikes fetching anywhere from 20 dollars to 700 dollars.

Low prices for vintage bikes in Cincinati
**Since this article was written the hot market for the vintage bikes was gobbled up. People came into town with U-Haul trucks and posts showed up on Craigslist that read "I buy bikes, CASH". Sorry folks.

Right now I am seeing amazingly low prices for vintage bikes in Cincinnati. The reason for this is that first I am in a non bike riding town. Cincinnati is the least bike friendly town I have ever seen with no bike lanes and 7 hills that make up this river valley town. So many of the one speed bikes you can almost get for free here. The second is the economy has people liquidating things they are not using and rethinking their hobbies. I just bought my Charger (50$) from a guy who just liquidated his life's collection of vintage bikes (only to see the same model Charger down the street for 25$ two days later). Third, Cincinnati has phat thrift stores. The nature of Cincinnati being a town that experienced a lively heyday in the 1800's until the end of the 1900's makes this a town full of garages needing to be cleared out and attics full of treasures from the past.

So, yeah I'm in Cincinnati; you'll find me flying fly around town on my vintage charger in a super mackin tailored three piece suit with wing tips. Owww!

You'll have to come back for some more up to date blogging about pricing, cause I am going for a ride.

36 Volt Dewalt battery powered bike demo

2009-02-26T01:18:00.000-05:00

This is a fat DIY electric bike

My New Vintage Cruiser: A BF Goodwrench Charger

2009-02-15T23:49:00.000-05:00

Yo! I am stoked, this is my new vintage cruiser. I believe her to be a late 60's BF Goodwrench Charger. This charger has my favorite eagle handle bars that allow for a vertical ride while her factory back platform is solid and will hold the battery pack I hope to help assist with this one speed cruiser. In the casing on the frame is a battery pack wired to two headlights in the front. And the white walls, MmwwahH, so smooth.

I prefer the female low bar style in most cases because: it looks cooler, they are easier and can be saddled and unmounted with style and grace, and they look cooler. Many of the vintage male style, especially vintage Schwinns, look square and bulky. Although, I like this male style vintage cruiser which I also could have got today but I'm not to keen on the wide handle bars.

Soon my pictures will be stylee but I wanted to get some quick pics up.

New SUMO electric motor bike-SWEETS-

2009-02-15T14:32:00.000-05:00

Tokyo based Axel Corporation has revealed the EV-X7, a 100% electric motor bike utilizing a hybrid electro magnet and a permanent magnet that can get 112 miles on one 6 hour charge from your house outlet. The SUMO electric bike has a top speed of 93 miles an hour. The company plans to start selling a smaller scooter version of the SUMO motor next year starting around 2,100 dollars.

More great electric cars bike fusions

I love your bike tags

2009-02-14T16:18:00.000-05:00

I don't know what it is but when I see a sweet bike I have an amazing urge to meet the owner and tell them, "I love your bike". I hope I am not creeping people out as I stare down at their bike as they ride by (who knows what they think I am looking at) so I'll even say as they pass, "nice bike".

I just found the perfect way to express the sweet bike urge and a great gift for my girlfriend @ "A Cup Of Jo" a modern blog on style, fashion, and bikes that is totally pretension free and ego less, a combination that I love.

Check out the Cup Of Jo site to read the article and be linked too buy these cute hand made tags that you can put on any bike that emits the sweet bike rush in your blood.

The "I love your bike" tags are worth it because they are cute and sweet. You are walking a fine line between sending a nice message of making someone feel good that their bike is fat or seriously creeping a bike owner out with a quickly penned note on a ripped up wrinkled receipt that says "I'm stalking you and your sweet bike and when your not looking I'm gonna..."

Savvy?

Also, you might ask, why should I buy a note that I could just as easily make myself? Well, kudos to you and your DIY spirit, I like that. I look at it like this. I am saving the time of getting the materials and making them, it is done right and sweet so as not to offend the bike owner, I am saving the postage and time mailing it off to my girl, and I did not think of it in the first place and that counts for a buck. So, for 5 bucks it is nothing to have them DIFY and deliver their excellent tags anywhere in the world.

Frank Zappa plays music on bikes

2009-02-13T23:14:00.000-05:00

Frank Zappa in 1963 at the age of 22 makes music, like the art of noise, on two vintage bicycles.

Steeve Berthelot Bike Jumps Video

2009-01-04T01:03:00.000-05:00

The Velo Ecocentrik bike shop in Montreal Quebec is a hub of downhill mountain bike racing and specialized custom street bikes; hang out there for an an hour and your bound to see some one ride in and pull some flat ground entertainment in front of the bike shop. The owner of the custom bikes shop, Steeve Berthelot, can pull unbelievable height from off the ground, I have personally seen him span impressive gaps but check out the gaps he pulls off in this video shot outside the Olympic Stadium in Montreal.
Custom Bike Shop in Verdun Montreal

Bangkok Bike

2009-01-03T01:47:00.000-05:00

Cool female bikes owned the streets of Bangkok, Thailand. This bike represents the one bar style I saw a lot of the pedal powered bikes with; I love the added flare of the white spider webbing back plate. Super example of Asian transportation; they know how to crowd a bike. That classic white back seat is somehow romantic. I must admit that I would have liked to have met the owner of this beautiful bicycle.
Read About Taweethai Boriboon's passion for vintage bikes in the Bangkok Post

1971 Schwinn Suburban Vintage Cruiser

2008-12-06T00:31:00.000-05:00

The classic 1971 Schwinn Suburban Female cruiser in factory metallic green. This vintage bike has a sweet chrome front head light powered by a back wheel generator as well as a coned red plastic and polished aluminum tail light; these generator electric lights look like motorcycle headlights coming down the road. This model has a seven gear derailer, my first Schwinn Suburban had the Sturmey and Archer 3 speed inner hub gears; also, wicked cool factory metallic gold brake grips. Both were purchased in Oregon. All original parts and paint, the springy seat makes the solid design ride smoothly enabling the rider to sit up straight even while climbing steep San Francisco hills. The handle grips and seat have Schwinn imprinted on them.

Click here to open Schwinn Dot Com

Biking in Montreal Quebec

2008-12-05T16:36:00.000-05:00

Montreal Quebec is a fabulously fun town to bike in with beautiful riverside bike paths that seamlessly enter downtown and dedicated bike lanes in the city, in the summer that is. The winter is another story. Although there are locals who ride in the winter, seriously, its crazy icy and snowy and there are people on speed bikes riding in the streets! Quebecois are hard core, no doubt; they even stud their tires and race on ice!
But for the most of us winter in Montreal is a time to put the bike away. I mean that, before the first snow get your bike inside. If you leave it out all winter it will rust so bad it will be ruined. I know this from experience. If your bike is attached to your fence next to the walk then get it away from the walk. Many nice old school bikes get bent to ruins by the plows because the snow is so high the bikes are buried in the snow and- you guessed it- they get plowed!

Vintage Vespa

2008-12-04T23:21:00.000-05:00

The white Vintage Vespa Motor Scooter, I have seen a similar white classic vespa for $3,300 on Craigslist. Totally refurbished, it was a steal.

Click on Picture Go To www.Vespa.com