Go Eurotrash!!

Check out surlyblog for more info. No idea when it’s on or anything else for that matter but the Surly dudes will update as news comes to hand.

I was thinking to myself as I walked home tonight – I want to build another SS shitter, like the GT was, but shittier. Something that (almost) doesn’t need locking-up in London..

Then I had a flashback of hard rubbish days in Oz and wept a little. Once the tears had dried I cursed London’s inability to provide me with a salvagable trash-bike. It’s punishment for the running thing isn’t it?

“The Clio may not be the best car in its class, but it’s well loved. The new one, it seems, is even better. But is it good enough to beat a mad mountain biker down a hill? Well, at the risk of ruining any suspense. No. But then it was driven by Captain Slow, who also seemed to have had a promotion that day to Captain Crashy. If you own a bin, wall or washing line in Lisbon, sorry if James destroyed it.” from: www.bbc.co.uk

Downloaded this particular episode just so I could see the bike win. It did.

Tee Hee 😀

Bikes Rule!

Where are the Single Speed World Championships going to be held next year? If you play your cards right they could be in your home town. Step right up, make your bid, the Surly boys are in control and looking for location. It’s your chance to show off your trails and be a hero for a few days. What am I talking aout? Read on:

www.singlespeedoutlaw.com

Send me a serious proposal for hosting SSWC06 by October 31st, 2005 to nick@surlybikes.com. Also, sending me a random ?do it in Jamaica, man? will automatically disqualify your town. Please be serious, we?re too busy to handle extra insignificant e-mails. Can?t wait to hear from you.

Originally posted on surlyblog.

Very cool, very detailed ride report with some serious “fatness”! 🙂

“Pat & Kathy’s 160 mile bicycle beach ride from near Hope to Homer.”

“We think we are the first people to bicycle the 160 mile beach from west of Hope to Homer, Alaska.”

Click here for the report: www.kathysarns.com

These Amoeba JY-192’s are my singlespeed bars. I’ve been using them for perhaps two years now.

Name: Amoeba JY-192 MTB Downhill Bar

Material: AL6061 T6

Thickness: 5.0mm

Width: 670mm

Weight: 490g

Raise: 40mm

LBS Marked Price: $42.95AUD

“Light-weight, 6061 T6 aluminium (Ed: not frickin’ aluminum!) provides excellent strength-to-weight ratio while maintaining durability and stiffness. Constructed with 40mm raise at 490g, it’s made for those looking for high performance handlebars for some serious downhilling action. What’s more, it’s totally rust-resistant.”

Light-weight? 490g? HAHAHAHA! It might be aluminium, but the tubing is very thick (5mm) compared to most other bars. Care factor 0 – I’m not a weight weenie. These are still going strong but honestly don’t get much of a punishing so who knows what they’d be like in the hands of a downhiller.

I bought wide bars because everyone says you need wide bars on an SS for leverage. I don’t think I’ve ever ridden an SS with skinny bars (other than a track bike) so I don’t know how much truth is in that. What I can tell you is: it’s easier to pick gaps on my roadie than on the GT with these monstrous bars fitted! Great for peeling mirrors of cars though (see previous blog entry).

Position – well, that’s all personal, but I like the riser bar feel and I like the extra height of these bars on the GT – makes for a more upright, cruisier ride.

hippy says: Super cool bar, especially given the price!! Weight weenies look elsewhere (try the fridge you skinny bastards!)

Before

After

I must have missed one of my CF cards when checking for photos after the SS Nats and Madison. There’s some new SS Nats pics here.

(click image for more details)

I wonder how strong IsoTruss really is?

I don’t see how it can be more aerodynamic – the “tubes” look larger than most xc bikes and surely the mesh disturbs the airflow more than a solid tube?

They don’t specify a weight, just that it’s “as light as some of the best traditional carbon-fibre mountain bikes on the market”.

What happens when the “tubes” fill up with mud?! Bet it’s not so light then! 🙂

Cleaning those “tubes” will not be fun!

Evil scumbag chainring bolts!

I just bought a big screwdriver (which still wasn’t big enough so I’ll take it back) to remove the last stinkin’ bolt from the GT SS chainring. It was done up pretty tight and nothing I had would fit in the slot properly and allow enough resistance to undo the allen bolt on the outside..

I was at the stage where I was going to drill the little bastard out and just buy a new one but then remembered I had some multigrips. Clamped down on the female piece, crossed my eyeballs (my fingers were busy) and spun the allen key.. WOO! It worked! So now I can contine with the driveline swap.. although I’ll probably need a new chainring bolt anyway.. stupid things..

No, it’s not a typo, the 2004 SS Nats are being held in 2005!

Bikesoiler provides as with the following details:

2004 NATIONAL SINGLESPEED CHAMPS

12pm racing [$25.00] entry

Dirt Riders has this to say:

Hosted by the Deluxe Bicycle Club and Dirt Riders the 2004 National Single Speed Champs will be on 5&6 February 2005 at Dallas Brooks Park in Upper Beaconsfield. Melway Ref 210 F10. Camping will be available on Saturday night – gold coin donation for the Scouts.

12 PM – Race ($25)

More information can be found here at: www.deluxebicycleclub.com

and here at: www.dirtridersmtb.com