bikes, scoots, MS, friends, food and seattle...

Welcome back, Comooter Scooter!

Link: Hourly Weather Forecast for Seattle, WA (98122) - weather.com.

It was nearly 60 degrees on Sunday and Monday! I took the Buddy 125 out for a lovely ride yesterday.  We went to Southcenter Mall for day-planner refills.  I even put 20lbs of cat litter into the saddle bags!  The engine that was transplanted had a measly 500 miles on it (compared to the 4,200 I had on it when the oil filter decided to 'abandon ship' mid-ride several weeks ago) is running great. 

Since the black-ice slide that led to the early demise of Stella_2, I've adopted a 40-degree temperature threshold for riding.  Tomorrow looks good!  After this past weekend's warm-snap, could spring actually be approaching?

More NAHBS 2008: Lance Bought it!

Link: NAKED :: NAHBS 2008.

This was one of the coolest bikes at the bicycle show.  It won 3 prizes, including Best in Show.  I think I mentioned that Amy saw Robin williams, and that Lance did make an appearance...  Apparently, he also did some shopping! 

I did take some closeups of this bike, but they didn't turn out at all, due to the super-bright spotlight.  The wood grips and rims were pretty drool-worthy.  It's rideable too! though, I wouldn't take it just anywhere.  I hope Lance takes it off the wall every once in a while to go to Peet's for a nice cup of coffee and a pastry, or around the block with his kids.

updated: Off to Portland for some SERIOUS Bike Love

Link: NAHBS 2008 - Home.

Amy and I are headed to Portland, OR this afternoon to attend the North American Handmade Bicycle Show.  The Mecca of Shows for true bicycle/art afficionados, the builders featured here showcase their art in booths, seminars and as in Richard Sachs' case, film (Imperfection is Perfection - A Film About Richard Sachs and his Bicycles). It is also an opportunity for the builders and other people who support this niche industry to interact face to face. 

For us, witnessing and rubbing elbows with legendary builders such as Richard Sachs, Seattle's Bill Davidson, as well as younger legends Independent Fabrication (formerly Fat Chance) and Sacha White.  Look for mobile updates and a mass of images in the next few days.  I can't wait!

UPDATE: Ohhh the show was lovely.  Bumped into Seattle local, Steve Hampsten (Andy's brother), chatted with Matty B. at IF about a steel fork and Amy caught a glimpse of bike nut, Robin Williams!  I guess Lance popped in as well, but didn't see his entourage at all. I was primarily interested in admiring all of the steel beauties on display.  Favorite booths: Vanilla, Richard Sachs, ANT, Rapha and Chris King.

Here's my photoset on flickr.

Here's a list of other sites with a multitude of NAHBS 2008 Photos: Cycling News, Alex Whetmore's Gallery, flickr search.

Enjoy! 

Stella_2 gets a new Seat

Even though Stella_2 is likely to be totaled by the insurance company, I'm planning on keeping her for her many pieces and parts.  This way, Stella_1 ('06 Tang), and god forbid she need anything in the NEAR future, Stella_3 will have a nice supply of nearly new parts! 

One item that was a premium investment and the first piece I snatched away before the tow hoisted her away, was the Custom Seat that I just had fabricated not 2 days before the Accident.  Rich's Custom Seats does an amazing job with bikes of all kinds, Scooters included.  In fact, Rich tells me that the last 2 years he's seen a dramatic lift in 'scooter business.'

Stay tuned for a much more detailed story on what it is like to hang out for a day in one of Seattle's neatest shops. In the meantime, enjoy these photos!

Stella_2 gets a new seat

Sheldon Brown: 1944-2008

Link: BikePortland.org � Blog Archive � Sheldon Brown R.I.P (1944-2008).

Sheldon Brown was such a nice nice guy.  Had an encyclopedic knowledge of all things bicycles, especially the old and obscure ones.  He documented his life, his knowledge, and many other thoughts here: sheldonbrown.com.  Hopefully Harris Cyclery will keep it out there for the rest of us to remember Sheldon each time we need to calculate gear inches, or to research an odd bicycle fact. 

I emailed him on a few occasions for help with a french bottom bracket on a bike that I found, then something about my Bridgestone project a few years ago.  For the thousands of emails he gets, he was very happy to answer my questions. 

Also, I'm especially touched, as I've been following him via his Journal with the challenges of his Multiple Sclerosis.  Given my bicycle passions and my MS...I felt a little more connected to him and his experiences.  I sent him a note of encouragement when he was finally diagnosed, here's part of our conversation:  (I was excited that he remembered my XO-1, he called it neat!)

--

Sheldon: Well, as scary diseases go, MS really isn't that bad.  Not likely to kill us, after all, and the handicapped parking is a great perk!

Another nice thing about MS is that it's a no-fault disease. Nobody's going to think you got what you deserved 'cause you ate the wrong foods or slept with the wrong people or did anything else culpable.

ME: Best wishes--even though you might not want to enter just now--welcome...

Thanks!  I'm actually in pretty good spirits.  Aside from the inconvenience of MS, my life is a dream!

Illigitimi non carborundum!

Sheldon

--

He hasn't been able to ride his bikes for a long time.  MS progressed very quickly for him this last year or so.  I'm pretty lucky that I can still get around by foot and by bicycle... maybe not as fast as I used to be, but I'm out there...

Thanks Sheldon!

Black Ice + Scooter + Car = Mishap

I decided to ride to work this morning, roads were dry. Rain not too likely for the ride home. I had just applied some lovely orange reflective stripes to the Stella2.

The roads all the way down Madison and along the lake were dry--except on the road and curve at the Lk Washington Boat & Sailing center...this was black ice. I started to feel the tires go as I came around the curve.  I held it upright long enough to slow and execute n almost graceful slide out.  I was A-okay, with all of my excellent riding gear.  The ice helped, as i just kind of slid on my butt a few extra feet, following poor stella who was on her left side.  A car behind me stopped to make sure I was okay.  I got stella upright, and parked her at the curb.  I got on the phone with Amy to let her know what happened, and that i was going to move the scoot to the parking lot across the street to wait a bit for the road to warm up a bit.The leg shield trim came off, and the usual cowl scars with such an incident.  Definitely sad, but... shit happens, right?

I was standing in the grass about 20 feet away from the road.  As I was reassuring amy of my well-being and that the Stella damage was just cosmetic, a Toyota came around the corner, skidded...slamming into the back of stella, LAUNCHING her over the curb into the grass facing the other way. Then I said, well..."maybe she's more damaged now."  So, that was accident #1.  Accident #2 happened a few moments later while we were standing in the grass exchanging insurance info...  A Volvo skidded around the corner, hitting the curb, totally wrenching it's front tire (not getting involved with the scooter or Toyota).  A second later, another Toyota came around the corner crashing into the Volvo.  WOW.  All of this in a matter of 10 minutes.

I'm definitely bummed.  But I don't really think it's 'cry worthy'. Everyone is insured, I wasn't sitting on Stella, or anywhere near her when the Toyota collided.  It could have been a LOT worse.  Just in case, I need to make sure Ducati has an extra stella on hand!!  I can tell you that it was a very surreal experience watching your brand new scoot go flying into the air...  The rear end is definitely hosed. But the engine and front seemed okay.  And it started up just fine...

PHOTOS HERE

Covert Office Operations...

one of my vanpool buddies has been riding his commuter bike without bar tape for over a month now.  In this wet and chilly season, bare bars, electrical tape and unsightly cables make our fingertips curl up with cold every time he rolls up to the vanpool. 

So, I just got back from Phase 1, Operation: bartape.  I got the left side done...I happened to see commuterX coming downstairs to work out at the gym (which is the same place where all the bikes are stored!)  I quickly aborted by gathering the supplies, and replacing his bike on the proper hook.  Lunch, then Phase 2 this afternoon.

UPDATE: Busted!  Pete was headed for his bike when I spotted him earlier.  Somewhat surprised by the  half-taped bars, he went ahead and finished the job on his own!  Mission accomplished, I guess. He really appreciated it the bar tape elves' visit.  Despite the snafu, it was a fun undertaking.

First post from my iPhone!

-- Mary V. Tripoli [email protected]