Black Mountain Cycles Bottles in the wild...

Well, maybe not the wild, but a pretty neat car parks in that garage. And the man-sized Pegoretti is darn nice too. Thanks for the pic, Big John. BTW, you need some more tools on that tool board. I've got a thing for big bikes and this one is extra clean and big. Big bikes like this make standard 53/39 rings look compact and 700c wheels look like 650c.

(What's playing: KWMR and Choose Your Own Adventure - good show tonight too)

These things are like flies on a hot summer day...

Yep, another Potts resto/rebuild. This one was Steve's personal bike and is now in the hands of another local vintage bike aficionado. Like the white Potts mountain bike, it was ridden hard and put away totally filthy. After removing all the parts, and some serious time in a Dumonde Tech bath, fresh grease in all the Grease Guard ports, grease in the rollers of the brakes...and fresh cloth bar tape and the bike that had been neglected (sorry, Steve) was breathing fresh life. Check out the ultra-rare Mini-Cam brakes. They fit on a special custom brake boss - not a standard roller-cam/u-brake boss, much smaller in diameter.

Before:

After:

(What's playing: Nick Lowe So It Goes)

Reason #2 to lube your chain...

Reason #1 being to keep the chain quiet and functioning. Reason #2 so it doesn't take its roughly 464 parts and fuse them into one.

(What's playing: KWMR All Day Music Show)

What's in the stand...

Had these two really nice, classic mountain bikes come in recently for some work. The Ritchey P-23 had a problem with the headset. Namely that the headset would not stay in adjustment and would loosen while riding. The problem turned out to be the cable hanger. The shape of the hanger where it fit over the upper cup didn't let it sit flush on top of the cup resulting in the headset lock nut and top race not being able to lock together. A quick grinding of the bottom of the cable hanger and the fit was good and the headset is not in adjustment.

The Phoenix was in for a different wheelset to be installed. This Phoenix has rear wheel spacing of 140mm. The problem was the previous 140mm wheelset had red Chris King hubs. The owner preferred silver King hubs, but the wheelset was 135mm spaced. A quick swap of the King axles, re-dishing of the wheels, and the silver set was ready for its new home in the Phoenix's dropouts and the red set was ready for a 135mm spaced frame.

(What's playing: KWMR All Day Music Show and David Bowie's Changes)

Building a NorCal League race bike...

My buddy Gary and his son Henri came up last weekend to build Henri's new high school NorCal League race bike. Our mutual friend Joel Smith at Tomac Bikes supplied the Tomac Cortez frame. The great guys at WTB supplied wheels, tires, and seat. My friend Matt V, GM of FSA, was kind enough to find the Afterburner 386 double crankset that was out of stock at all distributors. With all the parts in hand, we set about to building the bike last Saturday.

Gary took a bunch of photos, but here are some highlights.

(and forgot to mention the awesome burritos Gary provided at lunch-time from the Whale of a Deli in Point Reyes Station - carnitas con todo, caliente, not mild - thanks again Gary B!)

All photos © Gary Boulanger

(What's playing: Allison Krauss & Union Station The Lucky One)

White space...

Ric Hjertberg of Wheelsmith fame is a pretty smart fellow. I enjoyed the bit he wrote on his Wheel Fanatyk blog about the over-the-top bikes that make the biggest waves at the handbuilt bike shows. It's what's not there that is the most beautiful.

It's no coincidence that the two pieces of art that I own are Chinese watercolor paintings of a flowering plant that include copious amounts of white space. Clutter and filling space for the sake of filling spaces robs the energy. It's too bad the current state of the bike industry dictates that bikes are over designed with every tube being formed and manipulated into various shapes beyond simple round and graphics plastered on every surface. When a company has industrial design, engineering, art/graphics, and product development departments, that's a lot of people who want to put their stamp on the end product that gets spat out the end of the production line.

Simple, clean, white space.


(What's playing: KWMR All Day Music Show)

Black Mountain Cycles Bottles in the wild...

These are from Shawn down in San Carlos showing his Ritchey P-21 and what looks like a Ritchey Softail with the shock hidden by that dang bottle (edit: it's actually one of the first Ritchey Plexus that Tom built). That's San Francisco Bay in the background of the second shot.


(What's playing: They Might Be Giants Particle Man)

One for GT and FFB...

How's this? Am I closer.


(What's playing: Talking Heads Pulled Up)

Black Mountain Cycles bottles in the wild...

Another installment courtesy of Jason from Salsa, aka Gnat. I'm really quite honored that Jason, with all his industry contacts and the fact that he works at Salsa, chooses a Black Mountain Cycles bottle and strategically positions it for the photo ;) . Thanks Jason. Photo below is courtesy Jason Boucher and the image can be found at his blog Gnat Likes Bikes.

Cold, snow, gravel, and Jason's new titanium secret weapon.

(What's playing: Ruby Dee and The Snakehandlers Make It Last)

A little variety, Y not...

To appease the folks that think the only bikes that make it into my stand are really cool vintage, bikes, I offer this.

(What's playing: The Paladins You're So Fine)

What's in the stand...

I don't know why folks who are looking to buy vintage Steve Potts bikes can't find them. Heck, it's like they are a dime-a-dozen out here. Here is a prime example of a Potts bike. This was Steve's personal bike and was recently (I hesitate to use the word "rescued" but it works) rescued from Steve's rafters. After being ridden hard and put away filthy one too many times, the new owner dropped it off to me to get restored to it's original rough, rideable condition. The frame was made with some light tubing so it's a great feeling, light, nimble bike.

This is what the derailleur looked like prior to operation sanitize.

(What's playing: Iris Dement Keep Me God)

One for my mom...

And no, I did not just go out and buy a new mug.

(What's playing: Elton John Someone Saved My Life Tonight)

Another Monday, another ride...

Been a while since I rode the Marshall Wall loop. A simple 35-ish mile loop out Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Rd - Hicks Valley Rd. - Marshall-Petaluma Rd. - and back Highway 1. Some decent climbing - 2,400 total, and it should be noted that what goes up, must come down. During the 13 mile stretch from the turn off on to Hicks Valley Rd. until I reached Highway 1, a grand total of 2 cars passed me. Beautiful day to be out on the bike!

I looked back on an old Garmin GPS route and saw that I knocked 10 minutes on my total time out - felt pretty good. Stayed in the big ring up some minor climbs. Getting time to start stretching out my rides, time-wise and mileage-wise. Fifty isn't a big deal. Time to start getting that up to the 75-100 mile range. My goal is to be able to knock out a hundred like some folks would feel walking down to the market. One of the last club rides I did with a race team back in the early 90's (yeah, it's been a long time), we tallied 100 miles under 5 hours. I'd be happy doing a solo hundred in 6 hours or so. Like I said, it's a goal.

This is what the road looked like (no cars) for 13 miles.

The final descent to Marshall with Tomales Bay in the background.

During the last 5 miles, a Tesla Roadster passed me on a corner. After it motored past, I realized there was something seriously amiss. There was no guttural exhaust note as it rolled past accelerating out of a corner. Nothing. Just the sound of tires on the pavement. I feel ripped off. A high-performance sports car at least half about the sound of the engine and exhaust.

(What's playing: KWMR Hippie from Olema)

Preview...

Here's a teaser/preview of an upcoming "What's in the Stand" post. Hand signed Steve Potts frame. And that's all you get this Monday!



(What's playing: Peter Case Every 24 Hours)