Brakes on your feet? Yes please.

Holy Cro-Moly! It's fix-ing season apparently!

Of the 10-20 folks stopping by the centre as many as half of you are up in fixies or single speeds. I'm excited to see many of these have been home made instead of picked up in a shop. In my experience these types of rides demand a closer relationship between jockey and mount. Perhaps we can start a fixie specific timeslot at the shop or some type of group ride.

If any folks out there are interested in learning more about this unique bike type there are some good resources out there. It is a very different experience and can be dangerous if not entered into with respect; check out Sheldon at http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html or talk up another rider if they have time to chat.

If interest continues to grow we might put together a conversion package for cogs, hubs, cranks, and chains for easy switch overs.

What What? Nobody has posted here in a while so here's a story about my day.

I'm not an off road rider; I'd love to be, but I am not yet. Off-road appeals to me in a sort of reckless aggressive alternative to the serenity of long distance travel riding I am used to. Of course I commute daily by bike but my real home space is those long drawn out all day/all weekend trips where efficiency is key. The space in between little towns turns into side quests for water and I start to recognize cars that have passed me when they stop for lunch.

Some folks at the office have started "mountain biking" together and I'm admittedly feeling left out. They aren't really folks I know too well so I like to think maybe they haven't invited me because they only know me as a hardcore rider; if I were I would spoil their dynamic as beginners. But, I'm not. I do have a bike and I like to think it's an intense downhill machine though I don't know enough about the discipline yet to consider how it compares. I built it myself over the winter by picking up pieces here and there as they went on sale. It's a touch too big for me but there are no mountains here to take it on anyway so it remains a project. In time I'll upgrade the shifters and levers and eventually the drive train. It's hauling Alivio right now which is the starting level from Shimano so it actually matches my ability.

Today I brought it outside.

Today I got my self hung from a tree in a dangerous way but it's ok.

Most of the frustrations came from the growth on the trail, along Speed River there are two trails, one gravel path for gentle exercise, and one blazed trail that cuts in and out of the woods, marsh, and grass of the area. The grassy parts are grown over so thick that you can't see the ground at all; I thought it might actually be a bunny trail but managed to get through the 6 foot tall plant life encasing it. The marshy parts were sloppy with mud and I was grateful to have good tires. The real trouble came in the woods where the shade keeps the plants from filling it in, the trail was rooty which offered some nice opportunities to make little practice jumps and get comfy with my suspension but unfortunately recent storms have dropped a few trees across the route. One was low enough I thought I could duck under but one limb grabbed a loop on my backpack and yanked me to a stop.

The last time I had an experience like that I was about 12 and fell down a ravine. IT was pretty much the last time I was on a trail. This time I laughed and made friends with another rider coming toward me. After that I thought I was riding back through the Arboretum but after going in loops for about a half hour I came to a sign that read "Bedrock Aquifer" or something to that affect. From there I creaked on home.

This Summer the Bike Centre is open to all students, Grads included! Come check us out at 620 Gordon.

Winter!

What up Friends?

So it is def. Winter in Guelph.

Big time Winter, snow deeper than corgis and over the cranks, the kind of Winter where you're pushing strangers up the hill.

Well at least that's how I see it. Without a car it seems like their unsuitability stands out more to me and to the mohawked fella on the corner. If you are out there driving please think about a route that avoids hills and give yourself extra stopping distance.

Same goes for biking too; take it slow and be safe. When I'm riding through snow on a normal bike (not my fixi) I use a light touch on the brake to clear the build up before I actually try to stop.

So what's been happening lately?

It's not the most busy time around the Bike Centre with most people opting to bus it for the season but workshops and Women and Trans Night are continuing weekly and a number of rebuild projects have been going on.

Some folks have been refitting their retro rides with new alloy wheels and other parts for braking goodness and weight savings. One of the projects I am on started with a bike over 27 lbs but after trimming the fat it is at least ten pounds lighter; it's not fully rebuilt yet so I haven't weighed it.

There's a tag-team effort starting up to put together a group buy for safety equipment with GotBike, helmets, lights, and "other" will be on the cheap for Spring!