2 of my favorite things in the world are put together in one awesome party package. I said party package. I almost missed that.
Anyway this is not only a great idea to get beer from where ever to me but there is some pretty cool engineering on the bike to accommodate the brew. Yes…..that is a pizza rack on the back. He thouhgt of EVERYTHING!

 

Frisell, Bill

Hackettstown Bike Ride is tonight, 6:30 from the Gazebo on Main & Moore.  Gonna be fun!  Last ride was a  rambunctious 6-7 miles, quick clip all around town, hit up some nice dirt trails too.   Bring lights and rain slicker tonight!   Check out:  Neither Rain Nor Gloom of Night

Jinx!  So after yesterdays post, on my way home I gotta flat, rear  tire of course.  It was a pinch flat after a big bumpy section of road.  I had some Continental Gatorskin 700×28 tires at home waiting.  Mounted, they seem maybe 26mm or so, hopefully they’ll plump up more.  I look forward to comparing these fairly expensive tires with the $14 Michelin Dynamics I was using.  The dynamics are pretty nice, cushy, fast feeling, the 25c seems to be about 28mm, nice & tubby but I’ve gotten quite a few pinch flats and only maybe 1,500 miles from a rear tire before its squared off.  Before that I was using Panaracer Paselas at around $15, the 28c seems right on 28mm, much more miles from them, maybe 3k, ride nice, they’ve gotten a few sidewall slices though from rough stuff gravel roads. 

Will report back.

Cool quickest flat change video.   

He did’nt search for the source of the flat but we’ll just assume it was something large and easy to find… 

Here are some hints on fitting tight tires onto rims without muscle & tire levers.  I took this from RBR.  Sign up, they’ve got a good weekly newsletters.

o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o

 

4. JIM’S TECH TALK

You Don’t Need No Stinking Tire Levers!

Here’s a trick that will impress your riding buddies by making you look like a pro mechanic.

It’s removing & reinstalling clincher tires by hand only — no levers. And it’s not just a matter of showing off. No tools means faster flat repairs, a real advantage in winter to avoid cooling down or catching a chill. And hands-only avoids the risk of puncturing the new tube by pinching it with a lever.

You might think you’d need a gorilla grip to R&R a clincher tire without tools. But hand strength isn’t important.

The secret is a simple mechanical principle designed into all clincher tires and rims.

If you look at a rim with the tire and tube removed, you’ll see a channel in its center. This is called the “well” (where the rim strip sits).

The well is the part of the rim with the smallest diameter. That’s the key.

No-hands Technique

A rim’s sides keep the tire on when it’s inflated. So to remove & reinstall a tire, you need to lift its edges over the sides of the rim. This is where the rim well comes in.

The reason most people think levers are necessary is because they work with the tire sitting up on the sides of the rim — where it’s designed not to come off. The sides with their slightly hooked top edge engage the tire so it won’t blow off when inflated.

The trick is to position the tire so both of its bottom edges are in the rim well. Pinch the tire together all the way around as you pull up on a section with your other hand. Now almost the entire tire is in the rim’s smallest diameter and this allows the last stubborn section to be pulled onto the rim for installation or up and over for removal. No levers needed!

3 Tips

—For installation, it’s easiest to mount one side of the tire at a time.

—For removal, be sure to let all the air out of the tube and work as much of the tire as you can into the rim well before lifting it off.

—To make R&R easier, don’t use a tube larger than necessary. Use a 23-mm-wide tube for a 25-mm tire, for example.

It does take a little practice to master the hands-only technique, but it’s mostly a matter of using the rim well. I know that some tires are a tight fit, but I’ve never come across one that couldn’t be removed & reinstalled without levers.

Now that you know the secret, you can do it!

 

Also, check out Rooster at the Liquor Store!! from Brendans blog.

 

This structure was put in DC for bike commuters. A place to lock up your bike, shower and change all in one!! For the price of 1 dollar for a day or $100 for a year membership it’s really a great facility for bike commuters.

Any clubs doing any rides like these?

 

 

Nice View! (Volpe on a Balloon)

Originally uploaded by Rick Carpenter RUSA 4015

I’m  taking a vacation! I’ll be back on the blog later this month, so post any sort of bike junk you want in the meantime!

Also check out this bike balloon race that is held in Warren County; we should totally go to that next year. I mean, I should go; you should get a friend with a balloon and just do it.

Cool article on what long distance cyclists eat:

http://kentsbike.blogspot.com/2009/10/what-long-distance-cyclists-really-eat.html

My #1 roadside quickie mart grub is Nutter Butters.  Yours?

 

I bike & I vote – Bicycle Music Festival in Precita Park

Originally uploaded by Steve Rhodes

It’s clear to me that there are all sorts of different political stripes from people who read and post here, so here’s some takes on the open space question that is on the ballot tomorrow.  Feel free to add your own.

First, AndyB has a post on the connection between open space and biking on the Walk Bike New Jersey blog.

And here’s an open letter to New Jersey Cyclists from Morristown resident Samantha Rothman:

Dear NJ Cycling Community:

We are a cycling family. From my husband in the woods on a mountain bike, to meeting up with neighbors for a road ride, or pulling our son in the bike trailer on our local rail-trail, one thing is clear: we simply love being on our bikes.

I’m sure you feel the same. And I’m sure you would agree that cycling is about more than just the act of riding a bike. It’s about the places you go, the things you see – and the way you see the world while riding by on a bicycle.

That’s why I’m urging all cyclists to VOTE YES on PUBLIC QUESTION #1.

By approving this question, we’ll keep the Green Acres, Farmland Preservation and Historic Preservation programs running. The Green Acres program has been a national leader for State conservation programs, with 95% of funds going to actually preserve open space and improve recreational access for all our families. This is a New Jersey program that works, and works with very little waste or overhead.

Without this important source of funding, parks for mountain bilking, science views of working farmlands, and trail improvements that allow me to comfortably pull my son in the trailer, will not have the necessary funding they need to expand, grow and improve. This is all to say nothing of the value of the ecosystem services that open space provides – like clean water and clean air.

Yes, times are tough in New Jersey, but continuing funding this program is the right choice for our State.

Please – vote YES on November 3rd.

Regards –

Samantha Rothman

It was a spooky night before Halloween when the critical mass bikers executed their 6:30 assault on Morristown.  Even though the weather  was relatively nice for an October 30, the ride was smaller than the previous several months.  It was probably the fact that it was now dark at 6:30 and not nearly as inviting as the previous months.  Nevertheless, most who showed, and I am estimating 50 in all , were haunting and amusing Morristown on their bicycles and in their costumes.  Check out the 5-minute YouTube video compilation I made while peddling in the ride with Rags the Dog on the back of my bicycle.

I wasn’t in a costume but I did have Rags the dog riding with me on the back of my bicycle while Kathy carried Scraps the dog on the back of her bike. While both dogs rode separately in critical mass rides in the past, we have never been able to get both to a ride together until tonight.  I recently hooked up both bikes to carry both dogs.  Click here to read my blog posting about biking with both dogs and I even have a cool video of our first major ride.

If you missed last month’s critical mass video, it is below.