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New Road Bike

April 27, 2008 – 3:54 pm

I’d been frustrated with my nagging knee pain, so much that I sold all my road bikes. Well, after 3 months and over 400 miles of riding a single speed cyclocross to work my knee feels good and I finally broke down and bought a new road bike.

The selection process was rather easy, I wanted a Bianchi. After a little research, I felt that the Bianchi Via Nirone met my needs. My biggest ‘requirement’ was that the bike’s color had to be ‘Bianchi Celeste’.

Now, finding the Bianchi was not so easy. The closest bike dealer only had 1 in stock and they would not negotiate on the price (which was way higher than I was willing to pay). Luck has it that I was invited to go to my cousin’s house for a house warming party 30 miles away from where I live. A quick dealer search on Bianchi’s site revealed that Coates Cyclery was an authorized Bianchi dealer and it was one mile away from my cousin’s house.

I decided to go and check out what they had in stock, and what do you know, the Via Nirone 7 was there, like it was waiting for me. Jack from Coates was very helpful and I basically told him what I wanted to pay for that bike and if he was able to do it, I would take it. Jack came back after talking to his manager, and the deal was made.

I’ll be riding this bike on the City of Angels fun ride this coming Sunday, look for a very happy Bike Geek riding a Celeste dream machine (mine, anyway).

Moe | Cycling, Road | Comments (6)

Ryan Leech performance at Sea Otter

April 21, 2008 – 12:57 pm

RL and I shot a video of Ryan Leech’s performance at Sea Otter. Ryan has some awesome bike handling skills, check it out:

Moe | Cycling | Comments (0)

Evomo Style

April 21, 2008 – 12:02 pm

I have a like for Evomo’s clothing line. I really dig their new designs and the people that run the company are simply the best to hang around with.

Check out a video of an interview with the brains of Evomo, Bryan Thombs

Moe | Cycling, MTB, News | Comments (0)

Footbike USA Footbike Track Review

April 21, 2008 – 11:40 am

From time to time we get a product to test that turns a lot of heads when I ride them, the Footbike Track is definitely one of them.

Specs:

Although you can compete with this fine machine, I mostly used it for recreational and training purposes. Nothing gets your heartbeat really pumping than riding a Footbike.

Thumbs Up: The Footbike Track is fast and light and you can really hug some corners with it. The stopping power of the brakes was more than adequate and the adjustability of the stem enables all sorts of riders the use of the Footbike.


The use of standard bike components is a major plus since you can buy tires, rims, headsets, handlebars and grips from your favorite LBS, just in case the upgrade bug hits you.

Thumbs Down:The Track model is the high performance model of the Footbike line, the handling is very quick and sometimes it can be a handful on fast descents.

Also, the clearance is very low, I found myself scraping some of the imperfections of the sidewalk.

Recommendation:I’ve enjoyed the use of the Footbike Track when I wanted to do some cross training or when I rode around with my family at the park. If you are looking for something different that will test some of your handling skills and give you a different workout, the Footbike Track is it, but if you want something more nimble, check out the Footbike Street or the Footbike trail instead.

For more information or to purchase a Footbike, checkout www.footbikeusa.com

Moe | Reviews | Comments (2)

Book Review: Major

April 19, 2008 – 8:05 pm

As some of you may know, I am a librarian by day…and that’s a good thing, because I love to read!

So, I figured I’d share the bicycling books I read with the rest of you — call it my “public outreach”, one of the basic principles a librarian must strive for! We’ve done mini- book reviews before…here’s a page that has a variety of bike-friendly books I reviewed in June of last year.

I recently finished Major: A Black Athlete, A White Era, And The Fight To Be The World’s Fastest Human Being by Todd Balf (New York: Crown Publishers, 2008).

Major

This is an exhaustively-researched “untold story” of the world’s first black superathlete, Marshall “Major” Taylor. Major Taylor set a number of world records and set the bicycling world on fire in the early part of the 20th century. Loved abroad, he received a much colder reception in many parts of the U.S., where racism was the order of the day.

This book tells the story of Major’s upbringing, family life and racing career both in the United States and in Europe and Australia. The highs are presented — white men like Louis De Franklin “Birdie” Munger and William A. “Bill” Brady stepping across color lines to help Taylor achieve world dominance in bicycle track racing — as well as the lows; trickery, predjudice and outright violence from other prominent white racers and from the American public.

The book climaxes with the “East Meets West/Black vs. White” matchup between Taylor and his archrival Floyd McFarland, and the buildup to this monumental race is both poignant and awe-inspiring.

Todd Balf, the author, closes his book with a couple modern-era tales of the legacy of Major Taylor, from the first black Little 500 racing team to his meeting with Taylor’s 96 year old daughter. Overall, the book is inspiring, if a bit painful to read — America’s history of racism and bigotry is a pretty ugly thing to think about. If you care for the history of bicycle racing, I highly recommend the book — because Marshall Taylor was the predecessor for ALL of America’s great athletes, both black and white.

El Ciclista Fantasma | Book Reviews, Cycling | Comments (2)

Banjo Brothers Commuter Backpack: First Impression

April 8, 2008 – 7:41 pm

I’m a huge fan of Banjo Brothers stuff. Their Saddlebags panniers are my all time favorite to commute with, so when I was offered the chance to try their Commuter Backpack, I quickly agreed.

Here are the specs of the backpack:

    Medium - 1500 Cubic inches / 17″Tall x 12″ Wide x 8″ deep
    Waterproof 2-layer design: outer ballistic nylon layer wears like iron; replaceable waterproof liner keeps contents dry in a downpour (will not keep water out if submerged, in case underwater-riding is your hobby).
    Wide padded straps distribute load more evenly than messenger bags
    Sits lower on the back than standard backpacks to reduce blind spots while riding
    Chest strap and removable waist strap for stability
    Large reflective stripes and tab for safety light
    Quick-access side pocket fits mini-U lock

I rode my 21 mile round trip commute today with the backpack, I really like it so far. The backpack was able to accommodate my change of clothes, my lunch, spare tube, tools and wallet with plenty of more space to spare.

Even though the backpack was somewhat heavy, I didn’t really feel the load on my back. The padded back and the padded straps are really comfortable. You can tell from the picture that the backpack sits lower allowing some air to flow and eliminating any blind spots.

Even though the back pack has those huge reflective stripes, the tab for a blinkie is a major plus. I’ll be riding with it to work on the cooler days, I still believe that nothing beats a great set of panniers on a hot day.

Moe | Commute, Reviews | Comments (3)

RateMyBicycle.com is now Open for Business!

April 7, 2008 – 6:48 pm

A while back…about 2 weeks ago, RL and I were talking about building a new site that would allow our readers a chance to show off their bikes! Well, in all honesty, between RL and I, we probably have over 30 bicycles in our possession…and we wanted to show them off… not in a “neener neener neener” way, but in a fun way. Most of our bikes have gone through some sort of customization where they are so far from stock. We knew that we weren’t the only ones that have this type of passion for bikes. I know for a fact that our readers LOVE bikes as much or maybe more than Moe and I do and probably have done some pretty amazing custom jobs on their rigs…. Ghost Rider….I’m talking to you!

So without further adieu, I present to you…www.RateMyBicycle.com!

Now hold on — before you start thinking that this is just for commuters or mountain bikers…NO! All bicycle types are welcome to be posted. Here’s the the best part. YOU the READER can create an account on RateMyBicycle.com and post photos of your own bikes! Simply sign up, upload your photo to your Flickr or Photobucket account, use the URL they provide you and post away!

The site pretty simple to use (simple instructions are included on the homepage) and we’ve made it into a blog format so you can see the newest postings of bikes all the time. You can also click on the specific category you want to see and only those bikes will show up.

Once we get things moving on the site, we’ll be hosting monthly contests to see which bike gets the most votes. Yes, you can vote for yourself, but there’s only one IP address per vote so it may not let you do it more than once.

Go on…have fun!

Moe | News | Comments (1)

KHS Whistler Sweepstakes

March 31, 2008 – 4:06 pm



Click here to enter the sweepstakes and make sure that you select thebikegeek.com on the ‘Where did you hear about the contest’

Moe | Cycling | Comments (0)

Interview with Billy Savage, Klunkerz director

March 24, 2008 – 11:48 am

I got the chance to E-Interview Klunkerz director Billy Savage. Click Here to read my Interview at MtnBikeRiders.Com

Moe | Cycling | Comments (0)

Solvit Trackr Dog Trailer

March 20, 2008 – 9:55 am

Those of us with dogs and bikes have a difficult time combining the two. My wife and I either have to ride our bikes and leave the dogs at home or vice versa(not ride the dogs, but walk them…you understand). So I jumped at the chance to try the Solvit Trackr Dog Trailer, in hopes that we could spend a little more time with our dogs and still be able to ride our bikes.


Trailer attached and ready to roll

The trailer comes folded flat and with the wheels detached. Transforming the trailer into running mode is quick and simple. Just fold up the trailer, snap in the wheels, and flip the trailer arm out to attach to the bike. It attaches via an axle mounted bracket, then locks onto the trailer arm with a locking pin. The safety strap is then clipped around your frame or the locking pin’s ring. Very sturdy and secure, unlike the usual Velcro safety straps. I like my dogs safe!


Trailer in storage

It’s considerably compact when it’s stored, as you can see, even though it is the large model. It’s weight limit says 150 pounds and it felt plenty sturdy for my two canines. One is 35 pounds and the other 50, so we weren’t even close to pushing the weight limits. I’ll test that out later.


Looks comfortable

Both my dogs jumped right in and got comfortable. Plenty of room for the two. The trailer loads from the back. You just unzip the screen and in they go! One of mine gets a little jumpy with the screens open so I left the screens on and just folded up the plastic windows. They roll up and Velcro onto the top. There’s two reflectors on the front, two on the back and a reflective strip on the front. Each wheel gets a reflector as well. Safety first, I love it.


Lots of doohickeys for the dogs

I tried another kiddie trailer and even a cargo trailer but they aren’t very accommodating for pets. This trailer covers every aspect you would need to transport your dogs comfortably. Above shows one of the two D-rings(one on the other side also) that you can attach your dogs leash too. The short black clip shown here was included with the trailer. There’s even a pad for you dogs to sit/lay on. The pad isn’t very thick, but it should be easy enough to throw a blanket in there for them.

Both sides even have large Velcro pockets on the outside for a water bottle/dish, and leashes. I took our pups out for a short ride and they just sat back there watching the world go by. Both looked comfortable and didn’t seem to be fidgety at all. I was even able to take them around very sharp turns thanks to the spring in the swing arm. These guys thought of everything! Needless to say I’m very pleased with the trailer so far. I’ll be taking my dogs on a 24 mile road ride this Saturday and will try to get them out to different locations. If there’s one thing I’ve found it’s that dogs don’t care where you’re going, just as long as it’s outside! 

I suppose this trailer is more appropriate for older and/or less active dogs, but I doubt any pup would protest a little wind in their face. It’s a fantastic little contraption that really makes riding a bike even more enjoyable now that I can bring my “family” out with me. I’ll even try to test this thing on some fireroads to see if it’s off-road friendly. Check back in for a full review.

Lance | Cycling, Reviews | Comments (3)

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