bikes bikes bikes!

[finn]

I learned how to fix bikes by putting together bikes from bike graveyards, and trying to make them work. I wasn't always successful, but reading books did help, though those are geared towards newer parts than what I found.

I've also become adept at riding semi-broken bikes.

 

[hellomonday]

I've also become adept at riding semi-broken bikes.

haha word.

 

[rideitlikeyoustoleit]

I learned how to fix bikes by putting together bikes from bike graveyards, and trying to make them work. I wasn't always successful, but reading books did help, though those are geared towards newer parts than what I found.

I've also become adept at riding semi-broken bikes.

This is exactly how I learned as well. Seeing how bikes are my main form of transportation, I decided that I wanted to be self sufficiant and worked until I understood it. It really is pretty simple once you mentally accept the fact that bikes are simple machines. The only real work involved is overhauling and tightening things.

 

[Mouse]

there was this really cool article in the most recent BUST about a chick biking cross-country. not so much about biking but about feminism and stuff but it had some interesting resources. I'm gonna scan and post it asap

 

[finn]

I learned how to fix bikes by putting together bikes from bike graveyards, and trying to make them work. I wasn't always successful, but reading books did help, though those are geared towards newer parts than what I found.

I've also become adept at riding semi-broken bikes.

This is exactly how I learned as well. Seeing how bikes are my main form of transportation, I decided that I wanted to be self sufficiant and worked until I understood it. It really is pretty simple once you mentally accept the fact that bikes are simple machines. The only real work involved is overhauling and tightening things.

Oh, and LOOSENING things is hard work, particularly when they are very rusted. I have at least one bike whose fork is permanently rusted to the handlebar stem.

 

[btimby]

i rode a bike from colorado to alaska last summer. it's a very independent form of travel. and you can't stop without making friends, everyone's inspired by what you're doing.

here's my journal:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/bicyclingyank

 

[tober]

Bike #1: White Nishiki International that I have converted to single speed.

how did you resize the chain after you took off the derailleur? did you get another wheel with a single speed cog, or just re-mount the chain onto the mountain bike wheel?

 

[macks]

its easier to get another wheel with a single speed hub than to rebuild the hub. you can resize a chain prety eaily with a chain tool which lets you take out links of the chain and put it back together easily. they arent very expensive but a local bike shop can do it for cheap if you dont have any friends with a chainbreaker.

 

[bryanpaul]

it's all about the muhfuckin beach cruiser..... wicker basket wired to front for haulin' 40's...spray painted flat black...small jolly roger flag for effect....tear-assin round the fuckin town...DAMN I MISS THAT BIKE

 

[rideitlikeyoustoleit]

how did you resize the chain after you took off the derailleur? did you get another wheel with a single speed cog, or just re-mount the chain onto the mountain bike wheel?

To resize your chain you use a chainbreaker. It's really small and all it does is push the pin out of the part of the chain your working on so you can take it apart. You measure with the chain what size your going to need, take the extra chain out with the chainbreaker, and put the chain back together.

The trick with this is to avoid a stiff link after resizing your chain is the flex the chain back and forth a couple times (in the direction it isn't supposed to bend) to loosen it a bit.

 

[finn]

The trick with this is to avoid a stiff link after resizing your chain is the flex the chain back and forth a couple times (in the direction it isn't supposed to bend) to loosen it a bit.

Also, if you are using an semi-crappy chain, you might have to use the chain breaker again to push in the other side of the pin in, but the teeth of the chain breaker has to push again the inside of the link. Only one of the teeth will be really be in use, since the chain will want to go at a diagonal. That tooth will break after do this about a hundred times, depending on how sturdy the tool is.

 

[Geoff]

my bike was stolen. i miss her alot

 

[bikegeek666]

bikes are rad. read sheldon brown. don't get your heart set on messenger work, it's hard to come by, especially these days. i have experience and i'm in a area that can sustain a couple hundred messengers, and i'm still having trouble getting work.

but bikes are rad. i only have one right now, and without a home i'm trying to justify buying a new one...i did have 5 at one point. it was fun, i could choose which one i felt like riding that day based on weather, or just for fun, or whatever.

right now i just have a stickered up track bike with some nice track parts where it counts and cheap mountain bike parts where it doesn't and a basket for work.

 

[Double-A]

i was once really pumped about moving to Minneapolis and finding messenger work, but then i watched Pedal. Granted it takes place in new york, but being pressed like that? nah. maybe in a podunk town it'd be rad, but there's no demand... although, now's the time to exploit the shit outta liberals who want to "go green"!

speaking of track bikes, if you were to get a flip-flop hub, which one would you prefer? i know quality shit and what to look for in the casting, but when it comes to track, i'm lost. i really dig on surly, but don't know if it's worth the money and save up for a phil wood...

warmshowers.org is pretty cool for anyone touring. i actually found it through btimby's journal. it slo doesn't seem as sketchy as couchsurfers can be.

 

[Lint]

bikes are good. tall bikes are gooder.

 

[Double-A]

you're damn right! since i don't know how to weld or have a welder, i made a flip tall bike. i made the handlebars out of steel conduit, definitely not the best idea, but it works and the retarded handlebars get a lot of attention.

 

[jonahxx]

what city r u talkin about cush and dirty rig, I loveeeeeeeeeee bikes my its badass have no brakes but thas how ilove it and no its not a fixie

i travel everywhere but san francisco and new york city are like my hometown and theres sooo many fixies there insane

i only hopp with a bike once and i wanna do it again but this time the frame gotta b lighter


BIKES

OH YEAH

BIKIN FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO SANTA CUX PRETTY AWESOME

 

[bikegeek666]

i was once really pumped about moving to Minneapolis and finding messenger work, but then i watched Pedal. Granted it takes place in new york, but being pressed like that? nah. maybe in a podunk town it'd be rad, but there's no demand... although, now's the time to exploit the shit outta liberals who want to "go green"!

speaking of track bikes, if you were to get a flip-flop hub, which one would you prefer? i know quality shit and what to look for in the casting, but when it comes to track, i'm lost. i really dig on surly, but don't know if it's worth the money and save up for a phil wood...

warmshowers.org is pretty cool for anyone touring. i actually found it through btimby's journal. it slo doesn't seem as sketchy as couchsurfers can be.

surly hubs aren't great. the bearings need lots of maintenance. they've been known to tighten and crap out on people while riding. even cheap formulas and the like are better.

my personal favorite is miche primato, which are a little more expensive, but not too much. they're comparable in quality to things that cost twice as much, so i think it's worth the extra 40 bucks over a formula hub. they only come one-sided or fixed/fixed flip flop, though. you could try threading a bmx freewheel onto a fixed hub. it will only engage a few threads, but i know people who've done it.

and as far as pedal...it shows some realities of messenger work everywhere. i was the homeless, drunk messenger for a while in portland. i know plenty of dirty punks, ex-junkies, and drunks doing...it mostly old-schoolers, though, from before it was cool, and more punks were doing it.

 

[dime]

i just built a bmx bike here in gainesville @ the kickstand. hopefully i can put a pic up soonish. i think someone stole my camera.

 

[ziggyluscious]

I love my bike ! And I hate fucking hipsters !!

Need a bike ? Have little or no money ??
Check out your local bike co op.
Many bike co ops have 'work for a bike'.
It's how I built my last 2 bikes and I'm now training to be a bike
mechanic for my local bike co op - coooool !
Some bike co ops are cool and full of street people building bikes
others are full of hipster fuckheads..
Just check it out.. and have some fun.

Does anyone have any links to websites that have instructions for building
bike trailers ? Especially trailers that I don't need welding gear for??

I'd also like to do some touring, but not a single gear racer type of gal,
love my mountain/hybrid bikes.
Anyone tour with/live on one of these ??

Linda