Hmmm...time for the shop.

This picture is a little dated...like last week.  I was convinced to head up and ride the summer solstice ride with the Tuesday Night Ride Group on the Emigrant Trail.  However, I did notice the next day when I was getting around to cleaning the bike that I had more than a little grease / oil on the left  stanchion.  Turns out the seal wasn't totally blown but was leaking pretty good (it's been rolling for 5 years with no maintenance).  I diligently googled the replacement kit....$78.00 and the pain in the butt of doing the messy rebuild.

So the following day I found myself on the way to Great Basin Bicycles to drop it off and let them do it!  Don't get me wrong...I can do the rebuild...I'm just that lazy some days!  By the time my work day was done the repair was done too.  Have to love Great Basin's service turn around.  And perhaps the best part...my total bill was $70.  Less than buying the kit and doing it myself.  I guess it pays to be friends with the bike shop owners in town!

So if you've got a little "project" that you're just not in the mood for, head down to Great Basin Bicycles and let them do it.  It might just be a better deal than doing it yourself!

IMBIB Brewery Grand Opening.

What can I say....an easy excuse for bikes and beer!  The newest brewery in town is actually a collaborative effort by several Washoe Zephyr Zymurgists (WZZ) beer club members, so I also felt a bit obligated to get down there and help them make their official opening a success!

The front entrance looks great!

Live music back in the brewery.

Keg lined "stage"!

The small in house brew system (larger batches are currently done down in Carson) and a whole lot of goodness aging in barrels!

Manning the taps!

It's worth noting that they had 17 beers and a couple home brew cola's on hand.  This is a really impressive feat for a grand opening...there are several well established breweries in town that don't have a draft list half this long!  And several options were barrel aged sours....something that's still a bit lacking here in the Reno beer scene.  Based on this display and the quality of the beers I sampled I think these guys are going to be hugely popular in the rapidly growing brewery options in Reno!

It's almost the weekend....

....so have you thought about how you're going to carry beer on your bike!?

BPAC Bust and a Bicycle Lawyer....

You never want to see this happen...but if it does who do you call?

Yesterday was the monthly BPAC (Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee) meeting which while interesting and important isn't something I write up in detail.  However, last night proved unique in two ways...  1) We cancelled the meeting because we didn't have enough people and 2) because we had an interesting visitor.... A lawyer who has a special interest in bicycles.

I've read plenty about bicycle lawyers in Portland and other big "bicycle cities"....but I don't think I've ever encountered a specialist bicycle lawyer in Reno.  I'm not going to use his name until I chat with him a bit more, but I was impressed that he came to the meeting because he was fed up with folks violating cyclists rights, the lack of enforcement, and lack of follow up in complaints/cases where these offenses takes place.  I found this unique because I'm sure if you're a lawyer just looking for business in the personal injury world....representing cyclist probably isn't the best business strategy. 

Anyway, I'll be talking with him more and hope that at the very least he'll be a good resource for local cyclists who do get injured. 

Tuesday Night Ride Group Summer Solstice Ride.

Somehow I got talked in to giving a friend a ride up to the Emigrant Trail last night for the TNRG Summer Solstice ride.....so I decided, sick or not I'd tag along.  It turned out to be a really good ride.  I didn't take any pics on the ride itself, but here's a clip from youtube to get you rolling and a few pics from the bbq party that followed.



And yeah...it's kinda long...but it's a legit view of the ride.

And then there was beer and bbq!

Seeing a City.

Over the last couple weeks I've actually spent more time driving than riding....which is kind of rare for me.  I had forgotten just how effortless it is to get around when you just have push one pedal instead of two.  As I cruised both Michigan and Nevada roads I was struck how little of an area you actually experience in a car.  It's just the nature of driving to attempt to avoid the congested areas I suppose...but you miss some of the most interesting areas when you do.  So this week back on the bike it's been fun just to observe the city again.  So give it some thought, you might want to try it!

Case in point...Virginia St. bridge removal.

Proof that bikes are just regular transportation....

You may or may not like the commercial or the business that it's for....but the fact that this exists is proof positive that bikes are transportation and not just toys or exercise equipment.   

Buzz Bomb Bike Sale Pictures.

Just some pics from the sale.  I try to go every year just so see if there's something I "have" to have.  There was a tempting Raleigh 3 speed....but I figured someone could use it more than me!  Even if I didn't buy anything the sourdough pancakes were worth the ride over on a beautiful morning.

Folks checking out the merchandise.

Some great style from yesteryear.

There were also some great head badges.

Buzz Bomb Bike Sale this Weekend!

Be sure to swing by and check out some the great bikes!  Also....show up early enough and there are sour dough pancakes!

Bikepacking the Oregon Outback....BikePortland's Creator's Gear!

This is a cut and paste from BikePortland.org....Written by Johnathan Maus.  I've just reposted the first two pictures and bit of text as a teaser to get you to click on it and see the whole thing over at BikePortland.org.  Hopefully, he won't mind the plug.

Anyway...it's a great write up so be sure to check it out!

The gear that got me through the Oregon Outback

Posted by Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor) on June 16th, 2015 at 5:04 pm

Everything except the bike (and my phone, which I took the photo with).
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

I had no idea what to expect before riding 505 miles in three days on the Oregon Outback last month. What I did know is that whatever happened, I’d count on my gear to help get me through it.

I also knew that if the ride wasn’t destined to go well, I hoped it’d be due to things (mostly) out of my control — like mechanical or physical mishaps, crazy weather, route problems, and so on. Thank goodness I was lucky. Pretty much everything went smoothly. I was also very fortunate to have used excellent gear that I can now confidently recommend if you are headed out on an adventure of your own.

Below are a few photos and my thoughts on the gear that helped get me through the Outback — from the first mile to the last — with a smile on my face…

The Bike

Salsa Cycles Vaya built up by 21st Avenue Bicycles.

***So be sure to check out the rest of the write up over at BikePortland.org***

Wow...finally back.

Ok, I know it's been dead around here for a while.  I was traveling back to my roots and posting wasn't a priority with everything that was going on.  And while many things change when you haven't been home for several years....some things stay the same.  Here's an example that is almost surreal.

My old Elementary school:

The building has hardly changed at all!?

The exact same monkey bars as when I went there.  I had to get stitches from these things!

Same swings....although they looked a lot smaller.

 

And just to tie in a bicycle theme....the same bike rack I locked up to from 1980-1986!

Michigan memories.

Things that remind you of home.

Capacity.....

How much can you haul?  Off the shelf a bicycle is great way to haul....yourself.  However, if you have more than a hand full of items you'd like to bring along you quickly realize the limitations of your bike.

The solutions to this problem are as wide ranging as your imagination.  A simple rear rack and a bungy cord might be step one.  Or you can add a frame bag / seatpost bag combo like my Fargo is showing above.  There's also traditional panniers (front and rear if you like) and handlebar bags if your favor massive amounts of gear.

However, if your carrying capacity truly knows no limits, your left with only one option, the cargo bike.  I ran into a really great example over at AACT (Academy of Arts, Careers, and Technology) a couple evenings ago.  A Yuba Mundo complete with duel kiddy capacity and a monster porter rack / basket configuration.

So remember....if you think you have to have that SUV to get you and your stuff around....there's a bike for that!

Dutch Bicycle Problems....

Construction Companies....Please Don't Do This!!

Ok...for the record, they did make an improvement.  Earlier this week they just had the cones right down the middle of the bike lane.  I stopped and asked one of the guys if they couldn't move them to the line, rather than block the bike lane.  This was the result by the time I rode home....cones still in the bike lane, but they put up a sign that says Bike Path Closed and Share the Road.  Not exactly a win in my book, but at least they acknowledged the bikes in this version.

A Sign of the Times?

The City of Reno put up a 4 way stop at the intersection of Ralston and 1st this week.  Not sure what's up with that.  I don't think this was ever an intersection with many accidents and I don't think people generally drove too fast on 1st.  I'm not sure I care if it's there or not....although it does disrupt what was a nice flow for riding down 1st st.

What I am sure of, is there definitely wasn't any public process on this one.  So....if it's that easy City of Reno.....how about making our Bicycle Boulevard better!!

Out and About...

The weekend was a bit different for me.  I actually got out of town (up to Quincy) for a bit of camping and catching up with old friends.  It was a bit of a working weekend as the friend (the preacher for those of you who have been reading for a while) was shooting video for the campground we were staying at and some of the attractions in the area.  The really "horrible" part of the experience was that some of the video had to be shot at the Brewing Lair of the Lost Sierras! 

As you can see...we worked really hard.

You know...had to test out the new deck.

Had to pour a few beers for the "camera".

If this isn't advertising for a brewery I don't know what is.

Point of view was necessary to capture the experience.

And we were forced to play a round of disc golf.

And for those of you who are wondering what this has to do with bicycles.  We did shoot both road riding and mountain biking segments as part of our work.  I just don't have the video in hand to prove it.  There was also the highly questionable decision to use me as the model.....so there's that too.  I'll update this post when I get a copy that's edited properly to make me look good!