Bad news, good news.

The bad news: Remember that I said The Goat needed quite a bit of work? Well, I got it working and have been riding it daily, but never really fixed all the things that need fixing. Friday, things got pretty bad, making the bike a complete pain to ride. It's about time for a major overhaul including a new rear rim/spokes (heck, new wheel?) two new tires, a full set of brake pads, a chain, cassette, and saddle. The chain, cassette and brakes have been replaced several times since I got this bike, but the other stuff has been the same since I bought it more than 3 years ago.

I think I've got it kludged well enough to last me a week or so.

The good news: The Goat doesn't need to last much longer, then I can fix it up over the next 2 months. On behalf of BikeCommuters.com I'm reviewing a pair of slick bikes that should appeal to the urban commuter. The first one will show up this week sometime. I'll test it for about six weeks, send it back, and take on another foster bike for about a month. That should get me through until mid-February or so. Since they're factory demo units, I won't be keeping either of these bikes, and I won't be getting paid to write a review. I'm okay with that, though. I love bike stuff.

Also, my cold-weather ways are probably nothing new for you guys, but check out the post (and the great comments) on my latest article at Bike Commuters for a dose of cold-weather riding tips: You know it's winter when...

KC Bike Week 2008 Day 3: Pain & Broken Stuff

You've gotta love broken stuff.

Monday morning, a slight creaking noise manifested itself on The Twelve. I feared it was the bottom bracket going out. Monday evening, I found that my cargo rack was loose and I tightened it up. It didn't fix the noises, though.

Yesterday, the noise was more prominent. It's definitely the bottom bracket. It's shot. Furthermore, my panniers are also in a state of disrepair. I'm going to need a new set soon. I'm tired of taking these to the tailor to get re-stitched. Lastly, I'm really going to need some more padded liners if I am going to keep up this riding 30 miles a day business.

I only took The Twelve out today because I think I might need fenders for the homeward commute. Tomorrow, I'll probably bring Hybridzilla out. Once I get paid, I might try to accumulate a few bikey things that I need. All combined, that stuff would cost less than a few tanks of gasoline, with the panniers being the most expensive piece of the puzzle. The ones I have would still work for light-duty stuff. Maybe my wife can use them when she starts riding more. Who knows?

If anyone tells you that bike commuting has the advantage of being a mostly one-time expenditure that offers virtually free transportation reliably, call them onto the carpet. Granted, even with repairs, bike commuting is often cheaper than just paying for gasoline in your car -- not counting the expensive car repairs and maintenance you're sure to need. Bicycles are machines. They're prone to wear and occasional failure. Bike commuters need to have a plan B. It's a good idea to carry cash for a bus or taxi fare, a cell phone and a friend or family member to help you out, and/or some tools for roadside repairs.

It was another Convoy this morning with John C and Karen. I took this coasting down 67th street at 31 MPH with both hands stabilizing the camera. Scary.


Bike commuters with a sunset backdrop on Merriam Lane approaching Lamar.


Dude. The House of ROCKS. You want gravel? Huge slabs of granite? A four-ton limestone boulder? This is the place for you. Watch out for the snakes catching rays in the morning, though. I can only imagine what the owner was thinking when he decided to start this business. "We'll sell ROCKS, man..."

He must have been stoned. Haha.


Lorin bussed in to KCMO and we all did our usual coffee thing at *$.

In other news, the city is tearing stuff up on 10th street for additional streetscape. This means a lane reduction, parking meter additions, and hopefully more bike parking?






As far as Pain goes, I'm about 100 miles in this week. Each morning, it's getting more and more difficult to get moving. I've been riding slower and slower, too. My body will eventually thank me for all this punishment, though.

Random Tunage:
Benjamin Bates - On My Feet
Amber - Anyway (Steve Porter Mix)

I'm probably going to jail...

...for the merciless slaying of my rear wheel. I am not kidding that this is the 5th broken spoke I've had to deal with on this wheel. That's right, I found another one. I'm not doing anything different than usual, either. I took it easy this morning. I really don't know what's going on, but I don't like it.

I somehow missed the Express Antioch bus, so I'm on the Quivira D bus. I swear, the D must stand for dreaded, derogatory, death, despair, disdain, and any other word beginning with D that can be used to paint something in a negative light. There's no reason that a motor vehicle should take a whole hour to transport humans 15 miles or so.

Anyhow, I get to go take my wheel back down to the LBS again. Sigh.

Update - The guys at Bike America hooked me up with yet another brand new wheel. They rock, and I'm happy. :)

I also have enough spare parts to build a bitchin' spare wheel. The Tiagra hub and decent spokes off my bike's OEM wheel will work nicely with the rim of the last wheel. I may attempt to take some of this stuff apart and do my own wheel rebuild sometime soon.

Smile and wave. And By the way...

I broke another spoke. Methinks this wheel got a bit over-tightened last night. It's all fixed now and a beer offering to the bike shop crew this evening will probably score me a re-lace if I decide I need one. Bike gremlins are starting to piss me off a little.

Anyhow, I took the A bus to 87th street, which gave me about a 3 mile ride home tonight. I didn't want to go too far on the broken spoke. After I got home with my re-re-spoked, re-re-re-tensioned replacement wheel, I took it for a quick shakedown run, then grabbed our rental videos, the outgoing mail, and the grocery list for an honest-to-goodness durability test.

Everything seems to be working fine again.

On my way home, a car drove by me with two parents and two teenagers. They were crowding me but I was holding the center of the right lane on 87th street. Eventually they figured out they needed to change lanes. The teenagers (male and female) were pointing and laughing at me in my lime reflective vest and big panniers loaded with groceries.

As the car changed lanes to get in front of me, I mustered up the absolute goofiest grin I had and waved emphatically with my whole arm as the teenagers started to completely lose all composure. I could almost hear them laughing through the glass. It was great. Tomorrow, I'm sure they're going to tell all their friends about the mentally handicapped dude riding his bike on 87th street.

Random Tunage:
Marc Houle - Bay of figs
Nine Inch Nails - Right where it belongs