toys

I have too many ideas and too little money and too little free time...not to mention motivation.  Unfortunately, many of these ideas escape me before I can flesh them out or, in many cases, write them down.  And the motivation???

I have a digital level.  It is a professional model with an rs-232 port on the back.  To those who grew up after the proliferation of the USB port, it is an older type of serial connection.  Anyway,  I often ride the bicycle on hills and wonder just how steep it is.  My thought was to get a little netbook computer, connect it to the level and  strap it on the bike.  I could then record the slopes of the route in real-time.  So far I have yet to locate a cable to connect it to the computer (I haven't tried very hard).  Then I would have to figure out how to sample the data, import it into a software program, etc...  That sounds like a lot of work.

There is a simpler solution.  Much less elaborate, but much cheaper and real time.  It is essentially a level, much like a carpenter would use, but with graduations indicating the grade of the slope.  Cheap, simple, small and lightweight.  It reads up to 27% grade.  It is the red and yellow object in the photo above.

The Road Warrior
Apart from that I have been doing little with the bikes lately, at least when it comes to riding.  I put a new rear wheel on the old 10-speed.  I know a lot of people who would ask, why bother?  It is an obsolete clunker.  I have had that bike for 28 years and it has been through a lot of miles with me.  I am thinking of getting it re-painted, maybe powder-coated.

I got it for Christmas in '83 and it has been through a number changes since.  The name on it was Aragon.  I knew a guy who had a Schwinn World Sport with all of the same components and the frame lugs were identical.  Does this mean it was made by Schwinn?  It is possible but I have no way of verifying this theory.  The only remaining original parts are the frame and brakes.  It looks heavy because it is.  As shown in the picture it weighs in at a stout 34 pounds.  It is a beast but the old steel frame is comfortable on long rides.

The Mountain Bike
One year I took the Road Warrior apart to repaint it.  One day I went out to the garage to do some sanding on the frame and discovered someone had dropped it.  The bottom bracket now had a flat spot on one side which would prevent me from putting it back together.

So I gave up on it and bought a mountain bike.  It was 1991 and mountain bikes were starting to take over the market.  The bike I chose was a Schwinn High Plains Aluminum.  It had a beautiful paint job, bright blue metallic paint with silver splattered on it.  Unfortunately, they didn't have my size and, since it was on clearance I bought the 21" frame.  It was fun for riding but really a bit large for any serious off road riding.

A number of years later I bought a frame from a catalog and transferred most of the parts to the new frame.  It weighs in at about 37 pounds but feels like   57.  I have a rack on it and have grocery panniers that I could use to make grocery runs.  I did do that once...

The Cannondale
A year after buying the mountain bike I felt the call of the road again.  I liked riding off-road but it just isn't the same.  I went back to the bike shop and saw a Bianchi on the sidewalk.  It was a used item for sale.  I liked it and put it on layaway.  A week later I went back to make a payment and saw a used Cannondale on the sidewalk.  A dark blue SR400, $50 more than the Bianchi.  It only weighs about 23 pounds and I found that fact appealing.  I asked if I could trade up and soon I had my new road ride.

A few years ago some friends and I rode in the Great Pumpkin Metric.  After the ride we loaded the bike into, and onto, his Tahoe and went home.  Upon arrival my front wheel had escaped from atop his truck.  It would be nearly impossible to find it and likely it would have been worthless after the fall from the top of his truck, at highway speeds.  Fortunately, my friend had an extra wheel and gave it to me as a replacement.  In reality, it was a significant upgrade from my old front wheel.

A couple of years ago, I broke a couple of spokes on my rear wheel.  It was showing its age and was due for replacement.  Unfortunately, this would be a challenge.  The rear wheel contains parts that must be compatible with other component of the bike to function properly.  Those parts are no longer made, haven't been since the mid-90's.  Ebay can be a great thing.  I found a hub and cassette NOS (New Old Stock) parts that fit the bill.  A little pricey but available.  I took those parts to my friendly neighborhood bike shop and had a wheel built.  I have been quite happy with the new wheels.

And as for the damaged frame on the ten speed...  A year or two after buying the Cannondale I looked at my collection of spare parts and decided, on a lark, to see if the frame could be repaired after all.  As it turned out, it could and the repair only cost me $25.  That is why the Road warrior is still with me.  Maybe I should call it the Phoenix.

The Super-cruiser
The N.I.T.E. Ride is an event that comes along every summer in Indianapolis.  It is a short nighttime ride through the streets of the city starting at 11PM.  Along with the ride are a post-ride meal, lighting contest and  door prizes.  I have participated in this ride every year since 2000.  One year I won the door prize...a beach cruiser.  What the heck am I going to do with a beach cruiser?

When I went to the bike shop to pick up my prize I did some looking around.  I had, for years, thought it would be cool to have a recumbent bicycle.  They had one on the sales floor so I asked if I could trade up.  It was a cheap one, the cheapest one you could get, but I didn't need it for serious riding.  I may try it on a substantial ride someday.  At 39 pounds, it is very heavy and the small wheels make it even more sluggish.  But it is a fun ride for local exploration and tooling around.

Paramount
I have been wanting, for several years now, a modern bike.  The Road Warrior and the Cannondale have certainly been faithful steeds and I will continue to enjoy riding them.  But there are advantages to newer designs and I wanted something different.  I stumbled upon a pretty little thing in a shop here and took it for a short test ride.  The price was right, again an older model on clearance. But this time it was my size.  I know a lot of people will turn their noses up at it because it bears the name Schwinn.  But, unless one is to spend upwards of 2 grand, they won't find a bike made in the US,  The vast majority of all bikes sold are made in one or two Chinese factories.  Buy American?  I would if I could afford to...and justify the expense.

The latest addition to my stable is a 2010 Schwinn Paramount Series 7.  It is a blue and white carbon fiber beauty that weighs in at little more than 20 pounds.  It may be heavy by carbon fiber standards but should be a much smoother ride than the Aluminum Cannondale.  Whether it will prove to be as comfortable as the old road warrior remains to be seen but at 14 pounds lighter I'd be willing to sacrifice a little bit.  And being modern components, I can change things up to get to a gearing combination that suits my purposes.  that is nearly impossible with the others.