cycling cycling

[JimK]

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[Jon Szanto]

Nice handlebar bag - I still have one of my old French ones, of canvas and leather. Welcome to FPG!

[I like mango pudding]

whoa, you cycling across the country or something??

Nice post. nice handwriting. I've always been interested in other people's handwriting. Not in so much as a pychological insight but at the epxressiveness and the flow of the letters into words and sentences. People have said that I have good handwriting, but it often gets messy as I have to write very fast sometimes in my meetings.

[fountainpenkid]

Welcome!

[writingrav]

Welcome to the madness. I'm a cyclist too. Presently riding a fuji absolute for distance, Brompton around town. Indulge!

[JimK]

whoa, you cycling across the country or something??


I dream of big rides! How about a loop in China, Chengdu - Lijiang - Xining - Chengdu?! Last summer I did go on the Erie Canal ride from Buffalo to Albany in New York, 400 miles in 8 days. I do use my bike for practical purposes too, like grocery shopping. That gives the bags something to carry!

The most recent pen I bought was a Kaweco AL-Sport. It works so well, I don't feel much need to use anything else!

[Greg Minuskin]

I am a bicyclist too! I have ridden all over the world in my youth and now ride locally, in fact, I don't use a car all week, I go to the post office/bank/store all on my bike!

Welcome!

You will find the folks here at the FP Geeks a great bunch of pen people, and fun too! If there is something I can do for you, please let me know!

Greg Minuskin
greg@gregminuskin.com
www.gregminuskin.com

[I like mango pudding]

You will find the folks here at the FP Geeks a great bunch of pen people, and fun too! If there is something I can do for you, please let me know!

Greg Minuskin
greg@gregminuskin.com
www.gregminuskin.com

I fully agree. A very warm welcome I got. (And I'm not even a FPN refugee either!)

[Storm Cat]

Welcome! Wow, you look like you're set for long-distance riding there! And I like your handwriting, too.

My favorite pen, at the moment, is a Sheaffer Targa. It's great, and the nib has a hit of stubbishnish to it that I like. I haven't used a Carene since I got it.

[ethernautrix]

Oo, love the bike!

I ride a Trek Madone 3.1 (for ladies, heh) -- usually to work (four days this week) (only 15 miles RT), usually a 30-miler on a Saturday or Sunday. Longest ride was from just south of San Francisco to Santa Cruz in a day (about 70 miles). Looking forward to more longer rides as the weather cooperates.

J. Peterman -- I used to love reading those catalogues!

Welcome to the madness!

[Jon Szanto]

Ah, in my dreams I'll do some cycle touring. Maybe through the French wine country, eh? Anyway...

I had some REI bucks to use, and while my local commutes are small, I found a very versatile system that straddles the line between a standard trunk bag and panniers, made for REI by Novarra:

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[I like mango pudding]

I miss cycle touring myself. I use to do lots on the Gulf Islands here in British Columbia. It's always better when you have a cycling companion. I graduated to motorcycle touring, but that has gone by the wayside as other priorities in life have taken ahold. I envy you!!!!

[Laura N]

Oooh, my road bike is an old Trek OCLV 5000. But usually I use a much older steel frame Nishiki hybrid. I'm going to have to pony up this year for a new bike and I'm thinking of a city bike for more of an upright ride. I'm getting older. :)

[de_pen_dent]

I cycle too - mostly road bikes/racing, although I do occasionally tour (Bhutan a couple of years ago, Uganda last year - maybe Philippines later this year?).

[chad.trent]

Welcome from another fellow cyclist.

Although most of my rides these days are preceded by a swim and followed by a run...

[JimK]

So cool to see so many cyclists here!

One of my long tour ideas is to buy paper and envelopes along the way and mail lots of letters back home, so the travel journal accumulates there. Probably the Kaweco AL-Sport would be a good pen for that purpose - compact and rugged!

One of my goals this year is to do some overnight camping trips. There are some nice places within reasonable distances. After that, maybe a trip to visit my parents. That's about 200 miles, which I would probably do in 5 days. I have plotted out state campgrounds nicely spaced.

I generally average about 10 mph - I don't see too many other cyclists out on the road, but they pass me pretty fast when I do!

[ethernautrix]

This is Bike D. at work. I'm about to hop on and ride home. Weekend, woohoo!

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Got this bike a couple of years ago, named it in honor and memory of stand-up comic Mike DeStefano. When I rode to Santa Cruz -- rather, the day after, riding up and over Santa Cruz mountain (which I should have known was there) -- I could hear Mike D. sounding all disgusted at quitters. Hahaha.

I did have to call my mother, though -- to come pick me up by some reservoir, AFTER I made it up and over the mountain. Coming down was such a thrill! But I didn't have the energy to pedal up even gentle slopes after that. Hahaha.


Edit: That green bag in the handlebar bag? That's holding the clothes I wore today.

[JimK]

I've driven from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz several times over the decades. That is a serious hill! Are there some decent roads where you can avoid traffic?

Looks like a really nice bike!

[Jon Szanto]

Lisa, you should totally get a new Wahl-Eversharp (http://www.wahleversharp.com/) "Green Menthol" Skyliner to go with that bike! (It's pretty close...)

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[jor412]

Hello. :)

[John the Monkey]

Carradice luggage eh? Nice choice!

Here's my Lowsaddle Longflap bag on my "quick" bike - it was making a brief outing as a commuter while I built a new front wheel :)

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4104/4997618339_2d985ccf7e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/john_the_monkey/4997618339/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/john_the_monkey/4997618339/) by John the Monkey (http://www.flickr.com/people/john_the_monkey/), on Flickr

And here it is on my more usual commuter, a Surly Long Haul Trucker that I built up in 2009;

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2757/4487872358_09a6de26d7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/john_the_monkey/4487872358/)
LHT sans rack 1: a tourer without a rack is crazy, right? (http://www.flickr.com/photos/john_the_monkey/4487872358/) by John the Monkey (http://www.flickr.com/people/john_the_monkey/), on Flickr

When the roads get too icy for long rides, I take out the Brompton...

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2763/4248471329_61a3bd2f63.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/john_the_monkey/4248471329/)
Snow Brompton (http://www.flickr.com/photos/john_the_monkey/4248471329/) by John the Monkey (http://www.flickr.com/people/john_the_monkey/), on Flickr

Anyway, welcome!

[Toffer]

Hello hello! Fellow cyclist here, I have two bikes, this is my main one: 2363

My other is a Specialized road bike, Le tour de France is coming near my house next year when it comes to the UK so looking forward to watching that!

Oh and that's me!!

[manoeuver]

Here's my abomination. Brought it out yesterday to ride to work. Plan to use it 3 days/week at least.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m262/timhofmann/IMG_20130504_071105_zps29283fe6.jpg

[de_pen_dent]

Although most of my rides these days are preceded by a swim and followed by a run...

Ah, the ever popular shampoo and blowdry? :)

[cwent2]

:welcome:

[JimK]

my more usual commuter, a Surly Long Haul Trucker


The Long Haul Trucker is a bike that is on my wish list! I am out in Seattle every couple months or so. Wouldn't that be a grand bike to have out there, both for commuting and exploring?! But I have a Brompton here doing nothing so really I should bring that along first on the plane and maybe in the Seattle office there could be a corner where I could leave it.

I like all those patches and pins on your saddlebag!

[ethernautrix]

I've driven from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz several times over the decades. That is a serious hill! Are there some decent roads where you can avoid traffic?

Looks like a really nice bike!

Thanks, Jim. I prefer to think of it as a MOUNTAIN. Hahaha, I don't like being bested by a hill (even if I did ride over it).

I pretty much ride in traffic, keeps my reflexes quick.

Rode my 30-mile "Benny Double Back" which skirts by a couple of marinas on the bike path around the Bay (Brisbane, South San Francisco) -- love that ride!

[ethernautrix]

Lisa, you should totally get a new Wahl-Eversharp (http://www.wahleversharp.com/) "Green Menthol" Skyliner to go with that bike! (It's pretty close...)

This is the one I wanted! If I wanted more pens, I mean. A condition with which I struggle daily.

[John the Monkey]

The Long Haul Trucker is a bike that is on my wish list! I am out in Seattle every couple months or so. Wouldn't that be a grand bike to have out there, both for commuting and exploring?!

They're great bikes - I bought mine frame & fork, building it up to match exactly what I wanted, so the spec is a little different to the complete bike Surly sell. If I had one tip for this bike, it would be to stick big tyres on it (it'll take 700x45 with mudguards, I ride on 700x42) - doesn't affect speed too much, and gives a really plush ride.


I like all those patches and pins on your saddlebag!
:D

It's accumulated more since :) The idea is to have the flag / emblem of all the places I've ridden, eventually - I need a France patch though!

[JimK]

Yeah, I have 26x2 Schwalbe Marathon Supremes on my bike. I like beefy tires!

[Ray-VIgo]

I love old bicycles too. I rebuild and restore them in my spare time. I spend more time on them these days than on restoring fountain pens, which says a fair bit I suppose. The link in my signature is my shop blog, with lots of useless info and such on old bikes.

Here's a couple for those who like such things:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ekNq6pIRVaE/UYb6UppRBVI/AAAAAAAABIA/E74-O96-w38/s1600/IMG_2954.JPG

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XVlWdiv7gTg/UXXlyqc9JYI/AAAAAAAABGc/jCQzI7D1txU/s1600/IMG_2951.JPG


The first is a 1947 Schwinn New World and the second is a 1965 Raleigh Dawn Tourist.

[JimK]

Wow, those are beautiful bikes!

I am surprised to see rod-controlled brakes on a 1965 bike. I gather they're still made that way on some bikes in India. But I am guessing that bike is from England?

[Ray-VIgo]

Wow, those are beautiful bikes!

I am surprised to see rod-controlled brakes on a 1965 bike. I gather they're still made that way on some bikes in India. But I am guessing that bike is from England?

Yes, the green one is an English Raleigh. Raleigh made rod brake roadsters in England until the early 1980s. I have a 1978 DL-1 as well, which is an example of a late rod brake roadster (well to the extent they changed, which is not a lot). You're right that they are still popular in India, Pakistan, China, etc.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nnSgq2dQW-c/UHtb5vyjcqI/AAAAAAAAALk/r9L4utb_lIw/s1600/IMG_1941.jpg

[John the Monkey]

Lovely work Ray - I have a friend who rides a more modern DL-1, it really is a delightgful bike, and I've envied it for a while!

[caribbean_skye]

Welcome welcome.

Not a cyclist, although I do know how to ride. Figured while I was in Amsterdam that I would do something Dutch and ride through Amsterdam. Not the brightest of ideas as the last time I'd ridden a bike was 8 years before that (for one day) and 15 years before even that. Needless to say what started off as a quiet early Sunday ride soon turned into a bad comic skit by midday. While some blame can be put on the bike (slightly bent frame and I couldn't get it to straighten properly... you'd have thought I was drunk the way I was riding) quite a bit of it was just me. However, I had a blast and cyclists in Amsterdam are not to be trifled with.

[menunes]

Welcome,

I've been trying to muster up the courage to bike more seriously...Great bike you have there. Now we just need a crossfiter here? Anyone:fans:

[Greg Minuskin]

These bikes are amazing! About 10 years ago I was in the U.K. near Dorking/Surrey staying with some friends and they let me go on one of their 4 hour mountain bike tours of the countryside. Since it was summertime, it stayed light out until about 10pm there, and we rode through the Sherwood Forest, to taverns to have a beer, etc. The bike was incredible too.

My bike is an old Trek 7000 frame made in the USA.

Little known secret; I ride my bike from my workshop to the post office and stores all week, so your package that comes to me, or leaves me goes in my bike sack for the trip to the post office! I have gone through 4 chains, two seats, two sets of forks, 5 sets of tires, three sets of brakes, and finally the bike is now cracking on the frame, so after 14+ years, it is time to get a new one. I got my money out of this bike.

Also I ride about 20 miles on the weekends, weather permitting.

Greg Minuskin
greg@gregminuskin.com
www.gregminuskin.com

[JimK]

These days I am bringing a nice pen along on my bike rides:

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[bigevilgrape]

I like bikes too. I started as a cyclist and moved onto triathlon in an attempt to get myself back into shape.