Tongue and Groove!: October 2009

This is a record of the evolution of a much needed fixed wheel bike.

If you are not the open minded type, or your interested in wading through something a little more serious you might like to check out ...

Otherwise read on...

In 2008 I spent some time in Odawara, Japan cycling amongst other things. ridejapan.blogspot.com could be worth a look if you want to see what one part of Cycling Heaven is like... Don't forget to click on the 'Older Post' link at the bottom of each page...

John Welshford 'Walkabout'

Having a fair amount of time on my hands I came to the realization that my dream of building a John Welshford rower/sailer called Walkabout should be acted upon.

The problem was the lack of space, tools, and water access… in the end I had an epiphany…!

Why not practice Epoxy Plywood construction simultaneously satisfying another burning desire that I have been converting since stumbling onto my all time favorite site bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com …

That of 'rejoining' the ever-growing list of smug hipsters tooling around on all manner of fixed wheel expressions.

I say rejoining because I still savor the faint glow of 'smugness' from back in the 80’s 'plying' forgive the pun, the streets of Sydney on my track bike.

Some might even still detect a kind of cock-sure swagger in the way I stroll into bike shops and the like that only a fixed wheeler has…

The lofty heights of this 'fixation' was audibly appreciated in the form of countless horn blowings I received one sunny summer Sydney Saturday when I decided to pick up a double foam mattress destined for my camper van trip around OZ… on the track bike!
Call me green/orange... I just couldn’t see the point of missing out on a perfectly good 10k ride.

I declined the offer of delivery, mentally reserving the funds for more Baba Ghanoush and to the dismay of the shop staff, preceded to tie the mattress up on the shop floor into a somewhat large awkward roll, hoisted it over one shoulder and spun on down the Pacific Hwy wearing noting but 80’s high cut runners shorts…you know the ones split up the side too almost the waist band….

When I say ‘spin’ I’m talking courier like, ‘stand aside or bare a child’ pre-Hipster shit!

Just now, I’m wondering about ‘smugness' that Snobby is so acutely aware of, it’s probably like energy, you can’t destroy it …It just reverberates through cool stuff like bikes and high cut running shorts and places like NY.
And it can be created in the first instance in a naive sort of way...
I think also that smugness can 'pop up' on the planet when some is created elsewhere... which leads me to the thinking that maybe, just maybe I was a precursor to of all that, out of hand Triathlon smugness... riding around half naked, crusted in salt water, in running shorts.

That bike by the way, ended up being thrown off the100m high cliffs, in a sacrificial burial at sea to join numerous other vessel in the cold Southern Oceans watery grave site of the Great Australian Bight.
It had inadvertently been crushed behind the Roo Bar of my 'mattress on wheels' during an all-night dash across the desert..! That must have hurt...! The karma of which I'm still living with...

Is there a syncopation emerging here with bikes and boats?

Some say bikes and aircraft, with the Wright Bros and the likes of those Aerospace backgrounded, titanium wielding Oregon frame builders.
But for me its bikes and wooden boats!

Just to have built my own frame, rig it up and then ride it is probably very similar to the satisfaction of sailing or rowing off into the distance in your own hand made boat...

So satisfying that I think all call this creation ‘Sperm’

'Blow it out ya Ass' although a satisfying feeling and undoubtedly 'propelling'... would stand to be miss understood and doesn't have the depth of meaning and synergy that Sperm does.

Sperm epitomizes the feeling of satisfaction and the feeling of having finally created some smugness!
The sperm's tenacity in competition and ability to propel itself at amazing speed are 'bikeable' qualities. Did I hear somewhere that if a sperm was the size of a whale it could swim across the Pacific in a matter of hours…! …! Obviously more marine syncopation.

Kamikaze Sperm, although unproven, congers up visions of Bike Lane Salmon, and fixed wheel riding, testosterone laden, 'Bike Messengers' types darting about the wombs of our cities are obviously sperm expressing their desire in the real world …!

Apart from all these wonderful connotations, undeniably a ‘woody’ of this magnitude could be a real Chick Puller!!

Well I have probable said enough so I will leave you with the details to make your own decision whether Plywood is the new Carbon...

'Sea Trials' will begin as soon as I get a chain and a befitting Maiden Voyage undertaken.

Stay posted Buccaneers!

ridejapan.blogspot.com shows some of the build... and a couple of post from ridejapan...

EDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009

Tongue and Groove ....Ply Wood Bike

I need to manufacture an anodized gold alloy headtube with flame like flanges on either side to bolt onto the head stock, also gold anodized alloy plate dropouts to bolt onto the dream-like stays.

A short but satisfying anodized alloy seat post tube will be inserted with tenderness as well …

Here's a two-tone shot just to make sure you'r still with me...

Can't you just see that gold anodized flame embellished head tube with a Orange Chris King head set...coming at ya under the eerie glow of a solar powered street light...

Ultimately a black ‘natural carbon finished fork guiding a gifted… thanks Gman… black high flange, bladed, four spoke 26inch by 23mm Spinergy front and a Orange High Flange Velocity 700c flip flop rear…

All this proven coolness will be under constant power from a black Sugino crankset with black SPD’s at the first interface !!

On the cultural side, the obliatory Won Bok connection...

A golf ball inspired Dimple-Matic TM anti wind drag vortex finish!

The BB has a swiss cheese like 11 layer layup with lots of holes.

Now delving a little deeper ... an undercover back stay tatoo...

And deeper...a little Bondage, although painfull is necessary sometimes ... ...

The long and slender stays stand ready for sculpturing...and embellishment with some nicely worked gold anodised plate alloy dropouts.

Warning.... men at work... illusion or realisation...?

Now even deeper .... Should this be classified ??

Now just to put all that in perspective ... check this gate house....

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2008

For your eyes only !

With Orange being the new Green I thought that Plywood might just be the new carbon ...
Anyway regardless of what a famous theif said to me once... 'that the pioneer always gets an arrow in the back...'
I will continue with this project and hope that one day I will be able to ride this Fixed Wheel Flat Bar creation, in resin coated sepia yellows and tans, through the streets of Harajiku weaving awake of coolness in my path...

The sepia colored *blue print...

Embronic stage 1

Underbelly, thats 100mph tape at work !!

Steam bending over the rice cooker thingy ...

Some of the 50something parts being persuaded to play the game.

BB glueup

Any idea's on rim color at this stage???

The Won Bok - Bike connection again ...what's going on ??!!

Tatami framed frame...

Pressure

Cycle Tragic !!!

Just can't help myself ....

A Cycling High Priest with bad clothing sense or just another sage?

Cannungra Outpost Cafe 7am Sunday here I come !!!!

What do you think Cloudbase ? Are you in on this one... I can see a pillion seat and pegs on this ...they'll throw there keys away and walk home....green !!

Copper plate and Hickory, cane rims ....mmmm
Can't wait to see the patina Chip ...

Back to Japan...Shinjiku

White tyres, red lock, puke colored Fixed wheel flat bar cocktail....

No bar tape fixed wheeled coolness in ghosty silvery grey ! What Next ???

Harajiku New York styled Hipster that's what!

For the under-educated .... thats a white Aero Spoke upfront and a high profile rim anodised *blue* fixed rear with a spoke card.... Track Stand please !!!

Monster Mini Bike outside the Fixedwheel bike shop in Harajiku ....Ironic paradox or sheer brilliance ???

White Green Red local ride in Odawara ... thank god some style has hit the joint

I'm yours...

Kerin Pro buddy overtaking me on the way up Ashigara Pass ....I stayed with himby pulling out every cog in my handbag ....but he was on a trak bike !!

Recent convert cutting his/her teeth, don't dispare Xmass is just around the corner

Mavic Yellow or Matillic Pink ? I cant decide ...needs a wheel rack though !!

Grey and white always go well together... who rides such a statement?

Sweet Mavic combo

Monkey territory on Shodoshima Island

Free Ferry ...

Back to more tragic stuff !!

Spoke cards high rimed colored chain masterpiece....yeh?

Seriously worked spokes highlighting a pencil thin fork line in green ...Hey I'm starting to get this fashion thing Tracy...!!!

Inland Sea - Naoshima Island

Naoshima is a small island with more than its fair share of Art installations...
There is a famous Modern Art Gallery that is best seen to be belived.
Here are some pieces scattered around the island as a warm up for the gallery....

This dude is waiting out side the Gallerys Hotel which is worth a stay when the yen rate is favourable...

How did they get the sun to set right between the islands...??

Roll on Roll Off .... just the way I like it !

Art ?

Ironic sunset?

Yurt hurt .... if only the yen rate was better !!!

Bridge.... Now this is a bridge

Here is a pic from a bus going over to northern Shikoku Island from Kobe...
Its a fucking big bridge!!! Thats a bulk carrier about to go under it...

Hey wake up Pete..!!!

Heres part of the elevated Hwy from Osaka to Kobe ...off the ground all the way with the odd bridge or tunnel ...

The Long and Winding road !!

After the Shimanami Bridge Ride what better ride could you have than the 2,000m high run on ‘Ishizushi Mt Skyline Drive’
The photos don’t do it justice… a little too much attention was needed getting up the thing !!! But I’m pleased I did it …. And pleased that the hotel at the top was open and had a room for us.

I've seen the light ...

Where's my holiday??

Sweet roads ....

Hope you like switchbacks ??

The closest thing to heven ...

Those lower Mt ranges are probably 1000m high...

Shimanami Bridge Shuffle

This is quite an amazing ride if you have time.
Its a succession of bridges linking a bunch of islands across the Japanese Inland sea between mainland Honshu and Shikoku Island…

Don’t quote me but its about 80km across and comprises 5 or so bridges. The bridge in this pic is actually 3 bridges linked together several kilometers long. You can see the massive pylons off in the distance.
It has its own cycle way and carries little traffic… the views are amazing and just check the cycleway ramps to get on and off the thing …now that infrastructure !!!

Shimanami Cycling road... linking some of the bridges

One of several bridges linking the islands.

Somewhere on the way ...

The blessed ferry ...

Somewhere else along the way...

On one bridge the cycleway is under the road deck...the lane on the right is for >125cc motorbikes

This is the cyclist Hotel at the Shikoku Island end ...well worth a stay.... it has a great onsen and you are welcome to bring your bikes into your room ...how civilized.