Hi guys! My first visit to Bike Zoo, just sayin' Hi!

Peace :)

If more work places provided bike racks and showers, many more might ride their bikes to work.

Peace :)

Hey Mike

Thanks for the link to the Olli Erkkila's site.  I might never have discovered it on my own, and I sure as Hell couldn't spell it without help!  Really some creative frame work, and it makes me want a Penny Farthing.  I know I'll hurt myself, but I want one anyway.

Yep!  Fat tires indeed.  I've been fascinated by the whole Pugsley phenomenon.  It's quite an engineering feat to accommodate 4 inch tires.  It requires a 110mm bottom bracket, for one thing.  It seems like there would be a place for a Pugsley beach cruiser in Florida.  I guess the SUV bike could work for that.

BTW, Salsa now has a bike to compete with the Surly Pugsley, named "The Mukluk"

http://salsacycles.com/files/blog/mukluk_comp.jpg

My memory did not serve well.  The bottom brackets are 100mm not 110mm.

Yeah, Lisa, from Bikes and More rides a casserole and parks it at a bike rack I must walk by.  She does it just to torment me.  She must know I want one!  Beauty paint job and sensible build. I love practical commuter bikes with style!

Nice NY Times article I came across ...

Across Europe, Irking Drivers Is Urban Policy

That's an interesting take on the story.  Thanks for the link, Chandra!

I'm happy to say, Gainesville is a pretty great place to cycle.  Sure, I've had brats throw soda cans at me, and yell stupid things, occasionally, someone tries to run over me, but we have a lot of nice bike paths and there is usually a road less traveled, to get across town and stay out of traffic.  We also have some local activists who lobby City Council.  One of them is a Council Member.

Hendrix Lives!  ;p)

Hey Pete

I wasn't familiar with the Pelago bicycles, but I like! The headtube lugs on the Antwerp are fantastic.  Do they make them in house, or are those lugs available over there?

BTW, I was riding by another cyclist on the way to work a couple of weeks ago, and when I looked down at his bike, it was a Bob Jackson frame.  The paint was rough, but it was still a beautiful thing.  I guess there must be a few of them around.

I recently built a fixie on a cheap Chinese frame for commuting.  The idea was to hold down the cost of the initial project, and then when my credit card cooled down, upgrade to a classy track frame. I haven't done the frame upgrade yet.

The grips were meant for a Honda motorcycle, so I had to modify them a bit.

The project started when I got  a great deal on the rims (ebay).  They were 28 hole, so I was the only bidder.  I had some Formula track hubs in 28 h, and once I built the wheels, I had to decide what to put them on.  Like most bike projects, it ended up costing more than I planned.

If you want a nice bike, you can get one at a bike shop and it will cost you at least $600.  But, if you shop carefully for parts and do all the work yourself, you can build the same thing for $3000.  I'm only exaggerating a little bit.

You can make a nice City bike or touring bike out of an old mountain bike from the era when they had a rigid fork (a cheap suspension fork is the spawn of Satan).

I recently repainted and rebuilt and old Trek MTB for my nephew. I painted it in Camaro Gold, which has a dull retro look to it.  Brown decals were clear coated.

If any of you bicycle fanatics haven't discovered the Yehuda Moon comic strip by Rick Smith, then, Oh, you must!

http://www.yehudamoon.com/index.php?date=2012-02-23

Yehuda Moon and Joe run a bike shop in the Shaker Heights area of Cleveland, Ohio.  Yehuda is a commuter style traditionalist and Joe rides racing bikes with lots of lycra and a $200 helmet. Yin and Yang.  Yehuda rides a fictional brand of bicycle they build on frames made by local Shakers, called a Van Sweringen.  If you Google "Van Sweringen Owners Bunch, you'll see pics of reader's "Van Sweringens."  I submitted pics of mine:

Some of the finest commercial frames being made are from Soma IMHO

http://www.somafab.com/

They are one of several companies who are bringing back the Mixte frame, which was popular with European bicycle campers back in the 70's and 80's.

Their mixte frame is the Buena Vista and I've wanted one ever since I saw it in a magazine ad.  The price was a little bit above my threashold of pain until Niles got one in Recycled Bikes.  It was for a customer project which fell thru, and Niles gave me a good deal on it. I built it up as a City Bike:

A buddy of mine recently rebuilt a nice 1987 Centurian Iron Man.  Well, it's spring, and this weekend he took this pic.  I thought I'd share.

That's a beaut, Tim. Thanks for posting the Centurian photo. I commented here. 

I used to ride everyday in Venezuela, since i arrived to USA i just been busy working and going to school. I want to do it again. My schedule is pretty complicated because i am a Chef. any advise?

Jose, My advice is get yourself a bike and one for your wife, too! I can help. Ride to work. The neighborhood is great for bikes when you stay off the main roads. Orlando has a bunch of bike trails, too. Ponce Inlet has a bike trail that goes to the lighthouse and to a marine aquarium! There are so many great places to ride in Florida, your head will spin! Get a bike rack or just stuff the bike in the trunk of your car. Let me show you some bikes sometime that I have that are not my size...we're similar size so one may be perfect for you. How's that for starters?

Hey, better yet, move to Gainesville!!! ;0) This is a great place to commute by bike. In Orlando, it depends on what area you're in, but some of them could be tough for cycling. I hope it works out for you  though, because traveling by bicycle will be your favorite part of the day. It is mine.

Hey, Tim! I agree. Traveling by bicycle is a favorite part of my day, too. And, I love cycling in Gainesville especially around downtown near the McRorie Community Garden and the bike shop. I love having panniers on my bike. Here's a shot in front of a massive shale boulder:

Have panniers, will travel. No panniers? Rucksack will do! Heck, grocery bags and pants pockets will do, too!

Just shared my 3 bikes with you...hope you like them! Greetz from the other side of the world!