Threw some Kenda K161s and slightly comfier bars on my old Peugeot for something to do when the mtb trails are too muddy, or when I just want something different to ride. Surprisingly fun and parts for these old 27" road bikes are cheap!
Threw some Kenda K161s and slightly comfier bars on my old Peugeot for something to do when the mtb trails are too muddy, or when I just want something different to ride. Surprisingly fun and parts for these old 27" road bikes are cheap!
Finished up the cosmetics on the aforementioned Gilera. The Dellorto decal was going to drive me crazy if I couldn't find it and $25 later a guy in WI mailed one to me on the Gilera FB group. The internet wins again.
Traded my BMW GS1250R for this Kawasaki Ninja 1000sx: my BMW didn't get taken off road and wasn't that much fun on the road. I love the Kaw.
Beat the snot out of all 3 supermotos Saturday doing a scavenger hunt around Columbus and had zero issues. KTM runs a touch warm for my liking but within spec.
I think this is more for me than my youngest, but anyways. We always had free bikes as kids, usually scavenged from the treasure Island at the dump. From endless 10speed Raleigh's, Peugeots, Columbia and a handful of BMX bikes. My favorite was a Murray BMX bike, I rode that damn thing for years! Usually with a couple broken spokes, but it got me out into the neighborhood to ride jumps and just get into minor mischief. Eventually it got stolen when I was about 12 and by then I was getting too tall for it anyways.
So I was driving to the rail trail to get a leisurely gravel ride in and much to my surprise, there's a Redline BMX bike in someone's trash pile by the road. Knowing my roots, and that I'm not too proud to not grab a free bike when I see it, I throw it in the back of my truck and go on my way. Sure, it's not one of the good Redlines, but meh, that doesn't matter to me, and surely won't to my kid.
Once I got it home, a plan was born. Let's make it "nice.". Strip it down, regrease all the bearings, repaint the black parts, wash and wax the frame, new tires, brake cable and here we are. Oh, and a blingy chain because you're only a kid once.
I love this damned bike, irrationally.
A lot of the bikes I buy are priced right because they're well used and ugly. One of my favourite things to do is to spend a day cleaning to see how nice they clean up. This one is low hour but was filthy dirty and not maintained. It really cleaned up
Bummer. R.I.P.ley AF
Weekend trip to Kingdom trails claimed 2 bikes in our group. Admittedly, my Ripley may have had a pre-existing condition. I haven't washed it in a few weeks of regular riding. Heading downhill on one of the faster runs, I hit a root and rock in a weird lateral way and heard a pop. Broke a spoke and noticed this when I washed the bike at the house.
My buddies Ti Revel turned into a folding bike a couple days later on the same trail!
When the kids were young, my wife messaged me "where's my bicycle?"
Um.... I cut it and mine up to make this (in the school gym for meet-the-teacher night):
As it gets colder I always end up trying to get those extra rides in when the temps are above freezing:
Sucks to hear about your Ripley! I bet Ibis warrantees that though, depending on whether or not you're the original owner. That definitely looks like a fatigue crack to me.
Edit: as for me, I'm on the trainer officially for the winter now. I work in the elements, so the last thing I wanna do is brave them on the bike. Fully admitted fair-weather rider here. I did splurge on a nice direct drive trainer this year, over my ancient saris fluid smart trainer, and man what a difference. It's so quiet, seems much much much more accurate, and almost, dare I say, enjoyable?
I am starting the conversation up with a local builder for a sort of 'last bike I'll ever buy' build... Basically a custom lower/slacker Titanium gravel bike that can overlap into road/gravel but also some chunkier singletrack...
Finally got out for a little over 100 miles on the Interceptor yesterday for a ride to Parker Canyon Lake in Southern AZ. Great day for a ride, but some terrible pavement... the paved highway ends at the lake and apparently neither county it wanders through cares much about maintaining it.
In reply to golfduke :
Yup, they took care of me. I used the opportunity to pay the difference to upgrade to the new Ripley frame using the bits from my AF'ed.
It's fantastic!
As I near 40, I increasingly long for a Ti bike... Soon enough.
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