Reduced Capacity

Hopefully no bikes were attached to this rack when it was almost pulverized. 

Moulded Seat Covers

**Note: I've been trying to get blogger to let me rearrange the photos in order for months and it just won't let me. Grrrrrr. So I am just going to number them so I can finally publish this post.

The only real drawback to leather bicycle seats is their intolerance to prelonged exposure to water. I've been using the ultra-classy plastic bag cover, and the Geek frequently forgets to cover hers at all.

In October we decided to change that by going to AssentWorks and using the VacuuFormer (I think that it was called) to make moulded seat covers. The Geek has a membership at AW and has made all sorts of clever things, but this was the first time I've spent any length of time there.

The covers are made of styrene which heats and moulds well.

1. Measure

2.

3. Frame.

4. place seat in vacuu-former

7. removed from frame.

6. Seat after plastic has been heated

8. Styrene roughly trimmed.

10. marking the trimming line.

12. sanding the rough edges.

9. using the heatgun for a tighter fit.

11. trimming off the excess.

14. finished covers

13. the fit.

more fit

Frame with Styrene

Frame

Frame with styrene.

5. Seat inside the vacuuformer

Simple Things

Bicycles as Advertising Props

I'm sure you've seen them, advertisments with models, usually female, astride or leaning against bicycles. In the ones I've seen (and I don't watch TV or read magazines), the advertisers are promoting clothes, and sewing patterns.

Yesterday, while at the Children's Hospital Booksale, I saw this one in an adjacent shoe store.

I wonder if all this bicycle porn increase ridership, sell more bicycles, or do people simply not see them because the bikes they are simply very pretty props?

Pretty Bicycles

 I sropped off my bike at the shop yesterday for a recall; the front fork has some kind of flaw. I found out about it in November, but ...
 Anywhoo, pretty bicycles...

 ...and lovely bicycles.

I was planning on gettting Eselin back on the road now that things seem to be drying up and the salt isn't flying around, but the forecast is for more snow tomorrow. (~Sigh~)

For The Crafty Cyclist

A crocheted seat cover!




Get the pattern here.

One Million Kilometers

photo Winnipeg Free Press

 Lindsay Gault is a Winnipeg Cycling icon. Before he owned Olympia Cycle and Ski he was a highly competitive athlete. After he sold Olympia and became a bike courier, he remained a highly competitive athlete. He almost killed himself in one race but he is still planning to do the same race again.

I used to take my bike to Olympia for repairs before I aquired the tools to do fix it myself, or started hanging out with the Geek, who loves to fix things. Lindsay is a lovely man with a great deal of unobtrusive advice.

He is completing is one millionth kilometer in the Arrowhead 135 bike race. A celebration will  occur on February 2 (when he returns home?) at 1130 at the Forks in Winnipeg. If I am in town, I plan to be part of the throng, but on foot; Eselin will be staying home-she doesn't go out in the salt, and my winter bike has a front-fork recall that has not been repaired.

And for anyone who is planning to visit Winnipeg, Lindsay and his wife Lynne run a Bed-and-Breakfast, Galbriath House, in a beautiful, central part of town. I am sure you will have the skinny on all things Winnipeg should you stay there.

Wow!