Hard to Find a Picnic

This cute little bike was hanging out in the locker room at the rowing club. I have no idea who owns it, as it is often there when we (who don't own it) are the only ones in the building.
I've never seen a bike like it before.
When I checked online, the only bikes I could find with that name were folding bikes, and this one is not.
It has seen use, but is still in good condition.
Internal hub gears are wonderful for salty roads.
I'd like to meet the owner.

We Don't Often See Your Type Here!

This woman rode by my office this afternoon. The skirt guards caught my eye-not many bikes around here have them. And it has what looks like a full chain case too. The handlebars are not the type used on beach cruisers, and she has a basket. In-hub gearing. I couldn't see the brand of bicycle; there isn't enough contrast between the print and the paint colour. Hmmmm. I am intrigued. I hope I see her again so I can ask talk to her. We riders of proper lady bicycles need to get to know each other.

A Different Type Of Bike

I have ridden many types of bicycles in my life- Canadian bikes all- but I have never ridden an Icelandic bicycle. (I guess this means I have another entry for Dottie and Trisha's Summer Games!)We signed up for a tour of Reykjavik with Reykjavik Bike Tours and I was tickled to find that they also name their bikes.: good Icelandic names like Helga, Kristjan, Guðmunder, and Magnus.
Kristen and Sigriður are common names in my grandmother's family tree and Sigriður was my ride for our tour.
The guide, Stefan, was very knowledgable about the history of Iceland as well as the current political and financial situation and we heard many amusing stories.
There were only three of us on the tour, a very pleasant young man from Boston, and the Geek and I.
Despite the fact it was the one rainy evening on our visit, we had a very good time.
At the end of the ride, we adjourned to a nearby cafe for some wonderfully hot lobster soup. Fully warmed, we walked back to our guesthouse with a greater understanding of the city.

Quite An Assortment

This fellow, who was advertising on Kijiji has quite an assortment. Nothing quite suited, and I wasn't willing to pay the price he was asking, considering the amount of work required on the little beasties.

Should She Stay or Should She Go?

I took the Tempest mixte out for a longer test ride today. She needed very little to make her ready to go; just some air in the tires. Everything else is in pretty good shape.

It is interesting to ride with gears as Eselin is just a one speed donkey. The Geek didn't have to spend so much time coasting as we cruised down the Crescent.

The mixte is fast (relatively speaking) but it is a bit too small; the seat could stand to be raised by another inch, but there is no more post for that. A new post can be obtained.
The hand grips, ridged as they are, are also very hard on the hands and will also have to be changed if I keep her.

If I give her away, I want to keep the seat, perhaps for Rabbit. Is that selfish?
Either way, she is going to need a bath.

A Sleek Wooden Bike

Ruzter sent me a link to a website on Renovo wood bicycles. I wonder how a Dutch bike would look?

A Load of Potential

This week Garbage Eve netted The Geek this very neglected Supercycle. It is now sitting in the yard with one of two bikes from a previous trip.
And when I came back from the farm yesterday, I brought with me these two bikes.
This is a Venture Caprice that I bought second hand in 1985. I rode it all over that year and it travelled with me to Flin Flon. Now we will have to see what further adventures it will have.
And this well used Supercycle bike is destined to be a road bike for N1 in his future triathlon endeavours.

And, of note. As of this moment, there are on the property 12 bicycles of various sizes and stages of usability, one bicycle frame, eight assorted wheels, parts, and one unicycle.

This Bike Has Bling

This bike was advertised on the local Kijiji with the following description.
"Chrome steel cruiser bike with gold accents all over, 26" wheels with 144 spokes, springer fork whitewall tires, a real head turner and pleasure to ride. "


I'm speechless.

I Miss the Batavus

Eselin is in the hospital right now.

There was a slight ‘wobble’ when I pedalled so maybe the chain has become a little stretched. And since it is prime time for bicycle use in Winnipeg, and the shop is busy, I may not get her back until the 29th.

I tried to ride the Giant to work today. As I rolled it out of the garage I could not get over how small it is. The Batavus is a tank. A beautiful tank, but a tank nonetheless. I rode less than half a block and I had a pain between my shoulder blades and my neck was starting to kink.

I drove to work.

It is going to be a long week.

The Recycled Bicycle

The Geek found this bike in the trash, or at least the frame. She added a different seat and handlebars from ones we had hanging around and the tires are new. In the winter it is a fixed-gear but in the summer it has an Sturmey-Archer 5-speed internal hub. The cool thing is, unless you know what you are looking at, it looks like a beater bike, and therefore less tempting to thieves.
She decided to add some fenders made from an old bike tire.

She cut some metal supports from some stuff in the garage.

They are placed inside the tire to keep it from collapsing,

and they are then riveted in place.


Wires support the fender on the frame.
This fender also lends more credence to the 'beater-bike' appearance.

Eselin's Soul Sister

I have seen this woman riding by before, but today I managed to get a picture. I am just wondering where she bought the Gazelle. No one in Winnipeg sells them.

Bike to Work Day

Today is 'Ride Your Bike to Work' Day. Other cities may make a whole week of it, but as this is only the second year, it is good to start small.
I had the day off, but The Geek said she didn't see many new people on her ride in. That is rather disappointing.
The website for this event does not appear to have been updated yet.
Maybe next year will be better.

That is NOT What I Meant

When I said I want to encourage people to use their bicycles more often for day-to-day activities, I meant legitimate, healthy ones.

Drive-by shootings target 2 homes in Winnipeg's north end
Last Updated: Monday, June 8, 2009 9:52 AM CT
CBC News
Nobody was injured during two drive-by shootings in Winnipeg's north end neighbourhood Sunday night.
The first happened in the 300 block of Alfred Avenue at around 10 p.m., where six people were in the home when as many as six shots were fired at the residence, said police, who believe there were two suspects and that both were on bicycles at the time.
The second incident occurred just after midnight when two shots were fired at a home on Redwood Avenue.
Police did not say how many suspects are believed to have been involved, or whether they were also on bicycles.
Investigators are still looking into whether the shootings are connected.

The Blue Bike Has Seen Much Love

N3 has had his blue bike for five weeks and it looks like he has been enjoying every minute.

A New Wire Donkey

I have been referring to the garage as the stable and to the bikes inside as 'steel ponies'.

After my mountain bike was run over in 2001, I replaced it with another Giant mountain bike. After awhile though, my neck started to bother me. So in 2006, Ruzter raised the handlebars for me by about 3 inches. I rode around with that modification for awhile, but my neck still bothered me, and my wrists, elbows and shoulders were not very happy.

I bought a Specialized cruiser-type bike in 2007 and that bike helped my wrists and my neck, but for some reason, when riding it, my knees started to hurt badly. The Geek and I measured the seat/pedal/ground angle and found the Giant's seat was three degrees less upright than the Specialized. I went back to the Giant as my neck and wrists hurt less on that bike than my knees did on the Specialized.

Then on Thursday, Dea, my athletic therapist, told me my sore wrists were in fact carpal tunnel. I decided then that I couldn't use the Giant anymore, even tho' I did ride it to work on Friday.
Luckily for me, The Geek stopped by Natural Cycle to pick up some cable and said their stable of Batavus bikes had been replenished.
I had been test driving a Batavus off and on for about a year both at Natural Cycle and at Red Bike in Edmonton. (The folks at Natural Cycle were starting to tease me about 'visiting my bike' whenever I came in.) Today I went and bought this one. Be a tightwad, I wasn't ready to spend the money on a truly upright bike, but I figured it would be cheaper than extensive therapy or possibly surgery on my wrists.
The Geek and I haven't measured the seat angle, but it feels considerably less steep than the Giant.

Oh, and in Germany, bicycles are colloquially called Drahtesel. Wire Donkey. I think that is so cute!

In The Netherlands, Cycling is For Families

While in The Netherlands earlier this year, I was amazed how the bicycle seems to be the preferred mode of transportation. The bicycle shops have all sorts of things that make it easier to take the whole family along.

This cargo bicycle can hold up to three children

and these were just a few of the many seats available.
I am kicking myself for not getting a picture of the carrier for very young babies. It was basically a tray with sides lined with what looked like fake fur. I think it had straps to hold the baby in place and was then attached onto the rack on the back of the bike.

One can only admire the cycling is for everyone attitude that is prevalent in Europe. I hope that attitude makes it here soon!

Vintage on Display

These two bicycles are hanging in the stairwell of the Old House Revival Company.
They look like they were well loved before they were retired to this display.

For Those Commuters With Parking Issues

Woodcock Cycle had this cute little bike tucked away in the clothing section. It is a PortaBike and does indeed look like it will fold up into a compact little bundle to keep by your desk.

The Bike Dump

From today's Winnipeg Free Press

Getting people on wheels
Bike Dump volunteers help riders with repairs
By: Geoff Kirbyson
6/05/2009 1:00 AM
At first glance, the Bike Dump appears to be the most accurately named operation in town.
The courtyard behind its small Main Street location is littered with bicycle frames, twisted wheels and various other bike parts. The scene is similar to the setting on Sanford & Son, the 1970s sitcom that starred the late comedian Redd Foxx as a junkyard dealer.
A line snakes out the back door as a greeter takes names to monitor the traffic inside. Maybe the Bike Dump is a new dance club?
But once inside, you see what the place is all about -- fixing bicycles for primarily inner-city residents and often giving away rebuilt bikes to underprivileged kids, all for free.
"We try to get people on wheels who otherwise can't get on wheels for social or economic reasons," said a veteran bike mechanic, a man known to everybody simply as "Cowboy."
Unlike other cycling shops in town, the repair stations are front and centre so the Bike Dump's volunteers can teach their customers how to get their two-wheeler back on the road. Kids without a bike to call their own can pick out a partial version either hanging from the ceiling or leaning up against a wall -- provided they come in with an adult -- and have it built up with spare parts until it's ride-worthy.
Essentially, the Bike Dump's 18 regular volunteers and 20 part-timers are modern-day Dr. Frankensteins who spend their days creating unique road monsters. (Massive jolts of electricity not required.)
"We encourage the kids to take part in the repair so they're getting an education in bike repair and maintenance. Hopefully, the sweat equity will encourage them to keep a better eye on their bikes, not leave them lying around, not abuse them and (make sure to) lock them up," Cowboy said.
"We prefer they work on it a bit so they say, 'this is my bike' and they'll treat it like a possession."
The Bike Dump was started four years ago by eight bicycle enthusiasts who believed everybody deserves the right to feel the wind in their hair on the open road or winding trail, no matter their economic situation. Anywhere from four to eight bikes can be worked on at a time -- there are only four bike hoists but turning a bike upside down works, too -- and repairs include changing pedals, repacking bearings, changing brakes, adjusting derailers, aligning wheels and patching flat tires. But because it's volunteer-run, it has limited hours -- three hours at a time on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons.
Thirteen-year-old Thomas Habte waited in line for nearly an hour before he was able to wheel his broken-down mountain bike -- complete with a flat tire, a disconnected brake cable and a broken chain -- through the door. He listened intently as Tyler Markowsky, a computer consultant by day, described the type of pedal that needed to be found in the parts area and then bounded off into the next room. Nearby, another young customer sat at a table and diligently scrubbed a chain with a toothbrush and degreaser until he could almost see his reflection.
Returning with a piece he hoped would fit, the General Wolfe School student offered a simple opinion of the Bike Dump.
"It's cool," said the boy, who moved here with his family a year ago from their native Sudan. "This is the best place to get bikes fixed."
Markowsky, who developed his skills by repairing bikes around the neighbourhood, said he started volunteering a month ago because he felt it was the right thing to do.
The Bike Dump survives on donations, sales of rebuilt bikes and volunteerism.
geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca

Another Blue First-Bike

The Brainy Geek found this little bicycle someone had discarded. My youngest nephew (N3) does not have a bike, so the Geek painted it blue. And, since he is too young to know how to pedal, she removed the crank to make it a push-bike. The rims were left magenta, the bike's original colour, to give it some pizazz.With two full-sized wheels, N3 could not touch the ground, so the Geek made the first modification.

It was still too big so she replaced the front wheel as well.

Now that N3 can touch the ground, it won't be long before he is zooming around!