11/9/07

history lesson, my stable.

That's me, 21yr old expert fodder at the '91 Mt Snow NORBA, the hillclimb. Working my way up thru the field, gameface on. Notice that the dude I'm passing has no front brake? It was the hillclimb afterall. Mid 20's finish I think, good times.
This is the bike that I was on that day, the '89 Ritchey Ultra. Had concerns about a weld at the head/downtube junction, sent it back and TR laid in a nice reinforcing fillet in 92ish, that's when she got the ohso pro 'Team' paint. Uncle Jes hooked me up with some sweet 986's last night, so she'll be back to original enough race kit soon. Really just need some old school Cook Bros cranks and a vintage wheelset and she's back to original.....well, the saddle was different.
The fixy, the singlespeed, the DBR Ti. I've had this bike for a little while too. Picked it up from a friend in '98, I think it's a '96 frame. This bike has taught me a lot of lessons. And still does in her currently devolved state of fixedness. Soooo many experiences aboard this bike, going on ten years now. Roundy round lap racing, DogDays at Whitetail, two Canaan 24's, when the rare over 3hr ride counted as an epic, the early Michaux Monsters, VA XXC Series Chump, my first Classique, my first committed SS, every Tour I've done but one. Every 100miler I've ridden, but one. Lot's of lessons learned and experiences experienced aboard that rig. Love that bike. The Dos, the newest addition to the stable. She hung out in the background a bit this season, a lot of behind the scenes work, out of the spotlight. Currently magic ratio singled, will be ENO'd by springtime. Sweet riding big wheeled rig, incredible all day cruiser. Imagine we'll get to know each other better with the forecast of less fixedness racing next year. Learned some things, time to see how well the knowledge transfers to coastiness.
The road bike, Rocinante. No frills Miele lugged steel of some sort, lots of karma in this bike. Salvaged from the mean streets of Philly by Harlan, handed off to Duffy and now into my possession. Harlan's bolt on Surly hubs to mismatched Mavic rim wheelset still rollin' true as ever, homey's got skillz! Knocked off the braze ons and added the styelish Krylon orange racing stripes, all by myself! Would like to do fresh paint sometime soon-ish. Bar, stem and brakes on trade from the good fellas at FreezeThaw, thanks man. Getting ready to flip 3k on the odo in the yearish I've had her, learned a lot in those manymanymany pedal revolutions. Here's to more exploration!

Maybe someday, I'll introduce you to my skis.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gotta break out that jersey once a year to relive the dream. Check the dude with the guns/eyeshades in the wife beater behind you....what a mess.

Tomi said...

oh yeah, that jersey is still in the roatation, the blue one too.

Anonymous said...

the scratch on the top tube of your fixxie before you painted it was a fault of mine. Thrown over the bars, full speed down pine grove road, looking at my ipod. What a newbie

fxdwhl said...

Fixing the Dos with the ENO? That would be a helluva bastard.

Tomi said...

I've thought about it, still am, but the BB is kinda low....I did just stretch the fork to 100, will run the Eno in the 'down' position, so that'll lift the whole bike up 3/8"+/-, not sure if that'll be enough for mental comfort.....do want to at least try it, when the ENO gets built up.

Lynda Wallenfels said...

You is a bike slut...

Kramer said...

I remember chasing that Ritchey up and down a few hills BBurg. I regret getting rid of my old Mt. Fuji from the day. I tried to get it back but never could find the guy. I wound up cracking my Ti bike at the seat clamp. Most of my stable is new. I rebuilt my old road bike with new parts recently. You rode that bike a time or two when your old trek was in the shop.

gwadzilla said...

AWESOME SHOT FROM '91!

have you caught the film KLUNKERZ yet?

I think you will dig it

this morning I got an email from a buddy named Rickyd
he is hosting a fixie ride in fredneck

of course

i thought of you!

here is the skinny

http://www.more-mtb.org/forum/showthread.php?t=9453