Junk in the front: A personal history with the Basket Bike

When I got the Raleigh Crested Butte, it wasn't with the intention that there would be a basket in the front. It's just the way it turned out. Y'see, if I go too long without a basket bike, I go into withdrawals. I don't realize my need for the basket bike until after I get...

A Thursday of Getting It All Done

Thursday started off with dense fog (again) and a temperature just slightly above freezing (ditto). I trekked over to the New Deal Cafe on NE Halsey and 53rd, where I met with Mr. Velocoture Patrick DB.  We shot the shit over breakfast and coffee, talking bikes and design (and somehow I got an illustration job...

The Wheels Go Round: A few days in the life of my bikes

Hello blog readers, all 5 of you!Nothing much exciting has happened the last few days here at the Urban Adventure League HQ. Down is not up and bad is not good (though sometimes it is.) The weather has been decent around here, as good as it can get 'round these parts during Groundhog Week. We...

The Wayfarer Saga, part 5: The Inaugural Ride!

Warning: Lots of gratuitous Raleigh shots ahead!Thursday was my "official" first ride on my Raleigh Wayfarer. With the weather beautiful (sunny, high 54F/12C), and no obligations, April and I decided to make it a Raleigh Bike Ride Date. She lubed and inflated her trusty 1961 Raleigh Sports the night before in preparation. What fun we...

The Great Brooks Saddle Swap of 2011: Fancy Bicyclist Part 3

I mentioned in an earlier "Fancy Bicyclist" post my obsession with Brooks saddles. Up until the fall of 2009, I owned only 2 Brooks saddles, a black Champion Flyer that I've had on the Centurion (the one I got in Canada,) and a brown B-67 on the Long Haul Trucker. Then over the fall I...

"But…I can use this bike!" Bike Crazy Part 3: The Carg-off

One of the reasons I jumped so eagerly at the Cycle Truck back in November was its affordability. It was clear to me that if I wanted a cargo bike, I had to shell out several thousand dollars or convert a bike to an Xtracycle, which would be cheaper, but by no ways cheap. So...

Pseudo-Spring Adventuring on the bike

The last post on this here blog had me lamenting my lack of cycling in the past few weeks, and the "iffy" weather that materialized as a sheet of ice on Tuesday night.Well, 180's have been pulled, both in my biking, and the weather.The ice didn't stand much of a chance on Wednesday, as I...

The Wayfarer Mystery: Part 2 The Handlebar-Stem

The days are getting closer to the triumphant return of the raving bike fiend to the lower 48. And this is good for many reasons, one key one being the fiend will help me with the Raleigh Wayfarer!So where are we? I got the wheels trued, since I don't trust myself on that. The front...