| cycling stuff |
| -here on the Island, cycling is enjoyable all year...except maybe during the dreaded rains...but even riding in the mud and water can be fun. Below are my own faithful rides: click on the pics for a more detailed description. Local cycling links to come! |
| 1970'sGitane Professional Tour De France |
| 1986 Bianchi Super Grizzly |
| My trusty Specialissima! I bought my faithful Bianchi new in 1987 and have ridden her almost daily since. The frame is Tange double butted, lugged Cro-Mo steel, and the component gruppo is full Deore M730 series XT with BioPace chainrings. This bike is truly amazing in it's durability and rideability. Not a particularly lightweight bike (12,5kg), I've taken this exquisite machine through deep water, mountainside trails, rocks, beaches and city streets with equal ease. Bellisima! |
| 1984 Kuwahara Sierra Grande |
| My winter project bike for 2004/2005. I found this bike at a thrift store, badly in need of cleaning and repair. But I saw a decent bike under all that grunge, and for 70$, I couldn't resist. The groupset is full original Deore M700 series XT "Deerhead", with BioPace chainrings, the lugged frame is Tange Champion 4130 butted CroMoly. I spend two days overhauling her: total strip down and cleaning, new freewheel, new cables and housings, repaired the rear derailleur, and installed SunTour MG81 suspension forks. In summer 05 I repainted her in the colour you see above. Click on the image for "before"and "after" photos! Surprisingly light and fast, this bike has proved more than capable in the forests and trails around the Island here. |
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| 1985 Bianchi Limited |
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| My winter 2005-06 project. I gave the previous owner a few dollars and rescued this gem from a scrap heap of old bikes. Seized cables, rotted tires, frame rust, and layer upon layer of oily grunge....this bike was a mess. But that's what project bikes are for, right? I spent much of December 05 and January 06 stripping, cleaning and sanding the frame and components. In February 06 it was ready for paint: three coats of hand sanded primer, two coats of gloss black top coat, new decals by Velographic, and three coats of clear finished the job. Every component of the Shimano 600 gruppo had to be disassembled, cleaned, polished, reassembled, and lubricated. I finished reassembling the bike in late Feb 06. |
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| My beloved.:-) When my last Falcon was stolen in the summer of '77, I bought this Gitane brand new for $175. She was originally orange, and decked out in Simplex drivetrain. I rode her for a couple of years that way, then upgraded the drivetrain to Campagnolo. About 1997 or 98 I repainted the frame. Vive le velo Francais! |
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| 2006 Rocky Mountain RC 70. My first foray into the modern world of aluminum and carbon. So far, so sweet! |