My eyes! My eyes!

[Dirt]

Since I haven't posted any naked photos of my bikes in a while, I thought I'd do so this afternoon. My condolences. ;)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4120/4910387120_8b4fcd5b62_b.jpg
Eyesore in motion.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4096/4928736801_b30a981c03_b.jpg
Hey sailor.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4942631585_af6668e2df_b.jpg
Great descending shot.

Hugs and kisses,

Pete

[Tim Kelley]

That third picture looks really familiar. I think I've done that same descent a few times...

[skreaminquadz]

I like that first pic - nicely done action shot!! I have the exact Toupe saddle (with the red highlights) on one of my commuters.

I guess you were moving a bit faster today than the BD usually takes you...

[Mark Blacknell]

1992 called . . .

[Dirt]

@SQ: Depends on the terrain. The Dummy accelerates like a Prius with a faulty accelerator pedal on the right kind of hill. ;) The Tesch is definitely a joy to ride. I keep saying that I'm not going to ride it until I get the frame restored... and I keep getting it out of the basement and riding it. I love that bike. I'm gonna have to break down and buy another steel bike so that I can send this one off to cycle-art.

@Mark: I got my first Tesch in 1989. This one I think is from 1990. I had a third that I purchased in mid 1991. The first was a lugged "101" model. That bike was amazing.. quite possibly the nicest bike I've ever ridden. It died at the hands of a crazed woman with a chevy blazer full of chinchillas. It would be funny as hell if it didn't come at the cost of that lovely bike. Tesch was one of a few frame builders that really pioneered the use of TIG welded steel in a high-end racing frame. The lugged steel 101 frame was replaced by this TIG welded S-22 frame. By today's standards it is a boat anchor. The ride and handling is really amazing.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4152/4947609551_2f0b493d52_b.jpg

I'll stop drooling now. ;) Luckily they make me wear a lobster bib at work.

[Dirt]

Oh yeah... I forgot. Check out the tire clearance on the fork crown on that first rolling shot. Part of why Tesch's bikes handled so well was that he rocked that fork crown as low as possible. There's barely 1mm clearance with 23mm tires. I had more than one race where a doinked rim parked me for the day.

[skreaminquadz]

Man - that clearance is tight! I'm not sure I've ever seen one that tight. I guess it keeps your front tire pretty debris free ; )

[Kilkula]

why this bike are pink? i'll be seen everwhere^^?!

[Dirt]

why this bike are pink? i'll be seen everwhere^^?!

Not long after posting this up, I got hit by a car. It was broad daylight. There was nothing to limit visibility... except the driver wasn't looking out the windshield. He was looking backwards while driving. First words out of his mouth when he got out of the car??? "I didn't see you!" Bwahahahaha

The bike is now being sent back to be fixed, restored, renovated and repainted.

Pete

[Dirt]

Assaulting people's eyes seems to be a habit I have with my bike builds.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5014/5554535476_6ec95c515a_z.jpg

As bright as that color looks in photos, it is 10x brighter in person.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5132/5565794165_f04b050bae_z.jpg

It also rides real goodly too.

Hugs and kisses,

Pete

[Mark Blacknell]

What I'm impressed with is your ability to do a costume change on the bike between photos.

[brendan]

You couldn't source fluorescent rims? :)

Brendan

[Dirt]

@Mark: I'm an International Man of Mystery when it comes to ensemble changes.

@Brendan: I came so close to ordering matching green rims. In the end I went with yellow. The wheels you see there were the ones that were on the bike that had a broken frame a few months ago. The only new stuff is the frame, bar and stem, bar tape and chain. Pretty much all of the serious components were just stripped off of the bloody corpse of Mutant Snow Bike.

[Dirt]

My bike is ready for Seagull Century.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6152/6201525156_65ac8bbe97_b.jpg

I hate the handlebars too. Looks like my bike has been doing the nasty with an elk or something. They will, however, be very, very useful.

[americancyclo]

My bike is ready for Seagull Century

I'm glad you'll be hard to miss. I'll be there on Grimace and I'll keep an eye out for ya, or at least warn my other riding buddies to shield theirs. :p

[americancyclo]

They will, however, be very, very useful.

Does it get windy on that ride? I'm a Seagull virgin.

[Dirt]

Seagull can be a little windy. The reason why it is important on this bike is that I can't compensate for wind with gearing. The only way is to plow through it with legs.

I tend to go a bit over the top with these kinds of rides (Not that you can tell by the bike). I'll likely be very easy to spot on this ride.

[Dirt]

Bling Bling!

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6184/6210586251_972da314d4_b.jpg

[skreaminquadz]

Dang - she's purdy!!

[Dirt]

Almost too pretty to wrap a chain around...... almost.

[PrintError]

Dirt, your bikes all make me happy. I want that insane-o green frame!

[Greenbelt]

Frog pedals it looks like? I need to try those. My wife and daughter swear by them.

[Dirt]

Frog pedals it looks like? I need to try those. My wife and daughter swear by them.
I use Frogs on the mountain bike. Those are Speedplay Zeros.


Dirt, your bikes all make me happy. I want that insane-o green frame!
I miss that green frame. I broke 2 of them and finally gave up on them. They sent me their high-end cross bike as a replacement.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6164/6180504515_c20d1eb9c0_b.jpg

I'm still looking for a replacement for the frame for that. I'll likely end up with a Civia Bryant. I'll likely buy one in the next month or so. Depends on what they have in stock.

Pete

[americancyclo]

I'll likely end up with a Civia Bryant. I'll likely buy one in the next month or so. Depends on what they have in stock.Pete

Are you looking at the belt drive one? I've been eyeing that as my next commuter for quite some time now. Would love to hear your thoughts if you do get one!

[Dirt]

Are you looking at the belt drive one? I've been eyeing that as my next commuter for quite some time now. Would love to hear your thoughts if you do get one!
I'll just buy the frameset. I prefer my build to what they do for stock build. I'd need to change the bar, stem, headset, seatpost and saddle at least. I like the internally geared hub, but perfer the Alfine11 to the Alfine8. The seals are not as good and the 8 requires more frequent maintenance. Generally I'd change the crank and bottom bracket. I will likely ride it as a fixie. Eventually I'll convert it to belt drive. I'd also like to set up a generator light system.

[hencio]

Are you looking at the belt drive one? I've been eyeing that as my next commuter for quite some time now. Would love to hear your thoughts if you do get one! I'm looking at this as my next commuter as well. Waiting for the Alfine 11. I'd be more than happy to get rid of my chain for the regular commuter.

[Dirt]

I'm looking at this as my next commuter as well. Waiting for the Alfine 11. I'd be more than happy to get rid of my chain for the regular commuter.
I don't think that Civia is planning on releasing the Bryant with the Alfine 11. It would add $400+ to the price of the bike without a huge amount of benefit. If you want the 11, you'll need to buy the shifter and hub yourself and upgrade it yourself.

[hencio]

I don't think that Civia is planning on releasing the Bryant with the Alfine 11. It would add $400+ to the price of the bike without a huge amount of benefit. If you want the 11, you'll need to buy the shifter and hub yourself and upgrade it yourself. Ah, good to know on the Alfine upgrade. BTW, do you know the widest tire that the Bryant takes? I've reached out to Civia previously and was not able to get an answer.

[Dirt]

Ah, good to know on the Alfine upgrade. BTW, do you know the widest tire that the Bryant takes? I've reached out to Civia previously and was not able to get an answer.
It comes with 700x32mm tires and can accept fenders. From the looks of it, you can probably go up to 700x35, depending on what fenders you use and the care with which you install them.

[Dirt]

New family member.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6623048887_13c4180974_b.jpg

It is a Surly Troll with a Surly Pugsley fork on it. I kinda put it together with a bunch of weird stuff that I had laying around the shop. It kinda looks like it too. I used it as a grocery getter and mountain bike for the last 10 days and it has been a lot of fun. As you might imagine, the ride is very similar to what you would experience driving a Hummer H1.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6596010115_5d3083595d_b.jpg
Glad they put that Road Closed sign up. I otherwise might have ridden right into the lake.

Love,

Pete

[eminva]

I'm going to betray my ignorance and ask what kind of tire that is on front?

Glad you are having fun with it. Although that bike looks like it could handle the lake even.

Liz

[consularrider]

Nice bike. That could have been my Indiana ride on Boxing Day, our route went around the northern end of Lake Monroe and Moores Creek had flooded about a quarter mile of the road. A high clearance truck went slowly through while we were looking at it and it didn't appear to be more than six or seven inches deep on the road surface, but we turned around anyway. Also saw my first live Pugsley at Bikesmiths in Bloomington. One of the mechanics there had ridden it to the shop in during that morning's snow and now I want one. Of course, I'm not sure what I'd really use it for, but I since I had ridden in on a hybrid, the thought of the Pugsley for snow riding is appealing.

[culimerc]

I'm going to betray my ignorance and ask what kind of tire that is on front?


Liz

A really big one......

[Dirt]

The front tire is made by Surly. It is one that is made for their snow bikes. It is a 26x3.7" tire on an 82mm wide rim. The rear tire is 26x2.7 and is made for a downhill bike. The combination makes for a fun ride off-road and a good workout on-road. Generally it is something I'll goof off with when and if the weather gets really bad. Later in the spring I'll put some 700c touring wheels and fenders on it and use it as my touring bike. It is also easily usable as a fixie. It has all the braze-ons and mounts for running racks, fenders and even a trailer hitch (Surly or Yak trailers).

Basically the frame is designed to do pretty much anything. I intend to use it that way. :D

As huge as the tires are, they could never keep the bike afloat. It weighs close to 40 pounds. It sinks like a brick. I already tried that. :D

[dcv]

Dirt,
love your bikes, especially the pink ones. i just finished building this, not quite as bright but love the 80's...
http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc399/vng2327/Fuji%20Tiara/IMG_20120102_204932.jpg

[btj]

I kinda put it together with a bunch of weird stuff that I had laying around the shop.

...including what appears to be TruckNutz? Nice. :cool:

[Dirt]

...including what appears to be TruckNutz? Nice. :cool:
That is the Livestrong Truck Nut. (Patent Pending... or not.)