Time to pull the head out and breath.

I have been not that well lately and today was the day to start a new phase. The wife was adamant that I go for a long ride out in the country. We saddled up, her on her beloved singlespeed Vitus and I on my Gunnar Crosshairs. We did the whole length of Baseline Rd. on gravel then rode south on mulford and came back on Mowers. We totalled 42 miles and the pace was brisk. I felt much better when I got home. Showered had some Recoverite and then headed to the inlaws for food and wine. A splendid Sunday and the temps were fabulous. A big thanks to my dear wife!
Ari

4th and more

4th of July 2009

Garage 4th due to rain all day.

Helping out at Greekfest in Dekalb,IL.

Lots of trailer hauling with my 55lb 6 year old.

New Parachute hammocks at North Central Cyclery. The ultimate thing after a long ride

4th of July was my second saturday off since the Transiowa. I did not ride since I had lots of things to do at home. Wife was working and as soon as she would arrive we would have to split to my bros house. We hadn't hung out with him and his family in a long time and it felt good to be around family. The kids played and muddied themselves, we drank lots of Argentinian wine and we ate meat like barbarians. It finally stopped raining around 9 pm and we shot over to Westmont to see the fireworks. More wine continued after the fireworks and we finally called it quits around 4 am.

Now on Sunday the 5th I am just hanging out with the little one since the wife has to tackle some homework for tomorrow. I have missed many days of serious riding but I still have hope that I will bounce back. The issue with the saddlesores really set me back. I really wanted it to heal to get back. I am excited for the coming weeks and as far as I am concerned we are not going to have a normal summer this year. I know many people out there still don't believe in global warming but it is evident with the screwy weathter we are having. It is not normal for July to be in the 60's and raining.

So, soon enough it will be fall again. The knickers and long sleeves will come out and the nights will be longer. Helmut and I are preparing for a full attack on weather this year and I think we will be prepared. There is still some long rides to conquer and I hope we are able to pull that off.

Until then I hope you all are able to be well. Take care and enjoy those pedal strokes whenever you can.

Ari

Surly Pugsleys

Lost Coast Trailer from Eric Parsons on Vimeo.

A great video by Eric Parsons from Epic Designs, a premier bicycle bag maker from Alaska.

Enjoy,
Ari

Just some thoughts

Salsa La Cruz

Pugsley

Motivation will come when some stuff decides to finally slow down. Working the two jobs and having the wife take summer classes plus work has left us empty handed in regards to free time. For example This week I worked :

monday shop
tuesday shop
wed shop
thurs restaurant
frid shop and restaurant
saturday shop and restaurant
On Sunday it is Greek Fest in Dekalb and I have to help out my Church. My dad is Greek, thus i am half greek and I respect and enjoy my Greek heritage. I will get up early and go give a hand.
I don't know how the rest of the day is going to pan out. We'll see. I am starting to think that we stay indoors in our cocoons for months on end and then when the summer comes its like an explosion of activity that everyone has to do. There is like a mad dash before its over again and the leaves start to fall.
At this point I really don't enjoy nice weather anymore. Nice weather is lame. Nice weather means noise, crappy bikes, and people yelling crap out their windows. It like a bunch of convicts out enjoying their freedom from the quiet of the dark and cold weather.
I know this is a lame post but sometimes I have to get some ideas out. I am having a huge glass of hot Mountain tea with real, white sugar. My stomach is a mess and I am trying to calm it somehow.
Tomorrow would be ideal to get up and meet the guys at 730am and do for once the morning ride. Problem is I come tired and wired from the restaurant and I can't just go to bed. I then fall asleep super-late and never make it to go ride early. I also don't look foward to coming back to the shop and starting another double duty day which only lasts a mere 12 hours. Man am I bitchy or what?
Anyhow, I will come out of all this. I will get the Pugsley built for the winter and finish the Salsa La Cruz for some mega-miler rides in the Fall.


For the La Cruz is the following
Rick Hunter custom Super-crown fork. Have it in my possesion. Thank you Rick.
King headset. Want to buy one.
King hubset Want to buy one
Nitto steam want to buy one
Thomson seatpost Want to buy one.
Rolls Saddle No more saddle sores
The rest is undecided.
Pugsley
Endomorph tires
larg marge tires
cane creek headset
rolls saddle
Bin Seatpost
Stem, handlebars Not sure
shifting not sure
cranks, bb, chain not sure
derailers not sure


better and more cheerful posting to come soon!

argh,
Ari

Time to get back on the bike again

Byron Nuclear reactors. Byron, IL.




It has been a rough time with all the work going on at the shop. Add to that the saddle sore issue and it has been no long distance riding for me for a while. There was huge build up for the Trans Iowa and after that somebody popped the balloon and left me lifeless. I had not direction, no goal to work towards. I have been spending time indoors and reading, thinking, and thinking. Maybe I am just getting old. Maybe the days are long and I get tired. I just don't know. At any point I have some new ideas and some new locations to check out. It will soon be time to get back out there and start working hard for the next big event of 2010.
best,
Ari

It's Hamburger Time!!!

Couple of Saturdays ago. Cold in June.

Carlos, our Neighbor that loves bikes.

Helmut, on route to marengo, IL on Harmony hill rd.

Surly Steamroller making love with gravel.

Been kinda not posting for a while since I was dealing with a little big issue. Just like pal Cornbread out in the Nebraska state this Illinois boy has been afflicted by a hefty case of the Burger. The Burger is a consecuence of riding too much, pounding the little innocent hair follicles into oblivion until one day they say enough and they Rise!

Yes, they rise and they sure let you know about it. Sometimes it is just a little, lonely one and other times they group up, (in this case about 8 of them) and they form a Burger. There is no saddle in the world to accomodate it.

I have still been riding to work though. I ride the tipy of the saddle and I do a lot of standing. I figure old T.I. veteran me can handle suffering for 7 miles.

Now the case of this burger is the consecuence of commuting to work, sweating a bit on the commute, getting to work, changing into shorts, sweating all day, and then riding home with the same morning shorts.

At Hartleys I washed my shorts everyday and then hung them out in the back alley to get bombarded by the Sunlight. It killed all germs and my Butt was happy.

At this point I have switched from regular soap to Grandpas Pine Tar soap and have been washing 3 times a day. Heavy coats of Bag Balm. Next step if the situation does not improve will be grounding and driving the Pantanimobile to work.

I hope you understand my absence but I promise that when I am done with my burger I will come back with a vengeance. My next big ride will be a 125er.

I received my custom Rick Hunter Supercrown fork for the Salsa La Cruz. I will post photos of it soon.

Hope you are burger free,

ride on,

Ari

This Fuji Professional must keep rolling.

Fuji Professional, Circa 1970's

It was last summer that a handsome, tall, lanky man walked into the shop that I used to work. It was winter and the day was consumed drinking coffee and re-organizing the same items over and over. Must keep busy even if there is no business.

He told me of all the adventures that he had as a young lad. The many rides, the agony of being lost and without food, the single water bottle. He had spent a lot of time on his bike and it had carved fond memories in his head. All this had been had on board a Fuji Professional. A wonderful lugged japanese bike complete with lightweight lugs and Suntour Suberbe Pro dropouts. He had ridden on the road, on trails, off road and had done the occasional race with the sewup tires that originally came with the bike.

I was intrigued by all the stories that he shared with me. He later told me that arthritis had ravaged his body and that he was unable to pedal the bicycle. He had made unsuccesful attempts at riding the steed with no results. The arthritis had attacked his knees, ankles, elbows, and hands. He then tried riding a comfort bike just to have some glory in riding a bicycle. That did not work. He sometimes rides the Airdyne at the YMCA and he closes his eyes and remembers.

Ron had sized me up and he was correct that we were both 6'4" and that I had some youth left in me.

He wanted me to have the Fuji so I could continue riding it. So that it would not turn into rust powder in his garage, that it would continue making memories. The thought of looking at it, lifeless, hanging by the hooks made him sad. I accepted the honor and brought the bike home, along with the sewup tires. He told me to fix it up and ride it. That the idea of the Fuji roaming around would make him happy.

Last night I finally finished it up. New stem, bars, barcons, rear der, crank, wheels. The fit is perfect and I think that it will serve great on gravel and road since it is built with lots of clearance. When I ride it it will always remind me of Ron. I hope his pain is o.k., I hope he can ride the Air Dyne a little longer.

Ari