Bike Stuff

As purchased used in Marin Carbon fiber frame gravel bike, 1x mixed drive train and components This one has become a bit of a Ship of Theseus . It was originally sold to a guy in Iowa as a 2019 Salsa Cutthroat Apex  who enjoyed it there before moving to Marin and selling it to me. He'd upgraded the derailleur and brifters from SRAM Apex to Force but left the TRP Spyre cable-operated brakes (more on that later). He'd also put on WTB Venture 50mm tires and set them up tubeless (a new one for me) and installed a dropper post. I bought it as a way to get riding off-road and on bikepacking adventures. Very first ride was into the Marin Headlands right after I picked it up. It immediately became my adventure bike to go wherever and everywhere short of bombing real MTB trails. Everything from cruising along the bayshore gravel trails to Marin dirt to overnight adventures. Lunch stop at Mountain View Baylands Baylands lean by Moffett Field Sunset ride at Coyote Hills Regional Park But,

I've been asked often of late "what do I need to carry for roadside repair?"  I decided to write my thoughts down here, once to point to. I don't think I have the one and only correct answer. I don't even carry the same kit on all bikes. But here are some thoughts: What I generally pack: Inflation device A pump is my preference because it always works and never runs out of capacity (although I might while using it). Cheap and/or micro pumps get the job done. (usually), but quality ones and larger ones do usually work much better or easier. If your bike has the place to put a full size frame pump, those are the best, but generally aren't an option on modern bikes. But I sometimes carry CO2 instead/in addition for rapid inflation and on tubeless, to have the ability to pop a bead back on. Lately I've been carrying a tiny battery pump on my road bike that has no room for a frame mounted pump. It's a compromise between the simple-but-one-shot nature of C

For my ongoing set of bike creation and rehab projects, I finally got around to repurposing a bike I've had for a long time. This is a 1989 Trek 7000 mountain bike that I was gifted for my college graduation. A fairly progressive ride for the time with a 'glued and screwed' aluminum frame complete with what were then considered 'oversized' tubes. It was used in true mountain bike mode for years before being supplanted by a full-suspension MTB years ago and being relegated to utility duty. But it is now 2023 and gravel bikes are a thing. Hey, people even claim that gravel bikes are just 90's mountain bikes anyway. So let's test that out. I decided to do a full renovation on the old 7000 and turn it into a gravel and adventure bike that perhaps I can use to lure the kids into joining me on trips. Changes planned (all the best laid plans) New tires . It needed them anyway since the old ones literally crumbled as I removed them. A pair of Schwalbe Billy Bonker

Some bikes are all about practicality. And yet that doesn't mean they can't look cool.  I got this bike to replace a Trek Soho that was stolen from my back yard. Kinda bling, no? First belt drive commuter Trek Soho. Stolen in 2016 Ultimate commuter setup This is the ultimate (IMO) practical commuter design. Belt drive: No muss, no mess, no torn pants. Belts don't need lube and don't have sharp edges so they are actually fine to run open like this. (It came with a belt guard but it was made of plastic and broke years ago) Internal hub drive: Shimano Alfine 8-speed. Plenty of range for normal riding. Even enough to ride in San Francisco (although tough at times). And it can be shifted while stopped at a light. All contained in what is essentially a maintenance-free system. Disc brakes: All-weather, strong stopping. Sure, rim brakes work. You can see I have plenty of bikes with rim brakes. But disc brakes work better . Particularly so when it's wet. This is the bigge