bike pics and first impressions

salsa casseroll single speed...i switched the bars to nitto nordeast  

 

 

 

 

well.....figured since i was a bike blog writer i should post the bikes i own and a couple that I've built for friend's. you will notice that none of them are fixed gear bikes.....don't own one, and wont ride one (I'll save the fixie rant for later, its a mini novel in the making)

Redline Monocog 29er.....added avid bb7 brakes, shimano dx clipless pedals, jeff jones h-bar (made by titec) and a couple of stickers that you cant see in this pic

 Kona Humu cruiser converted to a 26inch BMX bike: this bike is sooooo much fun to ride, if you don't have big BMX bike....GET ONE!!!! (ill be posting a conversion guide at some point, which will included frame selection tips, parts resources, and some helpful does and don'ts i learned along the way)

 salsa fargo: this is my wife sandy's bike, parts highlights include: paul mtb cranks, avid bb7s, king headset, and nitto albatross bars (even though they're not pictured here, this was the first incarnation of this bike)

 Cannondale R500 conversion a.k.a. "The Purple People Eater"...built this for my friend Buddha, used ODI lock-on grips, Brooks B17 saddle, and threw on some Animal BMX flats. he used it for RagBrai this year and has been commuting on it when the weather permits.

 Paramont MTB single speed conversion....another friend build (you need to ride this more matt!!!!) picked it up from the broken spoke in iowa city....when i test rode this after it was done, the geometry transported me back to when i first started riding off road in the early 90s.....this bike is so quick steering, hence the big riser bars, fit prohibited me from using a shorter stem. the riser bars mellowed the handling just enough not to make it super scary in the technical stuff.

 First Impression: Timbuk2 Hemlock Roll-top Backpack (SM)

Retailer: Timbuk2 online

Price: Small-$59 Medium-$65 (took advantage of a sale price, they're normally $90-$100)

Got this thing in the mail yesterday and was immediately impressed.....got the small, well because I'm not a messenger. The small is plenty big enough to carry anything you would need for a day of commuting, it easily fits all the essentials in the large front pocket and the main compartment would fit a change of clothes, street shoes and a laptop (13-15inch is the recommended size for the small, the medium will hold up to an 18inch). In iowa biking tradition the first ride was a booze cruise....i loaded the front pocket with a small digital camera, bike lock, wallet, keys, phone and an extra pair of  gloves. The main compartment had an extra jacket stuffed in it (and I'm not talking about some wunderfabric shell, it was a carhart fleece vest, can you see bulky, but really warm?), and there was plenty more space in there. Packed it sat great on my back and didn't move at all during my 7ish mile cruise downtown. the straps didn't cut into my shoulders at all....i cant wait to put some miles in with this packed! I'll have a full review after I've really had a chance to test it.