The Adventures of Bike Boy

All terrain electric-bike

2011-03-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

Dan Hanebrink (a NASA aerospace engineer) has designed an all-terrain pedal-assist vehicle that is one part bicycle, one part motorcycle and one part Mars rover. Check the full article here from the coolist.

Urban Downhill

2011-03-09T14:22:00.000-08:00

Now this is a downhill course, check it out below.

VCA 2010 RACE RUN from changoman on Vimeo.

TRON Light Cycle

2011-02-20T17:45:00.000-08:00

Want to own a movie replica vehicle? This one isn't too over-priced, relatively speaking. It's a working version of the Tron Legacy Light Cycles. Yours for only $55,000!

The Beast

2011-02-09T17:51:00.000-08:00

It really is, check out this bad boy from some crazy Hungarians going by the name of M55. It's a hybrid electric bike with some serious components and proposed speeds of 77mph (123ish kmh). Crazy!

Flying Bike

2011-02-07T01:53:00.000-08:00

Now this is pretty crazy, a maglev bicycle from a couple of dreamers going under the name of Yanko Design, check it out.

Singlespeed/Commuter Sale

2011-01-27T20:56:00.000-08:00

Whilst this sounds too much like advertising even for me the Sale is pretty good. Goldcross Cycles are having a Back to Work/School sale with some pretty good deals on single speed bikes, check out this one from Mongoose, not bad at all.

Gellie custom bicycles

2011-01-19T18:41:00.001-08:00

Have been reading a cycling book of late and it mentions the holy grail of bicycles, a personalised custom steel frame handmade. I decided to see if I could find any in Melbourne and came across Gellie Custom bicycles. Check out their gallery for some shots of the bikes they've made, I liked the one above.

Still helmets

2011-01-11T02:17:00.000-08:00

Check this out, air helmets from Hövding, some very creative Swedish people looking at how to make helmets cool. Or rather how to incorporate airbag concepts into a garment, oh wait!

Speaking of helmets

2010-12-19T18:34:00.000-08:00

These are pretty cool, Yakkay Helmets out of Denmark have something to cover up that ugly shell with. Check the link for other cool designs but this one below is on my wish list.

Helmet laws

2010-12-09T16:55:00.000-08:00

There has been a change in the Australian standard for bicycle helmets and as a result now is a good time to be buying a reduced price helmet. BV had this to say about it.

Cafe Racer's

2010-11-28T19:39:00.000-08:00

I love Bikeexif, and especially their custom jobs. Love what they've done with Kawasaki's Z1000.

Mojo Bikes

2010-11-16T03:52:00.001-08:00

Came across this the other day and it's worth checking out if you're after a cheap single speed. Mojo Bikes are another Melbourne based online bicycle shop that are making some nice rides. More importantly you can custom build your colour combinations which is a great way to waste a couple of minutes. Also, they're running a competition so check out the details on their website.

They're all on drugs

2010-09-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

News just in that Alberto Contador has tested positive to a "banned substance"! Sounds rather dramatic since he won this years Tour de France however, Contador denies he is on drugs and says it was contaminated food. Either way it should make an interesting investigation, I'll see what comes out of it in the end. I'll be I know what Andy Schleck is hoping for.

Two brakes for hipsters

2010-09-15T05:05:00.000-07:00

In the news this week from BV. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission(ACCC) is cracking down on the fixie craze, warning of serious safety issues and threatening bike shops with fines of more than $1M.

The main point they raise is this one:
"At least two brakes are fitted, one on the front wheel and the other on the back."

You can read the rest of the article here and it's well worth the read if you're thinking of removing brakes.

My next helmet

2010-09-13T20:21:00.001-07:00

Another cycle related blog to promote, this time with a pretty awesome custom helmet job. I want one, or at least to know how it was done. Check out The New Cafe Racer Society for more.

Convoy and Love Your Bike

2010-09-12T19:57:00.000-07:00

A few links to post today, first of all Love Your Bike Portsmouth. Another bicycle inspired blog with a flickr well worth looking at.

The second is just a tumblr called Convoy and while not necessarily bicycle specific it has some great photos to trawl through and waste an afternoon on ;)

This is how we roll

2010-09-05T20:09:00.001-07:00

I wish!

Ciocc Bicycles

2010-08-09T03:49:00.000-07:00

Cromoly frames rock! There are a few decent single speed/fixed gear frames out there that are manufactured in Cromoly and these guys swear by it. Check out their vintage page as well and the sweet looking single I posted above. Nice ride!

Flatlands

2010-08-04T23:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a pretty rad video of Danny Macaskill showing some sweet flatlands skills.

Jellybean Bikes

2010-07-20T06:05:00.000-07:00

Desktop Magazine have a nice little wall of "cool" going these days and I get sent a few good links every now and then via their email newsletter. I remember seeing a few cool looking fixies from Jellybean Bikes and meant to track down the link so here it is.

Custom Lowriders

2010-07-19T04:12:00.000-07:00

Caught a link from the Behance Network to a couple of cool looking custom bikes, check more images out here.

The coolist*

2010-07-15T06:39:00.000-07:00

The coolist has some fantastic stuff, chiefly a link to a couple of nice belt driven bicycles from Schindelhauer Bikes. Great for wasting an afternoon with! Go check it out.

Baum Titanium Bikes

2010-07-13T20:37:00.000-07:00

Baum make some nice bikes, check out their Flickr as well, fantastic bikes!

Bicycle Illustration

2010-05-26T04:05:00.000-07:00

ilovedust created some really nice bicycle illustrations for clickforart, check the link over at trendland for the full story

Flipping the bird...

2010-05-23T23:03:00.001-07:00

...and you may end up with a punch to your face! I was reminded of my attitude towards boat head motorists who are oblivious to their surrounds just this week and then saw this article. Flipping the bird is one of your options if a car does cut you off, but the other option is to actually call the police and make a complaint. Naturally if you've got somewhere to be taking the time to stop, grab the vehicles registration, and then call the police to make a complaint probably isn't to easy to do, but it may save you some tears.

Still no excuses for the bloke who stopped his car to cross the road and punch someone, honestly *shakes head*.

Bertelli Bkes

2010-05-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

Now this is a hot looking single speed. Love the brushed look on the frame, so simple. Make sure you check out the other bikes on the site but this one was my pick of the bunch.

Nutcase Helmets

2010-05-09T17:50:00.000-07:00

Saw an article on Nutcase Helmets in the latest Desktop eNews.
Check 'em out:

Old school

2009-10-26T05:12:00.000-07:00

Came across a cool post of some old BMX photos over here. It brings back fond memories of rolling around my old home town with mates. My BMX got me everywhere, and then some.

I was also reminded of a link a friend sent me ages ago so I thought I'd throw it on here as well. The Eurobike Show happened a while ago and there are a whole bunch of photos to look at here.

A cheeky post

2009-09-09T21:06:00.001-07:00

A few things cuaght my attention this week in cycling, whilst surfing through ffffound.com I came across these custom frames by Momentum:

They have a few more worth checking out here.

Trackosaurus had a cheeky image to inspire your assualt on the Tour de France hill climbs as well so I thought I'd share, enjoy ;)

Montague Street Roadworks

2009-08-30T22:45:00.000-07:00

Bike boy's path to Port Melbourne is currently being screwed over by road works on the Montague Street intersection. I inderstand upgrades are needed but the way they've constantly moved the path (and narrowed it) and run it into a zebra crossing that no car in Melbourne would actually stop for has been a constant nightmare. All of that aside they've now closed that side of the path completely but the good news is they've managed to keep a shared path open away from the traffic on the opposite side. It'll save me having to do a suicide run along Montague Street to City Road every morning for the next month and isn't really that big a hassle after all.

Check out the map below for any other Cyclists out there that use the Port Melbourne paths. The map had text on the flip-side and the bit relating to cyclists is as follows:

• The footpath currently open on the West side of montague Street will close and a new footpath on the East side will open.
• The footpath on the West side of Montague Street will reopen in December 2009.
• Eventually Montague Street will have a 3m wide shared path (both directions), as well as a 1.2m wide on-road cycle lane.

What would you say?

2009-08-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

Bicycle Victoria are currently running a survey on the health benefits of riding to work. I knew I was better riding than not doing anything at all but this made me think about it a little more. One of the questions asked if you had to convinve someone (in 25 words or less) that riding to work was better for them what would you say? I would say something like "You save money and you may even lose some weight all while avoiding traffic jams and over-crowded trains. Do it for your self-esteem!"

I do love that quote.

Trio Bike

2009-08-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Trio Bike out of the UK make some really sweet cargo bikes. They differ from the rest in that the cargo section up front can be removed and converted solely into a trolley/pusher for the kids and the bike can then be returned to a traditional 2 wheeled bicycle.

The Bumble Bee colour scheme is cool although not my first choice.

The custom graphic on this one is great! I have seen something similar on a cargo bike cruising around Melbourne somewhere although I could be mistaken.

2010 Giant Range

2009-08-20T06:39:00.000-07:00

Giant have released their 2010 bicycle line-up for Australia and Bike Boy is very interested in a couple of the new models. Here are the highlights (or lowlights) as I see them.

Giant XTC 29-1

Starting at the mountain bike end is the new 29 inch. Bike Boy has a soft spot for 29er's as they provide the most versatility when combining an MTB with a commuter. Hints from my LBS are that it will be around $2K. Decent components (Avid brakes, Fi'zi:k saddle and Shimano deralieurs) help round out what has been a great bike in the 26 inch category so definitely something to consider if you're looking for a 29er.

We then move into some of the new urban/commuter options Giant are introducing this year.

Giant Seek S

The seek models seem to be "café racers" built for the weekend ride and occasional commute. The Seek S (S for single-speed) caught my eye in the no fuss daily commuter category. Cable discs, no deraileurs, posts for full mud guards and a rack etc. I'll be doing some more research on this model over the next couple of weeks, that's for certain.

Of a similar style to the Seek, although this time with an internal geared hub, is the City Speed. It looks like a new concept commuter with a stem and bars all in one piece along with hidden cable routing inside the frame and integrated lights fitted to the bike. Certainly some nice options on this one if you were after a dedicated commuter.

Giant City Speed CS

City Speed Features

Last is the Bowery, the one up there ^^

This year I think Giant are going after a different demographic. The 2009 Bowery range had 4 models and were all decent looking rides. They all still had the Aluminium frame but different paint jobs and set ups with a flat bar and or drops. The Australia only model was a gloss black but essentially the same as Bike Boy's 08 model. For 2010 Giant have 2 models for Australia, a white with red drop bar model and an absolutely hideous green and pink flat-bar option.

Possibly the most disgusting paint job I've ever seen, and my LBS tells me they've used time-trial style brake levers to increase the "poser" cred. At least you know no-one in their right mind would ever consider stealing such an abomination!

I'll take two

2009-08-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

Surfing through the links over at The Vine today I came across this:

It's a V12 Quad bike! Pretty ridiculous so I thought I'd share. There are a heap of them around, supercharged Hyabusa's, Smart Cars with motorcycle engines in them, and more I'm certain but this takes the cake for now.

One way to keep the bugs out

2009-08-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

I still love failblog, and whilst I don't check it as often as I used to every now and then I come across some bicycle funnies.

Check this guy out:

I'm sure it's only because he couldn't squeeze it into his bag, but still funny.

40 words or less commute

2009-07-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

ABC Radio and Ride to Work Day are asking people to share their commute stories in order to go into the draw to win a bike, check the survey here.

Here's what Bike Boy had to say:

Quiet streets to start then dodge the traffic jams. Good bike path, charge! Catch that guy. Smile to myself, cars at a standstill. Cruise the inner city developments and roadworks. Is that car going to stop? Relax, almost there.

The Face-plant Jersey

2009-07-21T16:41:00.000-07:00

I reckon the tour needs a "best crash" jersey for the rider who has the most spectacular crash each stage. I'd definitely give it to Jens Voigt after yesterdays effort on Stage 16.

Fixed Gear Gallery

2009-07-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

Came across this site today and thought I'd share the link. Fixed Gear Gallery has an amazing amount of bike porn... erm I mean image galleries. More than enough to keep you busy for a weekend, and some helpful links further down the page. That's if a fixie is your style of course. Bike Boy is down with a free-wheel though.

Funny

2009-07-07T04:33:00.000-07:00

Reminds me of an embarrassing story that happened to friend of mine once. Surfed some links from over at ffffound, which has just been added to my daily check list, and came across this image. I laughed and so I thought I'd share:

Le Tour

2009-07-02T19:22:00.000-07:00

I'm actually a little bit excited about Le Tour this year, mainly because Cadel has a chance at winning again, but also because I enjoyed watching the stages so much last year. I know the idea of watching a field of cyclists ride through Europe for 6 hours a day can seem ridiculously boring to most, but like all endurance sports I enjoy the strategy, and the stacks! I loved the hill climb stages if only to see the descent. One of the younger riders fell off the hill last year and I thought they were going to have to scrape him off the bottom of the valley! He was ok but I can't seem to find any video of it.

SBS are committed to televising most of the stages live on SBS Two so no more trying to stay awake well after midnight. Check out the schedule over at Cycling Central. Whilst I probably won't be glued to the time trial start I look forward to watching the rest of the race.

Stockyards Little River

2009-06-28T17:05:00.001-07:00

Bike boy took an off road adventure over the weekend and headed out to the Stockyards for a little ride. It's a really great MTB park with lots of different options catering to riders of all types of skill level. It's a decent drive from the CBD, located off a dirt track off Drysdale Road on the outskirts of Little River. For more info head on over to Geelong Mountain Bike Club's website and check out the park info as well as the downloadable maps.

Broken

2009-06-24T17:17:00.001-07:00

Bike Boy has a busted saddle. This morning whilst riding in to work Bike Boy noticed a strange creak on the downstroke of pedalling on his right leg. It was a tiny little creak so he wasn't too worried until he pulled up for his morning coffee and almost lifted the saddle off the bike. Check it out:

Favourite Rides

2009-06-17T06:26:00.000-07:00

The Guardian has gotten a few cycling illuminati together to post about their favourite rides. Some fun stuff there and certainly worth the read if not considering for your next holiday.

Bike Boy's favourite ride around Melbourne at the moment would have to be the Brimbank Park loop. Bike Boy usually starts in Newport and the loop takes in parts of the Federation Trail, Western Ring Road Path and Brimbank Park to then return on the Maribyrnong River Trail back through Footscray. The loop has many options for detouring and or stopping along the way for a picnic/coffee, and even calling it an early day and jumping on a train home. It's usually a 60km plus ride so it makes for a testing day with a decent mix of climbs and decents, some really off-road! For more info on cycle paths around Melbourne check out Bicycle Victoria's Where to Ride section.

A Bell

2009-06-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

Copenhaginize posted this funny video about the power of a bicycle bell. I'm going to try this walking through the city one day, it's hilarious.

Hottest 100 Of All Time

2009-06-10T22:48:00.000-07:00

Triple J are currently taking votes for the second Hottest 100 of all time. This year marks the 20th anniversary since the first hottest 100 of all time, back when Nirvana took it out with Smells Like Teen Spirit. I love the fact that Triple J still run the Hottest 100 and Bike Boy's friends usually put together a party every year to celebrate it (and Australia Day of course). All you need to do is vote for your favourite 10 songs of all time. The J's are only going back to the 60's and since it's mainly a "Youth" network it seems fair although looking over my list I don't think there are many songs from the last 40 years, more like the last 15. Bike Boy has voted for:

Metallica - Enter Sandman
Radiohead - Paranoid Android
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Daft Punk - One More Time
Linkin Park - One Step Closer
Muse - Knights Of Cydonia
Fear Factory - Self Bias Resistor
U2 - Elevation
Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood
Hilltop Hoods - The Nosebleed Section

They all mean something to me, a lot or a little, but if you had to create a mixed tape for me to listen to on a deserted island for the rest of my life these songs would keep me happy. Head on over and vote to get your songs in, Triple J will then play the results over a weekend starting July 7. Can't wait to see what gets number one this time around.

Bicycle Safety

2009-06-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

I was reminded recently of one of my favourite web cartoons and thought I'd post one of their more humorous videos on bicycle safety. Check out Strong Bad's solution here.

Ouch!

2009-05-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

I'm glad this isn't me but you do have to laugh at a decent face plant. Failblog have posted a video, check it out, it's funny!

A bit harsh

2009-05-17T23:45:00.000-07:00

The age has posted a story involving a motorist stopping to help a cyclist and then setting his dog on him. It's seems like such a pretty far-fetched story but who knows what goes on in regional Victortia. It's a bit rough but I'd like to think it's just a drunken tale. I mean honestly, who sets a dog on someone to mug them? At 1 in the morning!

Police Blitz

2009-05-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

Reading the news over at the age and they have an article about a Police blitz on cyclists and pedestrians in the CBD. Bike Boy will be on his best behaviour for the rest of the week and would suggest that anyone cycling in and around the CBD do the same. Of course Bike Boy would like to say that he is on his best behaviour most days. He'd like to ;)

The news report highlights some key points and number one is always a debatable issue. Check them out below:

- Cyclists must not ride their bike on the footpath unless aged under 12. The only exception is if the footpath is a designated bike path.

- Cyclists cannot ride their bike across a pedestrian crossing. To cross the road at a pedestrian crossing they must get off their bike and push it across the road.

- Cyclists must stop at red lights.

- If there is a no-through road such as Bourke Street Mall, cyclists are not allowed to enter. To enter the area cyclists are required to get off their bike and push it.

- Cyclists must wear a helmet at all times.

- Cyclists cannot ride their bike on a tram track.

- Cyclists must obey all speed limits.

- Cyclists must have a bell on their bike at all times.

- Cyclists must stop and give way to pedestrians getting on and off a tram.

They will also be targeting j-walkers so to anyone who works in the CBD maybe cross at the lights this week instead of running across the street.

Helmets

2009-05-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

Would you wear one if the law said they weren't compulsory? I've been debating this point in my head more recently. I know helmets reduce the risk of severe head injuries but lets face it, if a car (or worse) does clean you up then head injuries will be the least of your worries. There are valid arguements on both sides of the fence and even those that agree with wearing a helmet don't necessarily believe it should be compulsory. I'm actually thinking of researching this proplerly other than just throwing up a few random comments but for now I've asked Bicycle Victoria what their stance is on compulsory helmets.

Would Bike Boy wear a helmet if he didn't have to? In short, not all the time. Bike Boy would probably still wear a helmet on his daily commute. Every motorist on the road in Australia is too busy focussed on themselves and their little insulated world inside of their vehicle to consider any other motorist on the road. As such, it creates too many situations where a vehicle will ignore common sense and courtesy and almost cause an accident, be it ignoring a pedestrian crossing (Montague Street on-ramp) or trying to squeeze into the bicycle lane to turn left (happened this morning, and the boat head had the nerve to toot the cyclist in the cycle lane *shakes head*). Because of these situations it's crazy to not consider wearing as much protection as conditions will allow. On larger group rides such as Around The Bay or any other sponsored event I think it should be a must but even then it's more to do with the speeds reached down hills and the mix of experienced and novice riders.

As a motorcyclist Bike Boy would never consider going for a ride without a helmet and jacket, but then that has everything to do with being able to reach 100km/h in first gear more than protection from other motorists. Your average speed is that much higher when you aren't relying on pedal power and as such it is a lot more likely that you'll come off at higher speeds. Off road it's a different story, and more about protecting yourself from the environment and that's why full-face helmets are so prolific (along with body-armor and then some). No one likes a tree in the teeth no matter who they are or what type of bike they're riding.

In the end I guess it would be a case of common sense, education, and every road user being a little more patient with each other, but then that's why laws are introduced in the first place. Someone once told me that "laws are introduced when a societies ethos has failed." Perhaps that is a starting point, finding out why compulsory helmet laws were introduced in the first place. I'll keep you posted on further developments but please feel free to leave your own comments. For any BV members who want to read more on the discussion head on over to the forums here.

The Common Bike - Part 2

2009-05-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

More details have just come through on the age's website so I thought I best update. The Common Bike trial runs for three weeks from today. You can join at commonbike.com or six bike hubs around the city at Rentabike (Federation Square), Abbotsford Cycles and Lentil as Anything (Abbotsford), Crumpler (Fitzroy), Commuter Cycles (Brunswick) and Human Powered Cycles (Thornbury). Apparently you have to be over 18 to register though.
Registration is $5 and members pay $1 per trip, with an additional dollar charged after three hours and every hour thereafter. Bikes come with a lock and helmet and can be returned at any of the hubs. At the end of the trial the bike sharing scheme will be assessed at a forum on June 15 at Docklands.

Around The Bay In A Day

2009-05-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

Entries for this years ATB ride are now open to the general public with the 250 and 210km rides from Queenscliff sold out! ATB opens registration early to all Bicycle Victoria members and it looks like they've gotten on board already. Bike Boy is considering the ride again but thinks Team PedalMonkey isn't really interested this year. The ATB site is here.

In your dreams!

2009-05-04T18:56:00.000-07:00

A little video is fooling a lot of people over at YouTube about a cyclist out-running police in a highway chase. It's a decent video editing experiment but for most of us it's obviously a hoax. I know some fast cyclists but they certainly couldn't out-run a car at highway speeds. Check it out, it's worth the laugh ;)

The Common Bike - Part 1

2009-05-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

Reports this week over at The Age say Melbourne is trialing a public Bike Hire scheme based on a few already set-up in Europe. Both articles raise very valid points about the positive and negative sides of public bicycle hire schemes but in the end I think it's a winner. It will be interesteing to see what the State Government comes up with in its budget announcement later in the week (The Common Bike isn't part of the governments scheme as yet) and if they include a hire scheme similar to Paris'.
However, Australia will have a hassle with helmet laws in that we have compulsory helmet laws in the first place. Our cycling brothers and sisters over in Europe enjoy being able to cycle without a daggy helmet and Copenhagen in particular enjoys the title of safest cycling city in the world without a compulsory helmet law. Actually the more I think about it the more I want to research helmets. I know they can save you from severe head injuries but how safe are they?
Anyway, the public bike hire argument hinges on whether or not people use the bikes (or steal/vandalise them) and how often. If you're discouraged from hiring a bike because you don't want to carry a helmet around (or wear a hired helemt) then it will fall over in Melbourne. I would like to see more people cycling more often but I think there are better ways to encourage the people that already cycle along with getting new people involved. Bike Boy is certainly down with the Italian governments plan.

Ask a Urinal

2009-04-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across this website today and thought I'd share, Ask A Urinal has all the answers to life's questions, go check it out.

A.N.T. Bikes

2009-04-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

Just reading through CCC's post on bikes for the dapper Euro gent and they mention a U.S. outfit called A.N.T. Bikes. Skimming throught their website and checking out their rides is well worth it, especially the Light Roadster!

Go now!!

Not in a Company Car!

2009-04-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

So last week Bike Boy was almost run over by a car, nothing new as daylight savings has finished and the nights are now dark, but this occassion the stupid motorist who went straight through a giveway was in a company vehicle. After yelling at the stupid motorist he gave a rev of the engine and sped off with a look that suggested I was in his way and so after snapping a photo of him at an intersection I thought I'd complain. Once I'd gotten home and cooled off I let it go only to cycle past the same driver the following night. After he drove around the block to drive past me again and taunted me with the same engine rev I thought enough was enough and actually made the phone call.

If any of Bike Boy's cycling friends see a white ISS Security Services Toyota Yaris (or possibly Corolla) with the rego something like TXG 077 (that's not exact either) doing anything other than being the height of courtesy to other road users then I would suggest you call ISS on 1300 734 172 and complain.

Stay tuned as Bike Boy has a message from the manager of ISS Security.

Bike Boy Loves Metallica

2009-04-06T20:55:00.000-07:00

That should set the agenda. Whilst I do try and keep this purely cycling, I may stray every now and then if something has caught my attention. With that in mind, I really do love Metallica. They aren't everyone's cup of tea I'll admit, but they have shaped my musical tastes for a long time now (with the exception of a brief dark period in the early 2000's). The Vine have just posted an article about Metallica's recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I thought they'd already been inducted but maybe MTV run a different Hall of Fame, anyway. What caught my attention this time was the fact that Jason Newsted was included in the induction. It's odd that they would include him, especially after the well publicised split between Newsted and Hetfield but there you go, he's back on stage in the band playing the old songs with the new guy Rob Trujillo and the rest of Metallica. What's especially interesting is in the clips the vine link to you can actually hear Jason and Rob's bass so I'm thinking that's what they've been missing all these years. Metallica need 2 bass players just to make up for James' over-the-top guitar.

Whilst I'm not suggesting they kick Rob out and bring Jason back, or saying one is better than the other, I just think it's bizarre that 1. James and Jason would play in the same band again. 2. The Hall of Fame includes "past members" in their induction. and 3. Why the hell weren't Jason's levels increased in the original mixes of "...And Justice For All" and "Metallica".

I've gotten over the fact that he left and I've accepted Rob as the new bassist, some argue he brings more to the band anyway but it's odd that they choose to right past wrongs now. I mean we all know what dicks James and Lars were (and possibly still are) to Jason back in the day but I was certain it was over with. I wonder what other bands past members will now be included into the hall or if we will see "re-mastered" versions of Justice and the black album. Why stop at Jason, Dave Mustaine used to play in the band, surely he must've gotten an invite as well?

I'd love to have been a fly on the wall, who knows, we may see "Some Kind Of Monster" part 2.

Cargo Bikes

2009-03-30T19:02:00.000-07:00

Reading through some more of Copenhagen Cycle Chic saw a link to these guys. Larry vs. Harry make a range of cargo bikes called the Bullit. They're pretty crazy looking but really cool at the same time, especially if you're looking at hauling a lot of gear! No idea if they'll ever get to Australia but still check 'em out!

As to what Bike Boy has seen, he's knows some people over at BikeFun that use the Surly Big Dummy or the Kona Ute. They're a really neat concept and something Bike Boy has considered. Of course he'd love to cruise the kids around in a Christiana. When Bike Boy does get to having children that is ;)

Charity Rides

2009-03-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

Last month Bike Boy was involved in the annual MS Melbourne Summer Cycle, a charity ride benefitting Multiple Sclerosis Australia. Last year they made an impressive total (which I've long since forgotten) but this years total was aimed at $350 000. I'm happy to say they acheived that result, plus a little extra, with the total just in today reaching $442 591.

The ride itself takes in some of Melbourne's CBD and inner west with a nice loop through some of Bike Boy's local digs. You can view the course map here if you're really keen. This year saw us start and finish in Princes Park and whilst we kicked off at stupid o'clock (anything before 10:00 on a Sunday morning is stupid o'clock) it was a decent ride in to Carlton in the wee hours of the morning. Thankfully it was a bit warmer this yeah and the warmers were off well and truly before hitting the start line.

After some completely incoherent announcer trying to talk up the event over the PA we had a guest starter in Melbourne's new Lord Mayor Robert Doyle. I'm sure he said something very positive about encouraging cyclists but the jury is still out on Mr Doyle as I'm unsure as to whether his promise about removing busses from the CBD has actually come to fruition. Once he said his bit we were off down Royal Parade and into the city. It was a smart move by the organisers to run us that way as it spread the groups out while waiting for traffic lights. With the exception of some boat-head on a dually riding everywhere he pleased, and the constant stop starting clip-out clip-in of course.

Once through the city we were out to Port Melbourne and the up and over the Westgate Bridge, truly the highlight of the ride! The MS Ride always cuts a course over the outbound side of the Westgate bridge and while not necessarily the best side for photo opportunities it does make the descent a bunch of fun. Bike Boy wasn't as fast on the way down compared with Around the Bay but 60km/h on the Bowery is plenty fast enough.

It was a trouble free event after that with the group completing the ride before 10.30 in the morning and having time for a stroll around the park afterwards. MS put on a bit of a party at the end of the ride but for the Pedal Monkeys the lure of beer and brunch drove us back out to Kensington. The Quiet Man puts on a mean breakfast for those interested.

This year there were only 3 of us but I'm sure we'll have more join us in future years. A good ride all for charity, and a lot less intimidating if you fancy riding over the Westgate without doing Around the Bay. I'll certainly be signing up next year.

In The News

2009-03-23T15:06:00.000-07:00

The Age has an article up about Melbourne's new cycling plan that has been included in the state transport plan. Exciting news for cyclists and one Bicycle Victoria has been pushing for for some time. Bike Boy is happy BV were listened to by the state governemt in shaping Melbourne's future. Major upgrades in Bike Boy's neighbourhood so it's really cool.

The Wheel Saga - Part 2

2009-03-11T21:44:00.000-07:00

"Where's the rest of it?" Said the elderly woman as Bike Boy walked off the tram, holding his original busted rim in one hand.
"I'm off to find the rest!" came the snappy reply as Bike Boy hurredly left the tram stop.

The wheel saga continues with testing various wheelsets only to discover that it's not the wheel at all but the frame. Turns out the poor Alias can't handle the beating that Bike Boy has dished out and the frame is flexing, which is the source of the disc rubbing. There isn't a fix for frame flex (W00T alliteration!) so the new plan is to sell the bike and buy a new kick arse hard tail or possibly and dual suspension trail bike. Bike Boy is liking the looks of the Scott Spark 50, the Haro Mary XC 29er or the Scott Genius 50.

Hipsters love fixies

2009-03-03T19:26:00.000-08:00

Sorry to steal the title wholesale from the vine but it's true; hipsters do love a fixie! In case you missed the memo, it's trendy to have a fixed gear road bike these days, as the story goes here.
I must admit I've fallen to the trend to a certain extent, especially previous posts about wheels. Velocity make wheels just for this sub-culture with a huge array of colours and options for your fixie rim. But enough about that, Bikeboy rides a Bowery which is a pretty cheap SSFG bike for those looking at getting into the trend and not spending more than $700 on a new bike. It's not perfect but I love it, and after 12 months working out ratios and riding style I finally broke a freehwheel forcing me to try fixed gear riding. The 08 Bowery I have came with 48:18 on the fixed side which is a decent ratio for getting around town, not too hard to take off but not super fast when you do want to get a bit of curry on.
Anyway, this wasn't meant to be a review of my bike so I'll get to the point. After riding around fixed for a week I can't say I enjoyed the experience at all. First and foremost, as long as the bike is moving so are your legs. You can idle a lot but for me nothing beats a good free-wheel down a hill or a rest anywhere you like really. The flip side is you can control your speed a lot easier with back pressure on the pedals but it does exert your knees a lot more than just using brakes. I never worked out skidding and as I ride clipless I never felt confident enough to try. It makes hopping curbs a hassle as well as you have to be mindful of the pedal stroke, and cornering at speed can result in scraping pedals. I never fell off whilst riding fixed but it's such a hassle I can't understand why people flock to it. I think fixeis are a great way to get run over. Give me a free wheel any day!

Ghost bikes

2009-03-02T20:37:00.000-08:00

Following my post from here it seems the Melboure cycling community has left it's tribute. I was informed of the Ghost Bike tradition from a friend of mine and whilst I thought it was a really nice idea I'd never seen one until the other night. Whilst out drinking in the city I stumbled across the Ghost Bike left for the cyclist killed in my previous post. Check it out below:

The Wheel Saga - Part 1

2009-03-01T16:54:00.001-08:00

So bikeboy has broken a spoke or three on his MTB and decided that enough was enough, time for a new wheel. He took his bike into his LBS and asked them to fit a new wheel. They had suggested a few options but the best one seemed to be a wheelcraft wheel. In the process of getting a quote another staff member suggested a Velocity wheelset they had already built. It worked out that bikeboy would get the front and rear for the same price as the rear only from Wheelcraft so it was decided and the work went ahead. Velocity Aeroheat 32 hole, 14 gauge spokes, 26 inch rims were installed along with new 5 post brake discs.

They seemed fine until bikeboy was riding home and noticed the rear disc rubbing, for anyone that's had disc brakes rub you know how annoying it can be so needless to say the bike went back. After a couple of days of turning up in the morning saying the disc is rubbing and the shop trying a couple of fixes, we'd worked out that it wasn't the disc but the wheel flexing under bikeboy's weight. Bikeboy is a clydesdale folks so his bikes have to be fairly tough, along with replacement components.

From here it was decided that a “stronger” wheel was needed, and the specs are 36 hole, double butted 14 gauge spokes, double walled 26 inch rim. The hubs and discs are decent quality but the main point being the rim wall/spoke combination. Pricing this setup with wheelcraft turns a $200 replacement wheelset into a $400 rear wheel only. Needless to say that was too expensinve even for bikeboy so a cheaper Velocity Cliffhanger option was chosen. Since that was the better option it turns out that this particular item is out of stock with Velocity for 4 weeks! Bikeboy's shop is trying a few options but it looks as though he'll be without his MTB for at least a month!

Stay tuned for the next instlallment.

Do it for your self-esteem

2009-01-28T14:39:00.000-08:00

The long weekend saw a few cool things happen, first being the Triple J Hottest 100 countdown and second, the Rockstar BMX Games in Melbourne. The Vine have some really good coverage of the event here.
They have a pretty extensive photo gallery and some interesting videos. What cracked me up though was a report of some of the chants the crowd came up with. I’m using this one: “Do it for your self-esteem!”

All things 2 wheeled

2008-12-18T19:25:00.001-08:00

I love motorcycles, I possibly love them more than push-bikes but haven't owned as many as I've ridden. Bike Boy's little brother recently bought a 2005 CBR1000RR in the Repsol colours and I have had the priveledge of riding said motorcycle a couple of weeks ago. The memory is still fresh in my mind of how magnificent twisting the throttle on a "litre bike" actually is. ZZzzt Zzzzzt and you're going well over the speed limit on the freeway, and I'm not exaggerating. This bike will do 100km/h in first gear, my brother has done it!

My brief tour around Albury/Wodonga gave me enough of a fright turning onto the new section of the Hume they've cut through the region. A really nice place to get lost on a bike to be honest with Bulla and Hotham within spitting distance and some nice roads in between. I spent a brief time just around my brothers place and thoroughly enjoyed myself. These days we're about the same size so thankfully I can borrow his gear.

The Ruby Inheritance

2008-12-04T01:06:00.000-08:00

Last month Bike Boy went on a holiday to visit his family. While he was away he got back into the BMX world and rode his cousins bike around town for a bit. Bike Boy learnt that a 20 inch BMX frame probably isn't going to do him any favours and thought he'll stick to SSFG roadies.

So it was with great joy that Bike Boy's Grandfather informed him of a little family heirloom collecting dust in his shed, I give you "The Ruby":

It was my Great-Grandfather's track bike. There's a little cycling heritage in Bike Boy's family and it looks like it started here. He didn't actually own a car, just rode his bike everywhere but this was the one he raced on. I missed the pedals and crank as I was stoked about the detail on the frame more than anything but it was a fixed gear bike with a really weird set-up on the sprokets and chain. Traditional bars with little rubber grips right on the end of the bars (my Grandfather was messing around with it so he's turned them over) and a rear brake only.

Anyway this is now Bike Boy's project for the next little bit so stay tuned for updates on the restoration process. I'd love to convert it and ride modern gear but if you look at the front forks you'll see that there's no way you'd get a brake on them. Besides which, my Grandfather told me it's worth more if you keep the original parts on it so I'll settle with being able to ride it a couple of times then put it away in the shed, or hang it from the ceiling in my flat somehow. I've spoken to one of the local bike shops and they've recommended me to http://shifterbikes.com/ to start with (watch the audio when you do get to the site).

Safe riding.

Urban Scum Poker Hand Run

2008-12-01T03:02:00.000-08:00

I love poker runs, but this year was almost a non-event. The Deluxe Bicycle club that ran last years event folded and it was looking like The Cup Day poker run was going to be called off. Luckily some friends of the group pitched in and we all went ahead as planned and assembled the Pedal Monkey krew.

Getting there proved a little tricky this time around as I took us one stop too far and we had to climb a pretty gnarly hill to get to the meeting place at the Darebin parklands. Alphington is definitely the better option. After registration we scored our course map and were on our way just after 11. The route this year was a little shorter but we hit the cobbles on the first section out of the park. It was a good reminder of what we came for.

The day went off without too many dramas, aside from a drop-in straight onto a tree root and a fairly spectacular stack from someone in our group, it was great. Low scoring hands were had by most of us and I don't think anyone in the group got better than a pair. The winning hand was 3 of a kind this year where as the year prior it was Aces full of 3's. Bike boy's hand was pretty miserable but not the worst on the day.

Around the Bay in a Day

2008-10-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

So my best mate said we should do Around the Bay this year and so we set about assembling the group and organising transport and accommodation for the night before. Being relatively new to cycling longer distances we assembled a team for the 100km ride in from Sorento. No easy feat by all means but something the group felt more than comfortable of achieving in a day. For Bike Boy it was a breeze and even the one hill climb wasn't so horrible without gears. Yes Bike Boy rode a single-speed (48-16) for the outing. Whilst being suitably tired after the ride Bike Boy is condfident in tackling bigger distances next year, but on the other hand the "see how fast we can do the 100" option also has appeal.

The day started with a hearty breakfast from one of the local café's who were kind enough to open early for the crowd of cyclists in town. We then set off to find our starting position and luckily it was a simple case of following the group to where they were heading. The team was set and ready for our start time of 08:00 and were off and pedalling by about 08:15. It was a nice gentle start with the slower riders wanting to sprint away at the start and stay infront of Bike Boy but that provided entertainment in catching them. The cat and mouse game played out until the first rest at 25km's. Not a problem, everyone was doing really well and after a pit-stop we were on our way again. We passed some beautiful coastline scenery along the way and at a gentle pace it was nice to take it in.

After out first stop we moved into the hill sections and Bike Boy was concerned they would be his downfall. Riding a single-speed up a long steep hill is not the smartest thing to do but thankfully the hills weren't that steep for long. The team makes it to the top of Mt Martha and takes another rest before beginning the descent. This was a hoot and after the re-group at the bottom Bike Boy noticed a top speed of 71.4 km/h. That was really impressive and certainly the most exciting part of the ride. We make it to Frankston and take another rest and a quick snack where in the process of taking photos Bike Boy drops his camera. The good news is it didn't break so that was a relief.

Speaking of relief, the port-a-loo toilets that had been set up provided intersting times when wearing road cleats. A plastic floor that was wet wasn't the best place to try and stand up in.

From Frankston to Mordialloc our thoughts turned to lunch, what it would be like, would it be enough to keep us going, are we there yet. I hadn't really figured the distance so I was glad we did stop and have a snack at Frankston as if memory serves it was a little over 10km's before we got to the lunch break at Mordialloc. We turned in to a park sometime around midday and found a reasonable patch of grass to sit on to enjoy our lunch. We had a chicken sandwich with some form of browny, some of us got chocolate while others had banana. We were given some new sugar free Powerade rubbish for the drink and while I'm sure it did wonders to hydrate you I'd actually prefer to drink tap water. It was fairly ordinary and equalled in weirdness to the Powerbar gel packs we were given. Only one of the group was brave enough to try the strawberry banana combination and the results were amusing. Bike Boy still hasn't tried his and will probably have to be near starving before he does.

From lunch it was a fairly steady 40km cruise back into the city taking in Beach Road for the most part before cutting back through Port Melbourne at Pickles Street to head up City Road to the finish. We stopped a couple more times on our way back in as one of the group was struggling with a knee injury but managed to soldier on and complete the ride. Bike Boy also made a dash to find a toilet in a hurry. A fairly trouble free ride all things considered. We rode past a few cyclists who'd came of second best against the road and Bike Boy only saw one guy fall over at an intersection because he didn't clip out. Bike Boy had to laugh but is thankful that it wasn't him, it is a tricky thing to clip out in a hurry as squashing testicles is quite easy! The girl that panicked and threw both her feet out at once also should have had more practice with cleats but it provided the team with entertainment, when we weren't riding next to her anyway.

A roll through the finish was quite tame as much as I would have loved to do the sprint finish we rode the very last section as a team. We'd made the 100km's without much drama at all, not a single puncture was had nor mechanical mishap. A really good day. Bike Boy is looking forward to next year and would like to encourage anyone considering it to go for it. There are a couple of different options but the 250 is definitely a goal.

Bike Boy would like to thank the crew that got him out to Sorento and sorted accommodation. It really made the day that much more enjoyable that we didn't have to get up at 4 in the morning to make transport out to Sorento. Our thoughts now turn to a much easier event that features a ride over the Westgate, the Melbourne Summer Cycle is on again folks so get your regsitration in and join in the fun.

Thanks again team and safe riding.

Mourning the loss of a fellow cyclist

2008-09-17T17:41:00.001-07:00

I'm often amazed at the consideration a lot of vehicles give cyclists. After a verbal exchange with a Calais driver the other morning I am really sad to hear that a cyclist was killed in the city this morning. The article is here.

If you asked me which vehicles were the least considerate I'd have to say busses. My CBD cycling buddies may disagree but given the circumstances of the accident and my experiences with them I have to say Bus Drivers beware, look out for cyclists!

On this sombre note my thoughts and prayers go to the family of the woman that was hit. I pray that something good comes out of it and would ask all my cycling friends to be wary of all vehicles when riding.

Watch out for that... median strip?

2008-09-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Bike Boy's cycling adventures. Today we're learning the importance of observing the road surface and looking for carefully disguised median strips posing as flat sections of road.

Bike Boy was on his way to a friends place the other night and was cutting across a road when all of a sudden he noticed he was airborn and heading for certain disaster as he had recently purchased road shoes and was "clipped in" to his single speed. It seems that in Bike Boy's haste to cross the road he'd completely missed the fact that this particular road has a small median strip separating lanes so he had smashed into it at a decent speed and manage to flip over. Needless to say Bike Boy crashed hard! There is damage to the front wheel, again, which means a replacement and a pretty battered helmet which will also need to be replaced. A bit of skin of Bike Boy's elbow and a nice bit a gravel rash on his shoulder. What is really hurting him though is his bottom. When Bike Boy crashed he landed on his right cheek and it's still really sore. He has been walking around like an old man for most of the day.

Now he gets to go shopping for a new front wheel and he's wondering if he should spend money on a nice set of Velocity rims. The ultimate hipster single-speed rim!