Hellbound And Pedalling
I’ve been a year in the desert. I’m taking every opportunity to explore this part of the world. Last weekend I busted out an un-supported century ride south of the Park, so this weekend it was time to head north to Owen Springs for a 5okm spin through Lawrence Gorge and along the dry Hugh River. Continue reading “Owen Springs”
‘Photo essays’ are lame, but I suck at writing posts, so here are some photos from maaaad desert hangs with Benny, Mishmash, with guest stars Mick and Karen. Awesome times.
Continue reading “Desert adventures with Benny and Mishmash”
Paul Kelly’s line, ‘from little things, big things grow’ is well applied to our Community Bicycle Workshops, our small-scale wrenching sessions have begun to sprout into something much bigger..
Three bike repair workshops have been run, the result being kids from Mutitjulu with the sufficient skill to repair their own bicycles given the opportunity and tools. Long term Rangers are saying they can’t ever remember seeing soooo many kids on bikes.
Help has come in (un-sought) from various quarters.. Mission Australia has provided the venue and spare parts, NT Police kicked in some bikes and labour, Phil and Yvonne from Penny Farthing Avanti Plus gave us a few bikes and offered to save us a box of tires and tubes, MacDonell Shire have cleaned up the BMX track, and the Bicycle Institute of South Australia have offered assistance.. All awesome.
This weekend I was in Alice Springs hoping to pick up a few BMX’s from the Recycling Centre when I ran into Mark Swindells.. Mark had heard what we’d been doing out at Mutitjulu, so when Deadly Treadlies keeled over this week he rushed in a grabbed us what ever he could. Mark handed me a big box of pedals, a box of seatposts and another of saddels before inviting me around to his house to help myself to his collecting of bicycles… and what a collection of bicycles (my vote for best backyard ever).
It’s well known that we here at BnC HQ have a deep seated (pun!) dislike of the vehicles known as ‘recumbents’. For some reason the two-wheels-and-pedals nature of these abhorrent vehicles sees them associated with bicycles all too frequently. We’re open minded to a fault, but sometimes you just have to draw the line, and recumbents fall far, far beyond that drunken scrawl. And so it is that I find myself somewhat torn about posting this up. Technically it is a recumbent. But then, technically it’s not a bicycle, so maybe that excuses it? Either way, it’s mutated enough that it appeals to my ‘weird shit’ sensibilities and I think it fits in somewhat with Ben’s recent touring efforts. So, thanks to a heads-up from Carl, I present…the Quike.
Yep, that’s one messed up machine. But I can’t help but be fascinated and drawn into its bizarre set of components. Look closely…Fox Vanillas (coil, makes sense for touring), two gearing systems featuring a Rohloff and a Schlumpf, corrected steering, and a load hauling ability that’s probably hard to top. Not only that, but it’s Australian made and designed, which is always a winner. I still don’t know if I like it, and I think it’s a morbid fascination as much as anything else. But the fact is, it exists, and that’s probably enough reason to post it here. Make up your own mind.
Oooooh yeah, head over to the Rocket Fuel blog to check out a sneak peak of the new BnC cycling caps! I should have them early next week, so you may end up with them in your grubby mitts by next Friday. Stay sharp!
Also, if any BnC heads are planning on hitting up the CMWC (Cycle Messenger World Championships) over in Tokyo later this year, make sure you head over to the AustBMA website and hit up the event area. Looks like there will be some Aussie team t-shirts being organised, which may or may not feature a BnC logo (let ’em know you roll with BnC if you’re going, and they’ll probably be included). Should be a madcap few days over there. Good times!
My 2009 GT peace 29er is my favourite bike. I bought it last December as a “second bike” and within a month had sold my fully suspended and multi geared trail bike. I love the simplicity and utility of this bike. It’s the first bike that I’ve ever owned that I can imagine never selling. Being a family man on a single income I’m happy with the (relatively) small expense in running this thing. The drive train and tyres at the moment are at the palliative stage, having been worn to a nubbin by some 4000km of Rotorua single track over the last 8 months, however bar a bottom bracket re-grease and new front ring it’s all butter. I have new tyres (Kenda Nevegal 2.2 up front and Specialized Fast Trak 2.0 out back) all ready to put on when the weather becomes less shit, and before the Whaka 100km in Oct I’ll go all indulgent and slap a Surly cog and chain ring on ‘er. (32 20 for them that care) Apart from that, there she is. Oh, The Thomson seat post is the most bling bike part I’ve ever owned, and coupled with my Charge spoon saddle my bike has comfortably and elegantly carried 90kg Matty hither and yon countless times in the paradise of mountain biking that I am privileged to have on my back door.
Fk I love this bike.
This is my favourite bike. It’s the longest serving of my current stable and has been built to many different guises. The present incarnation is the best and most practical by far.. My friend Tim has helped me greatly with creating this ride, welding on front and rear pannier mounts to which I added a front end ‘Surly Nice Rack’ (Cheers Timmy and big thanks to Elvis for the rack hookup). Tim totally inspired the practical nature of this bike and to finish a beautiful build I’d dearly love to purchase a scmidt dynamo, but that will have to wait..
The bike has evolved greatly from ‘Emo’ to ‘Ugly’ to ‘Track-attack’ to ‘Desert crosser’ and now ‘Mr Practical’. A carton of beer will nicely fit between the 44cm wide bars and the Ortliebs will happily accept another two 6-packs each.. and thanks to the front and rear Cane Creek brakes, I can stop the Steamroller with all this beer weighted on the front end.. another great aspect is the wheelset, it’s over-built as fk. Surly hubs, champion spokes and deep-v’s, totally capable of taking the weight of 2 cartons and a 82kg Benny. No gears or a freewheel to worry about, fixed all the way. Geometery is somewhere between ‘road’ and ‘track’ which is perfect as I need to race home asap to ensure the beer remains cold.
Fk I love this bike.
All’s quiet on the BnC front by the seems of it. We’re at that part of winter where the cold weather is no longer a new thing, but part of the daily routine. The icy morning commutes are getting a little tedious down here, and night rides seem to have lost a little of their excitement for me. It’s a two-thirds slump, and the thought of standing in the cold hosing down a mud covered bike seems to be enough to keep me off it completely. It’s completely soft and weak, but then I’ve never claimed to be a hard man. Much easier to sit inside where it’s warm, dreaming of hot weather and new bikes whilst reading about glory through suffering on the internet. Glory through sloth, much more likely.
So what has been happening? The secret project has been clawing its way towards completion. Wheels laced, frame painted, parts gathered. The final pieces are not too far away, the final prep-work is imminent, and the anicipation is building. There’s no doubt that the wallet has taken a hefty hit, and I may have gotten a little carried away, but that’s half the fun of it right? Right? Oh god.
The Hobart BnC crew rolled out a few weeks ago for a Winter Solstice ride. A multi-story carpark skid session sent Nathan sliding across slick concrete and the Newtown velodrome witnessed some hefty spin-outs from the SS/Fixed crew. In fact, the ride included only one geared bike. While we’re by no means a one-gear exculsive gang (despite many peoples mis-conceptions!), it was an interesting development.
On a global note, BnCs international borders are expanding. Early moves are being made towards the establishment of a Columbian chapter, marking the start of BnC’s South American domination. Mad kids from the shores of the Carribean, rolling wild, worldwide!
BnC caps should be sent out very soon. Once they’re away, hoody and t-shirt pre-orders will be kick started. Check behind the couch for change.
For now, that’s about it. Maybe the rest of the BnC kids have more to report? I know Gus is prepping early ingredients for the Bike Kitchen, and Ben’s been doing his best to get lost in the desert. Matt’s downing beers and listening to good tunes across the ditch, and Dicko’s probably passsed out in a gutter somewhere in France. What’s happening in Melbourne? Someone let me know! Dave’s over in London using his camera to good ends, and I’m sure there’s plenty going on everywhere else. Let me know, I’ll tell the world.
Lust. Coverting another man’s bike. Goddam, I neeeeeed at least one of these next two bikes! The first, a mean-as-fk-fixed gear. 26″ Hookworms? On a fixed gear?? Oh fk yes! Please tell me they are dirt jump or street mtb rims as well. Such a tight ride. I need…
The second, a street ‘sprint’ bike. Again 26″, this time with NYC ballon tyres. Plus, ‘Albatross’ bars are the ultimate shit!! I neeeeed, I neeeed…
(Photo: Ben ‘Warp’ Howell)
We’ve been blessedly tour-content free so far, but sometimes you’ve just gotta give in to the fever. Individual time trial today, and roving BnC reprobate Dicko is over there ensuring that the crowds are keeping it suitably loose and no doubt yelling abuse at anyone riding carbon. If you’ve been watching closely you may have spotted a grimey black BnC hoody flung over the barrier near the finish line of the stage. I’d like to think that waving it about filled the dual purpose of reppin’ the colours and also drying out out after double fisting two beers into his face and spilling a little on the front. Good work mate!
BnC – Ride Local, Drink Global
