Danny McAskill in Chamonix

That long fakie nose manual is amazing!

via Zlog

"Fixed Speed" bicycle at Walmart

This has been tearing up the blogosphere tonight:



The new 700C Mongoose Cachet Bike offers the ultimate experience in simplicity and style. Single-speed gearing makes for easy and intuitive riding. Caliper brakes and high-profile colored rims add urban style.
700C Men's Mongoose Cachet Fixed-Speed Bike:
Aluminum frame with rigid fork
Lightweight and responsive ride
Single speed
Front and rear caliper brakes ensure precise stops
High-profile colored rims add urban style
Assembly required

Since I'm sure you're all just dying to hear my thoughts on the subject here they are:

This is awesome. There will always be folks who buy their bicycles at Walmart. Of course I wish they could/would purchase their bikes from a local bicycle shop, but the reality is that not all people have the financial means necessary to do so.

For this segment of the bicycle buying public, this bike (in my opinion) represents the first step in a long time toward sensibility. Rather than wasting money on terrible non functioning dual suspension and derailleurs, I'm guessing (hoping) that the money instead went towards an improved frameset and components.

At the pricepoint that Walmart sells bikes at a singlespeed should be all they sell. Sticking money into terrible components (crappy suspension and gears) means that less of the budget is devoted to the frameset, wheels, brakes, etc. This bike will hopefully prove much more reliable for the many hardworking folks who rely on department store bicycles for transportation and daily life.

Now only if bike shop hybrid buyers would also wise up and stop buying bicycles with stupid heavy and crappily functioning front suspension forks on them (no one needs that shit).....

What do you think?

via Prolly

Expect Some Changes Around Here

new blog embedded in the Bike Jerks website, new designs, and black American Apparel t shirts as standard option on all designs. Hopefully all this will happen soonish. I need to get it done before the summer season of throwing races and such takes hold of my free time


If you shoot for the moon, even if you miss; you'll land among the stars


xoxo

Two Custom Shirts

Got two custom shirts for sale

printed on a few of the 50/50 American Apparel shirts left over from the Hi-Five run

A medium Tom




and a large Ruined My Life (a retired design)



If you'd like to own either of these shoot me an email to jeff at bikejerks.com

The price is $19 plus shipping

Steven Jensen New Wheels

Nicollet Mall Reopens for Bicycling 24 hours a day

As of this Monday, March 22nd, Nicollet Mall has reopened for bicycling 24/7. Since 1997 the Mall has been restricted to bicyclists Monday through Friday, 6am to 6pm. As part of the City’s effort to transform downtown transportation, express buses are moving off Nicollet Mall to the new bus lanes on Marquette and 2nd Avenues. This paves the way for elimination of the Nicollet Mall bicycle restriction.

Here’s what you should know about the new Nicollet Mall:
Bicycling is now allowed any time of the day, any day of the week
Local buses (such as the 10, 11, 17, 18, 25) and taxis will remain on the Mall

Ride on the street – it’s illegal to ride your bicycle on the Nicollet Mall sidewalk

Follow stoplights and stop at white, painted lines before the crosswalk

Turning onto and off of Nicollet Mall is allowed by bicyclists

Bike racks are located at Central Library, Downtown Auto Park, Xcel, the IDS Tower, Target, and the YWCA. You can also attach your bicycle to sign posts on all streets that cross the Mall.

The new bus lanes on Marquette and 2nd Avenues are open to bicycling except during peak bus periods (Monday – Friday, 6am to 9am and 3pm to 7pm). Also, an extra wide lane was constructed in the opposite direction of bus lanes along the curb, to make bicycling easier.

Skate Video Wednesday

This time it's clips from SK8 TV. For you youngsters out there SK8TV was a show on Nickelodeon about, you guessed it, skateboarding. I vividly remember hurrying my parents home from church so I could make it in time to watch it on Sunday mornings.







all you shoe nerds, check this out

Peacock Groove Project: Bottom Bracket

I've decided to go with a press fit bb30 bottom bracket shell from Paragon Machine Works for my BB.

It's a bit riskier (in that I hope to own this bike for 20+ years) but it seems like BB30 is well on it's way to becoming a standard that's going to last for a while. It's an open standard, is backwards compatible, and the press fit 30 is just about the simplest way to manufacture a bottom bracket.

I hear that my stays and downtube have arrived over at PG, can't wait to go over and see them. I'm hoping Erik will finish up the drawing this week so I can have my Benotto back. I haven't ridden it since last fall, and I miss it.

Previously
The Clock Starts Ticking
Dropouts, Chainstays, Fork Crown
Part 1

Classic Americana

Depression era images from Dorothea Lange. Simply stunning









via Selvedge Yard

Dose of Awesome: Chipmunk Diorama

In keeping with yesterday's theme of diorama's; our Austin correspondant C.M. Burma sent over some pictures of a stunning example that he came across while patronizing a Duluth gentleman's club.










I think my favorite part is the deer head on the wall

Learners Designation

31 Dec 1935, Earls Court, London, England, UK --- Tornado Smith, a circus performer who entertains the crowds at Olympia with his Wall of Death ride, is seen riding a penny-farthing on the Earls Court Road. He is only learning so wears an L plate on his back. --- Image by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS

BMX Video Monday

Dose of Awesome

via The Selvedge Yard

Sunday