Bikes, Biking, Biker

So, several years ago I found a couple of decent looking mtn bikes in a trash dumpster. The "trash bikes" a "Next" and a "Genesis". I was going to fix them up and either sell them or donate them. Now that I finally have time to work on them, they have proven to be too much trouble and in too much disrepair to bother with at my home, since I am neither a bicycle repair shop, nor specifically a bike fixer-upper/resaler. Though I might be one day. Just things like shod wheels, shod bent up spokes, old decrepit cables brakes and shifters. Shifters that are too cheap to bother with repairing and I'm not going to replace - and that's just one of the bikes. Right now, I'm just wanting to get MY bikes up and running. So I decided to strip these bikes, take the parts I can use, and donate the rest to a local co-op that fixes bikes and sells (to keep the shop afloat) or donates them. Found a local co-op and the bikes are going there this weekend. Th...

Ok, so ya'll know I recently bought a cheap granny bike. The purpose of said bike was really just to test myself and see if I could ride a bike with my back and neck issues (degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, cervical stenosis... etc.). Riding my mountain bike or ten-speed did cause some pain, especially in my neck as bending my neck upwards from a crouching position just does not work for me. So leaning over handlebars and looking forward,... just... no! My back also could not be bent like that. So I got the step-through, high rise and pulled back handlebars, cheap Huffy. I've had it for almost a month now, and have been so happy since I've had it. It was my enthusiasm for getting to riding again that has spurred this blog and upcoming videos. I've been out of biking for almost 20 years and am, literally, back in the saddle. And it's great! But... a fixed gear one speed cruiser is only going to get me so far. It's nice on the flats - real nice! And I r...

Was just watching some videos of Mammoth Mountain and the Kamikaze downhill race. I raced the Kamikaze twice. Once in 1997, that I don't remember too well, and again in 1998. In 1998, my chain fell off, and I had to cruise down the last straightaway of the race to the end. I ended up coming in 4th. I am 100% positive that if my chain hadn't have fallen off that I would've won that race. :( Anyway, I kept seeing many mistakes by the bikers in these videos - young guys checking out the course for the first (or second) time. I just kept palm facing over and over again. One of them has old timer, "Insane" Wayne Croasdale in it, the ONLY one who rode like he knew what he was doing (because he did!). Now Wayne was 59 years old in this video and he was in tip top form. The epitomy of a Downhiller. Meanwhile, his "protege" was a geeky cross country rider without much experience. Another one, showed another xc rider whom I don't think was even born when I r...

Well, it's been raining lately, or not raining when it is 100 degrees outside, but eventually, I'd like to get those new tubes and tire liners in, as well as go for a spin on my new cheapee bike with my new phone (camera) mount. Unfortunately, our substitute carrier, that delivers every Saturday, misdelivers every saturday. At least 4 Saturdays in the past two months, he has delivered one of our neighbor's packages to our house. 5 packages. Now, today, our package is missing. *sigh* Don't use USPS if you can help it folks, I know, first hand, and then some. Late note: Yeah, sure enough, I checked our neighbors mailbox right next to mine, and there's my package! Drrr

By popular demand, I have decided to start doing some videos. I think these will be posted on my youtube page, as well as here. More information will be forthcoming. But for now, fyi, these videos will include a bit on repairing bikes. I think I've stated that I am no expert, but pretty much wing it. I have some bicycle repair books that I have consulted in the past, but they did very little for me at the actual time of use, so.... it will be a "see how this goes" sort of thing,.. :D haha. I'll show you some things that you can do to upgrade your mountain bike... you can either make it a better bike, or make some alterations to make it more of a downhill ride. Keep in mind that I raced downhill over 20 years ago, and that bikes have changed somewhat since then, but I will tell you what I like in a DH bike and why, and what and why I added to my bike before DH bikes were really that specialized :O . I'll include simple repairs and how having the right tools really ...

So, today, I decided to dust off and clean up one of my now "old" bikes. When I started, I knew this bike was in running condition, sans flat tires. All MY bikes ( doesn't include the "trash bikes", that I literally found in the trash) are in running condition, just need cleaning up, degreasing, regreasing. But I also have a couple of "trash" bikes. Some good looking clean bikes that had minor problems that caused the owners to dump them in a dumpster, from which I retrieved them. Turns out these bikes had a few problems. Still, all of them minor. A few acquired after the husband threw some tools on top of them (wasted spokes). So, here's a list of my bikes and their conditions: 1) 1979 Schwinn Worldsport 10 speed road bike 2) 1995 Trek Singletrack 930 mountain bike 21 speed - somewhat modified for downhill racing 3) 1997 GT LTS-2 full suspension mountain bike 21 speed (modified for downhill to 14 speed) modified for downhill racing - (m...

So... after 18 some odd years of not riding due to back and neck issues, I decided to get myself a cheap cruiser bike to try it out and see if I COULD actually ride again on anything other than a recumbent. I am happy to say, that I got this cheap bike, and have been enjoying riding once again. With the low step through frame, fat seat, and high riser handlebars neither my neck nor back is strained and it's just been a blast. I've been an avid biker all my life and now that I'm back at it, all I want to do is talk about it... thus, this blog. So this is my first entry here on August 17, 2023, one week after getting my new cheapie Huffy bike, lol. I'm going to blog about this bike and all of the work I've had to put into it to get it rideable - and yes, this was a NEW purchase! - from our ever illustrious (and pathetic) Walmart. I'm going to go into my old bikes and what I go through to restore them as I am restoring them to rideable condition. What to do, what n...