Steps 2, 3, 4 DONE!

The pic may be blurry (it was shot through my eyeballs), but clearly, there's draft available. The tap handle was installed for photo cred (if you want one, you'll have to open a commercial account). It looks like LBL 2010 should be extraordinary!

Step 1-check!

Schnoctobeerfest 2009

Going into Saturday, I was truthfully, worried. Several people had cancelled, due to various reasons, and the weather forecast had turned colder. I needn't have worried; we had several surprise participants & the weather was perfect for wool (with little wind). The ride commenced at 10 am & the group quickly broke into two groups. Everyone re-united at the first beerstop, where a curious thing happened: it was so cold that no one drank a beer! As a group, we made the decision to make our stops short, as we had smoked brisket & a giant ice barrel of tasty brews waiting for us at CiTy BiLLy World Headquarters. We did manage to stop at Irv's and have a barley pop & then trudged back to Elkhorn. After eating a mind blowing meal, the difficult job of beer judging began. Winners in no particular order included Modus Hoperandi (ska brewing) , Sierra Nevada Pale Ale & Blonde (Lee's excellent homebrew).

Schnoctobeerfest-schweeeeeeeeeet!

I'll post a detailed recap in the next couple of days, but the day turned out to be a banner one!

Last Minute Musings

The weather forecast has changed; a little bit colder, and windier. I thought to warm up everyone, I'd post this picture from two years ago, with Gore dipping into one of the secret beer control stops. It was so hot, that many of us took a dip in the pool at the end of the ride. I hope everyone has a safe journey to CiTy BiLLy World Headquarters!

Beer Stops Part Two

The beer stops at Schnoctobeerfest will feature several classic American volume beers. These are friends when the waves get rough, and yet aren't so bitter that they make you want to jump overboard. We'll try to have an assortment in each of our portable containment devices.

Weather Forecast

It's looking pretty good. Good wool weather!

Beer Stops on Scnoctobeerfest 2009

Tower of Power, Road to Nowhere, Nickerson, Irv's, Firehouse.

Spy Shot

Here are some blurry shots of the Badass Black Cap. I think they turned out pretty damn schweeeeeeet! If you are planning to join us for Schnoctobeerfest, please let me know. Astrid, our nineteen year old Austrian House Frau, has to know how many weinerschnitzel to make (just kidding, I think I can smell BBQ).

Rolling

I can't believe Schnoctobeerfest is less than a week away. Today, I travel to CiTy BiLLy World Headquarters for a little course recon. If the weather is nasty, we will have a bailout route (something I wouldn't have thought necessary until the last 24 hours). I'm also going to see the CiTy BiLLy badass black caps for the first time; I'll try to post a pic later today. It's not too late to join in on the fun! Remember, this is a ride, not a race, so all are welcome, as long as you have a sense of humor-believe me, watching me ride a bike will make you laugh! Just e-mail me if you'd like to be Schnoctobeerized!

Like a Deer in the Headlights

Work continues at CiTy BiLLy World Headquarters, preparing for Schnoctobeerfest 2009. I think I'm starting to get carpal tunnel from the twist-offs (see pic). Next weekend is Octoginta, always a great ride. I hope everyone is getting their entries together for the beer buffet. Some bad news-due to the sluggish stock market, the kegerator will not be built in time, but Spilker Ales will come through with a keg of Hopluia, with the good old-fashioned hand pump (remember the first time you went to a party (I'm sure you were of legal drinking age-wink, wink)). As October 17th gets closer, I will start posting insider secrets, but will still leave some surprises.

Full Details on Schnoctobeerfest 2009

When: Saturday, October 17th
9 am- meet & greet
10 am-ride

We have decided to use the route from the last several years, including a stop at the KeRNeL's folks' house, for some goodies.

Cost- $25, plus a six pack of beer

Beer will be entered in the post-ride beer buffet, with prizes awarded in the following categories; Best Import, Best Domestic, Best Label Art, Wild Card.

With the $25 entry fee, you'll get a CiTy BiLLy baseball cap (in badass black ), a killer meal and a ticket for a drawing for an autographed picture of King Eddy (additional tickets can be purchased for $1 each (all proceeds will go to the CiTy BiLLy ride endowment fund)). Here's a recap of last year's festivities. Join us for a day of riding (55 miles), drinking & frivolity. Contact me, eDLoNNiE, to register for the ride. The ride starts and ends outside of Elkhorn, Nebraska; I will provide you with directions when you register.

Update on Schnoctobeerfest 2009

I'm sorry folks, but, after crunching the numbers, we're going to have to raise the price of admission to at least $25. Depending on the schwag we offer, because we can't make everything on our workbenches with an 8 lb. sledge, we may have to raise the fee slightly. Quite frankly, this will still be the biggest bargain in sports today!

Getting Ready

I bought one of these today, to put on my Guerciotti, also known as my CiTy BiLLy staff bike. I'm going on a little trip (with my much better half), later this month to the home of the northerners. I'm still undecided about my choice of bikes, so I have to get them all in tip-top shape (wink, wink). Oh, the video post is a tribute to, in my opinion, the greatest pop bass player of all time: James Jamerson, of the Funk Brothers, Motown's house band in the 70's. This is the isolated bass track form "What's Going On", from Marvin Gaye. This is an absolute Master's Class- his brilliant rhythmic changes, along with sophisticated chordal substitutions (If you don't understand what I'm referring to, trust me, this isn't top 40).

Thanks for the help!

Over the weekend, my beer cooler died. It was quite emotional, as it's helped me to cross a lot of rough water, so to speak. Now, the kegerator is close to reality; I'm not sure if I'll have it before Schnoctobeerfest, but I'm going to give it a try. In other news, the Vuelta is starting: catch it here.

Schnoctobeerfest 2009

The date is set- October 17th! This year's edition will include the wildly popular "bring your own 6 pack", with prizes awarded for various categories (everyone's a judge- categories to be announced). We will once again have a keg of Cortland's finest to flesh out the frivolity. The course this year may be a little different, with a possible pave section towards the end of the ride (optional). I've ridden this section, & it's challenging- we're not talking the bricks off your fireplace. Finally, I'd like your feedback- what would you like as schwag from the ride- bottle opener, glass, t-shirt, make your suggestion. Want to register? $25 will get you schwag, & the charisma that's CiTy BiLLy! Plus, we may have a movie! Just respond to this post.

Dog Days of Summer

This Summer has slowly crept by. I've ridden my bike less this summer than any in the last ten years, & I'm not willing to end the season with that distinction. So, starting today, I'm going to make an earnest effort to ramp up. Schnoctobeerfest isn't that far away (I hope to make an announcement on the date in the next week or so). My Better Half & I hope to take a little vacation to the Black Hills, soon, combining two of my favorite things, cycling & beer drinking.

Grinding

The Tour de France ended up being one of the best in years, in my opinion. I got lucky & somehow managed to pick the podium. Armstrong & Contador clearly aren't going to be exchanging pleasantries anytime soon. Armstrong has a new team for 2010 & has his sights on dethroning Alberto. Does Versus write this script, ala Vince McMahon?

The Tour

The Tour de France has been exciting to watch this year. I don't care for Cavendish, but you still have to give him his props for winning four drag races, with the beautifully choreographed assistance of his teammates. For GC focused fans (yours truly included), the first dozen stages have been fairly uneventful. Well folks, this is about to change, and maybe as soon as Friday. There are five or six stages in the next week that could yield some epic bike racing. Team Astana still has all the appearances of a shaky house of cards-Contador's little sprint at the conclusion of Stage 7 either was an act of an impulsive spoiled brat, or a declaration of exasperation over having Lance as a teammate. Armstrong has shown that he can hang on the flat stages, but the question of his climbing prowess has not been answered, in my opinion. I think he is relaxed & focused, but without the unquestioned loyalty of his team, I think he will have a very difficult week ahead. So, here are eDLoNNiE's predictions for the podium; 1) Contador, 2)Andy Schleck, 3)Armstrong.

Pep Talk

Lance talks with Eddy Merckx -- powered by http://www.livestrong.com

OK, I'll admit, I'm cynical (big surprise to those who know me). But, with the prologue & two road stages of the Tour behind me, I want desperately to buy into Lance winning this race. I'm already rooting against Contador, which is exactly what LA wants in this arm wrestling match for the proverbial headnod that Johan will have to give to the eventual front runner for Astana.

Constantly Learning

I worked with a guy who, it turns out, knows Bob Dylan & a lot of other folks who played in the 60's in coffee houses. I didn't believe him at first, but then after talking to him for quite a while, it turns out that the guy is on the up & up. He desribed Dylan as an enigmatic character. I think that term also describes his music: some of his compositions see their full potential when performed by the writer, and some don't see their full majesty until rendered by someone with a more conventional set of skills, such as this masterpiece by Adele, backed up by the KeRNeLesQuE noodlings of Jolls Holland; enjoy!

Almost at a Loss for Words

Michael Jackson, the self christened "King of Pop", died today. The whole situation leaves me confused. If the man did what was alleged, he's going to get what's coming to him(believe it or not, I believe in a God). But, as a bubblegum pop worshipper, I have to admit the man could produce some amazing tunes; from the utterly brilliant Jackson 5 offerings, to his solo material ("Off the Wall" is way better than "Thriller"). The last 25 years or so of this man's life is totally bewildering to me- how in the hell do you reap all the money that "Thriller" generated, and end up poor?

Beauty

I'm finally getting out on the bike a bit. I can't believe July (RAGBRAI month) is almost here. I'm always interested in the Tour de France, no matter who's riding. This year looks like it may be a free for all- that's a great thing!

B2B recap

I'll first direct you to the originator's ride report. eDBiLLy & I rode the route on fixies & had a great time, save for the layover at Bob's, due to the influx of cyclists. We were both sporting new prototype CiTy BiLLy jerseys (I'll post images soon), which performed admirably (wool is still an under rated fabric). Instead of regurgitating a ride summary, I'd like to post some observations. It's amazing the difference in mindset, when you're riding fixed; you look forward to climbs (you can easily stand & reposition yourself on the saddle) & dread the descents. You don't mind headwinds, but start to hate tailwinds, if your gear inches aren't high enough to allow you to maintain a reasonable cadence. K-BiLLy & his better half, Laura, did a great job of hosting this shindig! Next BiLLy ride, Schnoctobeerfest!

Step 2

Sorry it's taken so long for me to post(the ride's over, now) but I've switched jobs at work, & I've been busy. Step 2 for most BiLLys is to decide, "Which bike should I ride?". Schnoctobeerfest is a shorter route, so singlespeeds are prevalent (along with newly purchased bikes). On this ride, with my horrific fitness level, I went for comfort; the strange thing is, that's my fixie. I've ridden it on three RAGBRAIs & love it.

Step 1- check!

Sleep tight, my love. For soon, you will bring many great joy & comfort. A 50 ltr. of Sam's best. BiLLys are a peculiar breed; we've never understood "apres ride festivities". It's before. It's during. And definitely after!

B2B

Bunyan's to Bob's is this weekend, hosted by k-BiLLy, the man who so graciously allowed me to obtain the Merckx. I'll start posting tomorrow on what makes a bicycle ride a CiTy BiLLy ride.

Here!

The Gravel Conspiracy was last weekend, so eDBiLLy & I (mostly him, I'm just a grunt) screened 54 shirts. I'm extremely biased, but I think they came out pretty schweeet! Just to clarify, our famous 666 is on the high back of this shirt. Next up is B2B, & we're both thinking fixie.

Back in the saddle

I've been riding a bit more lately. Since I suffered my little fall at work, things have been a little sketchy on the bike. My ribs on my left side were tender, so any time I was breathing hard, I was wincing (don't even ask about sneezing or coughing). I only rode half of LBL; I probably could have finished, but, truthfully, I'm not sure. In the last week or so, everything has fallen together. I'm pain free, in my back & ribs. The weird thing is, I've had a problem with the right side of my back (directly under my shoulder blade), for years. During the Tour de Kota, I started stopping at a bar, early in the day, for a couple of beers, to dull the pain. Now, because I whacked the crap out of the left side of my back, everything's fine. WTF? In cycling news, it looks like Belgium's card carrying badass has landed in more hot water.

I can't be gettin' old

I went to the optometrist the other day, because I couldn't read the fine print in the cycling catalogs that adorn my bathroom (admit it, we all have them in our bathrooms). After a few minutes, the Dr. tells me, "As we get older, our eyes lose the ability to focus over a great range of distances. Your vision for long distances has diminished, so we're going to fix that with a new prescription, which actually will make reading more difficult. You should buy an inexpensive pair of reading glasses to wear when you're reading or on the computer. If it gets worse we may have to look into bifocals." Holy crap! The only glass I want to be looking into is the carefully crafted bottom of my favorite beer bottle. The Dr. is right though; my long range vision had lessened. In cycling news, on Thursday I managed to get the fixie out for a 22 mile rain ride, another step, towards Bunyans 2 Bobs.

LBL 2009 recap

On Saturday, I awoke at 5am, to the sound of rain; the kind of rain that comes down just hard enough to make a day on the bike uncomfortable. I checked the forecast, which gave me a glimmer of hope, as the rain was supposed to be sporadic throughout the day. The Meet & Greet was scheduled for 9 am, so after my morning coffee, it was time to start getting final preparations completed; ice for the fine Shmaltz beer (particular favorites- Origin Pomegranite & Lenny R.I.P.A.-an absolute mindblower), batteries for the camera & a few food items for breakfast & supper. Folks started arriving about 9 am, and the Shmaltz was quickly dipped into, as we all commiserated on the weather, which had diminished to sprinkles. Richard Cheese provided the soundtrack for the morning. At 10 am, we all departed, the usual BiLLys, save DiRk, who was sorely missed. We had four new BiLLys on this ride: CDV, Anthony, John & Chad. The ride out of town was a spirited one, with everyone wanting to quickly arrive at Denton, our first beer stop. The weather continued to improve as we arrived in Denton, but we were hit by our first mechanical; John's Bianchi broke a rear spoke. eDBiLLy rassled the dangling spoke free & opened up the rear brake & we were good to drink! After an extended rest break, we continued on to Crete, through the rolling hills, enjoying the (by now) beautiful spring weather. The group separated into two groups, with eDBiLLy & I riding at a comfortable pace, far off the back. On the approach into Crete, we came upon John & Anthony, walking their bikes; John's rear wheel had failed, breaking three other spokes. Luckily, the car dealership was nice enough to give John a ride to the bar (lunch stop). At the bar in Crete, we all recounted stories of past rides, including the KeRNeL, eDBilly & my recounting the wildest RAGBRAI we ever rode on. John needed a ride back to home base, so I called my wife, who graciously agreed to drive support. The trip back yielded another mechanical, as RuSSeLL the MuSCLe suffered a set of pinch flats. Upon arriving home, it was time for more delicious beer, homemade chili & giant cinnamon rolls. We all reveled in how beautiful the weather turned out & made plans to get back together for Bunyan's to Bob's on May 30th in Vermillon, SD. Special thanks to Zak & Leah at Shmaltz who hooked CiTy BiLLy up with some mighty fine brews.

LBL 2009

It started out as a rainy, dreary day, and ended up magical! I'll have a full recap in the next couple of days.

Song for the Day

I saw the Suburbs twice live in the 80's; both were unforgettable. Once, at the now defunct Ranch Bowl in Omaha, we snuck in before the soundcheck, got the front table & ordered drinks. We tipped the waitress (a saucy number in her 60's) $20 & created a friend for life (or at least, the evening). We were told we had to leave for the soundcheck. Imagine our surprise, when upon readmission, we found our table had a reserved sign on it. We started trying to find another good spot, when our waitress yelled, "I saved this table for you!". The rest of the night was magical; a great show, with our new friend bringing rounds of drinks (without us ordering them), saying, "You boys looked thirsty". The Suburbs were definitely one of the gems of the 80's. Their album, "Credit in Heaven" is still my favorite double lp.

Tomorrow!

The weather looks delightful. I have enough beer that we had to ask our neighbor to stash some, as my house fridge & beer cooler are overflowing, with multiple cases of Shmaltz stacked on the floor. I still have some cleaning & cooking to do. Most of the NoRtHeRn BiLLys are traveling to Nebraska tonight (need to be wide awake for the meet & greet): I wish them safe journeys. In personal news, I'm going to try & get out for a little spin today; it'll be my first ride since I took the spill at work. Hopefully, I'm comfortable enough to ride tomorrow (it would take a lot of pain to prevent me from seeing all the sunshine that we're going to experience tomorrow).

Vacation!

Today is the first day of vacation for me, culminating with LBL. I like to stay busy on vacation, so I'm going to finish kB's Motobecane, clean the basement, paint the living room & get things lined up for the ride. This afternoon, I have to go pick up some beer.

Saturday's Weather

Here.
You didn't think it'd be a beautiful spring day, did you? It's the Hell of the Midwest!

eDLoNNiE's guide to Paris Roubaix

Paris Roubaix has always tugged at my heart strings. The epic nature of this day, enhanced by occasional rainstorms, has long ago surpassed the Super Bowl as my favorite one day sporting event. PB2009 shapes up to be a very interesting race! Last year's winner, Tom Boonen, definitely remains a sentimental favorite for yours truly, but it seems like this year (witness Tours of Flanders), that Pozzato has figured out a way to get into Tomika's head, and basically neutralize him. Now, the serious question; who to watch? For my money, I'd have to go with Devolder, although my heart wants to go with "I just need someone to hold me" gorgeous George". This poor guy has had more bad luck at PB than anyone, but truthfully, I don't see an end to his drought.

The Beers of LBL

I don't know about you, but my mouth is starting to water. On Wednesday, I'm going to pick up these beers: with any luck, there'll be some left for LBL (Just kidding). Shmaltz has come through big time, & for that CiTy BiLLy raises a big glass: thank you! These beers will be featured at the meet & greet before the ride. After the ride, I'll bring out an old friend (for those of you who rode LBL 2008, you'll know what religious drink I'm referring to). On the homefront, my back is feeling better, except when I sneeze: then I pray the end is near. I hope to be on the bike by Wednesday, and pre-ride the course on Friday (I'll try to post some pics). On Thursday, I have to go help a friend. Later!

Wednesday

Gent-Wevelgem starts in a couple of hours. Can Boonen return to form? Will Devolder win again? This is the week for racing! Sunday is the card carrying badass, Paris Roubaix, the one day wonder. I'm still very sore, to the point it's hard to sleep. I'll really have to recover quickly to get everything done for LBL. Beer stops for LBL; Denton, Crete, Denton.

Food for LBL

Still don't know what breakfast will consist of (but, trust me, it'll fill you up), but after the ride, we'll have chips & salsa, homemade chili, and cinnamon rolls!

It just keeps getting better

I went out for a brief ride on Saturday: the weather here was windy, cold & wet. Yet, I felt pretty good. Fast forward to yesterday: I'm at work & through my own clumsiness, I somehow manage to slip & fall & smack the back of my head on a concrete floor. By smack, I mean the single largest impact I've experienced in the last 20 years. The back of my head quickly swelled to the point it was scary looking. I iced it several times yesterday (I still, in my own stupidity, worked a 10 hour shift), and the swelling went down. I came home last night & did a little research on head trauma & what danger signs to look for. Sure enough, this morning, I wake up feeling nauseated, so I went to the Dr.. After a thorough exam, he concluded that I just "had my bell rung", but there weren't any signs of rapid brain bleeding. Now, over the next week or so, I have to look for signs of slow bleeding: a change in neural responses or motor control. My head hurts a little, but the rest of my body (especially my upper body) feels like I flew over the handlebars. So, I think I'm going to be off the bike for a couple of days. In better news, the shirts for LBL have been printed: the fronts look like this (LBL sticker), & the backs simply state, "Hell of the Midwest". Long sleeve this year, for a change. I'll try to post daily in between now & LBL. Please watch the video: it features Sir George Martin & Brian Wilson; their interplay is priceless.

Special Request

If you've signed up for LBL, could you please leave your t-shirt size as a comment on this post? Oh, by the way, if you don't watch CMT Crossroads, you should. For my money, it's one of the most intriguing shows on TV. Pair a country star with a rock (for the most part) star, who influenced them. Here's Taylor Swift (a meteorite) with Def Leppard (who started in the music biz as early teens).

More LBL facts

LBL is just a shade over 2 weeks away. It's not too late to join in on the mayhem: just drop me a note. CiTy BiLLy CyCLe is proud to announce that our friends at Shmaltz Brewing are going to sponsor our 9 am meet & greet (your favorite beverage). It'll be a great opportunity to catch up with old friends & meet some new ones. On an unrelated note, the pro cycling calendar has begun (for me) with the semi-classics in Belgium. This Sunday is one of my favorites, Ronde van Vlaanderen (the Tour of Flanders). The cobbles, crazy fans & unpredictable weather all work together to create an electric atmosphere. One day, I hope to be there, with a cooler full of Chimay, showing the locals how crazy a BiLLy can be!

LBL-insider info

I got a phone call from the KeRNeL & the MuScLe last night: they were at Monk's: lucky bastards. We started talking about LBL & the KeRNeL mentions that beer glasses would be schweet swag. Well, KeRNeL, it was going to be a surprise, but I have a little problem- I need time to have these made. The glass you see in the picture will be available at LBL for $10. It's a Libbey, which is a heavy glass, very suitable for a fine beer (Hopluia is pictured). If you want one (or several), please let me know asap.Everyone who registers for LBL will get a t-shirt, but I thought this would be a neat little addition for the BiLLys who like to bend an elbow.

The Plot Thickens

Is it just me, or does this just seem a bit too convenient? Yeah, it's couch potato fat ass me calling out a great athlete, but hell, look at the beating my liver has taken, & I'm back at it, every day.

LBL- What are you riding?

I'm pretty sure I'll be riding the Guerciotti- a couple of my bikes need a little tweaking (hence, the enclosed video). It's amazing to me, even after all the years I've been riding fixed, how little maintenance a well equipped bike requires.

Spring

Rapha Rides the TOC - Episode 2 from RAPHA on Vimeo. I got out on the fixie this morning for a little jaunt. Nothing like the Rapha CC crew, but a great time none the less. Please consider joining us for LBL (info on right side of the blog). We leave no one behind & it'll be a Saturday you won't forget!

Oh, how the meek have fallen

We'll start out with happy news: Shmaltz Brewing will sponsor LBL & CiTy BiLLy North's B2B. Now, for the title subject of this post: Last Thursday, I decided I would ride my bike, the Panzer, to a friend's to help out. Nearly 53 miles later, I can now officially declare I'm of poor mind & body. Holy crap, I thought I was going to need medical attention!

Eye Candy!

Go here. If it doesn't make you want to buy another bike, there's something wrong with you. I envy the KeRNeL right now.

Happy Birthday to Me?

I had a birthday this week. I'm not really big on celebrating birthdays- so much so, that I just figured out about 2 weeks ago, that for an entire year I thought I was a year younger than my birthdate said I was. Oh, crap! Last night, I went to a wonderful party, hosted by eDBiLLy's family. One of the gifts I got is pictured: a totally sweeeet stainless steel bottle cap catcher. To the right of the catcher is a gift I received at an earlier date: eDBiLLy's immensely talented daughter's sketch of an overly annimated canine. Here's an insider's tip: go to Backcountry, order Swobo short sleeve wool jerseys for just a shade over $52 (free shipping) (deal ends Monday).

LBL 2009

Here's the specifics!

Date April 18th, 2009.

Ride begins at 10 am, but there will be breakfast served at 9 am, along with various beverages.

Cost will be $20. This covers breakfast, beverages, supper upon return, along with some one of a kind schwag (Trust me, there'll be some surprises).

Everyone will have to sign a waiver composed by our crack legal team.

Course will be approximately 55 miles, with some beautiful rolling hills. There will be at least two beer stops.

Register by dropping me a note (link located on the right side of the page).

I ask a favor: please register early, so I can get the schwag lined up. It gets more difficult each year as we bring new suppliers in.

LBL Registration

Due to an unforeseen work complication, I hope to get the info for LBL on the blog later today.

Weekend

Yesterday, eDBiLLy & I drove up to CiTy BiLLY NoRtH country, & went to Snakebite's swapmeet. It was well worth the trip! Great stuff for sale & a wonderful time to catch up with the gang. Here's a video from Michael Manring, who in my opinion is one of the greatest bassists of all time.

Closer

With the steady hand of Henry Chinaski, I roughed out the birth certificate for this creation (after peeling off the chainstay protector with my wife's hairdryer). It looks like a grade schooler's scrawling on the chalkboard- it's 100% BiLLy!

Progress!

I received a care package from Harris Cyclery on Wednesday, and today (I took a half day of vacation), I finally got going on the Motobecane again. I installed a 16 tooth freewheel & put a half link in the chain & ,urethra!,I have a single speed bike. Chain is a little loose for my type A tendencies, but I think it'll be fine. If I had a full workshop, I might try to take a rat-tail file to the vertical dropouts or notch the rear axle to get it to slide back another .25" or so. I took the bike out for a test spin & had a blast! Now, it's time to start work on the bottle opener & paint. kB, I'm not going to be done with this by the swapmeet, I'm sorry. Back to work!

Inspiration

I'm waiting for a parts shipment from Harris Cyclery (Thanks, Sheldon, for all I've learned from you), so the Motobecane project is at a standstill. Snakebite's swapmeet is next weekend, so I'm not sure if the project will be completed by then (the main hangups are drivetrain & bottle opener). So, it's time to mine for a little pick me up: the one and only Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band.

You're in Good Company!

Those of you who rode LBL 2008 have a custom made personalized workshirt. Well, you know who else has one?










Not Lance (he actually has artwork from eDBiLLy!), but King Eddy! eDBiLLy received confirmation from Belgium that Eddy received his one of a kind, white with red pinstripes CiTy BiLLy workshirt!

Motobecane- Installment 2

I readjusted the bottom bracket today & then started to work on the brakes-they have the goofiest quick release I've ever seen. Next up is the most BiLLy of bike modifications (next to the custom deer whistles
)- a schweeet bottle opener. I have a couple of different options in mind.

Wrenching on the Motobecane Day 1

I had a little free time today, so I threw the Motobecane in the stand. I popped off the chain & noticed the cranks didn't turn very freely even without a chain. Verdict: dry bottom bracket. So, I popped off the cranks & pulled the bottom bracket & lubed the crap out of the ball bearings. I've got it all thrown back together, but I'll probably have to adjust the bottom bracket at least once more. You want the bb to have very little play, but if you overtighten it can score the races. I noticed another little fact: the derailleur hanger is broke, so my idea of using a rear der as a chain tensioner will be difficult. Oh well, that's what makes working on bikes fun. Hopefully in the next couple of days I'll tackle the brakes: they have a funky quick release that is only quasi- operational right now.

----------------
Now playing: Al Wilson - Show and Tell
via FoxyTunes

Finally

K-BiLLy's Motobecane is finally in the basement. In the next two weeks or so I'll convert it into a BiLLy machine. Initial inspection revealed several items that need the touch of the 8 pound sledge hammer mechanical skills that yours truly wields. I'll drop the outer chainring (hopefully using the inner 42), install a freewheel & chain tensioner (keep your fingers crossed I don't need one. I'll also install a custom bottle opener & hopefully, do some custom monogramming on the chainstays. The fun should start tomorrow: same BiLLy time, same BiLLy channel!

Versatile

With a couple gravel road rides coming up, (Bunyan's 2 Bob's & the Gravel Conspiracy)it was time to evaluate options. I don't have a cross bike, so I converted the Panzer. We'll see how it rides- I still have the bailout option of a mountain bike.

Support Your Framebuilder!

More sad news. I really dug Jonny's frames.In other news, I'm embarrassed to admit, that I haven't started the BiLLyfication of K-BiLLy's Motobecane. Hopefully, by Monday. That is the reality of working 65 to 70 hours a week: some things that you really want to do have to wait.

Upcoming

In the next couple of days, I will finally begin the BiLLyfication of K-BiLLy's Motobecane. I will document this build (demolition?) with plenty of pics, so you can truly appreciate the BiLLy way!

Brilliant

Raconteurs   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos

Adventure

CiTy BiLLy is proud to announce that we're sponsoring The Gravel Conspiracy. It sounded like it'd be a lot of fun, so eDBiLLy & I are going to help Josh (the host) out a little. In other news, I have a new beer cooler!

Worthy

Snakebite is working on building some sweet singletrack in the town with one of the best bars I've ever been in: Help him!

Smile

It looks like the beer cooler is going to be replaced under warranty!

Kick me while I'm down

After the shoebox oil change debacle (previous post), I was ready for some smooth sailing. But now, I have a dear friend under the weather. At 3 am this morning, my wife woke me, asking me what this howling, screeching sound was. I thought it was the water pipes, but it turned out to be my beer cooler. It has been a source of comfort & joy and it highly distresses me to think about life without it. I've dropped a note to the Canadian manufacturer, to see if it can be fixed. Otherwise, the upstairs fridge is going to get a lot fuller for a while.

Fun, fun, fun!

Yesterday, I took a half day of vacation. I wanted to get the oil changed in the shoebox. I've had a tire that was losing air for a while: it turns out that it had a giant nail through it, very near the sidewall. It could have been plugged, but I've had two blowouts at interstate speed (previous car) & made the decision to replace the tire (tires should be replaced in pairs if they're worn). So, it was an expensive day for eDLoNNiE. The kegerator will have to wait, until Uncle Sam sends out my tax refund. The video today is a unique one: enjoy!

New Thoughts

This morning, I'm enjoying my first full day off from work in over two weeks. With the beginning of another year, I've decided on a few resolutions. This is the year that I'm going to ride my way back into shape again. About nine months ago, I accepted a new position at work & started to fall back into some old bad habits (like drinking beer at 8:30 am, while I'm writing this post). Poor food choices & lack of exercise have caused eDLoNNiE to look like a latter day Orson Welles.I've started to ride the Panzer downstairs on the trainer, which, as far as I'm concerned, has to be one of the most boring activities in the world. I've watched bowl games, cycling races on Cycling TV, and yet the best time killer I've found is Jerry Springer. It's totally scripted, but I have to give the writers of this trainwreck of a show their props: everytime you think they've hit rock bottom, they go even lower. I would also like to start posting on this shining example of the de-evolution of the human mind more consistently. I've also been spending time doing some window shopping (and parts bin diving) for a special bike project that I'm doing for a fellow BiLLy, kB. This year is shaping up to be a great one, as long as I keep moving. If you haven't voted for your choice of route length for LBL, please do(right hand side of the blog). It's a three way tie right now, which puts the choice in my hands.