The Month Of May

The month of May was National Bike Month and I made the absolute best of it.

• I rode my first century of the year on May 9, the CaptoCap century from Jamestown to Richmond and back again.
• I sold my first bike, you can read about it in my last blog.
• I bought a new bike - a Bike Friday New World Tourist. I will tell you more about that on another post.
• I joined the Peninsula Bicycle Association. I decided it was time for me to quit using the bike as a solo activity and start riding with others.
• I rode my bike to work everyday in the month of May. I got wet a few times, but it was a small price to pay.
• I went on a bike ride everyday in May. I rode the Fixed Gear, the Hybrid, the Light Roadster and the Road Bike.
• I had planned to participate in the Ride of Silence on May 20 in Virginia Beach, but I had to work late and couldn't get over there in time. So instead, I took the Light Roadster out at 7:00 PM that night and did my own Ride of Silence.

The month of May was all about bikes and that was a good thing, a very good thing.

I Betrayed Her - Oh The Shame

It is with a heavy heart that I post this blog. I did the unimaginable this weekend. Brace yourself my reader - it is with great trepidation that I must tell you that "I sold one of my bikes!" She was my Trek Hybrid.

You have to believe me when I tell you, this was my first time. I've never sold one of my bikes before. If I can go the rest of my life and never do it again, it will still be too soon.

Although she is gone, she will forever hold a very special place in my heart. She was my first in so many ways: She was my first real comfort bike. She was my first bike with a kickstand. She was my first bike with fenders. This bike caused me to slow down. Before owning her, I knew but one way to ride – put my head down and hammer. Before owning her, the thought of stopping to enjoy the view and smell the roses, seemed counterproductive. Since she became a part of my life, now matter what I'm riding, I find myself looking around more often.

When I first bought her, I primarily used her for commuting. However, later in life she became more or less my utility vehicle. I would throw on the panniers and use her for trips to the grocery store, post office, drug store or the bike shop. Yet, the thing she excelled at the most was as a beer truck. Outfitted with the trunk rack, she was perfect for carrying and keeping cold a six pack of beer. I rode her to 7-Eleven so much that I suspect if I gave her my credit card, she could have made the trip by herself.

I could ride her anytime and anywhere and she never complained about carrying my beer. What a girl! To think that I will never again enjoy the view looking over her bars.Letting go was not only hard on me. The rest of my harem insisted on saying goodbye. It was a moving moment. Well, I gotta go. I have to see if one of my other bikes is willing to make a beer run. It won't be an easy sell. They're all pretty mad at me right now.

In parting, allow me to leave you something to think about: "You may be having a cycling affair, if selling a bike brings you to tears."

Never Let Your Dog Out naked

When you commute to work, you see all kinds of unusual things, not to mention learn some of life's most important lessons.

This morning as I meandered though the neighborhoods on my way to work, I noticed a big black lab having a grand ole time running from yard to yard. His tail was wagging so furiously that it shook his whole body. He was too enthralled in sniffing around to take any notice of me. I've ridden this street hundreds of times over the years and this is the first time I ever saw this dog running free. Once I realized he wasn't going to make a sport of chasing me, I began to ponder where he came from? This nagging question was quickly answered, when 3 houses down, I saw a wet haired man tearing out his front door with nothing on but a towel. Where is my camera when I need it? I would love to have stuck around and seen how this scene played out, but I didn't want to be late, so I rode on. (Special Note: If it been the man's spouse running out the door with nothing on but a towel, I would have stopped to lend assistance, no matter how late that made me. I am a gentleman after all.)

Had I been roaring down the main traffic thoroughfare in a natural resource guzzling - sheet metal encased - internal combustion powered - environmental hazard, I would have missed this scene all together. The antics of a nearly naked man and his dog would have gone unnoticed. That would have been a shame.

Building a Bike - Part 6 - Final Assembly

The parts have been ordered and received.

The sub-assembly is complete.

The frame has been stripped.

The primer, base coat and clear coat have been applied.

We are now ready for the crowning jewel of this project. Assembling it all together. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So instead on me telling you about it. Why don't you just just back, watch and enjoy as it all comes together.

Building a Bike - Part 5 - Painting

Now that my frame lay bare and naked, there is no time to lose in protecting her from the harsh elements that would love nothing more than to wreak havoc on her innocence and beauty. She longingly looks to me for protection. Sensing her vulnerability, I wasted no time in reaching for the paint can.

To paint my frame, I went down to our local auto store and chose some automobile grade paint. I don't know if one brand of paint is better than another, the one consistent theme that my research revealed was that it was important to stick with one brand of paint for the primer, base coat and clear coat. Even though it was more expensive than the name brands found at hardware stores, I chose to pick up paint from the auto store, cause I figured that automobile paint, given its intended purpose, had to be better quality. The supplies I chose are shown below:I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about spray painting my frame, primarily because of the high risk of runs and drips. I resolved that no matter how tempted I was, I was going to apply the paint in very thin coats.

I started out with the primer. I sprayed extremely light coats, waiting 10 to 15 minutes between coats. I must have applied 10 or more coats of paint. I didn't really keep track of the number of coats, but I know I went through 2 full cans of spray paint. The primed product turned out very nice, even if I were to say so myself.I waited a week for the primer to cure and then I was ready for the base coat. I chose black paint because in my mind it is simple and basic. That was what this bike was all about. I lightly sanded the primed surfaces with 400 grit sandpaper. As with the primer, I applied thin coat after thin coat until I had blown through 2 full spray cans of paint. I was very, very pleased with my handiwork.Once I had the base coat applied, the weather threw a major wrench in my top coating plans. I had to wait 3 weeks until the temperature and humidity got their act together. After what seemed like an eternity, I was finally able to put the finishing touches on my masterpiece. I used 600 grit wet paper to lightly sand the base coat. This dulled the finish a bit, but based on what I had read on the Internet, I was confident the clear coat would restore the luster and add depth. In applying the top coat, I followed the same procedure successfully employed on the primer and base coat. I applied 2 cans worth of multiple thin coats. When all was said in done, I was so proud of the finished product that I could restrain my glee.

With the paint job complete, now came the hardest part, waiting for it to fully cure before final assembly. Mind you, I am a Cajun and patience is not one of our virtues.

Stay tuned - the next episode is the final one in this series. You don't want to miss it. This is the episode when I take the assortment of parts and carefully install them, transforming my freshly painted frame into a masterpiece - a work of art - a labor of love.