SD Bike Commuter - Introduce Yourself

Introduce Yourself

Velo Cult — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:20:34 -0700

Thanks for joining Carl. as you can tell i got a Riv thread and Cargo thread with your name all over them.

is that the only Bakfiets in San Diego? im pretty sure it is.

Introduce Yourself

William — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:52:28 -0700

[quote][cite] trudtildeath:[/cite]I'm Angie. I moved here recently from the bay area.[/quote]

What part? Grew up in San Jose, but have lived in Cupertino, Concord, San Francisco, and other places.

Introduce Yourself

Tom@VC — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:21:38 -0700

Hey I see some familiar faces :face-smile:

Introduce Yourself

danarel — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:39:57 -0700

welcome to all the new folks.

Introduce Yourself

Davbu4 — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:44:18 -0700

If all goes well tomorrow I will have a bike either a raleigh or univega

Introduce Yourself

Protorio — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:12:24 -0700

Whoo hoo sdlocal92111! Cool Hilsen and AWESOME Bakfiets. I'm born and raised 92111! We should get tattoos! Seriously, I'd like to know your practical range on the Bakfiets if you're riding around Linda Vista/Kearny Mesa/Clairmont. Great to see everyone else on here too - some familiar faces...

Introduce Yourself

Velo Cult — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:15:16 -0700

i live in the 92111 right now. Balboa and Genessee

SDLocal92111 actually lives in the 92037 now. right next to our old shop.

Introduce Yourself

danarel — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:57:29 -0700

i work in 92111, does that count?

Introduce Yourself

thom — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:43:10 -0700

Hi, I live in North Park, been here (and in SD) about a year and a half, which is about the time I've been actively into bikes. My main interest is in refurbishing and riding old bikes, especially old three-speeds. I'm *not* a restorer, however, and I believe all bikes should be used, not vacuum-sealed in mylar. I have a 1971 Columbia Sports III, a 1930(?) Runwell (which has been into VeloCult for a stuck pedal--thanks again Tom!), and I'm working on a 1955 Huffy Sportsman made by Raleigh. I'm most interested in "slow" rides, and the Huffy/Raleigh is eventually going to become a grocery bike. I work from home right now, so I'm not a commuter, per se, but I will be when I have a real job someday! I also run a blog just for fun called the Old Bike Blog at http://oldbikeblog.blogspot.com, and I'd love to meet other SD bike bloggers, especially those who focus on transportational/everyday cycling. Someday I'd also like to organize a 3-speed "tour" in San Diego, like the Lake Pepin tour in MN, but for now I would absolutely dig the Sunday Down Townies rides if/when they come together. Here's a photo of me with the Columbia:

Introduce Yourself

William — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:21:19 -0700

Hey Thom! Neat blog!

Introduce Yourself

thom — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:32:58 -0700

Hey thanks! I'd be totally thrilled to get a wider SD readership and maybe connect with some other bike bloggers around here (there must be some, right?). I think it all goes toward building a more connected and more inclusive bike community--which is also why I'm really excited about this forum.

Introduce Yourself

danarel — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:09:07 -0700

thats a rad blog thom. welcome.

Introduce Yourself

William — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:36:46 -0700

Thom, Blog readership can be tricky. You use statcounter, so you can kind of see the daily up/down and location stuff. If you stay at it a while, it will build. An old blog: sdfixed.blogspot.com, used to have a daily readership of about 70, it built from just daily posting, but after a while some of the traffic was people looking for sdfixed.com. One thing you can use is googles "alert" searches, which search the web and alert you on a re occuring basis. I have a few, for example one for "bicycle hit and run", and I get daily emails that link me. You might set one up for san diego cycling or the like, and figure it out. Pe Cycling wise, there are some SD folks; I know Danarel has one, and perhaps some others do as well. Masiguy (Tim Jackson) has a pretty neat San Diego based blog as well, and of course
[[_linker_]]
I would love a san diego centric cycling blog of sorts, perhaps with several contributers. With the variety of riding styles, perspectives, it could really build up something. It is something akin to a project I've been tinkering with. If you think a collective SD cycling blog is something you're interested in, perhaps we could dream up something. There are plenty of free web blog sites out there to use. whisper or email me if you like. It'd be great if it could compliment this forum.

Introduce Yourself

sdlocal92111 — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:35:40 -0700

Hi Protorio,
I am not sure if the practical range has been found yet on the Bakfiets. So far she is a grocery getter. The farthest she has been is Bird Rock to South Mission jetty and back and or down around the cove. I am sure we could make O.B.. It has an eight speed internal hub with pretty low gearing. I live at sea level and the only real limitation is steep hills. Think Amsterdam. It was the only practical way we could figure out to carry two kids (so young) plus groceries safely and comfortably. This year we used it to pick up our Christmas tree. Normal errands like the farmers market, pet store, the hardware store, Trader Joe's etc. The kids fall asleep in it almost every time.
I see you have a Quickbeam as well. Very nice! I recently converted mine to a townie and made some small changes to the Hilsen. I have some picture taking to do.
I am posting a picture of a bike I built for my wife for Christmas with my Sky's help and guidance (and tools). I think it fits this forum as a practical bike, and I have the photo.

Introduce Yourself

Protorio — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 08:54:16 -0700

Thom - I've seen your bike on Jim Thill's Old 3 Speed Gallery, right? Hope to bump into you around town.

Carl - on Flickr there's also a So Cal Riv Riders & Friends group - check it out. I suppose the folders make me a bona fide bike geek. Maybe just a dork. I picked up the Brompton used a while ago for fun, and got the Tikit during their black Friday sale when I really wanted to explore the possibilities (I talked with Tom about this). The Brompton barely fits me at 6', folds down awesome, but riding is limited. The Tikit can get me up any hill around town and rides much like a big bike, but the fold is larger. You can try them out any time.

Esteban

Introduce Yourself

AWMerritt — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 10:32:55 -0700

Alex William Merritt

Cuevas

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William — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:48:00 -0700

Welcome everyone! Everyday we get more participants, we grow stronger as a community!

Introduce Yourself

William — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:45:47 -0700

We've got a lot of new people!! Take some time to introduce your self. chance are good you're not as ugly as me. Nor is your bike as piecemeal as mine!

Introduce Yourself

tawnya — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:15:32 -0700

Here's what I look like.

This is my lovely lady, Dixie.

This one shows her vanity sticker and my new favorite shoes (crazy eddie!), along with my shiny new VC sticker.

And, finally, here's how much I love both museums and my bike (and a lot closer to how i really look!)

Introduce Yourself

William — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:59:58 -0700

Hey Twanya, welcome!

Introduce Yourself

svelocity — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 12:41:59 -0700

Hello! I live in OB and my commute is to Mission Hills. Here are some pictures of the steeds I ride. The first two are my commuter bikes.

She's a tank but there's no denying her usefulness. Even after thousands of miles she's never given me a problem.

Here's my girl. Freshly built up. All parts (with some exceptions) off of craigslist. Nimble, fast, and comfortable. Love the Surly.

Here are my two around towners...

Humber Sports 3 Speed. "The Aristocrat of all Bicycles" Found her completely rusted in a friend's backyard. Polished her up, put on a new chain, seat and tires. Perfect.

1986 Kuwahara Lynx. Rolls like a dream. Nothing I've ridden takes corner like this one. I love bombing Presido on this.

Really stoked this site is up and running! I always feel like a loner out there. It's nice to know there are others. Cheers!

Introduce Yourself

zen@zero — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 12:52:47 -0700

Nice bikes! Welcome!

Introduce Yourself

zen@zero — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 12:53:51 -0700

tawnya:Here's what I look like.

This is my lovely lady, Dixie.

This one shows her vanity sticker and my new favorite shoes (crazy eddie!), along with my shiny new VC sticker.

And, finally, here's how much I love both museums and my bike (and a lot closer to how i really look!)

Hi there!

Introduce Yourself

William — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:19:03 -0700

^^^ HA..

SVE: nice bikes. What can you tell me about the Kuwahara.. where'd you find it, etc?

Introduce Yourself

Protorio — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 22:16:34 -0700

SVE: That Kuwahara looks like it floats. And the Humber is in great shape. There are Col de la Vies in the 650A size (26x1 3/8) - those are marshmellows.

Tawnya - cool shoes. The loneliness of the long distance cyclist...er, runner.

Introduce Yourself

svelocity — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 09:49:19 -0700

FixedSD:^^^ HA..

SVE: nice bikes. What can you tell me about the Kuwahara.. where'd you find it, etc?

1986 Kuwahara Lynx MTB with braze-ons for fenders and front and rear racks. Everything is original to the bike except the seat, tires and chain. Ishiwata 4130 CroMo frame, Dia Compe Brakes, Suntour 5000 derailleurs/shifters, Sugino cranks with the Cycloid (bio-pace) chainrings, Sansin hubs with Ukai rims. My friend found it working at a bike shop. This guy brought it in looking to buy a new bike and wanted to see if he could get anything his Kuwahara. My friend bought it on the spot.

Protorio:SVE: That Kuwahara looks like it floats. And the Humber is in great shape. There are Col de la Vies in the 650A size (26x1 3/8) - those are marshmellows.

Those are Schwinn Typhoons 26 x 2.125 and they are kept at 65-70psi. Heavy yes, marshmallows no. I literally drag a knee taking a corner like I was riding a motorcycle. Incredible grip and it rolls like no other bike I've every ridden. Super fun! I'll grant you that they are not the best tire for the bike but the Col de Vies are gum sidewalls and I'm not a fan of that style for this bike. I would prefer the something like the Schwalbe big apple (26 x 2.0)as they are considerably less heavy and would still provide the characteristics I seek. However, Surlygurl might like to have those Col de Vies for her LHT she's building up. Cheers!

Introduce Yourself

surlygurl — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 10:41:15 -0700

>>However, Surlygurl might like to have those Col de Vies for her LHT she's building up.

Funny you should mention Col de Vies, I was trying to find a solution to my fender/tire crisis and came across those while surfing online last night. Only thing is, it seems like eevryone is out of stock.

The search continues...

Introduce Yourself

DrJay — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 13:54:50 -0700

I'm Jason, I live in South Park. Sorry no pics of me but my bikes are better looking anyways.

Thats my Bridgetsone Townie/City Bike

My mid 80's Razesa Track bike

My Ladies Nishiki Mixte

Introduce Yourself

danarel — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 13:57:18 -0700

welcome to all the people i have yet to welcome!

Introduce Yourself

Velo Cult — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 14:05:32 -0700

great Bridgestone Dr. Jay. showing how to do the Rivendell budget build! nicely done.

Introduce Yourself

DrJay — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 14:15:53 -0700

Thanks, time for some new bars though. Tired of hitting my knees, the addition of the basket through off the bike. Need something taller and wider. Albatross vs Promenades... still undecided.

Introduce Yourself

Protorio — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:57:02 -0700

Cool bikes, Dr. Jay - especially that Bridgestone & Mixte. The Albatross bars provide a guilty amount of comfort. I utilize the bends when climbing and the work pretty good. Jitensha's flat bars (nitto) might also be an option - they have a nice bend and sweep back just enough. They would put you more aero, though. Good control on the Jitenshas.

Introduce Yourself

threeflys — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 08:24:35 -0700

Hello all,
My name is Chris and I live up in Sabre Springs/Poway area, although I get the chance to ride downtown often I as work at the Coast Guard base on Harbor. I've always had bikes, but really got riding about a year ago. I currently have a Rivendell Bleriot and a Salsa Las Cruces 'cross bike for blasting around the trails. I also have a Kona Mtn bike that hardly ever gets used now that I have the Salsa... I want to get a SS one of these days just for fun.... I also wanted to mention the SoCal Rivendell Group on Flickr, great group of guys and cool rides (Hey Esteban!)
Thanks for setting this up Sky!
Chris
Here is my Bleriot 650b

and my Salsa

and me :)

Introduce Yourself

kid j — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:10:49 -0700

everytime I see your Razesa in Velo, I have to smile.

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William — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:08:18 -0700

Welcome! That Salsa looks fun to ride!

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DrJay — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:12:02 -0700

Wow those bars by jitensa are cool but I think i want the guilty comfort you speak of Protorio. Asked Tom at VC to order me the albatross bars. I like the height and more upright positon it will give me. With the Riv portuguese cork grips, cloth tape and a can of amber shellac should turn out pretty classy....

Introduce Yourself

bfinch — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:47:59 -0700

Hi, I'm Brian. I rode a bike to school/work from 1989-2005--until I moved to San Diego. I got tired of driving to work, so I bought a new bike a few days ago and am back to commuting. My ass hurts right now.

This is my new bike (although mine has pedals):

Introduce Yourself

danarel — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:36:09 -0700

welcome!

Introduce Yourself

William — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 08:43:25 -0700

Dr Jay!

Pedals are important, so I've been told!

Welcome, this is a new forum, but we're growing and your participation here will make us a great resource for ourselves AND people considering commuting by bike.

Hope to see more of you here!

Introduce Yourself

zen@zero — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:15:51 -0700

Welcome everybody! Hi Dr. Jay!

Introduce Yourself

ScottD — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 07:29:08 -0700

Hi everybody,

I'm Scott and I commute from North Park to Encinitas two to three times a week. I usually take Unversity to Washington and cut through Old Town before connecting with east Mission Bay Drive which leads to the Rose Canyon bike path and finally on to Gilman Dr. and Torrey Pines Rd. I've been riding my Bianchi Axis and it's been great. I'll get a shot of my bike up soon.

Introduce Yourself

c-dubya — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 09:35:55 -0700

I'm Chris, my wife Courtney and I just returned to SD after a stint in Santa Monica. We live in Point Loma and I am looking forward to biking to work downtown.

Here's a pic of my do (most) everything p-23

Good times hanging with you guys at the shop yesterday. I'll get a pic of Court and her mixte soon. She hasn't woke up and found it yet!

Introduce Yourself

Protorio — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 09:46:17 -0700

Hey, Scott - welcome. That sounds like an awesome commute.

Wow, Chris - that Ritchey is slick.

Introduce Yourself

Velo Cult — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 12:50:36 -0700

damn Chris, thats one sweet Ritchey P-23!

Introduce Yourself

William — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:25:27 -0700

Hey everyone here: if you have a sd bike blog, or a sd bike twitter profile.. please post it. it's cool to catch up on those as well!!

Me: www.sdcyclist.blogspot.com (About the 4th incarnation my blog went through: it was kokusai.blogspot, then sdfixed.blogspot, then user482.blogspot.. it seems to have indentiy issues.).

I'd like to see them.

Introduce Yourself

reverend — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 19:42:57 -0700

The names Steven and I smoke rocks....here is my FaceSpace/Mybook profile becaue i don't know how to post photos I live in the College/Del Cerro area and commute downtown to work at Java Jones on my Raleigh Rush Hour

Introduce Yourself

reverend — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 19:44:12 -0700

^ wow looks like i can't post links correctly either

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Velo Cult — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 00:47:05 -0700

thanks for signing on Steven. in the thread titled "FORUM RULES / INSTRUCTIONS FOR LOADING PHOTOS AND VIDEOS" there will be directions on how to post photos, videos, and links.

Introduce Yourself

William — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 11:07:50 -0700

Welcome Steven!

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missler — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:05:20 -0700

Hi, I'm Melissa and this is my fixed gear commuter - a Masi speciale fixed with 44x17 gearing.

This is my grocery getter - my Electra Amsterdam 3 speed, bearing precious cargo.

I live car free, and commute from Oceanside harbor area to Vista/San Marcos via 101 and Palomar Airport some days. Others from the boy's place in Esco by Daley Ranch via the rail trail and Santa Fe Street. What gives on the eventual completion of that thing btw?!

This is me going fassst. Sort of

And me with my cheesy hand-me-down S-core board in my ghetto kitchen. She's a weird shape but i love her.

Hello everybody!