It is party time!
Christmas is here again and it is time for me to begin the juggle between work and celebration so Spinwell will be put to bed until the festivities are well and truly over.
So people quit reading this and go get a big fat glass of something and a slice of fruit cake and I will see you in the new year…
The first week of the new year to be exact!
Merry Christmas and a Happy new year folks!
Now then, I am thinking perhaps the phrases car crime, lock it or lose it and Digbeth and proud need not to be on the same sign. Are we proud that car crime is so rife in Digbeth? Not me sir, not me. When I got my first car in 2001 I used to drive to work on a Sunday and I had driven in no more than 3 times when I had my car broken in to. I recently moved house and after living here for no more than 3 weeks again I had my car broken into, so thats it for me and cars now, seriously, I am done. Insurance, tax, MOT, petrol, it is an expensive game is owning a car. Honestly the only time I personally need a car is if I fancy selling some Objet d’ar at a car boot sale or a trip to Ikea to buy things I don’t really need, so now my Renault Clio is up for sale. Funnily enough there is something quite liberating about relinquishing the car and having to rely on oneself but it is no big deal, I can get to where I need to be under my own steam, it may take me a little longer but I will get there.
Josh and Arjun dropped by me today to pick up a seat post that I had forgotten to bring with me. We stood in the rain and talked a little while and got accosted by a drunken fellow wearing a bandana who swore he was the dark knight and that I was Spiderman, after he found someone else to annoy, I gripped the nearest camera and snapped a couple of shots of the two teenagers with the matching paintwork.
After parting with Josh and Arjun I gots to thinking… how good it is to see more and more young folks getting into cycling, actually cycling. I have ridden bikes all my life but mainly BMX and mountain bikes, I only purchased my first road bike 2 years ago. As a teenage from what I can remember everything that concerned me and my bike was dangerous; who could get down Ludlow downhill without falling off? Who would be the first to 360 that brand new set of doubles? Do I have the minerals to atempt that MASSIVE rhythm section? All thrilling and all pretty dangerous.
I find riding fixed wheel different, no doubt it can be a bit dangerous riding on the road amongst all the cars and lunatics, but if you ride safe everything will be just nice. There will be no doubles to jump and no rocks or boulders to dodge.
People say riding fixed wheel is a trend, a fad. So what? So what if it is a trend? People like Josh and Arjun don’t get the bus or drive, they ride, to work or to college. Surely the more people getting into riding bikes around instead of driving cars can only be a good thing.
Folks if you have been encountering problems seeing photographs I apologize.
My ‘dashboard’ has been giving me no end of grief the past few days and I just wanted to let you know that I am on it and I will do my utmost to sort this problem out as soon as possible.
Most of the time if a picture does not display hit ‘refresh’ or just click the post link at the top of the page and that should do it.
If only technology was as reliable as my bicycle.
Precisely the reason for having no gears, no freewheel, and no brakes…
the only thing that can then go wrong is me.
There is something about these frames that gets me everytime.
Hand made in south Osaka, Japan, by the best builder in the world.
For sale now on NJSframes blogsite… $1100 for the frameset. Ouch!
One day I will own one of these.
One of the Fixed Wheel early adopters, Josh has been rolling around on a Langster… up until now.
He got his Koga a few weeks back and might I say what a fine job he has done with the build. H plus sons, Miche and Thomson to name but a few.
Peep the Koga Miyata full track pro hotness!
Christmas is upon us and what better way to celebrate than to meet up with your fellow cyclists and have a little mess about.
This coming Sunday ( 21st ) at 2pm we will meet outside St Martins Church ( the bottom of the stairs at the Bullring )for a quick natter and a catch up. Then it is off for a cycle around town to get some air in the lungs and upset one or two motorized vehicle operators, then back to st Martins at 4.30 to meet the second bunch of joiners. Once fully assembled we head to the previously scouted race track where we duel for the title of the fastest person on two wheels… a drag race people! At some point during the day there will be a Trackstand off, a Joust off, and maybe a skid off… so get training!
As this event has been organized at such short notice there will be no prizes other than brotherly love and praise for your speed and elegance on a cycle, Unless I can blag something between now and then!
We will see.
After the race for those who want to talk spinning techniques or perhaps bask in the glory of winning we will head to a public house for alcohol or to a cafe for tea and biscuits.
So friends there we have it. the Birmingham X-Mass.
Please, tell all your friends, young or old, brakes or none to get down to St Martins church at the Bullring at 2pm ( or 4.30 ) on Sunday and lets have a raz…
Be nice to know who is coming too so please…
feel free to drop a comment down there.
On Ebay now…
Hit the link and have a look at what this guy is throwing down.
Spinwell has been blogged people.
Created in Birmingham a blog about Birmingham’s creative sector has peeped the good work spinwell has been doing and given it a little spotlight. Many thanks CiB.
I have wasted a lot of money on bags that have over time let me down, whether it be broken straps, lack of weatherproofing, over engineering or under engineering and not to mention uncomfortable.
The Crux ‘Mag 22′ is different…
Simple, comfortable, and most importantly it is actually waterproof.
Interesting fact: When a person happens to find themselves standing in front of a moving train the Crux ‘Bodybag’ ( aptly named ) is what they find themselves in. No blood trails here folks!
Stats:
Capacity – 22 litres
Weight – 740 g
Fabric – 420d nylon, PU coated
Features:
Front pocket
Welded, waterproof construction
Padded back
More information on Crux here.
Working with the swedish bicycle manufacturer pilen-cykel, Therner created this concept bike based on 1930’s lemans racers. By merging the retro look with the latest manufacturing techniques and materials, the bike creates a new segment in today’s bike market. the bike has some innovative design features such as led lights integrated into the frame and a two part saddle which absorbs shock.
photographs by jesper lindstrom – lunar park
Off fames which is unfortunately a website displayed in a language I cannot understand.
The New Era Mackdaddy Umpire 505.
Not technically a cycling cap but I reckon it would do the job just nice.
This is quite possibly the baddest cap I have ever seen up to this point.
Apparently the shoe of choice among the Fixed wheelers of San Francisco. I dont know too much about riding in San Francisco but I know I don’t ride my bicycle in any other shoe. They fit into clips a treat, they breath and yes they soak water and yes they don’t keep you that warm but they do look rad as hell.
The latest offerings from Vans are special,
Christmas specials to be exact.
Loving the Candy piping and the Santa skull!
Via Highsnobiety
Super nice t-shirts out of Manchester.
Im going to repping one of these next summer for sure.
Peep more at Cantgoslo Blogsite.
Seen over at the Vintage bicycle press
176 pages, 9.5″ x 12″, hardcover.
Vintage Bicycle Press’ new large-format book explores the world of cycling competition through the actual bicycles ridden by champions and amateurs.
Their bicycles are shown in The Competition Bicycle, from a rare 1890s racing High Wheeler to Tony Rominger’s 1994 hour record bike. In between are 32 carefully selected bicycles. Most are the actual, unrestored machines ridden by the great champions like Fausto Coppi, Gino Bartali, Eddy Merckx, Greg LeMond, Andy Hampsten and many others.
These bikes tell their stories through sweat-stained handlebar tape and well-worn saddles. Each bicycle represents a milestone in the history of cycling competition, as well as in the development of cycling technology.
The Competition Bicycle is a celebration of beautiful bicycles lovingly crafted for one purpose only: to go as fast as possible.
Author : Jan Heine
Photographer : Jean-Pierre Pradères
Link passed to me today via Kris at Ideal, who might I add builds some mighty fine skate ramps himself.
Being built in Boulder Colorado,
142m track with 45 degree banking… sick!
Would Kris like to build one of these next perhaps?
A short movie by the legend Mark Gonzales and Dan Vellucci of him goofing around on his bicycle and skateboard… Peep.
On the subject of Mark Gonzales you may want to take a look at this
I blogged a while ago on the wealth of Brooks products now available at Oi Polloi…
Well peep this, Fresh out of Italy is this limited run of Abici bicycles made especially for Oi Polloi.
now for the info… via Oi Polloi
Men’s Abici Granturismo bicycle, handmade in one of the few remaining dedicated workshops in Italy still producing complete bikes (they once produced frames for Pinarello).
The handlebars, rims, pedal assembly and stand are made from ionised aluminium making them lightweight, durable and rust proof. The frame is painted in anti-rust paint. The chain and cog mechanism are enclosed in a very tidy and practical metal casing, preventing nasty oil stains and giving the green light for some smart attire.
The bike also features a Brooks saddle in honey-coloured hide and matching leather tape fitted to baker boy-style bars (we had fitted specifically for us).
Other features include:
High quality reflective tyres.
A simple-to-use, highly efficient (and very old fashioned) back wheel braking system operated by back-pedalling.
A standard handlebar operated front brake and an integral lock that locks through the back wheel.
