Pig Sticker

Courtesy "A" Winter Wind Storm.  That is the official title of Sunday's wind storm, I guess.  I worked a 16 and my policy following storms is to reward myself for the anguish I endured using the overtime money I earned.  It makes me feel better.

I've wanted a Buck 119 for years.  It's an american classic.  6" blade.  $60.  Can't be beat.  I have been using an old BSA knife forever.  It's been a good knife but the blade is pitted and doesn't hold an edge and the stacked leather handle has fallen apart.  Also, I have been left wanting a little longer blade many times.

It's not fancy.  But fancy don't make the pigs squeal any louder.  Yeeee - haaaw!!

New Bike Carrier

Got a new transport vehicle for the new bike.  Picked it up today and went straight home and threw the kayak on it.  Will and I did some bird scatterin' and ice crashin' at WYCO today.  Beautiful day to be on the water.  Sun was out most of the time and we found some warmth out of the wind in some westside coves.  "Westside"... yeah.  Must have been about 2314 geese, 43 swans, and 1767 ducks on the water.  We tried to get along with them but we did scare up a few clouds.  It's an amazing site to watch a dozen or so swan take off, but the sound is indescribable.

Oh, it's a Nissan Xterra Pro4X.  That's right, PRO.  6 speed manual w/ 4 hi and lo.

Plan for tomorrow is to hit Swope before it thaws in the morning.  Finally ride the new bike!!!  I'm thinking 10ish???  Hopefully...

Huh, my car has more gears than my bike.

650Bruiser

The new Curtlo is complete.  A ride around the block told me everything is straight and solid.  A proper thrashing comes next weekend.

It's tight.  With a 40.3/4 inch wheelbase and 422mm chainstays, it should be a surgeon.  But you never know what kind of personality all the numbers equate to until the tires hit the dirt.  The build focus was "solid" and "nimble".  I told Doug what I wanted and he nailed it.  It makes me think of an F4U Corsair WWII fighter.

I used a lot of reassigned parts from my Cove Hooker, so that didn't help to keep weight down, but I don't really care.  Here's some specs:

OX Platinum frame w/ 44mm head tube and conventional BB
Profile BMX cranks w/ Tree spline drive 30t sprocket
5 speed cassette on a Hadley SS rear hub and a D/A derailleur
circa 1992 XT thumbie
Avid cable disc brakes
Chinese carbon "All Mountain" rims

Until It Gets Warm...

There's this:

Swrve Milwaukee jacket.  Awesome.  Get it at Volker Bikes.  I'm critical about things being engineered correctly, and this is.  Great fit, perfect cut, hood works, and double zips on the front and big pit vents with super sticky rubber grippies so you can operate w/ gloves on .  Haven't tested it in rain but it breathes surprisingly well for a "water and wind proof" garment.

Speaking of Milwaukee... There is a new deli/bar around 9th & Baltimore- might be 10th- called the Milwaukee.  Great food and great tap beer.  Velvet Rooster, Buffalo Sweat and other Tallgrass on tap!  Excellent mayonnaise.  Cool little place.

More New Bike

This is a 30 tooth Tree steel V.2 spline-drive sprocket.  It's been sitting in a box along w/ a Profile racing outboard bearing set b/c I couldn't get the bearings to work in my MC frame.

I ended up using E.thirteen 15G cranks instead.  Spent the last 2 years trying to reconcile with those things but I could never get them to be quiet- they are the creakiest cranks I've ever owned.  Softer than I thought they'd be also.  Disappointed with those.  I'm looking forward to being back on tubular steel cranks.  Totally... tubular..!

Ringle Zuzu's and it's gonna be an all-out callout for full-on moto thrashin!