Via Arona 19

Monument at the chapel of the Madonna di Ghisalo

COPPI IL MITO

My Cecil Walker, on the road to Castellania, 2006

More T-Town photos

1994 - Lynn Pettit, Donna, Lucy Tyler

1996 - Donna, Jeannie Farrell, Rebecca Everling

Magpie

lurkingat the bottom of Ardmore Quarry Rd.

Coppi lives!

Trexlertown, 1994

Donna, with Katie Compton on the inside

Fratelli Rossi, Siena

STINKER

West

Sleazy old Jim Morrison once droned that 'the West is the best', but following Jim's advice is usually good for at least a night in jail, so I am slightly surprised that I have the last found myself on Birdwood Rd thrice in the last eight days, each time in the best of company..

First, on Boxing Day Stuart Hill led CTB, Gerry and me through a Gordian knot of West Auckland backroads in lieu of our intended Butter Chicken Loop.

Second, last Wednesday CTB, Gayle and I again abandoned BCL, this time in deference to Gayle's knee, instead heading up Birdwood to the comforts of the Kumeu Bakehouse.

Third, yesterday, despite my providing misinformation about the start time, Amy, Gayle, Emma, Jay and I once again ascended Birdwood enroute to Ridge Rd and on to Devonport.


Emma, despite the possibility that she was hallucinating by the halfway point, has ably recounted the ride on her blog.

Stuff that works- tried & liked 2011

When I started this blog I planned to do a 'Tried and Liked' blog every year, but in the world of vintage bikes there is not much new stuff to report on, so it generally didn't happen.
For 2011 I had a change of direction, and lo and behold, there's a whole lot of new stuff I find myself liking.

As you can probably tell from this photo, I am very happy with Evil Genius, the road bike I built for myself late in the winter. The frame is a concoction of '90s Columbus muscle-bike tubing, equipped with a smorgasbord of metal Campagnolo 10 speed components. I was still happy even though Gayle made me stand in the rain for this photo.

I could have done it without my Anvil Journeyman 3 frame jig, but I wouldn't want to.

My liking for Brooks saddles is well known, but I got tired of them going out of shape due to the crooked way I sit. According to Wired, the Fizik Kurve Chameleon is like a Brooks from the future, and my arse agrees. Ritchey Classic components look the part on steel bikes too.

The Mopha tool roll is the most stylish way to carry your tools and spare tubes ever. There are two tubes, a couple of Campagnolo tyre levers, a Crank Brothers multitool and a bit of tyre boot material in there.

My Rainshield Calhoun rainjacket has sleeves long enough for my monkeyarms.

Velocity A23 rims are cheap, light and, so far, strong enough. Better yet, a 25mm Conti GP4000S mounted on an A23 measures 26.5mm wide.

The best thing that I  did on a bike in 2011 was the two editions of the Race of Six Friends, devised by Stu Hill, and run by the Auckland Central Cycling Club.

Our team is the Axis of Mischief, and has included Jay, Emma, Gayle, CTB. Gaz, Adam, Kate and me. I am looking forward to riding the next edition with them on March 4.

Happy New Year 
DB

R6F v1. Jay, Emma, DB, Gayle, CTB, Gaz

R6F v2. DB, Kate, Adam, Gayle, Jay, Gaz

Buy Bernard's Colnago!

Repainted by Walter Thorburn in Rabobank colours
Low mileage 9spd Ultegra groupset
Campagnolo Chorus headset
Carbon fork
Seattube 49cm centre-top
Top tube 51.5cm

I dont know what this is worth, if you are interested EMAIL BERNARD

Life in Auckland

Whenever you get a new bike or pair of cycling shoes it will rain.

Avoidance strategies

Condor, Ron Cooper, Ritchey Swiss Cross, 1995 Benson, Ritchey fixed gear, GT Peace 29r

This weekend I have to assemble road bike from  box of parts so that CTB can ride it next weekend.
A simple enough task that I figured I could swap the Brooks Professional saddle off my '59 Condor onto the Ron Cooper before I got started.

Replacing a worn out Brooks Pro with another, more salubrious, example presented no great challenge; and nor did replacing it on the Condor with a nice 1960s Brooks B17.
The B17 looked a bit grubby, so I gave it a scrub with saddle soap, and when it had dried, a slathering of Proofide.

After lunch, other, similar, tasks seemed to become pressing.
My red road bike appeared unconscionably dirty, as did my Ritchey Swiss Cross. The Ritchey fixed gear bike was streaked with wintry road muck, unused since Gayle decreed she would be riding gears on our next ride and I, bringing only the blunt pocketknife of my athletic ability to that particular gunfight, followed suit.
These cleaned, it was apparent the the 29er singlespeed, neglected since my last visit to Rotorua with CTB, could not remain encrusted with dirt.
My vintage Ritchey missed getting photographed, but got a wash and had its tubular wheels swapped for a pair of nice clinchers.

Eventually I got CTB's Giant into the stand but I needed a beer. Fortunately, tomorrow is another day.

Salutory

The weather this morning was too good not to get the Ron Cooper out, if only for the ride to work, and remind myself of its magical properties.
On a fine day you can't go past a bareknuckle race bike, with a set of 28 spoke tubular race wheels.