...the weekend madness (installment 12)

Unfortunately, I never made it to the Goldsprints Friday. I got home, armed myself with marshmallow essentials (bicycle, beer, and bud), and was all set to head over to hipster central when the sky opened up and a deluge of precipitation came down on NYC for the next 24 hours or so...

I really need some fenders.


Anywho, since Saturday was a flop for riding (for the aforementioned reason), I packed my sparse belongings into boxes, preempting my move back to Bed-Stuy, and watched youtube vids of bike races all day.

As I mentioned recently, I'm becoming quite the track racing fan and can't wait 'til I've got a bike worthy (and legal) for the velodrome. So of course I'm spending countless minutes in front of the computer watching races, studying tactics, and drooling over impossibly pretty bikes.

We all know (or if you don't you will soon) that track racing originally gained popularity right here, in NYC, over a hundred years ago; and Madison Square Garden, in its original 'sportway', was a velodrome that garnered widespread attention and created it's own event, called of course, the madison.

Sadly, track cycling lost much of it's popularity with the american public in favor of newer, more intense "sports" like Nascar and football. Fortunately, the sport held fast in other parts of the world like Japan, where it has enjoyed the status horse racing holds in the west, as a venue for state-run betting.


They organized thier own special event called the Keirin (ケイリン) where 6-9 cyclist sprint for 600m or so after being paced by a motorized bike for the first 3/4 of the course.

Needless to say, its a ripping good time and really fun to watch the color-coded racers muscle for position behind the pacer before all hell breaks loose and they fly to the line.

Like this:



I don't read Japanese, but I'm pretty sure all the writing is just betting odds and finish times.

Of course, like all state approved vices, gambling won't maintain continued financial success without manufacturing some desire... Check out these commercials I found for Keirin from Japan:





Pretty seductive, huh? I wish I could understand the speech and text to know if it's cheesy, epic, or epically cheesy.

Anyway, if that doesn't get your pistons pumping for some high-cadence action, just check out this viddy of a Keirin racer training:



Wow. The Japanese will conquer us all... on the track, at least.

...Phryday Fotos

(Nike X Livestrong - STAGES Art Exhibition at the Armory on Park via freshness mag)




(Cyclocross Norddal by Rapha on their Flickr page)

And this is what I'm doin' tonight... feel free to join me, I think shit kicks off at 7-ish

...phot-o-the-day

...Bike Porn (decisions decisions)

Like all people "into cycling" I've recently come to the realization that I have far too few bicycles in my 'stable'. So scouring craigslist, ebay, and local shops for a new frameset, I became increasingly confused about what sort of bike to build [first].

As the winter months approach, I know a beater bike would be ideal considering the amount of salt, snow and grime brought on by foul weather riding.


My initial thought was that I could get a crappy Panasonic or Myata, ride it through the hell that is New York winters, and then repaint the frame and build it up into a nice ss/fixed bike for the springtime. Something like this maybe (disregard the 'colorways'):


However, I frequently fall victim to my own good taste and end up only perusing frames costing way more than I can reasonably afford or ones unfit to be ridden in anything but the nicest weather, like this one I recently saw on the 'Bay.

Also, growing up in a mass-produced generation, I salivate over rare or custom things so I was elated when I found this website, that boasts a gallery of vintage bikes (of course, all exquisitely lugged, pantographed, yadda, yadda, yadda...) and a thorough history of the racing bicycle.

Now I want this 1979 Colnago Pista




yeaaaah, zero fucking clearance to the crown.

Or how about this Vintage Chesini X Uno:



Alas, I'll probably never be able to even come close to affording a bike like either of these, but fortunately, there are a few frame builders that make not so commonplace frames at more mass-produced prices.

I've been looking at Leader Bike a lot recently, And I think I'm going to settle on the 725TR as a base for an upcoming track setup. I know a couple of people with Leader frames who are quite satisfied with them, so hopefully I'll succeed in building a track monster that, while maybe not being the rarest bike on the road, won't fall into what I like to call the "nike bike" category.


I knew this was a good choice because upon opening an image of this frame on my monitor, Mr. Bernard stuck his ears up straight and gave a nose-wiggle of approval before hopping onto his throne.


While one should always have decisions blessed by a miniature bunny, I can't say I'll definitely get the Leader; who knows, maybe I'll find something good on craigslist one of these days...

...Real fast

Gotta love the dude at 0:52 who's really trying to play something.