It's big. It's dumb.

[Dirt]

Kinda like me. :D

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President Juarez helps me find my office while giving a bird a nice place to rest.

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Component choice was kind of odd... thanks in part to me building it with stuff I had laying around the shop.

See you around town.

Pete

[Mark Blacknell]

You know, that top picture is exactly what's wrong with Washington. All that time and effort to make a perch for a single bird!

(Very cool bike. Going to have to ask you for a test ride sometime.)

[Dirt]

You need to think with a bigger perspective, Mark. He resisted the French occupation, overthrew the Empire, restored the Republic, and used liberal efforts to modernize the country... all so that he could provide a perch for a single bird.

Thank you. Riding it in Fredneck with Grumpy, Tuba, Jabberwocky and Lydia the Tattooed lady at 0800 tomorrow. Also riding to CycleFest in Reston Towneee Centreee tomorrow afternoon. The second ride might get swapped for a Waterford Loop if you're interested. Though I want to talk to Gary Fisher about all the great things he invented (Mountain bikes, 29ers, The Internet). ;)

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Dummy has a big ring now. The positioning isn't perfect yet. The Brooks Saddle is more forward than my SpecialEd. Gonna have to swap that out. I'd also add that Brooks Saddle + tri-bars = OWWWIEEEE

[invisiblehand]

cool bike dude.

[Dirt]

Womble and I are gonna have a Big Dummy Convoy home on the C&O tonight. Should be fun.

[Dirt]

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Womblehead and I riding part of The Hills of North Arlington loop on 60 pound cargo bikes. Rah!

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Not Arlington... actually it is Frederick, MD, but the Dummy accelerates like a Prius with an unfixed accelerator pedal on a 15% grade. Using a low gear didn't help. ;)

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Dancing with Buses in front of the Kennedy Center during this morning's commute

[AJsinVA]

Very nice. I hope you went UP that 15% grade.

[Dirt]

We went up the other side, which is steady 8% grade with pitches between 11 and 12%. The climb is much longer though. I don't have a granny gear on that thing at the moment, so 15% gradient would kill me. 12% was bad enough.

The only bummer about that hill is that there is a stop light directly at the bottom. I needed all the braking power that the 203mm rotors could dish out. 48mph to zero ASAP. :D Definitely fun times.

[Dirt]

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Day 52 of Bike 180: I'm a totally aerodynamic brick. :D

[Dirt]

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Enjoying the sun being up when I'm still commuting.

[Mark Blacknell]

Do you still have your Hero? I think we need the whole journey compressed into a couple of minutes, one day . . .

[Dirt]

Hahaha... That would be funny. I'll get right to work on that. I've generally found that videos like that are more entertaining when one in portrait instead of landscape orientation. Much more annoying too.... Which really is my goal in life. ;)

[skreaminquadz]

That is one sweet BD! Nice build Dirt!

[Dirt]

Thank yee.

It has been a great training tool for getting back into shape after a winter off with injuries. Bucket panniers should be done this weekend.

[skreaminquadz]

Bucket panniers should be done this weekend.
Did you get the buckets on? Any pics??

[Dirt]

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4623618811_c731ce547b_b.jpg
Buckets in action. I'm riding 2 on the left side and my laptop pannier on the right. As long as the weight is within 20 pounds of balance it works out pretty well. I have some different ones for the front... they're taller and skinnier.

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Beer retrieval right after dinner retrieval.

[Joe Chapline]

That's a nice rig, almost a cargo bike. Mt. Nittany Wheelworks? I don't know the shop, but I'm a Penn State man myself. Mt. Nittany was much bigger then; mountains naturally erode over time.

[skreaminquadz]

Holy smokes - that's perfect! Again, great build and enjoy the Hefeweizen! Thanks for posting the pics.

[Dirt]

@Joe: Mt. Nittany Wheelworks was a shop near Penn State. It was amazing. Super cool shop.... Sponsor of the 2005 Single Speed World Championships. Unfortunately they did not survive the current economic downturn. I purchased a selection of their team kits on eBay last fall and they are some of my most cherished cycling clothes. Very cool stuff.

@Skreaminquadz: Basically that build is almost perfect for me. I have a few changes that I need to make in the next few months. I've got all the different Xtracycle kits for it. The wheels need an upgrade though. I used XT hubs that I had laying around in the basement. They will not survive the summer. The freehub mechanism won't handle the weight and torque that it takes to move a bike like this. I'll likely rebuild the rear wheel with a Hope or White Industries hub. I've been collecting parts for a generator light system. The last part I need is the front hub. That is the expensive part, unfortunately. The German made generators are awesome, but are definitely the most expensive part on the bike next to the frame.

It is getting good use. It gets 40+ miles per day Monday through Friday and has made a few long rides on the weekends. The beer, however, hasn't lasted that long. Gotta go back for more on the way home tonight.

[skreaminquadz]

I think I had a BD siting today. I was heading East on the Custis down into Rosslyn and I think the BD was stopped at a light heading West (on it's way up the Rosslyn hill) around 5pm. It took me a minute to figure out where I'd seen the BD before. I should have turned around to introduce myself and just head home - I ended up flatting 3 times in the next 5 miles.

[consularrider]

I think I had a BD siting today. I was heading East on the Custis down into Rosslyn and I think the BD was stopped at a light heading West (on it's way up the Rosslyn hill) around 5pm. It took me a minute to figure out where I'd seen the BD before. I should have turned around to introduce myself and just head home - I ended up flatting 3 times in the next 5 miles.

We all must have been on the same section about the same time. Saw them heading up from Roosevelt Island just before 5 pm.

[Dirt]

@Skreamin': Sorry to hear about the flats. I have that effect on people. Sunday morning I added to my cargo for the week and those hills definitely hurt. It is going to take me quite a while before I feel good climbing those.

@Consularrider: I believe I saw you wave while you were waiting for someone in the TR parking lot. I think I got a smile out before I rolled by. I was kind of in my own world at the moment. There were weighty issues of work significance occupying the 3% of my brain power not required for safely operating my bicycle. ;)

My afternoon commute time is different every day. I've been trying to leave at a reasonable hour, but it doesn't always work out that way. I often am stomping home after 9 or 10 hour days. That also leads to a less than peppy dance up the hills in Rosslyn and before Glebe road.

Good to see y'all. Introduce yourself next time. Always nice to meet new people.

And since this is a photo thread....

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Chicks dig guys in gingham. ;)

[skreaminquadz]

@Skreamin': Sorry to hear about the flats. I have that effect on people.

Ha - good to know for next time. I definitely WILL introduce myself then book it home before the flats start ;)

[Dirt]

Someone said "hi" as I was rolling west on the W&OD last night around 1730. I was pretty dogged after a 45+ mile slog home on a 75 pound bike and West street hills rapidly approaching. I think I grunted a semi coherent reply. Not my most pleasant greeting evar.

[AJsinVA]

Your commute is 45 miles each way? I thought I had something with 15.2.

[Dirt]

Last night I left work early and picked up some stuff in Anacostia and Oxon Hill. I had a snack in National Harbor. Went to the Credit Union in Alexandria, got coffee in Shitlington, then W&ODed home. 73.5K = about 45.7 miles. 3h20m rolling time. Not bad for a fatboy. Maybe I'm ready for the MS epic weekend after all. Better be. It is less than 3 weeks away.

[AJsinVA]

Impressive especially on the bike you ride. I have classes in the evening so I can't go off the commute route too much. My longer rides are usually on the weekends. I might shoot for a century on monday jsut for the hell of it...I think I can make it from Fairfax to WV and back. The end of the W&OD was 80 round trip. The way I map it I can go another 10 miles and I will be in WV or very close. I better pack a lunch...

[Dirt]

Sounds like a good ride. I will be in a kayak Saturday and Sunday I think and then I think I'm riding the Blue Ridger on Monday. It'll be nice to get out on the Cervelo after a few weeks on the Cargo bike.

[Dirt]

This message is more than 10 characters long.
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[Mark Blacknell]

Dude.

(Dude?

Dude.

Duuude.)

[Dirt]

Dude........

[CCrew]

overthrew the Empire, restored the Republic, and used liberal efforts to modernize the country... all so that he could provide a perch for a single bird.

Funny, that statue looks nothing like Luke Skywalker! :D

Had to dig up an old thread, sorry!