Current events

From Noah.org

Currently I'm trying to figure out my next move in motorcycles. I've been riding an ancient CB360 for years now. It's served me well, but it can't handle freeway speeds. It's also getting harder to maintain. Even the mechanics at Charlie's Place in San Francisco look with disdain upon my venerable ride. So I'm thinking to ditch the classic and buy my first new vehicle. I'll probably end up with the Ducati Monster 695. I looked at the SV650. It's probably a better bike for the money, but I couldn't see myself on it. The engine is ugly. And the Ducatis really are not too expensive for what you get.

I'm also trying to modernize my family heirloom Motobecane Grand Touring -- another exercise in folly (folly is the most exercise I get). This bike is the first 10-speed I ever rode. My step-father rode it to Canada and back. It's got some history and it looks nice. The first thing I learned is that when you put modern 700mm wheels on forks made for 27 inch wheels that the brakes will no longer reach the rims. So now I'm thinking of putting disk brakes on this thing. Here we go... I removed the rear brake entirely to save weight. I switched the front brake lever to the right side so it's motorcycle style now. I removed the front derailleur. It only has two chain-rings anyway and I can stop and switch it manually when necessary. In fact, I discovered that I could use my toe as a derailluer! The current plan is to make the bike into a three speed with a front derailleur and three chain-rings. The rear wheel will have a single speed freewheel. I'll add a chain tensioner especially for this purpose. These bike geeks with their fixed speed bikes are impressive, but I live in San Francisco on a hill. I'm pushing 40. I suffered a broken back 6 months ago. Give me a brake. I'm not man enough to handle the streets of San Francisco without a few gear options. Maybe if I lived in the Netherlands. I considered an internal gear hub (Shimano Nexus 8-speed), but from everything I've read they are not durable enough for heavy stand-on-the-pedals cranking. (2006-07-19T03:16:37 Root) --root 03:16, 19 July 2006 (PST)

Man! This is old! This is what would probably have been my Blog before I decided to call it that since that's what everyone else calls these things. In the old days we called them ".plan" and ".finger" files... I did get a Ducati after all, but not a Monster 695; I went for the Multistrada since it was a little more comfortable... Ah, I spelled "break" wrong -- or maybe this was supposed to be a pun because all these Fixie bikes don't have brakes. This seems unlikely as I dislike puns as a category of humor; although, that would have been a pretty good pun to pass up. Oh, but now I just noticed that I also made a pun on the phrase, "exercise in folly". I guess I'm a hypocrite as well as a bad punster and worse speller...

--root 03:22, 3 February 2009 (PST)