In with the new, out with the old

Lots of changes here at the House of Zen. While work is preventing me from getting in a lot of long rides this year, it hasn't prevented me from riding, or making some changes to the stable. My beloved 1990 Paramount has been sold to a local rider who fits the bike much better than I did. A bittersweet goodbye, but when a bike isn't right for you, you don't ride it, and all bikes deserve to be ridden rather than sit hanging unused in a garage.

New to the fleet is a 2011 Surly Big Dummy. I've been intrigued by the BD since it first came out a few years ago with it's sexy curved top tube. The new incarnation loses the fancy top tube, but is still a cool bike. I picked this up from a local rider as a frame/fork/vrack/freeloaders package. As is normal, what was planned to be a cheap quick build turned into something a little fancier as I got into the project.



The final build list:

• Shimano XT Hubs laced to Mavic XM321 rims. Shod with 2.5" Maxxis Hookworm tires
• Race Face triple crankset mated to a Shimano 122mm square taper BB
• Shimano Deore front and rear derailleurs
• SRAM attack shifters
• Jeff Jones Aluminum loop bars
• Salsa 110mm stem
• Chris King headset
• Salsa Promoto 2 seatpost with Brooks B17 on top
• Salsa seat collar
• Ping bell
• Origin 8 platform pedals
• Avid speed dial levers running BB7 brakes
• Avid 203mm rotors (F & R)
• Planet Bike Cascadia 29er fenders
• Pump
• Bell
• kickstand
• Some inner tubes and electrical tape to keep the paint wear to a minimum

I painted the V racks black to match the frame. I also ordered in a set of wide loaders and painted them black too, as well as adding some well placed innertube to potential wear/bump spots. The bike is sporting a black Flightdesk as well.

Initial ride impressions after a couple hundred miles with and without cargo are positive. A bit of work uphill, but it cruises at 15-18 on flats just fine. Handling is great, and the bike is well balanced, both loaded and unloaded. Loads so far include 70 lbs of groceries, empty and full LP tanks, a case of beer in two Rubbermaid coolers, and my lovely wife. I'm looking forward to many miles on this bike over the coming months. It will be interesting to see how well it handles once the weather starts getting colder and snowier.

Out with the "old" (and in with the new). IE - FOR SALE

I'm clearing some bikes out of my house. Not because they're broken, or in poor shape, but because these bikes don't fit into the riding I'm discovering that I really enjoy. The first is being sold because it's a size too small for me. If it wasn't for that, I'd probably hang onto it. Due to the size issue, I don't enjoy riding it. The second bike is being sold because it's being replaced with something a little more off-road worthy. It's a solid bike with some nice upgrades and has been well taken care of.

If you fit either of these bikes, leave a comment and lets see if we can make a deal.


1990 Schwinn Paramount
56cm frame
Waterford hand built OS steel frame
Silver and red
Chris King Headset
Dura Ace Brakes
9 Speed Dura Ace drivetrain w Campy ergo shifters
Selle Italia Flite Saddle
American Classic seatpost
Shimano 105 SPD-SL pedals
Weight - 20 lbs
(Photo is with older set of pedals and tires)

Asking $1100. Open to a reasonable offer.


Olive Green Surly Long Haul Trucker

The LHT has been SOLD to a good home.

Commute and bikes

Rode the Monkey to work today. Felt good to finally not drive to work for a change. Even though my commutes have been short, under 9 miles each way at the old house and right at 3 miles each way from our new place, those miles start to add up over the months. Commuting is a good way for me to make sure I get some miles in each week. I also tend to ride the commutes fairly hard, which is a big difference from the long slow rides that I normally like to take, and is good for me as well. Over the last year I've mainly used my Cayne Single speed as my commute bike. Even though it's steel, it's fairly light, and it's easy enough to just hop on and go. I'm thinking that I might take the old Schwinn that I bought and turn it into a single speed commuter. It would take some weight off the bike and with the wider tires, and fenders it would be a better bike for bad weather. My other option is to donate it to the newly formed Des Moines Bike Kollective, and then buy a used Surly LHT that I've had my eyes on for the last couple of weeks. As long as one bike leaves when another one arrives, I'll probably be able to get away with that.