Jack Bulkley

I road almost all on the road. I commute by bike, ride charity events and have even riden some brevets (200K and 300K so far). I maintain my own bikes and fix up bikes to give away at Christmas via the Spiritual Spinners - a bicycle ministry at my church.

The end is near?

 Posted by at 7:54 pm  Member Blogs  No Responses »
May 282013
 

 

 

Today I received two bicycle magazines in the mail – Bicycle Times and Bicycling. I have read every issue of Bicycle Times which is not about the sport of cycling but about riding for fun and transportation. I get Bicycling which certainly concentrates on the sport of cycling because it is complimentary with a membership to the League of American Bicyclists. I usually find something of interest in Bicycling but Bicycle Times is by far my favorite.

But today I get Bicycle Times with a Tour de France theme and Bicycling with Enjoy the Ride – The Official Guide to Pedaling Around Town. I am sure I will enjoy both, but it is a little bit scary.
bttdfbetr

 

Bicycles in the US Military – A Memorial Day Special

 Posted by at 1:25 pm  Member Blogs  No Responses »
May 262013
 

I thought it would be fun to look at some history of bicycles in the US military as part of Memorial Day.

Westfield Columbia

US Air Force Westfield Columbia

 

The US Army first procured bicycles in 1942. While the Army intended the bicycles for couriers and messengers, they got plenty of use getting around bases.

At that same time, the US mandated lighter bicycles moving from an average of 57 pounds to  a maximum of 47 pounds to reduce the use of steel. Manufacturing of children’s bicycles was also suspended although adult bicycles were desired to get workers to and from the factories.

One interesting story I found was about spy training at the British Camp X in Canada. The alumni of this training included Iam Flemming and influenced his writing of the James Bond novels. The training mentions using bicycles to get around covertly because the train stations were watched very closely and motor vehicles were often stopped and searched. But bicycles blended in with the every day people going about their business.

Here is a really nice page of Military Bicycles of World War II.

So here is to the men and women who lost their lives defending our freedom and those who served and those that still served. And an extra salute for those who turned a pedal in their duties. All so we have the freedom to pedal our bikes.

 

Riding Some Demo Bikes

 Posted by at 6:44 pm  bikes and more bikes., Member Blogs, Product Reviews  No Responses »
May 062013
 

It wasn’t like Sea Otter but Sunday I had a chance to ride some Trek demo bikes. The demo was at Lake Crabtree Park near where I work. Lately some friends at work had talked me into riding some of the trails at the park. It is a quick ride to and from the trail from where I work. My bikes are not modern. My main road bike is a 85 Cannondale touring model. My commuter is a rigid early 90s Trek mountain bike. My mountain bike is a special edition 86 Cannondale. It even has index shifting – for all 5 gears in the rear. The front is friction. But is rides pretty well. Normally it is setup for my wife to ride with flat pedals and the funky bench seat seen in the photo.

86 CannondaleAt the demo I road the Cannondale around a couple of the loops (15 to 20 minutes of riding) to get a level set. Then I road various Trek mountain bikes. Of course bikes have come a long way in 27 years. With just a few rides Sunday I could certainly feel the difference.

First up was a hard tail SuperFly – in carbon. It seemed to weigh less than my shoes.

Trek Superfly Elite SL

This was the first 29er I had ever riden and I felt high up but you quickly get used to it. It was fast and the front suspension certainly absorbed a lot of bumps. If the back tire slipped a little you could just power thru and it leaped forward. Really nice but then $5000 bikes are supposed to be really nice.

Next I tried a full suspension Superfly and again it was carbon. I think it was the Superfly 100 Elite SL.

Superfly 100 Elite SL

Whichever model, it has also fast and the full suspension meant you didn’t have to pick a line that avoided roots and rocks. Just ride right over them. This isn’t too technical of a trail but there were a few spots where I could get a feel for what the suspension could do. What it did was make it easy to tide the normal stuff and I felt it would have been possible to ride some alternate sections I have never done – but I decided to leave that for another day.

Next up was a 26″ wheeled bike, the Fuel EX. I am not a big guy (5’8″ with more torso than leg) and I was riding the medium, 17.5″, 29ers. But I wanted to make sure I wasn’t more comfortable on a 26″ bike. Or as I often see a Craig’s List a 26′ bike. Now that’s a big bike. Who rides a 26 foot bike? Even Manute Bol wouldn’t fit on it. But back to the Fuel. Like the full suspension Superfly it absorbed all the bumps. And a few times winding between the trees it was a little more agile.  But it wasn’t quite as fast rolling through the relatively smooth parts as the 29ers.

By this point I was realizing how much more fun it could be on the trails, but I realized I was unlikely to spend over $5000 so I asked to ride the most affordable bike they had – the Stache 8 at about $2400.

Stache 8

This was an aluminum frame 29er with not as high end of components, but it was still a pretty nice bike. Like all the demo mountain bikes I rode it had hydraulic disc brakes. On every bike those were very nice. Just like they say, it was easy to apply just a little brake when that was all you needed. And of course they could really stop you if you needed that. While the Stache didn’t ride quite as well as the other bikes, it still was much better than my old Cannondale.

The last bike I rode was a Domane, but I will talk about that another day.

After riding the various mountain bikes I came away realizing I liked the 29ers and I would rather have full suspension. These particular trails don’t really need the full suspension but there are some others nearby that I would probably find more ridable with full suspension.

So today when I poked around on the Trek web site I found the Rumblefish which is a full suspension 29er related to both the Stache and the Fuel EX. So even though I didn’t ride one, in Trek mountain bikes that would be the one for me. Of course figuring that out and actually deciding to spend over $2000 are not the same thing.

But now when I keep an eye on Craig’s list I know what to watch for: a medium size (around 17″), 29er and full suspension. Maybe I can find something for $1000 to $1500 that was $2000-$3000 new.

 

 

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Winners From Denver

 Posted by at 3:07 am  bikes and more bikes., Member Blogs  No Responses »
Feb 272013
 

Gold was been struck again in Denver. Well at least a nice batch of blue ribbon winners from the 2013 North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) have been announced. Here is a quick blurb and links for more information on the various winners.

Best Theme Bike

Strap a chainsaw on the back, some drinks on the front, carry some more tools in the middle and you are ready for some trail maintenance on this titanium beauty from Moots. The 3 inch wide tires on the 50 mm wide rims can take the punishment. The disk brakes give you plenty of stopping power even with a load. There is even a matching three piece titanium McLeod built into the front rack.

Read and see more at Cycling News, Cycling Dirt, Bike Rumor, and Bike Radar.

Best TIG Frame

Steve Potts takes home this award with his Titanium 29er Hardtail. Steve’s striving for a clean, beautiful weld pays off.

 

Best City Bike

Shin-Ichi Konno adds to his awards with the Cherubim Rambler. I love the handle bars, but to me a city bike should definitely have fenders.

Best Lugged Frame

Bilenky is another repeat winner, this year for best lugged frame. I hope they will have photos of this once it is fully built out.

Best Cyclocross Bike

Mosaic Cycles from nearby Boulder takes the prize for best cyclocross bike. This is a nice win in a category with lots of interest.

Best Carbon Construction

Alchemy receives the best carbon construction for a Arion Road Bike. This aero road bike has lots of nice touches with special techniques to provide a custom fit.

Best Titanium Construction

There are two winners in this category. This is Black Sheep UIMA Phat Tire Bike commissioned by the University of Iowa’s Museum of Art. But it looks totally ridable to me. Those fat tires could let you carry the flask full of brandy to people lost in the snow.
The second winner is this Kent Ericson road bike. I like the green highlights with the titanium. This a super light frame with Ultegra electronic shifters. It might be hard to buy this one, because it is just the builders size.

Best Mountain Bike

Retrotec wins best mountain bike with this 29er. Retrotec always has an interesting take on the top tube and this bike is no exception.

Best Road Bike

Bishop Bikes wins best road bike with this

 

Best Tandem

There were two winners for best tandem. This time trial tandem by Calfee Design is a sleek carbon fiber race machine custom fit for captain and stoker.

 

Black Sheep get another award in 2013 for Jack’s Tandem. Alas I am not the Jack it was made for. This bike was quite camera shy, but I did find this picture. It appears to have one of Black Sheep’s curvy fork, stem, and handle bar creations.

Best Alternative Material

Boo Bicycles receives the best alternative material awards for the Glissando Townie Concept frame combining bamboo and titanium. The bamboo is used as a natural shock absorber.

 

President’s Choice

Matsuda Cycle Factory comes across the Pacific from Japan to win the President’s Choice award with this steel track bike – the Level Keirin Racer. A simple concept executed beautifully.

Best In Show

This Rob English time trial bike was hot on social media from the moment NAHBS opened. It is no surprise to see the Best of Show award here.

New Brand Launches at NAHBS 2013

 Posted by at 7:31 am  bikes and more bikes., Member Blogs  1 Response »
Feb 232013
 
Photo Courtesy of Chris King Cielo Blog

When you see all the beautiful bikes at NAHBS, you want one. But the price may give you pause although the price of many carbon fiber bikes at your local bike shop are probably higher. Then you find out that some builders have waiting lists many months long. But they are so pretty. What do you do?

Well two Portland bike builders, Ira Ryan (Ira Ryan Cycles) and Tony Pereira (Pereira Cycles) launched Breadwinner Cycles providing semi-custom bikes made in Portland. They have six models covering cyclocross, mountain, road and city bikes at lower prices and with quicker turnaround than full custom build.

Read more at Momentum Mag and Bike Radar.

 

Bitter Sweet – Mostly Sweet

 Posted by at 7:56 pm  bikes and more bikes., Member Blogs  No Responses »
Feb 222013
 

The sweet is the North American Handmade Bicycle Show starts today in Denver. The bitter is that I am not going. But thanks to the internet, digital cameras, blogs and the many bicycle enthusiasts that are going, we can participate vicariously.

To wet your appetite I collected photos in a NAHBS 2013 Preview. I will follow up through the weekend with more photos and info I can find.

 

Dinner and Bikes

 Posted by at 3:43 am  Bike Advocacy, Bikes as a lifestyle, Member Blogs  No Responses »
Jan 212013
 
dinner and bikes

Some of you are lucky this year and the Dinner and Bike Tour is coming your way. Dinner? I like food. Bikes? I like bikes, or love bikes, or am totally obsessed with bikes! So what is Dinner and Bikes?

From the Dinner and Bikes web site:

A Dinner and Bikes evening includes a gourmet, vegan and gluten-free buffet dinner prepared by Joshua Ploeg, a presentation about the everyday bicycling movement by Elly Blue, and a near-complete excerpt from Aftermass, Joe Biel’s forthcoming documentary about the history of bicycling in Portland. The event is followed by a book signing with all three presenters, and some time to peruse our traveling bicycle and cooking themed bookshop.

Now wait, you teased me with dinner and now I see vegan and gluten-free. But never fear, I promise there are plenty of foods in this category and Joshua is sure to offer a tasty, filling combination. Elly Blue is one of the best writers on cycling topics. Her opinions are well thought out and backed with research studies. I am really looking forward to her full Bikenomics book.

In 2013 Dinner and Bikes will have a few March dates in California including Sacramento. Then they have what the call the NorthEast Tour although it actually runs from Chicago to New York down to DC and then back to Wisconsin. Check out the full schedule.

They promise to go up and down the East coast in 2014 which should bring them close enough to me. I look forward to it.

So make plans to just pedal to dinner and learn more about biking.

 

 

 

Cost of a Commuter Bike

 Posted by at 3:33 am  Commuting, Member Blogs  No Responses »
Jan 082013
 
My Commuter On A Trip To Nashville

I am considering a new bike for my commute and that made me wonder about the cost of my current commuter. The basic bike is a mid 90′s steel all rigid mountain bike. These are sturdy bikes, fairly agile, and the fat tires absorb the bumps found on most streets. My bike is a Trek Mountain Trail bought on Craig’s list for $75. I spent much more than that on basic upgrades. In fact it totaled $232 to get the basic riding the way I wanted it. This included a set of Shimano combination brake levers and shifters. This set can be switched from cantilever to V-brake mode. With cables and housing they were $35 which is great value for an upgrade. I got some Planet Bike fenders ($40) and switched to Tektro long reach v-brakes($24). I found some handle bars with a little more sweep and rise for only $13 and switched to ergonomic grips ($9). I picked up a saddle ($35) and BMX pedals from Animal ($16). Lastly I switched to city tires, Serfas Drifter ($60), but kept them in the 2 inch range.

So that gives me a nice riding bike with improved shutting and braking. The next need is to carry stuff. I added a Topeak Explorer ($25) rear rack, a small front rack ($18) and lucked out with a pair of Novara waterproof panniers ($100) when they were closing them out. I pack my office stuff (computer, etc.) in one and clothes, tools, and spare tubes in the other. When needed I can bungee a box to the top of the rear rack or to the front rack.

Lastly I needed to be seen and see. So I added lights. Lots of lights. $205 worth of lights. On the front I have a MagicShine 900 lumen ($100) headlight and a Planet Bike Blaze 1W headlight ($46). On the back is a Planet Bike Super Flash ($29) and a Cateye Reflex rear light ($30).

This gives me a grand total of $655 for my commuter bike. That is not cheap but it is not bad either. I save at least $50 a month in gas and around a $100 a year on maintenance (mostly tires, brakes pads and cables). That leaves $500 a year in gas savings which takes a little over a year to pay for itself in gas savings.

Of course there are other benefits of cycling, but the gas savings are the easiest to quantify. What is it worth to lose a few pounds, get in better shape, smell the fresh air, arrive at work energized and reduce air pollution.
By the way, I added links to many of the products so  you can see what I am talking about, but I bought most things at a local bike shop.

Thanks for reading and try to pedal to work.

 

2013 – A New Beginning

 Posted by at 8:12 am  Bikes as a lifestyle, Commuting, Member Blogs  No Responses »
Jan 012013
 

The end of 2012 was a wash for me as far as cycling. About 3 months ago I fell on my way to work. I was on the Northwoods Greenway in Cary, NC – a route I had riden around 300 times in this direction. There is a little drop then you cross a small wood bridge and then the path curves to the left. There were a few wet leaves and it seems one of those got under my front tire and washed it out from under me. There was no wobbling or warning. I was up and then I was down using my body and the asphalt path as very effective brakes, going from around 15 MPH to 0 MPH in a second or two. But that is hard on the skin. I managed to skin the inside of my left arm, both elbows and fair bit of my face. I laid in the quite fall morning for a coule of minutes, then sat up. There was no one around so I gathered my wits and had enough sense to not hop right back on the bike. The adrenaline and shock need time to wear off before you make any judgments. But after a couple of minutes I decided to walk the bike down the trail. So I straightened the handlebars and walked for maybe 5 minutes.  The walking cleared my head I decided to ride the remaining 4 1/2 miles to work. I was riding slow and at first I thought there was something wrong with my right trigger shifter, but soon I realized that it was my thumb that was too tender to push it properly. I got in a good medium gear and did very little shifting for the rest of the ride.

I work at a company with a large (250+ acres) campus. The way I come in leads pretty directly to the gym. My original plan had been to clean my wounds in the shower and assess the damage. But I realized that the one building I pass on the way to the gym is the healthcare center. Ah ha, they can clean up and bandage my wounds better than I can. So I dropped in, face a mess, blood running down my arms and legs. It did not take long for them to take me into the back. They did a good job with the wounds. I got them to clean everything, then I went to the gym for  shower and came back for bandages. I knew I was going to look bad, but I figured I didn’t have to small bad too. They had this plastic wrap kind of stuff with sticky edges. That really seems to work on the road rash stuff. It is gross because the wound creates puss but no scab, but it healed pretty well. I mentioned my sore thumb and they said to keep an eye on it.

So a week later the thumb is still sore so they get the physical therapist to look at at. He suspects a torn ligament commonly known as skier’s thumb. IHe gives me a splint to wear and I set up an appointment with a hand specialist which takes another week. The hand specialist says it needs surgery and schedules that for a week later. They make me a different splint to wear before and after the surgery. So 3 weeks after my fall I have surgery on my hand to reattach the torn ligament. This includes a pin to hold the thumb in position. The X-ray looks like this.

thumb xray

 

For 5 weeks I do very little with the hand. I cannot ride, well I probably could but I got a good doctor and it seems silly to ignore his advice. Then I get the pin out and start some physical therapy. I think I need to recover 50% from the surgery and 50% from the inactivity. I could have done more other exercise during this time but I never got around to doing much. But the thumb has gotten enough better that right after Christmas I am told I do not have to wear the splint except when doing something strenuous or that might put pressure on it, like riding the bike.

So now I can ride cautiously and I have started to exercise. I have a way to go just to be in good enough shape to really work out. My weight had crept up before the fall and now my Wii tells me I am obese, although if I drop 5 pounds I’ll be back to overweight. It seems a sad goal to just be overweight, but it is a start.

So I look forward to 2013. More biking, less weight, better fitness. No resolutions, just determination.

Back to pedaling.

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