U-District

The Torker U-District, $349, is another choice for the underpaid citizens of Logan, UT. It turns out that workers in Logan make less per hour than any other place in Utah. This bike will get you to that low paying job really fast. I have all sizes in stock. The U-District is a Redline 925 made with cheaper steel, flat bars, and without the fenders. The Bicycle Gospel According To Robert, chapter three, states: "Don't ride a mountain bike to get around town. It's like driving an F350 to do your errands."

Like A Broken Record

Most young folks don't know what a broken record sounds like. I do. I find myself saying the same things over and over, the same sales pitches, the one about good shoes that cost over $100 having less rubber than a bicycle and no moving parts so why would you expect a $100 bicycle to work, and the same old bicycle gospel according to Robert. My favorites are "don't ride on the sidewalk" and "buying a Walmart bike is like tearing your $80 into little pieces of confetti and throwing them into the air."

I repeated both more than once yesterday. In the afternoon, two men from war torn Burma, recently arrived refugees, came in to the shop. (The Burma story and the Utah refugee story are another post. Follow the links to learn more. Send money if you can.) They spoke very little English, and had a Walmart bike they were sharing. They said it did not ride well. Yes. I asked when they had bought the bike and if they could take it back, but that was beyond their language abilities. I put the bike on the stand. Neither wheel turned between the brake pads. I tried the backhand-whack then spot true method. It didn't help much. I tried to center the cheap V-brakes. I turned one adjustment screw all the way in and the other all the way out on both the front and rear. Not much better. I turned the adjusting barrel on the rear derailleur and got the bike to shift on four middle cogs. No, I was not about to take it off and align the hanger or mess with the H and L sets as was needed. Walmart employees (notice I did not say Walmart bicycle mechanics) see H and L sets on rear derailleurs and just assume they should turn them all the way in. "Look, Billy Bob, these two screws are loose, I'll tighten 'em up real good." I shifted the front derailleur and only got chain rub. The front derailleur was an inch too high and toed-out. I moved it to the proper location and it still would not shift well. Oh well. "How much" they said. "Nothing" I said. They had confused looks on their faces, and then they smiled. They crossed the street, and took turns riding their new bicycle. On the sidewalk.

Redline Metro 9

Yes, more marketing again. It's what I do. I've posted about this bike before, but I need to update and put a link in the Choose Well sidebar.

The Redline Metro 9 is a fantastic bicycle. I sold two last Saturday! The virtues sound like a repeat sermon: $679, steel, rack mount, full fenders, flat bar, and lots-o-gears that are easy to use (I tell people this bike has just as many gears as a 24 speed bike. It's magic, 9=24, but I could show you the math, no redundancy, no cross gear). Come in for a test ride.

A Smile On A Face

B. Z. came into Fe700c Bicycles two weeks ago, all 6 feet 4 inches of him. He asked all the questions the Bicycle Industry had programmed his brain to ask: questions about light weight aluminum frames, front shocks, disc brakes, full suspension, and "normal size" 26 inch wheels.

Like most of the people who hear me stand on my soap box and explain the virtues of the Redline D-440, he listened politely, asked a few more half hearted questions, and walked out of the shop. I had given my best sermon: $649, steel frame, front and rear rack attachments, big 29er wheels, utility as a commuter bike with fenders and thin tires, the ability to roll over bumps without the need for suspension, and the stopping power of v-brakes (and the negative side of disc brakes, but that is another post, wwwwhhhhhaaaaaa, wwwwwhhhhhaaaa, wwwhhhaaaa).

What I talked about most was bike fit. "Yes, B. Z., you are a big guy. You are going to have a much lower center of gravity relative to the bike on a 29er. Your OTB ratio is going to go down! I'm sure you have never had a bike that fit you. The top tube on a 21 inch frame on this bike is nearly 25 inches. The stand over height is 33 inches. You would really like the ride. You don't need shocks and disc brakes, really." On and on I went. Out the door he went.

Then, last week, he came back. Perhaps something had sunk in, or perhaps he had done some research. He said he wanted to try the D-440. So, I ordered the big 21 inch bike and assembled it yesterday. Yes, it was big, bars and saddle at my rib cage. B. Z. came in, hopped on, and went for a ride, perfect fit, perfect shifting, and perfect brakes. He came back with a big smile on his face.

Fe

Just in case you really wanted to know more about Fe.

Goodnight.

Back in the Shop

I'm back from Montana. I'm back from Park City. I'll be in the shop all week long, except for when I'm not in the shop. Right.

Montana

I will be working in Montana for the next few days, so the shop will be closed Thursday. I will be open regular hours on Friday.

Redline Monocog 29er

Dollar for dollar, the Redline Monocog is the best 29er singlespeed bicycle out there. Really. I ride one. Mine is stuck in Florida, and I sure miss it, but I ride one. The price is $549. Yes, $549 for a complete bike. I have these bikes in stock. Pay close attention to the geometry on these. The top tubes are long. So, go down a size, eh? I just got an email from Matt Chester, so I am speaking Canadian. I really am getting a monster cross from Matt, and I am so excited. If anyone wants to know where I got the crazy idea to sell only the bikes you really believe in, obviously, I got the idea from Matt. He is a smart guy. Thanks, Matt.

Classic Fuji Touring and Fuji Cambridge

$1100 (now $949!!)
$1250 (now $899!)
$1250 (now $899!!)

Sure, Fe700c Bicycles is still selling Fuji Bicycles. Above are the Touring C and the Fuji Cambridge in Men's and Women's versions. Just follow the links for details.

Redline D440

Fe700c Bicycles sells the Redline D440 as a complete bike. I love this bike! It's a 29er mountain bike. With 38c tires it's a heavy duty commuter or off road touring machine.

• $650

• Full Chromoly frame and fork with front and rear rack mounts
  

• SRAM X-5 rear shifter and derailleur (no Shimano parts, no front derailleur, no front shifter, I'm not going to go into detail here, but just trust me that this bicycle still has all the gears you would ever need, 8 of them)

• Tektro v-brakes that will throw you over the bars (I told you I don't really like disc brakes)

Pake C'Mute

This is the bike I currently ride. It can be built to do anything from touring to commuting to fixed gear cyclocross. Versatility.

It is has:

• $360 price tag

• butted Tange 4130 Chromoly front triangle

• clearance for 35c tires with fenders (45c in front w/out fenders)
  

• an extended headtube (works great with offroad flared drop bars)

• removable decals (put your own on)

• horizontal dropouts and a derailleur hanger

• unicrown steel fork with rack and fender mounts and low rider pannier mounts, 44mm rake, and matching paint

• color, Pave-Mint (kind of blue green)

• 27.2 seatpost

• 132.5mm rear hub spacing (this means it all fits)
  

• 1-1/8" headset size, threadless

• 28.6 front derailleur
• no way to put on disc brakes (thank God)
  

You can buy the frame and fork only or talk to me about a custom build. Again, the choice is yours (but I would suggest a flared drop bar single speed/fixed gear cyclocross go anywhere do anything bike).

My Next Bike?

My Redline Monocog 29er is still in Florida. I really miss it. I'm very tempted to go ahead and build a steel 29er, even though I don't want to be the type of person who owns two steel 29er mountain bikes. But then again, I do own a bike shop. I should ride what I sell. Fe700c Bicycles. And, Logan trails can be quite harsh on 32c tires. So, here it is, the Soma Juice. Steel, single, gears, V-brakes, so many choices. My next bike?

I Miss Charlie's Face

Back in Bozeman, Montana, I often got to ride with this kid named Tejay Van Garderen. I remember once going up Charlie's Face just as hard as I could go (see picture above), feeling really good about myself, when Tejay just blew by me. Up the trail he turned around, headed back down, turned around, and blew by me again. Yes, I was riding really fast, and Tejay was just doing intervals around me. Tejay is now a pro in Europe and I'm still a want-to-be. Good job Tejay!

Top Ten

I don't really know when I will post new baiku. Probably when the mood strikes. A few days ago I imported all the old posts from the old blog into this new blog. I realized just how much I have posted in the last three years or so. So, I have put my Top Ten baikus/stories with links on the sidebar. I must say, some of these are pretty good and may be worth a second look. If you are new to this site they are certainly worth a first look.

More Bikes

Here are four more choices for reasonably priced high quality steel frames, all from Soma. Road, comfort road, welded, lugged, gears, singlespeed, fixedgear, so many choices, but they are all steel. I will be selling these frames (or custom complete builds) real soon. Fe700c Bicycles. All pictures by Soma.

Soma Delancey lugged frame and lugged fork, $795

Soma Speedster lugged frame and lugged fork, $795

Soma Smoothie ES frame, $400

Soma Smoothie frame, $400

Guide Service

I'm going to tell you a secret, but you can't tell anyone. Really, this is an important secret. If it were to get out, it would change everything. It would alter the alignment of the stars.

So, don't tell anyone, but Logan, Utah is one of the best places in the United States to ride a bicycle. Really. It has the best roads, the best trails, and the best scenery around. There are few good restaurants, no place to buy a good beer, no night life to speak of, few art galleries, good people who follow a strange religion, and only one coffee shop. But, oh my gawd the riding we have. Cache Valley is a huge maze of empty roads with mountain views in every direction. The view is a circle of mountains really. The single track is some of the best I've seen. I would compare it with all the great mountain biking destinations I am familiar with: Moab, Fruita, Jackson, Driggs, Bozeman, and West Fir.

While in Bozeman, I did quite a bit of professional guiding. Now that I no longer have cheap Aluminum bikes to build and more free time, I am now offering myself as a guide to anyone who wants to come to Logan and go on a mountain bike ride. I know all the trails. I know the details that the guidebooks and mtbr.com do not, like where the cows are, where the mud is, where the downfalls are, and the difficulty level of each trail. Most importantly, I know trails not in the books or on the Internet.

Here's what you get:

• A professional ride guide

• Epic rides on the best trails without any effort on your part (other than pedaling) or ever getting lost

• A professional mechanic who can do nearly any trail side repair

• A gourmet lunch (I am a really good cook. Remember, we have few good restaurants.)

• Someone to carry your gourmet lunch, snacks, water, and tools

• Some of the best single track and mountain views you have ever seen or your money back

Cost:
Oh yes, there is a cost.

• $300/half day for up to three people (now don't sweat the math, that's $100 per person)

• $500/full day for up to three people. I'll let you do the math this time, because it's more complicated

• Advanced riders only

More Marketing

Above is the Voodoo Dambala. Like many of their bikes, it is made from real Chromoly steel. It's a geared bike, and it's a singlespeed. I like it. It's Fe700c. I would build it without the shocks and disc brakes, but I like it.



This is the Soma Double Cross pic I promised. It's the high class, better steel version of the Pake C'Mute (without the semi-horizontal dropouts). Nothing more needs to be said. This is the real thing. Like Coke.

What Are You Going To Sell?

Voodoo. Fe700c Bicycles will be selling Voodoo. I really like the Nakisi, above, a true monster cross. Voodoo has many steel frames that can do it all. Below is a prototype of what the Nakisi would look like built up with big tires.



I've been selling, and will continue to sell these. Below is the C'Mute. I am currently riding this frame nearly full time on and off road. Again, this bike can be built to do nearly anything: tour, cross, commute, or fixed gear off road.



I will sell Soma too. I'll post picture of the Double Cross tomorrow.