Garage Sale Special

Posted on May 29, 2009 by Jeff Moser

Whenever I see a garage sale, I always scan it, looking for any signs of bicycles. Garage sale bikes are usually disappointing, almost always dilapidated Huffys or other department store bikes. Every once in a while though, you find something kind of cool.

Faggin Italian Road Bike

During the Tour of Carson, we rode by a garage sale up on Arrowhead Drive. I saw a dirty old bike mixed in with all the other junk, but couldn’t really tell if it was for sale or if someone had ridden up on it. It didn’t appear to be junk though. I was riding sweep on the tandem, and decided to just keep riding in the interest of time; however, I only made it a block or two, when I was compelled to go back and see what that bike was.

A healthy mix of Campagnolo and Dura Ace

I asked the lady at the garage sale if the bike for sale. She said it was, so I started to look it over. The first thing I noticed was the lugged frame. The head badge and decals were missing, but the seat stays and bottom bracket were stamped with the word “Faggin”. I wasn’t familiar with the brand, and even thought it sounded a bit funny. I continued looking the bike over.

Cut-out on Bottom Bracket

My interest started perking up as I inspected the components. Dura Ace, Campagnolo, Cinelli, Look…I was pretty sure I had found something! I didn’t have enough money for what they were asking, but they took what I had. They even delivered it for me, since I was out on my bike.

Lugged Steel Frame

Later, I got the bike cleaned up and took it for a spin. I expected the bike to feel like an old clunker. Old mountain bikes feel dated, and usually aren’t very inspiring to ride. This road bike felt great though! Apparently road bike geometry hasn’t changed a whole lot over the years.

Engravings

I did some more research on the brand Faggin. The company is in Italy, and looks like they’ve been around for quite some time. Their website is in Italian, so it was hard for me to learn much from it. There is quite a bit of discussion about Faggin bikes on the web, and apparently the name is pronounced “fah-Jeen” or perhaps “fa-Zheen”. I’m sure all my friends will stick with the American pronunciation when talking about me and my bike though. It’s easy to see why this brand may have had a hard time getting a foothold in America. The previous owner went as far as to remove the large FAGGIN decals off the down tube.

A couple of the bike shop owners agree that the bike is late 80′s. The downtube shifters on this bike are kind of a pain, but the brakes feel every bit as modern as the 105′s on my 2007 Trek. The bike weighs in at 22 lbs, but the light wheels give it a spirited ride. The lugged steel frame and fork really smooth out the ride, and feels quite a bit different than the aluminum/carbon fiber on my Trek.

Funny Name, Sweet Ride!

I’ve made a few trips around town on the Faggin, and it’s just a blast to ride. The bike encourages you to go fast! I’m looking forward to getting some longer rides on it. I’d have to say that this garage sale special was quite a bargain at $22!

Cross Country on a HiWheeler

Posted on May 27, 2009 by Jeff Moser

Many cyclists that decide to ride across the country end up coming through Carson City to access “The Loneliest Road in America”, HWY 50. Seems like most of them roll through our city early in the AM, making their way to Fallon. On May 26th though, I met a guy rolling a bit slower. His destination for the day, Carson City.

Martin Krieg Rolls into town on Roop Street

Martin Krieg, having already crossed the country twice on a bicyle, has decided to do it once again. To make it more interesting, he’s doing it on an old-fashioned hi-wheeler! And not just any hi-wheeler. Martin’s bike is a backwards configuration (small wheel up front), an almost exact replica of the 1891 Eagle. The small wheel up front is supposed to keep you from doing a horrible endo. Very important when descending from Spooner Summit! Martin entered Nevada via Echo Summit (yes, riding the whole way), and stayed the night in South Lake Tahoe. On Tuesday morning, he pedaled up Spooner Summit and descended into Carson City.

True Muscle Powered – Comma Coffee

Martin’s ride began in San Francisco, and will end in Boston. His tour is named the 2009 Mayor’s Ride. Along the way he’ll be calling on mayors of the cities he visits to support the National Bicycle Greenway, a dream of a nationwide network of interconnected bike roads and pathways.

Chatting at Comma Coffee – Studying Carson City and Nevada Bike Route Maps

It’s also interesting to point out that this ride marks the 125th anniversary of the first transcontinental bicycle ride on August 4, 1884, ridden by Thomas Stevens. According to wikipedia, Stevens “acquired a black-enameled Columbia 50-inch Standard model penny-farthing with nickel-plated wheels built by the Pope Manufacturing Company of Chicago. Stevens struck out across the country, carrying in his handlebar bag: socks, a spare shirt, a raincoat that doubled as tent and bedroll, and a 38 Smith & Wesson.” It looked like Martin had similar gear, but there was no evidence of a gun holstered anywhere.

Martin’s Backwards Hi-Wheeler

I met Martin over on Roop Street, and then we rode to Comma Coffee together. Local cyclist Jesse Richardson was there to greet Martin, and later, an Alta Alpina club member showed up that was giving Martin a place to stay for the night. We got to talk for a bit, and I gave him the Carson City and State of Nevada bicycle route maps. Martin decided to avoid the hills and desolation of route 50. Instead he plans to ride to Reno, and then head east on Interstate 80.

I thought of many questions to ask Martin after I departed. He was carrying so little with him on this unsupported ride. What did he carry with him? Nevada is a big place! Thankfully he has a phone with Internet access, and you can follow his progress via a few internet sources. He’ll also be looking for support along the way, counting on the kindness of strangers for help. He’s going to need it for this journey! Good luck to you, Martin!

Follow Martin’s progress on the web or offer your support:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HiWheelMartin
Blog: http://2009hibustour.blogspot.com/
Email: hiwheeler@gmail.com

Bike Carson’s No Spin Zone

Posted on May 24, 2009 by Jeff Moser

Readers of Bike Carson may remember this picture from a post I made back in November. I was walking by Comma Coffee, and snapped this photo of a bike on the Muscle Powered rack. Months later, I got to talking to OJ, a mechanic down at Bike Habitat. He said he saw the picture, and he got a kick out of it, because it is his bike. I told him that a news blogger had used the image, so I decided to do an image search and find the article for him.

What I found surprised me though. FOXNews used the picture! At Bike Carson, we’re all about Spin, so I had to laugh that my picture was used by a media outlet that touts itself as a No Spin Zone. Was Bike Carson compensated? No photo credit, no linkback, no checks in the mail. How’s that for Fair and Balanced? At least I got a post out of it!

Here’s the story and picture on FOXNews HERE.

2009 Bicycle and Pedestrian Conference

Posted on May 21, 2009 by Jeff Moser

I had the privilege of attending the 2009 Bicycle and Pedestrian Conference this week, held up at the Montbleu Casino in South Lake Tahoe. In addition to eating three huge meals a day, I learned all sorts of new things about bicycling! Many of the classes held over the last two days were on urban bicycle and pedestrian design issues, but there were also classes about bicycle touring and tourism, trail etiquette, funding and managing trail projects, and bicycling programs for kids.

Montbleu, South Lake Tahoe

The instructors and speakers were a mix of local and state agencies, advocacy groups, trail associations, national groups, and authors. Jeff Mapes, author of Pedaling Revolution, gave the keynote address. I’m currently reading this book, so expect a full review soon (or get your own down at the Bike Habitat!).

Joe “Metal Cowboy” Kurmaskie, author of books on his worldwide cycling adventures spoke at a class and at the dinner event. Joe is a humorous mix of Mark Twain and Hunter S. Thompson, his wild stories of life on the road left you laughing and wishing you could go off on your own adventures. I was lucky enough to have lunch with these two guys on Wednesday, and we compared notes of our cycling issues from our parts of the country.

Jeff Mapes and Joe Kurmaskie

One of the Three Classrooms

There’s an old saying, “The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.” I left the conference with a sense of awe of how many people are working on bicycle and pedestrian issues. It also left me with a better sense of where I fit into the whole picture, and what my roll should be. Building partnerships with other entities is one of the big things I took with me. Do what you do well, and call on others to do what they do well.

Bill Story’s Quint

In addition to the classes, the social gatherings facilitated networking with like minded folks. These networking sessions proved to be just as valuable as the classes themselves. I learned way too much to discuss here in this post, so I’ll share individual topics with local examples at a later time. I’ll just finish by saying I’m excited to put all my new found knowledge to use!

Viola at the Dinner and Outdoor Expo

AND THE WINNERS ARE…

Posted on May 19, 2009 by Jeff Potter

In the Solo category, Wills Stuke took first place with 66.5 miles, while Tammy Steele edged out Kiersten Briggs by a little over two miles to take second place with 54.91 miles. A Trips category may be added to the Solo competition next year.

The Nevada Department of Environmental Protection jumped into first place on Friday to win the Trips category with 185 trips. Second place is the State Public Works Board with 129, followed closely by the Nevada Department Of Transportation with 127.

Redrock Family Dental narrowly won first place ahead of The Bike Smith with an 86.5% average in the Percentage category. Third place goes to Sierra Nevada Cancer Center with 56.5%.

The U.S. Geological Survey office dominated the Mileage category, claiming victory with an unbeatable mileage of 612.5. Second place goes to the State Public Works Board (again!) with 424.5 miles. And the Nevada Department Of Transportation places third with 368.9 miles.

This week saw a lot of new bench marks set for future Bike To Work Week participation.

Patrick Pittenger, Transportation Manager for Carson City, reported that 60 free bus rides were given to bicyclists throughout the week by JAC. Thanks JAC!

In what are very impressive numbers, Carson City Corporate Challengers completed 1,240 trips by bicycle or by walking. And there were 3,978.25 miles walked or ridden through the week. Wow!

Congratulations, and thank you to all who participated in the Bike To Work Week Corporate Challenge. This was by far our most successful, fun, and exciting Corporate Challenge ever!!

In related news:

ANOTHER CORPORATE CHALLENGE DOPING ALLEGATION

After receiving an anonymous tip from Drew at Redrock Dental, the USPS team were hauled into the Bike Carson drug testing lab and tested for drug use. The team tested positive for a variety of illegal substances, but the panel of judges refused to disqualify the team from the Corporate Challenge siting that the drugs the team consumed were not performance enhancing.

For full corporate Challenge results go HERE.

2009 Bike to Work Week Wrap Up

Posted on May 18, 2009 by Jeff Moser

Wow! What a week full of events, and what a great turn out! I’m going to need a few days to recover.

Flat Tire Clinic at Comma Coffee

On Thursday, Dan Turner from the Bicycle Authority did a flat tire clinic at the Comma Coffee courtyard. The outdoor setting, warm spring evening, and raised stage made this a fun event. This hands on clinic allowed students to pop and patch tubes.

Team Wonderbike

We had our Bike to Work Week party on Friday night at the Firkin and Fox. We started setting up a little before 5 PM, and then people started rolling in. New Belgium’s Team Wonderbike was there to greet the party goers, where many a rider pledged to drive less and ride more. Jen and Cody provided plenty of New Belgium swag for the pledges. Just around the corner, Fat Tire Ale and Mighty Arrow Pale Ale were being served. I believe I had the honor of the first and last glass of Mighty Arrow!

Hick’ry Switch

The raffle ticket station was hopping! Everyone wanted to win the two cruiser bikes. I wish I could’ve been like Oprah and given everyone a bike, but there were only two. Mel and Teri were the lucky winners of the night. Thanks to your generous contributions, we raised a lot of money for Muscle Powered to further bicycle advocacy in Carson City. Luckily, many of you won some other great prizes and drank a few delicious beers along with your donation!

Amanda – Injuries sustained on last week’s Full Moon ride

A big thanks to the three musical acts that performed. Hick’ry Switch, a few members from Anouaze Beat, and James Wilsey kept the crowd entertained until after dark. A very eclectic selection of music for sure!

Chris and Leslie

Jeff Potter, Jason and Tasha

Mel wins a bike!

Keith demonstrating wheelies on the Ute

Who would’ve thought you could ride a wheelie on a utility bike? Leave it to Keith to teach us how! The Kona Ute was a party favorite that night. A few people took a ride on the back, and Scott R even got shuttled down to the Carson Nugget at the end of the evening.

Kristy, James, and John

Another special thanks to Jim and John at the Firkin. The back parking lot was the perfect spot for our event. Thanks for helping to make it such a nice evening!

Me and the boy

Brent, Scott R, and Sandie

Dropping Scott R off at the Nugget on the way home

We had one day to get caught up on the chores at home, and then my family joined other riders for the Bike Habitat’s 2009 Tour of Carson and BBQ. The ride was a 28 mile loop around the outskirts of Carson City, beginning and ending at the Bike Habitat. To celebrate the Bike Habitat’s 2nd Anniversary, there was a tasty BBQ waiting for all the riders when they returned. Congratulations on your Anniversary, Denis, and thank you for all your support during Bike Month!

Tour of Carson pre-ride

My Stoker

Jodi

Views of the mountains above Carson Valley

Once again, Keith Conrad setup a sports drink stop on King Street for us. It was getting hot when we rolled up, and the cold drinks gave us the energy we needed to make it back to the Bike Habitat. Thanks, Keith!

Chatting somewhere north of town

28 Miles on Tandem!

I volunteered to ride sweep at this year’s Tour of Carson, but as it turned out, I would’ve been back there anyway! My son and I rode the juggernaut of all bicycles, our KHS tandem. I wasn’t able to get the slicks on the fat rims, so I put the lightest mountain tires I could find on it. Charlie and I made it though, flying down the descents and crawling up the climbs. We were both excited to complete the whole course. It was Charlie’s longest ride ever, and my longest ride of the year!

Post Ride BBQ at the Bike Habitat!

Stay tuned for Jeff Potter’s Corporate Challenge results. We have lots of exciting data to share with everyone, and the results may surprise you. I was shocked!

Once again, thank you to all Bike to Work Week participants, planners, organizers, and sponsors. It was the biggest bike event Carson City has ever seen, and we all made it happen.

Also, don’t forget that the Bike Habitat is doing two more bicycle clinics on the remaining two Tuesday’s in May. See you there!

2009 Tour of Carson

Posted on May 16, 2009 by Jeff Moser

Sunday, May 17th, is the Tour of Carson City Bike Ride and Bike Habitat Anniversary Celebration.

Sign-ups will begin at 9:00AM at the Bike Habitat (next to Best Buy), ride will begin at 9:30AM.

The Tour is a 28 mile Loop around the perimeter of Carson City.

Bike Habitat

Bring your bike and work up your appetite. After the ride the Lunch is FREE! Since it will be pretty warm tomorrow, there will also be sports drink station a little past the half way point at the Carson Middle School on King Street.

Come join the ride!

I also have a few unclaimed prizes and a couple prizes I forgot to raffle off last night. I’ll bring the raffle tickets with me and finish them off.

Bike Carson

Bicycle News, Culture, and Lifestyle in Carson City, Nevada

Monthly Archives: May 2009