ripped spokes and a shortened ride

Things happen fast in a big peloton, somtimes before you can react you are on the tarmac. A careful look at these wheels will reveal some missing spokes. Luckily, nobody needed to go to the hospital but two riders had to get driven home with disabled bikes. The entire Rock Lobster contingent was stopped at the roadside from one errant move from a rider who didn't stop, even after causing the pileup. So much for the age of chivalry.

Travels to two big cities

Chicago's Millenium park has a seriously modern stage for musical performances.
Architects have tried to outdo each other for over a century in Chicago with the result being the grandest collection of tall buildings anywhere in the world.
The city is serious about meticulous gardens and greenspaces in spite of all the skyscrapers and concrete. This gives the city a much more open and spacious feel than other large cities.
A distant peek at the John Hancock building, shrouded in fog.

In Manhattan a bar with the swiggness advertised in gold letters.
A very old street and some ceramic work in the subway shows a little of the old New York of the 19th century.

Chrysler building and skyline of lower manhattan.

Manhattan sunrise.
Columbus circle has this gleaming globe dominating the scenerey.
Seen at Strawberry Fields, Central Park. They have not forgotten John Lennon here, just like Santa Cruz.

Graffitti in Little Italy is pretty artistic.

Lee's frame

Even working in the e.r. at a local hospital can't sway Lee from giving cyclocross a try. This is the final frame in the second spring batch. These frames will be off to the heat treater in the morning and by the time I'm back from a little r&r they will be back, too. At a tad over three lbs. this frame won't bruise your shoulder. It's still a long way to go until 'cross season but a lot of folks are getting ready early, very early comared to last year. If you are going to race you had better get you training, tires and fitness together as it looks to be a very competitive bunch of neophytes coming to a race near you.

spring batch #2 almost done

One more frame and this batch of 7005 frames will be off to the heat treater. Eight frames in about eight days.......hard work but rewarding just the same. The furthest frame on the rack is a 29er for a 6'7" team rider. The frame I have to build today is a 'cross frame, the last of the litter. Even though 'cross season is four months off I have been building 'cross frames almost every week.
Panels are back in style , as this frame shows. It's a tig-welded steel frame with modern components but the customer decided to give it a classic British '70's motif. The matching fork crown is a nice touch, all the customers idea. This is an all-conditions road bike for our deteriorating Santa Cruz county roads. The 48-39 chainrings will be mated to a large rear cassette, hence the XT rear der.

on any given sunday....