"20th Anniversary Aerospoke Wheelset"

"... the International Fixed Gear Symposium".

Wat???

More Arrospok!

You want Aerospoke, yes? Well, you can haz Aerospoke. 

Scorchers x Aerospoke Collabo from Scorchers on Vimeo.

Helsinki Fixed Gear Wednesday Tricks & Beers #18

Last night was already 18th Fiksikeskarit, and this time with probably more people than ever, due to the nice warm weather most likely. 

What else? The first HED.3 front wheel was seen, and the official First & Most Legendary Aerospoke of Finland(c) did a comeback too. Many rounds of Foot Down, one super-stuck cog that wouldn't budge, not even with the longest extension on the wrench ever seen. Beers.   

And my special shout-out goes to Make, the mysterious yet very generous & friendly plumber from Merihaka we met at the bar later last night. No photos of him, though. 

(Pics by SanttuT, thanks!) 

Alert! The New Aerospoke / HED3 is here: LexCarbon Monospoke

LexCarbon 700c clincher. from Leeww on Vimeo.

Red Alert to all the Hipsters reading this!!!

Arrospok, HED3 and Spinergy are all yesterday's news, this is apparently the new hip thing, LexCarbon monospoke. Now quickly, surf to Ebay to get yours before everyone else gets in on these. 

In fact I must admit I first questioned whether this thing is even real or just a spoof but I guess it exists - since it is in teh Interwebz, right? But yeah, the technological innovations and progress the road cycling brings and feeds on seem to be pretty much limitless. 

And apparently this thing costs about £1200. Convert that to your own currency and weep silently by yourself. 

But wait, there's more. Apparently manufacturing of these was finished already in 2003 and there was a weight limit of how much they would carry safely. 

But is this all just bullshit? Honestly, I cannot tell. 

My Hipster Machine Fixie Tarck Bike

Yo! Check this out. It's the latest incarnation of my old XB3 Soviet fixie, in a new totally cool tarck bike mode. With a poor-man's 650c Aerospoke in the front and all. 

This bike will be only ridden to get me from my HQ in one gentrifying former working class inner-city district of Helsinki to a bar, coffee house or a club in another even trendier and already pretty much gentrified former working class inner-city district of Helsinki. 

Required accessories: as big as possible Chrome Messenger bag, a mini D-lock tucked on belt, one pant leg rolled up, expensive sneakers and a 70s retro cycling cap. H8ers need not apply. 

I'm still looking for that red toptube pad, though. An old school 1980s BMX one would be preferred, let me know if have one and are willing to part with it, ok?

UPDATE!

The bike, the trispoke wheel and all the parts have been sold ages ago, ok?

Jonathan's MASH SF Cannondale For Sale

After posting the link to the MASH SF movie download (which I found somewhere) yesterday I was clicking around a bit on their website and came across the ad below in their blog. Apparently Jonathan is selling his Cannondale Tarck Bike (tm), no, more than that, an epitome of a Tarck bike, see the ad below. Well, it's a nice bike for sure and it's been made (in)famous by the movie, I guess, but the price is kinda STEEEEEEP. 

Like, come on, 1200 bucks for a beat up whip like that? By watching the movie you know that the bike's been through a lot. And there's isn't even an Aerospoke or a HED trispoke included in the deal...  Anyhow, for a gear whore like myself it's interesting to read the specs of the bike. 

And from the specs we learn interesting things like, "oversize plastic cages are best for SMALL sneakers!" Well, somehow I always though that those big MTB cages were best for bigger sneakers. Another point to note is that the bike has a Phil Wood bottom bracket, which is very cool, but, it's with JIS taper. Then the bike has Sugino 75 crankset, also quite nice, which uses the European standard ISO taper. This can be bit problematic because in the long term the mismatched taper standards will cause the cranks to be end up being fucked-up, if you trust someone like Sheldon Brown (RIP). But what do I know, 'cos yeah, you don't see me riding in the MASH SF movie. 

Anyway, personally I'd spend my money much rather on this instead, but that's just me. 

 

Those early 1990s Cannondale alu-track bikes are pretty sought after but whether that's because they're good, or because of the Mash posse riding them, that's another issue. 

So I'd say: NOT worth it. Sorry, dude. 

But whatever, somebody is gonna buy it anyway I'm sure. 

"JONATHAN'S CANNONDALE FOR SALE

56cm CC 1992 or 93 Cannondale Frame w/ Steel Fork
1 1/8" Chris King Threaded Headset
90mm Salsa Front Loading Stem
40cm B021 Nitto Bullhorns
Phil Wood 109 JIS Taper BB
165 Sugino Cranks w/ 49t Chainring
MKS Pedals with oversize plastic Cages (The best for smaller sneakers!)
Toshi Black Double Straps
Soma Seat Post
Blue Perforated San Marcos Turbo (Discontinued)
Front wheel has machined Silver Velocity Deep V to a Phil Wood 32h Silver hub (Radially Laced)
Rear wheel has an 'Asphalt' non-machined Velocity Deep V to a Phil Wood 32h Silver Hub (3x Laced)
16t Phil Wood Cog
SRAM PC-7X Chain (with Half Link)

$1200.00 plus shipping

email info@mashsf.com"

MTB Jocks hate Fixie Hipsters in Germany too.

I've been blogging about those pesky little hipsters on fixed gear bikes recently. And I also admitted that in a way I myself might fall into that category, if one looks strictly at stuff like clothes and gear.

Well, it's been all good but now some Super Aggro 100% Poser Free German Single Speed MTB Jocks here and here are unfortunately taking the hipster hating a bit further. Check out the pic above. Here's a (bad) translation of the texts, courtesy of John Prolly's nice blog:

"Left Side:

Cheeky hat made of imitation denim with wannabe sponsor logo
Insect-resistant and stylish "nose-bike" (slang for sunglasses)
Model: Mandy Whorehole
Alternative: Eyepatch or "wood-eye" (like the eye in a plank of wood)
Weight-optimizied acceleration baby-beard
Model: booger- and snot-retardant "respect beam" (I think this is more unusual slang for mustache)
Alternative: None, really. Ah, well, maybe black sharpie.
Nitto NJS handlebars & stem
(limited edition anodized = powerful penis enlargement)
NJS-stamped track components generally increase the style and standing of fixie-pilots and will give your rivals even worse penis envy and make them salivate uncontrollably.
Alternative: Forget it, kid.
Tri- or Aerospoke front wheel
Most important is that it is made of plastic and is usable (I could be wrong if Platik isn't a typo for Plastik)
It doesn't make sense, but hipsters don't give a shit.
Trispokes and Aerospokes ride steady. End of story. ("ride steady" is a guess)
Alternative: Preferably a colored deep-V
Model: (no idea here) Accelerator, Scumpagnalo Pasta or Clammy Nippleator.
Funny stickers, postage stamps or pornographic images emphasizing urban appearance and uglification (theft deterrence), as well as the personalization of your fixie.

Right side:

Grandpa's stuffy flannel shirt from storage
Model: Desert Fox. Warms and protects the urban fixer from incipient semi-sunshine and spy attacks (?) from crazed freewheelers.
No mess bag, no credibility.
Fixie-pilots use the mess bag to distinguish themselves from the masses of ordinary bike riders.
Model: USA (Balkan model, if need be) (maybe)
Ghetto blaster casually balanced on the arm
Music: Punk, Oi or Ramones
Anything else would not be plausible.
Alternative: Riding no-handed with a turntable in each hand.
Bunch of keys dangling flirtatiously from a belt-loop.
Spares the dope in pants pockets and heralds the sweaty pilot precociously.
Cloth pants Model: Dixie ShootMeDead in doodoo-brown.
In a pinch: BiteMeBlue, hand-shortened.
Original Japanese NJS Keirin frame.
The holy grail of every fixie-pilot.
Spoke cards. Imperative.
Spoke cards are the poser's license plate.
The more license plates, the more... something.
Track pedals with double straps.
Double straps, double acceleration.
Battle scars. Boosts urban credibility.
Cloth sneakers with soft-as-shit rubber soles.
Reason: see Trispokes.
No bar tape. Bar tape is gay.
Alternative: Bar tape.
Socks are also gay."

Obviously all of that is supposed to be humor and it is pretty funny, but: picking on stuff like this and calling  things 'GAY' (=Schwul) is in my opinion really only a small step a away from evil stuff like gay-bashing etc. Basically it's an illustration of  "You're not like us, you're different, you and your bike is stupid, we hate you!" -type of mentality. 

So here's my regards: 

Hey guys! Just start wearing those cool Swastika armbands again, will ya?

Anyhow, this just goes to show how divided and full of ill will the cycling world is on the inside. And it also proves that the fixed gear trend is blowing up big time in Germany.