Medium Bicycles

I had the opportunity to see Evan Williams speak at Big Omaha last month. He was an inspiring and dynamic speaker, but the very brief time he spent talking about his new project - Medium - had me very intrigued. I wasn't familiar with Medium before I saw Ev speak, which maybe goes to show that I'm not up-to-date with the latest writing platforms. After checking it out, the platform seemed pretty cool: one location for all writers to post. This leaves the authors free to write as much or as little as they wish, without the need to manage a website of their own.

On Medium, the stories are grouped by 'collection.' And I was able to find 10 different bicycle-themed collections, from fixed gear and single speed to vintage bicycles. While I haven't done much more than surf through some of the more recent stories in the various bike-themed collections, I'm looking forward to adding a few to my daily feed. Seems like a great way to keep a variety of sources coming through the pipe.

Shout Out City!

First off, we got a pretty cool shout out from Someone Still Love You Boris Yeltsin on Twitter.

Most excellent!

Second, we got a fantastic mention from Dr. Andy Cline on his blog, Carbon Trace. If you live in Springfield and you're not already a regular reader of Carbon Trace, I recommend you become one immediately. All things related to getting around Springfield by bicycle and foot are discussed in this blog. It's well written, nicely produced, and perhaps most importantly, updated regularly. Andy is a witty dude who I'd definitely enjoy pedalling with. And his thoughts on getting around Springfield using alternative transportation are insightful, if not a bit cynical. I'm quickly becoming an avid fan and I'm looking forward to continued reading of this excellent blog.

Cody's Reading List: The PooBah

Before he disappeared off the face of the Earth late last year, I was a regular reader of Columbia's very own CoMo CyCo (Columbia, Missouri Cycling Cooperative), written by local hero PooBah.  As of this morning, the PooBah has resurfaced...again (he disappeared for a couple months last Spring as well).  With any luck, he'll stick around for a while, because his blog is superbly entertaining.  The content is pretty heavy on the professional cycling scene - which I only have a passing interest in - but is mostly in the form of ridicule and witticism.  He also does a good job of updating readers on local and regional races, as well as recreational rides like the Pedaler's Jamboree and the Monster Bike Bash.

Overall, CoMo CyCo is very funny and very well written.  If you're a cyclist in the mid-MO area, this blog is a must.  And if you're not...well...read it anyways.

Cody's Reading List: Eye Candy

When I started Cody's Reading List, I was really interested in sharing blogs of a particular type, which Ginger would refer to as 'bike porn.'  I was envisioning blogs that showcased the latest and greatest in custom and handmade bicycles.  Inspired by custom motorcycle blogs like BikeEXIF, Return of the Cafe Racers, and Pipeburn, I was initially tempted to author such a blog.  But it really helps to have connections in the industry, of which I have none, and I'm not even very familiar with the more well-known independent builders, let alone the multitude of smaller shops across the country.  So I decided to stick with discussing my work in The Tinkery and leave the showcasing to those who are more capable.  Here are a few of the capable bloggers that I've come across who are providing me with the bike porn that I so desperately desire.

While it may very well be the ugliest blog I've ever laid eyes on, the Bikeville blog showcases some great vintage and classic machines.  The blog appears to be authored by the staff of a Philadelphia bike shop, and while the page design is an eyesore and the pictures are too small (you have to click on an image, which opens a viewer, in order to see the photos at a decent resolution), the bikes are awesome.  The author(s) has a particular eye for well-preserved classic bicycles and I've noted a number of pre-war machines.  And to top it all off, the blog has been around for nearly 5 years, with regular updates like clockwork for the past 3 years.

Culture Cycles was the first blog that I discovered that really embodied the type of blog that I was searching for.  It has a super-clean, simple design and the photos and videos do most of the talking.  The content is straight badass and spans a wide range of bike-related material; a BMX post is followed by a shoe review, which is followed by a fat bike post.  The author of Culture Cycles also cranks out posts like it's his job, sometimes updating the blog several times a day.  Oh yeah, and he's recently launched a series of posts called Brew Review Thursday.  When I read this blog, it takes all my strength not to burst forth from my office, hop onto my Peugeot, and pedal over to the nearest pub for a delicious beverage.  Bikes and beers; you can't beat that.

If you're looking for a blog that exhibits the most rad bikes imaginable, CycleEXIF is it.  I mean, seriously, look at this bike.  Or this one.  That shit is just ridiculous.  Overall, this blog gets an A+; the photos are awesome, the content is astounding, and the posts just keep a-coming.  The author is obviously very knowledgeable and really has a passion for bicycles.  He is an Aussie, but I won't hold that against him.  If you haven't already bookmarked this blog, do it now.

And one last note:  if you're into restoring old bikes, check out the Classic Rigs and Rides thread in the Classic & Vintage section of BikeForums.net.  It's a great place to get ideas and inspiration for your next project.

Cody's Reading List: Bicycle Repair and Maintenance

Maybe you're a weekend racer.  Or you have a hybrid leaning against the wall of your bedroom.  Or you're a  burgeoning bicycle restoration guru.  If you've got a bicycle, you can probably count on dropping some money into repair and maintenance at some point.  And you can definitely save some of that money by doing the work yourself.  This installment of Cody's Reading List will help you find the resources you need to get the job done.

Although there are some good references out there on the information superhighway, it doesn't get much better than learning from an experienced bicycle technician.  For me, that person was my father, who is quite adept at bicycle repair and maintenance.  He definitely showed me the ropes and taught me to take care of my bicycle.  But now that I have my own garage of bicycles to keep in good working order, I sometimes need some quick guides when I come across a problem that I haven't encountered before.  And phoning up my old man isn't always an option.

If you've ever done a Google search for anything related to bicycle repair, you've probably come across Hugh's Bicycle Blog.  This site can be a good resource if you are able to wade through several years of regular blog updates to find the information you need.  The guy seems to be pretty capable and takes on some pretty interesting projects.  What's more, the work that is included in his posts ranges from the most basic, here's-how-you-inflate-a-tire-with-a-pump tasks all the way up to intensive rebuilds.  There's one notable catch, and that would be Hugh's writing.  His posts can be pretty rife with grammar and spelling errors and he seems to have some sort of infatuation with improperly used hyphens and quotation marks.  But other than that, it's a good blog and I am a regular reader.

If you want a website that moves a little more toward an easy reference guide, Sheldon Brown's website is it.  Sadly, Sheldon passed away in 2008, but to this day, professional mechanics will still reference his site when recommending sources of information on bicycle repair.  This guy was a true expert on everything bicycle-related.  His site is fairly easy to navigate, with various subjects separated onto their own respective pages and the ability to browse or search the site.  His explanations are very straightforward and there's even some occasional humor thrown in.  The information on the site can get very technical, and includes lots of tables on sizing, threading, pitch, and other measurements for modern and older bikes, as well as now-defunct parts.  This is often particularly helpful for those of us who like to work on vintage and classic machines.  If you are at all interested in bicycle repair and maintenance, you must bookmark Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Technical Info.  No exceptions.

Lastly, there's the all-out quick reference guide option, brought to you by Park Tools.  The Park Tool Repair Help site is probably the most comprehensive and easy to use bicycle repair site out there.  You simply highlight the area of the bicycle diagram that you're interested in and click.  You're then given an extensive list of common repair and maintenance how-to guides.  The individual articles are step-by-step procedures and there are clear pictures and diagrams that accompany nearly each step, almost like a set of instructions.  For common issues related to bicycle repair and maintenance, this site is indispensable, and I used it quite regularly as I was learning some of the more advanced repairs.

Speaking of Park Tools, I should also mention that I received the Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair for Christmas last year.  I haven't had a chance to crack the cover yet, but if it's anything like their repair website, you can bet that it's pretty much invaluable.

Cody's Reading List: I Need to Meet This Guy

Okay, so here's the plan:  I'm going to occasionally post links to other blogs, websites, books, etc. that I recommend for anyone who might be interested in vintage bikes, bicycle repair and maintenance, or whatever.  The idea is to lump similar resources into a single post and sort of compare them.  So, for example, I might have a post on vintage bicycle restoration in which I'd share links to several blogs and discuss what I like or possibly dislike about each one, and why you should consider following each link and checking them out.

For my first "Cody's Reading List", though, I'm not going to do that.  In this installment, I'm going to focus on only one blog:  Vintage Bicycle.  Because the author of this blog is just in a league of his own.  To lump this guy in with any other half-ass vintage bike blog out there would be to undermine just how awesome his blog is.

Before I go any further, I should mention a couple of trivial things that I dislike about this blog.  First off, and perhaps most importantly, is the page layout.  The dude takes great photos and is kind enough to post them at high resolution on the site, but the page is laid out in such a way that the images fall across the sidebar and off the right side of the page (without altering the browser zoom).  A little nitpicky, I know, but it's a bit annoying.  The second problem - if you could call it that - is the pace of updates.  When I really like a blog, I want it to be updated at least 2-3 times a week.  Just looking over the past few posts, this blog seems to be updated more like once a week.  Not too bad a pace, but I'd love to see more.

Now on to the good stuff.  As best I can tell, the author lives in the UK and has a particular interest in vintage British and French touring bicycles.  He also has a number of posts that focus on pre-war era roadsters, safety bicycles, and velocipedes.  The old roadsters in particular are really quite amazing and he does a great job of restoring them.  He also posted this update recently, which he filed under the category 'cycling curiosities,' about the Wall of Death with bicycles.  But really it's his restoration work that I just can't get over.  It's uncanny and his machines are true pieces of art.  I hope he keeps the updates coming for a good long while, because this is one of my favorite blogs out there.  And with only one post a week, I definitely start jonesing for a new one after a day or two.

Update (February 12, 2012):  I ended up emailing the author of Vintage Bicycle (his name is Tim and he lives outside of London) to let him know that his blog was the subject of a post here.  And also to just get in contact with the guy since I was so impressed with him.  Well, after some brief back-and-forth emailing last week, I am no less impressed.  He was really appreciative of my feedback and was a super-nice dude.  In fact, he took my critique of his blog format so seriously that he experimented with a new format that would stop his hi-res images from bleeding over into his sidebar.  He emailed me this afternoon to let me know that the changes have been made, and I've got to say, the new format is damn fine.  So there you go:  a badass blog that is authored by an equally badass dude.  I'm really looking forward to a continued dialogue with Tim and hope that someday we can have a beer and/or go for a ride together.