Caricature of myself

Indiana University Little 500 Race Issue Schwinn

Indiana University Little 500 Promotional Schwinn

What a goofy race.

    Hardcore bike heads will know that the 1979 bicycle film Braking Away is based on this annual race.  The academy award winning screenplay was written by a IU graduate. 
    The bike has an American bottom bracket even though it's aluminum and made in 2005, and one piece cranks and a coaster break.  I was wondering why this bike was parted up in such a goofy manner until I read that the rules of the little 500 race state all bikes must be Schwinn issued, must have one piece cranks, and must have a coaster break (?!?).  Schwinn supplies the race with these bikes and each team is given two, and they are supposed to turn them in after the races but I guess some people keep them and don't care about the deposit, it's a pretty cheap bike anyway.

1970 Raleigh Record Fixie re-do

Early 1970's Raleigh Record Fixie.

Best head-badge ever.

Much better.

I redid the Raleigh Record from a few days ago because the bottom bracket was cross threaded and the cotter pinned cranks and steel rims that came on it just wont hold up.  Origin 8 cranks and cages, unsealed track hubs laced to Alex 450 Aero rims.

Candy Apple Red 1970's Raleigh Sports

Early 1970's Raleigh Sport

Early 1970's Raleigh Sports three speed.  Lights still work. Shined up like a penny.

Holy Grail of Vintage Track Frames....

1977 Colnago Track frame

Owner had me remove the Italian bottom bracket before he shipped it to a buyer in Switzerland.  Sale price? One thousand even. 

Raleigh Record single speed project

This is the exact same Record that I have, as seen in my personal Bike Check.  I got to build this one in a low budget way similar to the way I would build mine if I made it a fixed gear.  Normally I think turning old road bikes into fixies is blasphemy (just hunt down a vintage track frame for real), but this one came sans rear wheel, front derailleur, stock leather seat and had already been converted to cruising bars a long time ago so it was a prime exception to the rule.  I didn't give this one the full beans because I didn't have the heart to smash apart the seized cotter pin cranks just yet, but we have some nice black and polished Origin 8 cranks and some hand build black and silver track wheels waiting for it for the right customer. 

1970's Raleigh Record McDonalds Edition

1970's Raleigh Record

1970's Raleigh Record

15mm Wrench Tattoo

Who would you rather have work on your bike?  A 6 dollar an hour migrant worker or this guy?

Once in a while they throw you a penny...

Too bad the ones who ask for change on the subway are usually stroked out bums not tiny mole people.

Custom Pinarellio