This blog is mostly moved over...

to gnarlees.com

Hope it's a bit better, work is still ongoing, though:)

I'm moving...

over to a new domain. So all 9 of you, please reset your follower info. The new site, and I have all of this site over there I think, is:

gnarlees.com

Note, for now there is not a www. at the beginning. I'll figure that out later!

Thanks:) Spokejunkie out!

The Xtracycle is complete, again for the first time!

With a thanks to my friend Taylor for that line!

Well, this has been quite the build! I was out riding the "old Xtracycle/Paramount" one day and had an epiphany. WHY DON'T YOU JUST HOOK THE KARATE MONKEY UP TO THIS INSTEAD OF CONTINUING TO PURCHASE PARTS TO MAKE THIS INCREDIBLY SMALL FRAME WORK FOR YOU. I didn't listen.

So, after purchasing a couple more parts, I said the same thing again. This was after riding and realizing that, yes, it was indeed an incredibly super small frame. The gerbil wheel in my head started turning.

Looking at the instructions and going to the Xtracycle website a few billion times, I deduced that I am, just as I thought, much smarter than those who designed the thing.

I am not.

The rebuild accelerated to the point of attaching the bolt and the front attachment plate. And then it came to a screaming halt. The Paramount had a cross section, so it worked like a charm. The Monkey does not. I need another attachment plate. And while I was at it, I got a set of risers for the snapdeck and a larger disc for the rear brake. Delayed!

When those parts came in, I went to work. The rear end was attached, now for the rear wheel. I had, after all, solved my 29" problem with the risers, right? The tire of choice I was using was the Maxxis Ignitor 29. Shove, shove, shove. Those guys at Xtracycle can't really be right in that I have to get a smaller tire? Shove, shove, shove. Crap!

So now I own some 700 x 35 tires. Michelin somethings. With a little reflective sidewall! I did have to deflate the tire to get it on the rear and I have JUST ENOUGH space. Well.

Now that that delay is history, I got on with the build. The next subject would be the risers. I even asked a couple of Xtracycle riders how the heck they worked. Being the super, no, uber bicycle mechanic that I seem to be these days I was stumped. Yes, I even took my snapdeck off, peeled the cushion I had glued on off, and undid the attachments. Have you ever watched someone try to put a square object into a round hole? You get the picture.

Another epiphany! Take your freeloaders off and pound those puppies into the end. Then unthread to give you the desired height. To which I did, with much colorful language and throwing of tools.

So, after hooking everything back up and making sure all 9 gears and both brakes worked properly, it was time to change the front tire out. Did I mention that I had gone to my LBS to pick up tubes for this? Three tubes, just in case. Well, some of you know that two of these tubes were the WRONG VALVE! By this time, it was past closing for the shop. I would have to wait for my next day off! But, what the hell, I'll cram one of my 29" tubes in. Umm...no I won't! Okay, I can put one of my 700 x 18-25 tubes in. Yeah, so those are super easy to pop when you pump them up. Let alone getting them on without pinching.

I know, you're saying, "Give it up, Marla!". Okay.

So, today I stopped in today at my LBS and swapped tubes. My XtraMonkey is complete. I took it for a spin and amazingly nothing fell apart and everything worked!

Now onto Project Balance.

Just for you, Antoine!

As you can guess, it's dark outside. So I'm inside my shed. But here's a pic of the new XtraMonkey. You can see most of the Paramount parked in the background. I'll bring the XtraMonkey outside in the daylight for a proper pic once I get the front tire repaired.



And check out the next project. Rick at the LBS gave me a good chunk of an old Balance mountain bike. A few bits, rigid fork and it'll be rolling. Had a brief thought about doing another singlespeed, but we all know that I really need gears. So, once done I'll try to find a good home to a needy friend. How else can I get them to go riding with me?

I'm going to sleep...

So close...

I can taste it!

Went down today to complete the Xtracycle/Karate Monkey build and realized that I didn't have any tubes to fit the 700 x 35 commuting tires I had bought for it. And it was time for lunch anyway. So, I locked up and headed to town.

I ducked into the shop quick and picked up 3 tubes. Figuring that I'd either bust one or at least have a spare to carry on the bike. You know if I only picked up 2 that I'd need the third, but if I bought three I'd be fine.

So, I get home and continue. I finally get to the last thing, which is putting the new tire and tube on the front. Guess what? I bought one tube correctly and the other two were the wrong valve! And my rims are not ones that I'm willing to drill out for schrader valves.

So, Monday I'll be back at the shop exchanging tubes! And you can bet rain or shine that I'm going to ride it!!

And a bonus....I was cleaning my shop area in the shed and rearranging stuff when I found a Tirefly light for my front wheel. Wheee!!!

That's how the garden grows!

Tonight I went down to my little raised garden in the backyard and was amazed to find a bunch of peas were ready to pick! I was just going down to grab some lettuce, which looks and tastes really good, for a salad. To tell you the truth, I had forgotten that row was peas. A pleasant surprise. And it's been about the best yield I've had down here to date. May have to do with the rain and I put some really good soil in to get it going.

Unfortunately, the rabbits got most of the spinach. I have a few stalks of corn that the deer haven''t obliterated yet.

Now, if I can just get a compost area started!

RIP Steve Larsen

More bikes than automobiles?

From the Xtracycle email letter, apparently for the first quarter of 2009 bikes outsold cars and trucks! Sounds good to me :)

More pics from the trail.

Better pic on Sutton Ridge Overlook.

Campsite 35

At the end of our trip on the AT. This stone is on the TN/NC border.