Now it’s broken
No explanation needed. This was the end of the gradual disintegration that began back in June. Check out some close-ups.
Archive for August, 2009
Carne’s Carlton Catalina Restoration Project
Things have gone all retro lately at Legs, Feeling No Pressure. First I experienced an intense mental nostalgia-bomb when I saw a 1995 Kona Lava Dome on the street near my work – now Carne is posting pictures from his own retro restoration project.
In his own words:
Ebay purchase catalina mystery bike with strangely offset back wheel – bit of frame rust . . . can’t decide whether to restore or convert.
‘Strangely offset’ eh? Maybe go for ‘restore’. That metallic red should buff up nicely. My favourite touch is the Huret speedo dial with built-in odometer:
Huret Speedo.
Kona Lava Dome wanted
If this is your bike, we need to talk.
I passed this bike chained to a railing on Mortimer Street today. It was a near-mint condition 1995 Kona Lava Dome in midnight blue, the exact same bike I received for Christmas in 1995. This was the rig that truly launched my lifelong love of bikes and biking.
I’m just going to pause a moment to remember this bike, and how great it was (for me, and probably a generation of others):
- the Lava Dome was – up until 2007, when it was mysteriously retired – the classic entry-level MTB in the Kona stable, RRP £500.
- the 1995 version had stunning understated good looks (IMHO Kona’s paint jobs have just got gaudier – check out the offensive 2006 version, perhaps the reason why it didn’t sell and Kona withdrew it?).
- the Tange Infinity cromoly double butted frame, with its signature sloping top tube and tight rear triangle, rode like a dream – it climbed well, it loved singletrack.
I had this bike for 11 years. A few highlights from its rise and fall:
- 1996: upgrade to Pace RC35 suspension forks
- 1996: 6 days bike touring in the Scottish highlands
- 1997: flew with me to Vancouver, Canada for a year of north shore trail-riding
- 1998: 24 hours of Adrenalin, Whistler, B.C.
- 1998: big bike tour down the west coast of the US, hitting some classic singletrack in Washington and Oregon
- 1998: frame bent on the flight back to UK, cannibalised for bits
- 1998-2001: frame hangs in my shed in Stoke
- 2002: the Lava Dome returns as a singlespeed hack for the streets of Edinburgh
- 2003-06: the hack moves to London
- 2006: after weeks of cracking, the frame snaps at the rear drive-side drop-out. The broken frame is deposited in a skip near Brick Lane.
Surveying the damage up close in 2006.
You can imagine the rollercoaster of emotions I experienced on seeing this bike in the street. Frankly, I was on the phone to somebody and had to hang up. I realised that I would pay over the odds to ride this bike again. If it’s yours, leave a comment!
View Kona Lava Dome in a larger map
Update @24-8-09
Andy Booth has alerted me to this retro bikes site, and in particular to this beautifully restored 1993 Lava Dome. Sweet.
Top end outage
I rode 90 minutes this morning when I was supposed to be working not cheating the week (ssshh, don’t tell work). I wanted to punish myself. 5 and a half weeks since the Marmotte and any really serious riding, and the layoff is getting to me. The first 3 weeks were OK – a relief in fact – but the last fortnight has been increasingly rough. Despite pinging it around town on the hack as often and as fast as possible, weekend commitments have kept me off the Wilier – stood reproachful, and a bit grubby, in my bedroom – and my general mood graph has recorded a marked slump.
Clearly, I need to set a new goal. Clearly, I need to get back on my bike, pronto. To this end I headed out today, aiming for a 6/4 Regent’s / Swain’s (in layman’s terms, 6 laps of regent’s Park followed by 4 hill repeats up Swain’s Lane. Here’s the graph:
I felt like my batteries were fairly flat from the start – even though my eating and sleeping have been fine over the last few days. In the end I managed 3/4, i.e. only 3 hard intervals on Regent’s Park. I was climbing OK, but my power output felt about 30% lower than I remember it being last time I did one of these sessions. Compare the above graph with a similar ride I did on June 24th, just prior to the Marmotte, or this one around Easter time. On both of these, I remember / blogged that I felt good, my heart rate went higher, and I did 5/6 or 6/6.
So evidently my top-end fitness has taken a hit over the last month or so, while my weight remains constant (or even slightly less, incredibly), my endurance is solid, and I can still climb. It seems like the most fragile, short-lived part of my form, that needs to be kept topped up lest it wane. It’s time to bring back the power.
Raleigh Record
Where can I get my hands on one?
Thanks to Christian for sharing this vintage Raleigh ad. I’m guessing it must date from the 50s or early 60s. Like the Coppi race bike I checked out a few months ago, it harks back to the days of full-steel frames with heavy lugs connecting the tubes. However, you can see lighter alloy componentry creeping in e.g. the rims, bar and stem. The gearing comes courtesy of a 5-speed Benelux rear cog twinned with a 48T Williams chainring. Finishing kit includes the classic ‘best buff’ Brooks leather saddle.
Truly a ride for the man who must lead the rest. And all for the princely sum of £37 16s.
UPDATE: and look – the bike that helps you pull!
Bike shops
Coolest bike shop sign in the world? Photo: RAPHA on Flickr
I’d like to visit Mellow Johnny’s one day. I like bike shops that try to be original, and that raise the bar in terms of design and customer experience. I like walking into a bike shop and being seduced by the stock on display. I like the atmosphere in there to feel like a club of initiates who aren’t snooty towards newcomers or those less knowledgeable.
Best bike shop in London? Possibly Condor. But I haven’t been to all of them. I’m probably not going to. What I may well do, from the comfort of my armchair, is try to find the world’s best bike shop website. I’ve reviewed some before: here’s a review of Condor’s old site – to be honest they still haven’t got it right; and of course there’s this one, the less said about the better.
So what about the criteria?
- Attractive, coherent visual design
- Easy navigation, product organisation etc.
- Features – does the site aspire to be something other than an online flyer saying ‘we sell bikes’?
- Seduction quality – I want to hit the home page and feel my debit card start to slip out of my wallet
The search begins… suggestions below!
Downtime
Ride to drink.
Post-Marmotte, I’ve enjoyed a month of downtime. I’ve found this period invaluable in recovering both physically and mentally, not so much from the event itself, but from the six-month build-up to it.
January to June of this year, I organised my life around the bike. Now clearly, I like cycling; but, in the weeks after achieving the biggest goal I’ve (so far) set myself on the bike, being free from the mental focus of preparing for the event has been a serious load off. Just having the option of riding, if I feel like it, is a luxury. Being able to drink to excess is, once again, a guilt-free pleasure. The gratuitous eating of cake at office parties – a delirious indulgence.
Predictably, since I returned from France, I’ve been on excellent form, so I’ve certainly been out on the bike – but not mid-week, and not if I didn’t feel like it. Mainly, I’ve been hammering my busted commute bike (nope, still haven’t broken it yet) around town at high speeds. I’ve also been out for a couple of rides with Millsy (who’s heading to the Pyrenees this week following a strong performance in the London Triathlon).
I went out yesterday for a 5-hour solo mission, and again, felt strong. I’ve been refusing all requests to enter further sportives this year, but now I’m not so sure…