Bisbee Bicycle Brothel

I tagged along on a trip to the Bisbee Bicycle Brothel with HT from the Tucson Brompton Meetup group.  She had bought a 42cm frame and was going to pick it up.  The shop is a very cool collection of vintage bikes and collectables and Ken (the owner) is a cool guy who has probably forgotten more than I'll ever know about biking history.



Unfortunately for us, Ken is closing the physical store / museum to enjoy travelling and other pursuits.   Here's the Tucson Velo write-up about the closing of the store. I'm not certain exactly when his doors are closing, but if you are anywhere in the area, I recommend you take a visit before Ken closes his doors for good.  Don't fret if you can't get there though, because Ken will still be selling stuff online.

While HT and Ken were chatting I was checking out the wall of photographs and saw this guy...

Brompton World Championship 2008 flyer

I had already discussed with Ken that HT and I ride Bromptons, and when I hollered out at HT to check this out, Ken said I could have it.  Whaaaaat?!?!  I promised Ken that if a similar flyer is available for this year's US Championship that I'd send it down to him.

Thanks for the good time Ken!

Brompton in new advert video

This new advertisement for Berocca (an energy supplement) pairs Andrei Burton with a Brompton.  Burton is the top mountain bike rider in the UK, but here he shows his stuff on the B.

Great exposure for both Burton & Brompton!

Cyclovia Tucson 2013, Weekend 1

Yesterday (April 7) was the first of two Cyclovia events in Tucson for 2013.  Cyclovia Tucson is based on the Bogota Ciclovia, where several streets are closed to motorized traffic and walkers, skaters and cyclists are free to roam the streets.

The weather was pretty warm as is customary this time of year.  Regardless, there was a great turnout with lots of opportunities to people & bike watch.  It was just HT Chen and myself for the Brompton contingent, but we saw quite a few Bike Fridays.

I've got some video footage, but I've noticed that I seem to tilt my head a bit, making the footage a little skewed.  I'll see if I can correct it post-production before posting it up.

Unfortunately I was too busy talking and taking in the sights to take many good pictures.

Trying out the Sun Tran Hybrid Bus.

Some better pictures can be found on the Tucson Velo site.

Brompton US Championship Registration is LIVE!

The Brompton US Championship registration went live earlier this afternoon (link here).  I am already signed up and looking forward to it!  Watch out Prince, Lake Minnetonka and Jucy Lucy!

Review: Aardvark Seat Cover

Today I'm writing a review of the Aardvark seat cover (black, standard size) bought from Rivendell Bikes.  The link is here for the seat cover, however since Rivendell is a small company they don't carry a huge stock of these and something else (equivalent or better) may replace it.  Or they could just stop carrying them for business reasons.  The covers costs $11.

Ok, this may not be the most exciting review ever, but I think this piece of gear will actually come in handy for me quite often.  A vast majority of the time I would ride with out the cover, but here are a few instances in which I would use it:

• When it's raining (duh).
• If I had to lock up my bike outside, I can kind of hide the Brooks saddle with the cover and not make the Brompton stand out as much so it won't get messed with.  I know I've caught myself noticing Brooks saddles whenever I'm walking by a bunch of bikes.
• When I'm jamming the Brompton into tight spaces (full trunks/boots, the B&W hard case, etc.).  I know I've done some damage to my Brooks already (see photo below) which could have been prevented with the cover on.   

Aardvark Seat Cover in package

Seat cover on its own

Made in the Richmond, Utah, USA

Damage on the right rear of the Brooks B17 saddle.

Side view of seat cover installed.

Rear view of seat cover installed.

Initial impressions:
The cover material seems like a light weight neoprene fabric (wet suit stuff), which makes sense as a waterproof material.  The fit is perfect for the Brooks B17.

The cover weighed 0.8 oz (22.7 grams) on my kitchen scale (not that weight should be much of a consideration for this item).  It's not really bulky, but the shape of the cover also prevents it from rolling it up super tight.

Riding with the cover:
You will probably notice a difference when riding with the seat cover.  The first thing you notice with the cover is that there's a lot more grip on the seat.  With the Brooks I'm used to sliding around a bit to get comfortable or to raise out of the seat for tight turning or dismounting.  Kinda feels like riding with a wedgie, if that makes any sense.

I also noticed that it's quite a bit warmer in the seat area with the cover than without, which may be a nice feature at cold temperatures.

Conclusion:
So far I think this was a decent buy (for $11), but not really something I would use all the time though.  I will primarily be using it to protect my Brooks when I jam it in my car or have to lock up the B outside.  Maybe I'll ride with it if it's super cold.  Or if there is an unexpected rainstorm.  Basically as a nice little insurance item to protect my already beat-up Brooks.

New GoPro Hero 3, aka How I spent my REI 20% off coupon and dividend

On Friday I went ahead and spent my annual REI 20% off coupon and dividend on one of the new GoPro Hero 3's, black edition (which is the flagship model).

I won't get into too many detail with the specs and such since there are practically an infinite number of sources online that showcase the new features and performance of the Hero 3.  

I will say that the smaller size and lighter weight makes a HUGE difference in the usability of the video I can record.  The following two clips are from GoPros mounted on top of my helmet.  The first video is of the new Hero 3.  The first part of the clip is of me going under a bridge to show how it transitions from light to dark.  The second part of the clip is of me riding on a bumpy road. 

The clip below is of me riding in El Tour on a bumpy road (watching a unicyclist) with the Hero 2.  While not exactly apples to apples with the first clip (different roads), the two roads are similarly bumpy.   You can see and hear the excessive movement of the Hero 2 inside the case in the second clip.  I think the lighter weight and smaller size really helped reduce the rattling.

I am really happy in the improvement in footage I can get with the GoPro Hero 3.  I plan on using it at the Brompton US Championships in Minneapolis this summer!

Brompton US Championships just announced!

This year's US championship was just announced tonight!  It will take place in Minneapolis again on June 23, 2013.  I am definitely planning on being there... anyone else???

http://www.bromptonuschampionship.com/save-the-date/