Hunqapillar ... The Arrival and Build!!

As mentioned in my last post, a new bike was finally shipped to my door.  And now it's time to reveal the details. It came from the brilliant and good folks in Walnut Creek, California ... better known as Rivendell Bicycle Works.  The bike is a 48cm Hunqapillar frame with a carefully-chosen component group, expertly assembled by the team at Rivendell, then expertly packed for shipping and sent to me.  Upon the arrival of the UPS truck (which is always met with great excitement by our two dogs, who just KNOW it's UPS approaching and find some kind of thrill in attacking the door), I was presented with this:

And just in case I was confused as to which way was up, it was clearly labeled for me:

I already had all of my assembly tools prepared, along with a detailed step-by-step assembly list to prevent getting off track in my excited state:

So I began by opening the box ... CAREFULLY.  I didn't want to take any chances of making the slightest scratch on anything inside.

It turns out I had nothing to worry about.  Inside the box, every part was secured with zip-ties and dense foam. Every tube on the bike was covered in bubble wrap.  No chance of anything moving or being improperly jostled in transit.  NICE!  It is rumored that the packing team at Rivendell takes 2 hours to partially disassemble and pack a complete bike for shipping ... and from what I can see here, it's no joke.

The next step was to get the bike out of the box, which meant first removing all of the foam blocks that were glued in place to secure the frame.  Not the easiest task, but I managed.  This particular piece puzzled me ... and made me grin with a Beavis and Butthead laugh.  I mean, just look at this thing ... the foam has a woody!

These are the pieces removed and saved for ... well, I'm not sure what for, but I saved them anyway.

Okay ... now it was time to pull the bike from the box. This is what came out, all in one piece:

See all those zip-ties?  Next step was to cut them and free the secured parts. Good thing I had all of my tools prepared ... diagonal cutters ... check.

Okay ... next was to temporarily put the handlebar/stem assembly into the steerer tube (to be properly adjusted later).

Then I installed the prepared front fender and rack.  I've installed some fenders in the past.  It's never quick and easy.  This time, however, all the difficult setup was already done, and I simply had to connect the bolts.  Thank you, Rivendell!  After the rack and fender were attached, I put the front wheel in the dropouts and attached the quick-release skewer. Then I removed all of the bubble wrap from the frame tubes.  Such a great deal of work they put into that!  Starting to look like a bike ...

The next step was to secure my new saddle to the seatpost, make sure there was a bit of grease in the seat tube (always use Phil's ... the best), and put the saddle/seatpost assembly in the seat tube of the bike. Now it's getting exciting ...

Then it was time to attach the rear rack.  This is a Tubus Cosmo stainless steel rack that I already had ... waiting for an appropriate home.  I like that it has both an upper deck for a trunk bag and lower rails for panniers ... because you know I likes to do me some heavy touring with a massive load of baggage. Okay, not really ... but at least there are options ... and it looks cool, too.  Hey ... dudes like shiny things, too.

After the rack was installed, it was time for the trimmings. I'm trying these here pedal thingies from Fyxation, called the Mesa.  They're very strong Cro-Mo (a technical term for steel) spindles with heavy-duty sealed bearings and impact-grade nylon platforms.  That means I can really bash on them. Dudes like to bash things.  Really, it means they're strong and durable ... and the nylon spiky things won't chew up my shoes like metal spikes do.

I also put on some King Cages Iris stainless steel water bottle cages. These are the best ... seriously ... the BEST bottle cages ever.  They're really strong, and they really hold a Klean Kanteen tight, with no rattling.  That's important, because real dudes use only stainless steel water bottles.  And, of course, they're shiny and pretty.

And then the final adjustments were made before the first test ride.  Adjust the handlebars for proper height and angle ... check.  Attach the brake cables ... check.  Make sure the brake pads are aligned ... check (and perfectly, I might add).  Pump up the tires ... check.  By the way ... these are Schwalbe Marathon Dureme 26" x 2" folding tires.  AWESOME!!!  More on them in another post.  Check the wheels and quick-release levers for secure attachment ... check.  Put the bags on the racks and put the tool kit inside ... check.  READY TO GO!!

I immediately went out for a quick spin.  And by "immediately", I mean that I didn't change into my usual riding shorts, socks, shoes, sweatshirt, and so on ... I left the house in my cut-off sweatpants, Birkenstocks, and sunglasses.  Style be damned!  And it was ... the most AWESOME 15 minutes on a new bike EVER.  Why only 15 minutes?  Well, since I'd gotten the bike into a ride-able state, I just couldn't wait any longer for the remaining step to finish it, which would mean not being able to ride it for at least 24 hours ... but I didn't want to get the cork grips all sweaty and grimy, so I kept the ride duration brief.  Make sense?

Okay ... the last step in finishing the build was to add some cork-look-alike bar tape to the front curves of the handlebars, where the secondary hand position is ... and then apply some Zinser Bullseye Amber Shellac (2 coats for the grips, 3 coats to the bar tape for a good color match).  The shellac will keep it from getting nasty with hand sweat and dirt, while simultaneously making it look ... well, warm and authentically aged ... and ... yes, I'll say it ... pretty.  Hey, dudes like pretty things, too.  And here's the result:

Notice the little copper bell?  Nice sound, a great functional warning device for people walking their dogs or tandem baby strollers occupying the entire 2-lane bike path, and ... pretty. There's also a German-made mirror on that bar ... works well ... but while not ugly, it is not pretty.

Now complete with bags attached to carry camera gear, repair kit, cell phone, keys, and whatever else I may need, the final build looks like this:

I am thrilled and honored to own this bike.  The photos don't do justice to its in-person appearance.  But, while stunning to look at, the ride is even better.  Smooth and stable on any surface ... and amazingly comfortable on rides near and far.  More to come ...

Something Woolly This Way Comes...

 
 
I'm never very good at waiting ... even though my life involves quite a bit of that very thing.  Perhaps in a past life I was a rather impatient being, and thus it is my purpose in this life to learn the virtue.  I'm getting there, but it's not easy.

Since beginning to ride a bike again in my adult life, I've learned a lot about what my personal style is ... yes, in terms of what I wear, but more importantly, how and what I ride.  When I finally got a really good vision of the kind of bike that best suits me, I began the search ... and found "the one".  Then I had to acquire the funds ... which took a very long time.  Then I had to order it.  Since then I've been waiting.  And waiting. 

When I ordered it, I was told it would be three weeks.  Three weeks later, I inquired about the status and was told it would be another two-to-three weeks.  Three weeks after that, I called and inquired again and was informed that there was an oversight and the frame had not been painted yet ... so another two weeks.  Two weeks after that, eight weeks into my three-week order, I called again.  This time brought good news ... it was done and almost ready to ship!  Later that very day, I received email confirmation of shipment and tracking information. 

Finally, it's on the way ... and due to arrive at my door tomorrow!  I'll post the details and photos of assembly, but for now, here is a small sample of what will appear on the head tube:

Yes ... it's a woolly mammoth, basking in the sun ... with trilobites clearing the path.  I imagine there wasn't much that could stand in the way of the woolly mammoth in its day ... and that is exactly the style of this bike.  It's designed to go anywhere, not in a hurry, but to explore and enjoy.  More soon!!

 

 

Things You Notice When Riding A Bike

 
 
It's interesting how your perspective changes when you're moving at a slower pace and not surrounded by walls of metal and glass inside a motorized contraption.  You notice things that you might not have otherwise had time to see.  You have time to think about what's around you.  You begin to wonder what's wrong with people.  Are they completely insane or merely oblivious?

I went for a ride today that included a stop on the way home at the local large chain grocery-shopping outlet.  I needed to get some coffee beans and razor blades, since there's a fine line between that sexy three-day growth and the crazy grayish-bearded slob who's too lazy to shave ... and I haven't yet purchased one of those new-fangled stubble trimmers. 

As I pedaled through the parking lot, the scenery appeared to move in slower-than-normal motion.  First, I noticed the guy in his huge pickup truck, who seemed unable to manage backing out of his parking space and then turning into the lane ... opting to simply turn from within his space, nearly backing over the smaller car next to him, which I'm certain he couldn't see from his vantage point of 32 feet in the air.  I suppose he thought the wheelbase of his enormous commercial grade hauling machine (which, of course, was hauling nothing but him) was a bit too long to back up and THEN turn ... but the lanes are pretty wide at this large chain grocery-shopping outlet (LCGSO from here forward) and he really did have plenty of room, even with his tires that were designed for off-roading in Nepal.  I wondered if perhaps he just plain couldn't see anything behind or next to him.  I wondered why people choose such a vehicle for driving around in the city, when it's impossible to properly park it.  I wondered why he didn't do as others with such vehicles and just park further out and use two spaces so it would be easier to get in and out.

Then I saw a woman in a SUV ... no wait ... there were two ... no, it was two women and one man in SUV's, a teenager in an old Honda, an elderly man in a huge boat of a 70's-era car, and a dude in a service company van ... all driving through the parking lot with their cellular talking devices held to their ear.  I thought to myself, "Isn't that illegal in California?"  Then I thought, "Hasn't it been illegal for several years now?"  I guess the cost of keeping up with the latest Pirate Speaking Device (a.k.a. Aye-Phone) prohibits the simultaneous ownership of a Pirate Earring (a.k.a. Bluetooth earpiece).  Or perhaps, being the adventurous pirate types they are, it's the thrill of doing something not only illegal, but proven to be dangerous, that appeals to them.  I then wondered how many people driving through the parking lot were texting instead of talking, since I wouldn't necessarily be able to see them doing so if the phone was in their lap.  Maybe that explains the younger fellow who was inexplicably weaving in the lane.  I had initially thought he was just learning to drive ... but now I have my doubts.

As I reached the entrance of the LCGSO, I then noticed that everyone coming in and out of said LCGSO had a look of frustration on their face.  No one smiled ... no one said hello.  Just marching to and from their vehicles where bad driving and pirate adventures await.  But then ... there was a guy who smiled and said "Good Morning ... beautiful day!".  He then put his newly-purchased bag of grocery items in the basket on his bicycle and rode away.  Hmmm.  And then another person, an older lady in a motorized wheelchair, also smiled and said "Hello".  Very interesting.

I wondered ... why is it that only the man on a bicycle and woman in a wheelchair appeared friendly and happy, while so many others with huge vehicles of convenience and high-tech pirate adventure devices appeared so distant, self-absorbed, and frustrated?  After all, we were all doing the same thing ... shopping at the local LCGSO ... sharing the same parking lot ... in the same beautiful beach town ... on the same beautiful sunny Southern California day.  Well, actually, there was one other person who smiled and said hello.  He was the security guard at the entrance to the bank in the same shopping center as the LCGSO.  But he doesn't quite count, since he wasn't shopping at the LCGSO ... and it's his job to smile and greet bank customers ... and to pummel any would-be robber-types ... who wouldn't smile to have that job?

Very Interesting, indeed ... maybe they thought I was the crazy one ... would anyone in their right mind ride a bicycle to the LCGSO, smiling and saying hello to complete strangers?  Maybe it was just the helmet ... and my too-lazy-to-shave grayish bearded face.  Gotta go check out those stubble trimmers now ...

Until next time, smile at someone and say hello ... and have a beautiful day!