The First One is Free

I take full responsibility for my actions, but some influences were at work. A23 was hooked and he has his subtle moments. He bought the first bowling ball. He brought home a bitchin longboard. There are the red pills, almost a Tiny TT, even now he's trying to hook me into parenthood. God those boys are cute.

But this story is about fixed gear bicycles. My first was given to me in the form of a late 70's Shogun. Made of Japanese gaspipe and dressed in Shimano 600, it had been sitting for sometime in one of my landlord's storage units. He had bought it new and it had lived a long life already. My Friend Ben had grown up thrashing it. He and Stefano never grew tall enough to properly fit it, but they rode the shit out it I'm told. I brought it home not planning to "fix" it.

Shots and beers later Abe explained, and we tore the thing down. Off to the powdercoaters, Lollypop Red over Galaxy Grey. Then a budget conversion was born. It was a tank with horrible geometry, hard to skid, and I loved it. The addiction was set.



The hunting and gathering of parts is definitly part of it. Scouring the interweb and bikeshops for a miniscule savings. It really just parts out the payments. The building, the tools, the first ride, oh the joy!!! More bikes have come to the compound. Better bikes, lighter bikes, sexier bikes. The Shogun had become redundant. But I could never part with it. Cheap parts had become cheaper as more dealers got in. I couldn't sell it for what it's worth to me. And so it became the great grocery getter rainbike.



35c tires, fenders, drop baskets, a sprung Brooks, comfy bars and a bell. Now it's even harder to skid, weighs two tons, and I love it even more. It's been to Berkeley Bowl and back many, many times. Baskets overflowing.



And now she's redudant again, as a better, lighter, sexier grocery getter has been born. So she'll be hauled up to PDX, to hang out and wait for me. They'll treat her right, people will play with her, and I'll see her when the families get together. She's a good bike

FGG (for an earlier version)
Velospace