So many bikes, so little time...

So it's all a big lie. When I said that the Gary Fisher necessitated the blog's renaming, that's not exactly true. For bikes that I've built, it will be my second, but it is actually the 4th bike in my current ownership... So the obvious question: why so many bikes? The truth is, they're all quite necessary. Trust me...

Bike #1

It all came to be this past sunday of Labor Day weekend. Sunday was of course the semi-monthly SF Sunday Streets, an extravaganza/cluster of people wandering, biking erratically, and generally enjoying a complete lack of cars. This time around was Golden Gate Park and the Great Highway down to the SF Zoo. Normally half the park is shutdown on sunday's anyway, so this just extended it to the ocean. So of course, this means it's time to show off the G-star with a leisurely ride, at one point barely avoiding one kid and hearing the beautiful sound of delta brakes functioning to their fullest (i.e. banshee scream). Bike #1, complete.

Bike #2

I hadn't eaten much of anything for breakfast and the barbecue that afternoon was too far off for my grumbling stomach. That meant it was time to hit Andronico's to buy some fancy beers (brewed at Ommegang, Allagash, and Rogue) and then onto Arizmendi for a snack. For zipping around town, my single speed is the bike of choice. Introducing the Masi:

This bike came to fruition after riding the Green Monster (first mentioned here and to be featured in a future post, surely) for several months. Basically, the idea is a) ride a bike that constantly has issues, b) buy something fantastic and never ride the first bike again. Currently this bike is not quite stock anymore, but not too far from it. I'll say more in a later post, but it is an awesome bike, Masi builds great ones, and I can highly recommend their stuff (also, I love their philosophy on steel, see the top of this page - fantastic). Anyway, in a quick mile jont around my neighborhood -- Success:

Bike #2, complete.

Bike #3

This bike is my workhorse and has probably seen more miles in its lifetime than I have in mine. Purchased for pretty cheap (beer was part of the payment plan) from a friend who had just ridden it from Alaska to SF, this bike was originally a nice backup in case anything happened to the Masi (the origin story is a bit more complicated, but that'll come later). Nothing too fancy, just your standard Bianchi road bike that's seen a few years:

Truth be told, this bike was built for touring, and touring is just what it'll do:

With a pair of awesome Ortlieb saddle bags on there, carrying ~30 pounds of beer, fish, bike locks and misc tools is no problem and it means I don't have end up with a sore shoulder and covered in sweat. With all that to carry, this bike is it, even if the ride is only a short hop north of the park.

Bike #3, complete.

What a fantastic (bike-filled) day.