(no subject)
Mar. 9th, 2009 07:14 pmSomeone noticed a weird lumpy bit on my tire during the Awesome Alberta Architecture ride on Sunday. WTF? It was weird. Like the tire was warped or something.
By the time the ride was over and I headed to the bike shop yesterday, it was closed, so I rode the bus to work today (that bump, going really fast on the downhills towards work, scared me) and took the bike to the shop after.
I now have a one inch (before, it was one and a quarter inch) front tire with kevlar in it. Woot. He also tightened my front brake, which really needed it.
AND he's going to look around for secondhand bottom brackets for my bike. If he can't find one he'll order me one next week, and for around a hundred dollars (including labor) I'll have a granny gear!!
*does the happy dance*
He pointed out they can get Surly Long-Haul Truckers (really fucking awesome touring bike) for about $600 to $800, but that's still a lot of money to me.
It was Sauce working in the shop today when I walked in. Every time I see him I think of the woman who made fun of him in the Nerds on Wheels sketch, with that hat that said "GRAVY" on it. He's a nice guy though, everyone at A Better Cycle has been awesome to me and my bikes.
Speaking of the Awesome Alberta Architecture ride: Most of the people there were hung over from the Alice Awards. I was jealous that I couldn't go (even volunteering, you had to pay $40 for the meal), but glad not to be hungover. I can go next year.
The ride was fun, although I don't think I learned all that much about architecture. We got an impromptu tour of a co-housing development when one of the residents spotted us on the sidewalk checking it out. When we went by a park we found the Bike Polo championships were going on, so we stopped and watched for a bit before dinging our bells and moving on.
At the end of the ride, Lily offered to show off her dome (quick, how many people can we fit in Lily's dome?). When we got to the backyard, one of her housemates (Nicky Robare) and a friend of hers had a video camera and asked, "Who wants to be in our commercial?" You know me, I have to jump into that stuff.
ODOT (the Oregon Department of Transportation) has a campaign called Drive Less, Save More, and has a video contest for their next TV ads, and Nickey was filming an entry with a friend.
It's going to be set up like one of those really bad infomercial commercials. In any case, there's footage of me and Tobin pretending to argue over bills, and some of us walking down the street holding hands, and I pick him a flower. OMG. I could not have done it if it weren't for the fact that she told us to over-act. Also, we did the flower-picking bit so many times, we decimated some poor neighbor's bush.
There's also a shot of a bunch of us riding down the street together.
It sounds like it's going to be hilarious. A judging panel picks five videos from the entries and puts them up on the website for people to vote, if the commercial makes the cut, you'll all know. :^)
ETA: Shawn G. told me he'd been nominated for an Alice, but I forgot. I don't think he won, someone would have told me--Donna at the very least. But here's the blurb:
Shawn Granton
Portland’s bike culture would not be nearly as fun and fascinating without the contributions of Shawn Granton, such as his Pedal Potluck Picnics, Urban Adventure League activities (like the Palm Tree Ride and the Dead Freeway Ride) and engaging artwork that graces only the luckiest posters, maps, and magazines. Through his day-job at the Hawthorne Hostel, he greets visitors, orients them to fun and comfortable biking in Portland, and ensures that they leave raving about the incredible city they’ve discovered with his help. Much of his work is done for free, just for the delight it brings him and others.
Here's the full list of nominees. I don't know who won.
By the time the ride was over and I headed to the bike shop yesterday, it was closed, so I rode the bus to work today (that bump, going really fast on the downhills towards work, scared me) and took the bike to the shop after.
I now have a one inch (before, it was one and a quarter inch) front tire with kevlar in it. Woot. He also tightened my front brake, which really needed it.
AND he's going to look around for secondhand bottom brackets for my bike. If he can't find one he'll order me one next week, and for around a hundred dollars (including labor) I'll have a granny gear!!
*does the happy dance*
He pointed out they can get Surly Long-Haul Truckers (really fucking awesome touring bike) for about $600 to $800, but that's still a lot of money to me.
It was Sauce working in the shop today when I walked in. Every time I see him I think of the woman who made fun of him in the Nerds on Wheels sketch, with that hat that said "GRAVY" on it. He's a nice guy though, everyone at A Better Cycle has been awesome to me and my bikes.
Speaking of the Awesome Alberta Architecture ride: Most of the people there were hung over from the Alice Awards. I was jealous that I couldn't go (even volunteering, you had to pay $40 for the meal), but glad not to be hungover. I can go next year.
The ride was fun, although I don't think I learned all that much about architecture. We got an impromptu tour of a co-housing development when one of the residents spotted us on the sidewalk checking it out. When we went by a park we found the Bike Polo championships were going on, so we stopped and watched for a bit before dinging our bells and moving on.
At the end of the ride, Lily offered to show off her dome (quick, how many people can we fit in Lily's dome?). When we got to the backyard, one of her housemates (Nicky Robare) and a friend of hers had a video camera and asked, "Who wants to be in our commercial?" You know me, I have to jump into that stuff.
ODOT (the Oregon Department of Transportation) has a campaign called Drive Less, Save More, and has a video contest for their next TV ads, and Nickey was filming an entry with a friend.
It's going to be set up like one of those really bad infomercial commercials. In any case, there's footage of me and Tobin pretending to argue over bills, and some of us walking down the street holding hands, and I pick him a flower. OMG. I could not have done it if it weren't for the fact that she told us to over-act. Also, we did the flower-picking bit so many times, we decimated some poor neighbor's bush.
There's also a shot of a bunch of us riding down the street together.
It sounds like it's going to be hilarious. A judging panel picks five videos from the entries and puts them up on the website for people to vote, if the commercial makes the cut, you'll all know. :^)
ETA: Shawn G. told me he'd been nominated for an Alice, but I forgot. I don't think he won, someone would have told me--Donna at the very least. But here's the blurb:
Shawn Granton
Portland’s bike culture would not be nearly as fun and fascinating without the contributions of Shawn Granton, such as his Pedal Potluck Picnics, Urban Adventure League activities (like the Palm Tree Ride and the Dead Freeway Ride) and engaging artwork that graces only the luckiest posters, maps, and magazines. Through his day-job at the Hawthorne Hostel, he greets visitors, orients them to fun and comfortable biking in Portland, and ensures that they leave raving about the incredible city they’ve discovered with his help. Much of his work is done for free, just for the delight it brings him and others.
Here's the full list of nominees. I don't know who won.