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  Ironweed Bicycle Products

102 Things I Love About Cycling!

12/26/2011

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_ I saw a tweet this morning referencing a Bicycling magazine piece entitled, 101 Things to Love About Cycling.  I started reading it and got to number eighteen, "Smelling the embrocation waft off your own legs," and decided I had to write my own list with more of a touring/daily-rider theme. 

1.        Climbing onto a 20 year-old Brooks saddle.
2.        15 miles of flat with a 15 mph tail wind.
3.        Stumbling upon a cool vintage mixte in a bike rack.
4.        Going to a meeting and parking right in front of the door.
5.        Getting to the top of the hill.
6.        That first sip of a cool beer after a hot ride.
7.        Not knowing where you’re going to camp tonight.
8.        Meeting that crazy small town drunkard.
9.        Finding an awesome lunch spot where you least expected it.
10.      Finding some really awesome IPA at a pub along the ride.
11.      Fender mounted headlights and taillights.
12.      Vintage… British, French, Italian.
13.     Old Blackburn racks.
14.     Rolling down a gravel road – three abreast – talking politics.
15.     Getting the cones on a hub perfect on the first try.
16.     Having that vintage part someone needs to complete a build.
17.     Going from gravel to pavement.
18.     Going from pavement to gravel.
19.     Breaking off from a group ride.
20.     Not getting run over by that jackass in a Grand Prix.
21.     Riding with an umbrella.
22.     Seeing someone riding with an umbrella.
23.     Riding to the market and getting it all on my bike.
24.     Riding with my daughters.
25.     Finding something really cool in the road.
26.     Talking to someone that just rode their bike to work for the first time.
27.     Having a cold plum after a hot ride.
28.     Getting that cyclist in racing togs going the opposite direction to acknowledge your presence by returning your wave.
29.     Riding really early.
30.     Going past a line of cars waiting for someone in a Lexus to make a left turn.
31.     Riding late in the afternoon.
32.     Riding under a full moon.
33.     Stumbling onto a great swimming lake.
34.     Finding a great local park just in time to pitch a tent.
35.     Meeting friendly locals that offer you a place to camp.
36.     Riding on gravel with a 70 year-old.
37.     Riding with a 7 year-old.
38.     The sun coming out after a rainstorm.
39.     Finding a great place to wait out a rainstorm.
40.     The perfect fender installation.
41.     Stumbling upon a great cup of coffee.
42.     Sweptback handlebars.
43.     Brooks Flyer.
44.     The feel of a fully loaded bike.
45.     Riding your bike after taking all the touring gear off.
46.     Riding along the coast.
47.     Riding uphill with 70 pounds of gear.
48.     Eating a banana while you ride.
49.     Fresh cotton bar tape.
50.     Knowing that you have everything you need on your bike.
51.     Canvas, wicker, steel.
52.     Seeing a bike with red label Mavic rims.
53.     Slipping on a pair of old cycling shoes.
54.     Feeling the sun on the top of your thighs.
55.     Brooks B72.
56.     Seeing a parent and child riding to school.
57.     Finding a great place to take a nap while on tour.
58.     Bluemel fenders.
59.     TA Cyclotouriste.
60.     Barend shifters.
61.     Riding downhill on gravel.
62.     Campagnolo 1010 dropouts.
63.     Riding when the entire city sleeps.
64.     Riding home from a party.
65.     Seeing that really old guy out for a ride on his Schwinn Sports Tourer.
66.     Arriving at a mountain pass.
67.     Helping someone discover the perfect bike.
68.     Making new bicycle friends.
69.     Talking about bikes while riding three abreast.
70.     The feel of really nice touring tires.
71.     The Lovely Bicycle blog.
72.     Old British three speeds with dynohubs.
73.     Vintage touring bikes.
74.     Finding a really nice touring bike in 66cm.
75.     The guy that rides his bike with a parrot on his shoulder.
76.     The guy who rides a vintage step-thru Paramount with a wool jersey and a leather hairnet “helmet”.
77.     Riding through puddles.
78.     Riding in the snow.
79.     Riding through fallen leaves.
80.     Riding in warm rain.
81.     Riding along a river.
82.     Going to the local municipal pool after lunch while on tour.
83.     Fat tire bikes.
84.     Skinny tire bikes.
85.     Rebuilding an abandoned bike.
86.     Old movies with bicycles.
87.     Simplex Retro Friction.
88.     The Iowa City Bike Library.
89.     Pushing your bike with one hand on the saddle.
90.     Singing while riding (usually when riding solo).
91.     Trying not to scare off a red fox on a hill while riding past.
92.     Finding a small town grocery store.
93.     Jack Taylors, Mercians, Woodrups.
94.     Wool bike shorts.
95.     Cold water on a hot day.
96.     Well-made folding bikes.
97.     Stumbling onto a local parade.
98.     Riding in the forest.
99.     Thumb shifters.
100.   Front racks
101.   Lowrider racks
102.   Panniers (preferably canvas)



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Happy Christmas and Thank You!

12/25/2011

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Merry Christmas and thanks to all the Ironweed customers for your patronage.  It's been a year since we started selling panniers on this site.  We've had a lot of fun and we're looking forward to grand things in 2012.

Meanwhile, I thought I'd share one of my favorite Christmas songs from The Pogues.  Bless Shane McGowan...I hope he’s well and sober on this Christmas! 

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Fietsen - Amsterdam in 1965

12/14/2011

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While checking out the Cycle Chic Belgium website, I ran into this film by the late Dutch photographer and filmmaker, Ed van der Elsken.  The film, entitled Fietsen (Cycling), was shot in and around Amsterdam in 1965.  The opening shot is a bevy of Dutch businessmen donning top coats and skinny ties riding shoulder to shoulder on their way to the office.  It's like the Rat Pack behind handlebars!  It is a fast-moving and fun short... enjoy!
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Working Out the Bags and Bringing the Light

12/11/2011

1 Comment

 
_ In the previous post, I used the “rando” moniker on our front bag prototype, even though it doesn’t much resemble a randonneur bag.  The fact is, it was really designed with the commuter in mind.

While I like this prototype bag, after using it for a couple of weeks, I remembered that one of the great features of a front bag is being able to get in and out of it while seated in the cockpit.  I have done several long tours over the years and always used some type of handlebar/front bag.  Including a TA style randonneur that I later replaced with a Kirtland that I still use. 

So, we’ve gone back to the drawing board to design a rear opening bag, with more pockets.  The way we figure it, commuters won’t complain about a more accessible front bag, so why not make it user friendly for road riders, tourers and randonneurs!

In other news, check out the clever rear light mount suggested by an Ironweed owner.  He simply clips his light to the "D" ring on the back of the bag.  Thanks for the idea!
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    Brian Loring


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