Spin Viddy

Velo Arthouse On CafePress

patrickvaldez — Sun, 23 May 2010 04:50:01 +0000

We have just launched a new store on CafePress. Velo Arthouse offers many unique designs, many of them cycling inspired and all of them original. Head on over and check it out.

Published On Associated Content

patrickvaldez — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:51:54 +0000

Check out my recently published content on AC:

Review: MSI Wind U100 Netbook

Rolling Through The ‘Burbs Again

patrickvaldez — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:16:42 +0000

The heat radiating off the asphalt in every direction, the relentless traffic and noise. This is it, this is suburban cycling. Riding on the great black expanse of road, nary a tree in sight and always on the lookout for that driver who is chatting on his cell phone. Talk about living life on edge, the urban core has nothing on the suburban cyclist. We ride amongst the worse traffic there is, Joe Average who is just focused on getting home and planting his fat ass in front of the television. These drivers aren’t looking out for bicycles, they are concentrating on that evenings network lineup or pay-per-view event. When you climb on your bicycle in the suburbs you had better be focused and prepared to dodge. Bike lanes be damned, these drivers will casually cross into the bike lane or shoulder of the road and then swerve back again like nothing happened. Intersections become potential kill boxes for the cyclist who lets his guard down. So come out to the suburbs and bike the mean streets with us.

Safety and Accountability

patrickvaldez — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 03:12:24 +0000

I am a dedicated bicyclist. I live and breathe cycling. Whenever I hear about an incident involving a bicycle and another vehicle, I cringe and my heart goes out to the rider and their family because I know that in a collision the bicycle will always lose. I am on my bike just about every day of the year and I commute by bike so I have seen my fair share of bad drivers on the road. In all fairness though, I have also seen my fair share of irresponsible bicycle riders. People who flout traffic rules and toss common sense to the wayside. Whenever I read about an accident involving a cyclist and a vehicle I see the two sides square off, the cyclists versus the drivers, each pointing the finger at each other. The level of contempt that each side has for the other is disturbing. Rather than take sides I choose to point out that anyone who chooses to use the public roads for any reason, needs to practice safety and accountability. In my opinion, both cyclists and drivers, need to be responsible when you are on the road.

I have seen more than one cyclist who fails to stop at an intersection even when traffic is heavy and I have seen plenty of drivers who fail to signal a right turn. All of us, at one time or another, has bent or broken a traffic rule. Sometimes it is simple ignorance and other times it is due to an unforseen distraction. Nobody is perfect. Rather than going to war or harboring deep resentments against each other, let’s just remember to pay attention and make a genuine effort to follow the rules of the road. Drivers, when you see me on my bike why not give me the respect I deserve and allow me to share the road with you. Most of us cyclists know how to behave in traffic and we are not looking for a confrontation with a ton of metal. And to my cycling brethren, let us remember that it is not our place to judge a driver just because we choose to go by bike. I’d love to live in a car free city but that just isn’t going to happen. Cars are going to be a part of the landscape for the near future so pay attention and ride responsibly.

The message to everyone is simple, practice safety and accountability.

crankbrothers m-17 multi-tool

patrickvaldez — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:33:42 +0000

crankbrothers m-17 multi-tool

The crankbrothers m-17 multi-tool. It fits anywhere. Stash it in your pocket, seat bag, backpack or messenger bag and off you go. It comes with just about everything a cyclist would need to fix their ride, and it looks cool. The crankbrothers m-17 comes equipped with a chain tool, spoke wrenches 1-4, hex wrenches 2 / 2.5 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 8, both phillips and flat head screwdrivers, torx wrench t-25, and 8mm & 10mm open wrenches. It also comes with a lifetime warranty to boot. I can vouch for its usefulness because it has helped get me home more than a few times. I’ve used it most recently to replace a broken spoke on my Lemond Fillmore but it has proven its worth more than once when I have broken a chain while mountain biking. This is one serious multi-tool and its tough as nails. The crankbrothers once again show us they are committed to producing top quality bicycle accessories and tools.

crankbrothers m-17 multi-tool

weight: 168g
length: 3.5″ / 89mm
frame: 6061-T6 aluminum
tools: 6051 high tensile steel
chain tool: 8/9/10 speed compatible
spoke wrench: #1, 2, 3, 4
hex wrenches: #2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8
screwdrivers: phillips, flat
open wrench: 8mm, 10mm
torx : t-25

The Spoke Broke: Aftermath

patrickvaldez — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:38:07 +0000

The Lemond suffered from a broken spoke which at first left me feeling quite distraught, like having an injured child. I had already ridden several miles on that wheel and my biggest fear that it was going to warp. Yesterday I went to work replacing the spoke and afterward I was quite pleased when I realized that it only took a few adjustments to true the wheel. Now I am back in business, the Lemmy is 100% and rode like a dream today. Thank god I am a pack rat and tend to collect old bike parts so that they can be used again in the future.

The Spoke Broke

patrickvaldez — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:22:39 +0000

Broken Spoke On Lemond

I remember hearing the metallic ping but when I looked down I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary and the Lemmy wasn’t handling any different from normal so I just kept riding. That was yesterday afternoon on my ride home from work. This morning was the same as any other. I went out the door with my bike and rode up the street to 7-11 to get my fix of Rockstar. Again, nothing out of the ordinary in regards to how the bike was handling the rode so I didn’t think much about what had happened yesterday. I did my business inside of 7-11 and when I came out and was walking my bike to the street I heard that metallic pinging sound again. This time I made a closer inspection of the frame and wheels and sure enough, broke spoke.

I was at the halfway point of my commute and I had to decide whether or not to ride to the MAX and just go to work and deal with this later, or turn around and ride home and then swap bikes. There was no real damage to the tire or wheel so I took a chance and continued on to the MAX. So there you have it, another thrilling day of commuting by bike. Luckily I have extra spokes at home so this will be an easy repair.

Rolling Through The ‘Burbs

patrickvaldez — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:45:41 +0000

The Lemmy at 7-11

The dog days of summer are still around and when you live in the ‘burbs there is not a lot you can do to pass the time when the temperature stays up in the 80′s even as the sun is setting. It sort of makes you wish for a bike friendly neighborhood pub where you could roll into and cool off with a nice microbrew. But that ain’t happening so I make the ride to the next best thing, actually it is not the next best thing but rather the only other option available to me. That’s right, 7-11.

So I climb on the Lemmy and pedal my ass down the street and for once it’s kind of peaceful and refreshing because there’s hardly a car in sight which is unusual for this neighborhood. I roll into the parking lot and up to the door and then proceed to browse the fine selection of chilled beverages. It turns out that this is not a night for beer but rather a Rockstar. Oh how I love thee. Refreshing and full of energy! 7-11 is running a sale, 2 for $4 and who am I to pass up such a bargain? So I pay the clerk and stash the cans in my backpack and get ready to head home. Not every trip is an adventure and my evening concludes with this post. Tomorrow is another day and another opportunity to roll through the ‘burbs on my Lemmy.

Bicycle Maintenance: Brake Replacement

patrickvaldez — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:34:40 +0000

After seven months of daily commuting in both the heat and rain of Oregon, it was time to replace the brakes on my 2008 Lemond Fillmore. As you can see by the photo below, there was not much stopping power left on the original brake pads. A quick trip to Performance Bicycle here in Beaverton solved that problem.

Brake Replacement In Progress

I picked up two sets of Shimano BR-7900 brake pads and within a few minutes I had replaced the old, worn out pads with a set of grippy new ones. I had been meaning to get this maintenance out of the way several weeks ago but one thing or another had sidetracked me. Now my Lemond is all set to stop on a dime whenever I need it. Having the ability to stop quickly is a necessity when you ride the mean streets of the suburbs like I do.

Newly Installed Brake Pads On Lemond Fillmore

In The Land of Giants

patrickvaldez — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:57:27 +0000

In The Land of Giants, originally uploaded by Mr. Viddy.

Taking a walk down memory lane. I rode the Giant OCR 3 pictured above for a couple of years before switching over to my Lemond Fillmore. It was a great bike that served me well and I would highly recommend any bike from the OCR line.