FixedRichmond

night ride

2011-07-29T01:35:00.002-04:00

just got back from a 100 mile ride out in the country with a good friend of mine. was nice to finally get to ride without anywhere to go. although when i got back, i realized that my brand new HD rocker box gaskets had failed and there was oil all over my bike and leg. looks like ill be changing them out again.

status on "ross the boss"

2010-03-29T20:39:00.003-04:00

Hey guys Andrew here and if you already did not know "ross the boss" is the name of my lovely fixie ...anyways Iv'e discussed many options on what i want done and Iv'e laid out a good idea of what i want:

frame metal flake gold with my own pinstripe design i have in mind
wheel set...yes im painting the wheels too...fllat black
and before all of that wet sanding and grinding off of unnecessary brake line guiders
and replacement stickers that will read ross the boss

Rain Rain

2010-03-26T04:57:00.001-04:00

GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK!!!

-drew-

We Love Maid Marian

2010-03-23T23:19:00.002-04:00

She's so hot.

In a rush for the 50 mile

2010-03-23T22:28:00.004-04:00

Im hopefully going to be putting a lot of work into Ross the Boss(my bike) including. New paint job im going to do my self with my fathers help along with the removal of the un-necessary brake line guiders. Im also going to be converting out of my heavy and short quill stem, and Josh(rhb) has offered to give me his old kore headset and drop bars. Not to mention i am going to be buying a 700c wheelset asap to get away from my big ol' wheels I have now. Im basically trying to put ross on a minimal steel diet xD. all of this will hopefully be done before the 50 miler coming up. I will post before and after pictures of "Ross the Boss" and I hope to hear feedback when its done. thank you Andrew Speck (rhb)

2009

2010-01-01T15:34:00.003-05:00

So a year has come and gone. Lots of things have happened. I met the guys and we made this whole shindig, not that its popular or anything (no one watches us). I got back into cycling, got into fixed gear cycling, then ultimately ceased to ride them cause of a knee injury. We rode in two 100 mile races, with at least 1 of the 4 finishing it. We participated in the only two damn alleycat races we could find in Richmond..and well it was fun none the less.

Summer was filled with great times, great challenges, and great pain. The fall showed its bad side to us. I damaged my knees during the second to last century ride of the season, Richard got hit by a car, and Matt broke his foot. Winter has been rather bad for riding here, the guys have gone out quite a few times during the cold weather. But all the snow and short days have kept me inside on the roller mostly. If I lived in the city, it'd probably be a different story, but I don't yet.

Anyhow, 2010 is here. We have great plans and great goals to achieve this year. I am going to begin training again next week to get ready for this seasons centuries. I am also possibly getting into the criterium racing as well? maybe?

Alleycat racing hopefully will start back up again this year, hopefully some good group rides aswell?

The velodrome that suppose to be opening up sometime in 2011 will break ground sometime this year, so we are all excited for that. Me and the guys will be there quite a bit once it opens.

Well thats it for this post, when something exciting or fun happens around here. I'll be posting something about it. Cya.

Unfortunate Events

2009-10-22T11:49:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the inactivity from us, just been having a lot of crap happen to us lately. I went in for a physical earlier this month only to find that I cannot ride fixed for the next 6 to 7 months. My knees were the problem, and for those of you familier with cycling. It really sucks. So my track bike is now a freewheeler for the time being until I get my CAAD4. That'll be most likely near January. I'll also start up track cycling maybe in May or June of next year again, see how my knees hold up.

Also Matt K. broke his foot cycling. Pretty nasty crash, but fortunately he is alive and well hahaha. So he was out for about 6 weeks. He's nearly healed up and will be back on his bike in about a week or two.

In other news, Richard finally got a new track bike. Fuji Track Pro ;]

Thanks for reading everyone.
- Josh T.

A day at the races

2009-09-28T20:25:00.002-04:00

The Cannonball Century, 100 miles of hills and what seemed like endless flats. We began the morning with signing up to a light rain. The heavy fog made things all the more exciting. Soon after signing up we were on the road, riding with very fast road cyclists of all levels. The first 35 miles of the race were fast, due to me and Matt drafting a group of four road cyclists. In turn we passed up quite a large group of people. Mile 40 through 90 was a different story though, our pace slowed, and we began the long trek to the finish line. We went through heavy fog, light/and heavy rain, very hot sun, and all the crap in between that doesn't really go well with cycling. We did the best we could as a team, in the end, we did very good for guys on fixed gear bikes. People applauded our efforts, truly admiring our abilities as cyclists to do a 100 mile race. We finished near the back end of the group of 250-350 people. But in the end, it didn't matter to us. We did good for who we were at the race, that was all that mattered. We had some damn good Vegan food from Sammy T's after. GO THERE IF YOUR EVER IN FREDERICKSBURG!

Josh T - Finished @ 102 miles
Matt K - Finished @ 95 miles

Mile 95

CBC has new Cinelli mashframe

2009-09-20T20:08:00.004-04:00

I know, its awesome.

well done guys.

12th Annual Cannonball Century

2009-09-20T16:59:00.002-04:00

The race will be held on the 27th of September (Next Sunday). Me and Matt will be participating in the race. Wish us luck! This will be our second century ride!

For more information on this event follow the link below:
http://www.bikefred.com/CBC/cbc.html

Edge Movie

2009-09-12T01:55:00.004-04:00

So I saw that this movie was gunna be showing at the Byrd in October. It's 4 dollars and its "suppose" to be good. This a new documentary? Has this been shown before?
If so whats it like? Any good?

Thanks people.

PS - 390 views to 11,900 views? Seriously? Haha.
Thanks none the less.

Raleigh up for grabs!

2009-09-03T09:30:00.002-04:00

http://richmond.craigslist.org/bik/1356066681.html

Check out my craigslist ad. Hopefully you'll find a little interest in it. This bike has served me well.

Cycloops Mag+

2009-09-01T23:38:00.004-04:00

I bought a Cycloops Mag+ trainer, $190 dollars and well worth the expense! Really is a life saver for those days you can't find the time to ride or because of bad weather.

Definitely get one if your serious about cycling and most definitely if your planning to race! Really really good buy!

A little taste of "Best Friends Day."

2009-08-21T22:46:00.003-04:00

Matt and I were hanging downtown. Chillin out, maxin, relaxin all cool posted on the Shafer court benches. Out of no where a bunch of fixie riders came and started to chill. Doing some evesdropping, we heard they were doing a ride. So we saddled up and waited for them to head out. We biked with about 30 people up grove to this random spot where they all quit biking and proceeded to drink b00z3. So we left.

Hopefully Matt updates after the three day event with a more conclusive and educational info on the event. Personally, it's a bunch of squaters that like cannible corpse and playing bango.

Til the next post,

Keep it real, crust punx.

2009-08-18T02:15:00.004-04:00

RE-load bag Custom Civilian

You can build this bag up any way you like!

DIMENSIONS: 13H X 18W X 7D

this bag is the perfect size for those who dont exactly have to carry boxes but can still hold a good amount -drew-

Size: One Size
Measurement: 13H X 18W X 7D
Style: Messenger Bag
Sternum Strap: Yes
Waist Strap: Yes
Ext Pockets: 0
Int Pockets: 7
Laptop Pocket: Yes (if you consider the main massive compartment a spot to put your laptop)
Padded Back: No
Extras: custom!!
MSRP: $117.00
http://www.reloadbags.com/store

Construction/Design/Storage
this bag holds just about anything i need on my average day to day ride such as u locks water and wrenches/tools.

Strap System
the strap system is really comfortable but the downside is that if it is a really heavy load it tends to hurt your collar bone after a lengthy ride. another downside to the strap is that it is difficult to adjust the shoulder strap.

Price/Value
it is most definatly worth $117 for a fully cutomizable bag

i personally really like the re-load civilian bag its the perfect size for the day to day rider i definatly recommend this bag to anyone they are way better than chrome =P

-Drew Speck(rhb)-

Chrome Metropolis Bag

2009-08-12T22:21:00.003-04:00

Size: One Size
Measurement: 28 in. X 14 in. X 7 in. (flat)
Capacity: 2000 cu. in. (not taken from flat dimensions)
Style: Messenger Bag
Sternum Strap: Yes
Waist Strap: No
Ext Pockets: 0
Int Pockets: 9
Laptop Pocket: Yes (if you consider the main massive compartment a spot to put your laptop)
Padded Back: No
Extras: None
MSRP: $160 USD Manufacturer: Chrome Bags
Address: USA; San Fran, California
Website: http://www.chromebagsstore.com/

The third largest messenger bag Chrome has created, from the outside, it looks somewhat small. From the inside it is actually quite large indeed, you can fit ALOT of stuff in this bag!

Construction/Design/Storage
This being my first bag that I've used a lot, I have to say it holds up really nice. The design of the bag makes it decently comfortable even with lots of weight added to it. It's construction is spot on, with weatherproof exterior and interior you can ride in the rain, snow, sleet, ect ect with absolute ease of mind that the items you have in the bag will be dry once you need them. Storage is pretty surprising aswell. You can fit a hell of alot of stuff in this bag and thats a understatement. An example of how much you can carry in this bag; I could fit my huge u-lock, a spare u lock, a helmet, several pieces of clothing, tools, 4 water bottles, and I know there was a few more things in the bag in the main compartment. The bag also had 9 interior pockets, 4 large, 1 zip up, and 3 small pockets. They can hold things such as wrenches, water bottles, a u lock, and whatever else that isn't too considerably big.

But there is a downside to the bag, if you really want to put that much stuff in there, it can get extremely uncomfortable on your back. The items shift alot while inside the main compartment, which in some cases lead to the items digging into your back. I also had a hard time with the main shoulder strap over time moving more and more down my back and not staying on my shoulder, the cause of this was the actual strap, once tightened, would not stay tightened.

The theory behind this bag is pretty good, but if you want to put a lot of stuff in a messenger bag and it stay comfortable, you got to have a better straping system so it doesn't lead the rider to get overly annoyed about the bag.
But who am I to say something like that right? This is my first bag, and perhaps its the greatest bag on the market right now. If thats the case I feel bad for any messenger using it.

Construction/Design/Storage rating 3.5/5

Strap System
Strap system is okay, but not great. As I stated above it tends to not hold the bag in the place you wish the bag to be in. But don't get me wrong, the strap system is comfortable for the most part, just really annoying at times. It also has this little buckle that goes under your arm and connects to the main strap. It prevent the bag from actually sliding off your shoulder and also prevents the bag from shifting more then it actually does.
Strap system rating 4/5.

Comfort/Fit/Ride
The Chrome Metropolis is decent, it is comfortable, it fits (at times) but then loosens over a period of time while riding. Which in turn gets in the way while riding, which creates a annoying moment of getting the bag in a more comfortable position rather then paying attention to whats infront of you.
Comfort/fit/ride rating 3/5.

Price/Value
The Metropolis is priced at 160 USD, not bad at all for a USA made product in my opinion. The price and actual quality & value of the bag go hand in hand.
Price/value rating 4.5/5.

All in all? Good bag, love it. I wouldn't do messenging in it, but its a good commuter bag. If you can deal with the minor annoyances of it sliding to different positions on your back, then you won't find any problem with this bag at all. It's well made, its strong, and extremely dependable.
Chrome Metropolis Messenger Bag rating 4/5

Thanks for reading, this was my first review I've done on any sort of item such as this. In the future the quality of the reviews will gradually get better and better.
Again, thanks for reading..
- Josh

District of Columbia.

2009-08-10T22:18:00.006-04:00

The day had come and as I was sleeping in my bed I feel a hard kick on the side of it. I woke up to a very excited Matt Knowles. Me and the boys had been planning a road trip for a while. One in which we travel to D.C. to just melt the faces of asphalt and shatter the lives of aggressive drivers. This morning, I forgot that it was the day. I was confused for a second as to why Matt was standing next to my bed and then I remembered that it was D.C. day. I got ready and we head out my house. Josh Taylor and Zakk Bryant couldn't occumpany us in the journey. Which in turn made me sad :(. The drive was terrible. I thought so hard about parking my car, getting out, getting my bike, and just mashing through the traffic. However, I was patient. The sun beat down on both of us and my radio was on the fritz. It was silent. Just the smell of burning gas and a thousand engines all humming a different tune. As we parted the seas of the traffic, both Matt and I had to go to the bathroom pretty bad. We made our first stop in this Chick-Fila near Stafford. Matt, sporting his Jesus jersy, walked ahead of me in the bustering restaraunt. So many awkward glares from the moments to the bathroom and moments away from the bathroom. We instantly, in seconds, became hated by the majority of D.C. After that awkward situation, we headed back on the road with only miles to go til we got down town. As we finally reached the city skylines we noticed that parking in down town D.C. is ridiculous. I have never seen so many people in my life. I can't realize them all being there for the same reason, but they were. I finally gave in and parked in a parking garage. We proceeded to bike around. We biked and biked. Visited the president and saw a bunch of protesters fasting for a day because of the Iranian war. Finally, we achieved bordum and called up Matt's friend Alex. Before meeting up with her we found a sweet museum. Apparently, everything in D.C. is free. You can go to as many museums as you want and not pay. Even the freakin zoo is free. Go figure seeing animals costs money in Richmond (besides Maymont.) Anyway, there were bones and fish bones and mammels. It was an edjucating journy through the crouds and creatures. Too much for my stomach so we headed to the metro. The famous metro, only to tourists, was very disappointing. We brought our bikes on it and that was the only cool thing about it. We met a lot of cool new people that remind me of the good side of Richmond. I wish people were still like that here. The whole crew here at Robin Hood Bikes will be up there again to terrorize the streets with our wheels. Hopefully all you will stay tuned for pictures I'm actually going to go pick up after I type this period...

When Matt & Richard are in DC..

2009-08-09T00:40:00.007-04:00

I had a volunteer photography job at a filipino festival today, Andrew wanted to come along with me for the day. Of course we brought our bikes along with us, we practiced stuff until we got pretty much kicked off and threatened to be arrested for trespassing. But no worries because soon after they realized I was a volunteer and the threats ended.

..but we weren't allowed back on our bikes..

Photos of me, are by Andrew..
Photos of Andrew, are by Me.

New member on the Macaframa team.

2009-08-07T16:52:00.003-04:00

Yes that's right, Massan is apart of Macaframa now.
Goodbye MASH, Hello Macaframa!

Massan from MACAFRAMA on Vimeo.

To catch up on things..

2009-08-07T00:54:00.007-04:00

As some of you already know, RHB participated in the 18th annual Shenandoah Bike Fest Century Ride back in late July (The 25th to be exact). It was truly one of the most grueling experiences I've done in awhile, but it was all well worth the pain, mental and physical.

The whole team did absolutely great, considering it was extremely hilly. One of the crew finished the race in 7 hours, while one made it to 96 miles, and then two making it to 83 miles. All on fixed gear bikes.

The First Post

2009-08-06T00:38:00.000-04:00

I believe its only fitting for the first post to be of one hell of a great video.
One graceful rider indeed.