Hands up who was there...?

This has to rank as one of the best comps we ever went to!?

KOC - 1993
Krt owned that mini ramp, the Standard army dominated & Team Sano debagged anybody within spitting distance!

Legend...

Paul Osicka

New camera+new back wheel=pics!

I got a shiny new digital camera off of ebay, partly courtesy of people giving me money for managing to stay alive another year, partly because I have a job that pays me more than £12 a month, and partly because I've got an awesome girlfriend who's willing to give me access to her credit card. She'll learn!
Camera is a Ricoh GR digital, and although I have yet to do anything major with it, it seems really cool, like full manual controls you don't have to go through 12 menus to get to, wide angle lens(21mm!), and a nifty continuous mode thing where it blasts 16 pics in about 2 seconds, which I'm sure will be most entertaining. And a hair over 8 Super EXXXXTEEEME!!! MEGA PIXELS. Or something. Hopefully now I'll get back to taking more pictures, because it's been a while since I shot anything other than bikes not moving, or family crap. I do have about 14 rolls of film still to get developed though, and I'm pretty sure there's some fgood stuff on there somewhere. And for once I'm not exaggerating on the numbers, I really do have a lot of used up film.
Anyway, I used the new camera to take a couple of pics of my bike, complete with Ian's old back wheel(cheers dude!).


Only differences from the last check are the new wheel(proper hub on a 7KA, 13t driver, 48 spokes), a few less links of chain hooking it up to a 36t T1 sprocket that was free, and I might have to paint. The attila stem also shit the bed, stripping the two bolts at the front, leading to wobbly bars syndrome at epic the other week. Rubbish. Back to the Redneck then! Also I think I have less paint and more dirt. And a fishing rod.........
The axle has a groovy allen key hole in one end too. Not sure why only one though :/



Peaceout

Fashionable?...Moi?

I've been toying with the idea of getting a freecoaster for years now but hub design & cash were always a big issue for me, seeing as BK was changing up some of his stuff for his next project (post to follow soon) I thought I'd grab his old one...

Changing gearing can get expensive these days & it was through getting the chance of buying up Bob's old stock & the favorable exchange rate, that I decided to get it on. As this coaster only came in a 10t version, I had to look at downsizing the sprocket too. Originally I was waiting on the new BSD 'Alex' sprockets but the excitement got the better of me & I couldn't wait to get this project going. I have also been looking at Treebikeco sprockets for a while now, as I'd heard nothing but good things about them & after a check of their site, I discovered that they had a new 'light' sprocket in the works. After the offical launch indicated on Tree's site, I had BK get on to our ever trusted US BMX supplier, par excellence, Pat @ Flatlandfuel. Before long it's here (along with a fuck-off, massive order of lovely flatland components for Rayo & Bob) & the upgrade is on a roll...

I stripped & rebuilt the Odyssey Reloader freecoaster to make sure all was well.

I had to true the wheel of some spiteful up & down action & it was a couple of mm out on the dish but nothing major as far as the wheel was concerned.

The sprocket is the correct size (22mm) for the BSD Ti axle already on the bike so it was all a real nice fit & went together without heartache & I was glad to get rid of the nasty top-hat spacer for some super true sprocket rotation ;-)

With everything together, I don't think the weight has changed much? The freecoaster wheel is definitely heavier than the Proper cassette wheel it's replacing but with loosing the links from the chain due to smaller gearing & the difference between the 36t ANIMAL BIKES sprocket & the Tree light, it's kinda balanced it all out...

Always good to get new stuff for the 20" & I have enjoyed getting this sorted. Now just need to wait (for ever?) for the damn rain to stop falling so I can go test the beast...

Thanks:

BK for the wheel
Alex for the BSD offer
Pat for getting hold of the Tree light

In the midst of a waster generation...

What is it with kids today? Last night we tripped over to Chacombe for a relaxing evening session & had to sweep the entire park due to glass everywhere, fires lit against the back of the mini & basically sort out a fucked up mess of a park! I don't get it? if I'd have had this sort of facility on my doorstep when I was a nipper, I would have been using it for it's intended purpose & shredding the place daily! It's so easy to be a fucking waster these days eh kids?

So...

BobK, Co, Pornchai & I got our stuff together & after the above cleanup operation we had a good little session. Co has borrowed Bob's old 'Big-D' & seemed to be enjoying a bit of flat & ramp action & hopefully this will be just what he needs to get back in the saddle & back to being the little ripper of old! BK was just chipping away at some bits he's working on, I'm sure he likes to get out on his own solo missions to get some stuff learned but it's always good to see him riding... I just made a few of my normal bits & had a good time.

Summer evening sessions are the best eh...?

Combe next...

A great way to get rid of £6...

Bought the Smiths album 'the queen is dead' for my birthday & it's such a great CD. I worked in a record store (remember those!?) when this came out in 86 & remember buying it on vinyl at the time. After 20+ years it hasn't aged a day & still sounds great, so go & spend a few quid on a copy & kick back & enjoy the fantastic, often funny, song writing & great melodies, it's worth every penny.

Or if your a tight git then go see I-tunes, Ares or whatever his name is for the ripped, compressed & rubbish sounding MPfree version...

enjoy

For Dummies guides vol:1

Available from Amazon now...