We are playfully realistic about our cycling ambitions. Podiums, medals, and any real cycling accolades aren’t exactly our Thing. But really, they never were a concern to begin with. This is because we are part of the Fun Majority of cyclists — the enthusiastic group of people who ride bikes simply for enjoyment.

But don’t get it wrong … we are not defining enjoyment as “tootling around the park counting squirrels”.  We mean enjoyment in the “it has personal value” context. In other words, there is enjoyment from touring, group riding, commuting to work, exploring gravel roads, leisurely solo rides, etc. Basically, if you ride your bike because it makes you smile and feel good (and not solely for a trophy / prize money / crushing other people’s self-esteem) then you are a part of the Fun Majority.

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For those of you who might be a little hard of hearing, let me say it a little larger:

Free shipping for the month of March!

Yes, that includes everything … complete bikes, frames, parts, accessories, wheels, etc.

And double yes, this applies whether you buy online, call in your order, send it by fax, or use a carrier pigeon.  In other words, when we say free shipping,  we really mean free shipping on everything!

(Now if you’re really clever, you’ll go ahead and order your Rivendell / Soma / Batavus this March.  While some of the bikes and frames aren’t available just yet, you’ll reap the benefit of this limited time sale.  Just think about it … that’s an easy $35 to $100 savings for buying something you would get anyway.)

With Velo Orange introducing an affordable “multi-purpose” 650B oriented frameset called the Polyvarent, we thought it appropriate to see what kinda of “multi” we could make out of it.

Inspiration is often accidental. As we are apt to do, during our weekly survey of the blogosphere, we came across this vintage photo from the Old Spokes Home Blog. That photo, along with the accompanying article on a couple of Scorcher build-ups, was the push we needed in the right direction.

It had been a while since we pondered a Scorcher build-up, but with the “Hot Rod Black” paint on the Polyvarent and the plump 650B tires available, we felt a Retro Dropbar Backroads 650b Fixie Steel Scorcher (did you get all that?) would be perfect.  Plus, we figure sooner or later somebody will have to do it, so it might as well be us.

Anyway, here is the progress so far:

Velo Orange Polyvarent Scorcher

A custom build option for Velo Orange Polyvarent ... the off-road fixie retrogrouch special.

4 Photos

 

Obviously there are a few more details to work-out, but things are looking pretty good.  Some of the more geeky details are:
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Next time you are out for a routine ride, feeling bored with your daily commute, or just need a little extra spark … try something new:

• Ride a new route to an old route.
• Pedal with only one leg.
• Ride only in your biggest / smallest gear (if you have more than one).
• Count the number of dogs that don’t chase you.
• Ride with your eyes closed (but just for a second).
• Put your helmet on backwards and see if anyone notices.

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If you are new to the whole social media Twitterverse, you might be curious what appeal (or relevance) these 140 character messages have to you:

For whatever reason, cyclists from all aspects of the activity have really adopted this technology.  And we’ve found that the Tweet is a simple medium for conveying and receiving info on the most interesting cycling whatnot around the Interwebs.

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Yes, sometimes a bit of sarcasm is effective at humorously addressing some common misconceptions and well intentioned malpractices of the cycling flag-bearer.  This brief article (which we have transcribed in full) appears in the 42nd edition of the legendary Rivendell Reader:

How to Make the Rest of Your Family Hate Riding

• Coach them on proper technique and critique their performance so they know where they stand.
• Insist on proper saddle height even if they’re afraid of not being able to put their feet flat on the ground. tell them the truth—that pedaling with a too-low saddle will lead to chondromalacia.  That will motivate them with worry on top of their fear.

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As you may have read in our previous post, Like a Duck to Flickr … I Mean Water, we have wrapped our proverbial arms around Flickr. What makes bicycles and photography such a good match is that cycling is a form of self-expression … and there is no better way to “self express” on a bike than a Panda Portrait:

Here’s the brief description from the very popular Flickr Panda Portrait Group:
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For whatever reason, we were slow to adopt Flickr as one of our regular online social outlets. But now that we have made the leap, we have taken to Flickr like a duck takes to water.

In fact, we are so enamored with Flickr, we actually created three different resources based on the ability to sort, share, and interact with like-minded bike geeks:

1. Renaissance Bicycles Photo Stream — These photos are some of the mainstays of our website Gallery, along with other photos that just didn’t make the cut.  Plus, check out what we have in our personal stable of bikes.
2. “Renaissanced” Bicycles Group — While we would like to take all of the credit, we know that there are a lot of individuals lovingly refurbushing their vintage bikes with modern components, wheels, and / or accessories.  This is a place for you to share your creation!
3. The “Best” of Bicycles on Flickr — There are zillions of bike photos on Flickr, so we’ve narrowed it down to the “best” (ATMO) bicycle lifestyle photos.  We update this often, but feel free to make your own suggestions.
   

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Sometimes we take bikes and the sport of cycling (and ourselves) just a little too serious.  Thankfully there is a counter balance out there — worldly wisdom and contemporary humor intersect at the Bicycle Haiku website:

why write bike haiku?
perhaps your bike got stolen
at poetry class?

And just in case you forgot the simple rules of creating a Haiku …
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The answer is an emphatic “yes!” NOW is the time to buy or repair your bike.

And really, the reasoning is pretty simple and sound:

• Want repairs done quickly?  Just step to the front of the line at your local bike shop … they are available.
• Unlike in the Spring and Summer, retailers actually have the time to give you lots of personal attention.
• Many bicycle retailers offer discounts to help survive the “slow season”.
• New product lines will hit the market in the Spring … so the current inventory is about to enter the Everything Must Go! stage.
• Taking care of those pesky maintenance issues is a great motivator to get back on the bike.  Plus that means more time to ride when the weather turns the corner.
• Most riders have forgotten about their lonely bicycle(s).  After all, Bikes have feelings too.

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